Strictly Confidential

by Terri Reed

  “Swanky?” Colleen asked.

  “Yeah. Kinda like you two, only more so. The lady dripped diamonds and the guy was a real metro type. You know, dressed real nice and looking down his nose. Only he wasn’t so tall.”

  “Can you describe them? Hair color, eye color?”

  “Look, lady, I didn’t study them. They paid cash, I gave them the notes and that was that. I ain’t seen them since. Now, if you’re done, I’ve got work to do.”

  Alessandro put his hand on Colleen’s elbow and guided her out of the casino. Once they were back on the road, Colleen asked, “Do you believe him?”

  Alessandro looked thoughtful. “Yes. I do.”

  “Why? The guy’s a sleazeball.”

  Alessandro’s mouth quirked. “The guy’s too stupido to make up a good lie.”

  “I guess. I wonder who the couple he was talking about could be. Who would buy the notes and then send a copy to Mary?”

  “I think you need to put all this in Sam’s hands.”

  She pulled a face. “Yeah, I know I need to.”

  They drove back to Colorado Springs in silence. Colleen mulled over what they’d learned. She didn’t get it. None of the clues added up. Another cryptic dead end for her story. Maybe Sam could put the pieces together.

  Alessandro pulled his car next to hers in the Quick Stop parking lot. He got out and came around the car to open her door. She took his outstretched hand, liking the way her smaller one fit nicely against his palm. She couldn’t deny they fit well together as a team.

  He raised her hand and briefly kissed the back, sending delighted little chills racing over her senses.

  “You’ll go straight to Sam?” he asked, his compelling gaze intense.

  “Yes.” She forced her mind to function. “Thank you for me taking out there.”

  “My pleasure, bella.”

  He helped her into her car and then strode back to his own. She watched him drive away. She really liked him, even if he remained a mystery to her. Even if she’d sworn she’d never take a chance on a romantic relationship. Not that she was now, only…She sighed. It felt nice to be treated so sweetly.

  She shook off the silly notion and drove to the police station. Sam wasn’t at his desk. She plopped down on his vacant cloth-covered chair. On the top of the desk was a file folder with Neil O’Brien’s name on the tab.

  Everything inside her itched to open the file and read the information on the investigation. She glanced around as her hand rested on the top of the file, her nails playing with the edge.

  “I sure hope you don’t plan to peek in that.”

  Sam’s voice came from her right. She jerked her hand away and flushed hotly. “No. Well…maybe I was thinking about it. Can you blame me?”

  Sam, looking haggard in wrinkled clothes and with dark circles under his eyes, motioned for her to get out of his chair. She complied and dragged over a metal chair.

  “No, I don’t blame you, but it would look really bad if there was even a hint that you influenced the investigation, Colleen.”

  Wincing, she put her hand on her tote. “Uh, well. I hope this won’t come across as tampering with evidence, but…” She pulled out the zippered plastic bag. “Here.”

  Sam took the bag, held it up to examine the contents, then turned hard, steely eyes her way. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but where did you get this?”

  “Neil’s office.”

  Sam groaned. “Colleen, you shouldn’t have gone there. You need to stay as far from this investigation as possible. Deputy Mayor Frost is clamoring for your head on a silver platter.”

  Colleen blinked. “Oh, man. My father will have a fit if he hears that.”

  “Yeah, since my dad is still out of commission, Frost is in charge.” Sam looked at the bagged envelope again. “Where in his office did you find it? We combed that room.”

  She told him about the blotter and about visiting Mary O’Brien. She ignored his stern frown, which only deepened when she told him that she’d already checked out Hank in Cripple Creek.

  “Woman, you are in so much trouble. What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt or worse.”

  She lifted her chin. “I didn’t go alone.”

  “Don’t tell me one of your brothers thought this scheme was okay.”

  “No. I had someone else go with me.” Please, don’t let him ask who.

  “Who?”

  She ducked her head and mumbled, “Alessandro.”

  He stared. “Did you just say my cousin’s name?”

  Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze. “Yes. I asked Alessandro to go with me. See, I’m not a complete ninny.”

  Through gritted teeth, he said, “I’ll deal with my cousin later. What did you learn?”

  She frowned and told him about the couple Hank had claimed bought the promissory notes signed by the battalion chief.

  Sam ran a hand through his hair. “Interesting. I’ll follow up on that. You, on the other hand, are barred from this investigation until you are cleared of all suspicion. Got that? Work on the fires or something else.”

  She did have something else to concentrate on: the mysterious Alessandro. For her story, most assuredly, but also to figure out the undeniable attraction she felt for the man.

  “Okay, Sam. I’ll let you do your job, but you’ll tell me if you find out anything more in Cripple Creek and if there are any prints or anything useful from that, right?” She nodded her head to the bag still in his hands.

  “Will do.”

  She stood to leave.

  “Colleen.”

  She looked at her friend and saw the concern in his eyes. “Yes?”

  “Be careful.”

  That was the third time in one day she’d been warned to be careful. She hoped everyone’s concern wasn’t an indication that trouble was around the corner.

  SIX

  Alessandro drove to Dahlia’s modern high-rise apartment. He was sure Dahlia and Escalante were the couple who had bought the promissory notes from Hank in Cripple Creek. Which meant they had been blackmailing Neil with them. But to what end?

  Was Colleen right that Neil had set the fire in the hospital? Had he been ordered to by Escalante? It made no sense. Why would Escalante bother with a hospital fire?

  Only Dahlia had the answers. Alessandro would have to continue to pursue her in order to obtain the information he needed to solve the mystery of Neil’s death, the fire and the threats to Colleen’s life.

  His guts contracted with unease at the way Colleen so carelessly put herself in danger. She needed a keeper. Someone to watch her back, since she insisted on continuing her own investigations.

  He’d mention it to Sam and pray that would be enough.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” Colleen muttered as she climbed out of the back of her parents’ dark-green Cadillac. It had been two weeks since Neil’s murder, and the coroner had finally released his body for burial. The police still didn’t have any other suspects to speak of. Only Colleen, much to her mortification.

  “Nonsense.” Liza Montgomery linked her arm through her daughter’s.

  As always, Colleen’s mom was dressed immaculately in a classic two-piece suit that fit her plump frame well. Her graying blond hair was stylishly combed back, accentuating her green eyes and rosy cheeks. “You will pay your respects like everyone else.”

  “Not everyone else is suspected of murdering Neil O’Brien,” Colleen shot back as she walked along beside her mother, careful not to step on any graves as they made their way toward the burial site.

  “Which galls me to no end,” grumbled Frank Montgomery as he fell into step with his family. He adjusted the navy-and-red striped tie at his neck. He looked good in his dark suit, which stretched nicely over his broad shoulders.

  Colleen hid a smile as she remembered the way her father had bellowed about the injustice of his only daughter being thought a killer. She’d assured him Sam was only doing his job and that no, Sam didn
’t have cotton between his ears.

  Up ahead, a crowd had gathered on the manicured lawn of the cemetery for the graveside service. As the trio drew closer, Colleen glimpsed the dark wooden coffin resting above a large pit. She shuddered, thinking how dismal it was that some people believed this life ended at the grave, with nothing but darkness beyond.

  Thankfully, she had a Savior who would take her soul to Heaven when the time came. She didn’t know what Neil’s faith had been or even if he’d had any. Sadness brought the day into somber reality.

  Her gaze sought out Mary O’Brien, Neil’s widow. She sat near the head of the gravesite, flanked on both sides by the men and women of the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The black veil Mary wore hid her face, but Colleen saw her wipe at her tears.

  Colleen’s heart squeezed with sympathy. “Excuse me,” she said and headed across the lawn toward Mary.

  As she approached, Mary said, “Colleen, thank you for coming.”

  Giving the woman a hug, Colleen said, “Let me know if I can do anything for you.”

  “You’re so kind,” Mary murmured as she turned to greet someone else.

  Colleen took her place beside her parents, joining her brothers and their wives near the middle of the crowd. Colleen’s gaze surveyed the faces of those gathered around the grave, wondering if Neil’s murderer was among them.

  Or had the person responsible not felt enough guilt to attend the funeral of the man whose life had been cut short and whose family had been destroyed?

  Who among the people of Colorado Springs had motive to kill Neil? She made eye contact with Sam.

  In her heart she knew he didn’t believe she’d done this thing, regardless of the fact that he’d found her scarf at the scene of the crime. Anyone could have planted it there. But why? Who had anything to gain by framing her?

  Behind her she heard a car pulling up. There were several indrawn breaths as Alessandro Donato stepped out of a limousine.

  He looked imposing in a severe black double-breasted suit. Colleen couldn’t control the way her heart rate sped up or the vain thought that she was glad she’d worn the dark navy pantsuit that her mother always said flattered her figure. Not that she was hoping Alessandro would notice her figure, but…

  Alessandro then turned to help Dahlia Sainsbury out of the car. Colleen’s spine stiffened and anger at herself for her foolishness made her teeth ache. Here she was, thankful she was looking good, and he arrived with another woman. Dahlia’s black knee-length dress was bettered suited for a cocktail party than a funeral.

  The pair joined the funeral service near the back at Colleen’s right. Interesting that they’d show up together. More reason to find out the exact nature of their relationship. Purely for her story’s sake, of course.

  Pastor Gabriel Dawson began the service by reading from the Book of Psalms. Then Ben Kaza, Luke Donovan and Gideon Jackson each took a turn to speak about their chief.

  Ben’s words were especially touching. He spoke of how Neil had been so encouraging after Ben had lost his sight in a fire earlier in the year. Each man had a tale that spoke of a man Colleen hadn’t known. The discrepancy reminded her that humans were very complicated and had many facets.

  She glanced over her right shoulder. Her gaze collided with Alessandro’s.

  Complicated. Yes, definitely.

  A man of many facets? She’d find out.

  Heat crept into Colleen’s cheeks as Alessandro raised an eyebrow as if to ask what she found so interesting. She gave him a tight smile and turned her attention back to the proceedings.

  Gideon Jackson informed the crowd that donations for Mary and her unborn child could be made to an account in Mary’s name at the local bank. Colleen thought that was such a generous and caring thing for the firefighters to set up.

  Pastor Gabriel and his wife Susan led the mourners in singing “Amazing Grace.”

  A movement at the edge of the cemetery in her direct line of vision snagged her attention. A man stood in the shadow of a large tree, a baseball cap concealing his hair and face.

  Colleen sought Sam’s attention and motioned with her head toward the tree. Giving her a nod of acknowledgement, he slipped out of the crowd, and to Colleen’s astonishment so did Alessandro. But as the two men hurried forward, the man in the shadows fled.

  Pastor Gabriel concluded the service with a prayer and then it seemed everyone was talking at once, wondering what had sent Sam running off.

  “Hello, all.” Lidia Vance came to stand beside the Montgomery clan.

  Liza gave her friend a hug. “How’s Max?”

  “He came home yesterday.” Lidia beamed. “He’s doing very well. We would love for you all to come to our house later this afternoon for a short homecoming gathering.”

  “Count us in,” Frank said.

  Lidia turned to Colleen. “I’ve talked with Al Crane and we’re hoping you’d be interested in writing a piece for the paper on Max and his recovery. Something to let the people of Colorado Springs know their mayor is still working hard to keep the town safe and in the black.”

  Colleen blinked. She had two other stories she was working on. Well, three if she counted the mystery of Alessandro Donato. But the expectation in Lidia’s eyes, not to mention Liza and Frank Montgomery’s, was enough to make her nod. She could multitask.

  “Good. We’ll see you at the house at three.” Lidia moved away to join her daughter, Lucia. Though Lucia had had an antagonistic relationship with Neil O’Brien, Colleen could see the sorrow in her eyes as their gazes met.

  Neil had tried to put the blame for the pediatric-wing fire at the hospital on Lucia. No way had Lucia started that fire, either on purpose or accidentally. Lucia was better than that: she was careful and meticulous. No, Neil was responsible for that fire, but with him dead it was going to be a lot harder to prove.

  Unless…perhaps he was working for someone and that someone had realized Neil was a threat and had had him killed. Maybe Neil was going to confess his part in the fire. That would explain why someone would off him. But who? The couple who’d bought the gambling debts? She hoped Sam found them soon.

  “Are you ready, dear?” asked her mother.

  Colleen shook her head as her gaze sought Dahlia. Why had Neil come to the museum the night of the opening? Was there a connection between Dahlia and Neil? Where did Alessandro fit into the equation?

  She spied the woman central to her thoughts standing alone off to the side of the gathering. Colleen quickly scanned the crowd for Alessandro. He was talking with Sam and Becca, probably explaining why he’d gone after the mysterious observer.

  She’d have given anything to be privy to that conversation, but instead decided to take the opportunity to have a chat with Dahlia.

  “Can you give me another five minutes, Mom?” she asked.

  “Of course, dear. Your father and I will be at the car.” Liza hooked her arm through her husband’s. “Come along, Frank. I’d like to say hi to Joe and Fiona before they leave.”

  The couple headed toward the cars, where Frank’s younger brother, Joe, and his wife were talking with their eldest son, Quinn.

  Colleen wasted no time weaving her way through the crowd to Dahlia. “Ms. Sainsbury.”

  Dahlia’s mouth pressed into a tight smile. “Miss Montgomery. Interesting to see you here.”

  “Yes, well.” Colleen ignored the chill in the other woman’s voice. “I was hoping I could ask you a few questions.”

  “If I can answer them, I will,” she said pleasantly enough, but her shrewd eyes glittered.

  “Do you know why Neil O’Brien showed up at the museum gala?”

  “To see the exhibition like everyone else, I suppose,” she said with a shrug.

  Colleen remembered the way Neil had seemed to be looking for someone. “Had you had any contact with him prior to that night?”

  “I didn’t have contact with him that night or any other.” Dahlia’s voice held an edge of irritation.

&
nbsp; Interesting. Why would she get defensive?

  “How long have you known Alessandro Donato?” Colleen asked, hoping by switching subjects so abruptly, Dahlia might slip her a bit of information. Sometimes the tactic worked and sometimes not.

  A calculating gleam entered Dahlia’s eyes. “You’re interested in Alessandro?”

  “Yes. No.” Colleen gritted her teeth and fought back the uncomfortable sensation of confusion running through her. “I mean, not in the way your tone implies. I’m interested for purely professional reasons.”

  “Indeed.”

  Annoyance flashed at the small smirk on the other woman’s face. Okay, this tactic wasn’t going the way Colleen had planned. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Dahlia’s gaze shifted beyond Colleen’s shoulder, and without turning around Colleen knew Alessandro was behind her. The air grew thicker and more energized.

  And if this strange awareness wasn’t happening to her, she’d have scoffed at anyone who’d said such things were possible.

  But just to be certain, she turned. Sure enough, there he stood. Mr. Tall, Handsome and Exasperating gave her a slow smile that trapped her breath in her lungs much like a punch to the stomach. A sensation she was familiar with, having grown up with two annoying but loveable brothers.

  Any hope of getting information from Dahlia was going to have to wait. Alessandro’s warning to stay out of his business and away from Dahlia rang in her head.

  Just the sort of thing that intrigued her most. A challenge with a secret.

  She would get her information.

  Alessandro couldn’t stay glued to Dahlia’s side forever. Patience would produce an opportunity.

  And she’d learn to ignore the uncanny way his presence charged the air around her. Wouldn’t she?

  “You had a question, Colleen?” Alessandro asked, his gaze steady on the blonde before him.

  What he really wanted to do was shake her and ask why she wasn’t staying away from Dahlia Sainsbury as he’d warned her to do. Someday her nosy nature was going to land her in trouble. His gut twisted. Falcon had said not to worry about her anymore, but that was proving impossible.