Chapter 7 - Locker 318They went to Union Station at six the next morning.
Detective Hayes hated the idea.
Luca hated it more.
Emma insisted.
"If Marco left something for me, I'm going."
Hayes finally agreed under one condition.
Police would watch the station without making their presence obvious.
Luca brought Daniel.
Emma left Grace with a nurse hired through a vetted agency inside the secure apartment.
Walking away from her daughter for even thirty minutes felt unbearable.
But Emma knew hiding forever would not end anything.
Union Station was already crowded.
Commuters rushed beneath high ceilings while suitcase wheels rattled against the floor.
Luca stayed half a step behind Emma.
"You don't have to hover."
"I do today."
Emma almost argued.
Then she noticed two men standing near the information board.
Plain clothes.
Detective Hayes's officers.
They continued downstairs toward the lockers.
318 was near the end of a narrow row.
Emma's hand shook as she inserted Marco's key.
"Ready?"
Luca asked.
"No."
She turned it anyway.
The lock clicked.
The metal door opened.
Inside sat a small black case.
Nothing else.
Luca scanned the corridor.
Emma pulled the case out.
It was heavier than expected.
A combination lock secured the front.
"There's no code."
Luca looked at the case.
"Marco always used dates."
"Birthday?"
"Too obvious."
Emma stared at the lock.
Then she remembered something.
"The night we met."
Luca looked at her.
"What date?"
"October seventeenth."
She entered 1017.
Nothing.
Luca tried Marco's birthday.
Nothing.
Emma closed her eyes.
Marco had once teased her about remembering an exact time.
Their first ultrasound.
The moment they heard Grace's heartbeat.
"Nine seventeen."
She entered 0917.
The lock opened.
Emma stared at it.
Luca slowly lifted the lid.
Inside were three flash drives.
A paper ledger.
A sealed envelope addressed to LUCA.
And a small digital recorder.
Luca took the envelope.
Emma picked up the recorder.
"Should we play it?"
"Not here."
A voice sounded behind them.
"I wouldn't."
Emma spun around.
Connor stood fifteen feet away.
He was not wearing the blue suit now.
Dark jeans.
Gray jacket.
Baseball cap.
He looked almost ordinary.
That made him more frightening.
Luca immediately moved between Connor and Emma.
"You're violating the protective order."
Connor smiled.
"It hasn't been served."
Luca said nothing.
Connor pointed toward the case.
"That belongs to me."
Emma stepped beside Luca.
"No."
Connor looked at her.
"Marco stole it."
"Marco left it for me."
"Because Marco was a liar."
Emma's anger finally broke through her fear.
"Don't say his name."
Connor's smile disappeared.
"You really think he loved you?"
"Connor."
Luca's voice became sharper.
Connor ignored him.
"You think he was some innocent guy who stumbled onto a bad spreadsheet?"
Emma's hands tightened around the recorder.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Marco helped create the system."
Luca stepped closer.
"Enough."
Connor laughed.
"Still protecting him?"
"Still protecting the Moretti name?"
Police officers appeared at both ends of the corridor.
Connor saw them.
His expression changed.
Detective Hayes approached.
"Connor Blake."
"Hands where I can see them."
Connor lifted his hands.
He looked at Emma.
"Play the recorder."
Hayes moved toward him.
Connor kept talking.
"Play the second file."
"You'll learn who Marco was really afraid of."
An officer placed Connor in handcuffs.
Emma stared at the recorder.
Luca quietly closed the black case.
Detective Hayes looked at them.
"We're taking everything as evidence."
Emma nodded.
Then Connor said one last thing while officers led him away.
"Ask Luca who owns Blue Harbor."
Emma looked at Luca.
His face had gone pale.
"Who owns it?"
Luca did not answer.
Emma repeated the question.
"Luca."
May you like
He slowly looked at her.
"My father."
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