Chapter 6 - The Man in the Parking Garage
The ledger was not in Mrs. Hattie’s apartment.
It was not in Josie’s.
It was not in the diner storage unit where three boxes of Miriam Whitaker’s belongings had sat untouched since the funeral.
That did not mean Adrian believed them.
On Monday, Josie returned to work under conditions she negotiated herself.
No security inside her office.
No driver unless Toby was with her after dark.
No one following Mrs. Hattie without telling her.
Luca agreed to all three.
“You negotiate like an attorney,” he said.
“I couldn’t afford law school.”
“Probably saved yourself.”
She looked at him.
“That sounded personal.”
“It was.”
By noon, Nina Patel had matched thirty-one entries in Miriam’s blue book to transfers from old Relli charitable accounts.
The scheme had evolved.
After Salvatore died, Adrian stopped using direct foundation accounts and routed money through North Pier.
Priscilla’s brother had not invented the fraud.
He had inherited a role in it.
At two, outside counsel called federal investigators.
Luca insisted on a team with no prior relationship to Relli Group.
Josie appreciated the sentence and hated that it needed saying.
At five-thirty, she packed her bag.
Mara stopped at her door.
“Parking garage elevator is being serviced.”
“Stairs?”
“West elevator.”
“Thank you.”
Josie rode down alone.
The garage was nearly empty.
Her heels clicked on concrete.
Halfway to the waiting rideshare pickup area, a man stepped from behind a black SUV.
Gray jacket.
Baseball cap.
The man from the door camera.
Josie stopped.
He held up both hands.
“Ms. Whitaker.”
“Stay there.”
“I only need the book.”
Her heart pounded.
“You came to my home and questioned my son.”
“I didn’t touch him.”
“That is not a defense.”
He moved one step closer.
Josie backed toward a concrete column.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“People should stop announcing that right before they scare women.”
His jaw tightened.
“Give me the blue book.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Then tell me who does.”
“No.”
He reached for her bag.
Josie swung it hard into his arm.
The folder inside cracked against bone.
He cursed and caught her wrist.
Pain shot up her arm.
“Let go.”
“Stop fighting.”
Wrong sentence.
Josie drove the heel of her shoe down onto his foot.
He loosened.
She pulled away.
He caught her again.
Then a voice came from behind him.
“Take your hand off her.”
The man froze.
Luca stood near the elevator entrance.
No tie.
Coat open.
Two steps behind him was Marco Bell, head of corporate security.
The man holding Josie recovered.
“This doesn’t concern you.”
Luca’s expression went still.
“You’re in my building, holding my employee.”
“She has something that belongs to Mr. Adrian.”
Josie’s pulse jumped.
Luca looked at her.
Then back at the man.
“Let her go.”
The man shoved Josie aside and reached inside his jacket.
Marco moved.
So did Luca.
The next seconds happened fast.
The man pulled out a collapsible baton.
Not a gun.
Luca caught his forearm before the baton came down.
The man swung with his other fist.
Luca took the hit across the cheek, turned, and drove one hard punch into the man’s ribs.
The baton fell.
Marco kicked it away.
The man lunged again.
Luca struck him once more, shorter this time, and the man stumbled against the SUV.
Marco pinned his arm behind him.
“Done,” Luca said.
He meant it.
No extra blows.
No rage performance.
Josie noticed that.
She was breathing too hard.
Luca turned toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
“My wrist.”
“Can I see?”
The question surprised her.
She held it out.
He did not touch until she nodded.
His fingers were careful.
“Swelling.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“That isn’t a useful measurement.”
Police came.
Then paramedics.
Josie gave her own statement.
Luca gave his.
Marco handed over garage footage.
The attacker’s name was Nolan Price.
Former private security contractor.
Currently paid by a vendor connected to Adrian.
That was enough for investigators to start asking better questions.
It was not enough for Josie.
At urgent care, Luca sat three chairs away.
She looked at the bruise forming on his cheek.
“You got punched.”
“I noticed.”
“Was that necessary?”
“No.”
“You could have let Marco handle it.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
He was quiet.
“Because he had his hand on you.”
Josie’s stomach tightened.
She looked away.
“That answer is dangerously close to something I don’t have time for.”
“I know.”
“Toby needs surgery.”
“I know.”
“I may be evicted.”
“I know.”
“My mother apparently spent years documenting your family.”
“I know.”
“You are my boss.”
“Unfortunately.”
She looked back at him.
“Unfortunately?”
“For this conversation.”
Despite everything, she laughed.
He smiled.
Then grew serious.
“I will not use your circumstances to make myself important to you.”
The room went quiet around them.
Josie did not know what to do with that sentence.
So she said, “Good.”
The doctor wrapped her wrist.
No fracture.
Two days rest from lifting.
Toby decorated the brace with a dinosaur sticker.
By Wednesday, investigators executed searches connected to North Pier.
Adrian did not come to the office.
His attorney sent a letter denying misconduct.
Priscilla agreed to cooperate.
Her brother did too.
Then the hospital called.
Josie answered from her desk.
“This is Josephine.”
A financial counselor introduced herself.
“We’re calling regarding Tobias Whitaker.”
Josie’s chest tightened.
“Yes?”
“His HeartBridge application was incorrectly processed.”
Josie closed her eyes.
“We know.”
“The foundation has authorized restoration of the affected grants under independent oversight.”
Her hand tightened around the phone.
“Does that mean Toby is approved?”
“Yes.”
Josie could not speak.
The counselor continued.
“His remaining surgical balance is covered.”
Josie put her forehead against her hand.
Thirty-two thousand dollars.
Months of arithmetic.
Fear on the back of electric bills.
Gone.
Not because Luca had written a check.
Because money that had belonged to children was being returned to children.
That distinction mattered so much she began to cry.
Mara appeared in the doorway.
Josie nodded.
“It’s covered.”
Mara smiled.
Then Luca appeared behind her.
He heard.
He did not come into the room.
He simply nodded once and walked away.
Giving the moment back to Josie.
That mattered too.
That night, Toby got his two-flavor ice cream.
Chocolate and strawberry.
He took one bite and frowned.
“The cheap one tastes better.”
Josie laughed until she cried again.
Mrs. Hattie sat at the table.
“There’s your financial planning.”
The next morning, Josie found a voicemail from an unknown number.
Not a threat.
A woman’s voice.
“My name is Evelyn Relli.”
Luca’s aunt.
“I know where Miriam put Salvatore’s ledger.”
Josie sat down.
May you like
The message continued.
“But before I tell you, you need to know something about Luca.”
