The Best Man Was Still Alive
Chapter 07 - The Best Man Was Still Alive
The blood belonged to Gabriel.
There was enough to frighten.
Not enough to prove death.
Mara did not let Luca search privately.
For once, he did not argue.
Federal agents pulled traffic cameras.
A black SUV boxed Gabriel’s car near Lower Wacker.
Two men removed him.
One wore a Bellini security jacket.
The other was Nico Ferraro.
Claire stared at the screen.
Luca did not move.
Nico stood three feet away watching himself on video.
“That is not me.”
No one answered.
The face was clear.
Same dark hair.
Same jaw.
Same scar near the right ear.
Claire looked at him.
“Twin?”
Nico’s mouth tightened.
“Brother.”
Of course.
“What is his name?”
“Rafael.”
Luca closed his eyes.
“You told me he was in Arizona.”
“He was.”
“Was?”
“Until six months ago.”
“And you did not tell me he came back.”
Nico looked ashamed.
“No.”
“Why?”
“He was working for Carlo.”
Silence.
Claire almost laughed.
Every family seemed determined to turn genealogy into evidence.
“Why didn’t you tell Luca?”
Nico looked at him.
“Because Rafael said he was informing on Carlo.”
“Did you believe him?”
“I wanted to.”
There it was.
The same sentence Vanessa had used.
Wanting turned into evidence when family was involved.
“What did he ask from you?” Mara said.
“Camera access.”
Luca’s eyes hardened.
“You gave it.”
“Limited.”
“Do not.”
Nico corrected.
“Yes.”
Claire felt the answer settle.
The hidden camera in the study.
The staff schedules.
The fake transfer from Luca’s terminal.
Nico’s brother could have done all of it.
“Did Rafael photograph my apartment?” Claire asked.
Nico looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
She raised an eyebrow.
He closed his eyes.
“I gave him the building address three months ago.”
Claire felt cold.
“Why?”
“He said Carlo was watching anyone tied to Dawson.”
“And you gave him my address to protect me?”
“No.”
Good.
“I gave it because he asked and I trusted him.”
Better.
Luca’s hands tightened.
Nico continued.
“I’m sorry.”
Claire believed him.
That did not erase anything.
Mara issued a warrant for Rafael Ferraro.
By evening, Gabriel was found alive in an abandoned freight office near Cicero.
Concussion.
Cut above one eye.
One broken rib.
Hands zip-tied.
Rafael gone.
Gabriel refused hospital discharge until he spoke to Luca.
The meeting happened in a private treatment room with Mara present.
Claire did not plan to attend.
Gabriel asked for her.
She went.
He looked terrible.
That helped nobody.
Luca stood at the foot of the bed.
“Eleven years.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“My father ordered James Dawson killed.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Gabriel looked at Claire first.
Then Luca.
“Because my father helped bury him.”
“That is shame.”
“Yes.”
“Not a reason.”
“No.”
Luca’s voice hardened.
“You used the evidence.”
Gabriel swallowed.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“To keep Carlo from forcing certain deals.”
“Blackmail.”
“Yes.”
“To get promoted.”
Gabriel’s face tightened.
“At times.”
Claire felt sick.
Marianne had been right.
Not innocent.
“Did you take money?” she asked.
“Not from the stolen pool.”
“That was not the question.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Bonuses. equity. promotions.”
“Because you stayed quiet.”
“Yes.”
“Then you profited from my father’s death.”
The sentence hit.
Gabriel’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Claire looked away.
No apology could carry that weight.
Luca spoke.
“The fake transfer.”
“Rafael.”
“You know?”
“He showed me a draft.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly at himself.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I thought I could trace who ordered it.”
“Carlo.”
“I thought.”
Claire raised an eyebrow.
Gabriel corrected.
“The evidence pointed to Carlo.”
“What changed?”
“Rafael admitted someone else paid him.”
“Who?”
Gabriel hesitated.
Mara leaned forward.
“Mr. Santoro.”
“Vanessa.”
Claire froze.
“No.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Rafael said Vanessa paid him fifty thousand.”
Luca’s face went completely still.
“Did she?”
“I saw the transfer.”
Claire’s mind moved backward.
Vanessa’s fear.
Her lies.
Her partial confession.
The account.
“She could have been paying for something else.”
Luca looked at her.
“Why are you defending her?”
“I’m not.”
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“I’m refusing to finish a sentence before we have the rest.”
Gabriel nodded weakly.
“Good.”
He reached for a folder beside the bed.
Mara stopped him.
“What is it?”
“Bank record.”
She took it.
Vanessa Bellini to Rafael Ferraro.
$50,000.
Memo blank.
Date:
Six weeks before the engagement.
Claire stared.
“Ask her.”
Luca’s expression hardened.
“She is at the motel.”
“With federal protection,” Mara said.
“Then we ask.”
They did.
Vanessa looked at the transfer and did not deny it.
“I paid him.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“For what?”
“To follow Gabriel.”
Everyone stopped.
Vanessa continued.
“My father told me Gabriel had been blackmailing him.”
“He was.”
“Yes.”
“I needed to know why.”
“So you hired Rafael.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know he worked for Carlo?”
“No.”
“Did you give him Claire’s information?”
“No.”
“Luca’s terminal access?”
“No.”
“Security schedule?”
“No.”
Vanessa looked at Luca.
“I paid a private investigator without telling you.”
“You paid a criminal.”
“I did not know.”
“Convenient.”
“Yes.”
She did not argue.
Then Vanessa added:
“But there is another transfer.”
Mara frowned.
“What?”
“Rafael returned twenty thousand.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Why?”
“He said the job changed.”
“Into what?”
Vanessa looked toward Claire.
“He said someone wanted the Dawson girl removed from the mansion before the wedding.”
Claire’s skin tightened.
“Who?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“He wouldn’t say.”
“Did you warn me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought ‘removed’ meant fired.”
Claire laughed softly.
“Of course.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“I know.”
Then Mara’s phone buzzed.
Rafael Ferraro had been located.
Not arrested.
Found dead in a motel outside Joliet.
Single gunshot.
No weapon.
No sign of forced entry.
And on the bedside table sat one business card.
May you like
Gabriel Santoro.
The best man who had just become their most useful witness was now being framed for murder.
