by Zoey Kane
"Yeah, right," Vinny Larkins scoffed, sitting next to Mike. "They got nothing." He turned to his friend and boss. "Did I ever tell you that I like the name Sonny Switch? It’s got sort of a ring to it. You could get your towels monogramed ‘S. S.’"
To only a select few, including Vinny, Mike was Michael Santino, his birth name. But to the world, he was the infamous Sonny Switch. Although the name was false, everything that was spoken of him was true.
"In other news, following the recent slaying of restaurant owner Marco Gonzalez by twenty-seven-year-old Jacob Ramirez who conspired with Marco’s wife, Betty Gonzales, cell phone footage has shown a man chasing after Jacob Ramirez through the streets in broad daylight."
Mike watched his son weave through cars, gunning after Ramirez. Mike knew his son hadn’t been hurt during the chase, but seeing Tony barely escape oncoming traffic made his gut twist. The clip fast-forwarded to Tony tackling Ramirez on the pavement.
"I swear your boy reminds me of you," Vinny said.
Mike couldn't hide his grin. The cell-phone video zoomed in on Tony's face, causing him to freeze.
He has his mother's eyes... Rose.
For too long, Mike had sought vengeance for the murder of his wife. Years ago, he lived a double life. In JewelCove, he was husband and father, and in West Emily, he was a menace.
Ironically, and unfortunately, the day Rose was killed was the day he had been ready to come clean about his criminal activities.
After her slaying, Mike had worked hard to convince the world (including Tony) that he was the killer, and attempted to take his own life out of guilt—by paying off cops, the press, and pretending to be hauled to prison.
In doing so, he believed Tony wouldn’t become a target of who was after him—Mike Santino.
Not Sonny Switch.
The theory that someone had found out his true identity and thus killed Rose made the most sense. However, their silence to the media over the matter was something Mike wondered about for the past ten years. During that time, he’d been hunting the killer down.
He'd gotten close, many times, to uncovering a face. A face that always pointed to the Giovanni abominations. But his leads kept falling short. To Hell and back, it frustrated him that he couldn’t wrap his hands around the unknown person’s neck.
Until recently.
Mike had devised a plan to get in close to the Giovanni circle. And Gia Rizzo was his way in. First, he needed Tony on his side.
"I've decided how I'm going to make contact with my son," he said.
"How?" Vinny asked, skeptical. "Are you going to send him a letter saying ‘Sorry, son, for faking my arrest and pretending to murder your mother. Do you mind letting me use your girlfriend to help me locate the real bastard who did? Oh, and afterwards we should play ball together.’"
"I had something else in mind," Mike said quietly. "Like what? Knock on his door?"
"Actually," he said, dipping a piece of toast in egg yolk, "that's exactly what I'm going to do."
The end.
Special Note From The Authors
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this mystery, we’d be delighted if you’d review it. Positive reviews help us gain advertising and exposure, thus allowing us to continue our mystery series.
Warmest regards,
Zoey and Claire Kane
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Order Next In Series
Don’t forget to order the next books in the series:
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Gia and Tony are back for another savory mystery! This time, with a stack of pancakes on the side. Since having their relationship outed—much to Gia's dislike—the couple has been summoned by Mama Rizzo to the family's breakfast diner for a Sunday morning brunch.
A mouthwatering spread is expected from Gia's culinary-genius parents. But serve up a rebellious older brother, a furry bacon thief, and a wealthy businessman bludgeoned to death, and it makes for a very unappetizing event.
More from Zoey and Claire:
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On a sultry summer night in Santa Monica, the only thing hotter than the busy city streets is murder. Locals awake to the news that a club’s dancer has been strangled, and so a Siamese cat named Charli Chan takes to the streets to investigate. The Strangler leaves a calling card, one golden yen, and when more dancers receive the mysterious coins, panic grips the city. Charli can't resist tugging on every loose thread in the case—curiosity and cats, after all—and she enlists the help of her friend Malcolm, a Scottish terrier with identity issues. Together, they may just find the killer, but the cost to her glamorous human roommate, Harlow Reese, may be more than she is prepared to pay.
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Victor St. John thinks stunning news reporter Lacey Ling is his match made in Heaven, even after she dumps him. On the night he plans to win her back, he's stopped by a small inconvenience—his own murder. Despite newfound hobbies of dodging demons and suffering the snarky demands of his deceased cat-turned-spirit guide, Victor is literally dead-set on finding out whodunit. With help from the woman he loves, of course.
When Victor’s spirit comes calling, Lacey thinks she's gone nuts. The last thing she needs is to be haunted by her love-sick ex. Surprisingly, she finds that Victor actually does make a good partner... in detective work. But will a supernatural helper be enough to prevent her own untimely demise?