Chapter 12 - SUNDAY
Rosa almost said Bruno’s name.
Then she stopped herself.
Fear had already made too many decisions in that family.
“Check everyone,” she told Alessandro. “Even the people we love.”
He nodded.
Nico reviewed access logs with investigators.
Maya kept Rosa and Lily at a protected location arranged through the case team.
For two days, nobody at the estate knew where they were.
Not Bruno.
Not Mateo.
Not Alessandro’s father.
Alessandro visited under the agreed security plan, bringing Lily’s wooden horse.
She ran into his arms.
“Did you lose him?”
“Not a chance.”
While she played, Nico called.
Sunday wasn’t Bruno.
It was the night supervisor, Paul Sutter.
He had worked at the estate for eleven years.
He attended church every Sunday and brought pastries afterward.
He also had access to the camera system.
Investigators found the same nickname in messages on the recovered drive.
Sutter was arrested leaving a bank.
In his car was an envelope containing cash and a photograph of the safe house Rosa had almost been sent to.
Almost.
Maya had changed the location at the last minute.
Rosa sat down when she heard.
Alessandro remained on the phone.
“What else?”
Nico hesitated.
“He admits opening the service gate before the fire.”
“And?”
“He says Vittorio wants a meeting.”
“No.”
“He claims there’s another box of Elena’s papers. Original bank records. A recording.”
Alessandro looked toward Lily.
She was making the horse jump over a tissue box.
“Where?”
Rosa stood.
“Don’t.”
He covered the phone.
“I’m not going alone.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It could connect him to my mother.”
“And it could put you in the ground beside her.”
He looked hurt.
She let him.
Then she stepped closer.
“You told me this was where you kept trying. So try something different.”
Alessandro stared at her.
For most of his life, action had meant movement.
Drive there.
Take control.
Make somebody answer.
Now his daughter laughed from the rug, and he understood that staying alive could require more nerve.
He uncovered the phone.
“Give everything to Brooks. Tell my father he can speak through attorneys.”
An hour later, Bruno called.
His voice was thin.
“Alessandro, I’m sorry.”
“What did you do?”
“I thought I could bring you the box.”
May you like
Behind him, Vittorio spoke.
“Now perhaps you’ll come get your butler.”
