Chapter 232: An Ambush
Leander decided to bring the dinner to the bedroom. Steve was standing by the stairs clenching a folder in his hands. It looked important. Gesturing for him to go to the office, Leander walked up the stairs.
Viviana was still sleeping. He placed the dinner on the breakfast table and went to the office.
"The transaction details of the money from Signora’s account before she..." Steve offered the file to Leander.
Leander got the file and shifted through it. After passing through many accounts and going through many mutations, the money close to $250,000 was deposited in a trust belonging to Father Flannagan.
He didn’t have to guess where he was from... Abenney!
He was a Priest in St. Michael’s Church, Abenney. He was supporting a bunch of orphans using his trust. He also remembered that name from somewhere else.
The fire!
If Father Flannagan was with St. Michael’s orphanage before the fire and if what Gabriella said was true, then it makes sense if she sent all her life savings to him. She knew him since when she was a child. She suffered in the fire.
And if she is Melanie, then, she suffered a lot more.
She was there when it all went down, and she was the only witness. They lied to protect her and even her dying declaration was treated like dust. She carried the wound in her heart all these years. She knew all the secrets, yet she watched everything get burnt to ashes without being able to do anything.
When she was young, they saved her life by faking her death. Years later, she wanted to end her life to get back at the family who destroyed her everything.
"You cousin Russo ever talked to you about the Abenney fire, Steve?" Leander asked. He didn’t expect to hear the truth from Steve. But he wanted to put it out that he was open to getting answers.