Chapter 8 - The Third Call|
"Why would Walter Brandt kill his own daughter?" Nico asked, leaning across the desk.
"Because she found out what he did to her husband," Josie said flatly.
The room went completely quiet. Even Dante, standing near the door, shifted his weight.
"Eleanor’s husband was Thomas Brandt," Josie continued, her voice trembling. "He died three years ago in a car accident on the expressway. Everyone thought it was a hit by your family."
"It wasn't us," Nico said softly.
"Ellie found out two months ago that it wasn't you," Josie said, tears finally trailing down her cheeks. "It was her father. Thomas was going to the federal prosecutors with Walter’s offshore shipping books. Walter had his own son-in-law killed to protect his empire."
Nico stared at her. The pieces of the puzzle were slamming together with brutal speed.
Eleanor Brandt had uncovered her father's secret. She had used Paulie Rizzo’s greed to steal Walter's financial books. And when Walter realized his daughter was going to ruin him, he sent his enforcers to burn her house down.
Suddenly, the burner phone on Nico's desk began to vibrate.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
The screen lit up with an unlisted number.
Nico picked it up, hit the speaker button, and set it down between them.
"Talk," Nico said smoothly.
A heavy, wheezing voice came through the speaker, accompanied by the faint sound of rain against glass.
May you like
"Valenti," the voice rasped. "You have my grandchildren."
Walter Brandt.
