Chapter 6 - The Secret Daniel Left Behind
Maeve insisted on going.
Arthur refused.
They argued for eleven minutes.
Sal timed it.
Finally, Maeve said, “You can leave me here, and I’ll steal a car.”
Arthur stared.
“You don’t know how to steal a car.”
“Then I’ll take yours. You conveniently leave the keys around.”
Sal turned away to hide a smile.
Arthur surrendered.
They entered the city separately.
Maeve wore Sal’s daughter’s winter coat, a baseball cap, and glasses.
Arthur said the disguise was terrible.
Maeve told him his face was currently on television, so he had little standing to criticize.
Her apartment looked worse than she remembered.
Broken glass covered the kitchen.
Furniture had been overturned.
The ceramic rabbit from her mother lay shattered beside the bedroom door.
Maeve stopped.
Arthur saw her expression.
“I can replace it.”
“No.”
She knelt and picked up one broken piece.
“You can replace ceramic. You can’t replace who gave it to you.”
Arthur crouched beside her.
Without speaking, he collected every fragment into a small bag.
That simple act affected Maeve more than she wanted it to.
The book was still there.
An old hardcover copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Daniel had joked that everyone should read at least one enormous book they could pretend to understand at parties.
Maeve opened it.
Nothing.
Arthur checked the spine.
Inside the back cover was a thin memory card.
“Daniel,” he whispered.
They returned to the farmhouse.
The card contained a video.
Daniel Romano appeared on screen.
Arthur stopped breathing.
His brother looked alive.
Healthy.
Smiling nervously at the camera.
“Arthur, if you’re watching this, then I failed to stay out of trouble, which will shock absolutely nobody.”
Arthur turned away.
Maeve touched his shoulder.
Daniel continued.
He had discovered Victor Hale’s network.
But the most important revelation was not financial.
Hale had infiltrated Arthur’s organization.
Someone close to Arthur had been feeding him information for years.
Daniel never discovered the person’s identity.
But he had narrowed it to three people.
Salvatore Greco.
Arthur’s attorney, Leonard Voss.
And Arthur’s cousin, Michael Romano.
Arthur stared at the screen.
Michael had grown up beside him.
They had shared birthdays, schools, funerals.
“He wouldn’t.”
Maeve said nothing.
Daniel’s video ended with one final instruction.
“The evidence Patrick Nolan collected can destroy Hale, but Arthur, don’t become Dad trying to avenge me. If you want to honor me, end this. All of it.”
Silence.
Arthur sat alone for nearly an hour afterward.
Maeve eventually joined him on the porch.
Snow had begun falling.
“You’re thinking about killing Hale.”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Arthur looked at her.
“He murdered your father.”
“I know.”
“He murdered Daniel.”
“I know.”
“He hunted you for years.”
“I know.”
“And you don’t want him dead?”
Maeve considered the question.
“I want him powerless.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No. It’s harder.”
Arthur looked toward the snow.
Maeve continued.
“If you kill him, another man takes his place. Then someone kills that man. Then somebody’s daughter grows up wondering why her father never came home.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“My father believed fear kept families safe.”
“Did it?”
Arthur had no answer.
Maeve moved closer.
“Daniel asked you to end it.”
Arthur looked at her.
“What if I don’t know how?”
“Start by choosing what you won’t become.”
For a long time, neither spoke.
Then Arthur reached for her hand.
Slowly.
Giving her every opportunity to move away.
She did not.
His fingers closed around hers.
Their first kiss was nothing like Maeve expected.
No urgency.
No possession.
Arthur paused inches from her face.
“Tell me no.”
Maeve whispered, “I’m getting very tired of you giving me orders.”
She kissed him.
For several seconds, the war outside disappeared.
Then Caesar barked from inside.
Sal opened the door.
“You two should see this.”
Michael Romano had arrived at one of Arthur’s safe houses.
Alone.
Wounded.
Carrying a message.
They connected by encrypted video.
Michael’s face was bruised.
“Arthur, listen to me. Hale knows about Nolan’s evidence.”
Arthur’s expression hardened.
“How?”
“Voss.”
Leonard Voss.
Arthur’s attorney.
The man who had managed Romano legal affairs for fifteen years.
Michael continued.
“Voss has been working for Hale since before Daniel died.”
Arthur looked at Sal.
“Where is Voss?”
“Missing.”
Michael shook his head.
“That isn’t the worst part.”
“What is?”
“Hale doesn’t care about the documents anymore.”
Maeve felt Arthur’s hand tighten around hers.
Michael looked directly into the camera.
“He wants Maeve.”
Arthur’s voice dropped.
“Why?”
“Because Patrick Nolan’s evidence has a second encryption key.”
Maeve frowned.
Michael continued.
“And according to Voss, Patrick built the password around something only his daughter would know.”
A crash sounded behind Michael.
He turned.
The video feed shook.
Then Leonard Voss stepped into frame.
He placed a gun against Michael’s head.
“Hello, Arthur.”
Arthur rose.
Voss smiled.
“Bring me Maeve Nolan.”
May you like
He glanced at his watch.
“You have six hours.”
