Of courseIf the Bellini family had rewritten history once, there might still be proof hidden somewhere official.
That evening, Daniel stood outside the town hall again.
"Elena," he said quietly, "old mayors keep old records."
She understood immediately.
"Carlo Bellini's office."
The current mayor's father had ruled Seravalle in 1987. If anything had been buried legally — property transfers, investigations, closed cases — traces might still exist in archived municipal files.
The building was quiet after dark.
Too quiet.
Daniel knew the back entrance — he had noticed it days earlier during one of his "casual" walks around town.
"You've been planning this," Elena whispered.
"I've been preparing," he corrected.
Inside, the hallway lights were dim. Framed photographs of past mayors lined the walls.
Carlo Bellini's portrait hung near the center.
Smiling.
Confident.
Elena felt something twist in her stomach.
They moved quickly toward the records room. Most files were digitized now — but older ones were boxed and stored.
Daniel found the cabinet labeled 1986–1988 Municipal Contracts.
Locked.
He tested the handle.
"It won't—"
Click.
It opened.
Elena blinked. "It wasn't locked?
"No," Daniel murmured. "It was left that way.
Waiting.
Inside were folders neatly stacked.
Land transfers.
Construction permits.
Emergency repair reports.
And one thin folder labeled simply.
Bellini Vineyard – Special Review
Elena's hands trembled as she opened it.
Inside were inspection notes dated three days after Lucia's disappearance.
One sentence stood out:
Subterranean structure found unstable.
Access sealed upon mayoral order.
Daniel's voice dropped. "Subterranean structure."
"The cellar," Elena whispered.
But this wasn't her family's cellar.
This was Bellini property.
Which meant—
There had been more than one site involved.
At the bottom of the folder was a signature authorizing the seal.
Carlo Bellini.
And beneath it, a witness signature.
Matteo Moretti.
Elena felt the ground shift beneath her.
"They weren't just cleaning up," Daniel said quietly.
"They were coordinating."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Not distant.
Close.
Daniel shut the cabinet quickly.
The hallway lights flickered.
And a shadow stretched across the floor toward them.
They weren't alone.