Chapter 11 - The Husband Who Died
Alessandro did not deny it.
That scared me more than another lie would have.
"You paid Nathan?"
"I funded an extraction."
David stared at him.
"You told me your men happened to find the crash."
"They did."
"Because you paid to put them there."
Alessandro looked tired.
"Vale was moving against you. Nathan warned me."
Nathan said, "I didn't know Vale planned to kill him until the route went live."
"So you called Romano."
"Yes."
David laughed without humor.
"My best friend saved me by telling the mafia where I'd be after telling the feds where I'd be."
Nathan looked down.
"Yes."
I rubbed my face.
"I need everyone in this room to stop helping me."
No one smiled.
We moved on North Point at dusk.
I stayed in the van because three separate armed men ordered me to.
Then my mother's tracker moved.
Not deeper into the building.
Toward an ambulance exit.
"They're moving her."
I ran before anyone could stop me.
David followed.
We reached the loading dock as Denise pushed my mother's wheelchair toward a white van.
I screamed.
Denise turned.
Vale's men opened fire.
David dragged me behind concrete.
Alessandro's crew answered.
My mother fell from the wheelchair.
I crawled to her.
"Mom."
Her eyes opened.
"Kitty."
I broke.
She touched my face with shaking fingers.
"You look like your father."
"I thought you were dead."
"I know."
That sentence again.
Everybody knew.
Vale escaped.
Denise did not.
Police found her bleeding in a stairwell.
Alive.
My mother was dehydrated but stable.
For the first time in twelve years, I sat beside her bed.
She told me the beginning.
She had worked on compliance reviews linked to a defense contractor.
Marcus Vale was a young agent then.
He offered protection.
Then he began using witness identities to create shell accounts.
"David found the same pattern," she said.
"Did you know David?"
She closed her eyes.
"Before you did."
My breath stopped.
"What?"
"He came to me when he was recruited."
"Why?"
"Because Vale told him your family was already involved."
A nurse entered with an envelope recovered from Denise.
My name was on it.
Inside was an old photograph.
Newborn Logan in my arms.
Marcus Vale in the hall behind us.
And beside him, my obstetrician.
On the back:
PATERNITY SAMPLE COLLECTED.
I stared at David.
He looked as confused as I felt.
May you like
CUT.
