Chapter 7 - THE AUNT WITH THE RED UMBRELLA
Eden did not open the door.
Progress.
She called Nico first.
He answered:
“What happened?”
“There’s a woman outside claiming to be my aunt.”
Silence.
“Do you have an aunt?”
“Apparently everyone does now.”
“Don’t open.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Marco is ten minutes away.”
“Too long.”
“I’m five.”
She almost laughed.
“Why are you closer?”
“I was not following you.”
“Suspiciously specific.”
“I was at federal building.”
“Fine.”
Mae waited.
No knocking.
No threat.
At minute four, Nico appeared at stairwell.
No gun visible.
Probably armed.
He looked through peephole.
Mae saw shadow.
“Nico Ferraro.”
He looked at Eden.
“Know me?”
Mae answered through door:
“You have Sofia’s posture.”
Nico grimaced.
“That sounds like her.”
Eden opened chain only after Nico nodded.
Mae entered.
Red umbrella dripping.
She looked at apartment.
“Thomas.”
“Bellini,” Eden said.
“Yes.”
“You know him.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Who are you?”
“Maeve Walsh.”
“Margaret’s sister?”
“Half-sister.”
Of course.
“Why did Mom say no siblings?”
“Because I worked for Ferraro.”
Eden laughed bitterly.
“Everybody worked for Ferraro.”
Nico said:
“Not anymore.”
Mae looked at him.
“Good.”
She sat.
“Margaret did not die from cancer.”
Eden’s chest tightened.
“Then?”
“She had cancer.”
“Okay.”
“But treatment was working.”
Eden stopped.
“The final decline?”
“Poisoning.”
Nico’s face hardened.
“Bellini.”
Mae nodded.
“Slow anticoagulant mixed with medication.”
Eden felt sick.
“No.”
“Margaret knew.”
“What?”
“She knew last month.”
“Why didn’t she tell us?”
“Because Evan was already hiding.”
Eden stared.
“Mom knew he was alive.”
Mae closed eyes.
“Yes.”
The room disappeared.
Eden stood so fast chair scraped.
“She let me grieve him.”
“She was protecting—”
“Do not.”
Mae stopped.
Good.
Eden’s voice shook.
“She watched me plan his funeral.”
“I know.”
“She watched me pay his debts.”
“I know.”
“She watched me blame myself.”
Mae’s eyes filled.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
Nico stayed quiet.
Good.
Mae continued:
“Margaret believed if Bellini thought Evan’s death convinced everyone, he would stop watching you.”
“Did he?”
“For a while.”
“So she sacrificed me emotionally.”
“Yes.”
Honest.
That mattered.
Eden sat.
“Why did Bellini poison her?”
“Ledger.”
“She hid it in apron.”
“Yes.”
“Did he know?”
“No.”
“Then why kill her?”
“He believed she gave it to Sofia.”
Nico asked:
“Did she?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Margaret recorded Bellini.”
Eden looked up.
“Where?”
Mae smiled sadly.
“In hospital room.”
Of course.
Waitresses, nurses, mothers.
Everyone recording men.
“Audio?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“Which safe?”
“Saint Agnes.”
Nico frowned.
“We opened safe.”
“First safe.”
Eden almost laughed.
“Second?”
“Behind it.”
Of course.
Mae handed tiny magnet key.
Eden stared.
“Why now?”
“Because Bellini is alive in custody.”
“You could have come earlier.”
“I was hiding.”
“Everyone was hiding.”
“Yes.”
Eden hated answer.
Nico asked:
“Why not send evidence to Kane?”
“I did not trust federal case until Sofia appeared publicly.”
“Fair.”
Eden looked at Mae.
“Did Mom ask you to watch me?”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“From distance.”
Eden closed eyes.
Protection through surveillance.
Again.
“What do you want from me?”
Mae’s face softened.
“Nothing.”
“Then why come?”
“To tell you Margaret did not die believing she failed.”
Eden looked away.
“She thought she failed us.”
“No.”
Mae shook head.
“She was afraid you would think that.”
Too late.
Eden’s throat tightened.
“She saved people. She hid evidence. She protected Evan.”
“Yes.”
“She left me with debt.”
“Fake debt Bellini controlled.”
“Still real to me.”
“Yes.”
Mae nodded.
“Love does not erase harm.”
Nico glanced at Eden.
Same lesson everywhere.
Mae continued:
“Margaret wanted Saint Agnes used to pay those debts back.”
Not hers only.
Everyone.
Good.
The next morning, they returned Pier Nine with Agent Kane.
Second compartment behind safe.
Audio recorder.
Medical records.
Bellini’s voice:
Increase dosage. Walsh is talking to Sofia again.
Then:
If she dies, girl inherits debt. Easier to control.
Eden stopped.
Nico looked murderous.
Agent Kane turned off.
“Enough?”
Eden nodded.
Court evidence.
Bellini would not become story of mob revenge.
He would become defendant.
That mattered.
Then Kane showed another document.
Hospital pharmacy authorization.
Signed by Dr. Samuel Mercer.
Eden frowned.
“Who?”
Nico knew.
“My family doctor.”
His childhood doctor.
Still practicing.
Bellini had help.
Kane said:
“We arrested him this morning.”
Good.
But then:
“He says Bellini wasn’t highest authority.”
Of course.
Eden sighed.
“Who?”
Kane looked at Nico.
“Your father.”
Nico froze.
“My father is dead.”
“Yes.”
“He died six years ago.”
“Yes.”
“What are you saying?”
“Mercer claims Luca Ferraro ordered Margaret’s poisoning.”
Silence.
Nico’s face emptied.
“No.”
Kane continued:
“Bellini continued after Luca died.”
Nico looked at Sofia.
She had joined by video.
His mother closed eyes.
“You knew.”
Sofia whispered:
“I suspected.”
Nico laughed bitterly.
“Everyone suspected everything.”
Eden watched.
His father.
The man Nico still defended in pieces.
Not innocent.
Maybe worse.
“Why would your father target Mom?” Eden asked.
Sofia answered:
“Because Margaret convinced me to leave him.”
Silence.
Nico looked at his mother.
“You planned to leave Dad.”
“Yes.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“You were twenty.”
Nico stared.
That was twelve years ago.
Before he became boss.
Before father died.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Luca threatened Margaret.”
So Sofia stayed.
Then built Saint Agnes.
Nico closed eyes.
His father used Eden’s mother to control Sofia.
Bellini used Eden to control everyone after.
Eden’s family had been collateral for Ferraro marriage.
Rage rose.
Not at Nico.
At system.
She looked at Sofia.
“Mom died because she helped you.”
Sofia’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Nico said:
“No.”
Both women looked.
“She died because my father and Bellini chose to hurt her.”
Important.
Not because she helped.
Responsibility belongs to abusers.
Eden looked at Nico.
He had learned quickly.
Maybe because stakes hurt.
Agent Kane continued:
“Mercer has one more allegation.”
Nico almost laughed.
“What?”
“Your father kept list of children born to workers inside North Meridian.”
“Why?”
“Leverage.”
Eden’s stomach tightened.
Kane looked at her.
“Evan’s name is on list.”
“Why?”
“Your father suspected Evan might be his son.”
Silence.
Eden stared at Nico.
No.
Evan?
Nico’s half-brother?
Mae looked shocked.
Sofia went white.
Nico whispered:
“Mother?”
She shook head.
“I don’t know.”
“Did Dad have affair with Margaret?”
“No.”
“Did he assault her?”
Sofia’s face changed.
That was answer enough.
Eden’s blood turned cold.
“No.”
Mae covered mouth.
Nico stood.
Chair fell.
“Enough.”
Eden had never seen him lose control.
He paced once.
Then stopped.
Not violence.
Breathing.
“Test.”
Eden looked at him.
“What?”
“Independent DNA.”
Evan must choose.
“Yes.”
No secrets.
No assumptions.
Evan arrived later.
He listened.
Face blank.
Then:
“I don’t care.”
Eden looked.
“What?”
“Eamon—” wrong name. Their father? We haven't named Eden's legal father. Let's set "Daniel Walsh".
“Daniel Walsh was my father.”
Good.
“Biology doesn’t change that.”
Nico nodded.
“Still, medical.”
Evan sighed.
“Fine.”
Test ordered.
Results next day.
Evan was not Luca Ferraro’s son.
Probability zero.
Relief.
Then second finding:
Evan and Eden were half-siblings.
Eden stared.
Their mother same.
Different fathers.
Her father?
Daniel Walsh maybe Eden's? Evan's father? Need clarify.
Mae looked guilty.
“Margaret never told you.”
Eden laughed.
“No surprise.”
“Daniel was Evan’s father.”
“And mine?”
Mae closed eyes.
Sofia whispered:
“No.”
Nico stared at Eden.
Kane said:
“Mercer claims Luca suspected Eden was his.”
No.
This was veering toward romantic incest risk because likely Nico/Eden romance. We must avoid. Need ensure not related. Maybe test proves Eden's father someone else not Luca. Let's continue.
Independent lab found no close biological relationship between Eden and Nico.
Good.
Eden exhaled.
“Then who?”
Mae answered:
“Your father was a man named Owen Kelly.”
“A waiter?”
“Union organizer.”
“Dead?”
“Yes.”
“Actually?”
Mae almost smiled.
“Yes. I saw body.”
Finally.
Owen helped Margaret smuggle workers out North Meridian.
Luca had him killed.
Eden closed eyes.
Both her parents harmed by Ferraro machine.
Nico looked at her.
“I am sorry.”
“You didn’t do it.”
“My family did.”
“Not same.”
He had heard that before maybe.
She added:
“But it means you don’t get to pretend your father was better than Bellini.”
Nico flinched.
“Agreed.”
Hard.
Necessary.
Then Kane’s phone rang.
She answered.
Face changed.
“Bellini requested attorney.”
“Normal.”
“He named Eden.”
“What?”
“He says Eden is not just trustee.”
Kane looked at her.
“He says she is sole legal owner of Pier Nine, three warehouses, and North Meridian’s remaining legitimate assets.”
Eden stared.
“Why?”
“Margaret bought them.”
“With what money?”
“Saint Agnes.”
Sofia smiled faintly.
“Your mother was very good with paperwork.”
Eden laughed through disbelief.
Waitress with aching feet yesterday.
Property owner today.
No interest.
Then Nico’s phone buzzed.
Unknown.
A photo.
Vincent Gallo’s daughter, Rosa.
Tied to chair.
Again.
Message:
YOU ENDED FERRARO. RINALDI IS NEXT.
Signed:
D.R.
Dante Rinaldi.
The supposedly dead uncle.
Bellini was not highest authority.
War was not over.
And now the man behind North Meridian wanted Eden’s warehouses back.
Mae stayed only one hour.
Before leaving, she placed the red umbrella near Eden’s door.
“You forgot this,” Eden said.
“No.”
Mae looked at it.
“Your mother gave it to me.”
Eden frowned.
“It’s just an umbrella.”
“No.”
Mae opened the wooden handle.
Inside was a rolled strip of paper.
Another secret.
Eden groaned.
“Did nobody in my family believe in normal drawers?”
Mae almost laughed.
The paper contained twelve first names.
No surnames.
Dates beside each.
The twelve people Margaret had helped escape Dante’s camp.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Nothing.”
Eden looked up.
“Nothing?”
“They are alive. Most have families now. Some changed names.”
“Then why give it to me?”
“Because Margaret wanted you to know they existed.”
Eden stared at the list.
Proof her mother had done good without turning people back into evidence.
No addresses.
No leverage.
Just names.
Memory without ownership.
Eden rolled paper carefully.
“I’ll keep it.”
Mae nodded.
“Good.”
“Not because you told me.”
“I know.”
That mattered.
Mae left.
Nico looked at umbrella.
“Secret compartment?”
“Yes.”
“Useful.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
Eden leaned it beside closet.
A red umbrella.
May you like
Twelve names.
One more piece of her mother that belonged to memory instead of conspiracy.
