Chapter 4 - THE RECORDING
By nine-thirty, the mansion's technical room was sealed.
Marco returned with a small case containing the microphone and a tablet displaying the first results.
“It was active,” he said. “The device transmitted short audio bursts whenever it detected voices. It wasn't sending a continuous signal.”
“Where?”
“We're tracing the receiving address. The signal passed through several relays, but the final account appears to be connected to a private security company.”
Dante looked at the screen.
“Who owns it?”
“Still checking.”
“And what did it record?”
Marco hesitated. “We recovered fragments from the device's internal memory.”
Dante's eyes hardened. “Play them.”
A faint recording filled the room. There were voices, the scrape of chairs, and the sound of a door closing. Then Dante heard his own voice discussing a meeting scheduled for that evening.
The recording ended with another man's voice.
“Once Moretti confirms the shipment, we'll know which route to block.”
Dante went still.
The meeting was not about a shipment. It concerned a confidential agreement to move several employees and their families out of danger after a warehouse fire. If the wrong people learned the route, those families could be targeted.
“Who knew about this meeting?” he asked.
“Four people,” Marco answered. “You, me, Lorenzo, and your attorney.”
Dante looked at him.
“Did you tell anyone?”
“No.”
“Would you swear to that?”
Marco's face tightened. “On my life.”
Dante believed him. That did not mean he could afford to stop investigating.
The study door opened. Elena stood there, holding Lily's little yellow coat.
“I'm sorry to interrupt. Lily is tired. May I take her home?”
Dante looked at the girl, who was now leaning against her mother's leg.
“Of course.”
Elena nodded, relieved.
“Before you go,” he said, “I want you to know that Lily did nothing wrong. She was brave.”
Elena's expression softened.
“She doesn't always understand how dangerous adults can be.”
“Perhaps adults should remember how much children notice.”
He instructed Marco to arrange a car and two trusted guards to escort them home.
Elena hesitated.
“We don't need an escort.”
“Someone placed a microphone in my clothing. Until I know who did it, I won't take chances with anyone who helped uncover it.”
She looked at Lily.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Dante watched them leave. Then he turned back to the recording.
The final voice was not Lorenzo's.
May you like
It belonged to someone else.
Someone who had not been named among the four people who knew about the meeting.
