Chapter 7 - A MOTHER ON THE PHONE
Mara called the number immediately. It rang once.
“Mara?” Isabella’s voice shook.
“Mom. Where are you?”
“I’m all right.”
“You don’t sound all right.”
“I need you to listen. Give them the ledger. Then go home.”
Mara looked at Alessandro. He had heard every word.
“Who’s with you?” Mara asked.
A low voice said something in the background. Isabella stopped breathing for a moment.
“Mom?”
“I’m sorry I brought you into this,” Isabella said. “Tell Alessandro—”
The line cut off.
Alessandro held out his hand for the phone. He called back. It had been switched off.
“She’s alive,” Mara said. She needed to say it aloud.
“She is.”
“And they have her because of me.”
“No.” Alessandro’s voice was firm. “They have her because someone in my family has been hiding the truth.”
They drove to Alessandro’s attorney, Naomi Price. She had known him for ten years and was one of the few people who did not pretend to be frightened of him. She read the ledger while Mara paced the office.
“These payment records could support an investigation,” Naomi said. “But if Isabella is being held, we need to treat the message as a threat. I’m calling a detective I trust.”
Alessandro glanced at the door. “Who else will see this?”
“Only the detective until we know more.”
Naomi scanned the pages and returned the ledger to Mara. “Keep the original with you. I’ll secure copies.”
For the first time since entering the Romano house, Mara felt they were doing something more than chasing hints.
Then Naomi stopped on the last page.
“Who wrote this?” she asked.
“My mother.”
“Not the last line.”
Mara leaned over her shoulder.
The final entry was dated only three weeks earlier. The handwriting was large and hurried.
IF ENZO SAYS HE ACTED ALONE, ASK VICTORIA ABOUT THE SECOND GRAVE.
Mara read it again. “Second grave?”
Alessandro’s phone vibrated. A message from Victoria appeared on the screen.
YOU’VE SPENT YEARS THINKING YOUR MOTHER ABANDONED YOU. ASK HER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMAN WHO TRIED TO HELP HER ESCAPE.
Attached was a photograph of a grave marker.
May you like
The name carved into it was TERESA MORALES.
But Teresa was alive. They had left her at the mansion an hour ago.
