Chapter 7 - HIS BROTHER'S NAME
Helena declined the call.
Carmine held out his hand.
"Give me the phone."
"No."
"Why is my brother calling you at midnight?"
"Ask him."
"I am asking you."
"Maybe your family has secrets too."
Carmine called Anthony.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Marcus said, "Sir, we can hold her here if you want police."
That worried him.
"Let her go."
Carmine lowered his voice.
"Track the car."
Helena got in.
Before she drove away, she rolled down the window.
"You think Leo is the victim in all this?"
Carmine stepped closer.
"He is seven."
"Exactly. He doesn't know anything."
Then she left.
Carmine returned inside and woke Nora.
He showed her the evidence summary.
"This changes everything."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"We don't know if it's authentic."
Marcus checked the metadata.
The scan came from a private server belonging to Bennett Investigations.
Carmine knew the name.
The investigator hired after Elena died.
He called.
The number was disconnected.
Nora searched state records.
The agency had closed three years earlier.
Anthony finally called back.
"What happened?" Carmine demanded.
"Why are you calling me at one in the morning?"
"Why are you calling Helena?"
Silence.
Then Anthony sighed.
"She's upset."
"You talk to her?"
"Sometimes."
"How long?"
"Don't make this ugly."
"She has a report saying Elena's brake line was cut."
Another silence.
This one deeper.
"Anthony."
His brother whispered, "Where did you get that?"
Carmine's heart began to pound.
"So it's real."
"I didn't say that."
"You knew."
"Carmine—"
"You knew."
Anthony exhaled.
"I was trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"From what Elena found."
Carmine gripped the phone.
"What did my wife find?"
Then the line went dead.
"Sir."
"What?"
"Helena's car stopped."
May you like
"Where?"
The blinking dot was parked outside Anthony's house.
