Chapter 6 - What Our Parents Buried
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
My mother's face remained frozen on the laptop screen.
Gabriel sat across from me at the lodge table.
Leo slept upstairs under Dr. Morris's supervision.
State police had taken Victor away.
Celeste stood near the window.
Adrian remained beside the fireplace.
Four adults.
Four families' worth of lies.
I pressed play.
My mother continued.
“Thomas discovered that Victor DeLuca was moving money through city contracts. He asked Gabriel's father, Anthony, for help.”
Gabriel looked down.
“Anthony agreed to expose Victor. But before they could go to authorities, Victor discovered the plan.”
She coughed.
My chest tightened.
I remembered that cough.
Cancer had already been in her lungs.
“Victor arranged for Thomas to meet him at Pier Nine. Anthony followed. A third man came too.”
The screen cut to a scanned photograph.
Three men.
Thomas Vale.
Anthony DeLuca.
And a younger Adrian.
Adrian stepped closer.
“I was there.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“You never said that.”
“I've spent thirty years trying not to.”
My mother continued.
“Victor's men attacked Thomas. Anthony tried to stop them. In the struggle, one of Victor's men was killed.”
Gabriel stared at the screen.
“Who?”
Adrian answered.
“My father.”
I looked at him.
He nodded.
“Thomas and I shared a father.”
“Victor killed him?”
“No.”
Adrian looked at Gabriel.
“Anthony did.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
My mother's recording continued.
“Anthony acted to save Thomas. But Victor used the death to turn Adrian against the DeLucas. He told Adrian Anthony murdered both his father and Thomas.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“For twenty years, I believed him.”
“So Thomas escaped?” I asked.
Adrian looked at me.
“For a few hours.”
My mother nodded on the recording as though answering me.
“Thomas survived Pier Nine. Victor found him the next morning.”
I stopped breathing.
A new document appeared.
An old hospital intake record.
Unknown male.
Gunshot wound.
Date of death.
Three weeks before my birth.
I stared until the words blurred.
My father had not abandoned us.
He had fought to expose a dangerous man.
Then died before meeting me.
I cried quietly.
Not dramatic sobs.
Just tears.
Gabriel sat beside me.
He did not touch me until I leaned toward him.
Then he put one arm around my shoulders.
“My mother spent my whole life protecting me from this,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
“I was angry at her for not telling me who my father was.”
“She wanted you alive.”
“I know.”
That made it worse.
The video continued.
“Maya, I didn't tell you because Victor believed Thomas had no child. Celeste helped me change your records. Anthony helped me leave the city.”
Gabriel stared.
“My father protected her.”
Celeste nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because after Anthony died, Victor regained control.”
Gabriel looked tired beyond words.
Every person he had loved had hidden part of his own life from him.
My mother continued.
“Years later, Amelia found me. She was the first DeLuca I trusted after Celeste.”
Gabriel smiled through tears.
“That sounds like her.”
“She wanted to finish what Thomas started. I gave her everything I had.”
The screen changed.
Amelia appeared beside my mother.
Alive.
Smiling.
Then serious.
“I’m adding this message for Gabriel.”
His breathing changed.
“Gabriel, if you're seeing this, then I failed to return safely.”
He leaned closer.
“I need you to understand something. I did not leave you.”
His eyes closed.
“I love you. I love Leo. I disappeared because Victor believed I died in the crash, and that gave me one chance to collect enough evidence to put him away permanently.”
Gabriel whispered, “Where are you?”
Amelia's recording continued.
“I'll come home when Victor cannot reach Leo.”
Celeste covered her mouth.
Gabriel looked at Dominic.
“Can we trace the original file?”
Dominic examined metadata.
“Uploaded nine weeks ago.”
“From where?”
He typed.
Then frowned.
“Public library network.”
“Which city?”
“Boston.”
Gabriel stood.
Adrian shook his head.
“Could be intentional misdirection.”
“Or she's there.”
Dominic opened another file.
A recent photograph.
Amelia.
Standing beside a train platform.
Date: twelve days earlier.
Gabriel's face broke.
“She’s alive.”
This time nobody argued.
He sat again.
For nearly a minute he said nothing.
Then he looked at me.
“You saved my son.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You did.”
“I gave him a sandwich.”
“He spoke because he trusted you.”
“Maybe he was ready.”
“Maybe.”
Leo appeared at the staircase.
Dr. Morris behind him.
He had woken up.
Gabriel rushed over.
Leo held out his arms.
Gabriel lifted him.
This time Leo did not pull away.
“Dad.”
One word.
Gabriel buried his face in his son's hair.
I looked away because some moments were too private even when they happened in front of you.
Then Leo looked at the laptop.
“Mommy.”
Gabriel turned.
“You remember?”
Leo nodded.
“Mommy alive.”
The room froze.
Gabriel set him down carefully.
“What do you mean?”
Leo stared at the screen.
“After crash.”
Dr. Morris knelt.
“Leo, you don't have to talk if it feels scary.”
He looked at her.
Then at me.
“Maya stays?”
I nodded.
“I'm here.”
He took a breath.
“Mommy opened door.”
Gabriel's hands trembled.
“She got out?”
Leo nodded.
“Man came.”
“Victor?”
Leo shook his head.
“Other man.”
Adrian frowned.
“Who?”
Leo looked at him.
Then pointed.
“You.”
Adrian went white.
Gabriel stepped between them.
“You found Amelia.”
Adrian did not answer.
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
The word hit the room like glass breaking.
Gabriel grabbed his shirt.
“You knew?”
“I found her after the crash.”
“You let me think she was dead?”
“She begged me.”
“You had no right.”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
Adrian's eyes filled.
“I don't know now.”
Gabriel shoved him away.
“But you did.”
“For six months.”
Celeste whispered, “Adrian.”
“She needed protection.”
“From Victor,” Gabriel said.
“And from you.”
Gabriel stared.
Adrian continued.
“You were still surrounded by Victor's people. Your drivers. Your accountants. Half your security team. If Amelia returned, he would have known within hours.”
Gabriel's anger dimmed.
Not because he forgave him.
Because he understood.
Adrian reached into his coat.
He pulled out an old envelope.
“I promised not to give you this unless Victor was arrested.”
Gabriel took it.
His name was written on the front.
Amelia's handwriting.
He opened it.
Inside was a letter.
And a train ticket.
Boston to New York.
Tomorrow.
Gabriel stared.
“What is this?”
“She told me that if Victor fell, she would meet me at Grand Central.”
“You?”
“She didn't know if you'd forgive her.”
Gabriel laughed through tears.
“Of course I would.”
Adrian looked at the floor.
“She doesn't know that.”
Gabriel folded the letter.
“We're going.”
I smiled.
Then Dominic's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed immediately.
“What?”
We all watched him.
“When?”
He looked at Gabriel.
“Victor escaped transport.”
The room went silent.
Gabriel's face hardened.
“How?”
“Vehicle collision. Two officers injured. Victor's gone.”
Adrian swore.
Dominic continued.
“And we have another problem.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“What?”
“The Grand Central meeting.”
“What about it?”
Dominic held up his phone.
“A message was sent from Victor's burner ten minutes ago.”
“To whom?”
“An unknown Boston number.”
Gabriel looked at Amelia's letter.
“What did it say?”
Dominic read it.
“Tomorrow. Noon. Grand Central. She'll come for Gabriel.”
Gabriel looked toward Leo.
May you like
Victor knew Amelia was alive.
And he knew exactly where she was going.
