Chapter 3
By midnight, Raffaele had three problems.
His daughter had been abused.
His nephew had been baited into a public fight.
And preliminary charity records suggested somebody had been stealing.
His attorney, Caroline Brooks, arrived at the estate shortly after eleven.
She had represented Moretti businesses for sixteen years and had no patience for Raffaele’s preference for solving personal problems privately.
“You hit Grant.”
“Yes.”
“You struck Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“In front of witnesses.”
“Yes.”
Caroline sighed.
“Good. At least we’re not wasting time pretending.”
Grant had already gone to an emergency clinic.
His lawyer had called twice.
Vanessa had moved into a guest suite at another Moretti-owned property rather than return home.
Raffaele had not stopped her.
He had only forbidden contact with Lily.
Caroline reviewed Adrian’s photographs.
“These are copies.”
“Phone photographs.”
“We need originals.”
Raffaele called the charity’s finance director, Helen Ward.
She agreed to open the administrative office in the morning.
Then Caroline asked about Lily.
Raffaele looked upstairs.
“She’s asleep.”
“Has a doctor seen her?”
“No injuries.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Raffaele understood.
The next morning he took Lily to her pediatrician.
There were faint marks on her upper arms where Vanessa had gripped her.
Nothing medically serious.
Emotionally, the doctor was more concerned.
Lily became quiet when asked about “Mommy Vanessa.”
Then she said something Raffaele had not heard before.
“She makes me practice.”
“Practice what?” the doctor asked.
Lily looked at Raffaele.
“Kneeling.”
Raffaele felt the chair beneath him become suddenly too small.
“How many times?”
Lily held up four fingers.
She was three.
The number might mean four.
It might mean many.
Either answer was bad.
The pediatrician documented the marks and told Raffaele she was required to make an appropriate report concerning suspected child mistreatment.
Raffaele nodded.
He did not ask her not to.
On the drive home, Lily slept in her car seat.
Raffaele called Denise.
“Has Vanessa ever disciplined Lily when I wasn’t there?”
The silence lasted too long.
“Mr. Moretti…”
“How long?”
“I saw her make Lily stand facing the laundry-room wall twice.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Denise answered quietly.
“Because Mrs. Moretti said you approved it.”
Raffaele looked out at the Chicago traffic.
He had spent years cultivating a household where nobody questioned instructions attached to his name.
Vanessa had learned how useful that could be.
When he reached the estate, Caroline was waiting with worse news.
May you like
The charity office had been entered overnight.
Three boxes of vendor records were missing.
