Chapter 6 - THE CHURCH BENEATH THE CITY
The church had been abandoned for fourteen years.
St. Michael’s stood between two newer buildings in Little Italy.
Alessandro remembered being baptized there.
Daniel had been baptized there too.
Both sons.
That was what Vittorio had meant.
Alessandro, Marco, and Daniel entered after midnight.
Behind the old altar, they found two brass keyholes.
Sophia’s family had possessed one key.
Rosa had protected the other.
Both were required.
The stone panel opened.
Inside sat the blue ledger.
Daniel exhaled.
“My God.”
Alessandro opened it.
Pages of names.
Payments.
Dates.
Police officials.
Judges.
Developers.
Politicians.
And Carlo.
Again and again.
Then Marco noticed recent entries.
“These aren’t twenty years old.”
Alessandro turned the pages.
Someone had continued using Vittorio’s ledger.
For decades.
Carlo had built a second organization inside Alessandro’s own.
Then Daniel pointed at the final page.
A payment had been made three weeks earlier.
Recipient:
DR. HAROLD VANCE.
Alessandro frowned.
Marco searched the name.
His expression changed.
“He works at St. Catherine.”
Alessandro went cold.
Sophia’s hospital.
The pneumonia.
The fake medical employee.
Everything connected.
Alessandro called the private wing.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then his phone rang.
Emma.
He answered immediately.
Her whisper came through.
“Mr. Moretti?”
“Emma?”
“Mom told me to hide.”
Alessandro’s blood froze.
“Where are you?”
“In the bathroom.”
“Lock the door.”
“I did.”
“Where is your mother?”
“I don’t know.”
A sound came through the phone.
Footsteps.
Emma whispered,
“Someone’s coming.”
May you like
The call ended.
Alessandro ran.
