Chapter 9 - THE STORAGE UNIT FULL OF SECRETS
Piper had never been so frightened of a key.
It sat in her palm, small and ordinary.
Yet somehow, it seemed heavier than anything she'd ever carried.
Dominic watched her from his wheelchair.
“You don't have to do this.”
She looked at him.
“My father left it for me.”
“We can send someone.”
“No.”
“Piper.”
She took a breath.
“I've spent five years thinking my dad left me nothing but bills. If he left answers, I want to find them.”
Dominic studied her.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
They traveled to a storage facility on Chicago's northwest side with Detective Hayes and two officers.
The building was old.
Fluorescent lights flickered above narrow hallways.
Unit 317 stood at the end of the third corridor.
Piper inserted the key.
Her hand trembled.
The lock clicked.
She lifted the metal door.
Inside were six cardboard boxes.
A wooden chair.
A battered suitcase.
And an old red bicycle.
Piper froze.
“That was mine.”
Dominic looked at her.
“What?”
“My bike. Dad taught me to ride it when I was eight.”
She approached slowly.
The handlebars were wrapped in faded purple tape.
Her father had repaired them after she crashed into a mailbox.
Piper touched the seat.
Tears filled her eyes.
“He kept it.”
Dominic watched quietly.
She opened the first box.
Photographs.
Birthday cards.
Old school drawings.
Then she found a small envelope.
Her name was written across the front.
Piper.
She recognized the handwriting immediately.
Her father's.
She opened it.
Sweetheart,
If you're reading this, I wasn't able to tell you the truth myself.
I made mistakes. I trusted the wrong people. But everything I did afterward was to keep you safe.
Vincent Rizzo is dangerous.
Elena Rizzo tried to stop him.
Her daughter Isabella knows what happened.
If you ever find yourself near Dominic Rizzo, remember that he isn't his uncle.
And remember that I love you.
Piper began crying.
Dominic moved closer.
She handed him the letter.
He read it slowly.
Then he looked at her.
“Your father was trying to protect both our families.”
Piper nodded.
Rebecca opened the battered suitcase.
Inside were documents, photographs, and several old recording devices.
One contained an audio file.
Rebecca connected it to a laptop.
A man's voice filled the storage unit.
Vincent.
Elena should've stayed out of my business.
Another man spoke.
You said nobody would get hurt.
Vincent laughed.
People get hurt when they forget who owns the game.
Dominic's expression turned cold.
The recording continued.
Then Vincent said something that made Piper's blood freeze.
Thomas Lane is becoming a problem. If he won't cooperate, we'll make sure his daughter pays.
Piper staggered backward.
Dominic caught her hand.
“Piper.”
She shook her head.
“He knew about me.”
Rebecca stopped the recording.
“We have enough to reopen several investigations.”
Dominic stared at the laptop.
“Not enough to guarantee a conviction.”
Rebecca nodded.
“We need corroboration.”
Suddenly, Piper noticed something beneath the suitcase lining.
A photograph.
She pulled it free.
It showed her father standing beside Isabella Rizzo.
Both were smiling.
Behind them was a white building with a blue roof.
Piper turned the photograph over.
A date.
An address.
And a handwritten message.
She is safe here.
Dominic leaned closer.
“That's a medical clinic.”
Rebecca checked the address.
Her expression changed.
“What?” Piper asked.
The detective looked at Dominic.
“The clinic closed four years ago.”
Dominic frowned.
“Then why does it matter?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Because someone reopened it last month.”
May you like
She turned the screen toward them.
The new owner was listed as Isabella Rizzo.
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