Chapter 12 - FIRE IN THE ARCHIVE
The fire began in three places simultaneously.
That meant it wasn't an accident.
Sprinklers exploded overhead.
Della covered her stomach as Luca pulled her toward the emergency stairwell.
Detective Ellis grabbed the Fulton Street file.
Carrow remained beside the cabinets.
"Move!" Luca shouted.
Carrow stared toward a burning shelf.
"The ledger index."
"What?"
"It's still inside."
Flames climbed the wall.
Luca started toward him.
Della caught his arm.
"No."
He looked at her.
"You go in there and eight years ago means nothing."
For one second neither moved.
Then Luca dragged Carrow toward the stairs.
They escaped minutes before the archive ceiling collapsed.
Outside, hundreds of employees filled the plaza.
Fire trucks surrounded the building.
Della leaned against an ambulance while the baby moved beneath her hand.
Alive.
Again.
Always the first thing she checked.
Mara approached holding the wet Fulton Street folder inside an evidence bag.
"Most of it survived."
Luca looked toward the burning building.
"Who had access to the fire controls?"
"Police are checking."
Della watched Carrow.
He seemed older now.
Defeated.
"You said Conrad was the middleman."
Carrow looked at her.
"I did."
"Middleman for who?"
Luca stepped closer.
Carrow hesitated.
"Your father called him the Architect."
Della frowned.
"That's a person?"
"Maybe."
"You don't know?"
"I never met him."
Luca laughed bitterly.
"Eighteen years as my attorney and you're giving me ghost stories?"
Carrow's expression sharpened.
"I spent eighteen years keeping you alive."
Luca fell silent.
Carrow continued.
"Your father discovered the Vance network in 1998."
"They were buying politicians, controlling construction bids, moving money through ports."
"He wanted out."
"Out of what?"
Carrow looked at Luca.
"The partnership."
Della turned slowly toward him.
Luca's face revealed that even he had not known.
Carrow continued.
"Antonio Moretti wasn't innocent."
"He helped build the system."
"But when he tried leaving, people died."
"By the time you took control, he had buried most of it."
Luca looked sick.
"So Owen found the remains."
"Yes."
"And somebody wants them buried again."
"Yes."
Mara's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed immediately.
"Where?"
Everyone watched her.
She ended the call.
"We found Patrick Sloan."
Della stepped forward.
"Is he alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Airport parking garage."
"Trying to leave?"
Mara shook her head.
"He wasn't leaving."
"He was waiting for someone."
"Who?"
May you like
Mara turned toward Luca.
"Sebastian Moretti."
