Chapter 6: The Man at the Warehouse
Rico’s gaze moved to Dante.
“Tell me she’s wrong.”
“She isn’t,” Dante said.
“Marco called me into his office three weeks ago.
The rabbit was on his desk.”
“And you said nothing?”
“I didn’t know about the recorder.”
Sarah shook her head.
“You told him to burn whatever was inside.”
Dante removed his security badge and placed it on the desk.
“I told him, ‘If that contains family memories, Rico will burn you alive.’ You heard the last five words.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rico asked.
“Because I had no proof, and you trusted Marco more than anyone.”
Rico pushed the badge back.
“Find the memory card.”
Dante did not take it.
“There may be another way.
Elena’s driver, Tomas Vega, contacted me two months after the att@ck.”
Rico crossed the room.
“Tomas is alive?”
“He was wounded.
He disappeared because someone inside your company signed his hospital discharge papers.”
“Marco?”
“I couldn’t prove it.
Tomas agreed to meet tonight.”
Clara rose.
“Where?”
“Warehouse Four.”
Rico shook his head.
“You stay here with Leo.”
“No,” Clara said.
“The threat named Evan.
If Marco knows my family, I need to hear why.”
“You are not walking into a trap.”
“You don’t get to order me because your son held my hand.”
Leo pressed against her side.
Clara softened her voice.
“Sarah can stay with him.
I’ll come back.”
“You promise?” Leo asked.
“I promise.”
At Warehouse Four, Tomas waited between stacked shipping crates.
A scar ran from his ear to his collar.
“You brought her?” he asked.
Clara folded her arms.
“I brought myself.”
Tomas handed Rico a flash drive.
“Elena gave me this before we left the house.”
“What is on it?”
“Payments from Bellini Security to the men who followed her car.”
A slow clap came from the dark aisle.
Marco stepped into the light with two uniformed guards.
“I wondered when Tomas would crawl out.”
Rico moved in front of Clara.
“You won’t leave this warehouse.”
Marco smiled.
“Neither will you if I send one file.”
He held up his phone.
“Every questionable payment Rico ever approved.
Every city inspector he leaned on.
Every rival he frightened.”
Rico’s eyes stayed on him.
“Release the file.”
“What?”
“I said release it.”
Marco’s smile faded.
Rico continued, “I will answer for what I did.
You will answer for Elena.”
Marco pointed at Clara.
“You believe she’ll stay beside you when the newspapers print what you are?”
Clara looked at Rico.
“Did Elena ask you to leave the businesses?”
“Yes.”
“And did you?”
“No.”
“Then Marco isn’t lying about everything.”
Rico flinched.
Marco laughed.
“There.
Even the waitress sees you.”
Clara stepped around Rico.
“I see a man who has to face the truth.
That doesn’t make you innocent.”
Marco came closer.
“Walk away, Clara.
I’ll put fifty thousand dollars in your account tonight.”
“No.”
“One hundred thousand.”
“You photographed my brother.”
“And I can reach him again.”
Clara’s phone was recording inside her apron.
“Say that louder,” she replied.
Marco lunged and ripped the phone from her pocket.
He threw it beneath his shoe.
“You think I’m stupid?”
Tomas raised his own phone.
“No.
But you always think there’s only one recording.”
The two guards turned toward Marco.
He snapped his fingers.
“Take the drive.”
Neither man moved.
“They work for me!” Marco shouted.
One guard removed the silver B from his collar.
“You stopped paying us three months ago.”
Dante stepped from behind a crate with four police officers.
Marco’s expression cracked, but only for a moment.
“You still don’t have the memory card,” he said.
“Without Elena’s full recording, Tomas is a wounded employee seeking money.”
Rico held out his hand.
“Give me your phone, Marco.”
Marco backed toward the loading door.
“You should be asking your loyal Dante where the card is.”
Dante frowned.
“I never had it.”
“No,” Marco said.
“But your daughter did.”
Dante went pale.
“My daughter has been gone for a year.”
May you like
Marco opened the loading door.
“Then someone should tell you she came back to Brooklyn yesterday.”
