Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO SOLD THE FILES
William Mercer was found two days later in a hotel outside Milwaukee.
He did not resist when Daniel's team approached him. He had apparently been expecting the call.
Luca met him in a private conference room with his attorney present. Mercer looked tired, but not frightened.
“You hired me to investigate you,” Luca said.
Mercer nodded.
“Vanessa Bellini hired me.”
“Why?”
“To collect evidence that you were involved with your former wife.”
“Were you asked to fabricate anything?”
Mercer looked at the table.
“I was asked to arrange the evidence so it would support a particular story.”
“Meaning?”
“Photographs taken at different times. Messages removed from context. A hotel receipt from a business meeting. A picture of Elena leaving your office.”
Luca's eyes narrowed.
“Did you create fake messages?”
Mercer hesitated.
“Yes.”
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
“Where are the originals?”
“On a drive.”
“Where?”
“Vanessa has it.”
Luca leaned back.
“What was the plan?”
Mercer looked toward the attorney.
“I was told to deliver the photographs to Elena before the engagement wedding. She would confront you publicly. Vanessa would then claim she'd discovered the affair and threaten to leave.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because she wanted you to sign a document.”
Luca's expression sharpened.
“What document?”
Mercer swallowed.
“A marital property agreement. It gives her temporary authority over several assets if the marriage is disrupted by a public scandal.”
Luca went still.
“Who drafted it?”
“Peter Bell.”
The name landed like a stone.
Luca looked at Daniel.
“Bring me everything on Peter Bell.”
Mercer continued.
“Vanessa said the agreement was only the first step. She wanted you to sign it before the wedding, while you were trying to prevent the scandal from becoming public.”
“Why would I sign anything like that?”
“She said you'd do whatever it took to protect your reputation.”
Luca's jaw tightened.
“Did she tell you what was in the trust amendment?”
Mercer shook his head.
“No. But she was desperate to get the original document from Elena.”
Luca stood.
“Then we're finished.”
Mercer looked up.
“One more thing.”
Luca paused.
“Vanessa didn't start this alone. Someone in your family gave her access to the old trust records.”
“Who?”
Mercer slid a business card across the table.
It carried the name of Luca's cousin, Dominic Moretti.
Dominic had been managing several family investments for the past year.
Luca stared at the card.
“Why would Dominic help her?”
May you like
Mercer gave a small shrug.
“Because he believes the trust should belong to him.”
