Chapter 6 - What Vincent's Mother Knew
Vincent's mother had died fourteen years earlier.
Unlike his father, there had been no closed coffin.
Vincent had held her hand in the hospital as cancer took her final breath.
So when the woman said his name, he did not believe in miracles.
He believed in manipulation.
“My mother is dead.”
The caller responded:
“Yes.”
Vincent frowned.
“Then who are you?”
“My name is Catherine Vale.”
Blackwell reacted.
Vincent saw it.
“Who is Catherine Vale?”
Blackwell whispered, “Dominic's sister.”
Vincent stared.
“My father didn't have a sister.”
“He did,” Catherine said through the phone. “He erased me.”
Dominic's voice was gone.
Vincent asked, “Why?”
“Because I helped your mother.”
Vincent felt another layer of his childhood crack open.
“Helped her do what?”
“Build the first evidence file against Meridian.”
Blackwell sat down.
Catherine continued.
“Your mother knew what Dominic had become long before anyone else.”
Vincent looked at Lily.
The little girl was sitting beside Elena, clutching her locket.
Every adult in her life had hidden something.
Vincent was determined not to repeat that pattern.
“Tell me everything.”
Catherine did.
Dominic Moretti had not founded Meridian.
But he had taken control of it.
At first he convinced himself it was necessary.
Control corrupt officials instead of being controlled by them.
Pay police to prevent violence.
Manipulate contracts to keep rival organizations away.
Every compromise created another.
By the time Vincent's mother understood what Dominic had built, there were too many people depending on the system.
She began gathering evidence.
Catherine helped.
Then Vincent's mother became ill.
“She made me promise,” Catherine said, “that if Dominic ever tried to pull you or Anthony into Meridian, I would stop him.”
“Did you?”
“I tried.”
Not good enough.
Never good enough.
Vincent asked, “Did my father order Anthony killed?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Raymond Hale.”
Vincent looked toward Blackwell.
“Hale?”
Catherine continued.
“Hale believed Anthony had discovered too much. He acted without Dominic's permission.”
“Why would Hale betray the man running Meridian?”
“Because Hale wanted control.”
The puzzle finally formed.
Dominic built Meridian into an empire.
Hale wanted the empire.
Anthony discovered both.
Blackwell inadvertently gave Hale Anthony's location.
Anthony died.
Dominic disappeared because staying publicly alive made his sons targets.
It had all been cowardice disguised as protection.
Vincent said, “And Daniel?”
“Hale's man.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Catherine continued.
“He was supposed to get close to Elena, find Anthony's access code, and identify Lily's dead-man protocol.”
Vincent looked at Elena.
“He spent six years with her.”
“Because Anthony built the encryption better than Hale expected.”
Vincent almost smiled.
That sounded like his brother.
Catherine said, “Tonight Daniel discovered Elena had copied files from his phone.”
Elena nodded.
“I found messages arranging a meeting tomorrow.”
“With whom?” Vincent asked.
“Hale.”
Vincent frowned.
“Hale arrested Daniel.”
“No,” Elena said.
“He removed him.”
Vincent understood.
Daniel had never truly been in custody.
Hale was cleaning up.
Salvatore checked his phone.
“Signal is back.”
Messages flooded in.
One from Marco.
One from Belladonna security.
One from an unknown number.
Salvatore opened the last one.
A photograph filled the screen.
Daniel was tied to a chair.
Captain Hale stood behind him.
Beneath the photo:
BRING THE GIRL AND THE CARD TO UNION STATION. 3 A.M.
Vincent checked the clock.
2:14.
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Vincent agreed.
“We're not bringing Lily anywhere.”
Blackwell said, “Then Hale kills Daniel.”
Elena looked toward him.
Vincent watched her.
Daniel had hurt her.
Manipulated her.
Spied on her.
Yet six years of marriage did not disappear in one night.
“Do you want him alive?” Vincent asked.
Elena struggled with the answer.
Finally:
“I want him to answer for what he did.”
Vincent nodded.
“Then he stays alive.”
“How?”
Vincent looked at the SD card.
“We give Hale what he thinks he wants.”
Forty minutes later, Vincent walked into Union Station carrying the silver locket.
Salvatore remained three blocks away.
Elena and Lily were nowhere near the station.
Blackwell had taken them to a protected federal residence known only to Catherine.
Vincent hated trusting the judge.
But this time Blackwell would be monitored.
The Great Hall was nearly empty.
At 2:58 a.m., Hale appeared on the balcony.
Daniel was not with him.
Vincent called upward.
“You wanted the card.”
Hale smiled.
“You came alone?”
“You know better.”
“Yes.”
Hale descended.
“You look like Dominic when you're angry.”
Vincent held up the locket.
“Daniel.”
“Safe.”
“I want to see him.”
“You aren't negotiating.”
Vincent shrugged.
“Then we're done.”
He turned.
Hale's smile vanished.
“Wait.”
Vincent stopped.
“Camera.”
Hale sent a live feed to Vincent's phone.
Daniel sat inside a parked van.
Alive.
Bruised but conscious.
Vincent pocketed the phone.
“Now tell me something.”
Hale laughed.
“You're in no position—”
“Why did Lily text me tonight?”
Hale's expression changed.
Vincent continued.
“Daniel had lived with her for six years. If he wanted the card, why suddenly lose control tonight?”
Hale remained quiet.
“Because tonight wasn't about Elena discovering his messages.”
Hale said nothing.
“Something happened before Lily texted me.”
Hale's eyes narrowed.
Vincent smiled faintly.
“That's what I thought.”
Hale's hand moved toward his coat.
Vincent did not flinch.
“Daniel found something.”
“What?”
“Ask him.”
Hale hesitated.
Vincent threw the locket onto the marble floor between them.
Hale stared.
“You're giving it to me?”
“No.”
A green light blinked beneath the rim.
Tracker.
Hale looked up.
Vincent smiled.
“I'm giving my people your route.”
Footsteps echoed from every entrance.
Not Vincent's men.
Federal agents.
Hale froze.
Vincent looked toward the balcony.
Catherine Vale emerged beside a federal prosecutor.
Hale whispered, “You.”
Catherine answered, “Hello, Raymond.”
Hale drew his weapon.
Vincent moved.
The shot went into the ceiling.
Agents swarmed.
Within seconds Hale was on the marble floor in handcuffs.
Vincent stood over him.
“For Anthony.”
Hale laughed through blood on his lip.
“You still don't understand.”
Vincent crouched.
“What?”
Hale looked delighted.
“Daniel wasn't beating Elena because she found his messages.”
Vincent's stomach tightened.
“He was trying to stop her from opening something.”
“What?”
Hale smiled.
“The file Anthony left behind.”
Vincent grabbed his collar.
“What file?”
Hale leaned close.
“The one Elena has kept hidden from you since the night Anthony died.”
Vincent turned toward Catherine.
She looked confused.
That meant she did not know either.
Vincent pulled out his phone.
Called Elena.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then Salvatore called.
Vincent answered immediately.
“Where is Elena?”
Silence.
“Sal?”
His lieutenant's voice came low and urgent.
“The federal safe house is empty.”
Vincent's blood froze.
“What about Lily?”
“Gone.”
Vincent started walking.
“Find them.”
“Vincent.”
He stopped.
“What?”
“We found something on the bedroom wall.”
A photograph arrived.
Three words had been written across the plaster.
Elena's handwriting.
I'M SORRY, VINCENT.
Then another message appeared beneath it.
A location.
May you like
And a sentence:
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT ANTHONY.
