Chapter 10 - Laine's Confession
Laine sat in the library with both hands clasped together.
Detective Ellis recorded the conversation.
Rocco stood near the window.
He did not trust himself to sit close to her.
Laine stared at the floor.
"It wasn't supposed to hurt her."
Rocco turned.
"What wasn't?"
Laine looked up.
"A key."
Silence.
Rocco frowned.
"What key?"
"My mother's office key."
Rocco waited.
Laine began to cry.
"Isabella asked me if Bernice kept copies of your authorization documents. I knew she did."
"When?"
"Five days before the accident."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"I was scared."
"You helped Isabella?"
"Yes."
Laine wiped her face.
"I gave her the key to Bernice's private filing cabinet."
Rocco's anger shifted.
"That is what Ralph meant?"
"I think so."
"Why would that matter?"
"Because my mother found out."
Ellis leaned forward.
"How?"
"Laine?"
Laine swallowed.
"I told her."
Rocco stared.
"I panicked. Mother asked why Isabella had been in her office. I lied first. Then she threatened to cut me out of everything. I told her about the key."
"When?"
"The day Isabella died."
Rocco closed his eyes.
Laine continued.
"I thought Bernice would destroy the documents. I thought she'd yell. Maybe fire me. I never thought anyone would touch Isabella's car."
"You knew Ralph was following her."
"No."
"Did you?"
"No."
Rocco stepped closer.
Laine flinched.
"I swear."
Detective Ellis raised her hand.
"Rocco."
He stopped.
Ellis asked, "Did your mother say anything after Isabella died?"
Laine nodded slowly.
"The next morning."
"What?"
"She said problems solve themselves if you are patient."
Rocco looked away.
Laine's voice broke.
"I hated her for saying it."
"But you stayed."
"Yes."
"You took money."
"Yes."
"You helped her hide the fraud."
"Yes."
Rocco turned back.
"Then do not ask me to believe you were innocent."
"I'm not."
That answer stopped him.
Laine did not defend herself again.
"I am not innocent. I was selfish. I was afraid. And I told myself that because I never touched Isabella's car and never took food away from Mia, I wasn't like them."
She looked toward the stairs.
"But Mia looked at me like I was one of them."
Her eyes filled again.
"She was right."
Detective Ellis stopped the recording.
Later that day, Laine formally signed a cooperation agreement.
It did not erase her crimes.
It did not guarantee freedom.
It only meant she would tell the truth and accept whatever sentence remained.
Bernice refused all cooperation.
Ralph remained missing.
Mia, meanwhile, had started following Rocco everywhere.
If he went to the study, she sat on the rug.
If he went to the kitchen, she sat at the island.
If he walked into the garden, she held his hand.
On the fourth evening, Rocco tried to step outside to take a business call.
Mia grabbed his coat.
"Don't."
Rocco immediately ended the call.
He crouched.
"I wasn't leaving."
"You went to the door."
"I was only going outside."
"That's leaving."
He understood then.
To Mia, distance had become danger.
Rocco picked her up.
"No more calls tonight."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She touched his face.
"Do you have serious eyebrows?"
"A little."
"Because of Bernice?"
"Yes."
"And Ralph?"
"Yes."
"And Mommy?"
Rocco froze.
Mia had heard enough conversations to know her mother's name was involved.
"Did Bernice hurt Mommy?"
Rocco's throat tightened.
"We don't know everything yet."
Mia looked down at Benny.
"Mommy didn't like Bernice."
Rocco stared at her.
"How do you know?"
"Mama said she didn't like the way Bernice looked at papers."
He almost smiled.
That sounded exactly like Isabella.
"What else do you remember?"
Mia thought.
"Mommy hid something in Benny."
Rocco stopped breathing.
"What?"
Mia squeezed the stuffed rabbit.
"She said it was our secret."
Rocco gently took Benny.
The rabbit had been washed dozens of times since Isabella died.
One ear had been repaired.
One foot had been restitched.
Rocco carefully felt the fabric.
Nothing.
Then Mia pointed toward the small cloth heart sewn onto Benny's chest.
"Inside."
Gideon opened the seam carefully.
A tiny brass key fell into Rocco's palm.
Attached to it was a paper tag.
One number had been written in Isabella's handwriting.
402.
No one knew what it opened.
May you like
Until Gideon remembered that the old Moretti Foundation building had storage lockers in the basement.
Locker 402 had remained sealed since Isabella's death.
