The Little Pumpkin PART 3 — THE SECRET IN THE PUMPKIN
The Little Pumpkin
PART 3 — THE SECRET IN THE PUMPKIN
At 11:40 p.m., Dante stood inside his private garage.
His men were preparing three armored vehicles, but he had no intention of following the anonymous message blindly.
“Find out what this key opens,” he ordered his head of security, Marco.
Marco examined the tiny silver key.
“Boss, there’s an engraving.”
Dante leaned closer.
Two letters had been carved into its surface.
D.B.
Daniel Bennett.
Within twenty minutes, Marco returned with an answer.
“It’s an old storage key. The number stamped on it matches a storage facility near the abandoned railway station.”
Dante looked toward Claire.
She had refused to leave Lily alone, so he had arranged for both of them to stay in the mansion’s secure guest suite.
“Did Daniel ever mention a storage unit?”
Claire shook her head.
“No. But he once told me that if anything happened to him, I should trust the little pumpkin.”
Dante went completely still.
“The pumpkin?”
“Yes. I thought he was joking.”
Dante looked at the silver key.
“He wasn’t.”
At midnight, Dante, Marco, and two trusted men arrived at the storage facility.
The building was nearly deserted.
Unit 214 opened with a metallic click.
Inside stood a dusty metal cabinet, several boxes of documents, and an old laptop.
Dante opened the first box.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
Copies of confidential shipping records.
And a folder bearing the name of Dante’s most trusted lieutenant.
Victor Salvatore.
Dante’s expression turned cold.
Victor had managed his Chicago operations for fifteen years.
He had attended Daniel’s funeral.
He had stood beside Dante when they lowered the coffin.
And according to the documents, Victor had been transferring money to an offshore account for nearly three years.
Marco swallowed.
“Boss, there’s more.”
He pointed toward the laptop.
A video file was saved on the desktop.
Dante pressed play.
The screen flickered.
Then Daniel appeared.
His face was thinner, his beard longer, and a scar ran across his forehead.
But his eyes were unmistakable.
“Dante,” Daniel said weakly.
Dante stepped closer.
“Daniel…”
For several seconds, he couldn’t speak.
His best friend was alive.
Daniel continued.
“If you’re watching this, then Victor has finally discovered that I left evidence behind. I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you. He has people watching Claire and Lily.”
Dante’s fists clenched.
“I know you think I betrayed you. But I never did. Victor arranged the accident, replaced the body, and paid someone to close the investigation.”
The video paused briefly.
Then Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“There is one more thing you need to know. The person who helped me escape was Elena. She’s the woman in the red hood.”
Dante glanced at the photograph in his pocket.
Daniel continued.
“Don’t trust anyone who knew about the old railway station. Especially not—”
The video suddenly cut off.
Marco examined the laptop.
“Someone remotely interrupted the file.”
Before Dante could answer, his phone rang.
It was the security chief at the mansion.
“Boss! We have a problem.”
“What happened?”
“Victor Salvatore just arrived. He says he has an urgent message for you. He’s demanding to see Mrs. Bennett.”
Dante’s eyes darkened.
“Don’t let him near her.”
“Understood.”
Then another voice came through the phone.
A familiar voice.
“Dante?”
Victor.
“Old friend, where are you? We need to talk.”
Dante stared at the frozen image of Daniel on the laptop.
“I’m busy.”
Victor chuckled.
“Then I’ll speak to Claire myself. There are things she deserves to know about her husband.”
Dante’s blood ran cold.
“What things?”
Victor paused.
Then he spoke softly.
“Daniel wasn’t the only one who survived that night.”
The call ended.
Dante immediately ordered his men back to the mansion.
When he arrived, he found Victor standing in the great hall, calmly holding a glass of whiskey.
Claire was behind two security guards.
Lily was asleep in her arms.
Victor smiled.
“Finally. There you are.”
Dante walked toward him.
“You have ten seconds to explain why you’re here.”
Victor glanced at Claire.
“Ask her why Daniel never told you about the money he stole.”
Claire frowned.
“What money?”
Victor smiled wider.
“Your husband didn’t just disappear, Mrs. Bennett. He took something that belonged to the Moretti family.”
Dante grabbed Victor by the collar.
“Careful.”
But Victor didn’t seem frightened.
Instead, he leaned closer and whispered:
“Ask Claire what Daniel hid inside Lily’s birth certificate.”
Claire’s face turned pale.
She looked down at her sleeping daughter.
Then she slowly raised her eyes toward Dante.
“There’s something I never told you…”
Dante released Victor.
“What is it?”
Claire’s voice trembled.
“Lily’s birth certificate isn’t the original. Daniel changed her surname before he disappeared.”
Dante stared at her.
“Why?”
Claire swallowed hard.
“Because Daniel told me that if anyone ever discovered who Lily’s real father was, they would come for her.”
The entire hall fell silent.
Victor began laughing.
And Dante Moretti, the most feared man in Chicago, suddenly realized that the mystery surrounding Daniel Bennett was far bigger than a staged death.
It was about a little girl in a pumpkin costume.
And the secret her father had died trying to protect.
