Chapter 10 - The Marriage Before Andrew
Andrew survived surgery.
Barely.
The bullet missed his heart by less than an inch.
Josephine sat outside the operating room with dried blood on her dress.
Dante sat opposite her.
Neither spoke for almost an hour.
Finally she said, “What did he mean?”
Dante knew.
She could see it.
“You’re going to tell me.”
“He should.”
“He’s unconscious.”
“Then wait.”
Josephine laughed weakly.
“I’ve waited through two funerals and three resurrections. I’m done waiting.”
Dante rubbed his jaw.
“Your mother married once before.”
“My mother?”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You.”
Josephine stared.
“I’ve never been married to anyone except Andrew.”
“Legally, maybe not.”
“What does that mean?”
Dante handed her a file.
Inside was a marriage certificate.
JOSEPHINE MARIE HAYES.
Age eighteen.
Spouse:
NICHOLAS CARVER.
Josephine shook her head.
“I don’t know him.”
“The marriage was annulled eleven days later.”
“I would remember getting married.”
“You were unconscious for most of it.”
She looked up.
“What?”
Dante hesitated.
“When you were eighteen, you were hospitalized after a car accident.”
Josephine remembered.
Barely.
She had been in a vehicle with two college friends.
A truck crossed the median.
She spent five days sedated.
“My mother handled everything.”
“Yes.”
“Why would anyone marry me while I was unconscious?”
“To create a legal claim.”
“To what?”
“Michael’s estate.”
Josephine stared at the certificate.
“Nicholas Carver.”
Dante nodded.
“Carlo’s son.”
The hallway seemed to narrow.
“Carlo has a son?”
“Had.”
“Had?”
“He died twelve years ago.”
Josephine did the calculation.
Two years after the annulment.
“What happened?”
“Overdose.”
“Was it?”
Dante looked at her.
“I don’t know anymore.”
Josephine searched the document.
Her signature appeared at the bottom.
It looked like hers.
But wrong.
Copied.
“My mother did this?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“Vittorio thinks Carlo arranged it.”
“Why annul it?”
“Your mother found out.”
Josephine closed her eyes.
Helen had spent a lifetime fighting battles Josephine never knew existed.
It did not excuse the lies.
But it made them heavier.
“What would the marriage have accomplished?”
“If Nicholas had remained legally married to Michael’s daughter, Carlo could have claimed control over Michael’s surviving assets.”
“What assets?”
Dante looked almost amused.
“You still don’t understand how much money your father hid.”
“I don’t care.”
“You may when I tell you the amount.”
“I won’t.”
“Four hundred and eighty million.”
Josephine stared.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Mostly property acquired under holding companies.”
“I don’t want it.”
“It’s already yours.”
She laughed.
“Wonderful.”
Dante leaned forward.
“Josephine, money like that creates gravity.”
“Then give it away.”
“You can.”
“I will.”
His eyes softened.
“I believe you.”
Something passed between them.
Josephine looked away first.
Andrew remained unconscious until morning.
When he woke, Josephine was beside him.
“You’re alive,” she said.
He attempted a smile.
“You sound disappointed.”
“Don’t test me.”
The smile disappeared.
She placed the marriage certificate on his blanket.
“Explain.”
Andrew stared at it.
“You found Nicholas.”
“Apparently I found a husband I never met.”
“You were eighteen.”
“So Dante said.”
“I discovered it four years ago.”
“Of course you did.”
Andrew closed his eyes.
Josephine lowered her voice.
“What else?”
He reopened them.
“Nicholas didn’t die from an overdose.”
She waited.
“Shaw killed him.”
“Why?”
“Because Nicholas wanted out.”
Another Moretti who wanted out.
Another death.
“What did he know?”
“Carlo’s network.”
Josephine sat back.
“Everyone who discovers Carlo’s network dies.”
“Yes.”
“Except you.”
“Give him time.”
Josephine hated herself for laughing.
Andrew smiled weakly.
Then winced.
“Why did you say you weren’t my first husband?”
“Because Nicholas’s annulment may not have been valid.”
Josephine froze.
“What?”
“The judge was bribed.”
“Wouldn’t that make the marriage invalid too?”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?”
“I’m not a family attorney.”
She almost hit him with the pillow.
Instead she asked the question that mattered.
“Why was Carlo so desperate to control Michael’s money?”
Andrew’s expression became serious.
“Because the money isn’t only money.”
“What is it?”
“A map.”
“To?”
“Every legitimate asset Carlo has hidden illegal money inside.”
Josephine understood.
If she controlled Michael’s holdings, she indirectly controlled records capable of exposing Carlo.
“And the archive proves it.”
“Yes.”
“What happens if everything becomes public?”
“Carlo loses his organization.”
“Dante?”
Andrew hesitated.
“Potentially everything.”
Josephine looked toward the window.
Dante had protected Lucas.
Protected her.
But he was still Dante Moretti.
Still a criminal.
“Maybe he should lose everything.”
Andrew watched her.
“You care about him.”
Josephine turned.
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’m your husband.”
“You abandoned that position when you let me bury you.”
Pain crossed his face.
She did not soften.
“Do you love Rebecca?”
“No.”
“Did you ever?”
“No.”
“Lucas?”
“I love him.”
“As?”
“A kid I failed to protect.”
Josephine nodded.
At least that felt true.
Andrew reached for her hand.
She moved it away.
“Not yet.”
He accepted it.
Dante entered.
His expression told them something was wrong.
“Carlo disappeared.”
Andrew said, “He has safe houses.”
“We checked them.”
“Shaw?”
“Gone.”
Josephine stood.
“What about my mother?”
“Safe.”
“Lucas?”
“With Rebecca.”
“Vittorio?”
“Surgery.”
Dante placed a phone on the table.
“One thing isn’t safe.”
He showed them a news alert.
Federal agents were raiding Moretti businesses across Chicago.
Andrew frowned.
“Carlo triggered it.”
Dante nodded.
“He’s burning everything.”
Josephine read the article.
Restaurants.
Warehouses.
Construction offices.
Bank accounts frozen.
Dante seemed almost peaceful.
“You’re losing everything.”
“Maybe.”
“And you’re calm.”
“I’ve lost worse.”
Their eyes held.
Andrew noticed.
Josephine looked away.
Then another alert appeared.
A live press conference.
Robert Shaw stood behind a podium.
Federal insignia behind him.
He announced a massive organized-crime investigation.
Then reporters shouted questions.
Shaw raised one hand.
“We are also seeking a woman believed to control hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds.”
Josephine went cold.
Her photograph appeared on the screen.
Her name beneath it.
JOSEPHINE MILLER.
PERSON OF INTEREST.
Dante swore.
Shaw continued.
“We believe Ms. Miller may be attempting to flee the jurisdiction.”
Josephine stared.
Then a nurse opened the hospital door.
Two men wearing federal badges stood behind her.
One reached for handcuffs.
“Josephine Miller?”
She looked at Dante.
He looked at the window.
Three floors down.
Then the second agent smiled.
Josephine recognized him.
May you like
He had been sitting at Andrew’s memorial dinner.
And he quietly locked the hospital door behind him.
