Chapter 9 - The Ghost of the Past
Back at the Alfieri estate, Edna Hollis was waiting in the main foyer with a silver tray holding a sealed envelope bearing no return address.
When Nico and Adeline walked through the front doors, the elderly housekeeper stepped forward, her hands trembling slightly.
“This was left at the front security gate an hour ago, Mr. Alfieri,” Edna said, her voice tight. “The guard on duty didn't see who dropped it. They said a car pulled up, tossed it out the window, and sped away before they could log the plates.”
Nico took the envelope. He didn't open it immediately. He ran his thumb over the heavy parchment paper, his eyes narrowing.
“Go rest, Edna,” he commanded quietly.
Once the housekeeper had hurried down the hall toward the kitchens, Nico walked into the study, laying the envelope flat on the mahogany desk. Adeline stood right beside him, her instincts flaring.
“Open it,” she said.
Nico slit the top with a silver letter opener. Inside was a single photograph and a handwritten note.
The photograph showed a younger Nico standing beside a sleek sports car outside a lakeside cabin, his arm around a woman with dark hair whose face had been aggressively scratched out with a black marker.
The note read: The poison in your water wasn't Salvatore’s recipe, Nico. It was a family tradition. Look closer at who inherited the estate before you.
Adeline stared at the note, a cold shiver running down her spine. “Who else knew about the medical formulas? Salvatore was arrested. Camille is in federal custody. Who is left?”
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Nico’s face had gone completely bloodless. The casual confidence from the shipping yards vanished, replaced by a dark, terrifying realization that reached back further than the car crash eight months ago.
“My mother’s sister,” Nico whispered, the words tasting like ash. “Aunt Elena. Everyone thought she died in Europe twenty years ago.”
