by Gina LaManna
I should have been happy that we were getting straight to business. Gem was friendly enough, more cooperative than he needed to be. Yet something felt off. A hint of guilt worked its way into my gut, though I couldn’t figure out why.
“Hannah Trails lives in the building you visited yesterday. One of my new places. I’m quite proud of it. What did you think?”
“Of what?”
“The building.” Gem grinned, his normal smile back in place. “Did you like it? The design?”
“It was very nice.”
Gem frowned. “Nice?”
“That’s a compliment last time I checked.”
“I can’t help but feel as if it’s not up to your taste.”
I shrugged. “It’s great. I just don’t pay much attention to details for that sort of thing. I mean, I’ll never be able to afford to live there, so what’s the point?”
“Never say never.”
“I’m a cop. I have a cop’s salary,” I said. “I’ll always be a cop. The best a cop can do is a decent family house in the suburbs. Unless...” I considered my father, then Kevin Cox. “Unless a cop supplements with another source of income, which I don’t plan to do.”
“You could always come work for me,” Gem suggested. “I assure you that I pay quite well.”
“I have no doubt about that.”
“I can always use more security on my team. And an applicant with a resume as long as yours would be welcomed into the fold.”
“Cushy security job?” I gave him a smile. “That’s not really my speed. Although, I do sincerely appreciate the offer.”
“I thought you might say that. Though you should keep in mind the offer’s good for quite some time if you should change your mind.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I do appreciate it. My mother would love it if I came to work for you.”
“As would I,” Gem said. His eyes flashed, and he quickly added. “I prefer only to hire the best, and you’re the best I know.”
I looked down at my hands, grateful when Gem launched into a series of clicks with the mouse, setting the video live on the screen.
“Here’s what you asked for. I sped through the initial time stamp to get to your man. I assume this is your man?”
I watched on the oversized screen as Joe Ricci appeared at the front door. He was dressed in jeans and a pullover sweater. After entering the lobby, he dialed a quick number on the keypad.
“Can you zoom in?” I asked.
Gem replayed several times, zoomed in and replayed in slow motion. I jotted down the numbers, matched them up with Angel’s dial in code.
“Okay,” I said eventually. “He actually dialed her. Let’s continue.”
Gem’s eyebrows rose, tilting his expression into an impressed one. “This is why I offer you jobs on a consistent basis.”
I laughed, shook my head as the video continued to play on the screen. It was a relief to have broken the tension between us and eased back into some semblance of our former friendship.
“There’s not much happening here,” Gem said, tapping a few arrows on the keyboard to speed up the tape once more. “Residents come in and out for a few hours.”
“I’d like to watch, if you don’t mind.”
“I am in no rush.” Gem sat back in his seat. “It’ll take half an hour. Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?”
“Maybe coffee,” I said. “I don’t need it, but there’s something about fresh coffee beans flown in from God knows where that makes it impossible to refuse.”
It was Gem’s turn to grin. He pressed an intercom button and spoke to his receptionist while I kept my focus on the screen. I studied the tape, so engrossed in my work that I didn’t hear the receptionist bring coffee in, nor did I look up as Gem pushed a saucer and cup across the table.
“What are you looking for?” he asked eventually.
“I’m checking to see if anyone else dialed Angel’s number. If there was, perhaps, more than just the two of them meeting. There’s the possibility a third person was involved, or a fourth, however slim.”
Gem nodded.
“I’m also looking for anything odd, anyone who looks like they shouldn’t be there. Ball caps that cover the face, hooded sweatshirts, that sort of thing.” I glanced up at Gem. “Your building isn’t the sort of place that draws young men in hoodies, for example. It’s more of a business suit and tie sort of place.”
“Ah. You don’t seem like you’re a fan.”
“I told you, the complex is great. It’s very...shiny.”
“Would you prefer it less shiny?”
“I just...” I shrugged. “You’ve seen my house. It’s old and broken down, but it’s got character. It feels like home to me. It’s just hard for me to picture living in a place that’s more impersonal.” I stopped, gave him a wry grin. “Which I understand is ironic coming from me, seeing as I’m about as impersonal as a person can get.”
“Well, that is just not true at all,” Gem said. “Have a sip of your coffee before it gets cold.”
I sipped my coffee, leaving Gem’s comment untouched. I was also looking to see if there was any chance that Joe Ricci had slipped back out of the building unnoticed. As I’d told Gem, a properly placed ball cap, a change of clothes, and an alteration of one’s gait could fool most security cameras. But I was watching for it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find my answers on the tape. It played, in sped-up motion, for about half an hour. My coffee was long gone by the time Ricci walked out of the building with his arm around Angel. They looked like any other happy couple headed out on a date, except for the ridiculously late hour of said date.
The time stamp read 2:02 a.m. I shook my head. Insofar as the tape was concerned, Ricci had an alibi. He hadn’t been lying about his story, and neither had Angel.
“There aren’t any other entrances or exits to the building?”
“There are,” Gem said. “But I had my team pull all of the entrances and exits. The doors didn’t even open during the hours you requested to see. They’re smaller, unused entrances, especially late at night. Most residents park in the garage and come up through the main entrance.”
“There’s no other way Ricci could’ve gotten in and out without being seen?”
Gem looked to me. “You really want it to be this guy, don’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This Ricci guy. What if he really did just spend the night with his girlfriend? Is that so hard to believe?”
“I was just so sure it was him,” I said. “He fit the bill. He looked good for another, similar case a while back. I know for a fact that he’s into some illegal things—that’s been confirmed. But no evidence. Nothing we can get him on.”
“Maybe you focus on the other illegal activities and unraveling those, first,” Gem said. “If you can get him on something like that, the rest might fall into place.”
“That’s not an awful idea.”
“Or maybe, he’s just not your guy. No matter how much you want the shoe to fit.”
“I don’t want him to be my guy. I just want justice. I want to find the man or woman responsible and put them in prison where they belong. Whoever killed this man murdered a father of three boys. Peg Leg might’ve had his flaws, but he deserved to live, to face them in trial like anyone else.”
“Peg Leg?” A ghost of a smile graced Gem’s lips. “You do catch some of the strangest cases.”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “He had a parrot.”
“Okay, then.” Gem lapsed into silence. He looked down at his coffee cup, then back to me. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
“No.” Startled, I pushed my chair back and stood up. “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time.”
“I never mind your visits, detective. In fact, I’ve been meaning to remind you that my offer still stands.”
“About the security job?”
“That, and the one
about dinner.” He folded his hands across the desk and looked at me. “As friends, of course. I’ve been wanting to thank you for your help at the Valentine’s Day party. I haven’t been able to get ahold of you since then.”
“I’ve been busy,” I said. Then glanced down at my shoes. “I saw your call the first time, but when you never called back, I figured it was easiest to leave things alone. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Gem said. “Though I assure you, it’s just a friendly invitation. In fact, if there’s someone else you’d like to bring along, that’s completely fine. The dinner is a thank-you, nothing more.”
“Gem, there’s...” I carefully considered my words. “I don’t know why I feel obligated to tell you this, but I’m sort of seeing Jack Russo. Not, you know, officially or anything, but we are trying it out. Seeing where things go.”
“I know.” Gem smiled. “Or, I should say, I figured as much. I saw the two of you together at my event. Even I have to admit it makes sense.”
“That night, you said something...”
“Forget it.” Gem brushed off my awkwardness with a flick of his wrist. “I was just talking aloud so Rita wouldn’t do anything rash.”
I exhaled a sigh of relief. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Gem coughed, looked down. “Then, that’s all it was. You and the agent, you seem like a good pair. That’s why I stopped calling, you know. I wanted to respect your relationship.”
“That’s very noble of you.”
“It’s a curse.” Gem smiled. “In all honesty, I respect the guy. I like Russo. He’s a suit, but I can’t hold it against him. I’ll back off... for now.”
I puzzled on this. “I thought you just told me that what you said on Valentine’s Day was a lie.”
“Exactly.” Gem cleared his throat. “If my feelings aren’t reciprocated, then you can forget what I said.”
“That’s not fair. You still have feelings.”
Gem shrugged. “Ones I won’t act on. I’ve given you plenty of chances, detective. You’re not interested. I’ve finally gotten the picture.”
I was startled by how similar his words were to those of my sister. She’d said the same thing regarding my relationship with my father. That it was my choice, that I’d had my chances, and if I missed out, it was my fault alone.
It was becoming increasingly clear that the reason I had so few relationships in my life was because I never did anything to grow them. I let them wither on the vine and die because I didn’t attend to them. People like my sister nourished their friendships. They took chances, watered their vines, watched as their flowers bloomed and fruit ripened. And they reaped the reward.
“I’m sorry,” I said finally.
“There’s no need for an apology. I’m just stating the facts,” Gem said. “I’m respecting the distance it seems like you wanted.”
I couldn’t do much other than nod.
“If, however, you’d like to remain friends, to get dinner, I’d welcome the opportunity.” Gem spread his hands. “And you can bring the agent. I still haven’t shown him around my garage.”
“That’s kind of you to offer, but—” I started to turn him down on reflex, but I cut myself off mid-sentence. “I’ll think about it. I’ll ask Russo.”
Gem gave me a true smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Gem walked me to the elevator, gave me a brief handshake as the doors opened. It was still strange to me how swiftly his persona had changed. As I descended downstairs and returned to my car, I couldn’t help but note the guilt that was returning over the way I’d pushed Gem away.
However, the fact of the matter was that I’d chosen Russo. I could only be with one person, and the agent had been my choice. Only time would tell if I’d picked the right man.
Chapter 17
As I pulled away from Gem Industries, I was so preoccupied with the information I’d acquired from Gem that I didn’t notice the car behind me.
I was also annoyed with myself for letting Gem’s comments get to me. Was I trying to shoehorn Joe Ricci into the role of murderer for a crime he didn’t commit? Joe had looked so good for the murder—for both murders. But as of late, the shoe seemed to be a few sizes too small for Joe Ricci’s foot.
It bothered me that I still didn’t have a motive for Peg Leg’s death. Money? Information? Wrong place, wrong time? I expelled a breath and coached myself to start from the very beginning. Motive. Who might have wanted Tony Colombo dead?
A shot rang out just as I’d decided to swing a right into a gas station to fill up before my lunch date with Russo. The bullet shattered my back window, sending glass exploding all over the inside of my car. I ducked, skidded into a full-on turn.
Throwing the car into park, I opened my door and slid out in a crouch, pulling my gun at the receding headlights of a black sedan screeching away from the scene.
I caught two letters of the license plate before it careened around the first corner and down a side street. Leaping back into my car, I shifted into drive and lurched forward, only to find myself boxed in by several panicked drivers who’d all wheeled away from their gas pumps at the sound of shots fired.
Reluctantly, I eased my car back into park and shut it off. Pulling out my phone, I first dialed the number for the precinct and informed them about the shooting. They confirmed that a team was on their way out to meet me. Next, I dialed Russo.
“About that lunch date...”
He groaned. “What’s come up?”
“I’m still going to make it,” I promised. “But I think I’ll need a ride. How do you feel about picking me up from a gas station in Minneapolis?”
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the phone. “Well, I imagine there’s a good story behind this.”
“I’ll tell you when you get here.”
Russo arrived twenty minutes later. A slew of officers were already at the scene, roping it off and checking for anything the shooter might have inadvertently left behind. Aside from the bullet, which they’d dug out of the asphalt, I doubted they’d find much of anything.
The driver of the black sedan had come up behind me while I’d been distracted, and he’d aimed to kill. If I hadn’t turned when I had, there was a good chance the bullet would’ve connected with one of my body parts instead of the ground.
I’d already reported the numbers I’d caught from the license plate to the cops. I’d no doubt that Asha was already processing them, but I wasn’t holding my breath it’d return anything. The car would either be stolen or rented to an alias. Both would likely lead us to dead ends.
“Well, well, well...” Russo strolled onto the scene, his hands shoved in his pockets. He gave an intrigued raise of his eyebrows at the crime scene tape, then the mangled pane of glass where my window had been. “Care to share?”
“There’s not much to it,” I said, easing to his side and taking in the now-empty gas station. The only civilians around were looky-loos standing outside the caution tape. “I left my last appointment and was distracted thinking about the case. It was a lucky thing my gas light flicked on because I hung a right into the parking lot just as the shooter pulled the trigger.”
“Who would’ve thought running on empty would’ve saved your life?”
“I always knew there was a reason I drove the tank down to E.”
Russo grinned. “I’d just like to note the fact that I’m handling this all very nonchalantly.”
“You are,” I admitted.
“Not all boyfriends would be as cool as a cucumber about their girlfriend getting shot at during church hours.”
My shoulders stiffened at his terms. “When did we transition to boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Russo grinned easily. “I was just testing it out. If it’s premature, I can call you my lady friend.”
I relaxed as he hooked an arm around my shoulder and pulled me toward him. He planted a kiss on my forehead, still grinning.
“What brought
you to this side of town, anyway?”
I glanced up at him and cleared my throat. “I had a meeting at Gem Industries to go over some video footage.”
“Oh?”
“Gem owns the apartment complex where our primary suspect claimed to be during the time of the murder.”
“Did your suspect’s alibi check out?”
“Looks that way,” I said. “Somehow I’m not totally convinced, but I couldn’t find anything on the tapes to support my gut instinct.”
“I’m thinking you might be onto something. If not with the video footage, then something else,” Russo said. “You wouldn’t have someone shooting at you if you weren’t getting close to some answers.”
“That’s another thing most boyfriends wouldn’t say.”
“Your words, not mine.”
“By the way...” I took a step back and surveyed Russo. “Gem invited me to dinner. As friends. To thank me for my help with the last scrape he got into.”
“Did he now?” Russo’s expression was guarded.
The very fact that he had to guard anything at all told me what I needed to know.
“I also mentioned that I was involved with you,” I said. “I explained that we were going to see where things went.”
His eyes glimmered, perhaps a smidgeon brighter. “Interesting.”
“He invited you along. He likes you.”
“I like him,” Russo said. “And his cars.”
“You’re hopeless.”
He shrugged. “Gem and I have what I’d like to call an understanding. Mutual respect. Pick your words, it’s all the same.”
“I was thinking it might be nice of us to go.”
“Are you inviting me along as your actual date?” Russo crooked an eyebrow. “Dare I say... like a boyfriend?”
“Don’t jump the gun,” I said. “But yes, as my date. Gem’s been nothing but helpful to me, and I think it might be time for me to reciprocate his friendship. But I’d like you to be there, too.”
“It would be my pleasure. I’m only in town through tomorrow, so...”