Chapter 24 - THE WOMAN AT THE FUNERALEvelyn Cross believed Carrie’s grief made her vulnerable.
That was mistake number one.
She believed Dominic’s frozen company made him desperate.
Mistake number two.
She believed Sebastian wanted revenge more than family.
Three.
She believed Lydia remained angry enough to betray her brothers.
Four.
But her largest mistake was believing Carrie wanted to preserve the Marino name.
Carrie did not care about the Marino name.
She cared about Grace.
That made her impossible to buy.
Carrie called Evelyn herself.
“I’ll open Pier Nine.”
Dominic stared.
Sebastian swore.
Reyes nearly dropped his coffee.
Evelyn remained silent for three seconds.
Then:
“Smart.”
“Don’t insult me.”
A pause.
Carrie smiled.
“Tomorrow. Midnight.”
“Why midnight?”
“Because Grace turns six.”
Perfect symbolism.
More importantly, it gave Reyes eighteen hours.
Evelyn agreed.
After the call, Dominic said:
“No.”
Carrie raised an eyebrow.
He corrected himself.
“I strongly dislike this plan.”
“Better.”
“You’re using yourself as bait.”
“Yes.”
“I continue to strongly dislike it.”
Carrie touched his face.
“You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then trust me.”
Midnight arrived beneath cold rain.
Pier Nine rose from the river like a dead industrial skeleton.
Carrie wore a dark coat.
No jewelry except her wedding ring.
Dominic remained hidden with Reyes.
He hated every second.
Evelyn arrived with Adrian Salazar.
Carrie noticed his expression.
Uncomfortable.
Good.
Sebastian was supposed to remain with Grace.
He did.
For once, no one improvised.
Evelyn held Anthony’s signet ring.
“Open it.”
Carrie placed the legal trust documents against the scanner.
The system recognized Grace’s activated ownership.
A steel gate unlocked.
Evelyn smiled.
Carrie did not.
Inside, the old port smelled of rust and river water.
They reached the obvious vault.
Evelyn inserted Anthony’s ring.
The vault opened.
Empty.
Her face changed.
“What did you do?”
Carrie smiled.
“Nothing.”
Adrian looked toward Evelyn.
“You said it was here.”
“It should be.”
Carrie watched greed become panic.
Evelyn turned.
“Where is it?”
“No idea.”
That was technically false.
Carrie enjoyed it.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
Carrie’s expression hardened.
“I think you spent forty years believing Anthony Marino was smarter than everybody.”
Evelyn’s hand moved inside her coat.
Adrian caught her wrist.
“Don’t.”
She looked at him.
“You’re choosing her?”
“I’m choosing not to murder a mother.”
Carrie breathed carefully.
Evelyn pulled away.
“You weak little man.”
Adrian laughed.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“My father’s favorite language.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
Federal lights ignited outside.
Agents entered.
Evelyn’s face went blank.
Carrie watched her understand.
The meeting was recorded.
The attempt to coerce the trustee.
The gun concealed beneath her coat.
The stolen ring.
Enough for arrest.
Not everything.
But enough.
Reyes approached.
“Evelyn Cross.”
For the first time, the billionaire chairwoman looked afraid.
Then a shot exploded.
Adrian jerked.
Carrie screamed.
A second gunman stood on the upper walkway.
Not Evelyn’s agent.
One of Victor’s old men.
Adrian pushed Carrie behind steel equipment.
Another shot struck him.
Dominic broke cover.
Reyes shouted:
“Stay down!”
Dominic ignored him.
He reached Carrie.
Adrian lay bleeding nearby.
Agents returned fire.
The gunman fled.
Carrie crawled toward Adrian.
“Pressure.”
She tore fabric from her scarf.
Dominic helped.
Adrian looked at him.
“Your wife…”
“I know.”
“Difficult.”
Dominic almost laughed.
“Extremely.”
Adrian coughed.
Blood appeared at his lips.
Carrie’s face tightened.
“Stay with me.”
He whispered:
“My mother.”
Dominic leaned closer.
“What?”
“Don’t put her name out.”
The request.
The only thing Adrian had wanted.
Dominic looked at Carrie.
She nodded.
Not forgiveness.
Mercy.
“We won’t.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Paramedics arrived.
He survived transport.
Barely.
Evelyn was arrested.
The shooter escaped.
The master ledger remained hidden.
And as Carrie stood beneath rain at Pier Nine, she realized something.
This was not over because Evelyn had never been the only person frightened of Anthony’s records.
There were dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Reyes approached.
“We have a problem.”
Dominic almost laughed.
“Of course.”
“The federal team’s operation was leaked.”
Carrie looked at him.
“By who?”
“We don’t know.”
“Who had the details?”
Reyes’s expression said enough.
Federal officials.
Police.
Their own security.
Carrie looked toward the dark river.
The ledger named powerful people.
May you like
Some of them apparently still held power.
And somebody inside law enforcement wanted Anthony’s secrets buried.
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