Chapter 8 - The Signature
Sarah froze.
Nora kept her phone raised.
“Deputy Voss has entered the basement with his weapon drawn.”
“Put it down.”
Voss came down three steps.
Behind him, daylight filled the stairwell.
Vincent appeared in it.
“Alan.”
Voss turned halfway.
“Stay back.”
Vincent held his hands where Voss could see them.
“Your face is on three cameras outside.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It will when Brooks gets here.”
Voss glanced at Nora’s phone.
That glance was enough.
Sarah pulled Nora behind a concrete pillar.
Vincent caught Voss’s gun arm as he turned.
The shot cracked against the wall.
Sarah screamed.
Dust rained over the documents.
Luca rushed down and helped force Voss to the floor.
Vincent shoved the weapon beyond reach.
“Don’t touch it,” Nora snapped.
Sirens sounded outside.
Real ones this time.
Brooks arrived with two state officers.
Voss started talking about an ambush.
Nora gave her the recording.
Sarah gave her the box.
Then she picked up the page with Vincent’s signature.
“Did you sign this?”
Vincent looked at it.
“Yes.”
The answer landed harder than a denial would have.
“You authorized the account.”
“Carlo told me it funded repairs.”
“Did you check?”
“No.”
“People were living with leaking ceilings while your family took the money.”
“Yes.”
“Daniel did check.”
Vincent said nothing.
Sarah pressed the page against his chest.
“You don’t get to blame all of this on your uncle.”
“I’m not going to.”
Brooks stepped forward.
“Mr. Romano, we need a statement.”
“You’ll have it.”
“All of it.”
Vincent looked at Sarah.
“All of it.”
His phone rang.
Carlo.
Brooks gestured for him to answer on speaker.
Carlo didn’t bother with a greeting.
“You found Eleanor’s little cabinet.”
Vincent watched Brooks signal an officer.
“Daniel’s alive. Let him go.”
“Bring the originals tonight.”
“You’ll get copies through an attorney.”
A heavy thud sounded through the phone.
Sarah covered her mouth.
Carlo spoke again.
“Your accountant doesn’t have time for attorneys.”
Then a quieter voice.
Daniel.
“Sarah, don’t bring—”
Another blow.
The call ended.
May you like
Brooks looked up from the device.
“Tell me every property your uncle controls near the water.”
