Chapter 5 - What Eleanor Was Doing Before She Died
Eleanor had contacted federal investigators ten months earlier.
Not with accusations.
With math.
She sent a seventeen-page reconciliation showing beneficiary totals did not match bank disbursements.
That got attention.
She then provided public corporate records connecting consulting entities to Charles Thorne, Senator Vale's former partner, and Vittorio Castellano.
The federal team opened a preliminary inquiry.
Then Eleanor died of a stroke.
Natural.
Hospital.
No mystery.
Mara was almost relieved.
She had begun expecting every death to hide a plot.
Agent Keane said, "Your mother's death is not under investigation."
Roman, who arrived halfway through the meeting, nodded.
"Good."
Mara looked at him.
"You sound disappointed."
"No."
He sat across from her.
"I sound like someone learning not every answer needs an enemy."
That was more self-awareness than she expected.
Keane continued.
Eleanor had not given agents the full copied drive.
She was still verifying family-level payments.
After her death, investigators lost the source and could not establish where the remaining records were.
Then Mara's cemetery assault happened.
Bianca's father called a political donor within twelve minutes.
That donor contacted a former fund administrator.
The administrator called Vittorio Castellano.
Federal wire monitoring on an unrelated financial investigation captured the panic.
That was how the government knew the old case was alive.
Mara frowned.
"Are you saying my slap restarted a federal investigation?"
Keane almost smiled.
"I'm saying Senator Vale's reaction to it helped us understand what he feared."
Bianca had believed she was punishing a pregnant maid over Preston.
Instead, she disturbed a fault line under three powerful families.
Roman asked, "What do you need from Mara?"
"Voluntary interview. Consent to image Eleanor's files. Nothing else today."
"No subpoena?"
"Not today."
Mara looked at Roman.
"Why are you answering for me?"
He stopped.
"You're right."
Then to Keane:
"Ask her."
Good.
Mara agreed.
The interview lasted four hours.
She explained the recipe box.
The bracelet.
Her mother's habits.
Preston's divorce.
Bianca's employment abuse.
The one night with Roman was irrelevant to the financial case until Keane asked whether anyone could use the pregnancy to pressure her.
Mara answered yes.
Everyone.
That night Roman remained on the porch while his security team changed shifts.
Mara stepped outside.
"You can go home."
"I know."
"Then why aren't you?"
He looked toward the street.
"Because Vittorio's name is on the records."
"Your uncle."
"Yes."
"Did he work for you?"
"Not then."
"But later?"
Roman nodded.
"He ran dock collections. Security. Things I won't romanticize for you."
Mara crossed her arms.
"Did you?"
"Run them?"
"Benefit."
Roman's face became still.
"Yes."
There.
No performance.
He had inherited money and power built partly through crimes.
"Did you ever ask where it came from?"
"Not enough."
The answer sounded like every powerful man in every story Mara had recently heard.
Roman said, "I can cooperate."
"Will you?"
He looked at her.
"I haven't decided."
Mara nodded.
"Then don't stand on my porch like you're protecting me from men you're still protecting."
Roman flinched.
Good.
She went inside.
At 1:07 a.m., her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One photograph.
Bianca sitting in a car outside Eleanor's bungalow three months before Eleanor died.
Message:
ASK YOUR EX-HUSBAND WHY HIS WIFE WAS FOLLOWING YOUR MOTHER.
Mara stared.
Preston had claimed he did not know Bianca requested Mara as a maid until months later.
Maybe that was true.
Maybe not.
She forwarded the image to Keane.
Then, after a long moment, to Preston.
His reply came immediately.
I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS THERE.
Then another.
BUT I KNOW WHO TOOK THE PHOTO.
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