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“Destruction my girl,” Mary answers. “Your mother had seriously incriminating evidence against Congressman Patterson, that would not only lose him his position but would lock him away in prison for many, many years.”
My mouth drops. “What? My mother had all of that?”
“Yes. At the time Congressman Patterson was the Cook County treasurer but considered one of the wealthiest men in America. A man who had various connections and worked with a number of different people. The files are evidence of rigging votes and links to the international sex trade and drug trafficking. Which is where the Fontaines come in. That’s what they do and how they’ve been able to carry on doing what they do and stay in so much power. It’s because Congressman Patterson is in charge.”
My heart just about stops in my chest as I look at them both. They’re being serious.
I’m trying to take it all in and I wish like hell Salvatore had been allowed to come in with me because the shock is taking me whole.
The pieces of the puzzle are coming together though, they sure as fuck are.
Even I know how much of a mystery it’s been to figure out what links the Fontaines have in the government. This is it. Congressman Patterson.
“Oh God…” I wince.
“She and William were going to expose him for his crimes. They were seeing each other and planned to be together. I… know this is hard for you to hear because of your father but that was the plan. It just didn’t happen that way.”
Adrian signs and Mary stops talking. She looks to him then to me.
“He wants me to tell you that he thinks the Fontaines have some sort of spy because of the way things played out. It wasn’t normal and there were so many loose ends and questions. There was no way your mother would have died if there wasn’t someone like that around. He thinks she happened on the files by accident.”
“I figured she must have gotten them at the office,” I fill in. “The office where she worked with William.”
Adrian shakes his head.
“She didn’t get them from the office. She came to William when she already had possession of them,” Mary informs me.
I narrow my eyes. That doesn’t make any sense at all.
“Did she say where she might have got them?” I ask.
Adrian closes his eyes and once again shakes his head.
He signs to Mary.
“Adrian met with William and your mother. His job existed solely to keep secrets safe. That’s what he did. No one is supposed to know his name because he never went by his real name in public circles. So anyone who knew it wasn’t going to be anyone good. Except you.” She stops and draws in a breath. “It was me who heard that you were looking for Adrian. I mentioned you to him and we knew you couldn’t have wanted trouble but you must have stumbled over some truth.”
“Yes. That’s what happened. I don’t understand any of this. It’s all so bizarre. I don’t get where my mother would have found the files.”
“He was never told that. She handed the files over to him. He was supposed to wait for William to contact him.”
William wouldn’t have contacted him because he didn’t know that Adrian had the files. He never got mom’s message.
She pauses for a few seconds and brings her hands together. “Adrian found out William was killed so he hid the files. He was on his way to Washington when his car was run off the road. The Fontaines came for him. They knew his name. The picture was clearly something she wanted to give William herself and never got the chance to.”
“All my mom’s stuff got taken to my grandmother’s house. Everything. My Dad couldn’t bear to have her things around. The grief took him down for years.”
She nods understanding. “The Fontaines thought Adrian had the files on him so they tried to kill him and get them back. They burned him and I managed to get to him with a rescue team before they could do worse. I’m ex-navy so I had my contacts. We’ve been in hiding ever since. Hiding here.”
God… this is surreal. “I’m so sorry this happened. It feels …” I don’t know what the word is to describe what it feels like other than bizarre. “The Fontaines think I have the files.”
She smiles and Adrian looks at her.
“Well, you do, or you will,” she answers and he pulls a key from his pocket.
He signs to Mary.
“Your mother told him you were the only person who would know what this opened. Not that she wanted to involve you. I think it was more a matter of speech,” Mary says and hands me the key.
