Chapter 10 - Beneath the Kennel Stone
Carlo Benedetti’s phone went directly to voicemail.
His driver’s phone had been switched off.
The west gate camera showed a black sedan leaving the estate at 7:47 p.m.
Carlo sat in the rear seat.
A metal case rested beside him.
Bruno had been found six minutes later.
Whatever had been hidden in the greenhouse was now gone.
Luca ordered police contacts notified.
Vincent objected.
“If Carlo has survived this long by staying invisible, official pressure will make him disappear.”
Luca stared.
“He may know what happened to Samuel.”
“Exactly.”
Grace listened from the kitchen table.
She was tired of powerful men treating information like chess pieces.
“Call him from my phone.”
Both turned.
Vincent frowned.
“Why?”
“He called Aunt Helen after Titan found me. Whoever is managing this situation wants me involved.”
Luca shook his head.
“No.”
Grace took out her phone.
“You can object while I dial.”
“Grace.”
She searched the number Victor had provided.
Luca placed a hand over the phone.
“No.”
Their eyes met.
Grace said quietly, “He knows whether my father is alive.”
“So he becomes more dangerous, not less.”
“And if you send twenty armed men after him?”
“He will know we are serious.”
“He already knows you are serious. Everyone knows you are serious. Look at your house.”
Vincent almost smiled.
Grace continued.
“He may talk to me because he thinks I know less.”
“You do know less.”
“Thank you.”
“That isn’t an insult.”
“Still felt like one.”
She pulled the phone free.
“Speaker.”
Luca reluctantly nodded.
Grace called.
One ring.
Two.
Carlo answered.
“Grace.”
Nobody had told him who was calling.
Grace felt cold.
“You know my number.”
“I know many things.”
“Where is my father?”
Silence.
Then Carlo sighed.
“Samuel always said you would ask the direct question.”
“Answer it.”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“You sound like him too.”
“I’m getting tired of hearing that.”
“You shouldn’t. It is a compliment.”
“Did you hurt him?”
“No.”
“Did you help fake the truck fire?”
“Yes.”
Luca leaned toward the phone.
Carlo continued before anyone spoke.
“Antonio asked me to.”
Grace frowned.
“Samuel’s photograph says you knew it was fake.”
“Of course I did.”
“Then why did Dad distrust you?”
“He did not.”
Grace froze.
“What?”
“Samuel distrusted everyone when necessary. That was his gift.”
“Photos show you meeting Evan Mercer and Marcus Hale.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To feed them false information.”
Luca’s expression changed.
Grace asked, “You were working with Dad?”
“For a while.”
“What happened six years ago?”
Carlo became silent.
Grace pressed.
“He disappeared a second time.”
“I know.”
“Did you find him?”
“Yes.”
Her breath stopped.
“Where?”
“Wyoming.”
“Why was he there?”
“Because Samuel had spent years tracing the final account.”
“Whose?”
Carlo paused.
“Daniel Mercer’s.”
Grace looked at Luca.
“Daniel was supposed to be dead.”
“He wasn’t.”
Another fake death.
Grace closed her eyes in disbelief.
“Is anyone actually dead in this story?”
Vincent laughed once.
Carlo did not.
“Daniel survived his boat incident. Samuel found him.”
“Then where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“Six years ago you saw Dad.”
“Yes.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Was he safe?”
“No.”
Grace’s stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
Carlo’s voice lowered.
“Evan found them too.”
Luca stepped forward.
“Carlo, where are you now?”
“Driving.”
“Turn around.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because the case I removed from the greenhouse contains the only thing keeping Evan from killing Samuel.”
Grace gripped the table.
“You said you don’t know where Dad is.”
“I don’t.”
“Then how can something protect him?”
“Because Evan believes Samuel has a copy.”
“A copy of what?”
“Daniel Mercer’s confession.”
Silence.
Carlo continued.
“Daniel discovered his own son had been helping Marcus Hale divert money through Moretti accounts. When Daniel tried to stop him, Evan staged the boat disappearance and forced him underground.”
Grace’s mind raced.
“Dad found Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“Daniel confessed.”
“Yes.”
“To what?”
“Everything.”
“Where is the recording?”
“In the case.”
“Then why steal it?”
“I didn’t steal it. I moved it.”
“Without telling Luca?”
“I don’t know who inside the estate Evan still controls.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“You could trust me.”
Carlo laughed sadly.
“Antonio thought that too.”
Luca went silent.
Carlo said, “Listen carefully. There is an old railroad depot outside Bellhaven. Samuel used it as an emergency meeting place.”
Grace searched Luca’s face.
He did not recognize it.
“Why tell us now?”
“Because Evan contacted me fifteen minutes ago.”
“What did he want?”
“The confession.”
“And?”
“He threatened someone.”
“Who?”
Carlo’s answer came softly.
“Helen.”
Grace stood so fast the chair fell.
“Aunt Helen?”
Victor immediately called security at Grace’s apartment building.
No response.
Helen had been moved to an estate guest cottage after leaving Grace’s apartment.
Victor called the cottage team.
A guard answered.
Helen was safe.
Grace exhaled.
Then Carlo corrected himself.
“Not Helen Walker.”
Grace froze.
“Who?”
“Another Helen.”
No one understood.
Carlo said, “Samuel has been living under the name Thomas Reed.”
Grace’s heartbeat thundered.
“With a woman named Helen Reed?”
“His wife.”
The room went dead silent.
Grace stared at the phone.
“My father remarried?”
“I don’t know whether legally.”
“Who is she?”
“A nurse who helped him after Wyoming.”
Grace’s emotions tangled.
Shock.
Anger.
Relief.
A ridiculous stab of betrayal toward a woman she had never met.
“Where is she?”
“Evan has her.”
Grace’s anger became immediate.
“What does he want?”
“Exchange. Confession for Helen.”
Luca said, “We involve federal authorities.”
Carlo replied, “Do that and Evan disappears with her.”
“You are trusting a kidnapper.”
“No. I’m buying time.”
Grace gripped the table edge.
“Does Helen know where my father is?”
“Yes.”
“Then Evan will force her to tell him.”
“Yes.”
Grace’s voice lowered.
“Where is the exchange?”
“Bellhaven depot. Midnight.”
Luca shook his head before she even looked at him.
Grace ignored him.
“I’m coming.”
“No,” Carlo and Luca said simultaneously.
Grace almost laughed.
“Wonderful. Men agreeing.”
Carlo said, “Samuel would never forgive me.”
“My father has had twelve years to disagree with my decisions in person.”
“Grace—”
“No.”
She looked at Luca.
“I am not waiting in a locked room while everyone else decides whether I get my father back.”
Luca stared at her for several seconds.
Then nodded.
“You stay with me.”
“I can live with that.”
Vincent stood.
“I’m coming too.”
Luca looked at him.
“No.”
Vincent smiled faintly.
“Now you know how Grace feels.”
At eleven thirty, three vehicles left the Moretti estate.
Victor had contacted a small federal task force through trusted channels but kept them outside the immediate exchange area.
Grace sat beside Luca.
Titan lay behind them.
She held Samuel’s brass key in her palm.
“Why bring that?” Luca asked.
“I don’t know.”
She looked down.
“Dad keeps building locks.”
At 11:54, the abandoned railroad depot appeared.
Carlo waited beside his sedan.
Metal case in hand.
He looked older than Grace expected.
Luca exited first.
Grace followed.
Carlo saw her.
“Samuel is going to be furious.”
Grace said, “He can tell me himself.”
A light switched on inside the depot.
A speaker crackled.
Evan Mercer’s voice filled the empty building.
“Grace Walker.”
Titan growled.
Evan continued.
“You brought the dogs.”
Grace looked toward the darkness.
“Apparently they have better judgment than most people here.”
A second light came on.
A woman sat in a chair at the far end.
Hands free.
Not visibly injured.
Mid-fifties.
She looked terrified.
Helen Reed.
Grace stepped forward.
The woman stared at her.
Then began crying.
“Oh, Grace.”
Grace stopped.
“You know me.”
Helen nodded.
“Your father has photographs.”
Grace’s throat closed.
“Where is he?”
Before Helen could answer, Evan’s voice interrupted.
“Open the case.”
Carlo placed it on a table.
Inside was a drive.
Evan emerged from the shadows.
Older than the photographs.
Calm.
No weapon visible.
He looked at Grace almost kindly.
“Samuel was right about one thing.”
Grace’s jaw tightened.
“What?”
“You came.”
“Where is my father?”
Evan smiled.
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
Grace stared.
“You kidnapped Helen because you don’t know?”
“I need Samuel.”
“Why?”
“Because he possesses something that belongs to me.”
“The confession?”
“No.”
Evan’s smile disappeared.
“A key.”
Grace instinctively closed her fist around the brass key.
Evan noticed.
His eyes dropped to her hand.
And suddenly Grace understood why Samuel had left the key with her instead of taking it into hiding.
Evan whispered:
“You have it.”
Titan stepped between them.
May you like
And for the first time that night, Evan Mercer looked afraid.
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