Chapter 3 - The Secret Rose Kept
Mom arrived twenty minutes later.
She walked into a house filled with Vincent Caruso’s men and stopped dead.
“Oh.”
Dad stood.
“Rose.”
Mom looked from him to Vincent.
Then her grocery bag hit the floor.
Vincent stared at her.
“Rose.”
Her face went pale.
“You’re alive.”
Vincent gave a bitter laugh.
“Apparently everyone thought everyone else was dead.”
I looked between all three.
“Can somebody please explain why my family has more secrets than a federal investigation?”
Mom ignored me.
Her eyes stayed on Vincent.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Arthur Vale is outside.”
That changed everything.
Mom’s expression hardened.
“You saw him?”
“Yes.”
Dad stepped toward her.
“Rose, did you know he was back?”
She looked at him.
“No.”
I folded my arms.
“Mom?”
She finally looked at me.
“Nora, go upstairs.”
“No.”
“Nora.”
“I’m twenty-two.”
“And I’m still your mother.”
Vincent spoke quietly.
“She deserves to know.”
Mom shot him a look.
“You don’t get a vote.”
“I spent twenty-two years believing Daniel was dead.”
“And I spent twenty-two years keeping her alive.”
I looked at Mom.
“Keeping me alive?”
Silence.
Dad closed his eyes.
Mom realized what she had said.
I stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
“Nora.”
“No.”
My voice rose.
“Arthur Vale wants Dad dead. Vincent thinks he might want me too. I’m done being protected by lies.”
Mom sat down.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then she looked at Vincent.
“Tell her.”
Vincent seemed surprised.
“Rose—”
“Tell her why Vale cared about Daniel.”
Vincent turned toward me.
“Daniel didn’t just discover theft.”
Dad looked at the floor.
“He discovered Vale was cooperating with federal investigators.”
I frowned.
“Wouldn’t that be good?”
“Not the way he did it.”
Vincent continued.
“Vale was giving them selected information to remove his rivals.”
“So he could take over.”
“Yes.”
Dad added, “And when Vincent refused to join him, Vale decided he had to go.”
Mom reached for my hand.
“Your father found proof.”
I looked at Dad.
“What kind?”
“A ledger.”
“Where is it?”
Dad hesitated.
Vincent stared.
“You still have it?”
Dad said nothing.
Vincent laughed once.
“Danny.”
“I couldn’t destroy it.”
“You kept Arthur Vale’s ledger for twenty-two years?”
Dad looked at him.
“It was insurance.”
“Where?”
Dad glanced toward me.
My stomach tightened.
“No.”
Mom spoke first.
“Nora’s birthday cards.”
I stared.
“What?”
Dad walked to the hallway and removed an old framed card from the wall.
The lighthouse.
He turned it over and opened the back.
Inside was a tiny strip of microfilm.
Vincent stared.
“You hid evidence inside her birthday cards?”
“Different pieces.”
I stepped back.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Dad looked embarrassed.
“No one ever searched them.”
“Because normal people don’t hide criminal evidence inside birthday cards.”
Marco stepped closer.
“Boss.”
Vincent looked at him.
“We need to move them.”
Mom immediately shook her head.
“No.”
Marco stared.
“Ma’am—”
“I’m not moving Nora into some Caruso safe house.”
Vincent looked at her.
“Rose.”
“I remember your safe houses.”
“That was twenty-two years ago.”
“And you were reckless then too.”
I watched Vincent Caruso get scolded by my mother like he was sixteen.
Marco looked like he wanted to disappear.
Then a window shattered.
Everyone dropped.
Vincent pulled me behind the kitchen counter.
Dad dragged Mom down.
A brick landed on the floor.
Wrapped around it was a white envelope.
Marco picked it up.
Inside was one line.
GIVE ME WHAT DANIEL STOLE.
Vincent’s expression became cold.
Dad whispered.
“He knows about the ledger.”
Vincent looked at him.
“Then we stop running.”
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
“I’m not burying you twice.”
“This isn’t just about me.”
Dad looked at Mom.
Then me.
Vincent understood.
He nodded slowly.
“Fine.”
He turned to Marco.
“Lock down the house.”
I looked at Vincent.
“What happens now?”
May you like
His eyes stayed on the broken window.
“Now Arthur Vale learns Daniel isn’t alone anymore.”
