The Blue Envelope

Chapter 02 - The Blue Envelope

Luca did not confront Vanessa that night.

That frightened Olivia more than anger would have.

Vanessa came downstairs at eleven wearing a cream robe over the red gown, kissed Luca on the cheek, and asked whether Olivia had gone home.

Luca answered:

“Dr. Harris said she should rest.”

Nothing else.

No accusation.

No change in tone.

Vanessa smiled.

Then went upstairs.

Olivia stood in the service corridor holding a bag of ice against her cheek and realized Luca Moretti could lie without changing his breathing.

That skill had probably kept him alive.

It did not make her feel safer.

Mrs. Carter offered to drive Olivia home.

Luca refused before Olivia could answer.

Then caught himself.

He looked at her.

“Do you want Mrs. Carter to take you home, or do you want Daniel to arrange a car?”

Olivia blinked.

The correction was small.

She noticed it.

“Mrs. Carter.”

“Fine.”

He looked at the bruise.

“You are paid through the week.”

“I can work.”

“You can.”

She waited.

“But not tomorrow unless you want to.”

It was not exactly gentle.

For Luca, perhaps it was.

Olivia went home to a one-bedroom apartment in Rogers Park with radiator heat, a neighbor who played television too loudly, and exactly seventy-four dollars in checking.

She slept badly.

At 8:12 the next morning, someone knocked.

Not Mrs. Carter.

Not Luca.

A courier handed her a small pharmacy bag.

Pain medication.

Cold packs.

Receipt already paid.

Olivia stared at it.

Then found a note.

FROM DR. HARRIS.

Nothing from Luca.

Better.

She still knew who arranged it.

At the mansion, Luca waited until Vanessa left for a bridal fitting.

Then called Claire Bennett.

She answered on the sixth ring.

“Luca.”

Her voice had not changed.

Calm.

A little tired.

“Did Vanessa contact you?”

“No.”

“Has anyone?”

“About what?”

He looked at the blue folder Daniel had placed on his desk.

“Photographs.”

A pause.

“Of you?”

“Yes.”

“With me?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Claire understood quickly.

She always had.

“What is she trying to prove?”

“That we’ve been seeing each other.”

“We have.”

“Once.”

“To sell the Door County house.”

“Yes.”

Claire laughed quietly.

“That sounds disappointingly adult.”

“Claire.”

Her laughter stopped.

“She knows about the envelope.”

Nothing.

Then:

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who told you?”

“One of the staff overheard.”

“Which staff?”

Luca hesitated.

“Olivia Hayes.”

Claire went completely silent.

“Say that again.”

His attention sharpened.

“Olivia Hayes.”

“How old?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Dark hair?”

“Yes.”

“Brown eyes?”

“Yes.”

Luca stood.

“You know her.”

“I know the name.”

“How?”

Claire breathed out slowly.

“Her mother.”

Luca’s hand tightened around the phone.

“What about her?”

“Not on the phone.”

“Claire.”

“No.”

She had always been one of the few people who could say no to him without performing courage.

“I’ll come to Chicago.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“Bring the envelope.”

Another pause.

“No.”

Luca stared at the wall.

“Why?”

“Because until yesterday I thought Vanessa was merely shallow.”

“And now?”

“Now I think she’s afraid of what’s inside it.”

The line ended.

Daniel entered fifteen minutes later.

“We found Mercer.”

“Where?”

“Hotel in River North.”

“Bring him.”

“Alive?”

Luca looked at him.

Daniel’s expression did not change.

That was the problem.

“What did you think I meant?”

“Old habits.”

“Change them.”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes, boss.”

William Mercer arrived at two.

No bruises.

No broken fingers.

Olivia would have checked.

Luca almost smiled at the thought.

Mercer was forty-six, sandy hair, plain suit, face designed to disappear in crowds.

He sat across from Luca’s desk.

“Vanessa hired you.”

“Yes.”

“For photographs of Claire and me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Mercer’s eyes moved once toward Daniel.

“Client privilege does not cover criminal conduct.”

“Convenient.”

“It is also true.”

“What criminal conduct?”

Mercer looked at him.

“She asked me to locate a safe-deposit box.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“Claire’s.”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“First National.”

The blue envelope was not at Claire’s house.

Good.

“How did Vanessa know it existed?”

“I don’t know.”

“Try again.”

Mercer leaned back.

“She used another investigator before me.”

“Who?”

“Died.”

“When?”

“Two years ago.”

“How?”

“Heart attack.”

Luca stared.

Mercer shrugged.

“I checked. Probably real.”

Probably.

Luca hated that word.

“What was his name?”

“Martin Keene.”

Daniel wrote it down.

Mercer continued.

“My instructions were to follow Mrs. Bennett, photograph her meetings with you, then deliver selected images to her after your wedding invitations went public.”

“To make her angry.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“So she would retrieve whatever she had stored.”

“And lead you to the box.”

“Yes.”

Luca leaned back.

“She told you what was inside?”

“No.”

“Did you ask?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“She said it belonged to the Moretti family and could destroy her father.”

Luca became still.

Carlo Bellini.

Vanessa’s father.

Chairman of Bellini Development.

Old family ally.

The man who had toasted Luca’s engagement with tears in his eyes.

“Anything else?”

Mercer hesitated.

“There was one name.”

“What name?”

“Hayes.”

Luca looked at him.

“Olivia?”

“No.”

Mercer reached slowly into his jacket.

Daniel’s hand moved.

Mercer stopped.

“Notebook.”

Luca nodded.

He removed it.

Flipped pages.

“Diane Hayes.”

Olivia’s mother.

“She was in the older investigator’s notes.”

Luca stared.

“Why?”

“One line.”

Mercer read:

D. HAYES — FOUNDATION BOOKS — BLUE ENVELOPE.

Luca’s face changed.

Daniel looked up.

Mercer continued.

“I didn’t know who she was until last night.”

“How?”

“Vanessa said Olivia was Diane Hayes’s daughter.”

The room went silent.

Luca’s voice became very quiet.

“She knew Olivia before hiring you.”

“Yes.”

“Did she know Olivia worked here?”

“Yes.”

“Before the engagement?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

Mercer looked at Daniel.

Then Luca.

“Since the day Olivia was hired.”

At 3:30, Luca called Mrs. Carter.

“Who referred Olivia?”

The housekeeper answered immediately.

“Agency.”

“Which recruiter?”

“Celia Grant.”

“Did Vanessa review the file?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She said she wanted to know who would be in the house before the engagement.”

Luca closed his eyes.

Olivia had believed she was an unlucky maid who walked into the wrong guest room.

Vanessa had known her name for nine months.

That changed everything.

At 6:20, Claire Bennett arrived through the rear entrance.

She wore a gray wool coat.

No jewelry.

No makeup.

Four years after the divorce, Luca still recognized the way she looked at a room before entering it.

She saw Mercer.

Daniel.

Then Luca.

“Where is Olivia?”

“Home.”

Claire nodded.

“Good.”

“Why do you know her mother?”

Claire removed one glove.

“Because Diane Hayes saved your mother from signing a lie.”

Luca felt something in his chest tighten.

“What lie?”

Claire looked at him.

“The lie that made Carlo Bellini a respectable man.”

Then she placed one old brass key on Luca’s desk.

“The blue envelope is still at First National.”

“You said you wouldn’t bring it.”

“I didn’t.”

She looked toward the key.

“But if Olivia is involved, we open it tonight.”

Luca stared.

“Why?”

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Claire’s face softened.

“Because half of what’s inside belongs to her.”