Chapter 2 - THE SIXTY-THREE-PAGE FILE
Three days after Ruby Brennan left the Moretti mansion, Santiago had still not slept properly.
He had returned to Sophia's bedroom twice. The first time, he stood in the doorway for nearly ten minutes, staring at the green bedsheets Ruby had mentioned. The second time, he found Sophia sitting beside the window, looking at the same patch of garden she had watched for years.
He had asked whether she wanted new curtains.
She had turned away.
That small movement had hurt more than he expected.
At 8:17 on Friday morning, Tomas entered the study carrying a thick gray folder.
“Everything you asked for.”
Santiago did not look up from his coffee.
“Start talking.”
“Ruby Brennan. Twenty-nine years old. No criminal record. No outstanding debt. She grew up in Milwaukee and moved to Chicago six years ago. Her employment history is unusual.”
“Unusual how?”
“She worked as a classroom aide, then as a communication assistant at St. Agnes Rehabilitation Center. Before that, she completed most of a degree in speech-language pathology.”
Santiago finally lifted his eyes.
“Most?”
“She left the program during her final year. Three years ago.”
“Why?”
Tomas opened the folder.
“An incident involving a patient. The official report says Ruby violated confidentiality rules and removed protected medical records. She was dismissed. The clinic later closed its communication department.”
Santiago stood.
“Which patient?”
Tomas turned a page.
“Sophia Moretti.”
For a moment, Santiago heard nothing but the quiet ticking of the clock.
“Explain.”
“Ruby worked with Sophia for eleven weeks at St. Agnes. The dates match the period when you sent your sister there for intensive treatment.”
“I was told Sophia refused to participate.”
“That's what the clinic's final report says.”
“Then why was Ruby working with her?”
“Because Sophia responded to her.”
Santiago's fingers stopped moving.
“What did Ruby claim?”
Tomas placed a photocopied document on the desk.
“She reported that Sophia was communicating through a private sign system and that the clinic had failed to document it. She also alleged that someone had been giving Sophia medication without proper authorization.”
Santiago read the page.
The report had been marked unsubstantiated.
At the bottom was a handwritten note:
Patient repeatedly attempts to communicate a warning concerning a family member. Further questioning discouraged by attending physician.
Santiago looked up.
“Who wrote this?”
“Ruby.”
“Where is she now?”
“Working as a housemaid in your home.”
“I know where she was working.”
“I found something else.” Tomas slid another sheet across the desk. “Three years ago, Ruby's younger brother, Evan Brennan, died in a traffic collision. The police report classified it as an accident. The driver was never identified.”
Santiago studied the photograph attached to the file.
A young man with kind eyes and a crooked smile.
“Why is that relevant?”
“His last known employer was a security contractor. The contractor worked for a company owned by your uncle, Matteo Moretti.”
The room seemed to contract around Santiago.
“Matteo?”
“He was also on the board of St. Agnes's largest private donor.”
Santiago closed the folder.
“Find Ruby.”
“She has already been found.”
“Then bring her here.”
Tomas lowered his voice. “There is one more thing. Ruby visited the mansion before she applied for the maid position. The first visit was recorded as a delivery.”
Santiago's expression hardened.
“What did she deliver?”
“An envelope. It was addressed to Sophia.”
“Who received it?”
“Mrs. Delaney says she never saw it.”
Santiago looked toward the ceiling.
Sophia had spent seven years being treated as though she could not understand the world around her.
Now he was beginning to wonder how much of that silence had been manufactured.
“Get the original clinic records,” he ordered. “And find out what happened to that envelope.”
Tomas nodded.
Santiago picked up his phone.
“Call Ruby.”
But before he could press the number, a message appeared on his screen from an unknown sender.
If you want to know why your sister stopped speaking, ask what happened to your mother's blue notebook.
A second message followed.
And don't trust the man who wears your father's ring.
May you like
Santiago stared at the screen.
His uncle Matteo wore that ring.
