Chapter 8 - THE BOY BECOMES THE TARGET
Maria grabbed Matteo so hard he protested.
“No one takes him.”
Detective Monroe read the message again.
“It may have been sent before Vale abandoned the car.”
“May?”
Maria snapped.
“My son is four.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
Richard stepped closer.
“Maria.”
She turned on him.
“This happened because of your house.”
He took the anger without defending himself.
“You’re right.”
That stopped her.
Richard continued.
“And I’m going to fix it.”
“You can’t fix everything with money.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“But money can hire people who are very good at keeping children safe.”
Detective Monroe interrupted.
“Nobody leaves without escort.”
Richard nodded.
“Maria and Matteo stay here.”
Maria stared at him.
“No.”
“Your apartment is compromised.”
“I am not staying in this house.”
“Then a hotel.”
“No.”
Richard looked at Matteo.
The boy stared back.
“I have a dinosaur room,” Matteo said.
Everyone looked at him.
Richard blinked.
“What?”
“You showed me.”
Richard remembered.
A guest room his ex-wife had decorated for a nephew years ago.
Dinosaurs painted along one wall.
Matteo had seen it once while following Maria upstairs.
Richard looked at Maria.
“He can stay there.”
Maria closed her eyes.
Of course.
Her son wanted the one place she never wanted to enter again.
“Fine.”
That night, armed officers guarded the property.
Diane remained in custody.
Thomas remained missing.
Richard’s financial team worked through thousands of transfers.
By ten p.m., the number was clear.
Seventy-eight million dollars.
Moved through shell companies.
Hidden behind legitimate transactions.
And someone else inside Richard’s company had helped.
At 11:12, Maria sat beside Matteo’s bed.
He was finally sleeping.
There was a soft knock.
Richard stood in the doorway.
His arm was bandaged.
“Can I come in?”
She nodded.
He sat in a chair.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Richard said, “I owe you more than an apology.”
“I don’t want money.”
“I wasn’t offering money.”
Maria looked at him.
“I owe you the truth.”
He handed her a folder.
Inside were the fraudulent transfers.
Maria flipped through pages.
Then stopped.
A name appeared repeatedly.
Whitfield Family Foundation.
She looked up.
“This is your charity.”
“Yes.”
“Money was stolen from hospitals?”
Richard’s jaw tightened.
“Some of it.”
Maria stared at the numbers.
“This is disgusting.”
“Yes.”
“Children’s clinics.”
“Yes.”
“Cancer treatment programs.”
“Yes.”
Maria shut the folder.
“And Diane knew?”
“I think she knew enough.”
“Why would she help him?”
Richard leaned back.
“Debt.”
“What?”
“Her brother owes money.”
“How much?”
“Almost two million.”
Maria blinked.
“To who?”
“People you don’t want owing money to.”
Maria looked toward Matteo.
“Thomas paid it?”
“It appears so.”
“In exchange for helping him.”
“Yes.”
Maria was quiet.
Then she asked, “Why frame me?”
Richard looked at her.
“Because you noticed the dates.”
“I only asked one question.”
“That was enough.”
“Then why target Matteo?”
Richard hesitated.
Maria saw it.
“What?”
He looked toward the hallway.
“Because Matteo knows something.”
“He’s four.”
“He spent time in this house.”
“So?”
“Children hear things adults ignore.”
Maria stood.
“What does he know?”
Richard had no answer.
Then Matteo spoke from the bed.
“I know the red room.”
Maria froze.
Richard turned.
Matteo’s eyes were open.
“What red room?” Maria asked.
“The room Miss Diane told the man not to open.”
Richard slowly stood.
“There is no red room.”
Matteo shook his head.
“Yes, there is.”
“Where?”
He pointed toward the hallway.
“Under the stairs.”
Richard’s face changed.
May you like
Because beneath the grand staircase was no room.
At least not on the official blueprints.
