Her.
Olivia.
Who she really is.
Is she really Philippe Falcione’s daughter?
If she is then Eric is his son, and it would make sense he wrote the letter even if he worked for the devil himself.
I switch screens on my computer and type in my access code for the Syndicate files.
Once I’m logged in, I type in Phillipe's name and bring up his details.
I’ve never met the man and only heard about him from my father and Viktor because of who he was in the Syndicate.
A picture of him that must have been taken before he died comes up on my computer and even at eighty years old, I can see some of the resemblance in the picture of Eric Markov that Olivia wascarrying. Phillipe just looks like an older version of Eric.
I bring up Google on another search window and type in Eric Markov’s name.Details come up straightaway with images of him and articles covering his death from five years ago.
Five years ago. That’s when everything changed up and Viktor and I teamed up with the D’Agostinos. It was when we got the letter.
I click on the article that has more coverage.
Eric Markov and his best friend Robert Carson die in a car crash in San Francisco Bay…
I scan over the article reading the details of how his car was found blown up and evidence of two bodies found with personal effects of both men.
But Olivia said she heard Jude talking about staging her brother’s death.
In my world burned bodies are exactly how you do something like that and if they were burned like this… well that means you can make people believe anything you want.
If Jude staged Eric’s death, knowing he would have to wait five years to marry his sister, and he’s keeping him alive, the question is why.
If that’s even true, then what benefit is Eric to Jude and Igor alive? And for so long?
If he was indeed the author of the letter, then his captivity explains his absence all these years in our fight and it definitely explains his motive to help us if his father was killed in the bombing. He would have known the Order was responsible or had an idea.
I pull the picture of Eric from the article and flick back to the Syndicate files to grab a picture of Phillipe when he wasyounger.
Placing the images side by side, I see for myself I could be looking at the sameperson.
If I saw these guys in real life, I’d definitely believe it was the same guy, and if I saw the older version of Phillipe and Eric together, I’d wouldn’t question if they were father andson.
Just from looking I can see it must be true. But what’s the story behindthem?
It’s fucking odd that the Markovs would have been left out of everything like they didn’t exist. Odder yet, given their business.
But I guess not all that surprising if this was a family who came about as a result of an affair.
Eric was twenty-four years old when he supposedly died.When Massimo was reforming the Syndicate, he naturally approached the heirs of the old Syndicate.
While Viktor and I answered, Phillipe’s sons turned him down. We all thought it was strange when they didn’t want to join our cause because Phillipe was their father, but we respected their wishes.
I guess if I want to know more Persephone Falcione is the best person to speak to and I’m curious enough to want to find out. If only to confirm for myself Eric is Phillipe’s son, and basically what happened.
So, I pick up the phone and dial Persephone’s number listed in the Syndicate files.
“How may I help you?” A man answers after the third ring.