Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Sofia’s video gave us an address.
An old rehabilitation residence outside Providence.
Dante watched the final frame three times.
“My mother has been alive sixteen years.”
“Maybe,” I said.
He looked at me sharply.
“You think Sofia lied?”
“No. I think we should understand what happened before deciding anything.”
Julian leaned against the wall.
“That’s her polite way of telling you not to destroy the building.”
“I understood.”
“Did you?”
Dante looked at him.
“Keep talking and you can walk to Rhode Island.”
When we arrived, Dante refused to let anyone else enter first.
I followed anyway.
“Mara.”
“No.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You were going to.”
Room 214.
Dante stopped outside.
His hand hovered over the handle.
The feared head of the Moretti empire suddenly looked like a thirteen-year-old boy.
I touched his arm.
“Open it.”
He did.
A woman sat beside the window.
Older.
Silver threaded through her dark hair.
She turned.
The Saint Michael medal slipped from Dante’s fingers.
“Mom?”
Isabella Moretti stood slowly.
“Dante.”
He didn’t move.
Neither did she.
Then Isabella crossed the room and touched his face.
“My boy.”
Dante’s eyes closed.
“Sixteen years.”
“I know.”
“You were alive.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because your father told me if I returned, he would kill both my children.”
Dante stepped back.
“He died eleven years ago.”
“Vincent Hale inherited his secrets.”
I asked, “Where’s Sofia?”
Isabella’s expression collapsed.
“Hale took her.”
Dante became the man Boston feared again.
“Where?”
“He wants Gabriel’s ledger.”
Julian stepped into the doorway.
Isabella stared at him.
“Julian Mercer.”
“You knew my father?”
“Yes.”
“He died because of you.”
“No.”
Her answer stopped him.
“Your father helped me escape.”
Julian’s face changed.
“What?”
“Carlo discovered it. Vincent manufactured evidence connecting your father to Gabriel’s disappearance.”
Julian sat down.
Everything he had believed about his family had just shattered.
Isabella looked at both men.
“Your fathers were enemies publicly. Privately, Julian’s father tried to stop Carlo.”
Julian whispered, “I spent years blaming Dante.”
“And I spent years blaming you,” Dante said.
I crossed my arms.
“Excellent. You’ve both wasted enough time. Sofia?”
Isabella almost smiled.
“I understand why Evelyn liked you.”
“You knew my mother?”
“She saved my daughter.”
Then Isabella explained the final secret.
Gabriel’s complete ledger had never been in the storage unit.
Evelyn had hidden it somewhere no Moretti would search.
My flower shop.
“The greenhouse,” I said.
Isabella nodded.
“Under the original foundation stone.”
We returned to Boston.
Beneath the greenhouse floor we found a sealed metal container.
Inside were financial records, photographs, recordings, and documents.
Enough evidence to expose Hale.
Dante picked up his phone.
Julian stopped him.
“If we rush him, Sofia gets hurt.”
“He has my sister.”
“I know.”
“Then move.”
“No.”
Dante grabbed Julian’s coat.
I slammed pruning shears onto the table.
Both men stopped.
“Are we really doing this again?”
Dante released him.
I pointed at the records.
“Hale doesn’t know we found them.”
Julian understood.
“So we make him believe we’re still searching.”
“And let him choose the meeting place,” I said.
Dante looked at me.
“You’re not coming.”
I laughed.
He stared.
“What?”
“You’ve said that four times. How’s it working?”
Sal turned away to hide a smile.
Dante pointed at him.
“Don’t.”
“Yes, boss.”
The phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dante answered.
Vincent Hale’s voice came through.
“Bring me Gabriel’s ledger tomorrow night.”
“I want proof Sofia is alive.”
A girl spoke.
“Dante?”
He stopped breathing.
“I don’t know you,” Sofia said, “but apparently you’re my brother.”
Dante closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Are you really as scary as everybody says?”
Mara covered a laugh.
Dante looked offended.
“Who told you that?”
Sofia almost laughed through the phone.
Then Hale returned.
“Midnight. Pier Nine.”
The call ended.
Dante looked at us.
Julian asked, “Plan?”
Dante’s eyes settled on me.
I smiled.
“Actually, I have one.”
He sighed.
May you like
“Does it involve flowers?”
“Of course.”
