Chapter 6 - UNCLE ELIAS
Elias Russo invited us to dinner.
That was how men like him behaved.
Not hiding.
Hosting.
He was seventy-four.
Elegant.
Warm.
He kissed Dominic's cheek.
Then looked at me.
“Daniel's daughter.”
I hated the way he said it.
“You came to our apartment.”
His smile barely changed.
“Did I?”
“The night before my father died.”
Dominic said nothing.
We had agreed beforehand.
No accusations without watching the response.
Elias reached for wine.
His hand was steady.
But his thumb rubbed the edge of his glass three times.
Dad taught me that repeated movements often appeared when people were suppressing stronger ones.
“I knew your father.”
“Did you kill him?”
Dominic looked at me.
That had not been the plan.
Elias laughed.
“No.”
“Did Victor Hale?”
The thumb stopped.
There.
Tiny.
Enough.
Elias looked at Dominic.
“She's dangerous.”
Dominic answered:
“No. She's observant.”
Elias leaned toward me.
“Those are often the same thing.”
Then he admitted part of the truth.
He visited Dad.
He threatened him.
But he claimed Dad was alive when he left.
“Victor went after me?”
Elias said nothing.
Dominic stood.
“Answer her.”
Elias sighed.
“Victor became ambitious.”
“Did you order him to kill Daniel?”
“No.”
“Did you stop him?”
Silence.
That was the answer.
Dominic looked at the man who had attended every birthday of his childhood.
“You knew.”
“I knew afterward.”
“And protected him.”
“I protected the structure.”
“The Twelve Chairs.”
Elias smiled sadly.
“You think you're powerful, Dominic?”
He gestured around the room.
“Your restaurants? Trucks? Men with guns?”
He shook his head.
“Those are costumes.”
Then he looked at me.
“The journal contains the names of every current Chair.”
My pulse accelerated.
“Where?”
“It doesn't.”
I frowned.
Elias smiled.
“Daniel removed the final page.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Where is it?”
Elias looked directly at me.
“Ask his daughter.”
May you like
And suddenly everyone in the room was staring at me.
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