Chapter 5 - THE GIRL IN THE BELL TOWERSt. Matthew’s had been closed for six years.
The city condemned the building after a section of the roof collapsed.
Luca’s father once donated enough money to keep it open through two recessions.
His mother’s funeral had been held there.
Gabriel’s too.
Now the church stood beneath a moonless sky, windows dark, bell tower rising above boarded doors.
Marco studied the building through binoculars.
“Two men at the back.”
“Dominic?”
“No.”
“Rebecca?”
“No.”
Luca sat in the SUV.
His legs ached constantly now.
Salazar called it progress.
Luca called it inconvenient.
He looked toward the bell tower.
Maya was somewhere inside.
“Elena stays here.”
She immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“And if Dominic gets both of you, Maya has no one.”
Elena stared at him.
“You do this every time.”
“What?”
“Decide who is allowed to risk themselves.”
“I’m good at it.”
“You’re unbearable.”
“So I’m told.”
She leaned toward him.
“If Maya is hurt—”
“She won’t be.”
“You can’t promise that.”
Luca looked at her.
“No.”
His voice softened.
“I can promise I won’t stop.”
Elena’s anger broke.
She nodded.
Marco and four men entered through the crypt.
Luca followed through a side ramp installed years ago for elderly parishioners.
The church smelled of dust and old wood.
A saint’s statue lay broken near the altar.
Somewhere above, a bell creaked.
Luca looked up.
Maya.
They reached the tower stairs.
Narrow.
Spiral.
No ramp.
No elevator.
Marco looked at Luca.
“I’ll go.”
“No.”
“You physically cannot climb that.”
Luca placed his hands on the rail.
“Incorrect.”
“Boss.”
“I can.”
“You shouldn’t.”
Luca smiled.
“That is becoming my favorite distinction.”
He stood.
First step.
His right leg shook.
Second.
Pain.
Third.
He almost fell.
Marco caught his elbow.
“Don’t.”
Luca continued.
Twenty stairs.
Thirty.
His body screamed.
He rested twice.
At stair forty-one, his left knee collapsed.
He hit the stone.
Blood appeared through his trousers.
Marco crouched.
“Enough.”
Luca breathed hard.
Above them, a child screamed.
“Maya!”
Luca stood again.
The next twenty stairs became something beyond pain.
He climbed because Maya had believed his legs were asleep.
Because Gabriel died trying to tell him the truth.
Because Dominic had spent twelve years deciding what Luca could not do.
At the top, Luca pushed open the bell-tower door.
Maya sat tied to a chair.
A man held a gun to her head.
Rebecca Crane stood beside him.
Luca stopped.
Rebecca smiled.
“Look at you.”
He leaned against the wall.
Barely standing.
“Untie her.”
Rebecca looked at his legs.
“Victor really did fail us.”
Salazar’s name confirmed everything.
“You knew from the beginning.”
“I wrote the contracts.”
“You built the trusts.”
“Yes.”
“You made me sign criminal shipments.”
Her smile weakened.
“You signed them.”
“While drugged.”
“Still your signature.”
Maya stared at Luca.
“You’re standing.”
He almost laughed.
“Poor timing.”
Rebecca raised a phone.
“Dominic wants the drive.”
“Dominic can ask himself.”
“He doesn’t trust this location.”
“Smartest decision he’s made.”
Rebecca’s expression cooled.
“Give me the drive.”
Luca removed it from his jacket.
The gunman pressed his weapon against Maya.
She did not cry.
She stared at Luca.
He noticed something.
Her right foot moved.
Slowly.
Toward the chair leg.
A loose rope.
She had been working on it.
Luca continued talking.
“You killed Gabriel.”
Rebecca’s smile disappeared.
“Dominic did.”
“You helped.”
“He was going to destroy all of us.”
“He was trying to save me.”
Rebecca sighed.
“Your family is addicted to sentimental versions of history.”
Luca looked at Maya.
Her rope slipped another inch.
“What version do you prefer?”
“The one where Gabriel tried to blackmail us.”
“With evidence of murder?”
“With evidence of business.”
Luca laughed.
Rebecca snapped.
“You think you’re different?”
“Yes.”
“You inherited everything Antonio built.”
“And changed it.”
“After enjoying the profits.”
Luca’s smile vanished.
She was right about one thing.
The Costello name had never been clean.
Luca could not rewrite that.
But he could decide what happened next.
He held up the drive.
“Send Maya down.”
“Drive first.”
“No.”
“Luca.”
“No.”
Rebecca looked at the gunman.
He cocked the weapon.
Maya’s rope slipped free.
She moved.
Fast.
She threw herself sideways.
Luca hurled the drive toward the open bell window.
Rebecca screamed and lunged.
The gunman turned.
Marco came through the doorway.
Gunshot.
The weapon flew from the man’s hand.
Maya crawled toward Luca.
He dropped to his knees and pulled her against him.
“You okay?”
She nodded.
“You took forever.”
Luca laughed.
Actually laughed.
Rebecca stood near the window holding the drive.
She had caught it.
Her smile returned.
“Thank you.”
Luca looked at her.
“You should inspect things people throw at you.”
Rebecca frowned.
Marco smiled.
“That’s not the drive.”
Rebecca looked down.
Cheap plastic.
Luca had switched it.
Her face twisted.
She ran.
Marco grabbed her.
The gunman surrendered.
Maya hugged Luca.
Then noticed blood on his knee.
“You hurt your leg.”
“I’m beginning to understand that is what legs do.”
“You climbed.”
“Yes.”
“All the stairs?”
“Most of them very badly.”
She smiled.
Then whispered, “I knew you could.”
The sentence almost broke him.
He looked away.
Hours later, Rebecca sat inside the Costello mansion’s secure office.
No police.
Not yet.
Luca no longer knew which officers Dominic owned.
Rebecca stared across the desk.
“You can’t hold me.”
“I’m not holding you.”
“The locked door suggests otherwise.”
“I’m delaying you.”
“For what?”
“Conversation.”
She laughed.
“You always were Antonio’s favorite.”
Luca leaned forward.
“Tell me where Dominic is.”
“No.”
“Then tell me why he needed twelve years.”
Rebecca’s smile faded.
“To finish what he started.”
“What?”
She looked at his wheelchair.
“You think paralysis was the goal?”
Luca waited.
“It was insurance.”
“Against what?”
“Your father.”
“Antonio died.”
“Yes.”
“Ten months later.”
Rebecca’s eyes changed.
Luca noticed.
His father had supposedly died from an aneurysm.
Sudden.
Natural.
Convenient.
Luca’s voice lowered.
“You killed him too.”
Rebecca did not answer.
“Dominic poisoned my father.”
Silence.
Luca stood.
Not completely.
Enough.
Rebecca’s composure finally cracked.
“You should sit.”
“No.”
“Your legs—”
“Are mine.”
He steadied himself against the desk.
“Tell me.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Antonio found out about the shipments.”
“Gabriel already knew.”
“Gabriel tried to expose Dominic.”
“And Antonio?”
“He planned to remove Dominic from every trust.”
Luca stared.
“So Dominic killed Gabriel.”
“Yes.”
“Disabled me.”
“Yes.”
“Killed my father.”
Rebecca whispered, “Yes.”
Three men.
One family.
One plan.
Luca sat slowly.
“What was he taking?”
“Antonio?”
“Yes.”
“Something slow.”
Salazar closed his eyes.
“You knew?”
“No.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“You really were the weakest person in every room, Victor.”
Salazar flinched.
Luca ignored it.
“Why leave me alive?”
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“Because you were useful.”
The answer no longer hurt.
He had heard it too many times.
Rebecca continued.
“You gave legitimacy to everything.”
“Until now.”
Her face changed.
“You think standing changes that?”
“No.”
Luca held up Gabriel’s drive.
“This does.”
Rebecca laughed.
“You still don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Gabriel’s evidence is incomplete.”
“Where’s the rest?”
“With Dominic.”
“Why?”
“Because Gabriel gave it to him.”
Silence.
Luca stared.
Rebecca smiled.
“Your brother was not killed because he was exposing Dominic.”
Luca felt cold.
“He was killed because he joined him.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Gabriel made that recording.”
“Before he changed his mind.”
Luca shook his head.
Rebecca leaned forward.
“The last person Gabriel called before his crash was Dominic.”
“Why?”
“To negotiate his share.”
Luca stared at her.
“Lie.”
Rebecca smiled.
“Ask Marco.”
Luca turned.
Marco had gone completely still.
That was worse than any answer.
“Marco.”
No response.
“Look at me.”
Marco did.
Luca saw it.
Knowledge.
Old guilt.
“What do you know?”
Marco swallowed.
“I was driving Gabriel that week.”
Luca’s heart pounded.
“Did he meet Dominic?”
Marco nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Your father ordered me not to.”
“What happened?”
Marco looked at Rebecca.
Then Luca.
“Gabriel wasn’t trying to join Dominic.”
Rebecca laughed.
Marco continued.
“He was pretending.”
Luca’s breathing slowed.
“To get what?”
“Proof.”
Rebecca’s smile vanished.
Marco looked at Luca.
“And he got it.”
“Where?”
Marco reached inside his jacket.
He removed an old brass key.
“I’ve kept this for twelve years.”
Luca stared.
“What does it open?”
May you like
Marco whispered.
“Gabriel’s grave.”
