Chapter 9 - EVAN REED
Evan Reed was twenty-four.
According to his application, he had worked at animal shelters in California, Wisconsin and Illinois.
No criminal record.
No obvious connection to the Morettis.
He had not been hired.
Vanessa had rejected the application personally.
Luca stared at the file.
“Why?”
Vanessa looked away.
“His last name.”
“Reed?”
“His mother’s maiden name was Marin.”
Sofia Marin.
Gabriel’s fiancée.
Emma’s half-brother.
Vanessa knew.
Of course she knew.
“You recognized him.”
“Yes.”
“And rejected him.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Victor?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Vanessa looked exhausted.
“Because I was already starting to hate who I had become.”
Matteo laughed from the chair where paramedics treated his head.
“A little late.”
She ignored him.
Emma looked at Evan’s photograph.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Something around the mouth looked like Gabriel in the old picture.
And maybe like her.
“He came here because of Bruno?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Luca asked Daniel to trace him.
Address in Logan Square.
Phone off.
Employer listed as Lakefront Animal Rescue.
At dawn, Emma and Luca drove there.
No one had slept.
Bruno stayed home with Mrs. Carter.
The rescue opened at six.
A woman named Beth recognized Evan.
“He called out yesterday.”
“Why?” Emma asked.
“Family emergency.”
Emma almost laughed.
That phrase had become threatening.
“Did he say where?”
“No.”
“Does he have family here?”
Beth hesitated.
“He said his sister.”
Emma’s heart stopped.
“He told you he had a sister?”
“Yes.”
“What name?”
“He never said.”
Luca looked at Emma.
Evan knew.
Maybe Gabriel had told him.
Maybe Matteo.
Maybe someone else.
Beth continued.
“He’s been trying to adopt an older dog.”
“What dog?”
“Golden retriever.”
Emma and Luca stared.
“Why?”
“He said his father had one when he was young.”
Bruno.
Gabriel.
The connection tightened.
“Did he ever mention Bruno Moretti?” Luca asked.
Beth blinked.
“The Moretti dog?”
“You know him?”
“Everyone in rescue circles knows him after last night.”
The surrender had caused a storm.
Shelter staff had flagged the false aggression claim.
Someone leaked it online.
Vanessa’s name was already circulating.
Beth looked embarrassed.
“Evan was furious when he heard.”
“When?”
“Yesterday around five.”
After Bruno had been taken.
“Where did he go?”
“He said he was going to fix it.”
Emma’s stomach tightened.
Maybe Evan was the person who alerted the clinic.
Maybe not.
Daniel called.
“We found his car.”
“Where?”
“Outside Claire Collins’s apartment.”
Emma froze.
“My mother?”
Claire was under security at the Moretti estate.
Her apartment should be empty.
They drove there.
Evan’s car sat at the curb.
Front door unlocked.
Inside, drawers had been opened.
Not ransacked.
Searched carefully.
Emma found a photograph missing from the hallway wall.
Peter holding her at age five.
Why would Evan take that?
Then a floorboard creaked.
Luca turned.
A young man stood in the kitchen doorway holding a box.
Evan.
He froze.
Emma stared at him.
He stared back.
Neither spoke.
Then he said:
“You look like him.”
Emma’s throat tightened.
“Gabriel?”
Evan nodded.
“So do you.”
That broke something.
His face twisted.
He set down the box.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“That is a large category.”
He almost smiled.
Then Luca stepped forward.
“Why are you here?”
Evan looked at him.
“Uncle Luca.”
Luca’s expression changed.
Apparently one person had no difficulty using the word.
“You know who I am.”
“My dad talked about you.”
“What did he say?”
“That you hated olives.”
Emma stared at Luca.
He looked offended.
“I do.”
Evan smiled faintly.
“And that you broke your wrist jumping off the garage roof when you were fourteen.”
Daniel, entering behind them, looked delighted.
Luca glared.
“Later.”
Emma asked, “Why didn’t you contact us?”
Evan looked at her.
“Dad told me not to.”
She closed her eyes.
“Of course.”
“He said the Morettis were dangerous.”
“We are having a difficult week with that stereotype,” Luca said.
Evan looked at the box.
“I came to Chicago because Mom died last year.”
Emma’s face softened.
“Sofia?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“She told you about me?”
“After Dad died.”
“When?”
“Four years ago.”
“Why wait?”
“I was angry.”
“At me?”
“At all of you.”
Emma understood.
“Then why come now?”
“Dad left something.”
He opened the box.
Inside was a dog tag.
Old.
BRUNO.
Luca frowned.
Bruno’s current collar had another tag.
This one was older.
“Dad kept it.”
“Why?”
Evan turned it over.
Numbers were engraved on the back.
Safe-deposit box.
Again.
Emma laughed.
“Does nobody in this family believe in normal filing cabinets?”
Evan looked confused.
“Long story.”
He continued.
“Mom said Dad took it when he visited Chicago before he died.”
“From the estate?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it opens a box containing the original Moretti-Bellini partnership agreement.”
Luca’s face hardened.
“What agreement?”
“The one that proves Victor never legally owned half the properties he claimed.”
Emma looked at him.
“Meaning?”
“If the document is valid, the Bellinis owe the Moretti companies hundreds of millions.”
Vanessa’s engagement.
The trust.
Bruno.
Everything.
Luca said, “Where is the box?”
“First Midwest Bank.”
“What are you doing here?”
Evan looked at Emma.
“I wanted Peter’s photograph.”
“Why?”
“My dad carried a copy.”
Emma stopped.
“Gabriel had Peter’s picture?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Evan swallowed.
“He said Peter was the best man he ever betrayed.”
Emma’s eyes filled.
“That sounds like guilt.”
“It was.”
“Did Gabriel talk about me?”
“All the time.”
That hurt.
She almost wished he said no.
“What did he say?”
“That you loved strawberry ice cream when you were six.”
Emma laughed through tears.
“I still do.”
“He knew.”
“How?”
“Matteo sent photos.”
Matteo looked ashamed when Emma later asked.
But for now, Evan handed her the framed picture of Peter.
“I thought I should have one.”
Emma looked at him.
“You can.”
He stared.
“What?”
“You can have a copy.”
Evan’s eyes filled.
“Why?”
“Because Peter was your father’s friend before everything went wrong.”
“Dad said Peter hated him.”
“Probably.”
“Then why?”
“Families are complicated.”
Luca muttered, “Understatement.”
They went to the bank that afternoon with Agent Walsh.
The dog tag opened box 771.
Inside:
Partnership agreement.
Property schedules.
Original signatures.
Victor Bellini.
Salvatore Moretti.
Then amendment.
Gabriel Moretti.
And another document.
A trust designation.
Beneficiaries:
Gabriel Moretti.
Any lawful descendants.
Luca Moretti.
Any lawful descendants.
Emma stared.
“So Evan and I share Gabriel’s interest.”
“Yes,” Walsh said.
“And Luca has separate interest.”
“Yes.”
Luca frowned.
“Vanessa marrying me would not give Victor control.”
“Not directly.”
Walsh turned another page.
Spousal proxy clause.
If a Moretti beneficiary became incapacitated or deceased without an updated directive, spouse could temporarily exercise voting authority.
Emma looked at Luca.
“Temporary?”
“Enough to move assets,” Walsh said.
Vanessa’s plan.
Marriage.
Then what?
Emma’s stomach turned.
“Did she plan to kill Luca?”
Silence.
Walsh looked at Vanessa’s recovered messages.
“We found no explicit murder plan.”
“No explicit?”
“Several references to ‘after the transition.’”
Luca’s expression became cold.
Evan stared.
“Dad said Victor never stops at documents.”
Emma looked at her brother.
Half-brother.
Still strange.
“What did Gabriel think Victor would do?”
“Make Luca look unstable.”
“How?”
“Drugs. scandal. criminal charges.”
Walsh nodded.
“We have evidence Victor was preparing financial accusations.”
Luca laughed.
“So marriage gave Vanessa proxy if I was incapacitated.”
“Yes.”
Emma thought of Bruno’s false aggression record.
A lie made official through paperwork.
If Vanessa could do that to a dog, what could Victor do to a man?
Daniel’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then looked at Luca.
“Victor woke up.”
Everyone went still.
“He’s asking for Vanessa.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“And?”
“He says he’ll confess.”
Walsh frowned.
“To what?”
Daniel looked at Emma.
“To Peter and Gabriel.”
Emma’s breath stopped.
“But only if Emma comes too.”
“No,” Luca said immediately.
Emma turned.
“Your brother’s letter.”
He closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“Tell me everything and let me choose.”
“I know.”
“So?”
He looked at her.
“I think it’s dangerous.”
“Probably.”
“I think Victor is manipulating us.”
“Definitely.”
“I think you should not go.”
Emma nodded.
“Thank you.”
Luca blinked.
“For what?”
“Your opinion.”
Then she looked at Agent Walsh.
“I’m going.”
Luca swore softly.
Evan smiled for the first time.
“Dad said you were stubborn.”
Emma looked at him.
“He never met me.”
“He said it was genetic.”
Luca muttered, “That part is accurate.”
They went to the hospital.
Victor Bellini looked smaller than Emma expected.
Stroke had weakened one side of his face.
Machines surrounded him.
Vanessa sat near the bed.
When Emma entered, Victor looked at her for a long time.
“Gabriel’s girl.”
Emma said, “Emma.”
He smiled crookedly.
“Same eyes.”
“What happened to Peter?”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Victor looked at Luca.
“Your father knew.”
“I know.”
Victor’s attention returned to Emma.
“Caleb shot Peter.”
“Accident?”
“At first.”
Emma’s blood chilled.
“What does that mean?”
Victor struggled for breath.
“First bullet was accident.”
“And the second?”
Vanessa stood.
“Dad.”
Victor ignored her.
“Peter was still alive.”
Emma stopped breathing.
“Caleb wanted hospital.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“I said no.”
The room vanished.
Emma heard Luca swear.
Vanessa started crying.
Victor continued.
“Gabriel attacked Caleb.”
“Then Caleb shot him.”
“Yes.”
“Was Gabriel alive?”
“Yes.”
“Why bury them?”
“Because Peter knew too much.”
Emma’s hands shook.
“And Gabriel?”
Victor looked at her.
“He was not buried.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
“Salvatore took him.”
Luca stepped closer.
“You said Gabriel escaped.”
Victor laughed weakly.
“He did.”
“How?”
“Your father helped.”
Emma looked at Luca.
Victor whispered:
“Salvatore saved Gabriel that night.”
Then his eyes closed.
Monitor alarm changed.
Doctors rushed in.
They pushed everyone out.
In the hallway, Luca stared at the wall.
Emma leaned against it beside him.
If Victor was telling the truth, everything changed again.
Peter died because Victor refused help.
Gabriel survived because Salvatore intervened.
And the bodies under Lake Geneva—
Only one was Peter.
So whose bones were buried beside him?
Agent Walsh’s phone rang before anyone could speak.
Forensic lab.
She listened.
Then looked at them.
“The second body is not Gabriel Moretti.”
Emma’s heart pounded.
Luca asked, “Who is it?”
Walsh’s face tightened.
“Caleb Shaw’s younger brother.”
Silence.
Vanessa whispered, “Michael Shaw.”
Emma stared.
“Then where did Gabriel go after Salvatore saved him?”
Luca looked at Evan.
Evan went pale.
May you like
Because if Gabriel lived eleven more years—
Salvatore may have known where he was the entire time.”
