Chapter 5 - THE WIDOW WHO CAME FOR ANSWERS
Elena told me about Marco that night.
He had been thirty-two.
A mechanic.
A good father.
A man who sang badly while cooking pasta and made Giulia laugh by pretending the wooden spoon was a microphone.
On the day he died, he had called Elena during lunch.
He sounded worried.
He said he'd discovered something wrong with a crane inspection report.
He planned to speak to his supervisor.
Three hours later, the crane collapsed.
Marco was killed.
The company claimed operator error.
The investigation closed.
Elena received a modest settlement.
But she never believed the explanation.
“I tried to get the maintenance records,” she said.
I watched her.
“And?”
“They disappeared.”
I closed my eyes.
Aldo had handled the settlement.
Aldo controlled the subcontractor.
Aldo had been responsible for the maintenance contracts.
Elena continued.
“I applied to work at your mansion because I thought someone might have kept copies.”
I looked at her.
“Did you find anything?”
She hesitated.
“Not until recently.”
My heartbeat changed.
“What?”
She reached into her bag.
Removed a folded paper.
It was a photocopy of a maintenance report.
The date was three days before Marco's death.
Several safety concerns were listed.
At the bottom was a handwritten instruction.
Delay repairs until after the shipment.
The initials were A.M.
Aldo Manfredi.
I stared.
“Where did you get this?”
“From an old filing cabinet in the west wing.”
I looked at her.
“You searched my house?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
I should have been angry.
Instead, I felt ashamed.
Because the truth she'd been seeking had been sitting inside my home while I'd spent years pretending my businesses were under control.
Elena wiped her eyes.
“I know I shouldn't have taken it.”
I shook my head.
“I'm glad you did.”
She looked up.
I continued.
“Marco's death should never have been dismissed without a proper investigation.”
Her face crumpled.
“I just wanted someone to say that.”
I swallowed.
“I'm saying it.”
The next morning, Rebecca arranged for the maintenance report to be reviewed by independent investigators.
She also requested records from the relevant companies.
Meanwhile, my medical condition began to stabilize.
The tremors remained.
My legs were weak.
But I could sit upright without feeling the room spin.
Dr. Conti said it was too early to predict how much function I'd regain.
I accepted that.
One afternoon, Giulia climbed onto the chair beside my bed.
She studied my hands.
“They're still shaky.”
“Yes.”
She frowned.
“Are you sad?”
“Sometimes.”
She nodded.
“Mommy says sad people need soup.”
I smiled.
“Does she?”
“Yes.”
She thought for a moment.
“And blankets.”
I laughed softly.
Elena entered carrying a tray.
Giulia grinned.
“See?”
Elena shook her head.
“Giulia, you're not supposed to bother Mr. Castellano.”
I looked at her.
“She isn't bothering me.”
Giulia smiled triumphantly.
For a moment, the hospital room felt warm.
Then Rebecca called.
Her voice was tense.
“Dario, we found something.”
“What?”
“The maintenance report wasn't the only document altered.”
I waited.
Rebecca continued.
“Someone changed the accident records after Marco died.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“The electronic audit trail points to Aldo's office.”
I closed my eyes.
May you like
Then Rebecca said something worse.
“Dario, Marco may have been killed because he discovered a shipment that wasn't supposed to exist.”
