Chapter 31 - The Girl Who Knew His Grandfather’s Name
Three weeks after Matthew Davis introduced Lily Chen to his family at Romano’s, a twelve-year-old girl walked into his trauma clinic carrying a photograph of Dominic Davis.
Matthew knew his grandfather’s face immediately.
He had spent half his childhood trying to escape it.
The girl placed the photograph on his desk.
“You’re his grandson.”
Matthew stared at her.
She was thin, pale, and wearing a red hoodie two sizes too large. Her dark hair had been cut unevenly around her jaw. A hospital bracelet circled her wrist.
Across from her sat a social worker named Karen, who looked equally confused.
“Emily,” Karen said gently, “Dr. Davis is here to help you.”
“I know.”
Emily never took her eyes off Matthew.
“That’s why I picked him.”
Matthew leaned back slowly.
His office was deliberately warm. Soft lamps. Beanbags. Shelves of games. Nothing about it resembled the cold penthouse of his childhood.
Yet suddenly he felt six years old again.
“What’s your last name?” he asked.
“Mercer.”
Nothing.
“Where did you get the photograph?”
“My dad.”
“Who is your father?”
Emily swallowed.
“Daniel Mercer.”
Matthew still did not recognize the name.
Then Emily turned the photograph over.
Three words were written on the back.
PORT SEVENTEEN. 2008.
Matthew stopped breathing.
He knew Port 17.
Years earlier, during Victor and Hannah’s engagement party, Raymond had exposed Victor’s violent past there. Victor had admitted breaking a contractor’s hand and threatening his brother.
Matthew had been nine.
He remembered every word.
“Your father worked at the docks?” Matthew asked.
Emily nodded.
“He said your family ruined ours.”
Karen shifted awkwardly.
“Emily’s father disappeared six days ago.”
Matthew looked at her.
“Disappeared?”
“The police believe he left voluntarily,” Karen explained. “There are financial problems. Some substance abuse history.”
“He didn’t leave,” Emily said sharply.
“How do you know?”
Emily pulled an envelope from her hoodie.
“My dad gave me this the night before he disappeared.”
Matthew opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
If anything happens to me, find Matthew Davis. Do not go to Victor.
Matthew read the last sentence twice.
Do not go to Victor.
His stomach tightened.
“Why me?”
Emily’s eyes filled.
“Dad said you’re the only Davis who never hurt anybody.”
That sentence struck harder than she could know.
Matthew looked down at his hands.
“I’m not sure that’s true.”
“You’re a doctor.”
“That doesn’t make me good.”
“You help kids.”
“I try.”
Emily leaned forward.
“My dad said your grandfather kept something that never got found.”
Matthew’s heart began pounding.
“What?”
“A list.”
“What kind of list?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where?”
“He said somebody was looking for it.”
Matthew glanced at Karen.
“Did you tell the police?”
Emily shook her head violently.
“Dad said not to.”
“Emily—”
“He said the police wouldn’t know who they were working for.”
Matthew felt an old chill.
That sounded like Dominic’s world.
But Dominic was long dead.
Raymond was dead.
Anthony was imprisoned.
The old network had collapsed decades earlier.
Hadn’t it?
Matthew took out his phone.
He stared at Victor’s number.
Do not go to Victor.
He hated secrets.
His family had nearly destroyed itself with them.
So he called.
Victor answered on the second ring.
“What happened?”
Matthew blinked.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You never call me at two-thirty on a Tuesday.”
“I call you.”
“You text. Calls mean blood, police, or your mother made you feel guilty.”
Matthew almost smiled.
“Dad.”
Victor heard the change.
“What?”
“I need you at my office.”
A pause.
“How fast?”
“Now.”
Victor arrived twenty-two minutes later.
Hannah came with him.
Of course she did.
Emily’s face changed when Victor entered.
The legendary Victor Davis was sixty now. Gray at his temples. Expensive coat. Same scar. Softer eyes.
But fear did not care about age.
Emily stood.
“That’s him.”
Victor stopped.
Matthew immediately moved between them.
“Dad, sit.”
Victor looked offended.
“I’m not attacking a child.”
“She doesn’t know that.”
That silenced him.
Hannah crouched beside Emily.
“I’m Hannah.”
Emily stared.
“The waitress?”
Hannah sighed.
“Apparently I’m going to be called that until I die.”
Emily almost smiled.
Matthew handed Victor the photograph.
Victor looked at it.
His face changed instantly.
“Daniel Mercer.”
“You know him?”
“Yes.”
“Who was he?”
Victor sat down heavily.
“His father was Samuel Mercer.”
Matthew’s stomach tightened.
“The contractor from Port 17?”
Victor looked at him.
“Yes.”
Emily whispered, “You broke my grandfather’s hand.”
Victor did not lie.
“Yes.”
Hannah watched him carefully.
Victor looked at the twelve-year-old girl.
“I was twenty-four. I was cruel. There is no excuse.”
Emily’s chin trembled.
“My dad said you destroyed our family.”
Victor absorbed it.
“He may be right.”
Matthew had never loved his father more than in moments like this.
Not because Victor was innocent.
Because he no longer ran from guilt.
Emily pushed the envelope across the desk.
Victor read Daniel’s warning.
Do not go to Victor.
His jaw tightened.
“That’s sensible.”
Matthew frowned.
“What?”
“If Daniel believed someone from the old network survived, he would assume I might still be connected.”
“You aren’t.”
“I know that. He doesn’t.”
Emily whispered, “Is my dad alive?”
No one answered.
Hannah took her hand.
“We’re going to find out.”
Victor looked at Matthew.
“No private armies. No threats. No old methods.”
Matthew nodded.
“Good.”
Victor pulled out his phone.
“I’ll call a federal investigator I trust.”
Emily suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“No!”
Victor froze.
“My dad said the list has judges on it.”
Silence.
Then Matthew noticed something beneath the photograph.
A tiny handwritten number.
Victor saw it too.
Hannah looked between them.
“What?”
Victor’s face went pale.
“Dominic used three-digit numbers for storage lockers.”
Matthew felt cold.
“Where?”
“Places nobody connected to him.”
Emily looked terrified.
Matthew reached for the photograph.
The family thought Dominic’s empire had died decades ago.
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But somewhere in New York, a missing man had apparently found one final piece of it.
And now his daughter had delivered the key directly to Victor Davis’s grandson.
