Chapter 4 - The Red Hoodie
By seven that evening, Sterling's Bistro was closed.
Not permanently.
Not yet.
A handwritten sign on the front door said PRIVATE EVENT, though there was no event.
Inside, the workers sat around tables where wealthy customers normally drank expensive wine and complained about things no one in the kitchen could afford.
Emily sat beside Rory.
Rory had eaten two plates of pasta.
Vincent insisted.
He had also ordered dessert.
Emily had protested.
Vincent had ignored her.
Now Rory was asleep with her head in Emily's lap, one small hand still clutching the repaired work log.
Vincent's attorney, Anna Mercer, stood near the bar with a stack of documents.
“The loan was issued eight months ago.”
Vincent stood across from her.
“Amount?”
“One point eight million.”
“Balance?”
“Nearly all of it.”
Emily looked up.
“How is that possible?”
Anna glanced toward her.
“Because almost none of the payments were made.”
A cook named Theo shook his head.
“We did good business.”
“You did,” Anna said.
“Then where did the money go?”
Marco answered.
“Cars. Trips. Private gambling accounts. Apartments.”
Emily stared.
“Gambling?”
Vincent looked at Marco.
“How bad?”
“We've found just over nine hundred thousand in transfers connected to sports books and private card rooms.”
Rosa cursed under her breath.
Emily covered Rory's ear.
Rory remained asleep.
Vincent paced once around the table.
“What bank holds the note?”
Anna hesitated.
“Not a bank.”
Vincent stopped.
“Who?”
“Northlake Capital.”
That name meant something.
Not to Emily.
But to every man standing around Vincent.
Marco muttered, “Damn.”
Emily looked between them.
“What?”
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
“Northlake is controlled by Dominic Vale.”
Rosa whispered, “Is that bad?”
Vincent didn't answer immediately.
Marco did.
“Very.”
Chicago had names that opened doors.
Vincent Kane was one.
Dominic Vale was another.
The difference was that Vincent believed fear should have rules.
Dominic didn't.
At least, that was what people said.
Emily wanted no part of either world.
“I need to take Rory home.”
Vincent turned.
“You're staying somewhere else tonight.”
Emily stood.
“No.”
“David knows where you live.”
“He's with investigators.”
“For now.”
“I am not letting your men take me somewhere.”
Vincent studied her.
“You walked into this restaurant today believing David Sterling was merely a dishonest employer.”
“He is.”
“He borrowed money from a dangerous lender, emptied his business accounts, falsified payroll, and attempted to destroy evidence in front of witnesses.”
Emily crossed her arms.
“And that means I should trust you?”
A few men around Vincent shifted uncomfortably.
Nobody asked Vincent Kane questions like that.
Emily apparently hadn't gotten the memo.
Vincent looked at her.
“No.”
That surprised her.
He continued.
“You shouldn't trust me because people tell you to. You should make me earn it.”
Emily said nothing.
“But you should also understand reality. David knows your daughter brought me his records. If he believes saving himself requires silencing you—”
“Don't say that.”
Vincent stopped.
Emily looked down at sleeping Rory.
Her voice broke.
“Don't say things like that near her.”
Vincent's expression softened.
“Fair.”
Anna closed the folder.
“Emily, legally, we can put you in a hotel under your own name, with security nearby rather than inside.”
Emily looked at her.
Anna seemed normal.
Professional.
Not like the men in dark suits.
“You're his attorney?”
“For twelve years.”
“And you're still alive?”
Anna stared at her.
Then laughed.
Even Vincent looked mildly offended.
Emily covered her mouth.
“I'm sorry.”
Anna shook her head.
“No. That was fair.”
Rory stirred.
Emily looked down.
For eleven weeks, she had spent every night calculating.
Rent.
Food.
Gas.
Electricity.
Daycare.
Medicine.
She had refused to tell anyone how badly things had gotten.
Pride was expensive.
She finally understood that.
“I'll stay one night.”
Vincent nodded.
“One night.”
The next morning, Emily woke in a downtown hotel suite larger than her apartment.
Rory was standing at the window.
“Mom.”
Emily sat up.
“What?”
“There's a man outside.”
Emily jumped out of bed.
Then saw Marco through the glass, standing on the sidewalk below with coffee.
“He's guarding us.”
Rory pressed her face against the window.
“Does he sleep?”
“Probably.”
“I don't think so.”
Emily's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
“Emily.”
Her stomach tightened.
David.
“You're not supposed to contact me.”
“They haven't charged me.”
“Don't call again.”
“Wait.”
Emily nearly ended the call.
Then he said, “You're about to lose everything.”
She stopped.
“You owe me five thousand dollars. I already lost everything.”
“No. You don't understand.”
“What?”
“I didn't borrow that money for me.”
Emily laughed.
“You bought a Porsche.”
“That's not what I mean.”
“Then say what you mean.”
David lowered his voice.
“Vincent Kane is using you.”
Emily looked toward Rory.
“For what?”
“To get to Vale.”
“Who?”
“Dominic Vale.”
Emily remembered the name.
David continued.
“Vincent doesn't care about your wages. Men like him don't care about waitresses.”
Emily looked out the window.
Marco was still on the sidewalk.
A little boy dropped a toy near him.
Marco picked it up and handed it back.
The boy's father thanked him.
Emily turned away.
“Why did you borrow from Vale?”
David hesitated.
“Because I had debts.”
“Gambling debts?”
Silence.
Emily's disgust deepened.
“You let twenty-three people go unpaid because you gambled away the restaurant?”
“I was going to win it back.”
She closed her eyes.
“That's what gamblers always say.”
“I had a system.”
“You had employees.”
David's tone hardened.
“And you're one of them. Remember that.”
Emily's anger rose.
“No.”
“What?”
“For eleven weeks, every conversation ended with you reminding me what I was.”
“Emily—”
“An employee. A waitress. Someone replaceable.”
She looked at Rory.
“My daughter walked past seven armed men because she believed a criminal would treat her mother more fairly than her mother's boss.”
David didn't answer.
Emily whispered, “Do you understand how ashamed you should be?”
She hung up.
At 9:00 a.m., Vincent arrived.
Rory ran to the door.
Emily caught her.
“We don't run toward dangerous men.”
Vincent entered.
Rory looked up.
“Are you dangerous?”
He glanced at Emily.
“Your mother thinks so.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
Rory considered this.
“Okay.”
She walked back toward breakfast.
Vincent watched her.
“That's it?”
Emily sighed.
“She has selective survival instincts.”
Anna arrived carrying paperwork.
The private loan payment was due at noon.
If unpaid, Northlake Capital could begin foreclosure against the restaurant property.
The workers would lose everything.
Emily asked the question everyone avoided.
“What happens if the restaurant closes?”
Anna looked at Vincent.
He answered.
“I buy the debt.”
Emily frowned.
“From Vale?”
“If he'll sell.”
“And why would he?”
“He won't.”
Vincent picked up his coat.
“So I'll give him another reason.”
Emily stood.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Vincent looked at her.
“This isn't a restaurant meeting.”
“It is my workplace.”
“Not anymore.”
“It is Rosa's workplace. Theo's. Ben's.”
“You have a daughter.”
“Exactly.”
Emily stepped closer.
“And she's watching everything I do.”
Vincent waited.
Emily's voice steadied.
“I spent eleven weeks letting a man tell me I should be grateful for being exploited because I was scared to lose a job that wasn't even paying me.”
She shook her head.
“Rory deserves to see me stop being afraid.”
Vincent looked toward Rory.
She was coloring at the breakfast table.
Finally he nodded.
“You stay beside Anna.”
“Fine.”
“And you do exactly what I tell you if things change.”
Emily raised her eyebrow.
“I said I'm coming. I didn't say you became my father.”
Anna coughed to hide another laugh.
Vincent looked at her.
“Why does everyone find this amusing?”
“No idea.”
The meeting took place inside a private club near the Chicago River.
Dominic Vale arrived with four men.
Vincent brought Marco and Anna.
Emily sat at the far end of the table.
Rory stayed at the hotel with Rosa.
Dominic was silver-haired, elegant, and smiling.
His smile never reached his eyes.
“So this is the waitress.”
Emily stiffened.
Vincent answered.
“Her name is Emily Carter.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You've caused considerable inconvenience.”
Emily stared back.
“I asked to get paid.”
Dominic laughed.
“And somehow that became my problem.”
Vincent placed David's loan agreement on the table.
“Sell me the note.”
Dominic shook his head.
“Why would I?”
“Because you'll make twenty percent today.”
“I'll make more owning the building.”
“You don't want the building.”
Dominic smiled.
“No?”
“You want the block.”
Emily looked toward Anna.
Anna whispered, “Vale has been buying nearby properties.”
Vincent continued.
“You loaned Sterling money knowing he couldn't repay it.”
Dominic's smile faded slightly.
“You have proof?”
Vincent put another document down.
“Your company commissioned a redevelopment survey before Sterling signed the loan.”
Silence.
Vincent leaned back.
“You never expected repayment.”
Dominic looked toward Emily.
“Your boss was stupid.”
Emily answered before Vincent could.
“He was desperate.”
Dominic smiled.
“Same thing.”
“No.”
Emily surprised herself.
“Desperate people sometimes make bad choices. David made the same bad choice repeatedly because he believed other people would pay for it.”
Dominic studied her.
Then slowly smiled.
“I see why Kane likes you.”
Emily's face hardened.
“He doesn't.”
Vincent remained expressionless.
Dominic laughed.
“You sure?”
Vincent interrupted.
“Sell the note.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Double.”
“No.”
“Then we foreclose.”
Vincent stood.
“Fine.”
Everyone looked at him.
Emily whispered, “What?”
Vincent buttoned his jacket.
Dominic frowned.
“You're walking away?”
Vincent nodded toward Anna.
She slid another folder across the table.
Dominic opened it.
His face changed.
Anna spoke.
“Northlake Capital's lending structure violates three disclosure requirements. If you attempt foreclosure, every document becomes part of litigation discovery.”
Dominic stared at the pages.
Vincent added, “Including your redevelopment plans.”
Dominic slowly closed the folder.
“You came prepared.”
“I usually do.”
Dominic leaned back.
“Twenty-five percent.”
“Ten.”
“Twenty.”
“Fifteen.”
Dominic extended his hand.
Vincent shook it.
The debt changed hands before noon.
Sterling's Bistro was safe.
For now.
But when Emily returned to the hotel, Rosa was waiting in the lobby.
Alone.
Emily's heart stopped.
“Where's Rory?”
Rosa looked terrified.
“She was with me.”
Emily grabbed her arms.
“Where is my daughter?”
“A woman came upstairs.”
“What woman?”
“She said she was David's sister.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“Caroline Sterling?”
Rosa nodded.
“She said there'd been an emergency. Rory heard David's name. Before I understood what was happening…”
Emily whispered, “No.”
Rosa began crying.
“They're gone.”
Vincent pulled out his phone.
Emily grabbed him.
“Find my daughter.”
Vincent looked into her eyes.
Every trace of calm disappeared.
“I will.”
Emily shook him harder.
“No.”
Her voice broke.
“Don't tell me you will.”
She pointed toward the elevator.
“Prove it.”
May you like
And for the first time in years, Vincent Kane ran.
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