Chapter 5 - THE FATHER WHO DISAPPEARED
Clara barely slept.
She remembered her father as a man who smelled of cigarette smoke and motor oil, who could make her laugh when he wanted to, and who became frightening when anger took control.
He had left one winter morning without saying goodbye.
For years, Clara had wondered whether she had done something wrong.
Now she was learning that he might have been involved in the events surrounding Elena's murder.
Rico offered to let her step away from the townhouse while the investigation continued.
Clara refused.
“Leo didn't cause any of this,” she said. “I'm not going to disappear just because my father may have made terrible choices.”
Rico respected her decision.
He also made sure she had access to independent legal advice, so she would not feel pressured to cooperate with his family simply because he employed her.
The detective eventually arranged an interview with Thomas Vance, who had been located living under his own name in another state.
He agreed to speak with investigators.
Clara was not present for the first interview.
She waited at the townhouse with Leo, who was coloring a picture of a yellow house.
“Why are you sad?” he asked.
Clara looked down.
“I'm thinking about someone who hurt my family a long time ago.”
Leo pushed a blue crayon toward her.
“You can draw.”
She smiled faintly.
“That's a good idea.”
They drew together until Dante entered the room.
“Rico wants to speak with you.”
Clara found Rico in his office.
The interview had produced important information.
Thomas had worked as a financial courier for a company connected to the Moretti organization. He claimed he discovered that Vanessa was diverting money and copying files that Elena had kept for an internal audit.
Thomas had confronted Vanessa.
She warned him that if he went to the police, he would be blamed for the missing money.
He panicked and disappeared.
“Did he admit to meeting Vanessa the night Elena died?” Clara asked.
“Yes.”
“Did he hurt Elena?”
“According to his statement, he was already leaving the area when the shooting occurred. Investigators are checking his account against independent evidence.”
Clara looked toward the window.
“Why didn't he come back for us?”
Rico didn't offer an easy answer.
“I don't know.”
The following day, Thomas agreed to speak with Clara in the presence of a counselor and an investigator.
He looked older than she remembered. His hair had turned gray at the temples, and he held his hands together as though he were afraid they might shake.
“Clara.”
She sat across from him.
“Why did you leave?”
He swallowed.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of the people I worked for. Of being arrested. Of losing everything.”
“You left your wife and daughter to deal with the consequences.”
“I know.”
“No, you don't. You missed my graduation. You weren't there when Mom got sick. You weren't there when Evan needed someone to help pay for school.”
Thomas lowered his head.
“I can't change any of that.”
“No. You can't.”
For several seconds, the room was silent.
Then Thomas explained what he knew about Vanessa.
She had been copying records connected to a private financial network. Elena discovered the discrepancies and planned to report them. Thomas tried to warn her that Vanessa might be working with people outside the organization.
He did not know who had ordered the attack.
He had no proof that Vanessa arranged it.
But he had seen her leave the event shortly before the shooting, carrying a small black folder.
“Why didn't you tell the police?” Clara asked.
“I thought they'd come after me. I thought if I stayed away, you'd be safer.”
Clara stared at him.
“You made that decision for yourself.”
Thomas nodded, tears gathering in his eyes.
“Yes.”
She didn't forgive him.
But she agreed to provide his statement to the investigators through the proper channels.
When she returned to the townhouse, Leo ran to her with a drawing.
It showed a little boy, a tall man, and a woman with long brown hair holding hands beneath a yellow sun.
“That's us,” he explained.
Clara smiled.
“It's beautiful.”
“Daddy says Mommy is in our hearts.”
Clara crouched beside him.
“He's right.”
Leo pointed to the woman.
“This is Mommy.”
Then he pointed to Clara.
“This is you.”
Clara felt her eyes sting.
“Thank you for including me.”
Leo thought about that.
“Can you stay for dinner?”
She looked toward Rico, who stood in the doorway.
He nodded.
“Stay.”
For the first time, Clara realized that the townhouse no longer felt like a job site.
It felt like a family learning how to breathe again.
But that night, Rico received an anonymous message containing a photograph of Clara leaving the interview with her father.
Beneath it were eight words:
The waitress knows too much. Make her disappear.
Rico read the message once.
Then he called Dante.
“Find out who sent this.”
His voice was calm.
That frightened Dante more than anger would have.
May you like
Because Rico Moretti had finally found something he couldn't bear to lose.
And someone had just threatened to take it from him.
