by Laura Scott
“Yeah, we called every person on his list to validate his story,” Butler agreed. “We’re pretty certain he could be involved, but there’s been no way to prove it.”
“Would a second missing person help?” Jonah asked. He began to fold his copy of the report, as Butler had agreed that he could keep it.
“Depends on what information you’ve found in the course of your investigation. We had to tiptoe around Caruso the first time, because he’s a state senator.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much,” Jonah confessed. Sensing Nick’s growing impatience with the one-sided flow of information, he decided to give him what he could. “But we believe Caruso may be involved in money laundering in addition to attempted murder. We have two dead men, Hugh Jefferson and Eric Holden, who were both huge financial contributors to Caruso’s last campaign. We have reason to believe they were involved in the money-laundering scheme, too. In fact, we think Caruso was the man in charge.”
“Really?” Nick Butler’s eyes had brightened with the news.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a lot more, other than what I have already told you. They had at least one dirty cop working for them, and all three died in a fire on Jefferson’s yacht. Just a few days before they all died, Mallory Roth went missing.”
Nick leaned closer. “Do you really think you have a dirty cop still working for Caruso?”
“Yeah, I do. I went searching for Mallory Roth and the only person I’d been in contact with was my boss. I told him I had found her, and suddenly our motel is set on fire, the doors locked from the outside.” Jonah didn’t even like thinking about how close they’d come to dying that night. “We made it out alive, but I’ve obviously cut off all communications with him.”
“Dirty cops make me sick,” Nick muttered with a scowl. “But you found Mallory Roth?”
“Yeah, but I want to keep that information low-key for now. At this point we only have her word against his.” Jonah wrote his new cell-phone number on a napkin and pushed it across the table. “If you find out anything else, will you call me? And I’ll keep you in the loop of my investigation, too.”
“Sure thing.” Butler stuffed the napkin in the front pocket of his shirt. “I wish you luck, Stewart. If we’re both right, Caruso’s a slippery one. It’s not going to be easy to take him down.”
“I know.” Jonah rose to his feet and held out his hand. “Take care.”
Jonah straddled his motorcycle and started the engine. He hoped the traffic wasn’t too bad—he was sure Mallory wouldn’t be happy that he was gone so long.
But the trip hadn’t been a total waste. For one thing, Nick had confirmed his suspicions that they’d considered Caruso a possible suspect. And that Caruso had been out of town in Washington D.C. during the twenty-four-hour time frame when Claire had disappeared.
So while he didn’t find out a lot of new information, he felt as if they were on the right track.
He made good time getting back to the motel. As he drove into the parking space right in front of their rooms, he frowned when he noticed Mallory’s window was dark. He could just make out the flickering light from the TV.
After parking his bike, he opened his door and pulled off his helmet as he strode to the open doorway between their rooms. “Mallory?”
No answer. He flipped on a light so he could see, even though it wasn’t quite dark outside yet. He poked his head in the bathroom. No sign of Mallory.
He stood in the middle of the room, sweeping his gaze over her belongings. The bags from her recent purchases were still scattered on her bed, but her purse was gone.
Helpless panic surged. Where was she? Had she left on her own? Or had Caruso found her after all?
He never should have left her alone. Never.
EIGHT
Mallory’s taxi driver dropped her off outside of Crabapple Park. She tipped him and asked for his card so she could call him when she was finished. Trying to look carefree, she ambled through the park, circling the merry-go-round twice before a woman dressed casually in jeans and a pink hoodie sweatshirt approached. “Are you Mallory Roth?”
Her heart sank as she turned to face the woman. She had blonde hair, but wasn’t dressed in the corporate suit she’d expect of a VP. Rachel Simon must have sent someone in her place. “Yes, I’m Mallory.”
There was a slight hesitation before the woman formally held out her hand. “I’m Rachel Simon. I believe you wanted to speak with me?”
Mallory stared at her for a moment, not sure if this woman was really Rachel or if this was some trick. “I’m sorry, but do you have your ID handy?”
There was a flash of annoyance, but Rachel obliged her. “I changed my clothes in case I was followed.”
Looking past the clothes, the woman did resemble the photo on the internet, so she decided to trust her. “I would like to speak with you. Could we sit down?”
“Of course.” Rachel Simon led the way over to an isolated park bench. She sat down at an angle so they could see each other as they spoke.
Now that she was face-to-face with Caruso’s ex-wife, Mallory wasn’t sure where to begin. She wished she’d waited for Jonah. What on earth made her think she could play detective? “I’m sorry, but I don’t know where to begin.”
“Why don’t you start by telling me why Anthony wants to kill you?” Rachel bluntly asked.
Okay, then. “Because I overheard him discussing how to cover up a murder,” Mallory admitted. “I was hoping you could explain why you divorced him.”
Rachel shrugged and glanced away. “Suffice it to say we didn’t want the same things out of life.”
Mallory narrowed her gaze, her mind racing. Clearly Caruso’s ex wasn’t going to give him up easily. “Look, Ms. Simon, I’m in trouble. Caruso has already tried to frame me for murder, and he’ll keep trying to kill me if I can’t come up with some proof to use against him in court. Proof that he’s involved in something illegal. So let’s be honest with each other, okay? Did you divorce him because of his involvement with money laundering?”
“Money laundering?” The surprise in Rachel’s dark eyes was all too real. She shook her head. “No, he must have gotten involved with that after we went our separate ways. Although I honestly can’t say that I’m surprised.”
A flicker of hope made her lean forward eagerly. “Why aren’t you surprised? Did you discover other illegal activities he was involved in?”
There was a long silence as Rachel Simon stared down at her clasped hands. “Yes, you could say that,” she finally admitted. “I discovered that some of the high-powered supporters of his campaign had connections with organized crime. When I confronted Anthony, he laughed and told me to mind my own business.”
“Did he try to hurt you?” Mallory asked, suspecting there was far more to the story than Rachel was letting on.
“I was afraid he might, so I went to my father’s lawyer, who helped me put together an agreement that Anthony couldn’t refuse. I’d stay silent about what I’d discovered if he’d grant me a divorce. Anthony wisely agreed to the terms.”
The flicker of hope died. “So you can’t help me.”
Rachel smoothed out a wrinkle in her jeans. “I’ve kept silent all these years but after that woman disappeared, I began to wonder if it was worth it.”
“You mean Claire Richmond?”
Rachel nodded. “One day, her body will be found but there won’t be a shred of evidence linking her death to Anthony.” Her tone was full of bitterness.
“How do you know he’s involved?” Mallory asked. “I mean, suspecting him is one thing, but you would have had to see something to know for certain.”
“I know because Anthony told me.” Rachel lifted her head and looked Mallory straight in the eye. “Once the media picked up on her disappearance, I received a bouquet of red roses. The card read, ‘If you ever break your promise, the same thing will happen to you and those you love.’”
Mallory sucked in a harsh breath. “He threat
ened you?”
“Oh, yes, he threatened me. And I believe him.” Rachel stared over at the merry-go-round, where kids were squealing with joy. “Marrying Anthony Caruso was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life. And even though we’re divorced, I’ll never be free of him. Never.”
“That’s not true,” Mallory said as she reached over to lightly clasp Rachel’s arm. “You can be free of him. All we need to do is to find enough proof to get Caruso arrested. You need to work with us on this.”
“Us?” Rachel tore her arm away and jumped to her feet, her accusing gaze harsh. “I thought you were alone. You didn’t say anything about working with someone else.”
Recognizing the stark fear in Rachel’s eyes, she held out her hand in an effort to calm her down as she slowly rose to her feet. “I was saved from Caruso’s thug by a Milwaukee police detective named Jonah Stewart. But he’s not here now, and he doesn’t know I’m meeting with you. I promise you, he doesn’t know I’m here.”
“I shouldn’t have come,” Rachel muttered, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”
“Wait! Please don’t go. Don’t you realize there’s strength in numbers? Maybe you and I can’t take Caruso down by ourselves, but together we can do this.”
But Rachel was already shaking her head. “You don’t understand. We have a nine-year-old son, Joey. Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn’t. I’d never risk anything happening to my son. I’m afraid you’ll have to find your evidence against Anthony without me.”
“But—” Mallory watched helplessly as Rachel turned and began walking away. “Please, don’t go!”
Abruptly, Rachel stopped and turned back to face Mallory. “Whatever you decide to do, be careful. Anthony is ruthless. You were right when you said he’d keep after you until he succeeded. He is not a man to mess with. But know this—if you repeat any part of this conversation to the authorities, I’ll deny every word. I have staff members who will testify that I’ve been in a meeting with them during this exact time frame.”
Mallory’s shoulders slumped with dejection. Rachel might have agreed to meet with her out of pity, but she wasn’t going to allow herself to become involved. And after learning about her son, Mallory couldn’t really blame her.
Anthony hadn’t told her about his son.
“I understand, Rachel. But please, if you change your mind, call me. You have my number, right? I promise we would do everything possible to keep you and your son safe.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Rachel advised before she turned and walked away.
Mallory let her go, her stomach knotted with despair. She’d probably blown the one chance they had to get the proof they needed to take down Caruso. And there was nothing she could do about it, except go back and tell Jonah what happened.
And hope he could find a way to forgive her.
* * *
The lights were blazing from her room as well as Jonah’s when the taxi driver let her out in front of the hotel. For a moment she was tempted to jump back in to go somewhere else—anywhere but here.
Reminding herself she wasn’t a coward, she paid the driver and then used her key to open the door. The minute she entered the room, Jonah came rushing through the open connecting doors, his eyes wild. “Are you okay? What happened? Where have you been?”
Knowing he was worried about her safety made her feel even worse. “I’m fine,” she hastened to reassure him. “I’m sorry I forgot to leave a note.”
Jonah raked a gaze over her, as if to check that she was really okay, before he crossed his arms about his chest and glared at her. “You shouldn’t have gone anywhere at all. What part of being safe don’t you understand, Mallory? Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through?”
“I already apologized,” she reminded him, keeping her tone even with an effort. “And yelling at me isn’t going to change what happened. If it makes you feel any better, I know I was wrong. And I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“What happened? You look upset.” Instantly, his anger turned to concern.
She dropped into a chair and sighed. “I went to meet with Caruso’s ex-wife. She knows he’s involved with something illegal, but she won’t help us.”
Jonah couldn’t have looked any more flabbergasted. “Caruso’s ex-wife? I didn’t even know he had an ex-wife!”
“He happened to mention his divorce, shortly after we first met,” she admitted. “And they’ve been divorced for a long time, almost ten years. Apparently she promised to keep his secret if he granted her a divorce.”
“And you expect me to believe Caruso went along with it?” Jonah scoffed. “I doubt it. He’d just silence her the way he has silenced everyone else who crossed him.”
“Her family is wealthy and powerful. He probably knew their word would carry a lot of credibility.”
Jonah stared at her for a long moment. “What’s her name?”
“Rachel Camille Simon. And before you think you can leverage her cooperation where I failed, you should probably know they have a son. And she’s convinced Caruso would kill his own son if he even suspected she broke her promise.” When Jonah scrubbed his hands over his face, she knew just how he felt. Her clue had only led them to a dead end. “So, how did your meeting with the Chicago P.D. go?”
“About as good as yours,” he said drily. “They have suspicions that Caruso is involved in Claire’s disappearance, but no proof.”
“So what should we do now?”
Jonah sighed. “I say we go out for dinner.”
“Dinner?” she echoed incredulously. “That’s it? We just go out for dinner?”
“We’re going to eat at Salvatore’s restaurant, in downtown Chicago. It’s the only other link we have to Caruso at this point. And besides, I’m hungry.”
* * *
Jonah’s pulse still hadn’t settled down by the time they’d arrived at the restaurant. He couldn’t believe Mallory had actually gone off to talk to Caruso’s
ex-wife without telling him. Or waiting for him.
“Oh, look, outside seating.” Mallory pulled off her helmet and ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“Actually, I’d rather sit inside. It’s our best chance to find out something about the owner himself, Bernardo Salvatore,” he said.
She shrugged but didn’t say anything more as they walked inside. Thankfully, the place wasn’t too fancy, although the food smelled heavenly. “This way,” the hostess said in a soft Sicilian accent.
“Does Mr. Salvatore himself ever eat here?” Jonah asked as she stood by a small table for two and waited for them to take their seats. “I would love to meet him sometime.”
The hostess’s expression remained neutral, although he sensed she wasn’t entirely pleased by his question. “Mr. Salvatore is very busy, but yes, he does occasionally stop in for dinner, although he prefers to be left alone.” She quickly went on to describe the specials for the evening, and Jonah couldn’t help but find her reaction curious.
Once the hostess left, Mallory leaned forward. “That was a little strange,” she whispered. “I got the impression she was warning us off.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jonah glanced at the menu, wincing a little at the prices. They were getting low on cash. Even though Gage had agreed to get him more, he couldn’t help wondering if this was a bad idea. What could they learn from eating here? He considered getting up to leave, but decided that would only fuel any suspicions the hostess already had. “What would you like to eat?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs,” Mallory said, picking one of the cheaper items on the menu. “I’m in the mood for comfort food.”
“Sounds good.”
The server came by and introduced herself as Kate. She was young, blonde and slender, reminding him a bit of Claire Richmond. After she took their order, he flashed a warm smile and went with his gut. “Did you know Claire Richmond? She’s an old friend of ours. She used to w
ork here, right? Before she landed her big modeling contract?”
Kate’s bright smile dimmed and a hint of alarm flashed in her eyes. “Uh, no, I didn’t know Claire.”
“But she used to work here, didn’t she?” he persisted, instinctively knowing he was on the right track.
Her gaze was a bit uncertain, as if she wasn’t sure what to say, but then she shook her head. “I don’t know. Excuse me but I need to place your order with the kitchen.” The waitress couldn’t get away from their table fast enough.
“How did you know Claire Richmond worked here?” Mallory asked in a low voice.
He shrugged and grinned wryly. “Lucky guess. Where else would a twenty-one-year-old meet a man like Caruso? And land a big modeling contract?”
“She looked scared,” Mallory murmured, staring at the door Kate had disappeared through. “Maybe you should have told her you’re a cop.”
Jonah knew that sometimes people were more likely to open up to someone outside of law enforcement. “I’d rather pretend to be a concerned friend of the family.”
Their dinner arrived in record time, and Jonah tried to catch the gaze of the young man who brought their food, but he simply dropped the plates and left. No one stopped by to offer freshly grated Parmesan cheese or ask how their meal was, which he also found very peculiar. Apparently, the management at Salvatore’s was anxious to get rid of them because he’d asked too many questions.
Kate didn’t return until they’d finished their meal. “Hope everything was all right. Are you interested in dessert?”
He looked at Mallory, who shook her head. “No thanks. Just the check, please.”
“Certainly.” Kate’s perky smile and cheerful attitude were back in place, as if nothing had transpired earlier. But when she brought over the vinyl case holding their bill, she leaned close. “Abby knew Claire—she’ll be outside,” she whispered, before adding at a normal volume, “You can pay me whenever you’re ready. Thanks for dining with us this evening.”
“We enjoyed our meal, didn’t we, honey?” he asked, beaming at Mallory like a devoted boyfriend. He placed cash in the vinyl folder and pushed it toward Kate.