Chapter 9 - The Woman With Serena's Face)
Domenico showed the photograph to no one for six hours.
Not because he did not trust Eli.
Not because he wanted to protect Josie.
He needed time to understand what he was seeing.
Serena and Celeste had never been identical.
Celeste was three years older.
But the resemblance was unmistakable.
Same dark hair.
Same high cheekbones.
Same posture.
The woman in the cafe photograph could only be her sister.
Domenico searched old family photographs.
Celeste appeared in only a handful.
Serena had removed most after their final argument years earlier.
Domenico remembered asking why.
Serena had said, "Some people love you best when they can use you."
He had assumed she meant money.
Now he wondered whether she had meant something else.
At noon, he drove to Serena's father's home without warning.
Arizona was impossible.
So he called Marcus and had one of the family aviation teams arrange a secure video call through a private contact near the man's residence.
When Serena's father finally appeared on screen, Domenico placed the photograph in front of the camera.
The old man's face collapsed.
"Where did you get that?"
"Who took it?"
"I don't know."
"Why was Celeste meeting Serena and Gareth?"
"I don't know."
"Stop."
Domenico's voice was quiet.
"Every person who tells me they don't know something about my wife's death turns out to know plenty."
The old man rubbed both hands across his face.
"Celeste contacted Serena six months before the accident."
"Why?"
"Money."
"How much?"
"She didn't say."
"Gareth was involved."
"Apparently."
"You knew?"
"Serena told me she regretted letting Celeste back into her life."
"What did Celeste want?"
"She claimed she had information about Vincent Pierce."
Domenico stiffened.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"What information?"
"Something involving Serena's mother."
Domenico frowned.
Serena's mother had died when Serena was seventeen.
A car accident.
Another accident.
Suddenly the word seemed obscene.
"What does my father have to do with Serena's mother?"
"I never knew."
"Did Serena?"
"She was trying to find out."
Domenico leaned closer.
"Was Celeste at the lake house the night Serena died?"
The old man closed his eyes.
"I don't know."
"You do."
"No."
"You recognized the question before I finished asking it."
Tears appeared in the old man's eyes.
"Celeste called me the next morning."
Domenico's blood went cold.
"After Serena died?"
"Before we knew she was dead."
"What did she say?"
"She said there had been an argument."
"Did she say Serena was alive?"
"No."
"Did she say Serena was dead?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"She said Gareth had lost control."
Domenico stood.
"And you kept this from police?"
"Celeste threatened to disappear forever."
"Your daughter died."
"I had already lost one daughter."
"You protected the wrong one."
The old man flinched.
Domenico immediately regretted the cruelty.
But not enough to apologize.
"Where is Celeste now?"
"I don't know."
"Give me every number, address, email, and name she ever used."
The call lasted another hour.
By the end, Domenico had a list.
Most leads were useless.
One was not.
Three months after Serena's death, Celeste had received money through a consulting company registered in Delaware.
The company was funded by Halcyon Holdings.
Gareth had paid her.
Domenico forwarded everything to Marcus.
Then he returned to Josie.
She was drawing at the kitchen table.
The image showed four people.
Domenico.
Josie.
Serena.
And another woman standing beneath a red light.
He sat.
"Who's that?"
Josie shrugged.
"The lady."
"What was she wearing?"
"Mommy's coat."
"Did you see her face?"
Josie shook her head.
"Did she speak?"
"Yes."
"What did she say?"
Josie continued drawing.
"'You said he would sign it.'"
Domenico's fingers went numb.
"Who answered?"
"Gareth."
"What did he say?"
"'He will.'"
"Who was he talking about?"
Josie pointed at Domenico in the drawing.
"Daddy."
That evening, Domenico opened the trust restructuring document Gareth had brought weeks earlier.
He compared it to archived drafts.
A clause had been changed.
If Domenico became legally incapacitated, voting authority over Josie's shares would transfer not to an independent trustee, but to a temporary executive committee.
The committee listed three names.
Conrad Lane.
Gareth Vale.
And an attorney named Marissa Cole.
Domenico knew Conrad.
He knew Gareth.
He had never met Marissa.
Marcus investigated.
Marissa Cole had practiced estate law in New York for nineteen years.
Four years earlier, she had changed her surname.
Her original surname was Arden.
She was Serena and Celeste's maternal cousin.
The web surrounding his family was becoming tighter.
Domenico called her office.
Disconnected.
Home number.
Disconnected.
Her law license had become inactive two weeks after Serena died.
No forwarding address.
Then Marcus found security footage from a private airport.
Marissa Cole had boarded a charter jet the morning after Serena's death.
Destination Lisbon.
The passenger listed beside her used a false name.
But the security camera showed her face.
Celeste.
Domenico stared at the image.
"Find Gareth."
Marcus hesitated.
"We already are."
"No. I mean find him before Celeste knows we're looking."
Marcus nodded.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"What?"
Domenico stood.
Marcus lowered the phone.
"Gareth just entered the estate."
"How?"
"Service gate."
"I revoked his access."
"He used Helena's credentials."
Domenico's stepmother.
Gareth's mother.
Domenico ran toward the hall.
"Where's Josie?"
A housekeeper answered.
"Pool garden."
Domenico's blood froze.
"And Eli?"
"With her."
May you like
He ran outside.
At the same moment, Gareth walked across the lawn toward the two girls.
