Chapter 6
Camilla did not scream.
That frightened Marco more.
She sat at the end of the conference table with the photograph in front of her.
Her thumb moved slowly over her father's face.
“You were there.”
Marco remained standing.
“I left before the fire.”
“You told me you weren't in Massachusetts.”
“My father made me say that.”
Camilla finally looked up.
Her eyes were red.
“But you kept saying it after he died.”
Marco’s breathing changed.
“Because it didn't matter.”
Camilla stared at him.
“My father burned alive.”
The words came out almost soundlessly.
“You don't get to tell me what mattered.”
Domenico remained silent.
The room belonged to them for the moment.
Marco lowered his voice.
“Enzo threatened my father.”
Camilla's gaze sharpened.
“What?”
“He found financial transfers. He accused Raffaele of stealing. They met at the warehouse.”
“Why were you there?”
“My father brought me.”
“For what?”
Marco looked toward Domenico.
“Because if Enzo became violent, he wanted a witness.”
Domenico finally spoke.
“Convenient.”
Marco ignored him.
“He was angry. He attacked my father.”
Camilla stood.
“Did my father start the fire?”
A pause.
Marco’s fingers tightened around the back of a chair.
“I don't know.”
Camilla stared at his hand.
Then his face.
“You're lying.”
“I was outside.”
“So was your father?”
Marco said nothing.
Camilla’s voice dropped.
“Marco.”
He looked at her.
“Was Raffaele outside when my father was trapped inside?”
Silence.
Camilla closed her eyes.
Domenico opened one of the envelopes from Marco’s safe.
Inside was an old letter from Raffaele to Angelo.
The paper smelled faintly of age and smoke.
Domenico read aloud.
Enzo knows about the transfers. He is threatening to bring everything to the council. I can contain him, but Marco saw too much.
Marco’s face went white.
Camilla slowly turned.
The letter continued.
If the boy speaks, we both lose everything.
Camilla stared at Marco.
“You weren't just there.”
Her voice trembled.
“You were something your father needed silenced.”
Before Marco could answer, Domenico opened the leather ledger.
Several pages were missing.
But the surviving entries showed Raffaele moving family money for years.
Enzo’s name appeared only once.
May you like
Beside it, in Angelo’s handwriting:
He was telling the truth.
