Chapter 3 - The PhotographWe left the hospital before sunrise.
Alessandro traveled in an armored SUV.
I sat beside him with Logan asleep against me.
Two vehicles followed.
I kept staring at the ring.
"Tell me everything."
Alessandro looked ahead.
"David approached me six years ago."
"Why?"
"He wanted access to my organization."
"So he was a criminal?"
"No."
"A federal agent?"
"Not exactly."
I frowned.
"Then what?"
"An investigator."
"Working for whom?"
Alessandro didn't answer.
"Why not?"
"Because the person who hired him was killed."
"Who?"
"My brother."
I stared at him.
"Your brother?"
"Marco."
He continued.
"Marco discovered someone was laundering money through several legitimate companies."
"Whitmore?"
"No."
"Caldwell?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Alessandro looked at me.
"The Winters family."
I stopped breathing.
"My family?"
"Your father."
"My father died when I was twelve."
"He wasn't innocent."
I felt anger.
"You don't know my father."
"I knew him."
Silence.
"He recruited David."
I looked down at Logan.
"Why?"
"Because David had access to something your father wanted."
"What?"
"An encrypted ledger."
I remembered something.
David had always been protective of an old black notebook.
I had once asked him about it.
He kissed my forehead and said, "Someday I'll explain."
He never did.
"Where is the ledger?"
Alessandro looked at me.
"That's what everyone is looking for."
We reached the safe house just after dawn.
It was an old townhouse hidden between renovated properties.
Alessandro opened the door.
Inside was a wall covered with photographs.
David.
My father.
Alessandro.
Several men I didn't recognize.
And one woman.
I walked toward her.
"Who is she?"
Alessandro went silent.
"Who?"
"That woman."
"David's handler."
I stared at the photograph.
She looked familiar.
Then I realized why.
She was standing beside my mother in another picture.
"My mother knew her."
"Yes."
I turned.
"You knew my mother too?"
"Everyone connected to David knew your mother."
"Why?"
Alessandro hesitated.
"Because she helped him."
My heart pounded.
"My mother is dead."
"I know."
"Then what did she help him with?"
Alessandro pointed to a locked box.
"That."
I opened it.
Inside was David's old phone.
I hadn't seen it since the accident.
My hands shook.
The screen still worked.
There was one video.
I pressed play.
David appeared.
He looked tired.
Older.
Alive.
"Catherine."
I covered my mouth.
His eyes looked directly into the camera.
"If you're watching this, something went wrong."
Logan stirred.
I held him closer.
David continued.
"Don't trust the police report."
Tears filled my eyes.
"The man they buried wasn't me."
He paused.
"Alessandro knows where to find the first piece."
The video ended.
I turned toward Alessandro.
"What first piece?"
He looked at the wall.
"Your father's ledger."
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His expression darkened.
"What happened?"
May you like
He hung up.
"Someone found the house."
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