Chapter 4 - The Son Vincent Buried
Vincent stared at the message until the letters blurred.
YOU BURIED THE WRONG SON.
Arthur touched his shoulder.
“Vincent.”
“Don’t.”
His voice came out sharper than intended.
Anthony had been thirty-four when his car plunged from a mountain road nine years earlier.
The vehicle burned.
Dental records confirmed the body.
Vincent had identified his son’s watch.
There had been a funeral.
A coffin.
A grave Vincent visited every Sunday for the first year.
Impossible.
Yet someone wanted him questioning it.
Mara studied the image.
“This could be psychological manipulation.”
Vincent nodded.
“Then it’s working.”
Daniel immediately sent officers to the storage property.
Samuel’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Police issued a bulletin.
Celeste remained inside Vincent’s house under questioning but was not formally arrested.
That infuriated Vincent.
“She admitted changing the labels.”
Mara did not flinch.
“Changing labels is criminally relevant. It doesn’t prove attempted murder.”
“She participated in a conspiracy.”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“You want me to arrest people because you’re angry.”
“I want you to arrest people because they tried to steal my company.”
“And I want enough evidence that they don’t walk free in twenty-four hours.”
Vincent hated her logic because it was correct.
He went upstairs.
Rosa sat with Lily in a guest room.
Vincent knocked before entering.
Lily was drawing.
“What is that?” he asked.
“A castle.”
“Looks expensive.”
She grinned.
Rosa stood.
“Sir, I want to take her away from here.”
Vincent nodded.
“I agree.”
Rosa looked surprised.
“I’ll arrange somewhere secure.”
“I can stay with my sister.”
“No.”
Her face tightened.
“Sir—”
“If Samuel knows Lily saw something, your sister’s house isn’t safe.”
Rosa stared at him.
Vincent softened.
“Let Daniel choose somewhere protected. Please.”
After a moment, she agreed.
Lily held up her drawing.
There were six people in front of the castle.
One tiny figure had bright red hair.
Another was a large man wearing a burgundy robe.
Vincent smiled.
“Is that me?”
“You look grumpy.”
“That’s accurate.”
She giggled.
Then Vincent noticed another figure drawn near a window.
A man.
“You forgot to color him.”
Lily stopped smiling.
“That’s the man.”
Vincent crouched.
“What man?”
“The one from last night.”
His pulse quickened.
“You said you didn’t see him.”
“I saw him after.”
“Where?”
“Outside.”
“When?”
“When Mommy was sleeping.”
Rosa’s face went white.
“Lily?”
The child pointed toward the bedroom corridor.
“He looked through the window in the door.”
Vincent stared at her.
“What did he look like?”
Lily shrugged.
“Old.”
“Like me?”
She studied him seriously.
“No. Less old.”
Rosa almost laughed despite herself.
Vincent asked, “Hair?”
“Gray.”
“Glasses?”
“No.”
“Beard?”
She shook her head.
Then she pointed toward Vincent’s hand.
“He had your ring.”
Vincent looked down.
He wore the Moretti family signet ring.
Only family members received one.
Anthony had possessed one.
So had Vincent’s younger brother Dominic.
Dominic died fourteen years ago.
Vincent stood slowly.
Too many dead men were suddenly walking through his house.
He found Arthur downstairs.
“Who has family rings?”
Arthur counted.
“You. Anthony had one. Dominic had one. Your father’s is in the safe.”
“Samuel?”
“No.”
Vincent told him what Lily had said.
Arthur looked uneasy.
“You’re thinking Anthony.”
“I’m thinking somebody wants me to think Anthony.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
Detective Mara received a call from officers at the storage property.
They found no intruder.
But Anthony’s personal trunk had been opened.
Several items were missing.
Cuff links.
Coat.
Signet ring.
And a handwritten notebook.
“What notebook?” Mara asked.
Vincent frowned.
“I don’t know.”
The storage inventory listed it simply as PERSONAL JOURNAL.
Vincent had never read it.
He hadn’t known it existed.
“Who prepared the inventory after Anthony died?”
Vincent asked.
Daniel checked.
“Samuel.”
Of course.
Everything led back to Samuel.
But by evening, forensic investigators discovered something strange.
Samuel’s fingerprints were not on the medication bottle.
Celeste’s were.
And another set.
Unknown.
The unknown prints also appeared on the hidden phone.
Mara explained this to Vincent in his study.
“You may be dealing with someone besides Samuel.”
“Or Samuel used gloves.”
“He didn’t when he handled the contract folder earlier.”
Vincent poured water.
Harold had banned alcohol.
Vincent had never wanted whiskey more.
“Where is Celeste?”
“Upstairs.”
“Can I talk to her?”
“No.”
“This is my house.”
“It’s my investigation.”
Vincent stared at Mara.
She stared back.
He sighed.
“You remind me of my mother.”
“I’m choosing to believe that’s a compliment.”
“It isn’t.”
“Good.”
Arthur entered with a file.
“We found something.”
Mara looked at him.
“What?”
“Old financial records.”
He spread documents across the desk.
Fifteen years earlier, the stolen eight million had moved through three shell companies.
One belonged indirectly to Samuel.
Vincent read the record twice.
“Why wasn’t this discovered?”
Arthur looked ashamed.
“Because we never looked at Samuel.”
Vincent sat back.
Gabriel may have been innocent.
That thought hurt more than Vincent expected.
He remembered firing the young man.
Gabriel had begged.
Not for his job.
For Vincent to look at the evidence himself.
Vincent hadn’t.
He trusted Samuel.
A man may build his fortune by making a thousand good decisions.
Sometimes one bad decision still destroys a life.
“What happened to Gabriel?” Vincent whispered.
Arthur shook his head.
“We still don’t know.”
Mara’s phone rang.
She listened.
Then looked at Vincent.
“They located Samuel’s vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Bus terminal.”
“Samuel?”
“No.”
Inside the trunk they found a laptop.
On the laptop was a folder titled VINCENT.
Photos.
Medical records.
Company files.
Celeste’s background.
Lily’s school schedule.
Rosa’s banking information.
Anthony’s accident report.
Mara looked grim.
“This was planned for a long time.”
“By Samuel?”
“The laptop belonged to him.”
“But?”
“But the newest files were added this morning after Samuel disappeared.”
Vincent leaned forward.
“So he may still be using it remotely.”
“Or someone else is.”
One document changed everything.
A scanned letter written by Anthony three days before his death.
Father,
If anything happens to me, look at Samuel.
Gabriel was innocent.
The money never disappeared.
Samuel moved it.
There is someone else involved.
Someone in the family.
I have proof.
Vincent’s hands trembled.
Arthur read the final sentence.
“I’m meeting Gabriel tomorrow.”
Vincent stared at him.
Anthony had died the following night.
Mara said quietly, “Your son knew Gabriel was alive.”
Vincent could barely speak.
“Then Samuel may have killed Anthony.”
Arthur looked away.
Mara closed the laptop.
“We don’t know that.”
Vincent stood.
“I do.”
“No. You suspect it.”
“He stole money. Framed Gabriel. Anthony discovered it. Anthony died.”
“Suspicion is not evidence.”
Vincent slammed his palm against the desk.
“My son warned me from the grave!”
Lily’s voice came from the doorway.
“Mr. Vincent?”
Everyone turned.
Rosa stood behind her looking apologetic.
“I’m sorry. She wanted to say goodbye before Daniel takes us.”
Vincent immediately regretted shouting.
He crouched.
“I’m sorry you heard that.”
Lily walked toward him.
Then held out something.
A piece of folded paper.
“I found it in Lucy.”
Rosa frowned.
“In your doll?”
Lily nodded.
Vincent unfolded the note.
Three words were printed inside.
BLUE CAP GIRL.
His blood went cold.
Mara took the paper without touching the edges.
“Where did you get the doll?”
Rosa answered.
“It was a gift.”
“From whom?”
Rosa thought.
“Miss Celeste.”
Everyone turned.
Celeste stood at the far end of the hallway.
A police officer beside her.
Her face drained of color when she saw the note.
“That was not inside when I gave it to her.”
Mara approached.
“When did you give her the doll?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Where did you buy it?”
“I didn’t.”
Vincent stared at her.
“Then who gave it to you?”
Celeste’s eyes filled with fear.
“Samuel.”
Mara looked toward Lily.
“When did you last leave this doll unattended?”
The child thought carefully.
“This morning.”
“Where?”
“Mr. Vincent’s room.”
Vincent looked at Daniel.
Someone had entered the room.
Someone had placed a threat inside a child’s toy.
Daniel’s radio exploded with static.
Then an officer shouted:
“We found Vance!”
Vincent turned.
“Where?”
“Old greenhouse behind the east gardens.”
“Alive?”
A pause.
Then:
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“But he’s tied to a chair.”
Vincent felt the hairs on his arms rise.
Daniel ran.
Mara followed.
Vincent ignored Harold and went too.
They reached the greenhouse five minutes later.
Samuel sat bound beneath broken glass panels.
His shirt was soaked with sweat.
Tape covered his mouth.
Daniel removed it.
Samuel sucked in air.
Vincent stood over him.
“Who did this?”
Samuel stared at Vincent with terror.
“He’s alive.”
“Who?”
Samuel began shaking.
Vincent grabbed his shoulders.
“Who is alive?”
Samuel looked directly into his eyes.
“Gabriel.”
Vincent froze.
Samuel’s next words came out as a whisper.
“And he didn’t come back for Celeste.”
A sound came from behind the greenhouse door.
Samuel’s eyes widened.
May you like
“He came back for you.”
The door opened.
