The Man Who Called Himself an Uncle
Chapter 07 - The Man Who Called Himself an Uncle
Peter Wexler had attended Leo's christening. He knew which wine Dominic preferred and where Amelia kept the Christmas decorations. To outsiders, he was practically family. To Leo, he was "Uncle Peter," a man who brought elaborate toy cars but never remembered the child's birthday.
When Peter's lawyer contacted Miriam, the message was blunt: any allegation of wrongdoing would be contested. Peter claimed he had followed foundation procedures and had never discussed Amelia's travel plans with Celeste.
Then the independent audit uncovered invoices from Caldera Strategies, approved by a foundation subcommittee Peter advised. The company claimed to have trained medical volunteers in three boroughs. Two listed clinics denied receiving the training. A third had closed months before the billed date.
Miriam sent the records to the proper authorities. She made no promise about criminal charges or outcomes. The financial pattern needed examination, and the investigation would proceed independently of Dominic's anger.
Dominic spent the afternoon at a children's art exhibit instead of confronting Peter. Leo had painted a blue moon above a brick house. When the instructor complimented his colors, the boy glanced toward his father, waiting to see whether he'd approve.
"I love it," Dominic said. "Tell me about the house."
"It has two doors," Leo replied. "One for happy people and one for sad people."
Dominic knelt beside him. "What if somebody is both?"
Leo considered this, then painted a third door in bright yellow. "Then they can use whichever one they need."
That evening Dominic placed the painting in his study, replacing an expensive abstract canvas. His business associates noticed. He didn't care. It was the first artwork his son had made while believing his father would actually look at it.
Later, Nora received a message from a number she didn't recognize. A photograph showed Claire leaving her college laboratory. The accompanying text read, *The Russo family has enemies. Your sister shouldn't become part of their fight.*
Nora's hands turned cold. She forwarded the message to Miriam and contacted campus security rather than answering. Claire was moved to a safer housing arrangement while the threat was assessed. Nora hated that her sister had been frightened because she refused to lie.
Dominic offered practical help, then stopped himself before trying to solve Nora's fear with an instruction. "Tell me what support would actually help," he said.
"Let the police do their job. Let Claire finish school. Don't let your people turn her life into a spectacle."
"Agreed."
Leo came into the study carrying his blue toy moon, a shape he'd made from clay. He gave it to Nora. "Mommy used to say a moon can be there even when we can't see it."
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Nora smiled through tears. "She was right."
A quiet man from the former household staff arrived the next morning with an envelope. His name was Samuel Price, and he had driven Amelia's car for years. He had been off duty on the night of the crash. But, he said, the vehicle had been returned from a service appointment that afternoon, one scheduled by Peter rather than Amelia. Samuel had kept a copy of the work order after something about the paperwork bothered him.
