“What is enough?”
Her voice lowered.
“The restructuring.”
Miriam went still.
I had no idea what they meant.
Luca did.
The private meeting after dinner was apparently supposed to include only four people.
Luca.
Miriam.
His chief financial officer, Daniel Keane.
And a retired federal prosecutor named Howard Ames.
No Vanessa.
No family.
No senior lieutenants.
Not even Luca’s longtime operations chief.
I learned that because Luca asked:
“Who told you?”
Vanessa said nothing.
Then Marco’s phone buzzed.
He read.
His face changed.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“They have a probable location.”
“Where?”
“The parking structure across the street.”
Luca stood.
“Vehicle?”
“Black Escalade.”
Vanessa whispered:
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Too late.
Marco continued.
“Registered to Bellini Development Group.”
Vanessa’s family company.
Luca slowly sat again.
Then asked:
“Who in your family knew about the meeting?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“My brother.”
“Adrian?”
“Yes.”
Adrian Bellini.
Her older brother.
One of Luca’s oldest business partners.
And one of the men who had toasted the engagement less than an hour earlier.
He had left before dessert.
I remembered because he tipped me two hundred dollars and said:
“For tolerating this circus.”
Now I understood why he was in a hurry.
Miriam asked:
“Why did Adrian need to hear the meeting?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I can’t.”
Luca’s voice remained calm.
“You can.”
“No.”
“He’ll destroy everything.”
“What?”
She looked at Luca.
And finally said it.
“The deal you’re planning tomorrow morning.”
Silence.
“What deal?”
“The port companies.”
Luca stopped breathing.
So did Miriam.
Vanessa whispered:
“He knows you’re selling them.”
May you like
Puis elle regarda l’émetteur scellé.
« Et si vous vendez avant qu’il ait transféré l’argent, mon frère perd tout. »
