Chapter 5 - THE PURPLE NOTEBOOK
Elena Russo had been preparing for danger.
The notebook proved it.
Inside were dates.
Names.
Meeting locations.
And a series of drawings that looked almost childish.
Purple flowers.
Blue stars.
Red circles.
Green triangles.
At first, investigators thought the drawings were decorative.
Then they noticed that each symbol appeared beside a name.
Vincent Russo's name appeared beside a purple flower.
Three times.
Dante stared at the pages.
“She knew.”
Rafael looked at him.
“Knew what?”
Dante swallowed.
“That Vincent was involved in something.”
The notebook contained references to a charitable foundation connected to the Ashford Conservatory.
Elena had served on its board.
She had recently questioned several financial transactions.
Large donations had been redirected to companies with no clear charitable purpose.
One company belonged to Vincent.
Another was connected to a private security contractor.
A third had been dissolved six months earlier.
Dante felt sick.
Vincent had been using the foundation.
And Elena had discovered it.
But the notebook contained something else.
A photograph.
A woman standing beside Elena.
Dark hair.
Glasses.
A hospital identification badge.
On the back, Elena had written:
Dr. Rebecca Sloan. She knows where the money went.
Rafael searched for Rebecca Sloan.
She had resigned from a Manhattan hospital four days before Elena disappeared.
Her apartment was empty.
Her phone disconnected.
I sat beside Dante when he received the news.
He looked exhausted.
“Every time we find an answer, there's another question.”
I nodded.
“That's how complicated things usually work.”
He smiled faintly.
“You sound like Tony.”
I laughed.
“That's because Tony is usually right.”
Sophia sat on the rug nearby.
She was drawing again.
This time, she drew a purple flower.
Then a woman.
Then a large building.
I leaned closer.
“Who's that?”
Sophia whispered:
“Doctor Becky.”
Dante looked up.
“Rebecca?”
Sophia nodded.
I smiled gently.
“Did Doctor Becky help Mommy?”
Sophia hesitated.
Then nodded.
Dante leaned forward.
“Where is she?”
Sophia stared at the paper.
Then drew a boat.
I looked at Dante.
He looked back.
“A boat?” I asked.
Sophia nodded.
“Water.”
Rafael immediately began checking properties near the waterfront.
But I wasn't convinced.
The drawing was simple.
A boat.
A building.
A purple flower.
I looked at Sophia.
“Was Mommy on the boat?”
She shook her head.
“Doctor Becky?”
Another shake.
I thought for a moment.
“Was it something you saw?”
Sophia nodded.
“Where?”
She whispered:
“Picture.”
Dante stared.
“What picture?”
Sophia pointed at the purple notebook.
Then said:
“Mommy's book.”
We turned the pages.
Near the back, beneath a folded sheet, was a photograph of a waterfront warehouse.
A small boat was docked beside it.
May you like
On the back, Elena had written an address.
Pier 17.
