Chapter 4 - THE WAITER WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Elias disappeared before Dante’s men reached him.
His apartment was empty.
Phone abandoned.
Bank account drained.
That made guilt look obvious.
Too obvious.
Dante hated obvious.
Khloe learned that quickly.
“He ran.”
Paulie sat in a private clinic while a doctor stitched his side.
“People run when guilty.”
“People also run when frightened.”
Dante looked at Khloe.
She leaned against the wall.
“Why are you asking me?”
“I’m not.”
“You looked at me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Paulie muttered:
“You two are exhausting.”
Khloe ignored him.
Dante had moved them to the clinic because he refused to trust another hotel.
This time, Khloe did not argue.
Being nearly dragged out of a bathroom clarified priorities.
Then Dante’s technician unlocked more data from the burner.
Not all messages.
Files.
One encrypted folder.
Name:
M.R.
Marco Rourke? Wait Dante Varga's brother Marco Varga. Need consistency. Use M.V. Let's say folder "MV".
Dante stared.
“My brother’s initials.”
Inside:
Photographs.
Shipping manifests.
Bank transfer screenshots.
Names.
One name appeared repeatedly.
ELIAS MARINO.
Khloe frowned.
“The waiter?”
“Yes.”
“But he was working for you six years ago?”
“Not as waiter.”
“What?”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“He was Marco’s assistant.”
That changed everything.
Elias had been close to Marco.
Then after Marco died, Dante moved him into legitimate restaurant management because Elias claimed he wanted out of port business.
Six years later, he served Dante personally.
Loyal.
Invisible.
Maybe not loyal.
Maybe waiting.
Then another file appeared.
A photograph.
Marco.
Elias.
A third man.
Jared.
Younger.
Khloe covered her mouth.
“No.”
The photo date:
Six years earlier.
Pier Nine.
Jared had known Dante’s brother.
Not casually.
They were standing beside the same container from the burner photo.
Dante’s face went completely still.
“Your ex lied about more than you knew.”
Khloe felt humiliated.
“Apparently everyone does.”
Dante looked at her.
“No.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You?”
“Yes.”
That surprised her.
“You don’t lie?”
“I lie when it is useful.”
“That is not better.”
“No.”
At least he did not pretend.
Then Paulie’s doctor left.
The technician continued.
One audio clip.
Marco’s voice.
Dante went rigid.
He had not heard it in six years.
Marco:
If anything happens to me, Elias has the ledger.
Another voice.
Elias:
Don’t record this.
Marco:
Then stop acting nervous.
Khloe watched Dante.
He looked younger for one second.
Not mafia boss.
Brother.
Marco continued:
Jared says the access logs were changed from inside. Someone in Dante’s crew is selling port windows.
Dante’s face hardened again.
Inside his crew.
Betrayal.
Then Marco:
I don’t think Elias is dirty. I think he’s scared.
Audio cut.
Khloe looked at Dante.
“If Marco trusted Elias, maybe Elias ran because someone is chasing him too.”
Dante said nothing.
Then another file decrypted.
A ledger page.
Payments.
Initials.
Amounts.
One name:
P. VARGA.
Khloe frowned.
“Who is P. Varga?”
Dante’s face changed.
Paulie looked away.
That told her.
“Who?”
Dante answered:
“My father.”
The man who founded the Varga organization.
May you like
The man Dante had always believed died before Marco.
Except according to the ledger, payments to P. VARGA continued for three years after his official death.
