“Why?”
Michael answered.
“Because eleven weeks became eleven weeks.”
“I thought we were waiting for the right time.”
“There was never a right time.”
“And Mom kept moving the date.”
“What date?”
Vanessa looked toward the clock.
“Tonight.”
The room became cold.
“What happens tonight?”
She closed her eyes.
“Vale was coming at eleven.”
“For what?”
“To move Michael.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were going to let him?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could have told me.”
“Yes.”
That single word hurt more than excuses.
“Yes.”
No defense.
No justification.
Just failure.
I looked at the champagne gown.
“The gala.”
She nodded.
“Your mother wanted the house empty.”
“You and Lily were supposed to be with her.”
“And me in Boston.”
“Yes.”
I took out my phone.
“Then we call the police.”
Michael said:
“No.”
I turned.
“No?”
“Local police?”
“Yes.”
“Mom’s foundation donated their new training center.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re corrupt.”
“I didn’t say corrupt.”
“She’ll know before they get here.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“Do you agree?”
She hesitated.
“Yes.”
I hated that I did too.
I called the one person outside my family I trusted completely.
Dana Ellis.
She had been my attorney for twelve years.
More importantly, she had known me since college.
Dana answered on the second ring.
“Boston treating you badly?”
“I’m home.”
“That was fast.”
“I need you to come to my house.”
Silence.
“What happened?”
“Come alone.”
“Darius.”
“My brother is alive.”
Nothing.
Then:
“Your brother Michael?”
“Yes.”
“The dead one?”
“I only have one.”
“That is not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
A chair scraped on her side.
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Is he safe?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do not touch anything.”
“Dana—”
“Do not confront anyone.”
“I need law enforcement I can trust.”
She became completely professional.
“What kind?”
“Federal.”
Pause.
“Financial?”
“Possible attempted murder.”
Another pause.
“I’ll call you in five minutes.”
She hung up.
Vanessa looked at me.
I looked away.
For the next hour, everything accelerated.
Dana contacted an Assistant U.S. Attorney she knew from a prior construction-fraud matter.
He contacted FBI public-corruption agents because the allegations involved forged federal documents, potential financial fraud, threats, and possible evidence destruction.
Nobody stormed our house.
Nobody kicked down doors.
Two agents arrived through our back gate in unmarked vehicles at 5:06.
A third waited down the road.
They separated us.