Chapter 6 - The Voice Inside the Music Box
I don't remember running down the stairs.
I remember Vincent shouting orders.
I remember guards flooding the halls.
I remember the open window.
And I remember realizing that both girls were gone.
Mia too.
My child had entered this nightmare because I couldn't afford a babysitter.
Now she was missing because adults with money and power had spent years protecting secrets instead of children.
I turned on Vincent.
"If anything happens to her—"
"I know."
"No. You don't."
His face was white.
"My daughter is gone too."
That stopped me.
Not because my anger disappeared.
Because his fear matched mine.
Dominic rushed into the room.
"Exterior cameras were looped for ninety seconds."
"Inside help?" Vincent asked.
"Possibly."
"Find them."
"We are."
Vincent picked up the swan.
The recording repeated.
Bring me Elena's evidence.
Dominic examined the device.
"This was placed here before the power failure."
"Meaning?"
"They were already inside."
Vincent looked at the guards.
Nobody met his eyes.
He understood.
Angelo didn't need to break into the house.
Someone had opened it.
Ten minutes later security found a maintenance door unlocked.
A vehicle had exited the alley.
Traffic cameras tracked it south.
Then lost it.
Vincent called every person he could.
Police contacts.
Private security.
Transportation officials.
I sat at the dining table with my hands clenched around Mia's bracelet.
She had taken it off before bed because Isabella wanted to look at it.
A cheap silver bracelet with plastic stars.
Nothing valuable.
Everything valuable.
Vincent sat across from me.
"I'm going to bring them back."
"Don't promise what you can't control."
His eyes met mine.
"Then I'll promise what I can."
He leaned forward.
"I will not stop."
For reasons I couldn't explain, I believed him.
Dominic entered carrying a laptop.
"Angelo contacted us."
Vincent stood.
A live video opened.
Isabella and Mia sat together inside a room.
Neither appeared injured.
Mia was talking.
Of course she was.
Even kidnapped, my daughter was apparently incapable of silence.
"Isabella, my mommy is gonna be mad."
Isabella whispered, "My daddy too."
Hearing her speak almost broke Vincent.
Then an older man stepped into frame.
Silver hair.
Black ring.
Angelo Moretti.
Alive.
Vincent's father looked directly into the camera.
"Hello, son."
Vincent stepped closer.
"Let them go."
"Bring the evidence."
"Where?"
"Dominic knows."
Dominic stiffened.
Vincent looked at him.
Angelo smiled.
"See? Still keeping secrets."
"Where?" Vincent repeated.
"Pier fourteen. Warehouse C."
Dominic whispered, "That's Elena's old storage site."
Vincent turned.
"You knew about it?"
"She used it once."
Angelo continued.
"One hour."
The video ended.
Vincent grabbed the evidence box.
Dominic stopped him.
"You can't give him everything."
"I can if it gets Isabella back."
"And Mia."
Vincent looked at me.
"And Mia."
I stood.
"I'm coming."
"No."
"Yes."
"Claire—"
"My child is there."
"It's dangerous."
"So was your restaurant."
He had no answer.
Dominic looked at Vincent.
"She's right."
Vincent glared.
"Don't encourage her."
"I'm not. I'm telling you she won't stay."
He knew that too.
We left.
Warehouse C stood near the river.
Old brick.
Broken windows.
One entrance lit.
Vincent's men positioned themselves at a distance.
Angelo had warned that if he saw weapons, the girls would be moved.
Vincent went in carrying the evidence.
I followed.
Dominic came behind us.
The warehouse was empty except for Angelo and two men.
Mia and Isabella sat behind him.
My daughter saw me.
"Mommy!"
I nearly ran to her.
One of Angelo's men moved.
I stopped.
Vincent spoke.
"You have what you wanted."
Angelo smiled.
"You always were obedient when fear finally reached you."
Vincent set the box down.
"Let them go."
Angelo walked around it.
He looked older than the videos.
But not weak.
His eyes were sharp.
Calculating.
"Isabella."
The girl shrank against Mia.
Vincent's face changed.
"Don't speak to her."
Angelo smiled.
"Still pretending blood creates loyalty?"
Vincent stepped forward.
"She is my daughter."
"I told her otherwise."
"I know."
"And she believed me."
"Because she was six."
Angelo's smile faded.
Vincent continued.
"You terrorized a child because you couldn't control her mother."
"Elena betrayed this family."
"Elena protected it."
"From me?"
"From what you became."
Angelo looked at Dominic.
"And you."
Dominic said nothing.
"You chose her."
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
Angelo's jaw tightened.
"You were like a son."
Dominic shook his head.
"No. Vincent was your son. Look what you did to him."
Angelo turned back to Vincent.
"You think he is loyal?"
"More than you."
That landed.
Angelo kicked open the evidence box.
Folders spilled out.
"Where are the drives?"
Vincent said nothing.
"Don't test me."
"Let the girls go."
Angelo looked at one of his men.
The man reached toward Mia.
I stepped forward.
"Don't touch her."
Angelo looked at me for the first time.
"The waitress."
"The mother."
He smiled.
"You're brave."
"No. I'm angry."
Mia said, "Mommy always gets like that."
Even Angelo looked surprised.
I almost laughed.
Then Isabella stood.
Everyone froze.
She looked at her grandfather.
"You're a liar."
Vincent's face changed.
Angelo stared at her.
"What did you say?"
"You lied."
Her voice trembled.
But she kept speaking.
"Daddy loves me."
Angelo took one step forward.
Vincent moved immediately.
"Stay away from her."
Isabella continued.
"You said he'd hate me."
Angelo's composure cracked.
"You don't understand."
"You said Mommy left because of me."
Vincent's eyes filled with tears.
"Isabella, no."
She looked at him.
"He said she died because I opened the swan."
Vincent's face went blank.
Angelo said, "Enough."
"No!"
Isabella's shout echoed through the warehouse.
For eleven months she had stored every word inside herself.
Now they were coming out.
"Mommy told me to hide!"
Vincent stopped breathing.
Isabella pointed at Angelo.
"You found her!"
The room went silent.
Vincent looked at his father.
"What does she mean?"
Angelo's face hardened.
Isabella was crying.
"I saw the other video."
Vincent whispered, "What other video?"
"The car."
Angelo moved.
Dominic intercepted him.
One of Angelo's men reached under his jacket.
Vincent's security flooded through the side doors.
Everything happened at once.
I ran to Mia.
Vincent reached Isabella.
Angelo backed away.
Dominic held him.
"No more."
Sirens approached outside.
Angelo looked shocked.
Vincent said, "You thought I came alone?"
Police entered.
Real police.
Federal agents behind them.
Vincent had apparently sent copies of Elena's evidence before we arrived.
Angelo stared at his son.
"You handed the family to the government?"
Vincent held Isabella.
"No."
He looked at Elena's files scattered across the floor.
"I handed them you."
Agents arrested Angelo.
Keller was arrested later that morning.
Several officials named in Elena's files were investigated.
The criminal network Angelo had built began collapsing within hours.
It should have felt finished.
It wasn't.
Because Isabella had said there was another video.
A video involving Elena's car.
And nobody had found it.
Back at Vincent's townhouse, Mia refused to sleep without Isabella.
The girls curled together again.
Vincent sat in the hall.
I brought him coffee.
"She spoke."
He nodded.
"More tonight than in eleven months."
"That's good."
"It should feel good."
"But?"
He looked at me.
"I still don't know how Elena died."
Dominic approached.
His expression was grim.
"We found something in Angelo's warehouse."
He placed a small USB drive on the table.
Vincent stared.
"What's on it?"
Dominic swallowed.
"I don't know."
"Why do you look like that?"
"Because of what Elena wrote on the label."
Vincent picked it up.
Two words.
FOR ISABELLA.
He inserted it into the laptop.
A video file appeared.
The date was the night Elena died.
Vincent pressed play.
The screen went black.
Then Elena appeared inside her car.
Alive.
Terrified.
May you like
She looked directly into the camera.
"Vincent, if you're watching this, the man who caused my death is standing beside you."
