Chapter 8 - THE TESTIMONY
Emma gave her formal statement at the district attorney's office. She described the plate switch, the silver box, the kitchen ticket, and the threat delivered to her apartment.
The investigator asked careful questions.
“Are you certain you saw Vanessa Bellini place something on the plate?”
“Yes.”
“Can you identify the substance?”
“No. I saw her take leaves from a small silver container. I can't identify the plant.”
“Did you see her put the leaves directly into the food?”
“Yes. She leaned over the plate and touched them to the sauce.”
“Did anyone instruct you to make this statement?”
“No.”
“Has anyone offered you money?”
“No.”
When the interview ended, Emma stepped into the hallway and found Luca waiting at a distance. He had not entered the room or tried to influence what she said.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“I told them what I saw.”
“Good.”
She studied him. “You could have asked me to leave some things out.”
“I could have. I didn't.”
“Why?”
“Because the truth doesn't become more useful when it's edited to protect me.”
A week later, the laboratory issued its final report. The substance on the leaves and in the sauce was identified as a toxic compound capable of causing serious illness. The report could not establish exactly what would have happened had Luca eaten the meal, but it confirmed that the food had been deliberately contaminated.
The case was referred for prosecution.
Vanessa's statement, the dining-room footage, the laboratory results, and the financial records formed a substantial body of evidence. Richard Bellini's role in the proposed proxy arrangement was also under investigation.
Luca ended all business relationships with the Bellini family and ordered independent auditors to review every account connected to the arrangement.
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He also made a decision about Emma.
He asked the house manager to offer her a permanent position as dining-room supervisor, with a substantial increase in pay and authority over service procedures. The manager was instructed to make clear that she could refuse.
