Chapter 5 - THE MURDER THAT STARTED TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO
David Vale had been an assistant federal prosecutor.
Young.
Ambitious.
Secretly dating Sadira while investigating waterfront corruption.
She fed him records from Moretti Shipping.
David planned to indict Carlo.
Three days before presenting evidence, he died in a car accident.
Except it wasn't an accident.
Marcus spent decades trying to prove it.
Sadi felt as if her entire life had been assembled by people who never bothered to tell her the instructions.
“Did Lorenzo know Carlo killed him?”
Sadira nodded.
“Afterward.”
“And still protected Carlo?”
“Yes.”
Roman stood.
His face was stone.
Sadi saw something break behind his eyes.
He had grown up believing his father was ruthless but principled.
Now principle had conditions.
Family conditions.
Then Elijah called.
Carlo had been located.
Not overseas.
Boston.
At a private hospital.
He had suffered a stroke.
Convenient timing.
Roman wanted to go.
Sadi did too.
Sadira grabbed her wrist.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“Carlo is dangerous.”
“He's seventy.”
“So is poison.”
Fair.
They went with federal investigators already stationed there.
Carlo lay in bed, weakened but conscious.
When he saw Sadi, he laughed.
“You look like David.”
Roman stepped forward.
“You killed him?”
Carlo's smile faded.
“I solved a problem.”
Sadi's stomach turned.
No remorse.
Roman asked about Marcus.
Carlo stared at the ceiling.
“Arthur handled Marcus.”
That connected the present.
Arthur killed Marcus to stop him reopening Warehouse 17.
Then tried to transfer the property and federal liability to Roman.
But why Roman specifically?
Carlo smiled again.
“Because Arthur doesn't work for me anymore.”
“Who does he work for?”
Carlo's eyes moved toward Roman.
“Your brother.”
Roman went still.
“I don't have a brother.”
Carlo laughed until he coughed.
“That's what Lorenzo told you.”
Another family secret.
Roman's mother had given birth to a son before Roman.
The child was removed from the family after a scandal.
Name:
Damian Moretti.
Roman had never heard it.
“Where is he?”
Carlo whispered:
“Running Arthur.”
Then his heart monitor changed.
Nurses rushed in.
Conversation over.
Outside, Roman immediately called Lorenzo.
No answer.
Then Sadi's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Educated.
“Sadi Al-Hassan.”
“Yes.”
“My name is Damian.”
Roman heard.
His entire body went rigid.
Damian continued:
“Roman is going to tell you I'm dangerous.”
A pause.
“He's right.”
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Then:
“But I'm not the Moretti who killed Marcus Vale.”
