Thirteen Years After His Brother Vanished

CHAPTER 3 - THE ENVELOPE

Adrian had spent thirteen years hating uncertainty.

He hated it more now that it had a paper edge and his brother's handwriting.

Elena would not let him snatch the envelope from her.

"Not here," she said. "Not with Sofia watching."

She was right. He hated that, too.

They took separate cars to Margaret's townhouse uptown. Sofia sat at the kitchen table with cookies and colored pencils while three adults carried grief into the next room like it was another person.

Margaret shut the door softly.

Adrian stared at the envelope. "Why didn't you send this before?"

Elena looked exhausted. "Because Luca made me promise. Then he vanished. Then I was alone in another country, pregnant, scared, and every time I thought of contacting you, I remembered his face when he said, 'If they know, they'll be in danger too.'"

"Danger from who?" Margaret asked.

"I didn't know then."

She slid the envelope across the table.

Adrian opened it carefully. Inside was a folded letter and a flash drive.

The letter was short.

If you're reading this, I was right to be afraid. Do not trust Daniel Mercer. He is moving money through the foundation account. I copied everything. Take care of Mom. And if Elena comes to you, believe her. -Luca

Adrian read it twice.

Daniel Mercer had been his father's closest business partner. After Luca disappeared, Daniel had practically carried the family through the scandal, the police questions, the freezing of certain accounts. He still sat on the board of the Vale Family Foundation.

Margaret sank into a chair.

"No," she said. "Daniel helped us."

"Or he made sure we only saw what he wanted," Elena said quietly.

Adrian plugged in the flash drive with hands that no longer felt steady. Folders appeared. Transfers. Names. Shell accounts. One video file.

He clicked it.

Luca appeared on-screen, younger, alive, breathless, filming from what looked like a parking garage.

"If this gets to you," Luca said, "it means I didn't make it to Adrian. Daniel knows I copied the records."

Then Luca turned at a sound off-camera.

The image jolted.

A man's voice said, clear as glass, "You should have minded your own business."

Adrian's chest tightened. He knew that voice.

It was his father's.