Chapter 16 - Locker 214
Locker 214 was not at Union Station.
It belonged to a storage room at St. Catherine’s, the private hospital where Alessandro’s father had died.
The hospital administrator resisted until Detective Grant produced a warrant.
Inside were old patient files scheduled for destruction, a cassette recorder, and a sealed envelope addressed to Isabella DeLuca.
Isabella had hidden the key in Rosie’s pocket after threatening the child.
The contradiction made Alessandro furious.
“She scared Emma and protected evidence at the same time.”
Grant shrugged. “People are rarely one thing.”
The cassette was labeled ROMANO, A.S. - PRIVATE.
On the recording, Alessandro’s father argued with Samuel Pierce.
“You changed my medication,” his father said.
Pierce answered, “I adjusted it.”
“Without telling me.”
“Because Enzo said you were impossible when you got suspicious.”
Then came a third voice.
Enzo.
“Stop making this dramatic,” he said. “You’re not dying.”
The recording ended abruptly.
The envelope to Isabella contained copies of old billing records showing Pierce had received large “consulting payments” from a company connected to Enzo.
It was enough to reopen Alessandro Sr.’s death investigation.
But the cruelest discovery came last.
A handwritten note from Isabella sat beneath the papers.
If Alessandro finds this, tell him I was afraid long before breakfast. I thought I could play along until I got enough proof to stop them. Then Luca disappeared, and I panicked. I put the pills in the butter. That part is mine. No excuse.
Alessandro read it in silence.
He had loved her.
She had betrayed him.
She had also tried, badly and too late, to create a way for the truth to survive her.
Grant watched his face. “Complicated?”
“Ugly.”
“Usually the same thing.”
A nurse hurried into the storage room.
“Detective? There’s a man asking for Mr. Romano downstairs.”
“Who?”
“He says his name is Samuel Pierce.”
Alessandro looked at Grant.
May you like
The old doctor had not run.
He had come to them.
