Chapter 2 - The Secret of the Silver Tube
Gabriel stepped past Emma and knelt in the damp grass, reaching out to gently take the rope from her hands.
Emma watched in confusion as Gabriel pulled a pocket knife from his coat and carefully sliced through the thick hemp fibers near the center of the rope.
"Mr. Moretti? What are you doing?" Emma asked quietly.
Gabriel didn't answer. His fingers worked with practiced precision until the rusted silver tube fell into his palm. He unscrewed the cap, his hands shaking slightly—a rare show of vulnerability from a man made of stone.
Inside was a rolled piece of parchment, preserved in wax.
He unrolled it. Written in elegant, sweeping handwriting was a message dated three days before Isabella’s fatal car accident:
Gabriel, my love, If you are reading this, it means my time has run out, and the shadow within our family has finally reached me. Do not look for my killers among the rival syndicates. Look inside our home. Look to Pierce. He has been feeding information to the Vance syndicate for years. The rope in the garden shed holds the key to my personal vault in Zurich. Give it only to the woman who teaches our boys how to laugh again. She will be the one meant to save you all.
May you like
Gabriel’s heart hammered against his ribs like a war drum.
Isabella hadn't died in a simple tragic road accident. She had been assassinated—and the man responsible was Mr. Pierce, the head house manager who had served the Moretti estate for over fifteen years.
