Chapter 3 - The Man Buried Seven Years Ago
Daniel pointed the gun at the opening door.
Dr. Keller stumbled inside.
"Don't shoot!"
Daniel lowered the weapon.
I almost collapsed.
My obstetrician stared at us.
"Why is there a gun?"
"Long Christmas story," I said.
Dr. Keller looked at my face.
Then my belly.
"Contractions?"
"Yes."
"Frequency?"
"Twenty minutes. Maybe less."
"You should be evaluated."
"I know."
He reached for his medical bag.
Daniel locked the door again.
I showed him the video.
Dr. Keller's eyes widened.
"Is that Roman's father?"
"You knew Augustus?"
"Everyone in Chicago knew Augustus."
"He's supposed to be dead."
"I attended the funeral."
Apparently that meant very little in my family.
Dr. Keller checked my blood pressure.
Too high.
My contractions were becoming more consistent.
He wanted me at Northwestern immediately.
I refused until Roman called.
Ten minutes passed.
Then fifteen.
No call.
Daniel paced.
Dr. Keller grew increasingly impatient.
At twenty-two minutes, my phone rang.
Roman.
I answered.
"Where are you?"
His breathing sounded heavy.
"Warehouse district."
"Is Vanessa with you?"
"Yes."
"Augustus?"
Silence.
I closed my eyes.
"So it's true."
"He's alive."
Daniel came closer.
"Put him on speaker."
I did.
Roman continued.
"He claims he didn't send the photographs."
Daniel laughed.
"Of course."
"Where is he now?" I asked.
"Gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"He had men with him."
"Roman—"
"I'm fine."
"Stop saying that."
Vanessa's voice came faintly from behind him.
"Tell her."
Roman said something away from the phone.
I couldn't hear it.
"Tell me what?"
Vanessa spoke louder.
"Elena, your husband didn't come downtown because of me."
My stomach tightened.
"Then why?"
"Because somebody sent him an ultrasound photograph of your baby."
I stopped breathing.
Roman cursed.
Vanessa continued.
"It had a message."
"What message?"
Roman answered.
"Your child will pay for what your family stole."
Daniel went completely still.
"My family?"
Roman said, "That's why I didn't answer your calls."
"What?"
"I thought someone had eyes on you. If I called, I could confirm where you were."
"You could have sent security."
"I did."
"No one came."
Silence.
Roman's voice changed.
"What?"
"No one came."
Daniel and I looked at each other.
Roman swore.
"Get out of the house."
Dr. Keller stood.
"Finally."
Roman continued.
"Take Keller's car. Not yours."
"Where?"
"Hospital. Public entrance. Cameras everywhere."
Daniel grabbed my hospital bag.
I looked at the wedding ring on the console table.
For some reason, I left it there.
"Roman?"
"Yes."
"Come back."
A pause.
Then softly, "I will."
We left through the garage.
The ride downtown felt endless.
Every sedan behind us looked suspicious.
Every traffic light felt designed to trap us.
Daniel sat beside me.
Dr. Keller drove.
"You could have called me," I said.
Daniel stared forward.
"I wanted to."
"For six years?"
"Every day."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
"Did Roman forbid you?"
Daniel looked at me.
"No."
That surprised me.
"Then why?"
"Because the people watching me knew about you."
"So you chose for me too."
"Yes."
I looked out the window.
The men in my life seemed united by one belief.
That loving me entitled them to make decisions for me.
The hospital staff admitted me quickly.
My contractions were real but not active labor.
Dehydration and stress, Dr. Keller said.
The baby looked healthy.
That should have comforted me.
Instead I stared at the monitor, listening to the heartbeat of a child about to enter a family built on secrets.
Daniel sat near the window.
"Is Roman involved in organized crime now?" I asked.
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
"Not the way Augustus was."
"That isn't no."
"No."
"What does Roman do?"
"He inherited people who expected the Vale name to mean something."
"Meaning?"
"Roman used intimidation. Connections. Sometimes threats. I never saw proof he ordered anyone killed."
A low bar for marriage.
"But?"
"Augustus believed fear was power. Roman learned that lesson too well."
I thought about all the times Roman had controlled a room without raising his voice.
"Why did Augustus fake his death?"
"We don't know."
"How can you not know?"
"Because after Roman saved me, we spent months dismantling some of Augustus's network. Then Augustus disappeared. A body matching his dental records was found."
"Matching?"
"Records can be changed."
Apparently everything could.
My phone buzzed.
Vanessa.
I stared at her name.
Then answered.
"Where's Roman?"
"Trying to find his father."
"Why are you calling me?"
"Because you deserve the part he won't tell you."
Daniel came closer.
"What part?"
Vanessa swallowed.
"December fourteenth, Roman met with a federal prosecutor."
I blinked.
"Why?"
"He's been cooperating for almost a year."
Daniel's face changed.
"What?"
"Roman agreed to testify against people connected to Augustus's old network."
I sat slowly.
"Why wouldn't he tell me?"
"Because spouses become targets."
"Apparently secrecy worked wonderfully."
Vanessa flinched.
Fair.
"What do you have to do with it?"
"My brother works for the U.S. Attorney's Office."
That explained the hotel.
Maybe.
"He contacted Roman after evidence surfaced that Augustus might be alive."
"And December fourteenth?"
"Roman learned someone inside the investigation was leaking information."
Daniel cursed.
"Who?"
"We don't know."
A nurse entered.
I lowered the phone.
She checked my monitor.
Another contraction.
Shorter.
Then she left.
Vanessa's voice returned.
"Elena, there's something else."
I nearly laughed.
"Of course."
"The photographs you received?"
"Yes."
"They weren't taken tonight."
I frowned.
"I saw Roman wearing the same suit."
"Look carefully."
I opened the first photo.
Vanessa was right.
The hotel Christmas decorations were different.
A wreath visible behind Roman had blue ribbons.
Tonight the hotel had red.
"When?"
"December fourteenth."
The date from the message.
Someone had saved photographs for ten days.
Then sent them at exactly the right time to destroy my marriage.
"Why?"
Vanessa said, "To make you leave Roman."
My eyes moved to Daniel.
"Why would someone want that?"
"Maybe they needed you outside the estate."
The hospital room door opened.
A nurse entered carrying flowers.
White roses.
No vase.
She placed them on the counter.
"For Mrs. Vale."
"From who?"
She checked the card.
"No name."
Daniel took it before I could.
He opened the envelope.
His face changed.
"What?"
He handed it to me.
One sentence.
YOU WERE SAFER WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOUR BROTHER WAS DEAD.
I looked toward the hallway.
The nurse had already disappeared.
Daniel rushed out.
I pressed the call button.
Nothing.
My phone rang.
Roman.
I answered instantly.
"Someone sent flowers."
"Leave."
"I'm at the hospital."
"I know. Leave that room now."
"Roman, what's happening?"
His voice was raw.
"They know which room you're in."
Daniel returned.
"No nurse."
A sound came from the bathroom.
Soft.
Metallic.
Daniel raised his weapon.
I backed toward the bed.
The bathroom handle turned.
Roman shouted through the phone.
"Elena, run."
May you like
The door opened.
And someone stepped out wearing hospital scrubs.
