Chapter 4 - THE WATCH THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOST
Lily stood in the doorway with tears running down her face.
I couldn't move.
My best friend.
The woman who had brought groceries when my mother got sick.
The woman who had sat beside me on hospital floors.
The woman who knew every secret I had ever told anyone.
And now she stood beside a stranger holding proof that my entire childhood had been built on lies.
“Lily?”
Her lips trembled.
“Claire, please.”
“No.”
Alessandro stepped forward.
“Who is he?”
The stranger answered.
“My name is Michael Bell.”
My heart stopped.
Bell.
Daniel Bell.
Alessandro's hand moved toward his weapon.
Michael raised both hands.
“I didn't come here to hurt anyone.”
“Then why are you here?”
He looked at me.
“Because I'm Daniel's brother.”
My knees weakened.
I caught the edge of my mother's bed.
Lily whispered, “I found him three months ago.”
I stared at her.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“For three months?”
“I didn't know whether I could trust him.”
Alessandro's voice was cold.
“Why bring him here?”
“Because your mother is running out of time.”
My mother closed her eyes.
“Michael…”
He looked at her.
“You promised.”
“I know.”
“Then tell her.”
My mother looked at me.
“There was never a car accident.”
I stopped breathing.
“Daniel didn't die in an accident?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
My mother stared at the floor.
“He was murdered.”
Alessandro's face hardened.
“By whom?”
My mother shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Michael spoke quietly.
“I do.”
Everyone looked at him.
He reached into his coat and removed an old gold watch.
The metal was scratched.
The leather strap was cracked.
But I recognized it.
My mother had once shown me a photograph of it.
“This belonged to Daniel.”
I stepped forward.
“Why do you have it?”
“Because he gave it to me the night before he disappeared.”
Alessandro stared at the watch.
“Open it.”
Michael shook his head.
“It's already open.”
He turned it over.
There was a tiny engraving on the back.
C.B. — ALWAYS COME HOME.
My initials.
Claire Bennett.
I touched the letters.
“Why would my father engrave my initials?”
Michael looked at me.
“Because you were supposed to receive it when you turned eighteen.”
I stared at him.
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the man who ordered Daniel's death was looking for it.”
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
“What does the watch contain?”
Michael hesitated.
“Not what you think.”
He pressed the crown.
A small compartment opened.
Inside was a narrow strip of film.
I stared.
“A microfilm?”
Michael nodded.
Alessandro took it carefully.
“What is on it?”
“Names.”
“Whose names?”
Michael looked at my mother.
“People Daniel was protecting.”
My mother whispered—
“Witnesses.”
The word changed everything.
Daniel hadn't been hiding money.
He had been hiding people.
Michael continued.
“Your father discovered a network that used the docks to move stolen identities, blackmail material, money, and sometimes people.”
Alessandro looked at me.
“My father was involved.”
Michael nodded.
“So was yours.”
My stomach twisted.
“You're saying both our fathers were criminals?”
“Yes.”
“Then why protect the witnesses?”
“Because Daniel wanted out.”
“And my mother?”
“She helped him.”
I looked at my mother.
She was crying silently.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because every person who knew too much disappeared.”
“Except you.”
She gave a bitter smile.
“I'm not sure I count as an exception.”
Alessandro stepped closer.
“Who ran the operation?”
Michael looked at him.
“Three men.”
“Names.”
“I know two.”
He held up one finger.
“Victor Romano.”
Alessandro's expression changed.
“My father.”
Michael raised another.
“Robert Bell.”
Daniel's father.
I felt sick.
“Who's the third?”
Michael looked at Lily.
Lily closed her eyes.
“I know.”
I turned to her.
“Who?”
She whispered—
“Thomas Grant.”
Alessandro went completely still.
“Your father's attorney.”
“Yes.”
“That's impossible.”
Michael shook his head.
“It isn't.”
Alessandro stared at him.
“Thomas has been advising my family for twenty-five years.”
“Exactly.”
A long silence followed.
Then my mother said—
“He wasn't the man who ordered Daniel's death.”
I looked at her.
“Then who was?”
She looked toward the watch.
“The third man didn't order Daniel's death.”
Michael corrected her.
“He didn't have to.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Michael's face tightened.
“Daniel discovered the network was being used to blackmail judges, politicians, police officers, and businessmen.”
He pointed at the microfilm.
“He copied everything.”
“Then Thomas wanted the microfilm.”
“Yes.”
“But Daniel gave it away.”
“To whom?”
Michael looked at me.
“To your mother.”
My mother nodded.
“I hid it.”
“Where?”
She didn't answer.
Alessandro stepped forward.
“Mrs. Bennett.”
My mother looked at him.
“I couldn't trust anyone.”
“You trusted Claire.”
“Yes.”
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“But you lied to me.”
“I lied because I wanted you to have a normal life.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Normal?”
I gestured around the room.
“My mother is dying. A mafia boss thinks he might be my family. Someone murdered a man I was told was my father. My best friend has been hiding secrets from me.”
Lily started crying.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
She looked at me.
“From Thomas.”
Then the hospital door slammed open.
Victor entered.
“Boss.”
Alessandro turned.
“What?”
Victor held up his phone.
“Thomas Grant just arrived at the hospital.”
My mother's face went white.
“That's impossible.”
Victor frowned.
“Why?”
She whispered—
“Because Thomas is the reason I went into hiding.”
Alessandro looked at me.
Then at the watch.
And suddenly I noticed something engraved beneath the strap.
A tiny bluebird.
The same symbol was carved into my mother's old jewelry box.
I touched it.
The watch clicked.
A hidden panel opened.
Inside was a small paper ticket.
BLUEBIRD HOTEL — ROOM 17.
On the back, in Daniel's handwriting, were six words.
COME WITH THE GIRL. TRUST NO ONE.
I looked at Alessandro.
“Which girl?”
Before he could answer, Lily whispered—
“Your mother.”
May you like
My blood ran cold.
Because my mother was no longer in the bed.
