Chapter 6 - Elena Carter's Last WarningThey reached the new house at 2:13 a.m.
It looked ordinary.
White siding.
Small porch.
Two flower boxes.
A broken swing.
A little yellow mailbox.
Vincent immediately knew it was wrong.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
There were no cars nearby.
No lights.
No neighbors watching.
The house was waiting.
He raised his weapon.
Sal checked the windows.
Marco circled the back.
Vincent opened the front door.
Unlocked.
Inside, children's drawings covered the refrigerator.
A kitchen table held two plates.
One glass.
One empty chair.
Lily stopped.
“Mom.”
She ran through the kitchen.
“Mom!”
Vincent followed.
Every room was empty.
No Elena.
No blood.
No signs of struggle.
Only a note on the kitchen table.
Vincent picked it up.
It was written in Elena's handwriting.
Vincent,
If you are reading this, Lily has already found you.
That means I'm out of time.
Vincent read the next line.
Do not trust the people who tell you Daniel died.
His breath caught.
Sal closed his eyes.
Elena continued.
Daniel did not betray your family. He discovered what your father and Carlo were really doing.
Vincent read faster.
The ledger is not a record of money. It is a record of ownership.
He frowned.
Ownership?
Every person whose name appears in that book owes something to the Romano family. Some owe money. Others owe silence. Some owe their lives.
Vincent turned the page.
There was one final paragraph.
Carlo believes the ledger disappeared the night Daniel escaped. He is wrong.
Vincent stared.
Daniel gave it to me.
Marco entered from the hallway.
“Vincent.”
He held up something.
A blood-stained scarf.
Elena's.
Lily saw it.
“No.”
She backed away.
Vincent caught her.
“Lily.”
“That's Mom's.”
“I know.”
“She wore it yesterday.”
Vincent's eyes moved toward the hallway.
The house was not empty.
Someone had been there.
Recently.
On the kitchen floor lay a trail of wet footprints.
Small.
Adult.
Leading toward the basement.
Vincent motioned to Sal.
They went downstairs.
The basement light flickered.
At the far wall was an old furnace.
Beside it stood a metal chair.
Ropes hung from the arms.
A second note was taped to the wall.
Vincent ripped it free.
COME ALONE.
Underneath:
BRING THE GIRL.
Vincent felt something inside him turn cold.
Then a voice came from behind the furnace.
“Vincent.”
He spun.
A man stepped into the light.
Older.
Thinner.
Scar crossing his jaw.
Dark hair streaked with gray.
The face Vincent had seen in family photographs his entire childhood.
The face from the fake funeral.
Daniel Romano.
Vincent could not speak.
Daniel looked at Lily.
Tears filled his eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
Lily ran to him.
“Daddy!”
Daniel dropped to his knees and held her so tightly his shoulders shook.
Vincent remained frozen.
Twelve years.
Twelve years of believing his brother was dead.
Daniel looked up.
“There isn't much time.”
Vincent finally found his voice.
“You're alive.”
Daniel nodded.
“Barely.”
“Why did you stay away?”
“To keep her alive.”
“From Carlo?”
Daniel shook his head.
“From everyone.”
“Who else?”
Daniel looked directly at Vincent.
“You.”
Vincent's face hardened.
“What?”
Daniel reached inside his jacket.
He pulled out a photograph.
It showed Vincent standing beside his father.
On the back was a sentence.
THE SON WHO INHERITS EVERYTHING WILL KILL THE OTHER ONE.
Daniel looked at him.
“I was told you were coming for me.”
Vincent stared.
“Who told you?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“The man in the red tie.”
Vincent frowned.
“Vale?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Arthur Vale doesn't work for Carlo.”
May you like
He paused.
“He works for me.”
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