Chapter 5 - THE FILE NATHAN LEFT BEHIND
Nathan Moreland had been hired to inspect the electrical systems at a freight terminal outside Chicago.
The project appeared ordinary.
New security equipment.
Updated surveillance.
Revised access controls.
But Nathan discovered that certain shipments were being moved through the terminal without proper documentation.
The records were altered.
The cameras were disabled at specific times.
And the access logs showed people entering restricted areas who were not authorized to be there.
Nathan reported the discrepancies.
His supervisor told him to forget them.
He refused.
Two weeks later, he died.
Alessandro explained what he knew.
He had received a brief report after the fire.
The official conclusion blamed faulty wiring.
Victor assured him the matter had been handled.
Alessandro accepted the explanation.
At the time, he was dealing with a violent conflict involving rival organizations.
He trusted Victor.
And he didn't investigate further.
Elena listened in silence.
When he finished, she looked at him.
“You could have asked questions.”
Alessandro nodded.
“Yes.”
“You could have demanded the records.”
“Yes.”
“You could have found out what happened to my husband.”
Alessandro lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
Elena began crying.
“Then why didn't you?”
He had no answer that could make it right.
Later that afternoon, Gabriel brought Alessandro a recovered file from an old company archive.
It contained Nathan's final inspection report.
Several pages were missing.
But one remained.
At the bottom, Nathan had written:
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS PATTERN REPEATS EVERY THURSDAY AT 02:14.
Beneath that was a name.
V. SALVATORE.
Alessandro stared.
Victor.
Again.
The file also referenced a storage location.
Unit 47.
South River Freight.
Alessandro asked Gabriel to verify the location and preserve any records before anyone could destroy them.
That evening, Elena sat beside Sophia in their temporary apartment.
Sophia colored quietly.
Elena watched her daughter.
Then asked:
“Sweetheart, do you remember Daddy?”
Sophia nodded.
“A little.”
“What do you remember?”
Sophia smiled.
“He sang the moon song.”
Elena began crying.
Nathan had sung the same lullaby every night.
Sophia looked up.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sad?”
Elena wiped her face.
“A little.”
Sophia climbed into her lap.
Then whispered:
“Mr. Alessandro looks sad too.”
Elena held her daughter.
She didn't know what to think about Alessandro.
He had given her work.
He had protected Sophia.
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But his silence years earlier might have allowed Nathan's death to remain unexplained.
And Elena wasn't ready to forgive that.
