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Senator Cain frowned. “Now wait just one minute. When I was running for the senate, there were background checks—onbothof us. They would have turned up something like that. Besides, Della comes from one of the oldest families in Boston. We’re talking Boston blue blood, for God’s sake.”
“No, she was adoptedintoone of the oldest families in Boston,” Dan corrected. “She only found out in 1990 when Gianni approached her.”
“But how can she be part of that family?”
Dan glanced at Gary, who held up Bruno’s statement. “Mrs. Cain’s mother was dating one Nico DiFanetti, Bruno’s older brother.”
Senator Cain’s brow furrowed. “But Bruno is the oldest.”
“He is now. Two years after your wife was born, Nico was murdered.”
“But why?”
Gary shrugged. “Rivalry? Ambition? Greed? Take your pick. But his death was part of the reason Bruno decided to go legit.”
“Mrs. Cain’s mother got scared, and with good reason,” Dan told the senator. “In the forties, fifties, and sixties, the DiFanettis were at the heart of organized crime in Boston. She decided she didn’t want her unborn child having anything to do with its father’s family.”
“But she didn’t want to lose the baby either,” Gary added. “So she ‘went away’ to have it, and after Della was born, she put her up for adoption.”
“And Gianni found out the truth,” Senator Cain concluded.
Dan nodded. “He clued her in on her real family. What he proposed then was a little blackmail. She was to send reports on you or her parentage would be revealed to anyone who’d listen. In the media, in politics….”
The senator looked haggard. “Now I understand why she came back to Lenox with me this month—not once but twice—when she could so easily have stayed with our family.”
“And why she turned up in Boston the day we interviewed you,” Gary added.
“Exactly. She couldn’t let you come alone in case she missed something vital that could be passed along to Gianni.” Dan went over to Senator Cain and laid his hand on the senator’s arm. “If it’s any consolation, I had the impression she would rather have stayed away.”
“I had the same feeling,” Senator Cain admitted.
“Senator, when did your wife learn of your affair with Cheryl?” Gary inquired.
He swallowed. “In 1990. We’d managed to keep it secret for a year, but….” He gazed at them. “I don’t have a clue how she worked it out, but she did.” The senator paused. “Wait. You said she only found out she was adopted in 1990?”
Gary consulted his notes. “Yes. That was when Gianni approached her.”
It was as if some invisible weight was pressing down on Senator Cain’s shoulders. “Then maybe it wasn’t just learning of the affair that changed her.” He glanced at them. “Yes, she changed. Before then she took little notice of politics and my campaign for the senate. She gave public appearances when it was required of her, but that was all. After? Suddenly I had a wife who was interested in my work, who asked questions.” He sighed. “And now I know why. I never put two and two together.”
“I know you said she tolerated the affair, but that wasn’t the truth, was it?” When the senator stared at him, Gary sighed. “Gianni told his father that she was very bitter.” He glanced at the statement. “According to Bruno, she could have stomached you having an affair with an intern or a secretary—a female secretary, however. But finding out her husband was sleeping with—and Bruno quoted Gianni—‘A woman with tits and a dick’ was more than she could bear.”
“She said that?” The words crept out as a whisper.
“Our first visit to Lenox, you said yours was not a regular marriage,” Dan commented.
“No, it was more a marriage of convenience. My parents chose her because of her family, her social status…. They told me I’d grow to love her, just as my father had grown to love my mother. And when that love didn’t materialize, I accepted the situation and vowed to make the best of it. When we discovered she couldn’t have children, she was the one to suggest adoption.” He shuddered. “That was why I said she tolerated my affair with Cheryl. She and I… we were no one’s idea of soul mates. But I had no idea she felt so badly about it.”
Gary nodded. “She told Gianni about Cheryl, but more importantly, she told him who Cheryl had been.”
“Gianni had been looking for her for five years, except he’d been looking for Benjamin Raskin. And now that he knew exactly where to find her, he bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment.” Dan gazed at him with a heavy heart. “And you, Senator, handed it to him.”
Senator Cain’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve lost everything. Cheryl, Della, my reputation….” Gary opened his mouth to say something, but the senator held up his hand. “Oh, the public might not know anythingnow, but this will get out, I assure you. Once the media gets hold of what you’ve discovered.” Then he straightened. “Speaking of which, look what the two of you achieved. Gianni did his best to prevent identification, but he failed. You know how she died, and why. You solved the case.” His eyes shone. “And somewhere, she knows it.”
Tears pricked the corners of Dan’s eyes. “You’re right.” He felt that with every sense he possessed.
The senator’s chest heaved. “I don’t see how I can make amends. But Iwilltry.”
Dan nodded, wiping away the moisture from his cheeks.
