Chapter 15 - THE LIGHTHOUSE|
The old lighthouse stood beyond the eastern harbor, surrounded by scrub grass and a narrow road that disappeared into the fog.
Elena arrived with Claire Donovan, two federal agents, and Rafael.
No private security accompanied them.
The building had been abandoned for years. Its windows were boarded, and the rusted door resisted when the agents tried to open it.
Elena held the pendant's coordinates in her hand.
"There's a basement entrance," she said.
She remembered her father bringing her here once when she was a child. He had told her that lighthouses were built to guide ships through darkness.
She had forgotten the visit until now.
They found the entrance behind a loose stone.
A narrow stairway descended into a storage room.
Inside stood several metal cabinets.
One was marked with the same initials engraved on Elena's pendant.
D.B.
The agents opened it.
The original ledger lay inside, wrapped in waterproof cloth.
Beside it was a sealed envelope.
Elena recognized her father's handwriting.
Her hands trembled as she opened it.
My dear Elena,
If you are reading this, then I was unable to give you the truth myself. I am sorry for that. I wanted you to have an ordinary life. I wanted you to grow up without fear, without men watching the road outside your home, and without wondering whether the people you trusted were telling you the truth.
She stopped to breathe.
I discovered that Anthony Moretti and Charles Sinclair were planning to use the harbor as a private channel for weapons. Luca found out. He wanted to tell his brother. I tried to help him, but I was too late.
Elena pressed the letter against her chest.
I did not know whether Rafael was involved. I believed he was being kept in the dark. If he is still alive when you find this, give him the chance to prove who he is.
The final lines were written more heavily.
Do not let their crimes become your inheritance. You owe them nothing. You owe yourself a life.
Elena began to cry.
Rafael stood beside her, silent.
He had spent twelve years believing his brother's death was his fault. Now he understood that his father had deliberately tried to remove him.
Claire placed the ledger into an evidence case.
Then one of the agents called from the entrance.
"Movement outside."
Rafael turned.
Through the narrow window, Elena saw three vehicles approaching.
Victor Hale stepped out of the first.
He carried a gun.
Claire ordered everyone back.
Victor raised his voice.
"Give me the ledger, and nobody gets hurt."
Rafael moved in front of Elena.
She grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't."
Victor smiled.
May you like
"Still playing the hero, Moretti?"
Then he pointed the weapon at the evidence case.
