Chapter 10 - the man carlo buried
Eleanor refused to answer in front of the police.
Vincent refused to let her leave.
By dawn, Moretti Manor had become a crime scene.
Mia and Lily were taken to the hospital.
Mia was dehydrated and exhausted but expected to recover fully.
Lily refused to release her hand.
Isabella stayed with them.
Vincent remained at the estate with detectives.
Eleanor sat in the drawing room.
She still carried herself like the owner of the house.
That infuriated Vincent more than anger would have.
"Name," he said.
Eleanor looked at him.
"What?"
"The other person."
"I don't know what Mia heard."
"She heard Adrian say someone was coming."
Eleanor said nothing.
Vincent stepped closer.
"Name."
His mother looked toward the detective standing near the door.
"I want my attorney."
Vincent laughed softly.
"That's the first sensible thing you've said."
He turned away.
"Vincent."
He stopped.
Eleanor's voice changed.
Less arrogant.
More human.
"There are things about your father you don't know."
"I've spent thirty-nine years hearing that sentence."
"It's true."
"And apparently everybody except me knows the things I'm not supposed to know."
Eleanor stood.
"Your father didn't merely accuse David Cole of theft."
Vincent looked back.
"He stole the money himself."
Vincent remained silent.
"Carlo used company funds to cover losses from a private development. When auditors found the gap, he blamed David."
"Proof?"
"I found records."
"Then why didn't you expose him?"
"Because you were seventeen."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything."
Her composure cracked.
"If Carlo had gone to prison, the company would have collapsed. Your grandfather was dying. We would have lost this house. Hundreds of employees would have lost jobs."
"So David Cole was sacrificed."
"Yes."
The word landed heavily.
Vincent looked away.
"And Adrian knew?"
"Not at first."
"You told him."
"Years later."
"Why?"
Eleanor's eyes filled with regret.
"Because I was angry."
Vincent stared at her.
She continued.
"Your father had another affair. I wanted someone else to know what kind of man he really was."
"So you found the dead man's son and gave him a reason to hate us."
"I did not expect Adrian to spend his life pursuing revenge."
"Yet you hired him."
"He became close to you on his own."
Vincent laughed bitterly.
"No. He became close to me because you introduced him."
Eleanor lowered her gaze.
That was answer enough.
"How long have you worked together?"
"Not continuously."
"How long?"
"Years."
Vincent walked toward the window.
"Why Isabella?"
"Because the trust dissolution would have ended my authority."
"There it is."
Eleanor's face tightened.
"It isn't about money."
"It's always about money when rich people say that."
"It's about control."
Vincent turned.
"That's worse."
She approached him.
"I built this family beside your father."
"And you wanted to keep controlling it through me."
"I wanted to stop you from handing everything to someone you'd known for three years."
"Isabella never asked for control."
"She didn't have to. The trust structure would have given her influence after marriage."
"So you framed her."
"I allowed Adrian to create pressure."
"You allowed?"
Eleanor winced.
"I never knew he would take Mia."
"You knew enough."
Silence.
Vincent stepped closer.
"Who is the third person?"
Eleanor looked toward the door.
Then back at him.
"His name is Julian Cole."
Vincent frowned.
"Adrian doesn't have a brother."
"Not publicly."
Eleanor sat slowly.
"David Cole had two sons."
Vincent had never heard the name.
"Julian was older."
"What happened to him?"
"Carlo paid him."
"For what?"
"Silence."
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"After David died, Julian discovered some of the financial records. Carlo offered him money to disappear."
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know."
"You said he's coming."
"Adrian told me two months ago that Julian had returned."
"Why?"
Eleanor looked at him.
"Because Julian doesn't want money."
"What does he want?"
Before she could answer, a detective entered.
"Mr. Moretti."
Vincent turned.
"We found Adrian's vehicle."
"Where?"
"Abandoned near the old north property."
Moretti Holdings owned several unused buildings near the estate.
One was a former stable complex converted into archives.
The detective continued.
"There was blood inside."
Vincent's jaw tightened.
"Adrian's?"
"We don't know."
"And something else."
He handed Vincent a photograph.
A man had been captured on a traffic camera near the vehicle.
Tall.
Gray coat.
Dark hair.
Vincent had never seen him.
Eleanor had.
May you like
She whispered one word.
"Julian."
