Chapter 6 - The Brother Who Shouldn’t Exist
Harriet looked at Dominic.
Then at the man on the stairs.
Brother?
Dominic had never mentioned one.
The stranger descended slowly.
He was perhaps five years older than Dominic.
Similar height.
Same dark eyes.
Same shape of jaw.
But where Dominic carried tension like armor, this man wore charm like perfume.
“Adrian,” Dominic said.
The stranger smiled.
“You remember.”
Harriet tightened her grip around the brass key.
Dominic moved slightly in front of her.
“Stay behind me.”
She whispered, “Still no.”
Adrian laughed.
“So this is Harriet.”
Harriet stared.
“You know me?”
“I know everyone Victor cares about.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“You’re working with Marano.”
Adrian tilted his head.
“Working with is such an ugly phrase.”
“Then give me a prettier one.”
“Using.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
Adrian descended the final step.
“I use Victor.”
“And he thinks he uses me.”
Harriet looked between them.
“You’re the name on the tape.”
Adrian’s smile vanished.
Dominic turned toward her.
“You don’t know that.”
“Your face says I do.”
Adrian laughed.
“She’s observant.”
Harriet held up the cut cassette.
“You removed the name.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Dominic’s gaze sharpened.
“You knew we’d come here.”
“I knew Henry eventually would.”
“Where is he?”
“Alive.”
Harriet stepped forward.
Dominic caught her wrist.
Adrian noticed.
Interesting again.
“Victor was right.”
Dominic’s voice went cold.
“About what?”
“Harriet is your weakness.”
Harriet snorted.
Dominic looked at her.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“Men keep saying dramatic things about me and I still need health insurance.”
Adrian laughed.
Actually laughed.
“You are exactly what Henry said.”
Harriet’s humor disappeared.
“You know my father?”
“Very well.”
“Where is he?”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
“With Victor.”
“Why?”
“Because Henry has spent twenty-two years trying to undo what we built.”
Harriet stepped around Dominic.
“What did you build?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Freedom.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“It was.”
“How many people did freedom cost?”
Adrian’s smile faded.
Dominic said, “Don’t waste time with him.”
Adrian looked at his brother.
“You always did think morality belonged to you.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“I never claimed morality.”
“No. You claimed loyalty.”
“I still do.”
“To a dead father who lied to both of us?”
Harriet glanced at Dominic.
Something old moved behind his eyes.
“What is he talking about?”
Dominic did not answer.
Adrian did.
“Our father chose him.”
Harriet looked at Dominic.
“Chose him for what?”
“To inherit everything.”
Adrian smiled.
“Businesses. Properties. Men. Name. Legacy.”
Dominic’s voice was quiet.
“You left.”
“I was pushed.”
“You tried to kill him.”
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
Harriet turned toward Adrian.
“You tried to kill your father?”
“He tried to erase me first.”
Dominic shook his head.
“You stole from him.”
“I took what belonged to me.”
“You moved money to Victor.”
“I moved money away from Carlo.”
Harriet understood.
“Henry found you.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Yes.”
The room went quiet.
Henry’s cassette.
Someone inside Carlo Valenti’s family.
Someone close enough to know every meeting.
Adrian.
Dominic stared at his brother.
“All these years.”
Adrian shrugged.
“You thought Victor stole alone?”
Dominic’s face hardened.
“I thought you were dead.”
Harriet looked sharply at him.
Adrian smiled.
“There’s a family tradition.”
Dominic ignored the joke.
“I saw your car go into the river.”
“You saw a car.”
“You left blood.”
“I was young. I enjoyed theater.”
Harriet rubbed her forehead.
“Does anyone in this family die normally?”
Neither brother answered.
She sighed.
“Fine.”
Adrian walked toward the metal box.
Dominic blocked him.
“Don’t.”
Adrian stopped.
Harriet looked at Adrian.
“Why does Victor need the cookbook?”
“The codes connect the hidden accounts to real names.”
“And the brass key?”
Adrian’s eyes moved to her hand.
“That opens Locker Seventeen.”
“What’s inside?”
Adrian smiled.
“The original ledger.”
Dominic looked at Harriet.
“That’s what Victor wants.”
Adrian nodded.
“Henry divided the evidence into pieces. He trusted no one.”
“Smart man,” Harriet said.
“He was irritating.”
“Family trait.”
Adrian almost smiled again.
Then Dominic asked, “Why are you here?”
Adrian’s expression shifted.
The humor disappeared.
“To warn you.”
Harriet stared.
“About Victor?”
“Yes.”
“You just admitted you work with him.”
“I told you. I use him.”
“What changed?”
Adrian looked toward the windows.
“Victor plans to kill Henry after the exchange.”
Harriet’s hand tightened around the key.
“When?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Where?”
“Pier Nine.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“Too obvious.”
“That’s why he chose it.”
Harriet said, “And Cynthia?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Alive.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Warehouse Seven.”
Dominic pulled out his phone.
Adrian raised a hand.
“Don’t.”
“Why?”
“Victor has someone watching every person you might send.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“Then why tell us?”
Adrian’s face changed.
“For twenty-two years, Victor promised me something.”
“What?”
“My father’s empire.”
Dominic laughed once.
“You believed him?”
“I was twenty-seven and furious.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m fifty-one and less stupid.”
Harriet said, “How inspiring.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Victor never intended to share anything.”
“What finally convinced you?”
Adrian reached inside his coat.
Dominic reacted immediately.
Adrian slowly removed a phone.
He played a recording.
Victor’s voice.
Clear.
“Once Adrian delivers Dominic, remove him too.”
Another man asked, “And Harriet Lawson?”
Victor responded.
“Keep her alive until the vault is open.”
Harriet’s stomach tightened.
The recording ended.
Dominic looked at his brother.
“You recorded him.”
“I record everyone.”
“Trusting.”
“I learned from Father.”
Harriet turned toward Dominic.
“Can this help us?”
“Yes.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
Both looked at him.
“Victor owns the district attorney.”
Dominic frowned.
“Not anymore.”
Adrian smiled.
“You think that because the current one attends your charity dinners?”
“I think that because I have his resignation letter.”
Harriet looked at Dominic.
“Why do you have a district attorney’s resignation letter?”
“Long story.”
“Of course.”
Dominic looked at Adrian.
“Victor’s network is weaker than you think.”
Adrian’s expression tightened.
“How weak?”
“Federal investigation. Eighteen months.”
Harriet stared.
“You’re working with federal agents?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Sometimes.”
“You really are terrible at being an alleged crime lord.”
“I contain multitudes.”
She almost laughed.
Adrian did not.
“If the government is involved, Victor will accelerate.”
“That’s why tonight’s attack happened,” Dominic said.
Adrian nodded.
“He wanted you gone before the arrests.”
Harriet looked at the key.
“Then tomorrow is too late.”
Dominic nodded.
“We move tonight.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Victor expects that.”
“Good.”
“He has Henry at Pier Nine already.”
Harriet’s head snapped up.
“You said tomorrow.”
“I lied.”
Dominic’s expression became lethal.
Adrian raised both hands.
“I needed to know whether you’d listen before I told you.”
Harriet crossed the room and slapped Adrian.
Hard.
He stared at her.
“Everyone in this family gets one,” she said.
Dominic almost smiled.
Adrian rubbed his cheek.
“I understand why Rafe hated you.”
“Rafe is alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Pier Nine.”
Harriet looked at Dominic.
“We go now.”
Dominic nodded.
Adrian stepped toward them.
“I’m coming.”
Dominic said, “No.”
“You need someone who knows Victor’s layout.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Strong argument.”
Adrian looked at Harriet.
“But she wants her father.”
Harriet stared back.
“And what do you want?”
Adrian looked at Dominic.
“My brother alive.”
For the first time, Dominic’s face softened.
Only slightly.
Then he turned away.
“Get in the car.”
The convoy left the lake house eight minutes later.
Harriet sat beside Dominic.
Adrian rode opposite them.
No one spoke for most of the drive.
Harriet held the cookbook in one hand.
The brass key in the other.
Dominic noticed.
“You’re not trading both.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“Dominic.”
“We give Victor what he thinks he wants.”
“And?”
“We make sure what he gets is useless.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“Locker Seventeen contains the ledger. Victor needs the cookbook to decode it.”
Harriet looked at the book.
“So we photograph the codes.”
Dominic nodded.
“And destroy the original?”
“No.”
Harriet frowned.
“Why?”
“Because the original is evidence.”
“Then what?”
Dominic smiled faintly.
“Your mother wrote in pencil.”
Harriet understood.
Twenty minutes later, at a roadside service station, Dominic’s men scanned every coded page.
Harriet then used an eraser.
One by one.
Every account code disappeared.
She hesitated at the final page.
Her mother’s handwriting.
Dominic rested a hand near hers.
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes.”
She erased it.
The cookbook became recipes again.
Nothing more.
Harriet closed it.
“Mom would kill me.”
Dominic smiled.
“She’d probably understand.”
Harriet looked out the window.
“Let’s hope Dad does.”
They reached Pier Nine shortly after 3:00 a.m.
The old warehouse complex sat dark beside the river.
Adrian pointed toward Warehouse Seven.
“Victor will be inside.”
Dominic’s team spread out.
Harriet looked at him.
“You’re staying outside?”
“No.”
“You were stabbed.”
“You already mentioned that.”
“Because you keep forgetting.”
Dominic handed her an earpiece.
“If anything goes wrong, you run.”
“No.”
“Harriet.”
“I am forty-two years old.”
“Not relevant.”
“I fought six men in a garage.”
“Also not relevant.”
“I saved your life.”
“Extremely relevant. That’s why I would prefer you keep yours.”
Harriet stared at him.
Then she put in the earpiece.
“Compromise. I run only if you run.”
Dominic sighed.
“Fine.”
Adrian led them toward a side entrance.
The door stood open.
Too open.
Inside, one overhead light burned.
A chair sat beneath it.
Henry was tied to it.
His head hung forward.
Harriet rushed in.
“Dad!”
Dominic caught her.
“Wait.”
Henry lifted his face.
Alive.
Bruised.
“Harry.”
Harriet almost cried.
Then a slow clap echoed from the darkness.
Victor Marano stepped into the light.
Rafe beside him.
Cynthia stood behind them, hands bound but unharmed.
Victor smiled.
“Beautiful.”
His gaze moved to Adrian.
“You brought everyone.”
Adrian drew his gun.
Victor laughed.
“I wondered when you’d betray me.”
Dominic raised his weapon.
Victor did not seem concerned.
Harriet held up the cookbook.
“Let them go.”
Victor’s eyes brightened.
“And the key?”
Harriet showed the brass key.
Victor smiled.
“Now we can finally finish this.”
Harriet stepped forward.
Victor pointed toward a metal door at the rear of the warehouse.
“Locker Seventeen is through there.”
Dominic whispered, “Something’s wrong.”
Harriet felt it too.
Victor was too calm.
Then Henry shouted.
“Harriet, don’t open that door!”
Victor turned and struck him.
Harriet surged forward.
Dominic restrained her.
Victor smiled again.
“Your father always was dramatic.”
Henry looked at Harriet.
His eyes were terrified.
“It isn’t a locker.”
Harriet stared at the brass key.
Victor’s men began moving around them.
Henry shouted again.
“The key opens the tunnel!”
A metallic sound came from beneath the warehouse floor.
May you like
Something unlocked.
Then the concrete under Harriet’s feet began to move.
