Dead Wrong (22 page)

Thanking Donatelli for his handling of the situation, I inspected the car before we drove the remaining distance to the station. The bitch had smashed the fender, but hadn't managed to inflict much other damage as far as I could see. I was relieved.

Parked in the first space available, I locked the doors and raced across the lot into the police station. The two security gates in the foyer lay silent and empty. No handbags rolled across the conveyor belt and no people shuffled through the gates. The cop at the desk watched me with a wide grin while Donatelli stepped past the gates and shuffled up the side stairs to write his report on the accident.

“Vin, how the hell are ya?” the patrolman bellowed across the foyer.

Patrolman Jacques had been my student two years prior. He'd managed to ace the two classes he'd taken in order to fulfill his degree. I smiled in return and asked how he was.

We chatted for a moment until the elevator door swung open and Detective Bellini stepped out. He waited for me to join him.

“I just met up with Donatelli. You had a mishap?” Bellini asked as the elevator door closed.

The folded sheet of paper lay in my pocket. I took it out and handed it to Bellini with a smirk.

“This is for you. This woman was just arrested for assaulting me and causing an accident. She also happens to be the murderer you've been searching for in those three clinic-related deaths.”

Placing his glasses on, Bellini scanned the information on the page. He smiled and looked at me. The elevator opened on the holding floor. A corridor led to the counter where prisoners were signed in before they were led to a cell to await arraignment. Bellini escorted me down the corridor.

A tall, muscular woman stood behind the counter. Her black skin held a shiny patina and the uniform fit perfectly, without any bulges other than muscular ones. I stared at the woman who stood at my height and wondered what it would take to bring her down.

She snapped to attention when Bellini stepped to the desk.

“Sir?” she asked in a husky voice.

“Bring the suspect into interrogation room four, Crane.” Bellini ordered. She nodded and disappeared from sight.

Taking my arm Bellini led me into the interrogation room. We settled on one side of the table and waited. Officer Crane brought the suspect into the room with her hand grasped around the woman's arm. She indicated she should sit in the empty chair across from us.

The face of the woman who'd caused my cycling accident and haunted me for the past few weeks showed signs that I'd gotten my licks in during our altercation. Instantly she got to her feet and tried to scramble across the table – with a colorful expletive. An unladylike expletive, I might add. Bellini placed his hand on my arm as Crane hauled the woman back into the chair by her shoulders.

“You rotten bitch,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Vinnie,” Bellini snapped as though I was one of his own officers.

An instant later, I had myself under control and was staring at the prisoner. We glared at one another for a while until Bellini cleared his throat.

“Is this the woman who caused your accident and recommended the clinic?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, she is.”

“Has this woman been terrorizing you?”

“Yes, she followed me and caused me to have a car accident a short while ago.”

“That's a lie,” she yelled across the table. Starting to rise from the chair once more, Crane grasped her shoulders and slammed her back into the chair.

“Sit down, ma'am,” Crane ordered.

Bellini held the sheet of paper in his hand. Turning it toward the woman, he showed her the contents.

“We have what we need to lock your ass up for a long time. We have evidence from the crime scene, and can even match your DNA to prove you murdered at least one of those victims. Make a deal now and save yourself from life in the women's prison facility.”

“Screw you!” She sneered at all of us and said to me, “We had a good thing going until you interfered. This is all your fault. All this happened because my foolish idiot partners feared your brother, the doctor, would figure out what we were doing and turn the cops on us. Just scared for nothing, all of them. When you mentioned your brother, the word spread and before I knew it those stupid bastards were all jumping ship. I couldn't let them get away, to leave me high and dry. They might even have turned me in.”

I stared at her as the pieces fell neatly into place. Gristle's attitude had changed immediately upon receiving the news that Gio was a doctor. Why hadn't I realized that before?

“Really? I thought it was odd that things suddenly changed,” I said. “You certainly made a large sum of money from my insurance company. Has insurance fraud always been your game? And why me? Why was I the chosen one?”

“That and a few other scams. I had read about how you were involved in one ridiculous incident after another, so I figured you'd be foolish enough to fall for the scam, and you didn't disappoint me, either.” She smirked, glanced at Bellini, then settled a sneer on me. “You were next to be done away with, but I couldn't catch up with you long enough to finish you off. Even on the sidewalk outside your place the other night – you spoiled everything. It all went wrong because of you.”

With a cold smile, I said, “Yes, it did. Thank God for that.”

“I'm not sayin' another word until I see my lawyer,” she screamed across the table.

Bellini and I watched as Crane hauled the belligerent woman back to the cell block. After they disappeared from view, I turned to Bellini.

“Do you have a good case besides my testimony?”

“We aren't complete idiots, Vinnie. After all, you do train our officers to investigate, don't you?”

A smile played around my lips. I finally grinned at him.

“I do, indeed. In the future, I shall appreciate your prodigies, Detective.”

We walked down the hallway toward the elevator as Bellini explained how the woman would be processed and sent to the women's prison to await trial.

Relieved that this chapter in my life was over, I bid Bellini good night. I drove home with a smile the size of Montana on my face.

Chapter 27

Things were looking up. Thanksgiving Day arrived without any more mishaps, catastrophes, or much else in the way of my usual lifestyle. I rose and showered as the coffee perked. After I dressed and poured a cup of brew, I checked my email and shuffled through the pile of mail on the desk.

Nothing of great importance surfaced as I read and tossed the mail in the trash. A rap on the door proved to be Marcus. I answered his knock with a grin and held him tight when he embraced me. Yes, life was good, I thought, while I inhaled his aftershave. The pungent smell turned me on and I could only think of one thing - getting this man into bed.

“What has you in such a great mood?” His grin was a bit wolfish.

“Detective Bellini has the woman who murdered those people under arrest. He and I spent some time together this week as he interrogated her.”

“Is that all you have to tell me?” Marcus smiled again.

“Isn't that enough?”

“How about Giovanni's problems, any relief there?”

“He will return home soon. His affairs are once again straightened out and so is the art theft we spoke of.”

“Really?” He moved closer to me, kissing my neck.

Chills rolled up and down my spine as my lower parts warmed.

“Mmm, really,” I murmured against his mouth and backed into the bedroom.

“We're going to be late for dinner at your parents' house, you know.”

“Mmm, I know. I'm not hungry for turkey, though.”

His chuckle turned wicked, and I grinned.

Later we drove toward Cranston, arriving in time for dessert. My mother's face held an admonishing glare. My father said nothing, and the twins gravitated toward Marcus.

Tina showed off the diamond on her ring finger and bragged about the upcoming nuptials. Gina rambled on about the arrest of the murderer who'd made my life miserable.

Giovanni watched the whole family in a detached manner as though he didn't fit somehow. I felt his discomfort as he turned toward me.

He drifted over, slung an arm around my shoulder, and whispered in my ear.

“It's time for me to go home.”

“I know, but we still love you, Giovanni.”

When I looked up, I noticed Marcus taking in the scene while Gina and Tina chattered away on either side of him. He smiled and nodded.

Life was good, very good.