Chapter 4 - The Maid at the Head of the Table
Matilda returned to the Falcone estate at 9:26 a.m.
Nobody questioned her.
Why would they?
She was a maid.
Carmine was seated at Gabriel’s dining table with twelve senior men.
Matilda entered carrying coffee.
Carmine barely glanced at her.
“Put it down.”
“Yes, sir.”
She moved around the table.
The men talked openly.
“Falcone’s accounts in Switzerland?”
“Controlled by the trust.”
“The docks?”
“Lombardi will cooperate.”
“What about Victor?”
Carmine’s jaw tightened.
“Missing.”
Matilda poured his coffee.
Carmine looked up.
“You were working last night.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you see Victor?”
“No.”
A lie.
Smooth.
Simple.
Carmine studied her.
Then smiled.
“Of course not.”
Matilda continued serving.
A man named Salvatore Reed slid a folder across the table.
“We still have a problem.”
“What?”
“Gabriel changed his succession documents.”
Carmine stopped smiling.
“When?”
“Six weeks ago.”
“To whom?”
“That’s the problem. The documents are sealed.”
“Where?”
“His private vault.”
Carmine leaned back.
“And only Gabriel knew the code.”
Matilda quietly placed a cup beside him.
Carmine looked at her.
“What?”
“You asked for no sugar, sir.”
He waved her away.
Matilda walked out.
Her pulse raced.
That evening she called Victor from the pantry.
“There’s a vault.”
“I know.”
“Carmine wants inside.”
“He’ll never crack it.”
“What’s in it?”
Victor hesitated.
“Enough to destroy half the men sitting at that table.”
Matilda looked toward the hallway.
“Then we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Carmine just called someone.”
“Who?”
“He said, ‘Bring the old woman.’”
Victor went silent.
“Matilda, get out.”
“Why?”
“Gabriel’s mother.”
Matilda’s stomach dropped.
Isabella Falcone lived quietly outside the city.
Carmine was going to use her to force access to the vault.
Matilda started toward the door.
Too late.
Carmine stood there.
Phone in hand.
Smiling.
“Who are you talking to?”
Matilda lowered the phone.
“My mother.”
“At ten-thirty at night?”
“She has trouble sleeping.”
Carmine approached.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
His smile disappeared.
“What did you say?”
Matilda stepped backward.
“Nothing.”
Carmine grabbed the phone.
Victor had already disconnected.
Carmine checked the screen.
Blocked number.
His eyes lifted.
“You know…”
He slowly closed the pantry door.
“I always wondered why Gabriel defended you.”
Matilda said nothing.
“Maybe he saw something the rest of us didn’t.”
He stepped closer.
“Or maybe you weren’t as invisible as you pretended.”
Matilda’s heart hammered.
Carmine reached toward her.
Suddenly the estate alarm screamed.
Both turned.
A guard shouted from the corridor.
“Fire alarm! West wing!”
Carmine cursed and rushed out.
Matilda stared at her phone.
A message appeared.
VICTOR: MOVE.
She ran.
Outside, a black SUV waited.
Matilda climbed in.
Gabriel Falcone was sitting in the back seat.
Pale.
Bandaged.
Alive.
And furious.
Matilda stared at him.
“You’re supposed to be in bed.”
Gabriel looked toward the estate.
“Carmine threatened my mother.”
“You can barely walk.”
“Then I’ll kill him sitting down.”
Matilda stared.
“No.”
Gabriel turned slowly.
“No?”
“We have evidence he drugged you. We have witnesses. We know he wants the vault.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
Matilda continued.
“If you walk in there angry, Carmine becomes a martyr.”
“What do you suggest?”
Matilda looked toward the mansion.
“We let him open the vault.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.
“He can’t.”
Matilda smiled.
May you like
“He can if you give me the code.”
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