Chapter 5 - Locker 314|
The message was sent from a number that disappeared when Dominic tried to call it.
Natalie stared at the photograph.
The key was real. The number was real. And someone had been watching closely enough to know she had found it.
Alessandro wanted her moved to a secure location immediately.
Natalie refused.
"I'm not leaving my apartment because someone sent me a photograph."
"Someone has already been asking about your unit."
"Then call the police."
"We will."
"And don't make decisions for me."
Alessandro stopped.
He looked at his sister for several seconds.
"You're right. Tell me what you want to do."
Natalie glanced toward the unfinished crib.
"I want to find out what Daniel left behind. I want to know why someone is threatening me. And I want to do it without turning my daughter's life into a battlefield."
Dominic placed the key photograph beside his tablet.
"I found a storage facility with lockers numbered in the same format. It's in South Philadelphia. The original account was registered to a company that closed two years ago."
"Can we access it?" Natalie asked.
"Not without confirming ownership. We should contact the facility and the relevant authorities."
Alessandro nodded.
"Do that."
Natalie looked surprised.
"You're agreeing?"
"I said I wouldn't make decisions about your life without you."
It was the first time he had repeated that promise without trying to add a condition.
The following morning, Natalie met Dominic at the storage facility with an attorney and a local detective. Alessandro waited in a nearby vehicle after Natalie insisted that too many people would draw attention.
The facility manager examined the key and the old account number.
"Locker 314 was rented under the name Parker Consulting," he said. "The account hasn't been active for nearly two years, but the contents were paid for in advance."
"Who paid?" the detective asked.
The manager checked the records.
"Daniel Parker."
Natalie felt her throat tighten.
The manager led them down a long corridor lined with metal doors. He unlocked the unit and stepped aside.
Inside was a small collection of boxes, a portable hard drive, and a sealed envelope.
Natalie recognized Daniel's handwriting on the envelope.
For Natalie. Only if you need the truth.
She opened it with trembling fingers.
Inside was a short note.
If you're reading this, then I didn't get the chance to explain everything. I'm sorry. I wanted to keep you out of this, but I discovered that someone was using legitimate businesses to hide stolen money. I found records connected to Bellissimo, Harbor Crest, and a company that shouldn't exist.
There was another paragraph.
I also found evidence that the person directing the scheme knows the Vitale family. I don't know whether Alessandro is involved. Don't trust anyone just because they share a name with someone you love.
Natalie lowered the page.
The detective asked permission to photograph the contents and arrange a formal evidence inventory.
She agreed.
Dominic examined the hard drive label.
"Daniel must have copied the records before his final meeting."
"Can you read it?" Natalie asked.
"Not here. We'll preserve it and have a forensic specialist examine it."
The attorney opened the remaining envelope.
A photograph slipped out.
It showed Daniel standing beside a man outside a restaurant.
Natalie recognized Anthony Russo.
But there was a third person in the photograph.
A man whose face was partially obscured by the reflection in the window.
Dominic leaned closer.
His expression changed.
Alessandro stepped into the corridor after receiving a call from Dominic.
"What is it?"
Dominic pointed to the photograph.
Alessandro studied it.
Then he went completely still.
The man beside Anthony Russo was wearing a dark overcoat and a silver watch.
It was a watch Alessandro had given his own financial adviser three years earlier.
The man's name was Richard Bell.
And Richard Bell was the person who had introduced Anthony Russo to the Vitale family's legitimate investment network.
Alessandro took a slow breath.
"Get me Richard."
Dominic looked at him.
"Boss, he hasn't worked for us in over a year."
"Then find out where he went."
Natalie stared at the photograph.
"Who is he?"
Alessandro's voice was low.
"The man who handled my family's legitimate investments."
May you like
He looked at the image again.
"And the last person Daniel met before he died."
