Chapter 9 - THE FALSE BACKUP
We gave them something to panic about.
A lie.
At noon, Dominic called Vincent.
He said my father's flash drive contained a complete backup of the security system.
It didn't.
He said the backup automatically copied itself to a hidden server inside the mansion.
It hadn't.
Then we waited.
At 12:46 A.M., somebody entered the old wine-cellar service corridor.
I was watching an infrared camera with Dominic.
A masked man knelt beside the hidden electrical panel.
He poured accelerant over it.
Dominic's security team moved.
The man ran.
He made it halfway through the basement before four guards surrounded him.
His name was Owen Price.
Senior security officer.
Ten years with the Morettis.
Dominic dismissed everyone except me and one attorney.
Owen sat at the dining table with blood running from his lip.
“I want a deal.”
Dominic's expression was cold.
“You attempted to burn my house.”
“I was ordered.”
“By Mercer?”
Owen hesitated.
“Vincent.”
That surprised Dominic.
“Where is Mercer?”
“I don't know.”
“Hall?”
“I don't know.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“Then you're not useful.”
Owen panicked.
“Anthony.”
Dominic froze.
“What about my brother?”
Owen looked at the table.
“Mercer didn't shoot him.”
For one second, nobody moved.
“Who did?”
“Vincent arranged the meeting. He told Anthony he wanted to help him shut down the street operations.”
Dominic's face became terrifyingly calm.
“Then?”
“Anthony arrived. Mercer took his phone.”
Owen swallowed.
“Vincent's men were waiting outside.”
Dominic stepped back.
I caught his arm.
He was trembling.
Owen continued.
“They made it look like the rival family.”
“Why?”
“Because Anthony had found the books. He knew Vincent was hiding money and keeping illegal operations alive.”
Dominic looked toward the window.
Four years of grief rearranged itself inside him.
Then Owen said something worse.
“Your father knew.”
Dominic turned.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
“Before he died, he created a contingency file.”
“What file?”
“Names. Accounts. People he didn't trust.”
“Where is it?”
“Anthony found it.”
Dominic stared.
“And Vincent killed him for it?”
Owen shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Anthony gave it to somebody before the meeting.”
I knew the answer before he finished.
“Walter Hodge.”
My father.
Owen nodded.
Vincent hadn't threatened my father because of a flashing light.
May you like
The light was only part of what Walter Hodge had discovered.
My father had been carrying evidence that could destroy Vincent Moretti's entire operation.
