Chapter 4 - The Reason Arthur Disappeared
Arthur forgot how to breathe.
The man was older than Daniel had been when he died.
A scar crossed his left cheek.
But the eyes were identical.
“Daniel?”
The stranger smiled without warmth.
“No.”
Arthur’s hand went toward his weapon.
“Don’t.”
The man opened his jacket.
No gun.
“My name is Luca.”
Arthur stared.
“Daniel’s son.”
The words made no sense.
Daniel had never had children.
At least, Arthur had never known of one.
“You’re lying.”
“I wish.”
Luca placed an old photograph on the table.
Daniel stood beside a young woman Arthur vaguely remembered.
Between them was a baby.
On the back, Daniel’s handwriting read:
LUCA. FOUR MONTHS. KEEP HIM SAFE FROM DAD.
Arthur read it twice.
Chloe watched him.
“Your father?”
Arthur’s voice was low.
“Salvatore.”
Luca nodded.
“My grandfather.”
“Why use Daniel’s phone?”
“It wasn’t his phone. It was his emergency account.”
“You sent the photograph of Chloe.”
“Yes.”
Arthur crossed the room in two steps and slammed Luca against the wall.
Chloe cried, “Arthur!”
Luca didn’t resist.
“I needed your attention.”
“You photographed a pregnant woman sleeping.”
“I didn’t take it.”
Arthur stopped.
“Who did?”
“The same people who killed my father.”
Arthur released him.
“Croft?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Luca looked toward Chloe.
“The Romanos.”
Arthur almost laughed.
“I am the Romanos.”
“That’s what your father wanted you to believe.”
Luca explained.
Daniel had discovered that Salvatore Romano had secretly prolonged the feud with the Crofts because peace would expose decades of money laundering through supposedly rival companies.
Daniel intended to reveal everything.
His car exploded first.
Luca’s mother fled Chicago with her infant son.
Salvatore buried the truth.
“Why return now?”
“Because someone else found Daniel’s evidence.”
“Who?”
Luca glanced at Chloe.
“Her father.”
Chloe sat upright.
“My father ran a diner.”
“Your father kept books for Salvatore Romano before you were born.”
Chloe shook her head.
“No.”
“Thomas Henderson was an accountant.”
“He was a cook.”
“He became one.”
Luca looked at Arthur.
“When Daniel realized Salvatore planned to kill him, he copied the records. He gave one set to Thomas.”
Arthur remembered the message.
Under the floor.
Chloe whispered, “Dad knew your family?”
“Yes.”
Luca nodded.
“And he spent the rest of his life making sure you never did.”
Arthur’s phone rang.
Marco.
“We found Vivian.”
“Where?”
“Your house.”
Arthur frowned.
“What?”
“She walked through the front gate twenty minutes ago and asked for protection.”
“From whom?”
“She won’t say.”
Arthur looked at Luca.
“Keep her there.”
“Arthur, there’s more.”
“What?”
“The man I caught at the hospital had Croft identification.”
Arthur’s eyes hardened.
“But,” Marco continued, “the ID was fake.”
“Who was he?”
“Romano payroll.”
Arthur said nothing.
“Boss?”
“Lock the house down.”
He hung up.
Luca gave him a grim look.
“Now you understand.”
Arthur did.
Someone inside his own organization was using the Crofts as cover.
Someone who knew Chloe was pregnant.
Someone who knew Daniel’s secrets.
Someone who could reach Arthur’s security systems.
Chloe suddenly touched her stomach.
Arthur moved instantly.
“What?”
“The baby kicked.”
For one surreal second, everything else disappeared.
Chloe looked at him.
“Do you want to feel?”
Arthur’s face softened.
He sat carefully.
She guided his hand to the side of her belly.
A movement pressed beneath his palm.
Arthur froze.
Then another.
His eyes filled before he could hide it.
Chloe saw.
“So much for terrifying mafia boss.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Her mouth almost curved.
Arthur kept his hand there.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Missing this.”
Chloe looked away.
“You chose to.”
“I thought I was choosing your life.”
“You should have trusted me enough to tell me.”
“Yes.”
The simplicity disarmed her.
Arthur added, “I won’t make that mistake again.”
A nurse entered.
“Ms. Henderson needs rest.”
Arthur stood.
“I’ll be outside.”
Chloe caught his sleeve.
“Arthur.”
He looked down.
“Don’t go to the diner without me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Arthur.”
“No.”
“It’s my father’s secret.”
“And somebody is trying to kill you.”
“They’re trying to kill you too.”
Arthur considered her.
“That isn’t the argument you think it is.”
Hours later, Chloe was transferred under heavy security to Arthur’s estate after her pressure stabilized enough for supervised bed rest.
Vivian waited in the library.
When Chloe entered, Vivian stood.
The two women faced each other.
Arthur remained between them.
Vivian’s eyes went to Chloe’s belly.
“I’m sorry.”
Chloe remembered those words at the cathedral.
“You knew I was pregnant.”
Vivian nodded.
Arthur’s voice hardened.
“How?”
“My father showed me a photograph.”
“The one from her apartment?”
“No.”
Vivian swallowed.
“An ultrasound.”
Chloe went cold.
“My ultrasound?”
Vivian nodded.
“The one Marco was supposed to give Arthur.”
Arthur stared at her.
“Who gave it to Harrison?”
Vivian hesitated.
“Say it.”
“My father said it came from someone you trusted.”
Arthur’s phone vibrated.
A security alert.
Someone had entered the diner.
The camera feed appeared.
A hooded figure walked through the dark kitchen.
Then knelt beside the pantry.
Arthur enlarged the image.
The intruder pulled up a floorboard.
Chloe whispered, “That’s where Dad said never to look.”
The figure removed a metal case.
Then slowly raised his face toward the security camera.
Arthur recognized him.
So did Chloe.
May you like
It was Marco.
And he was smiling.
