Chapter 7 - THE MESSAGE JOANNA LEFT BEHIND
Joanna’s apartment door was open.
Police arrived before Katarina.
That was the only reason Vittorio allowed her anywhere near the building.
Allowed was the wrong word.
Katarina corrected him when he used it.
“You don’t allow me anything.”
Vittorio closed his eyes.
“You’re right.”
“I’m going.”
“I strongly object.”
“That’s better.”
Now they stood behind police tape while investigators moved through Joanna’s apartment.
No blood.
No sign of a major struggle.
Her purse remained on the kitchen counter.
Phone missing.
Car downstairs.
Katarina’s hands shook.
“Chase took her.”
Vittorio stood beside her.
“We don’t know that.”
“His car is outside.”
“Yes.”
“He hates her.”
“Yes.”
“He blames her for me leaving.”
Vittorio did not lie.
“Yes.”
Katarina closed her eyes.
“I should never have let her help me.”
“That is exactly what Chase would want you to believe.”
She looked at him.
“He wants your friendships to feel dangerous.”
Her throat tightened.
“He wants isolation to look like protection.”
Katarina breathed slowly.
Police found the first clue inside Joanna’s bedroom.
A lipstick message written across the mirror.
CAT — CHECK THE GREEN FOLDER
Katarina stared.
“That’s Joanna’s handwriting.”
Detectives retrieved a green file from the desk.
Inside were printouts.
Screenshots.
And a storage receipt.
Joanna had been building her own record against Chase for months.
Photographs of Katarina’s injuries.
Dates.
Excuses Katarina had given.
Messages Chase sent Joanna demanding she stop “interfering.”
One page contained a strange note.
If anything happens: Lakeside Cabin. He thinks Cat doesn’t know.
Katarina’s breath caught.
“I know that place.”
Police looked at her.
“Where?”
“Chase’s uncle owned a cabin near Lake Nockamixon.”
She had gone once.
Two years ago.
Chase told her the property had been sold.
Maybe it had not.
The drive took just over an hour.
Police reached the property first.
Lights were on.
A vehicle sat behind the cabin beneath trees.
Not Chase’s.
Rafael’s old SUV.
The same vehicle that should have been in evidence storage.
Someone had stolen it that afternoon.
Vittorio looked at Nathan.
“This was planned.”
Nathan nodded.
“Possibly before Chase posted bail.”
Katarina’s fear sharpened.
Chase had not simply panicked.
He had prepared.
Police negotiators established contact by phone.
Chase answered.
He had Joanna.
Alive.
He wanted Katarina.
“No,” everyone said at once.
Katarina stared at the cabin from the command vehicle.
“What does he want with me?”
Negotiator answered.
“Control.”
That was not a tactical term.
It was the truth.
Chase wanted the story restored.
Katarina returning.
Joanna removed.
Vittorio punished.
The world put back into the shape Chase understood.
Katarina asked to speak with him by phone.
Police hesitated.
Then agreed.
Chase answered immediately.
“Baby.”
She nearly vomited.
“Is Joanna okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Let me hear her.”
A pause.
Then Joanna’s voice.
“Cat, do not come in here.”
Katarina started crying.
Chase took the phone back.
“See? Fine.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“No.”
Silence.
Katarina’s heart pounded.
Chase’s tone changed.
“Excuse me?”
“I said no.”
“You’re really doing this now?”
“Yes.”
“After everything?”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed my life.”
“No.”
“You turned Servino against me.”
“You stole from him.”
“He was going to fire people anyway.”
“You used me.”
“I loved you.”
Katarina closed her eyes.
Maybe he believed that.
That was the saddest part.
“You hurt me.”
“You pushed me.”
“No.”
“You lied.”
“Because I was afraid.”
“You embarrassed me.”
“Because you were doing things you deserved to be embarrassed about.”
Vittorio watched through the command window.
Katarina continued.
“I’m not coming inside.”
Chase went quiet.
Then Joanna cried out.
Katarina stood.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Chase.”
“You have fifteen minutes.”
The call ended.
Police prepared entry.
But the cabin’s position was difficult.
One visible door.
Curtains closed.
Unknown weapon.
Possible propane tanks inside.
Negotiators needed time.
Katarina noticed something on the property map.
A shed.
“Joanna wrote Lakeside Cabin because she knew the place.”
Nathan looked at her.
“How?”
“I told her about it after our trip.”
“What do you remember?”
Katarina closed her eyes.
Cabin.
Lake.
Kitchen.
Bedroom.
Chase disappearing outside to smoke.
“Storm cellar.”
Police looked at her.
“There’s a cellar?”
“Behind the kitchen.”
“Exterior access?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She pointed toward the lake side.
Officers moved.
The cellar entrance was unlocked.
A tactical team entered silently.
Katarina remained inside the command vehicle.
This was not hers to do.
That realization mattered.
Choosing did not mean doing everything alone.
Minutes passed.
Then shouting erupted through police radios.
Katarina stood.
Vittorio did not touch her.
He simply stayed beside her.
A gunshot sounded.
Katarina screamed.
Another.
Then silence.
Radio traffic exploded.
“Suspect contained.”
“Hostage located.”
“Medic forward.”
Katarina’s knees weakened.
“Joanna?”
No answer.
Then the cabin door opened.
Joanna emerged between two officers.
Alive.
Crying.
Katarina ran.
Nobody stopped her.
She threw her arms around Joanna.
Joanna clung to her.
“You idiot.”
Katarina sobbed.
“You’re calling me an idiot?”
“I told you not to come.”
“I didn’t.”
Joanna pulled back.
“Really?”
“Police did.”
Joanna laughed through tears.
“Personal growth.”
Chase came out minutes later on a stretcher.
The gunshot had struck his shoulder after he fired toward officers entering the cellar.
He was conscious.
When he saw Katarina, his face changed.
“Katarina.”
She froze.
Vittorio stepped forward instinctively.
Then stopped himself.
Katarina noticed.
Chase stared at her.
“You came.”
She walked closer only as far as officers allowed.
“Yes.”
His eyes filled.
“I knew you would.”
Katarina shook her head.
“I came for Joanna.”
The words broke something in him.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“I love you.”
Katarina looked at the man she had once planned to marry.
She waited for anger.
Grief.
Longing.
Something.
What she felt was sadness.
Not for losing him.
For how long she had lost herself beside him.
“I hope someday you understand that love without safety isn’t love I can live inside.”
Chase’s face hardened.
“You’ll come back.”
“No.”
“You always do.”
Katarina thought about every previous time.
Flowers.
Tears.
Promises.
Breakfast after bruises.
The cycle had always depended on tomorrow.
Tomorrow he would change.
Tomorrow she would be stronger.
Tomorrow would be different.
Katarina looked at him.
“No more tomorrow.”
Police took him away.
Joanna spent the night at a hospital for observation.
Her injuries were minor.
Her ability to complain was unaffected.
Katarina sat beside her.
At 3:00 a.m., Joanna opened one eye.
“Is Servino outside?”
Katarina frowned.
“How would I know?”
“Because every nurse on this floor suddenly looks nervous.”
Katarina walked into the hallway.
Vittorio sat alone in a chair.
No guards visible.
No dramatic entourage.
He looked exhausted.
“You’re still here.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He considered several answers.
Then chose the truth.
“Because I wanted to know you were okay.”
Katarina sat beside him.
“I’m okay.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“You didn’t apologize once tonight.”
She looked at him.
Then started laughing.
Quietly at first.
Then hard enough that tears came.
Vittorio smiled.
Katarina leaned back against the wall.
“I spent years apologizing for being late.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
She looked at him.
“Tonight Chase nearly destroyed someone I love because she helped me.”
“That belongs to Chase.”
“I know.”
The words surprised her.
She actually knew.
Not intellectually.
Deeply.
It belonged to Chase.
Not her.
After a long silence, Vittorio said, “There’s something you should know.”
“What?”
“Rafael’s testimony included another name.”
Katarina tensed.
“Who?”
“Someone on my board.”
“Another person?”
“Yes.”
“Can we have one week without corruption?”
“I’ll check the calendar.”
She almost smiled.
“Who?”
“Marcus Bell.”
Katarina knew him.
Board chairman.
Sixty-three.
Respected.
The man who had publicly supported Vittorio after his father’s death.
“What did he do?”
“Rafael says Bell financed the original vendor scheme.”
“Why?”
Vittorio looked toward the hospital windows.
“To push me out.”
“How?”
“Create losses. Trigger investigations. Make the board believe I was careless.”
Katarina understood.
“And if the company weakened?”
“Bell buys control through partners.”
“So Chase was just…”
“One small piece.”
Katarina shook her head.
“So many people were willing to destroy strangers for money.”
Vittorio’s expression darkened.
“Yes.”
Nathan appeared from the elevator.
He carried a folder.
“Bell knows Rafael talked.”
“How?”
“He started transferring money tonight.”
Vittorio stood.
“Freeze everything.”
Nathan nodded.
“There’s more.”
Katarina almost groaned.
Nathan looked at Vittorio.
“Bell has called an emergency board meeting for eight this morning.”
“Purpose?”
“To remove you as CEO.”
Vittorio’s face did not change.
“On what grounds?”
Nathan handed him the folder.
Katarina saw the headline.
SERVINO CEO’S PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEE COMPROMISES FRAUD INVESTIGATION.
Her face went cold.
“They’re using me.”
Vittorio looked at her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“They’re using rumors about you.”
“Same thing.”
Katarina stood.
“What happens if they remove you?”
“Bell gets temporary control.”
“And the investigation?”
“Potentially buried.”
Katarina looked at the board notice.
For weeks men had used her silence.
Then her fear.
Then her name.
She was done.
“What time did you say?”
Nathan frowned.
“Eight.”
Katarina checked her watch.
5:47 a.m.
She smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Vittorio stared.
“Why good?”
“Because for once…”
May you like
She looked directly at him.
“I’m going to be early.”
