Chapter 8 - THE MORETTI FAMILY'S DARKEST SECRET
The investigation into the Bellwether fire expanded.
Detective Ruiz uncovered financial records showing that scholarship money had been diverted into a series of property acquisitions.
The conservatory was one of the properties.
Its destruction had cleared the way for redevelopment.
But the evidence also suggested something more disturbing.
The fire had been deliberately set.
And someone had arranged for Evelyn Hart to be inside the building that night.
Vincent received a call from his family's longtime attorney, Samuel Price.
“Vincent, we need to meet.”
They met in Vincent's office.
Samuel looked exhausted.
He placed an old folder on the desk.
“Your grandfather asked me to keep this sealed.”
Vincent stared.
“Why?”
“Because he was afraid.”
“Of whom?”
Samuel hesitated.
“Arthur Harrington.”
Beatrice's father.
Vincent leaned forward.
“What did Arthur do?”
Samuel opened the folder.
Inside was a letter.
Written by Vincent's grandfather.
It described financial transactions connected to the conservatory.
It also contained an admission.
He had known the scholarship money was being diverted.
He had participated in the scheme.
But when he learned Arthur planned to destroy the conservatory to conceal the records, he tried to withdraw.
Arthur threatened him.
Then the fire happened.
Vincent read the letter twice.
His hands trembled.
“My grandfather knew.”
Samuel nodded.
“He knew enough to be afraid.”
Vincent looked up.
“Why didn't he go to the police?”
Samuel lowered his eyes.
“Because he feared losing everything.”
Vincent stared at the letter.
Then whispered:
“So he let other people lose everything instead.”
That evening, Vincent visited Isabella.
He showed her the letter.
She read it silently.
Then began crying.
“I knew he was hiding something.”
Vincent looked at her.
“Did Lucia know?”
Isabella nodded.
“She suspected.”
He swallowed.
“Did she forgive him?”
Isabella looked toward Lucia's photograph.
“No.”
Silence.
Then she said:
“She stayed in the family because she loved us. But she never stopped trying to expose what happened.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
For years, he'd believed his grandmother's greatest legacy was her music.
Now he understood.
Her greatest legacy might have been her refusal to surrender the truth.
The following morning, Vincent met Detective Ruiz.
He handed over the letter.
Ruiz examined it.
“Are you certain?”
Vincent nodded.
“This implicates your family.”
“I know.”
“It may affect your businesses.”
“I know.”
Ruiz studied him.
“Why are you doing this?”
Vincent looked toward the window.
“Because my grandmother spent her life trying to correct something my family helped destroy.”
May you like
He swallowed.
“And because Clare Bennett deserves to know what happened to her mother.”
