Chapter 9 - BEFORE SHE WAS HELENA
Anthony poured himself water with a shaking hand.
"Her name wasn't Helena Vale back then."
"She used Helena Voss. She handled vendor accounts."
"She worked for Moretti Development?"
"Temporary contractor."
"For how long?"
"Eight months."
"And you never thought to mention this when I started dating her?"
Anthony's eyes filled with shame.
"She made me promise."
"A promise to the woman dating your brother?"
"She knew about the money."
Carmine understood.
Blackmail.
Again.
Helena collected weakness.
Anthony opened an old laptop from a locked cabinet.
Emails.
Invoices.
Vendor transfers.
Elena had traced payments to a shell company.
Helena had approved some.
Anthony had approved others.
"How much?"
"Two million."
Anthony whispered, "I paid it back."
"After Elena died."
"Yes."
"Convenient."
"She threatened to tell you."
"She should have."
"I was ashamed."
"So you hid the investigation."
"I hid my theft. I did not kill her."
One message from Elena to Anthony said:
I KNOW WHO BENEFITED. IF YOU DON'T TELL CARMINE, I WILL.
Attached was a file that no longer existed.
"Who benefited?" Carmine asked.
Anthony shook his head.
"I don't know."
"You deleted the attachment?"
"No."
"Who did?"
Helena.
Carmine called Marcus.
"Where is she?"
Marcus checked.
"Her tracker just disappeared."
"Meaning?"
"She found it."
Carmine felt dread.
Then his phone rang.
Rosa.
He answered immediately.
Her voice was panicked.
"Mr. Moretti, Leo is gone."
"What?"
"I went to check on him. The window was open."
"Security?"
"One camera is down."
Then at the red backpack still in his car.
"Call police," Carmine said. "Lock the estate."
Rosa began crying.
"Sir... there was a note on his pillow."
"What does it say?"
May you like
She read it.
ASK YOUR BROTHER WHAT ELENA FOUND, OR YOU DON'T GET YOUR SON BACK.
