Chapter 4 - The Woman Javier Chose to Blame)
Dante did not believe the accusation at first.
He was sitting in the twentieth-floor conference room at Romano Holdings when Javier placed the audit summary in front of him.
"Read page nine."
Dante leaned back.
"Tell me."
Javier folded his hands.
"Seven transfers were authorized using Clara's credentials."
Dante looked at him.
"Your wife."
"Yes."
"And you're bringing this to me instead of handling it privately."
"This isn't private. Foundation money belongs to the people we promised to help."
Dante opened the report.
The documents appeared convincing.
Account numbers.
Digital signatures.
Dates.
Authorization codes.
Clara's name appeared again and again.
Javier shook his head.
"I didn't want to believe it."
Dante studied him.
"You've been married to her fourteen years."
"I know."
"You didn't notice millions disappearing?"
"She handled several charitable accounts."
"So did you."
Javier's eyes changed for half a second.
Dante saw it.
"I brought you evidence."
"You brought me paper."
"What does that mean?"
"It means paper can lie."
Javier stood.
"You're defending her?"
"I'm asking questions."
"That's your problem, Dante. You always think there is another layer."
"There usually is."
Javier leaned over the table.
"Your wife thought the same way."
The room became silent.
Dante closed the audit.
"Leave Elena out of this."
"I'm saying obsession didn't save her."
Dante rose slowly.
Javier straightened.
For years people had misunderstood Dante's calm.
They thought he avoided anger.
The truth was that Dante controlled anger because he knew exactly what it could do.
"Never use my wife's death to win an argument."
Javier lifted both hands.
"Fine."
Dante took the audit.
"I'll verify everything independently."
Javier's jaw tightened.
"That will take weeks."
"Then it takes weeks."
"What happens to the foundation?"
"We freeze unusual transfers."
"And Clara?"
"Nothing until I know the truth."
Javier stared at him.
Then he smiled.
"Of course."
That evening Dante went home early.
Leo and Mia were in the breakfast room working on a school project.
Mia had covered half the table with colored pencils.
Leo was building a model bridge.
Dante loosened his tie.
"Where did the bridge come from?"
Leo smiled.
"Boston history."
"Does Boston history require glue on my chair?"
Leo looked behind him.
Mia burst out laughing.
Dante sighed.
For fifteen minutes he was not CEO of Romano Holdings.
Not head of the foundation.
Not the man investors called when a deal was collapsing.
He was simply a father trying to remove glue from his sleeve while two children denied responsibility.
Then Leo asked a question.
"Dad, was Mom scared before she died?"
Dante stopped.
Mia looked up.
"Why are you asking?"
Leo shrugged too quickly.
"Just wondering."
Dante sat beside him.
"I don't know."
"Would she tell you if she was?"
"I hope so."
Leo looked toward the library.
"Did Mom ever hide things from you?"
Dante followed his gaze.
"Everybody keeps some things private."
"Even important things?"
"Sometimes people think they're protecting someone."
Leo became quiet.
Dante touched his shoulder.
"What is this about?"
"Nothing."
It was not nothing.
But Dante did not push.
Later that night he entered the library.
The antique star map stood where it always had.
He remembered Elena teaching Leo constellations.
She had loved puzzles.
Hidden drawers.
Codes.
Birthday treasure hunts.
Dante smiled faintly at the memory.
Then he noticed something on the carpet.
A tiny fragment of black plastic.
He picked it up.
It looked like part of an electronic device.
He searched beneath the desk.
Another fragment.
Then another.
Someone had broken something inside his library.
The next morning Dante called his head of security, Thomas Cole.
"Pull the interior camera log for the library."
Cole hesitated.
"There's a problem."
"What?"
"The camera covering that hallway stopped recording for thirty-two minutes two nights ago."
"Technical failure?"
"We're checking."
"Who accessed the security system?"
"Three people had authorization."
"Me."
"Yes."
"You."
"Yes."
Dante waited.
Cole said the third name.
"Javier."
By lunchtime, Dante had ordered a private forensic audit without telling anyone.
Not Javier.
Not Clara.
Not even the board.
That afternoon Clara tried to speak with him.
Javier interrupted before she could.
"Ready for Saturday?"
Dante looked between them.
The annual Romano Foundation family gathering would take place at the mansion.
Donors.
Employees.
Relatives.
Press photographers would attend only the first hour.
Clara's face was pale.
"I actually wanted to talk to Dante alone."
Javier placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Anything you can say to him, you can say in front of me."
Clara looked at his hand.
Dante saw something he had never noticed before.
She was afraid of her husband.
"Javier."
"Yeah?"
"Take your hand off her."
Javier's smile disappeared.
Clara stepped away.
"I'll talk to you later, Dante."
She left.
Javier watched her go.
"She's unstable lately."
Dante looked at him.
"Interesting."
"What?"
"That's exactly what people told me about Elena before she died."
Javier's expression froze.
Dante walked away.
Behind him, Javier made a decision.
May you like
Clara would never be allowed to speak privately with Dante.
And Saturday's gathering was only four days away.
