by Jaci Burton
Anna studied the report. "Easy enough to get if you know a dealer, or you can get some from a friend. But getting some from a friend usually means pills. This was injectible, not party. The M.E. found a puncture wound on Jeff's upper arm. Someone would have to know just how much to give him to render him unconscious so he could transport him to the alley and finish the job."
Dante grimaced. "So he finished him off while he was out cold? Pansy-assed fucker."
"It looks that way," Roman said. "I'd like to get my hands on the son of a bitch, give him a taste of his own medicine."
Anna nodded. "Me, too. Who would do this? And what reward is he getting out of beating an unconscious man to death? There's no fight in him. It doesn't make sense. I don't understand his motivation."
"I don't think the killer has a motivation, or gets any pleasure from killing," Dante said. "He just wanted Jeff dead."
Anna closed her eyes for a brief second, mourning Jeff all over again.
"At least now we have something. He used morphine in injectible form. We have a way of tracking him."
Roman stood. "I'll do the legwork on that. Maybe my informants can tell me who's out there selling it. I'll see if I can pull in some favors from some dealers and identify the guy who bought the shit."
Anna nodded. "My guess is it's not someone buying in volume for resale. Probably a quantity larger than individual use, but smaller than a dealer would want. He doesn't need a lot of it. We also need to check local hospitals and see if there've been any thefts of injectible morphine. It might not be a street thing."
"I'm on it," Roman said. "Also, our guy Sam isn't squeaky-clean. He's been arrested a couple times. Once for petty theft when he was eighteen. Another time a couple years ago for possession of marijuana."
"Interesting."
"Probation both times. He's never done any time."
"See, this is what happens when you're rich," Dante said, focusing on Anna. "Remember what I told you at the Maclin house?"
Anna nodded.
"What?" Roman asked.
Dante looked around. The precinct was busy today, but the other detectives were on the phone or buzzing around the squad room. "Trying to get her to give up the guilt about Tony Maclin. I told her if he'd have lived he might have walked."
Roman nodded. "Likely. Money buys good lawyers and a lot of freedom, unfortunately. That's why our boy Sam was sprung right after he called his lawyer."
She shrugged. "We didn't have anything to hold him anyway."
"We need to keep our eye on him. And on the alley," Dante said. "Two dead is enough."
"The alley is under surveillance," Anna said. "We've installed surveillance equipment, plus have extra security driving through there on the hour, twenty-four hours a day. Our killer is going to have a hard time bringing anyone else there."
At least they had that much. Now they had to zero in on him and find him.
She took the report they got from Washington University and studied it. There were eight names on there that had gone to Tony's school within the appropriate time frame.
Dante looked over her shoulder. "Now we need to narrow down that list and figure out which one of them could have been dealing drugs back then."
"I don't think we're going to get Sam's cooperation."
Dante snorted. "Not likely. But I know someone who can help."
She tilted her head back to look at him. "Who?"
"Gabe."
"I don't see how Gabe can help."
Anna stood in the kitchen that night making a salad. Dante made up hamburger patties while they waited for Gabe to show up.
"Gabe has connections we don't," he said.
She laid the knife down on the cutting board and leaned her hip against the counter. "I thought you had all the connections I didn't have."
"Gabe has all the illegal ones."
"Ah. And you think he might be able to figure out what names on that list of medical students were involved with drug dealing?"
Dante shrugged. "It's worth a try."
"You also realize if Gabe's deeply tied to the mob it's likely he won't tell you."
"Maybe he won't. But when it comes to protecting the people he considers his family, he might throw us a bone."
She took the knife up again and started cutting. "And he might decide saving his own skin is worth more than family. Paolo Bertucci isn't someone you mess with. He has powerful connections."
"Then we'll see how deep the brotherly bonds really go."
"I guess."
Dante knew Anna didn't understand the kind of ties he'd forged with his brothers all those years ago in the foster home. But it had gone deep, at least for Gabe and him, and he'd like to think for the other guys, too. He wished he'd stayed in touch with all of them, but especially Gabe.
He wondered if it would've made a difference in the life Gabe had chosen for himself.
He didn't fool himself into thinking he had that kind of influence on the choices people made or the roads they traveled. Gabe was who he was because he'd chosen it and was content. Nothing Dante did, whether he'd stayed in town or left, would have made any difference in Gabe's life.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Dante said, ever mindful of the killer on the loose. One hand on the gun tucked into his pants, he looked out the peephole and saw Gabe. He opened the door and Gabe grinned back at him.
"Checking me out?" Gabe asked.
"You know it."
"Then you should know I'm heavily armed," Gabe said, sauntering in wearing loose-fitting dark cargos and a black sleeveless top, his hair covered up by an old, worn-backward St. Louis Cardinals ball cap. Even Dante had to admit the guy put out the vibes of a total badass. He was well muscled and looked like someone you didn't want to fuck with.
"You look like a thug," Anna said, moving past Dante to hug Gabe and plant a kiss on his cheek.
Gabe wrapped an arm around Anna's waist to hug her back. "I'd like to think you care, but I'm sure you were frisking me."
She laughed. "Off duty. Promise. I'm even having a beer to prove it."
Gabe shifted his gaze to Dante. "If she's drinking, I'm following."
"Beer's in the fridge. Help yourself."
"What, I don't get served around here?"
"A subpoena maybe, depending on what you spill," Anna said, lifting the knife she'd been slicing with to point it at Gabe. "And depending on how much of my beer you drink."
Gabe grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and popped the top, then made himself at home by sliding onto a bar stool at the counter. "Thought you said you were off duty."
"Never agreed what you said would be off the record."
"Ouch."
Dante laughed. "Better make that clear before you start spilling your secrets."
"Off the record for the night then, Detective?"
Anna made an affected sigh. "If you insist." She lifted her beer and took a long swallow, then resumed slicing tomatoes.
"Roman coming tonight?" Gabe asked.
"No. He's bound and determined to run vigilante over the alley to make sure the killer doesn't show up there. Plus, since he found out there's been no missing morphine from any of the hospitals around here, he's running down the morphine angle with some informants. So it's just us."
"A threesome, huh?" Gabe waggled his brows.
"In your dreams, perv," Anna said, dumping the tomatoes in with the bowl of lettuce. She handed Dante the plate with the burgers on it. "You two go out and start the grill. You're in my way."
Dante grabbed his beer and the plate and waited while Gabe opened the sliding-glass door to the backyard.
Dante flipped the switch on the gas grill and set the temperature, then lifted his beer, taking a drink.
"She's in rare form tonight," Gabe said. "It's unusual for her to be in a good mood. Is that you?"
Dante shrugged. "I have no idea. Her moods are up and down."
Gabe's lips lifted. "She's a woman. That's to be expected."
"You an expert?"
Gabe smiled as he took a sip of his beer. "I've had my share."
"But not one to settle down with."
Gabe stared out over the backyard, took a couple swallows before answering. "What do you think, man? Look at my lifestyle. Not really conducive to having a woman in it."
"You could change your life."
Gabe didn't meet Dante's gaze. "No, I couldn't."
"You stuck in something you can't get out of?"
Now he did turn to Dante. "Is that why I'm here? You and Anna planning an intervention? Because if so, forget it. I'm exactly where I need to be."
Gabe didn't say it was where he wanted to be. Where he needed to be.
A big difference in Dante's mind.
"No, it's not why you're here tonight. I know better than to get involved in your business."
"Good."
Dante threw the burgers on the grill, and they drank in silence for a few minutes, until Anna came and joined them.
"So, did Dante tell you about Sam Maclin?"
Gabe shifted his gaze to Dante. "No, he didn't. What's up?"
Anna filled him in on their initial visit, and Sam's following her.
"There's a hornet's nest you shouldn't have poked. Why the hell would you want to go there?"
"To see if we could ferret out some additional information on the case," Anna said.
"Did you?"
"Obviously, since Sam came after me and told me to stop digging."
Nothing seemed to shock Gabe. He sat there calmly and took it all in. "He's a suspect in the murders?"
"We don't know yet," Anna said. "But we're keeping an eye on him."
"Interesting. So what do you need me for?"
"We have a list of the people who went to medical school at Washington University within a few years' time frame of Tony's senior year," Anna explained. "According to one of Tony's friends, a Wash U med student was Tony's dealer. We need to find out who that was."
"You have...connections, I assume," Dante said. "You know people."
Gabe arched a brow. "And?"
"We're hoping you could find out if any of those people are or were involved in drug dealing, distribution... Maybe also find out if this list of friends of his are involved, too."
Gabe nodded at Anna's point-blank suggestion. "You think one of his buddies might have been there that night and might have a reason for wanting us dead? Or even this med student?"
"I really have no idea," Anna said. "But we're chasing every angle we can."
"Isn't this your job?"
"It is. I've narrowed down the names from Washington U, and got Tony Maclin's friends' names from Sam. But you know as well as I do that sometimes people who show up clean might not really be."
He nodded. "Give me the names. I'll see what I can find out."
"Thanks. And maybe you could also give us a lead on the drug distribution in the city and county. If we could talk to some of these people, track any of them back to Maclin or any of his friends..."
Gabe frowned. "You're asking a lot of me, Anna."
She nodded. "I know. I don't want you to put yourself at risk, but if there's any way you can tiptoe around this and still get us some information, I'd appreciate it. It's for all of us, Gabe. We already lost George and Jeff. I don't want any more of you to die."
Gabe looked away for a few minutes, as if he struggled with what was the right thing to do. Then he looked back at Anna and said, "I'll try my best. But they watch my every move. They know my connection with you. So if I find anything, you have to be careful how you use it. Understand?"
Anna nodded. "I understand. Thanks, Gabe."
Dante watched the interplay between Gabe and Anna, like an intricate dance. She knew what to ask, and Gabe knew just how to answer. Obviously they'd played this game before, the mobster and the detective.
Dante was aware of who Gabe worked for. Anna had told him, but until now he hadn't wanted to believe how deeply he was embroiled with the mob.
Though he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't like working for Paolo Bertucci meant you were his waiter or a day trader. At least, it wasn't the stock market you were trading in.
When the burgers were done, they ate at the table outside. Anna had made salad and fried potatoes.
"You're awfully good at this domestic shit," Gabe remarked as they ate. "Some guy is going to snap you up someday, fill your belly with babies and lock up your guns."
Anna snorted and waved her fork at Gabe. "I'd like to see the man who can lock up my guns."
"So you're okay with the belly filled with babies?" Dante asked.
She narrowed her gaze at him. "Is that a proposal?"
"I'd be afraid to propose to you when you have a pointy object in your hand."
She laughed. "Good answer, Renaldi."
"You two are so romantic, it's sickening," Gabe said. "Should I leave?"
"No, smart-ass," Anna said. "You're on dishes."
Gabe recoiled. "You trust me with your dishes? There's a reason I eat off paper plates."
Dante rolled his eyes. "I'll do dishes. You two talk strategy."
Anna watched Dante carry the plates inside, a mix of feelings settling over her. She was relaxed, an unusual sensation for her. Maybe it was Dante and Gabe. These were the two guys she'd always trusted the most, and were probably the two men she should trust the least.
Incongruous. And damned disconcerting. She had no idea what to do about either of them.
"What's wrong?"
She shifted her gaze to Gabe. "Nothing's wrong."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice, though Dante was running water in the kitchen and Anna doubted they'd be overheard.
"Bullshit. You watch Dante like you want to lick him all over--and by the way, that makes me kind of want to toss my dinner all over your patio, so knock it off when you're around me--but at the same time you look at him like he's a suspect. What's up with that?"
She narrowed her gaze at him. "Are you sure you're not a cop? You're awfully good at reading people."
He laughed and leaned back. "Yeah, I think you know better."
"I do. I'd be a lot happier if you were a cop."
"You'll get more of the information you're looking for since I'm not. Now, what's going on with you and Dante?"
She couldn't help but let her gaze drift back to the kitchen, where Dante stood, his hands in the sink as he rinsed her dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Such a powerful man doing such a domestic chore without complaint.
She didn't understand him. At all.
She turned back to Gabe. "Do you trust Dante?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a simple question. He's been gone twelve years, then suddenly shows up and people start dying in the alley where I was attacked."
"You think he's connected? Do you really suspect him?"
"That wasn't my question. Do you trust him?"
"You mean do I think he could have killed George and Jeff? Hell, no."
"Just like that. You don't even know where he's been all these years."
"I don't have to know. I know him, know who he is and what he's capable of. Out of all the guys, I know him best. He's not capable of it no matter where he's been for the past twelve years. When we were kids, he took care of all the younger guys and wouldn't let anyone hurt them. He stood by me when it mattered most, and I got into some deep shit when I was younger. He could have turned his back and not gotten involved, but he stood toe-to-toe with me and took heat on his own just to keep me safe. That's not someone who's going to start picking them off one by one.
"Whoever's doing the killing is someone who doesn't care about people. Dante cares."
She nodded, watching Dante in the kitchen.
"You're mad at him because he left twelve years ago. Don't judge him because of that. Who made you doubt him?"
"Roman."
Gabe nodded. "Roman's careful of you, like we all are, but he p
robably sees you getting closer to Dante and he's afraid for you. You know how Roman is. He's always been the worrier. He'd throw any of us under the bus to protect you. You were there for him when he was younger, so he'll want to keep you safe. And he was hurt when Dante left. He's got some issues about that, too."
"That's true."
"And because he was older than Jeff he took it on himself to be the one to watch out for you after Dante and I left, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"Besides, that night in the alley twelve years ago bonded all of us to you. We're all going to look out for you for the rest of our lives. And even if one of our brothers gets a little too close we're going to be wary on your behalf."
"Like Roman did."
"Yeah. The only thing you have to answer is--do you trust Dante?"
She inhaled and let it out. "I honestly don't know yet. I want to."
"There's your answer. And you should probably figure it out before you two get any closer."
She smiled at him. "You're a good friend."
He smiled back. "I'll always be here for you, Anna. No matter what you need."
She swept her hand across his cheek. "Thank you, Gabe. I love you."
"Whoa. You trying to steal my girl?"
Gabe leaned back in the chair and propped his feet on the table as Dante walked out. "You know it, bro."
"Well, knock it off. I saw her first."
"No you didn't. Jeff did. Or maybe it was Roman."
Anna rolled her eyes. "You're both full of shit. I saw all of you first, when you were being bullied by those assholes on the football team. And I saved you."
Dante and Gabe looked at each other and nodded.
"You sure did," Gabe said, his lips twitching.
"We'd have been toast if you hadn't threatened them with having your daddy the cop kick their asses."
Anna leveled a mutinous glare at Dante, then at Gabe. "Fuck you. Both of you." She stood and went inside, but a smile lit up her face at the memory of the first day they'd met. She really did love these guys.
Which made her miss Jeff even more. And made her realize that this thing with Dante was getting out of control.
She was growing more and more comfortable with him and it was beginning to make her more and more uncomfortable.
Nineteen
Anna had sent Dante with Roman to work the drug-dealer angle, needing them both out of her hair long enough so that she could go see her dad. She found him walking up the street with Rusty as she pulled to the curb.
"Working up a sweat?" she asked as she walked up the steps to the front porch.