We laugh together while the others look baffled.
“Coleman, do we share what you told me in the car? About the reason for the attack on Eagle House?”
I don’t want to speak the wordadoptionout loud in case there’s no foundation to Coleman’s claim.
“Mr Washington and I have already spoken,” says Romano. “We’ve found no official paperwork, but knowing Dr Callico, he’d have hidden it for us to find.”
I nod. Even if we do find the paperwork and proof that Albert adopted me, nothing changes as far as I am concerned.
“Callico House has a new owner,” says Coleman. “I got the call yesterday morning.”
“So they found their legal loophole,” I say.
“Not exactly. But they did find a charitable trust willing to take over the property and deposit a nominal fee into Edward’s bank account, so to speak. A fraction of the marketable price, but what option did he have? Based on what we spoke about, Gabriel, would you consider challenging this transaction?”
“No, Coleman. I want nothing more to do with that place or the family.”
“The trustees will be very happy to hear that.”
Coleman grins broadly, and he appears far too smug.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask.
“The buyer is Noble Heritage Developments. The lawyer my wife’s been seeing performed due diligence on the trust and, after following standard procedures, gave the green light. Shamehe didn’t dig a little deeper before getting them to sign any contracts.”
Coleman looks very pleased with himself. Too pleased.
“You’re one of the trustees?”
“Buddy, I’m the goddamnChief Executive. And I know you, of all people, will approve of the next part. Once my lawyer confirms completion, we’ll start negotiations with the local authority to turn that oversized and underutilised mansion into something useful, like a YMCA or a homeless shelter. I’m sure Albert would have approved. No doubt Edward will try to make money from selling off the chattels, and, knowing the man as I do, there is no guarantee he will share any profit with Victoria. Not my problem. After the dust has settled, I’ll begin divorce proceedings. The property may cost me a little, but with the prenup and solid evidence I have on my cheating wife, I expect to walk away from this marriageandthe family with a clear conscience and, more importantly, without spending a dime more than I need to.”
Coleman’s revenge.
I find myself matching his smile and wonder what Albert would have made of the news. I hope Alice will be okay, but I know she has always been resilient.
“What happens now?” I ask, mainly to Romano.
“How about some breakfast?” suggests Josh, jumping up and clapping his hands together. “I’m starving.”
“That, young man, is an excellent idea,” says Romano. “And we should let Gabriel rest. Let’s see if he feels strong enough to join us for dinner later.”
“I would like that,” I say, and although I genuinely do feel tired, I am determined to sit at the table among my friends by the evening.
I can feel my eyelids getting heavy as I watch figures trickle out of the room. Romano stands at the doorway, usheringthem through. Lorenzo appears intent on remaining behind, but Romano waves him over, a silent communication passing between them. Coleman and Mrs Bellacci follow, and as Josh and Nishan draw level, Romano stops them to have words I cannot hear. But I know Josh’s distinctive laugh, and when his and Romano’s voices fade, I notice Nishan heading back into the bedroom.
“I won’t keep you long. Now that you’re Gabriel again, you might like your old smartphone back,” Nishan says, pulling the device from his pocket.
“I thought someone had stolen it.”
“They had. Petty thieves, turns out. Let’s just say we managed to steal the device back. And lucky for you, this tech wizard made a full backup. Did you know that when you save notes on your tablet, they replicate onto your smartphone? Not many people know that. Things like reminders, shopping lists…” Nishan smiles as he hands over the item. “Pigpen cyphers.”
As I take the phone, my eyes flash to his.
“That was you? The one who sent the messages?”
Nishan turns to check the doorway before lowering his voice. “With you all the way, Gabe. Remember that watch I gave you? Well, that crappy old timepiece has a state-of-the-art, undetectable tracking device installed, which has been piggybacking onto your phone and local networks, giving me access to security feeds and allowing me to keep tabs on you.”
“You’ve been tracking me?”