Chapter 5 - The Man at Table Nine
His name was Daniel Mercer.
Forty-one.
Attorney.
Political fundraiser.
Regular customer.
For six years, Daniel Mercer had eaten dinner at Table Nine every Thursday.
He had always seemed harmless.
Vincent now understood that harmless men were often the most carefully constructed.
“You’re saying Mercer is Lily’s father?” Vincent asked.
Rebecca nodded.
“And he works for my father.”
“Marcus Vale?”
“Yes.”
“Why would Claire hide his identity?”
“Because Daniel isn’t his real name.”
Rebecca handed Vincent another photograph.
The same man.
Younger.
Standing beside Marcus Vale.
On the back:
MATTHEW VALE, AGE 23.
Vincent looked at Rebecca.
“Your brother.”
“Half brother.”
“Unacknowledged.”
“Yes.”
“He fathered Lily.”
“Yes.”
“Does Marcus know?”
“Now he does.”
That explained everything.
Claire had not merely found old financial records.
She had unknowingly connected her daughter to the Vale family.
“Why does Marcus care?” Vincent asked.
“Because Matthew can destroy him.”
“How?”
Rebecca looked toward the ruined warehouse.
“Matthew was the hidden child mentioned in Dominic’s letter.”
Vincent frowned.
“No. My father said there was someone whose true identity could destroy Vale.”
“Exactly.”
Rebecca took a breath.
“Matthew Vale is not Marcus Vale’s biological son.”
Vincent stared.
“Then whose?”
“Dominic Moretti’s.”
Nobody spoke.
Rebecca continued.
“Marcus raised him as his own because Matthew’s mother, Elena Russo, married into the Vale family after she was forced away from Dominic.”
Vincent felt the past folding over itself.
Matthew.
Daniel.
His half brother.
Lily’s father.
That made Lily Vincent’s niece.
He looked toward Rocco.
Rocco understood at the same moment.
“Son of a…”
Vincent turned back to Rebecca.
“Where is Claire?”
“My father took her to the Vale Foundation tower.”
“Why?”
“He wants Anna’s originals.”
“We have them.”
“Not all of them.”
Rebecca pointed to the waterproof case.
“Anna kept one final ledger.”
“Where?”
“Claire knows.”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“Why are you helping?”
“Because Marcus murdered my mother.”
The words came without emotion.
That made them more believable.
Rebecca looked toward the river.
“He called it an accident. Just like Anna.”
Vincent studied her.
“You could be lying.”
“I could.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
Rebecca met his gaze.
“But you should verify me quickly, because Claire has maybe two hours.”
Vincent disliked her.
He believed her anyway.
At the Golden Palm, Lily was drawing with crayons under Evelyn’s supervision.
Vincent sat beside her.
She looked up.
“Did you find Mama?”
“I know where she is.”
Her entire face changed.
“Can we go?”
“No.”
“You said—”
“I’m going.”
“I want to come.”
“Absolutely not.”
Lily crossed her arms.
“You’re bossy.”
Vincent almost smiled.
“I’ve been told.”
She looked at him seriously.
“Are you scared?”
Vincent considered lying.
“Yes.”
“Of the bad people?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Not bringing your mother home.”
Lily reached across the table and took his hand.
Vincent stared at the tiny fingers around his.
“My mama says being scared means you know something matters.”
He swallowed.
“Your mother is right.”
Before leaving, Vincent went to Table Nine.
Daniel Mercer’s usual chair sat empty.
Rocco had searched the building.
Underneath the table they found a small tracking device.
“He had been monitoring the restaurant,” Rocco said.
“For how long?”
“Could be months.”
Vincent remembered the night Lily entered.
Daniel had been there.
Watching.
Had he recognized his daughter?
Had he known Claire was outside?
Rage rose.
Vincent controlled it.
“Find him.”
“We did.”
“Where?”
Rocco pointed toward the private room.
Daniel Mercer sat inside.
He had walked through the kitchen entrance ten minutes earlier and surrendered.
Vincent entered alone.
Daniel looked exhausted.
“You finally know.”
Vincent shut the door.
“You’re Lily’s father.”
Daniel flinched.
“Yes.”
“And my brother.”
A bitter laugh.
“Half.”
“You were at the restaurant.”
“Yes.”
“You saw Lily.”
“Yes.”
“And did nothing.”
Daniel’s face broke.
“I didn’t know what to do.”
“You could have stood up.”
“My father had men everywhere.”
“Marcus is not your father.”
Daniel looked away.
“I know.”
“Claire?”
“I loved her.”
“Past tense?”
“I still do.”
Vincent leaned across the table.
“Then explain why she was on the floor while you were eating steak thirty feet away.”
Daniel’s eyes reddened.
“Because I was the reason they found her.”
Vincent stopped.
Daniel took a shaky breath.
“Claire called me three weeks ago. She said she found Anna’s box.”
“You knew about it?”
“No. But I knew what Marcus would do if he discovered it.”
“So?”
“I tried to help her leave Chicago.”
“And Marcus followed you.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you warn her?”
“I did.”
“Not well enough.”
Daniel looked down.
“No.”
Vincent wanted to hit him.
Instead he sat.
“Where is Claire?”
“Top floor of Vale Tower.”
“Security?”
“Private contractors. Maybe twenty.”
“Police?”
“Marcus owns enough friends to slow them down.”
“And the final ledger?”
Daniel looked up.
“I know where it is.”
Vincent waited.
“Anna never gave it to Claire.”
“Then who?”
“She gave it to me.”
Vincent stared.
“When?”
“Eleven years ago.”
“You knew Anna?”
“She knew who I really was.”
Daniel reached inside his jacket.
Vincent’s hand moved instinctively.
Daniel removed only a key.
A small brass key with the number 214.
“She told me that if anything happened to her, I should protect this until someone named Vincent was ready.”
Vincent looked at the key.
“You’ve had this for eleven years?”
“Yes.”
“Why not give it to me?”
“Because you became exactly what Anna feared.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“A Moretti who solved problems with fear.”
The words landed.
Daniel continued.
“She said you might become your father.”
“That was meant as an insult?”
“No.”
Daniel’s expression softened.
“Dominic changed near the end. He wanted out. He wanted you to have another life.”
Vincent said nothing.
“Anna believed you might finish what he started.”
“What?”
“Break Vale’s network.”
Vincent looked at the key.
“Where does it go?”
“Union Station.”
Locker 214.
Vincent stood.
“We get the ledger. Then Claire.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not that simple.”
“Why?”
“Marcus knows about the locker.”
“How?”
“Because I told him.”
Vincent turned slowly.
Daniel’s face tightened.
“He has Claire.”
“You betrayed her.”
“I bought time.”
“With her life?”
“With mine.”
Daniel pulled open his shirt collar.
A small device was taped beneath it.
Microphone.
Vincent tore it free and crushed it.
Daniel whispered, “Too late.”
Vincent’s phone rang.
Marcus Vale.
Vincent answered.
A cultured older voice greeted him.
“Mr. Moretti.”
Vincent did not respond.
Marcus continued.
“I believe you have something belonging to me.”
“You have Claire.”
“I have a guest.”
“If she is harmed—”
“Threats are so predictable.”
Marcus chuckled.
“Bring the Warehouse Fourteen records to Union Station. Locker 214. One hour.”
“And Claire?”
“She walks away.”
“Lily too?”
A pause.
That was enough.
“You know about Lily.”
“I know everything now.”
Marcus’s voice changed.
“And family complications require permanent solutions.”
The call ended.
Vincent looked at Daniel.
Daniel had gone pale.
“What?”
Daniel stood.
“He said family complications.”
“Yes.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That wasn’t about Claire.”
Vincent understood.
They ran from the room.
Rocco was already shouting from the dining area.
Lily’s chair was empty.
Evelyn lay unconscious beside the table.
The back kitchen door swung slowly on its hinges.
On the floor was one pink ribbon.
And beneath it, a note.
May you like
BRING THE LEDGER.
OR BRING A SMALL COFFIN.
