Chapter 8 - MARCO’S CHOICE

Marco had told me he’d worked at Bellarosa for twelve years. He had never mentioned the clinic.

By the time Park arrived at the restaurant, he was gone. His apartment was empty except for a suitcase packed beside the door. Someone had warned him.

Antonio called me that night. “Bellini says Marco took money from him.”

“Do you believe him?”

“No.”

“Did you tell Bellini about the video?”

“I told him Park was asking questions. That was enough.”

I was furious. “You gave him a chance to call Marco.”

Antonio didn’t argue. “You’re right.”

His honesty didn’t fix what he’d done. I ended the call.

The next morning, Ruth failed to show up for work. Park found her car near a train station, locked and empty. My stomach dropped.

Lena and I waited for news in her kitchen. Around noon, Ruth called from an unfamiliar number. She had taken a train to her sister’s house after seeing Marco outside her building.

“I didn’t want to disappear,” she said. “I was scared.”

Park arranged to bring her in safely.

That evening, I found Marco waiting in the hallway outside my grandmother’s apartment.

I stepped back toward the stairs. “Park is looking for you.”

“I know.” He looked awful. His shirt was wrinkled, and he kept glancing at the elevator. “I never meant for Maria to get hurt.”

“Then tell Park.”

“Bellini said those pills would make her drowsy. He wanted time to take the envelope. He told me she’d be fine.”

“You changed her medication?”

“No. I gave his man access to the dining room. I shut off the cameras.”

I pulled out my phone. Marco saw it.

“Record me,” he said. “I’m tired of lying.”

He described the stranger who had refilled Maria’s water. He named the manager who’d given him the camera password. Then he said Dr. Vale had used Bellarosa’s private dining room for meetings about Harbor Bridge.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because Bellini knows Rosa left you something.”

Marco’s eyes flicked past my shoulder. The elevator doors opened.

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Marco whispered, “Run.”