Chapter 8 - The Man Inside Domenico's Office)
Adrian Cole had worked for Domenico longer than Valentina had known him.
He had attended Ruby's christening.
He had carried Lucia's coffin.
He had stood beside Domenico at the cemetery and promised to protect the company while Domenico grieved.
The possibility that he had helped Marcus made Domenico feel physically ill.
They did not confront Adrian immediately.
Shaw ordered silence.
Domenico obeyed because he finally understood that anger had been one of his enemies.
For years, people around him had learned exactly how he reacted.
Push here.
He becomes furious.
Mention Lucia.
He becomes guilty.
Threaten the company.
He becomes distracted.
Threaten Ruby.
He stops thinking.
Valentina and Marcus had used every part of him.
He would not help them again.
The next morning Domenico went to the office as though nothing had happened.
Adrian greeted him at 8:30.
"Chicago deal fall apart?"
"Postponed."
Adrian smiled.
"You left twelve executives sitting in a conference room."
"My daughter needed me."
"Ruby all right?"
Domenico looked at him.
"Why wouldn't she be?"
Adrian shrugged.
"I heard there was trouble at the house."
"From whom?"
The smallest pause.
"Valentina."
Domenico nodded.
"Interesting."
Adrian changed subjects.
They reviewed quarterly numbers.
Domenico pretended to listen while a forensic team working with police copied the company's archived access records.
At 11:14, Shaw messaged him.
WE HAVE SOMETHING.
Domenico excused himself.
In an unused conference room, Shaw showed him a list.
Three years earlier, someone accessed Domenico's digital signature archive fourteen times in the month before Lucia died.
The user account belonged to Adrian.
"Could be legitimate," Domenico said.
"Maybe."
Shaw showed another record.
The evening after Lucia died, Adrian accessed the archive again.
Then deleted two directories.
Domenico looked through the glass wall.
Adrian was speaking to an assistant.
Laughing.
Living normally.
"You need more."
"We do."
Domenico remembered the financial pages.
"What if Lucia left originals in the vault?"
"Then we need the key."
Marcus had taken it.
And Marcus was no longer cooperating.
But Marcus had another weakness.
He liked leverage more than loyalty.
Domenico went to see him again.
This time Shaw listened from the observation room.
Marcus sat with his attorney.
Domenico placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Marcus at the warehouse with Lucia.
Marcus glanced at it.
"So?"
"You knew she had records."
Marcus looked bored.
"Maybe."
"You wanted the blue bird key."
"No idea what you're talking about."
Domenico placed another photograph down.
Valentina watching from the car.
Marcus's attorney leaned toward him.
"Don't answer."
Domenico continued.
"Your sister is telling police everything was your idea."
Marcus looked up.
A lie.
But a useful one.
Domenico leaned back.
"She says you stole from Moretti Holdings. She says you forged signatures. She says she tried to stop you."
Marcus laughed.
"Valentina would never."
"Wouldn't she?"
Domenico placed one final item on the table.
A copy of Ruby's transfer authorization.
"Her signature is on the witness line."
Marcus examined it.
Domenico continued.
"Yours isn't."
Marcus's smile vanished.
"She protected herself."
His attorney whispered, "Marcus."
Domenico stood.
"She always does."
He walked toward the door.
"Wait."
The attorney grabbed Marcus's arm.
Marcus pulled away.
"You want the key?"
Domenico turned.
Marcus smiled bitterly.
"It isn't where you think."
"Where?"
"Valentina has it."
Domenico said nothing.
"She took it from me after the warehouse."
"Where is it now?"
Marcus leaned forward.
"Get me immunity."
"No."
"Then enjoy wondering."
Domenico walked out.
Shaw joined him in the corridor.
"You lied about Valentina blaming him."
"Yes."
"Effective."
"Thank you."
"Don't get comfortable."
Domenico almost smiled.
Shaw's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
"What?"
Domenico watched.
Shaw ended the call.
"Valentina was released pending further investigation."
"Why?"
"Because the forged medical papers aren't enough to hold her indefinitely, and we still don't have direct evidence linking her to Lucia's death."
"Where did she go?"
Shaw called another officer.
No answer.
She tried again.
Then she looked at Domenico.
"The officer following her lost visual twenty minutes ago."
Domenico immediately called Rosa.
No answer.
He called Daniel.
Daniel answered on the first ring.
"Where's Ruby?"
"With Rosa in the ballroom. Staff are preparing tonight's foundation dinner."
"Lock the estate."
Daniel did not question him.
"Done."
Domenico was already moving.
"What happened?"
"Valentina disappeared."
At the mansion, Ruby sat at the long banquet table while decorators arranged flowers.
Rosa was ten feet away speaking to the chef.
A catering worker entered carrying a box.
Ruby looked at him.
She rubbed her thumb against her palm.
Something felt wrong.
The man set the box down.
Then he smiled at Ruby.
"Your father sent me."
Ruby did not answer.
"He wants you to come with me."
Ruby looked at Rosa.
The man stepped closer.
Ruby whispered, "Daddy never sends strangers."
His smile vanished.
Ruby screamed.
Rosa turned.
The man grabbed Ruby's arm.
Before he reached the hallway, Daniel hit him from the side.
They crashed into a chair.
Staff scattered.
Ruby crawled beneath the banquet table.
Daniel pinned the man against the floor.
"Who sent you?"
The man said nothing.
Daniel pulled a phone from his pocket.
One recent message was still visible.
BRING THE GIRL TO THE SOUTH GATE.
The sender had no name.
Only a number.
Daniel called Domenico.
"Someone tried to take Ruby."
Domenico stopped in the office lobby.
"Is she safe?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Unknown."
Daniel looked at the message.
"But whoever it was knew exactly where she would be."
Domenico looked through the glass toward Adrian's office.
Adrian's chair was empty.
His computer was gone.
And his assistant was standing beside the desk with a stunned expression.
"Where's Adrian?" Domenico asked.
She looked up.
"He left."
"When?"
"Five minutes ago."
May you like
"Where?"
"He said he had to meet Valentina."
