Chapter 7 - The Grandmother Behind the Throne
Margaret Moretti had always smelled like lavender.
Silvio remembered that from childhood.
Lavender perfume.
Pearl earrings.
Perfect posture.
A soft voice that never needed to rise.
When Arturo became angry, Margaret calmed him.
When Lucinda cried, Margaret comforted her.
When Silvio wanted to leave the family business, Margaret convinced him that abandoning his responsibility would destroy everyone.
She had never looked dangerous.
That, Silvio realized now, may have been the point.
He found her sitting beneath a grape arbor at the Moretti vineyard in Napa.
She poured tea as though he had arrived for Sunday lunch.
“You look tired,” she said.
Silvio remained standing.
“Did you order Aunt Clara’s death?”
The teapot stopped.
Only for a moment.
Then Margaret continued pouring.
“Evelyn talks too much when frightened.”
Silvio felt the answer hit him.
“You did.”
Margaret looked up.
“Sit.”
“No.”
“You came for answers.”
“I came hoping Evelyn was lying.”
“She isn’t.”
Silvio stared at his grandmother.
“Clara had two children.”
“So did Isabella.”
“You decided one mother should die to save another?”
“I decided our family had to survive.”
Silvio laughed bitterly.
“That phrase must make murder easier.”
Margaret’s face remained calm.
“Frederick Hale planned to kill your mother.”
“So you killed Clara first?”
“I redirected the danger.”
“You sent her to die.”
“I sent her to carry Isabella’s coat and leave through the east gate.”
“You knew armed men were waiting.”
“I knew there was risk.”
Silvio leaned over the table.
“And afterward?”
“We used Clara’s death to convince Frederick Isabella was gone.”
“What did Elena know?”
“Nothing until recently.”
“Who told her?”
Margaret’s eyes hardened.
“Your mother.”
Silvio sat now.
Not because Margaret asked.
Because he needed to understand.
“Isabella contacted Elena?”
“Years ago.”
“And that led to Elena finding Marcellus.”
“Yes.”
“Did you kill Elena?”
“No.”
“Grant?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
Margaret smiled faintly.
“I have lied to you thousands of times, Silvio.”
“At least you’re admitting it.”
“But not now.”
He studied her.
“What do you know about the resort?”
“Lucinda called me afterward.”
Silvio’s hands tightened.
“What did she say?”
“That she made a mistake.”
“Trying to kill children?”
Margaret looked genuinely disgusted.
“Leaving them in a vehicle.”
“So she claims it wasn’t deliberate.”
“That is what she told me.”
“And you believe her?”
“No.”
Silvio looked away.
Margaret continued.
“Lucinda stopped telling me the full truth years ago.”
“Because Grant replaced you?”
That struck something.
Margaret’s eyes narrowed.
“Grant has never controlled Lucinda.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
“Because you insist on seeing your sister as someone who was corrupted.”
Margaret leaned forward.
“She was always more like Arturo than you were.”
“Meaning?”
“She believed power made wrongdoing acceptable if the family benefited.”
Silvio said nothing.
Margaret looked toward the vines.
“I encouraged it.”
Finally, guilt entered her voice.
“When Isabella disappeared, Lucinda became terrified that everyone she loved would leave.”
“So you taught her money couldn’t leave?”
“I taught her control was safety.”
“You created a monster.”
“I created a child who survived our family.”
Silvio stood again.
“Where is Adrian Voss?”
Margaret’s expression changed.
“You should stay away from him.”
“That means you know.”
“He came here yesterday.”
Silvio froze.
“Why?”
“He wanted the ledger pages.”
“The ones missing from Arturo’s grave?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have them?”
Margaret looked at him.
“No.”
“Who does?”
“I believe Isabella.”
Silvio stared at her.
“Where is my mother?”
“I truly don’t know.”
His phone rang.
Rachel.
He answered.
“You need to come back,” she said.
“What happened?”
“Lucinda was arrested.”
Silvio’s chest tightened.
“For the SUV?”
“No.”
A pause.
“For Grant’s murder.”
Silvio nearly dropped the phone.
“What?”
“His car was found at the bottom of a ravine outside Sausalito.”
Silvio looked at Margaret.
“Body?”
“Yes.”
“Positive identification?”
“Wallet, watch, vehicle registration.”
“That isn’t identification.”
Rachel hesitated.
“The body was badly burned.”
Silvio closed his eyes.
Too convenient.
Just like Adrian Voss’s boating death.
Just like Isabella’s fake funeral.
Just like half the deaths in his family.
“Where is Lucinda?”
“County holding.”
“Did she confess?”
“No.”
“She says Grant called her last night and threatened to expose her.”
Silvio’s mind raced.
“Expose what?”
“She won’t tell me.”
“Then why arrest her?”
“Because traffic cameras show her following his car.”
Silvio walked toward his SUV.
Margaret called after him.
“Silvio.”
He turned.
She looked suddenly old.
“Grant Hale has spent his entire life learning how our family hides bodies.”
Silvio stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying if you think he’s dead…”
Margaret picked up her tea.
“…you have learned nothing.”
At the police station, Lucinda sat behind glass wearing a gray detention uniform.
No makeup.
No jewelry.
She looked like the little sister Silvio remembered from childhood.
For half a second.
Then she smiled.
“You came.”
Silvio sat.
“Did you kill Grant?”
“No.”
“Did you try to kill Mia and Ethan?”
Her smile vanished.
“I made a mistake.”
“You gave them sedatives.”
“I gave them what Grant told me were anxiety vitamins.”
Silvio stared.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
“You deleted Dad’s Marcellus file.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was destroying everything.”
“Everything?”
“Our inheritance.”
Silvio leaned toward the glass.
“Dad was trying to dismantle a criminal organization.”
“Dad built that criminal organization.”
“That doesn’t mean we had to continue it.”
Lucinda’s eyes filled with anger.
“You got control of the company.”
“There it is.”
“You got everything.”
“I got responsibility.”
“You got power.”
“And you nearly killed children for more.”
Lucinda slapped the telephone receiver against the counter.
“I DIDN’T KNOW THEY WOULD DIE!”
The visitation room went quiet.
Silvio froze.
Lucinda realized what she had said.
He picked up his receiver slowly.
“Would die from what?”
She looked away.
“Lucinda.”
No answer.
Silvio’s voice dropped.
“What did Grant tell you would happen?”
She began crying.
“He said the pills would make them sleep.”
“Where?”
“In the car.”
Silvio’s skin went cold.
“So the car was intentional.”
She shook her head desperately.
“He said we needed photographs.”
“What photographs?”
“Of me leaving the children alone.”
“Why?”
“He said he needed leverage.”
Silvio stared at her.
“Leverage against you?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
Lucinda covered her face.
“He said if I didn’t cooperate, he would give the police evidence that I killed Dad.”
Silvio stopped breathing.
“Did you?”
Lucinda lowered her hands.
“I changed his medication.”
The words landed between them.
Silvio felt nothing at first.
Then everything.
“I was twenty-six,” she whispered. “Dad said he was cutting me out. Grant told me the pills would only make Dad sick long enough for us to challenge the will.”
Silvio stood.
Lucinda pressed her hand to the glass.
“But Grant switched them.”
Silvio looked at her.
“He killed Dad.”
“I helped.”
For the first time, Lucinda said it without excuses.
“I helped kill our father.”
Silvio turned away.
“Silvio.”
He stopped.
“There’s something you need to know.”
He looked back.
“The man in Grant’s car wasn’t Grant.”
Silvio slowly returned to the glass.
“How do you know?”
“Because I followed him.”
Lucinda’s eyes sharpened.
“He met Adrian Voss at an abandoned marina.”
“And?”
“They switched cars.”
“Who went over the cliff?”
“Voss.”
Silvio stared.
“Grant killed Adrian Voss?”
Lucinda shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“They fought.”
She swallowed.
“Voss shot Grant.”
Silvio’s mind stopped.
“You saw Grant get shot?”
“Yes.”
“Where is his body?”
“That’s why I followed the other car.”
Lucinda leaned closer.
“Because after Voss shot Grant, another man came out of the warehouse.”
“Who?”
May you like
Lucinda’s face went pale.
“Our father.”
