Love Inspired Suspense October 2015 #1 (15 page)

Rikki watched him leave, her mind on the necklace. Why would someone take only part of a necklace? Did they think the fake stone was real?

But then, how had someone managed to get inside her mother's room in the first place?

SEVENTEEN

“H
ey, man, I've found out some interesting things about those two brothers.”

Blain sank back in his squeaky desk chair and waited for Hunter Lawson to spill it. Which might take a while. Hunter did things on Hunter time.

“I'm listening,” Blain said, rubbing his grainy eyes. No sleep and barely any time to eat.

“So Victor Alvanetti got in trouble a lot growing up. Petty theft in Miami, gun violations and drug use. He hooked up with a real big-time gang down there and worked his way up to some kind of lieutenant. Got banished to Europe by his powerful daddy when he overstepped his bounds. And word has it that he's even on his brother Santo's bad side, for flirting with his wife.”

“That explains a lot,” Blain said. “But we can't seem to find anything to pin this on Victor.”

“Give it time,” Hunter said through a grunt. “Bad business, Blain. Apparently, Interpol is interested in him, too.”

“For what?”

“Stolen artwork and artifacts, smuggling and reselling stolen items. But his little operation is falling on hard times.”

“You've found out what I've been trying to find for days now. How'd you do that?”

“I have connections, bro. People who owe me.” He laughed. “But none of this came from anybody in Europe. I kind of had to go into the belly of the beast.”

Blain shook his head. He did not want to owe Hunter in a bad way or ever get on the man's bad side. But he knew he could count on Lawson to do what was needed and to stay within the law. Hunter had the same code of conduct as Alec and Preacher.

And you
, he reminded himself. He couldn't step over that line, even to help a woman he was highly involved with. He'd find a way to save Rikki without losing his honor.

“Thanks,” he said. After telling Hunter what Santo had told him, he urged Hunter to go on. “Okay, then, Victor is now number one on my suspect list. Whereabouts?”

“Now that's where things get interesting,” Hunter said. “I've tracked him back to the good ol' USA.”

Blain sat up. “Like Florida.”

“That'd be my first guess.”

“But how'd he get back without us knowing it?”

“That I can't answer yet. Later.”

That ended the call.

Blain had never heard Hunter speak so much in one conversation. Hunter Lawson did not converse. But he did get down to business and fast.

But that revelation aside, he now had two immediate problems. One, the black sheep brother could be in the area and two, Rikki was even more vulnerable than ever. Had Victor been the one who'd possibility been rummaging around in her mother's room?

He'd question the very silent John Darty again and hopefully shake him up with this latest bit of news. If he could get Darty to spill the beans, he might be able to pin down one of them at least. And find out why they'd murdered three people to get at whatever they wanted.

“I have news, Darty,” he said a few minutes later after a guard had let him in the suspect's jail cell. “I know who's been pulling your strings.”

“I don't know what you mean,” the greasy inmate said with a sneer. “You need to let me go, man.”

“We caught you with a weapon that you'd just used to kill a man. Remember? Murder, attempted murder, use of an illegal firearm. Those charges along with your other crimes will have you sitting in a cell for a long, long time. But we will send you to a bigger, better place where you can make new friends.”

Darty got a sick look on his face. “I want my lawyer.”

“You'll get your day in court,” Blain said. “Right now, you might want to consider helping yourself since the people who hired you are going to join you soon enough.”

“I don't know what you mean,” Darty said, his dirty fingernails doing a nervous dance on the old battered table top.

“I think you do,” Blain retorted. “I'm working toward bringing in your boss. If you help me out, I might be able to cut you a deal.”

“No dice,” Darty said. “I can't help you.”

“That's your choice,” Blain told the man. “You'll go down with your overseer, then.” He studied the man sitting across from him. “Or they'll let you take the fall if they don't have you murdered in your cell.” He leaned in, his hands on the table. “That's how these people operate. If you don't do the job, they do you in.”

Darty looked scared but refused to talk. “Either way, I'm going to prison,” he finally said. “Not much I can do about that.”

Darty's expression held a fatalistic expression that almost made Blain feel sorry for him. He'd probably hoped to make a lot of money and skip town. Now he was facing a bleak future. What did he have to lose at this point?

“Look, Darty, we need your help. If you know anything that can lead us to Victor Alvanetti, tell me now. Do it as one last gesture of goodness.”

Darty glanced around as if he were afraid someone was listening. “They wanted the woman out of the way. That's all I know.”

Blain waited a beat.

“I might have heard something about a piece of jewelry. Worth a lot of money. A lot, man.”

Blain got up and nodded. “You just shaved maybe five years off your sentence.”

Darty didn't look too happy.

Blain told the chief what he'd heard and was about to call the lab about the necklace he'd found. When his phone rang, he saw Rikki's ID and answered immediately. “Hi. Everything okay?”

“Yes. My mother is more alert today. The doctor came to visit and he thinks she's improving. So that's good news. She keeps asking for her Bible, even though I found one and read to her.”

“Glad she's better,” Blain said. “Listen—”

“So, remember how I said I needed to get back to work?”

“Yes, but—”

“I've called a few clients and explained but most of them are aware of what's going on. Anyway, I did a few consults over the phone and internet but a couple of them want to meet in person.”

“Rikki—”

“You can go with me, Blain.” She finally stopped and took a breath while Blain wondered why everyone was so chatty today. “I need to work. I love what I do and now that my mother's better and Papa's on the mend, I thought I could try to find some sort of normal. I'm getting restless.”

“It's dangerous,” he said. “Too dangerous.”

“Have you found anything? Did the necklace show any fingerprints?”

“No word on that yet. But...my private detective traced your brother Victor.” He paused and took a breath. “I don't want to tell you this over the phone. How about lunch?”

“Lunch? Out in the open?”

“Yes,” he said. “We'll be careful.”

“I know you'll take care of me,” she said. Then she added, “And Blain, I'll watch out for you, too. I'll see you in a bit.”

Blain put away his phone and ran a hand down his face. He hoped he could take care of her and while he was touched that she wanted to do the same for him, he couldn't risk that. He prayed he'd be able to end this and soon. Chief Ferrier came bumbling over, his expression full of questions. “What you got now, Kent?”

Blain filled him in and let out a sigh. “I've narrowed it down to Rikki Alvanetti's brother Victor and I believe he's in the vicinity but I haven't told her that yet. Now she wants to get back to work, meet with clients. I don't like it.”

The chief grunted. “No prints on that fake necklace, by the way. It came back clean. But her brother is after her, so we could set her up to flush him out.”

“She'd do that. I think she wants to do that but I don't like that idea, either.”

“Look, son, we need to end this,” the chief said. “Nobody wants to deal with murder and criminals during the holidays. We got the Christmas parade tomorrow morning and I need every man on that.”

Blain nodded. “My gut tells me they'll make a move of some kind when she leaves the house.”

“And I can't spare you for protection detail much longer,” the chief replied. “We can coordinate with the sheriff's department like we've been doing. Let me find someone else to work the Alvanetti detail for the weekend.”

“I don't like that idea, sir.”

He leaned on Blain's desk and pushed at his bifocals. “I've heard things, Kent. Are you and the Alvanetti woman getting too close?”

Blain stood up. “You could say that, but don't worry. It's just a matter of time before all of this is over.”

“All of it?” the chief asked.

Blain pulled a blank face. “Yessir. All of it.”

He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, he picked up Rikki and they drove to an out-of-the-way burger joint near the lake.

“My parents are taking it easy today,” she said. “They both seem to be improving but Daphne promised to call me if anything changes.”

“That's something,” Blain said. “When had you planned on meeting with these clients you spoke with?”

“One later today and one tomorrow,” she said. “If I'm allowed.”

“I don't like this, Rikki. Your brother could be watching your every move. My PI tracked him back to the States and confirmed what we already suspected. Victor could be our man.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure?”

“Sure enough. Which is why you shouldn't meet with any clients right now.”

“I'll be careful,” she said. “I need to get back to work and I can't believe Victor is behind this.”

“But someone is.”

“You can go with me,” she said after they'd ordered their food. Blain had a burger and she ordered a chicken salad.

“Can you change the appointment?”

“I'd rather not. It should only take long enough for me to measure and go over samples with my client.”

The waitress brought their food and Rikki stared at her salad as if it was a bowl of bugs. “I can't believe this. If Victor wants something, why doesn't he just ask me for it?”

Blain chewed on a French fry. “I'm guessing it's the jewelry. Something that could bring a pile of money. Only, he doesn't want to ask nice. He wants to take it.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Soft music played to soothe the lunch crowd, but Blain's nerves were all jumbled.

Finally, Rikki glanced up at him. “I don't think my brother will try to come after me if you're with me. It's a house out on the island. A newlywed couple. Meredith and Richard are nice people.”

“How'd they get your name?”

“The client called me a while back since she knew I was coming to town. She told me they were interested in a complete overhaul.”

Blain thought it over. “Today would be better and I will go with you.” He took a swig of his soda. “You have to understand, whoever this is, is probably watching your every move. They think you have that piece of jewelry.”

“Well, then let's make them think I do. Draw them out and nab them.”

“Don't play cop, okay. I'm still the point man.”

She pushed her salad away after a few bites. “My own brother, possibly behind this. It doesn't make any sense.”

“Do you know anything about your mother's expensive jewelry? I mean where she keeps it? Is it insured? Things such as that?”

“If she does have any valuable jewelry, it's all locked up. She's always told all of us we'd inherit her jewelry but I don't know which is which.”

“I think someone thought they'd found the real deal and they took the stone from her bedside table. But now, they've realized that one was a fake and they need the real one.”

“That's unbelievable. If Victor needed money, why didn't he just ask?”

“I think he did and everyone turned him down.”

She pushed her food away and stared out the window.

Blain put his hand over hers on the table. “This was supposed to be a nice, quiet lunch. Sorry I told you all that.”

“No, don't say that, Blain. Honesty is the one thing I need right now. I've been lied to all my life, protected in the worst kind of way. But even a lie of protection is still a lie. I need to know the truth.”

Blain saw the strength in her eyes. She wasn't like the rest of them. She wanted to do the right thing. She'd come home in spite of her family's sordid past, to be with her mother. And she'd even managed to get closer to her father and one of her brothers while she'd been here.

“You know, before I met you,” he said, his fingers still touching hers, “I detested everyone in your family but your mother. She always stood as a symbol of good to me. But I never understood how she handled the alleged rumors that swirled around your family.”

Rikki smiled and sipped her tea. “My mother has always been faithful and I don't think that will ever change. She fell in love with my father.” She set down her tea glass. “I do believe she tried for years to change him. And while he's still not a churchgoer, I think he's mellowed. He let Santo take over and he seems determined to make things right.”

“So you believe it's possible for a person to love another person even if that person is involved in something illegal or immoral?”

She pulled her hand away and gave him a perplexed stare. “Yes, I guess that's what I'm saying. Are you judging my mother because she fell in love with the wrong person? Or are you telling me in you're not-so-subtle way that you can't ever care about
me
, Blain?”

“No,” he said, standing when she lifted out of her chair. “That's not what I'm saying.”

“I love my family in spite of everything,” she said, anger making her cheekbones turn pink. “I had to come to that conclusion the hard way. I lost my best friend and my ex-boyfriend.”

“Yes,” he said, slapping some bills on the table before he followed her to the truck. “Yes, you did. And now it looks like one of your brothers could be behind this. How will you react to him, Rikki, if that's the case?”