Gideon knew why he was here now, and he stood with Genesis not forcing a decision one way or another, just letting him know he stood with him no matter what he decided to do. Even in the face of their father's roar and harsh words. He smiled as Noah stood impassively at Genesis' other side. Genesis needed to know he wasn't alone in this and they would help him protect Olivia regardless of the cost. There were long silent minutes as Genesis struggled with his anger and fears, but eventually, he and his brothers took their seats again.
"If you're finished with your tantrum," Claudio scowled at the brothers. "I did not say that we don't believe her, just that we have failed to find any evidence thus far. The Tatar are going to help and also believe Olivia's recount of events. They also believe that the sister, Marcella, might be the key to finding out more. She seems to have her own agenda and asked questions we hadn't considered. Rather than discouraging her from pursuing Olivia's interests in the estate of Remington Royce and the wedding certificate that she claims to know nothing about despite her signature on it, we feel it will serve our needs better if you allow Marcella Gambaro more freedom to explore this avenue."
"I don't think you realise what you are asking. Marcella is like a bulldozer and has no respect for the authority of the Table or the Tatar in this matter," Noah spluttered. "She is barely civil to the men of the AFP!"
"Be that as it may be, it still seems like our best chance to discover something missed in the first sweep and subsequent cleanup. The AFP at least acknowledge Olivia had a boat that they haven't been able to locate. The evidence is clear on that, so there is cause to throw aspersions on what else they might have missed in their investigations. The fact that all evidence gathered from the estate is now being sifted through by the best forensic accountants and scientists they have at their disposal is making some agents very uncomfortable which is why some of those men are calling for Olivia's arrest," Claudio explained further. "Our contacts, like us, believe the Suebi have sympathisers within the AFP just as we have men who work with us on these cases."
"Our contacts have assured me no warrant has been issued, nor is there a hearing to discuss one scheduled at the moment. So, we have time on our side for once," Anthony added to the conversation. "Dominic's work with the Tatar is more important than ever if we wish to find out who the remaining Suebi are, where they are and what they are hiding. It would seem Olivia is a key part of this hidden agenda and the sooner we get to the truth of it all, the safer she will be."
"I agree. What you do now is important, Dominic. More important than your reasons for not doing what needs to be done," Ambrose said.
"Enough of this!" Claudio raised his voice angrily. "It is obvious that there is something to be said about your health Dominic. Now I can see the concern in Ambrose's words, and you can guarantee it is only a matter of time before I find out and tell everyone anyway, so you may as well speak," Claudio narrowed his eyes on his nephew. "Ambrose may abide by a code of doctor-patient confidentiality, but I don't."
"I'm sick. I need some treatment. I'm stepping down in favour of Noah, who has more talent than I do anyway and has already forged relationships with the Tatar. He will negotiate with his father and Isaac around his other role, but he assures me they can balance it out," Dom skimmed over the part about being sick and needing treatment as quickly as possible without looking at his fathers, hoping they would concentrate on Noah and his newly discovered skill set. His hope was futile however as anxiety and a simmering rage that they had not been informed immediately took over the leaders of the table.
Armando caught Noah's eye and nodded, his obvious pride showing in his face as he made sense of the conversation he had with Noah the day he had come into the facility. He wondered briefly how the rest of Xavier's brothers would take the news of a cousin stepping up into the Oracle position before turning back to the conversation about Dominic's illness. A brain tumour... Biopsy... Possible cancer... Fuck! This was beyond just being sick; this was life and death. Armando's anxiety rose with the rest of his brothers. He glanced at his sons again and prayed something like this would never affect them.
*****
Marcella knew she had a tail within minutes of leaving the clinic. They obviously thought her stupid or oblivious to the stupidity of table men if they thought she wouldn't check. She may not have grown up with watchmen watching her every move, but she had enough people willing to tell her parents what she was doing and who with that she had become good at evasion. She'd honed those skills, including investigation, as she got her law degree and began to practise. You have to know your opponent intimately if you ever want a chance of winning.
She sat at a red light considering her options. She knew that if she purposefully lost them this time the net would tighten around her next time. Did it matter if they followed her today? She was only going to the marina to talk to Vinnie, the sleazy marina manager she planned to threaten until he told her the truth about Olivia's boat and maybe the murder Olivia witnessed, if he had truly known about it as Remington had told Olivia he had. If the boat had been impounded there would have been at least a trace of it in the paperwork at the police impound yard, which there wasn't. That meant something must have happened to it here, that it was taken from here or hidden here. Even if it had been scuttled or torn apart for spare pieces at least Olivia would have answers.
The boat certainly wasn't new information, so she decided to let the man tail her for the moment. If there was more information, she didn't have to act on it today. It occurred to her briefly that the tail could be her father's inference. She wouldn't put it beyond him to send someone to watch her. To see if she was telling the truth about dating a Zenati man, a tabled man. She doubted it though. He barely gave his disappointment of a daughter a second thought, preferring to put all his pride and energy towards the oldest of the sisters who was living the life of a good table woman, married to a Farnese man and pregnant with her third child.
Marcella rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her older sister, Jessa, was happy. Marcella could acknowledge that much. She was happy to be away from their family more than anything, or at least that's how it was in the beginning, but on the few occasions she had seen her sister, she could see how happy and content she really was in her new life. It was hard to begrudge her that happiness. Still, being a prize broodmare for any of the Twelve Tables men was not something Marcella ever aspired to. She determined to get Olivia everything she possibly could from Royce's estate, and then she would go home and pick up the remnants of the life she had chosen for herself. At least the life she had chosen before she had found her sister alive.
Marcella pulled up at the marina manager's office and stepped from the car. She had asked Olivia some delving questions to get a good picture of the man before coming here today. She'd been planning this for days, and as soon as she had the opportunity to escape from the constant presence of Noah or Gideon who seemed to be there every time she turned around lately, she had put her plan in motion. She glanced at the reflection in the office window, seeing the dark car parked a reasonable distance away but no doors opened. She couldn't make out the men inside watching her, but she knew they wore the black of the watchmen.
It was only when she had plans with Vivienne or Olivia that Noah and his brothers seemed to disappear to take care of their own business, leaving the watchers who no doubt reported back to them. She sighed and wondered how long she had before Noah and or Gideon showed up to ruin her plans yet again. The watchers she could deal with if she had no choice. They didn't interfere or try to take over once she was on the trail of a snippet of information about the missing items, people or places that her sister spoke about in her deposition. Noah may be able to wave it off, but she had been around enough rich men trying to hide their affairs and assets from angry wives hellbent on divorce with a side serving of revenge that she knew the AFP would be doubting Olivia's story and asking if she was poised to take over the Suebi herself. Especially after finding the wedding certificate signed and officially lodged after the ceremony was interrupted.
Marcella believed her sister, however, and she was determined to protect Olivia and see that she got everything she deserved from the assets of Remington Royce's estate. This was the first step in her overall plan. When in doubt go back to the beginning and follow the same path. She opened the door and stepped into the luxurious office. It was obviously styled to impress the luxury yacht owners whose large boats seemed to take up most of the marina. She was beginning to question what Olivia had told her about the manager until he appeared from a door in the back area.
She could imagine that the man had once been very handsome, a sun-bronzed sailor who would have been very popular with the bored housewives and rich bimbos that frequented the yachting set. Now, however, his tan was starting to show the damage of too much sun, his face was creased and weather-worn, and he had a small but obvious paunch from the life of excess he had obviously led. He may once have been a popular guest amongst the rich and famous that used this marina, but now he was probably nothing more than staff, someone they paid to protect their big boy's toys. The man took her in at a glance his eyes roaming over her body with a leer before speaking.
