Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT DOMINIC LET HIS COUSIN SIT AT THE TABLE
Marco arrived at seven-thirty.
Cassidy stayed upstairs with Lucia.
That had been Dominic’s decision.
Cassidy hated it.
It was also the right one.
She sat on Lucia’s bedroom floor while the girl arranged colored pencils from dark to light.
Downstairs, Marco ate dinner with the man now investigating him.
Dominic wore a wire?
No.
Cassidy asked.
Elias looked offended.
“This isn’t television.”
“Good.”
The dining room had ordinary security cameras covering entrances.
Audio only where lawfully installed for home-security purposes.
No one was manufacturing evidence.
Dominic’s lawyer had been very clear.
“Then what are we doing?”
“Watching.”
Cassidy looked at him.
“Dominic must hate that.”
“He does.”
Downstairs, Marco complained about Moretti activity.
Suggested sending Lucia to Lake Geneva.
Suggested moving Dominic too.
Suggested reducing public appearances.
Then:
“You should stop letting the waitress around.”
Dominic’s fork stopped.
“Why?”
“She’s attached.”
“So?”
“So people like that misunderstand access.”
Cassidy heard later from Dominic.
At the time, she only knew Marco had said her name because Lucia stiffened.
Cassidy signed:
YOU HEAR?
Lucia nodded.
Then:
HE BAD.
Cassidy signed:
WHY?
Lucia looked toward the closed bedroom door.
Then drew a finger across her lips.
Cassidy’s stomach tightened.
WHO SAY QUIET?
Lucia froze.
Too much.
Cassidy stopped.
She put both hands in her lap.
“No questions.”
Lucia watched her.
Cassidy signed:
SAFE.
Lucia’s eyes filled.
Then she leaned against Cassidy’s shoulder.
Downstairs, Dominic asked Marco about Gavin.
Casually.
“I heard the restaurant manager disappeared.”
Marco reportedly lifted one eyebrow.
“Gavin?”
“You know him?”
“Anthony did.”
“How?”
“Bad habits find each other.”
“Did he ever work our events?”
“Probably.”
“Did you know he was at West Town before Elena died?”
Marco’s answer came quickly.
“No.”
Dominic let silence sit.
Then changed the subject.
Good.
Marco left after nine.
Elias tailed? No. Lawful private surveillance of invited? Could follow on public roads, but not necessary.
Instead, forensic accountants continued working.
Anthony’s cooperation discussions produced the first direct admission.
He had paid Gavin $25,000 for Elena’s location.
Where had Anthony gotten the money?
From a Bellini company account controlled by Marco.
Anthony claimed Marco told him Elena had taken “family documents” and needed to be frightened into returning them.
He said Marco did not order anyone killed.
He also admitted introducing Gavin to a Moretti-connected fixer because Gavin already sold high-end reservation information.
Dominic read the summary twice.
“So Anthony connected them.”
“Yes,” Elias said.
“Did Gavin know Elena was the target?”
“He knew the woman tied to the address was important.”
“Did Anthony know Lucia would be there?”
“He says no.”
“Marco?”
“Anthony says Marco believed Lucia was staying with you.”
Dominic’s face tightened.
Cassidy asked:
“Was she supposed to?”
“Yes.”
“Why wasn’t she?”
“Elena picked her up from school.”
“Without telling you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I thought she was angry.”
“About what?”
Dominic looked away.
“Me.”
There was something he had not said.
Cassidy waited.
He did not continue.
“Dominic.”
“We argued.”
“About?”
“Marco.”
That changed the room.
“What did Elena say?”
“That I trusted him too much.”
“And you?”
“I told her she did not understand the family.”
Cassidy closed her eyes.
“Great.”
“I know.”
“Stop using that.”
He nodded.
“She said the foundation books were wrong.”
“You dismissed her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Marco had been with me since I was twenty-two.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It is the one I had.”
Ugly.
Real.
Elena had confronted Dominic about Marco.
Dominic defended him.
Then she died days later.
No wonder Dominic had blamed himself for eighteen months.
Cassidy said quietly:
“She may have taken Lucia because she was going somewhere she thought was safer than leaving her with you.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
This time she let him say it.
The next morning Cassidy did not come.
She texted Elias at six.
MOM IN ER. CAN’T.
Dominic called.
She declined.
He called again.
She answered.
“What?”
“What happened?”
“Blood pressure dropped after dialysis.”
“Which hospital?”
“No.”
Silence.
“What?”
“You are not sending people.”
“I was asking.”
“You were about to arrange a specialist, private room, helicopter, whatever rich people do.”
“Chicago has traffic. Helicopter would be inefficient.”
Cassidy almost laughed.
“Don’t.”
“Is she stable?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need today paid?”
“No.”
“That wasn’t charity.”
“I’m not working.”
“You are an hourly contractor with guaranteed minimums.”
She went quiet.
“Fine.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No.”
Pause.
“Thank you.”
Dominic did not push.
Progress.
Cassidy spent ten hours beside her mother.
Lena Tate was fifty-two and hated hospitals despite spending three days a week connected to dialysis machines.
“You look terrible.”
Cassidy smiled.
“Hereditary.”
“Who’s the rich child?”
“What?”
“You keep texting about a kid.”
Cassidy sighed.
“Seven. Trauma. Doesn’t speak much.”
“And the father?”
“Complicated.”
“Married?”
“Widower.”
Her mother stared.
“No.”
“What?”
“I know that face.”
“What face?”
“The one you had at nineteen when you thought the paramedic in anatomy class was interesting.”
Cassidy laughed.
“I do not like Dominic Valente.”
“I did not say his name.”
Cassidy stopped.
Mom smiled.
“You’re terrible at secrets.”
“Please focus on your kidneys.”
Later, Elias texted.
Lucia asking for you.
Cassidy’s chest tightened.
She video-called with Dr. Levin present.
Lucia appeared on screen.
Signed:
MOM SICK?
Cassidy nodded.
YES.
Lucia signed:
SHE DIE?
Cassidy’s throat closed.
NO.
Not today.
NOT SAME.
Lucia stared.
Then signed:
MAMA SICK?
Cassidy hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Dr. Levin gently encouraged.
“Answer what you know.”
Cassidy signed:
MAMA FIRE.
Lucia nodded.
Then something unexpected.
BEFORE FIRE.
MAMA CRY.
MARCO SAY DADDY BAD.
Cassidy went still.
Dr. Levin did not.
She signed:
MARCO SAY WHAT?
Lucia’s hands shook.
DADDY NOT LISTEN.
MAMA LEAVE.
Cassidy’s chest tightened.
Then:
MARCO HELP.
Dr. Levin stopped.
“That’s enough.”
Lucia looked frustrated.
Cassidy signed:
THANK YOU.
SAFE.
They ended.
Cassidy stared at her hospital phone.
Marco had told Elena he would help her leave.
Or Lucia believed he had.
That did not fit a simple murder plot.
Maybe Marco had not merely opposed Elena.
Maybe he had positioned himself as her ally.
Two hours later Dominic came to the hospital.
Alone.
Cassidy saw him walking toward the waiting area and nearly threw a water cup at him.
“I said no.”
“You said no people.”
“You are people.”
“Debatable.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Lucia signed something.”
“Elias told you?”
“Naomi did.”
“Then go investigate.”
“I did.”
He held out a file.
Elena’s old phone backup.
Recovered months ago but never fully decrypted until a new warrant in Anthony’s case allowed access to linked cloud data.
One text thread.
Elena and Marco.
ELENA:
I can’t keep doing this with Dominic.
MARCO:
Then don’t.
ELENA:
He won’t listen about the accounts.
MARCO:
I believe you.
ELENA:
I need to take Lucia somewhere safe while I talk to counsel.
MARCO:
I can help.
Cassidy looked up.
Dominic’s face was gray.
The last message came from Marco.
MARCO:
West Town is empty Thursday night. Use the garage entrance. I’ll make sure nobody bothers you.
Thursday night.
The night Elena died.
May you like
Marco had not simply known where she would be.
He had told her to go there.
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