Chapter 7 - THE KEY IN THE LITTLE GIRL'S HAND|
The first thing Dominic noticed in the photograph was Rose's expression.
She wasn't crying.
She was pretending not to be afraid.
He knew that look. It was the same expression she wore whenever she tried to convince him that thunderstorms didn't frighten her, even though she always crawled into his bed when the sky cracked open.
The second thing he noticed was the blue ribbon.
His father's key.
“Magnify the image,” he ordered.
Marcus enlarged the photograph on the security room's monitor.
The brass key was partially hidden beneath Rose's fingers. Its bow was shaped like a small circle, and the blue ribbon was faded almost to gray.
Dominic recognized it from the photograph Robert had shown him.
“She found it in the piano,” Marcus said.
“Or she knew where Emily hid it.”
Dominic turned toward the music room's security feed.
The grand piano sat in the center of the room, untouched since Rose had been taken.
He remembered Emily playing lullabies there. He remembered Rose sitting beneath the keyboard as a toddler, tapping the wooden legs and laughing at the echo.
Perhaps the piano had always been more than a family heirloom.
Perhaps Emily had hidden the key where the child would eventually discover it.
“Can we access the safety deposit box without the physical key?” Dominic asked.
Robert shook his head.
“The bank requires the key and identification from the estate trustee. The documents are held in a vault that was sealed after your father's death.”
“Then the box may contain evidence against Anthony.”
“And against several people who are still alive.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Including you?”
Robert's expression tightened.
“Including me.”
It was the first honest answer the attorney had given without being pushed.
Marcus placed a map on the desk.
“The photograph was transmitted through a burner phone near an abandoned freight depot. We have identified three possible buildings.”
“Which one is most likely?”
“The one owned by a company that once belonged to Elias Whitmore.”
Dominic looked at Robert.
“Your former employee?”
Robert nodded.
“Elias managed financial records for the family. He knew about the Circle's accounts.”
“Why would he help Anthony?”
“I don't know.”
Dominic grabbed his coat.
Marcus blocked the door.
“You are not going alone.”
“I'm not going to a meeting. I'm going to get a child.”
“And walking into an unknown building without support is how people get killed.”
Dominic glared at him.
Marcus didn't move.
For eleven years, Marcus had been the only man in Dominic's organization willing to challenge him without calculating the consequences.
Finally, Dominic exhaled.
“Fine. You lead the team. Nobody fires unless there's an immediate threat to Rose.”
Marcus nodded.
“And we take the evidence to the authorities as soon as we have it.”
Dominic's mouth tightened.
“You've been spending too much time with Robert.”
“Maybe Robert should have spent more time doing his job.”
Despite himself, Dominic almost smiled.
They left before sunset.
The freight depot stood beside an abandoned rail line, its windows boarded and its loading doors rusted. Rainwater collected in the cracked pavement, reflecting the headlights of the vehicles.
Marcus's team secured the perimeter while Dominic entered through a side door.
The building smelled of dust, damp wood, and old machinery.
A single light burned in the center of the room.
Rose sat beneath it.
“Uncle Dominic!”
He crossed the floor in seconds and dropped to his knees beside her.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I knew you would come.”
He held her tightly, then checked her hands and face.
“Where's the key?”
Rose opened her fist.
The brass key rested in her palm.
Dominic stared at it.
“How did you get this?”
“Mommy put it inside the piano. I found it when Serena was looking for the letters.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Mommy said I should only give it to someone who cried when I was scared.”
Dominic's throat tightened.
Emily had known him well enough to understand that he would hide his pain from everyone.
But she had also known he would never pretend indifference when Rose needed him.
He kissed the top of the child's head.
“You did exactly what your mother asked.”
A voice came from the shadows.
“How touching.”
Anthony Vitale stepped into the light.
He looked older than Dominic remembered, but his smile was still the same cruel curve that had haunted his childhood.
Dominic stood, keeping Rose behind him.
“You wanted the key. Now let her go.”
Anthony laughed.
“You still think this is about a piece of metal?”
“What do you want?”
Anthony's gaze shifted toward Rose.
“The girl is proof that your brother's line survived.”
Dominic froze.
“Brother?”
Anthony smiled.
“Your father had another son, Dominic. A son he never told you about.”
For a moment, the warehouse seemed to disappear.
Dominic had grown up believing he was his father's only child.
May you like
Anthony stepped closer.
“And that son is the reason your family has been lying to you for fifteen years.”
