Chapter 7 - THE STORAGE UNIT THAT HELD FIFTEEN YEARS OF LIES
The storage facility opened at eight the next morning.
We didn't go alone.
Rebecca Sloan arranged for independent investigators to accompany us.
Roman contacted law enforcement.
Every step was documented.
No evidence disappeared into a DeLuca safe.
No private revenge.
No family cleanup.
Roman seemed determined to make sure this ended differently from every secret that came before it.
Unit 214 was at the end of a narrow corridor.
The lock contained both a physical key slot and keypad.
My key was gone.
But investigators obtained lawful access after establishing Dad's ownership records and preserving the chain of custody.
The second number—0917—opened an internal safe.
Inside were thirteen folders.
Three flash drives.
A ledger.
And a video camera.
My father's handwriting appeared everywhere.
Dates.
Names.
Companies.
Payments.
Charles Mercer.
Victor Rourke.
Several DeLuca associates.
Then one name repeatedly appeared beside the phrase:
AUTHORIZED BY S.D.
Roman stared.
"My father."
Salvatore DeLuca.
The legendary head of the DeLuca family.
Dead for four years.
The man Roman still spoke about with complicated respect.
I looked at him.
"Roman..."
He shook his head.
"Open everything."
The investigators began documenting the files.
The records showed a network of stolen charity funds, illegal lending, and fraudulent property acquisitions.
Some transactions benefited Mercer companies.
Others passed through businesses controlled by Salvatore.
My stomach turned.
Dad had discovered it years ago.
He'd been gathering evidence.
And Margaret DeLuca had apparently helped him.
Then we found the video.
Dad appeared on screen.
Thinner than I remembered.
Tired.
But alive.
"If Claire or Lily is watching this, I'm sorry."
Tears immediately filled my eyes.
"I spent too many years believing powerful men could be reasoned with privately. I was wrong."
He looked down.
"Margaret DeLuca discovered that her husband Salvatore and Charles Mercer were diverting money from charitable funds. She tried to stop it."
Roman closed his eyes.
Dad continued.
"Gabriel DeLuca found out too."
Roman opened his eyes.
His missing uncle.
"Gabriel planned to expose everything. Christmas Eve, 2011, he disappeared."
The video changed.
A security recording appeared.
Gabriel entered a warehouse.
Minutes later, Charles Mercer arrived.
Then Victor Rourke.
Finally, Salvatore DeLuca.
Roman stopped breathing.
The footage had no sound.
Twenty minutes later, Salvatore left.
Charles followed.
Gabriel never emerged.
I looked toward Roman.
His face had become almost colorless.
Then Dad returned to the screen.
"I don't know whether Gabriel was killed. But Margaret believed Salvatore knew what happened."
Roman turned away.
I reached toward him.
Then hesitated.
He looked at my hand.
I held it out.
He took it.
The final folder contained a letter from Margaret DeLuca.
Addressed to Roman.
He opened it.
His mother's handwriting filled the page.
My son, if you ever find this, understand that your father was not the man you believed him to be.
Roman's breathing changed.
Then he read the final line.
May you like
And his hand began shaking.
Gabriel is alive.
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