Chapter 9: The Last Lie
“Lucy!””
Vittorio's shout echoed through Room 317.
Marcus laughed through the phone.
“Now you understand.””
“Put her on.””
“No.””
“If you touch her—”
“I don't want to touch her. I want Sofia's drive.””
Vittorio looked at Charles.
Charles was already typing on his laptop.
Alessandro moved closer.
“Keep him talking.””
Vittorio's eyes hardened.
“You're at my house?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Maybe.””
That hesitation mattered.
Vittorio lowered his voice.
“Lucy screamed.””
“She knows she's in trouble.””
“No.””
Marcus went silent.
Vittorio continued.
“My daughter doesn't scream when she's frightened anymore.””
Bianca stared at him.
The cruelty she'd inflicted had taught him something he wished he had never needed to learn.
Lucy went quiet when she was truly afraid.
She hid.
She trembled.
She asked questions.
But she didn't scream like that.
“That wasn't Lucy.””
Marcus said nothing.
Vittorio looked at Charles.
Charles turned the laptop.
Emma had sent a message.
*Police are here. Lucy is beside me. Safe. Marcus never entered.*
Vittorio closed his eyes for half a second.
Then opened them.
“Nice recording.””
Marcus cursed.
Vittorio's voice turned cold.
“Where are you?””
The call ended.
Bianca immediately dialed Marcus back.
Voicemail.
Alessandro grabbed his coat.
“He knows the plan failed.””
“What plan?”” Vittorio asked.
Alessandro looked at the flash drive.
“To make you destroy that.””
“Why?””
“Because Marcus isn't afraid of the trust.””
Charles stopped typing.
“He's afraid of Sofia's evidence.””
Bianca sank into the chair.
“There was something else in the bag.””
Everyone looked at her.
“What?”” Vittorio demanded.
“A second phone.””
Marcus had taken Sofia's leather bag after the crash.
He had always claimed he delivered everything to Alessandro.
Bianca shook her head.
“He kept the phone.””
Alessandro stared at her.
“You knew?””
“I found it two years ago.””
“Where?””
“Marcus's apartment.””
Vittorio felt rage rise again.
“What was on it?””
“I only saw one video.””
“Show me.””
“I don't have it.””
“What was on the video?””
Bianca looked at Alessandro.
Then at Vittorio.
“Sofia recorded Marcus following her after the hotel meeting.””
Charles whispered, “From her car?””
“Yes.””
“She filmed him?””
“She was scared.””
Bianca's voice cracked.
“She said his name. She said his license plate. She said she was driving to the police.””
Vittorio gripped the table.
“And Marcus knew?””
“Not until after the crash.””
Alessandro understood first.
“He found the phone in her bag.””
Bianca nodded.
“He kept it because it proved he chased her.””
Charles stood.
“If that phone still exists, it's direct evidence.””
“Marcus will destroy it,” Alessandro said.
“No,” Vittorio replied.
Everyone looked at him.
“If he wanted it destroyed, he would've destroyed it four years ago.””
“Then why keep it?””
“Insurance.””
Vittorio looked at Bianca.
“Against you. Against Alessandro. Against anyone who might betray him.””
Bianca's phone buzzed.
A message.
One photograph.
Marcus stood inside an industrial garage.
Behind him was Sofia's silver Mercedes.
Vittorio stopped breathing.
The car was supposed to have been destroyed after the investigation.
Another message appeared.
*Midnight. DeLuca East Warehouse. Come alone. Bring the drive.*
Charles looked at the photograph.
“He kept the car?””
Alessandro's face darkened.
“Not him.””
Vittorio turned.
“What?””
“That warehouse belongs to one of my shell companies.””
“Then Marcus knows about them.””
“He knows everything.””
Bianca whispered, “Because I told him.””
Vittorio looked at her.
She wiped her face.
“I thought he was protecting me.””
“No,” Elena's voice said from the doorway.
Everyone spun around.
Elena stood there with two detectives behind her.
“Marcus has been protecting Marcus.””
Vittorio frowned.
“You left Lucy?””
“With Emma and six police officers.””
One detective stepped forward.
“Mr. DeLuca, nobody is going to that warehouse alone.””
Vittorio looked at the clock.
11:24.
“He wants me.””
“Good,” the detective said.
“Then he'll be watching you instead of us.””
Thirty-three minutes later, Vittorio drove into the warehouse lot.
The flash drive sat in his pocket.
A tiny police transmitter was clipped beneath his collar.
Officers waited beyond the perimeter.
Charles, Elena, Bianca and Alessandro remained behind.
At least, they were supposed to.
Vittorio entered.
Sofia's wrecked Mercedes stood beneath a single overhead light.
Marcus leaned against it.
“You came.””
“Where's the phone?””
“Where's the drive?””
Vittorio removed it.
Marcus smiled.
“Throw it.””
“Phone first.””
Marcus opened the damaged driver's door and reached beneath the seat.
He produced an old smartphone sealed in plastic.
Vittorio's heart hammered.
“Turn it on.””
Marcus laughed.
“Still giving orders.””
“You called me here.””
Marcus powered it up.
A video thumbnail appeared.
Sofia's face.
Alive.
Terrified.
Vittorio's throat tightened.
“Give it to me.””
“Drive.””
Vittorio tossed the flash drive across the concrete.
Marcus caught it.
Then headlights suddenly flooded the warehouse.
Marcus spun around.
A black SUV crashed through the open loading entrance.
Alessandro jumped out.
“You idiot!”” Vittorio shouted.
Marcus laughed.
“Of course.””
Alessandro walked forward.
“Give me Sofia's phone.””
Marcus raised it.
“This?””
“It's over.””
“For you, maybe.””
Marcus pointed at Vittorio.
“He still thinks I caused the crash.””
“You did.””
“No.””
The word echoed.
Vittorio stared.
Marcus's expression changed.
“You've all been repeating Bianca's story.””
He looked toward the entrance.
Bianca stepped from the shadows.
She had followed Alessandro.
Her face went white.
“Marcus.””
He smiled.
“Tell him.””
“Don't.””
“Tell Vittorio who was in Sofia's car before she left the hotel.””
Vittorio looked at Bianca.
“What is he talking about?””
Bianca backed away.
Marcus tapped Sofia's phone.
“There's another video.””
He pressed play.
Sofia appeared behind the wheel.
And in the passenger seat sat Bianca.
Vittorio slowly turned toward her.
Marcus smiled.
“I chased Sofia.””
May you like
He pointed at Bianca.
“But I wasn't the last person who touched her car.””
