Chapter 5 - The Man Roman Trusted Most
The handle moved once.
Then stopped.
Roman crossed the room silently.
Sadie stood beside the desk, pale.
Clara backed toward the wall.
Roman raised his pistol.
The handle moved again.
Roman pulled the door open.
Father Matteo stood outside.
The priest blinked at the gun.
“Well.”
Roman did not lower it.
Father Matteo had known Roman since childhood.
He had baptized Roman’s son.
Buried Roman’s parents.
Buried Elena.
He wore no weapon.
Only black clerical clothing and a silver cross.
“You’re late for confession,” Matteo said.
Roman’s eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing here?”
“Clara called me.”
Clara raised a hand.
“I did.”
Roman looked at her.
“You called a priest?”
“I thought everyone might need one.”
Under different circumstances, Sadie might have laughed.
Roman lowered the gun.
Slightly.
The voice on the recording still echoed in his head.
Don’t break her arm here. Roman might see the blood.
Not Matteo.
Someone else.
Someone even closer.
Roman played the recording again.
He shut his eyes.
The cadence.
The slight rasp.
Sadie watched.
“You know him.”
Roman opened his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Roman looked toward Father Matteo.
The priest’s expression changed.
He understood.
“No.”
Roman held up the recorder.
“You haven’t heard it.”
“I don’t need to.”
Matteo sat heavily.
“Anthony.”
Sadie looked between them.
“Who’s Anthony?”
Roman answered.
“My brother.”
Sadie stared.
Roman Vescari had one living relative he still acknowledged.
Anthony Vescari.
Five years younger.
Chief financial officer of the family’s legitimate holdings.
Polished.
Educated.
Never visibly involved in violence.
The man newspapers called “the respectable Vescari.”
Father Matteo rubbed both hands over his face.
“I warned him.”
Roman turned.
“You knew?”
“Not this.”
“Then what?”
“Debt.”
Roman’s voice sharpened.
“What debt?”
“Gambling.”
Sadie looked at Roman.
Roman looked genuinely stunned.
Matteo continued.
“Anthony came to me six months ago.”
“How much?”
“He said two million.”
Roman laughed once.
No humor.
“Eight.”
Matteo went pale.
Roman paced.
Anthony knew accounts.
Routes.
Properties.
Security schedules.
He knew exactly how to hide theft.
Calvin provided muscle.
Anthony provided numbers.
Roman suddenly understood why the books had matched.
He turned toward Sadie.
“You heard two men Tuesday.”
“Yes.”
“Calvin and Anthony.”
Her eyes widened.
“I recognized Calvin after you said his name. The other voice…”
She looked at the recorder.
“Yes.”
Roman called Tomas.
“Find Anthony.”
“He’s at the downtown office.”
“No. Find him.”
Tomas understood.
“I’ll call you.”
Roman ended the call.
Father Matteo stood.
“Roman.”
“No.”
“Listen.”
“I spent twenty years protecting him.”
“I know.”
“I kept him out.”
“Out of what?”
Roman looked at Sadie.
Matteo followed.
Roman’s voice became quiet.
“Out of me.”
Sadie did not understand.
Matteo did.
Roman had taken control young.
Violently.
He had decided his brother would not.
Anthony went to college.
Built legitimate companies.
Sat on charity boards.
Married, divorced, remarried.
Roman did the ugly work so Anthony could live clean.
Apparently Anthony had simply learned to hide dirt better.
Sadie spoke.
“What if he was forced?”
Roman looked at her.
She continued.
“If Calvin knew about the gambling debt, maybe he used it.”
Roman considered.
He wanted that to be true.
That made him distrust it.
“My brother had choices.”
“So did I.”
Roman frowned.
Sadie touched her cast.
“I lied to you because I was afraid.”
“That isn’t comparable.”
“Maybe not.”
She looked at him steadily.
“But fear makes people do things they didn’t think they could.”
Roman said nothing.
Tomas called.
Roman answered.
“Anthony left the office forty minutes ago.”
“Where?”
“Driver says home.”
“Is he there?”
“No.”
“Phone?”
“Off.”
Roman looked toward the city through the windows.
“Family?”
“His wife is in Paris.”
“Car?”
“Found near the river.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
“Blood?”
“No.”
“So he ran.”
“Looks like.”
Roman ended the call.
Father Matteo whispered, “Or someone took him.”
Roman turned.
Sadie asked, “Does Calvin need Anthony anymore?”
Roman understood.
No.
If Anthony had maintained books, routed money, covered transactions…
Then once exposed, he became liability.
Roman grabbed his jacket.
Sadie stepped in front of him.
“Where are you going?”
“To find him.”
“Your brother or mine?”
Roman stopped.
The question hurt.
Both were hostages now.
One innocent.
One possibly guilty.
Roman answered.
“Both.”
Sadie moved aside.
He paused at the door.
“You stay.”
She folded her left arm.
“I know.”
“You mean it?”
“No.”
Roman gave her a tired look.
She almost smiled.
He left.
Tomas met him downstairs.
They drove without escort.
Roman wanted fewer people to track.
The city slid by.
Tomas drove.
Roman studied the ledger.
“Anthony authorized transfers.”
Tomas nodded.
“Digital signatures?”
“Yes.”
“Could be forged?”
“Possible.”
Roman looked at him.
“Do you believe that?”
Tomas waited.
“No.”
Roman closed the ledger.
“Neither do I.”
They reached Anthony’s riverside car.
Police had not been called.
Roman’s people controlled the immediate area.
Driver door unlocked.
Keys gone.
Inside, nothing obvious.
Roman checked the trunk.
Empty.
Tomas found a phone beneath the passenger seat.
Burner.
Roman powered it on.
One saved message.
COME ALONE OR THE BOY DIES.
Attached coordinates.
Pier Nine.
Roman looked at Tomas.
“Too easy.”
“Definitely.”
The phone rang.
Roman answered.
Calvin.
“Roman.”
“Calvin.”
“Been a long time since you sounded angry.”
“You haven’t heard angry.”
Calvin laughed.
“I raised half your captains.”
“You corrupted them.”
“I improved them.”
“You trafficked women through my routes.”
“Business evolves.”
Roman’s voice became ice.
“Not that business.”
“Your rules made you weak.”
“And yet you needed my name.”
Silence.
That landed.
Calvin continued.
“Bring Sadie.”
“No.”
“Then Benjamin dies.”
Roman stared at the river.
“Proof of life.”
A muffled sound.
Then Benjamin’s voice.
“Sadie?”
Roman closed his eyes.
Alive.
Calvin returned.
“Midnight. Pier Nine.”
“You forgot something.”
“What?”
“My brother.”
A pause.
Calvin laughed softly.
“Anthony?”
Roman waited.
“You still think he needs rescuing?”
The line went dead.
Roman stared at the phone.
Tomas whispered, “What does that mean?”
Roman already knew.
Anthony was not Calvin’s prisoner.
He was Calvin’s partner.
The burner buzzed.
A new photograph arrived.
Anthony stood beside Benjamin.
No restraints.
No injuries.
May you like
Holding a gun.
And looking directly into the camera.
