Chapter 6 - The Woman at the Window
Vincent was outside within seconds.
The woman was already moving toward the garden.
"Stop!"
She did.
Slowly she turned.
Vincent had spent years trying to remember his mother's face exactly.
Time had softened details.
But not her eyes.
Not the tilt of her chin.
Not the small crescent-shaped mark beneath her left ear.
"Mother?"
Victoria Moretti looked at her son.
"Hello, Vincent."
His gun remained lowered.
Barely.
"You died."
"I disappeared."
"Everyone in my family seems to have trouble understanding those are different things."
Her expression almost softened.
"I deserve that."
"What are you doing here?"
"Trying to keep Lily alive."
Vincent laughed bitterly.
"Get in line."
Victoria looked toward the house.
"Thomas knows you're beginning to understand."
"Understand what?"
"That this was never his operation."
Vincent remembered Carlo's message.
His father's not the person to fear most.
"Who runs it?"
Victoria hesitated.
Vincent raised the gun slightly.
"Don't."
"I'm tired of being protected with silence."
She looked at him.
"Your grandfather."
Vincent stared.
"Giovanni died twenty-two years ago."
"No."
Of course.
Why should any grave in his family contain the correct person?
Victoria explained.
Giovanni Moretti had created the archive.
Thomas inherited part of it.
But his father remained in control.
"How old is he?"
"Eighty-seven."
"And still running this?"
"Through others."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"Why did you disappear?"
"Because I tried to take you and Rose away."
Vincent's throat tightened.
"Thomas stopped you?"
"Giovanni did."
She told him the death had been staged after a hospital explosion.
Victoria was moved overseas.
Eventually escaped surveillance.
She spent years trying to find a way back without exposing her children.
Vincent hated how believable it sounded.
He hated himself more for wanting to believe her.
"Why now?"
"Because Lily changed everything."
"She's four years old."
"Exactly."
Victoria looked toward the house.
"Giovanni has no patience left. The archive contains evidence that could destroy everyone connected to him. He wants it wiped before he dies."
"And Lily is the lock."
"Part of it."
Vincent lowered the gun.
"Come inside."
Victoria shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because someone in your house still reports to him."
Vincent thought of staff.
Security.
Carlo.
Isabella.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Convenient."
"Vincent."
"What?"
"Don't trust anyone who knew Rose survived before tonight."
His eyes narrowed.
"You?"
Victoria smiled sadly.
"Including me."
Then she walked away.
Vincent did not stop her.
Because sometimes the most useful thing a suspicious person could do was believe they were unobserved.
Marco had already placed a tracker beneath Victoria's car when she entered the garden perimeter.
He and Vincent watched her vehicle on a tablet.
"She's heading west."
"Follow at distance."
Elena entered.
"Lily's asleep."
"Good."
"She asked if you're angry."
Vincent looked at her.
"At her?"
"She thinks everyone keeps getting hurt because she talked."
Vincent's expression hardened.
"Tell her the opposite."
"I did."
He paused.
"Can I?"
Elena understood.
They went upstairs.
Lily slept curled under a blanket.
Vincent sat in the chair beside the bed.
Her stuffed rabbit had been recovered from the staff quarters.
He placed it beside her.
Lily stirred.
"Mr. Vincent?"
"Go back to sleep."
"Did you find the bad man?"
"Not yet."
She opened her eyes.
"Bad lady too?"
Vincent leaned closer.
"What bad lady?"
"The one Grandma doesn't like."
"Who?"
Lily thought.
"Pretty lady."
"Isabella?"
She shook her head.
"Rose?"
Another shake.
"Who?"
Lily whispered, "The lawyer lady."
Vincent's blood went cold.
Rebecca Shaw.
His private attorney.
The woman who knew his contracts, properties, security disputes, family trusts.
The woman he had called tonight.
"How do you know Rebecca?"
"She came when Mommy was cleaning."
"Where?"
"The library."
"What did she say?"
"Mommy told me to color."
"Lily."
The child looked sleepy.
"What did Rebecca say?"
"She said Mommy had one day."
Vincent stood.
Elena's face had gone pale.
"I never told you."
"Why?"
"I didn't know Rebecca worked for you until tonight."
"What did she want?"
"The archive."
Vincent grabbed his phone.
Rebecca did not answer.
He called Marco.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Tracker feed.
Victoria's car had stopped.
Vincent zoomed in.
Location: Shaw & Mercer Law Offices.
Rebecca's building.
He looked at Elena.
"Stay here."
He ran.
Twenty minutes later, Vincent entered Rebecca's office with two guards.
The reception area was empty.
Back door unlocked.
Rebecca's office light on.
She sat behind her desk.
Alone.
Calm.
"Vincent."
"Where's my mother?"
Rebecca smiled.
"That was fast."
Vincent pointed the gun.
"Where?"
"Sit."
"No."
"You should."
"Why?"
Rebecca nodded toward his phone.
It rang.
Marco.
Vincent answered.
"Boss."
Relief.
"Where are you?"
"That's the problem."
"What?"
"I'm at the estate."
Vincent froze.
"I've been here twenty minutes."
Vincent looked at Rebecca.
She smiled wider.
Marco continued.
"I never followed Victoria."
"Then who did?"
"No idea."
Vincent slowly lowered the phone.
A photograph arrived.
Victoria bound to a chair.
Behind her stood a man.
Carlo.
Vincent looked at Rebecca.
"You're working with Carlo?"
Rebecca laughed.
"No."
Then a second photograph arrived.
Carlo was also tied.
Someone else had taken both.
Vincent stared.
Rebecca leaned forward.
"Now do you understand?"
"Understand what?"
"Giovanni isn't hiding."
She rotated her laptop.
A live feed appeared.
An old man sat in Vincent's own dining room.
Inside the Moretti estate.
Lily slept upstairs.
Elena was there.
Marco was there.
The old man lifted a glass toward the camera.
"Come home, grandson."
Vincent ran.
May you like
But halfway to the door, Giovanni smiled into the camera and said:
"Before you rush back, ask yourself why Elena Carter never told you who Lily's father is."
