Chapter 4 - The Name in Her Father’s Letter
Arthur reached for his weapon.
Maeve caught his arm.
“Wait.”
Sal appeared in the doorway alone.
He looked from Arthur to Maeve.
Then to the open metal box.
His face changed.
“You found it.”
Arthur’s voice became ice.
“How did you know there was something to find?”
Sal did not answer quickly enough.
Arthur raised his gun.
Maeve stepped backward.
Caesar positioned himself between her and Sal.
“Boss,” Sal said carefully.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Arthur—”
“Twenty-two years ago. Patrick Nolan.”
Sal closed his eyes.
That was all Arthur needed.
He struck him.
Sal crashed against the wall.
Maeve screamed, “Arthur!”
Arthur grabbed Sal by his coat.
“You knew him.”
“Yes.”
“You knew what happened.”
“Yes.”
Arthur’s fist tightened.
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Did my father?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Sal looked at Maeve.
“The man who ordered Patrick Nolan’s death is still alive.”
Maeve could barely breathe.
“Name him.”
“Victor Hale.”
Arthur released Sal.
Maeve knew the name.
Everyone did.
Victor Hale was a celebrated developer, philanthropist, and political donor. His company had rebuilt half the riverfront.
Arthur stared at Sal.
“Hale worked with my father.”
“He worked with everyone,” Sal replied. “That was how he survived.”
Sal finally told them the truth.
Twenty-two years earlier, Victor Hale and several city officials had created a network of fraudulent contracts. Romano companies were involved, but Patrick Nolan discovered that Hale was stealing from both the city and his criminal partners.
Patrick planned to expose everyone.
Sal had been a young Romano soldier.
Arthur’s father ordered him to protect Patrick until he could testify.
“But somebody leaked the route,” Sal said.
“Hale’s men forced Patrick’s car off the road.”
Maeve’s voice trembled.
“Why does my father say not to trust you?”
“Because he didn’t know I’d been sent to protect him.”
Sal reached slowly into his coat.
Arthur raised his gun.
Sal stopped.
“Photograph.”
Arthur removed it himself.
The old photograph showed Patrick Nolan outside a courthouse.
Standing twenty feet behind him was a much younger Sal.
Watching.
Protecting.
Or hunting.
There was no way to know.
Maeve looked at the cassette.
“Then we listen.”
The cabin still contained an ancient tape player.
Arthur found batteries in an emergency kit.
Maeve inserted the cassette.
Static filled the room.
Then her father’s voice emerged.
Older than she remembered.
Tired.
“If you’re hearing this, I probably failed.”
Maeve covered her mouth.
Arthur watched her but said nothing.
Patrick described bank accounts, shell corporations, judges, city officials, and Victor Hale.
Then another name appeared.
Thomas Romano.
Arthur’s father.
Arthur went rigid.
Patrick’s recording continued.
“Thomas Romano is guilty of many things, but on this matter, he agreed to help me expose Hale. I don’t trust him. But I believe he understands Hale has become dangerous even to his own allies.”
Arthur lowered his eyes.
Then came the final revelation.
Hale had been searching for the evidence for twenty-two years because it contained records proving he had ordered multiple murders.
Including Patrick’s.
Including, possibly, Daniel Romano’s.
Maeve looked at Caesar.
Arthur’s face went empty.
“My brother found this.”
Sal nodded.
“Daniel came to me two years ago. He’d discovered Patrick’s old investigation.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“He made me promise.”
Arthur hit the table.
“Promises are for people who stay alive!”
Caesar flinched.
Arthur immediately stopped.
His anger collapsed into grief.
Maeve saw it then.
Not Arthur Romano the feared man.
Just a brother who had been too late.
She touched his arm.
Arthur looked at her hand as though no one had touched him gently in years.
Sal spoke quietly.
“Daniel believed you’d destroy Hale immediately. He wanted evidence strong enough to end everything permanently.”
“So Hale killed him.”
“I believe so.”
A sound came from outside.
Engines.
Several.
Sal crossed to the window.
His face changed.
“We have company.”
Headlights surrounded the cabin.
Arthur extinguished the lamp.
“How many?”
“Too many.”
Maeve clutched her father’s box.
Arthur turned to her.
“Boathouse. There’s a tunnel beneath it.”
“How do you know?”
“Old smuggling property.”
She stared.
“My childhood vacation cabin had a smuggling tunnel?”
“Your father had unusual taste in rentals.”
Despite everything, Maeve almost laughed.
Glass shattered.
Gunfire tore through the wall.
Arthur pulled her down.
Sal returned fire.
Caesar stayed close to Maeve as Arthur pushed her toward the rear door.
They reached the boathouse under darkness.
Arthur opened a trapdoor.
“Go.”
Maeve looked behind him.
“Sal?”
“He’ll follow.”
“You don’t know that.”
Arthur’s eyes met hers.
“No.”
She understood.
Sal was buying them time.
Maeve climbed down.
Arthur followed with Caesar.
They moved through freezing darkness until the tunnel opened near the lakeshore.
A vehicle waited.
Arthur stopped.
Maeve whispered, “Is that yours?”
“No.”
The driver’s door opened.
Carmichael stepped out.
Maeve stared.
Her former boss held a gun.
“Give me the box.”
Arthur moved in front of her.
Carmichael smiled nervously.
“You know, Maeve, you were always terrible at taking orders.”
She looked at the man who had underpaid her for seven years.
“You sold me.”
“I watched you.”
“For Hale?”
“For whoever paid.”
Arthur’s voice was quiet.
“You should reconsider what happens next.”
Carmichael laughed.
“You’re bleeding, Romano.”
Caesar growled.
Carmichael aimed at the dog.
Maeve moved before anyone else.
She threw the metal box into the lake.
Carmichael spun toward it.
Arthur hit him.
The gun fired.
Maeve screamed.
May you like
Arthur collapsed.
And a dark stain began spreading across his chest.
