Page 70 of Fractured
I slip my finger under the seal and pull out the letter.
To the reader of this letter
The key holds all the answers. None of which I can provide for you in this letter, and for that I will apologize. It is too risky if it falls into my son’s hands. I have a family I need to protect. So, if this letter is in your hands, it means you’ve been searching for the truth.
Go to the bank in Redding, California. Ask for Sally Baker at the Union Bank. She has instructions and will be waiting for you.
Angelo Gallo
You could hear a pin drop in this room. No one says anything; we’re just sitting there staring at each other. Great! Just another fucking piece in this messed-up puzzle that we have to try to figure out. I look at my father, his face pale, his lips pinched tight, and he has an expression I have never seen.
It almost looks like. Anguish.
My father gets up from the table, walks over to the bar cart, and pours himself a drink. He downs it in one swallow, then pours himself another, and goes to stand behind my desk, looking into the gray ashes of the fireplace.
Carlos blows out a breath and Christopher leans on the table with his elbows. He reaches for the key.
“Well, this is a cluster fuck. Who’s going to California to get the safe deposit box?”
He twists the key in the air and says, “That’s what this is, isn’t it?”
I look away from my father at Carlos, and we exchange a look.
“I will. Carlos will come with me; Danny can stay here and watch Isabella; Sebastian? Are you still on the money trail?”
He clears his throat, “Yeah. The eight accounts belong to one holder. They must be. Every quarter, the papers are signed, and Robert gets his deposit. He bounced the coin around and they all eventually land in that account in the Cayman Islands.”
My father’s voice cuts through the air.
“And the account holder? Did you run a check on Robert’s business and personal accounts to see if he’s receiving any of the paperwork to sign?”
“I did. He’s not. It’s an outside source, but I’m close. The new signatures should be in any day now. And I have them tagged as soon as they get put into the system. I can narrow it down to the city, so that will help.”
“Good.” He looks at us and puts his drink down. Then, with his hands in his pockets, he walks around the desk and sits on the edge to look directly at each of us.
His voice is low. “Everyone in this room needs to be here when that safe deposit box gets here. I have my suspicions, but I needwhat’s in that box to know for sure.”
He nods at Chris. “Christopher, I know you’re watching the club for Alexander right now, but I need you to get some of your men on Robert. I need you close and tight, watching every move he makes. Alexander, you make sure Danny watches Isabella like a hawk. She can’t make a move without us knowing.”
My eyebrows lift and that raises my suspicions about why he wants Isabella to be watched so closely. I’m doing that already and have her practically locked up in her bedroom. She refused to take her phone, so if she tried to run, how far can she get with no money and no phone to call anyone?
My tone is tense. “Danny will be here. I’m assuming you have good reason to want her monitored. I have cameras installed over every inch of this house and she hardly leaves her room. Is there something you wish to share with us?”
He pinches his lip with his thumb and forefinger. “Not yet.”
What the fuck? I take a sip of my drink to stop the words from flying out of my mouth.
My father shakes his head and looks at the floor. “I need what’s in that box before I can give any of you answers.”
Christopher nods. “Charles is one of my best. He can blend in, and no one will even know he was there. He is a chameleon. One minute a Kick-Ass leather biker, the next in a business suit. I’ll call him today to see what he’s up to. I’ll get him here before we take the California trip.”
Carlos spreads his hand out. “Okay, we got the money organized, we got the security in place, so when do we actually take this trip to California?”
Sebastian pipes up, “I’d say by Wednesday or Thursday, the paperwork is due any day now. So, if it happens to come in addressed to a California account, at least you guys will bethere to check it out. If not, dad and I are here if we need to send people to other locations.”
My father stands up and walks towards us. “So, I guess this meeting is adjourned. We will gather once we have all the information. Sebastian, keep an eye on that money. Christopher, get a hold of me as soon as you know when your asset is coming.”
He points in our faces; “You boys get on a plane by Thursday at the latest. I want this in our hands by Sunday or Monday, not a day longer.”
