Chapter 4
The Suburban returned to the company garage the morning after Elena’s crash.
The maintenance report listed damage to the passenger mirror and front quarter panel.
Cause:
Parking structure accident.
Approved by Preston Sloan.
Dante read the report twice.
“Who repaired it?”
His security director, Frank Deluca, pointed to a vendor outside Cicero.
Rachel immediately stopped Dante from calling them himself.
“We do this correctly.”
Dante looked at her.
“I’m asking a mechanic a question.”
“You’re Dante Caradonna asking a mechanic about something that may be evidence in an attempt to hurt a pregnant woman.”
She held his stare.
“Let investigators make that call.”
Dante hated surrendering control.
That was becoming a theme.
Instead, he gave the vehicle records and Elena’s police report to the detective assigned to the Evanston incident.
Then he turned toward the other question.
Money.
Why had Victoria worked so hard to hide the pregnancy?
Jealousy explained cruelty.
It did not explain Preston altering call records, intercepting mail, or potentially putting a vehicle near Elena’s crash.
Dante ordered an outside audit of every account Preston could touch.
The decision immediately created problems.
Vendor payments stalled.
Two construction sites stopped work.
A lender called asking whether Caradonna Hospitality had management instability.
His chief financial officer, Martin Cole, warned him that removing Preston without transition could cost the company a major development loan.
Dante answered, “Then we lose the loan.”
Martin stared at him.
“You’re talking about twelve million dollars.”
“I know.”
“Because Preston hid a pregnancy?”
Dante looked across the desk.
“No.”
Martin understood.
“Because you think he did something worse.”
“Yes.”
The audit began.
That evening Elena returned to her own apartment in Lincoln Park.
Dante offered security.
She accepted one guard outside the building.
She refused to move into his house.
“I’m not going from Preston controlling my life to you controlling it.”
Dante almost argued.
Then stopped.
“What do you want?”
“To make my own decisions.”
He nodded.
It was harder than giving orders.
Before he left, Elena handed him a folder.
Inside were prenatal bills.
Dante frowned.
“These are paid.”
“I know.”
“By you?”
“No.”
Elena had assumed her insurance covered more than expected.
The billing office had told her an outside guarantor cleared the balances.
May you like
Rachel traced the payments the next day.
They came from a private account owned by Victoria Sloan.
