Chapter 4 - The Father Who Lied
Daniel Carter answered on the third ring.
“Emma?”
She sat across from Dante in the safe house library while Marco traced the call.
Emma forced herself to sound normal.
“Hi, Dad.”
A pause.
Too long.
“You okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I heard about the weather.”
Emma looked at Dante.
He shook his head slightly.
Daniel had not asked about the hotel.
Good.
“I’m fine.”
“You sound strange.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Long shift?”
Emma’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“Yes.”
Daniel had always been gentle with her.
He taught her to ride a bicycle.
Sat through terrible school plays.
Made pancakes shaped like stars after Isabella died because Emma had stopped eating.
Could a man do all of that and still lie for fifteen years?
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Did Mom ever know anyone named Romano?”
Silence.
Emma closed her eyes.
That was the answer.
“Why are you asking?”
“You know the name.”
“Emma, listen to me.”
Daniel’s voice changed completely.
No longer the warm retired schoolteacher from Florida.
Hard.
Alert.
“Where are you?”
Emma looked at Dante.
“Home.”
“Leave.”
Her pulse jumped.
“What?”
“Take your passport and leave New York tonight.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask questions.”
“I’m asking.”
“Emma.”
“Did Mom know Vittorio Romano?”
Daniel inhaled sharply.
Then the call ended.
Marco looked at his laptop.
“He’s moving.”
“Where?”
“Queens.”
Dante stood.
Emma did too.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“That man raised me.”
“He may also be involved in your mother’s death.”
“Exactly why I’m coming.”
Dante stared at her.
She refused to look away.
Twenty minutes later they reached an abandoned printing warehouse near Long Island City.
Daniel’s car was outside.
Dante stopped Emma before she entered.
“Stay behind me.”
“I’m not one of your soldiers.”
“No. Soldiers usually follow instructions.”
Despite everything, Emma almost smiled.
Then gunfire sounded inside.
Dante pulled her behind a concrete wall.
Marco and two men entered first.
Another shot.
A crash.
Then silence.
Dante moved.
Emma followed anyway.
They found Daniel behind an old printing press holding a revolver.
Across the floor lay a wounded man.
Daniel aimed at Dante.
“Stay away from her.”
Emma stepped forward.
“Dad.”
Daniel’s expression broke.
“Emma.”
She looked at the gun.
“What have you done?”
“Nothing you understand.”
“Try me.”
Daniel stared at Dante.
“You shouldn’t have brought her here.”
“I didn’t create this problem,” Dante said.
“No. Your father did.”
Emma’s throat tightened.
“Tell me the truth.”
Daniel lowered the revolver.
Fifteen years of lies seemed to settle across his face.
“Your mother was terrified.”
“Of Vittorio?”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Of the men surrounding him.”
Emma glanced at Dante.
Daniel continued.
“Salvatore found evidence that money was being moved through charities, construction contracts, judges, police departments. It was bigger than Romano business.”
“Vale?” Dante asked.
Daniel looked surprised.
“You know.”
“We suspect.”
“Vale’s father started it. Adrian expanded it.”
Emma stared.
“And Mom?”
“Isabella copied the accounts.”
“Why?”
“To protect Salvatore.”
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“But someone discovered what they were doing.”
“What happened to my father?”
Daniel looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
“You told me he died.”
“Because Isabella told me to.”
“Why?”
“To keep you from searching.”
Emma’s eyes burned.
“And Mom’s accident?”
Daniel looked away.
Her stomach dropped.
“You know.”
“I knew it wasn’t an accident.”
“You let me believe it was for nine years.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Emma laughed bitterly.
“Everybody keeps saying that while lying to me.”
Daniel flinched.
Dante remained silent.
Emma stepped closer.
“Why were you in my apartment?”
“The letters.”
“Why?”
“Your mother told me if the Romanos ever found you, I had to destroy the final five letters.”
Dante’s expression hardened.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Emma demanded.
Daniel looked at her.
“I loved your mother.”
“Then why destroy what she left me?”
“Because the night before she died, she called me.”
His voice trembled.
“She said someone had found her. She told me the last part of the evidence could destroy powerful people. She made me promise that if Romano ever came for you, I would burn everything.”
Emma looked toward Dante.
“Maybe she was protecting me from you.”
Daniel stared at Dante with open hatred.
“Ask him what happened to Salvatore.”
Emma turned.
“He already told me.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“He told you what the Romano family says happened.”
Dante stepped forward.
“What do you know?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Salvatore met Vittorio Romano at Pier 17 the night he disappeared.”
Dante’s face went still.
“Impossible.”
“I drove him there.”
Emma whispered, “You knew my father?”
Daniel nodded.
“We were friends.”
“What happened at the pier?”
“I waited in the car.”
“And?”
“Vittorio arrived.”
Daniel looked at Dante.
“Twenty minutes later, gunshots.”
The warehouse became silent.
“I ran toward the building. Vittorio’s men stopped me.”
Dante said, “My father claimed Salvatore never arrived.”
“He lied.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
Daniel continued.
“I never saw Salvatore again.”
Emma covered her mouth.
Dante looked genuinely shaken.
Then Marco stepped toward the wounded man on the floor.
“Boss.”
The man was still conscious.
Marco searched his jacket and removed a phone.
A message was visible.
TARGETS TOGETHER. WAIT FOR CONFIRMATION.
Dante crouched beside him.
“Who sent you?”
The man smiled through blood.
“You’re already dead.”
“Who?”
The man laughed.
“Ask the girl’s father.”
Emma’s eyes snapped toward Daniel.
Daniel went pale.
Then the warehouse windows exploded.
Automatic gunfire ripped across the room.
Dante threw Emma behind the printing press.
Daniel fired back.
Marco shouted orders.
Emma covered her head.
Beside her, Daniel suddenly jerked.
He fell.
“Dad!”
Blood spread across his shirt.
Emma crawled toward him.
Dante grabbed her.
“No!”
“He’s hit!”
Another burst of gunfire.
Dante shielded her with his own body until Marco’s men suppressed the attackers.
Then Emma reached Daniel.
His breathing was wet and shallow.
“No, no, no.”
Daniel touched her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t.”
“Listen.”
He pulled something from beneath his shirt.
A brass key.
He pressed it into her hand.
“Grand Central.”
Emma sobbed.
“What?”
“Locker… three-one-seven.”
Dante knelt beside them.
Daniel looked at him.
For the first time, the hatred disappeared.
“Don’t become your father.”
Dante’s expression tightened.
Daniel turned back to Emma.
“Your mother knew you’d be stronger than all of us.”
His hand slipped from her cheek.
Emma stared at him.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
“Dad?”
Dante lowered his head.
Emma screamed.
And across Manhattan, Senator Adrian Vale received a single message.
May you like
Carter is dead.
The key is with the girl.
