Chapter 13 - THE BETRAYAL
Luca did not defend his cousin.
That frightened Della.
Sebastian arrived at the police station with a bandage still wrapped around his head.
Patrick Sloan sat in another interview room.
For three hours, detectives moved between them.
At noon, Mara emerged.
"Patrick says Sebastian paid him."
Luca's expression didn't change.
"For what?"
"Hotel camera access."
Della stared at Sebastian through the glass.
"No."
Mara looked at her.
"You believe him?"
"I don't know."
"Patrick has bank records."
Luca finally spoke.
"From Sebastian?"
"An account in his name."
Sebastian demanded to speak with Luca.
They entered together.
Della stayed beside the door.
Sebastian looked furious.
"I didn't pay him."
"The account says otherwise."
"Then the account was created."
Luca's eyes hardened.
"You're asking me to believe somebody opened a financial account using your identity?"
"I'm asking you to remember who we're dealing with."
Della spoke.
"Why were you meeting Patrick at the airport?"
Sebastian looked at her.
"I wasn't."
"He says you were."
"He texted me."
"Why?"
"Said he had proof about Owen."
"Show us."
Sebastian held up his confiscated phone.
"Police have it."
Mara checked.
There was a message.
MEET ME LEVEL 4.
I KNOW WHERE HALE IS.
Sebastian looked at Luca.
"I went because I thought we could find him."
Luca paced once across the room.
Then Della noticed something.
Patrick Sloan had supposedly been helping the Vances.
Yet someone had attacked Sebastian searching for Owen's copy.
Why would Patrick lure Sebastian publicly if both men were on the same side?
She turned toward Mara.
"Can I see Patrick?"
"No."
"I don't need to speak to him."
"What do you need?"
"His shoes."
Everyone stared at her.
Ten minutes later, Mara returned with photographs from Patrick's arrest.
Della enlarged one image.
Clean black leather shoes.
She smiled without humor.
"He's lying."
Luca leaned closer.
"How?"
"The airport parking garage was wet this morning."
"It rained."
"Sebastian's shoes are covered in concrete dust and water."
"Patrick's aren't."
Mara understood first.
"He wasn't waiting on Level 4."
"He was placed there shortly before police arrived."
Sebastian stared.
"Then who called you?"
Mara checked dispatch records.
The anonymous caller had known precisely where both men would be.
Luca's phone buzzed.
Security alert.
Someone had entered the house where Della was staying.
Luca immediately called the team there.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Della's stomach tightened.
"The watch."
They raced back.
The house door stood open.
Two security guards were unconscious but alive.
The laptop containing Owen's recording was gone.
The watch was gone.
Everything was gone except one object sitting on the kitchen table.
A photograph of Della taken that morning.
May you like
Written across it in black ink were five words.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE BABY.
