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“This doesn’t make any sense,” Susa
“I don’t know,” Luke said. “But Gretchen wasn’t shot by Kate Davis. There was at least one other shooter. Kate was murdered.”
“But…” She looked from one man to the other. “I saw the police draw their guns.”
“They never fired, Susa
“Off to the left,” Susa
Luke leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. “How did you know that?”
She met his eyes. “The woman in black. Al knocked me down and I looked up and saw this woman, all in black, with lace over her face. She stared at me. Then she was gone, into the crowd.”
“Why didn’t you mention her before?”
“I thought she was a mourner. I thought Kate had shot Gretchen, that the police had shot Kate.”
“Can you describe this woman in black?”
Susa
“What about her shoes?” Chase asked.
“Blue.” She opened her eyes and looked up. “She had on blue ru
“Or him?” Luke asked.
“Bobby,” she murmured. “Or Rocky. Oh, hell. Who is Bobby?”
“Round puzzle,” Luke muttered.
Chase nodded grimly. “All yellow.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Susa
Luke sighed. “It means that every time we peel away a layer, the onion sprouts a new one. You’re covered in blood again. I’m taking you back to your hotel.”
“I’ll go back up to ICU and get my things.”
“I’ll go with you.”
She started to tell him he didn’t need to babysit her, then thought of Gretchen and Je
Atlanta, Saturday, February 3, 6:30 p.m.
“Is it true?” Nurse Ella demanded. “Is Je
Monica’s mind tensed, waiting for the answer.
“I’m afraid so.” Susa
Oh, God. Je
She felt a touch on her hand. “It’s Susa
I am awake. Dammit, I am awake. Frustration bubbled up and over, then stilled when she felt warmth near her face. Lips. Susa
“Sleep,” Susa
No. Monica wanted to scream it. Don’t go. Don’t leave. Please don’t leave me.
But Susa
Hot tears trickled from Monica’s eyes down her temples where they dried, u
Susa
He cupped her cheek, his palm warm and solid, and for a moment she again let herself lean into him. “You’re a good person,” he murmured. “You know that, don’t you?”
Her throat tightened. When he said it, she almost believed it. She pulled away, her whole body tense, her smile plastic. “You’re kind.”
Luke drew a frustrated breath and let it out. They rode down in the elevator and walked to Luke’s car in silence. When they were both buckled in, he looked straight ahead. “I promised Daniel I would watch over you. I can do that at your hotel or my apartment. I won’t ask anything except that you let me keep my promise to Daniel.”
She was disappointed, she realized. Which was petty and small… and human. What woman wouldn’t want a man like Luke in pursuit? But he’d given up. So easily.
You told him to. Don’t be snide because he listened. Still, she was disappointed. And too tired to argue. “If we go to your apartment, where will I sleep?”
“In my room. I’ll take the sofa.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
Atlanta, Saturday, February 3, 6:45 p.m.
“Are they gone?” Bobby asked when Ta
“Finally.” He handed the DRC plates across the front seat. “I changed the plates. Now I’m George Bentley if anyone stops us. Did you have fun?”
“Oh yes,” Bobby said emphatically. “I’m glad you got back from Sava
“So, back to Ridgefield House?”
“Not yet. I got another report from my mole. GBI is closing in on Jersey Jameson. Apparently Daniel Vartanian saw a piece of his boat registration number on Friday.”
“So where do we find Mr. Jameson?” Ta
“I know some of the places he hangs. You ready to do a little pub crawling?”
Ta
“Those were the days. You’d find the marks, I’d go in for the lure. Some of those guys still pay me, cash deposits to my offshore account on the first of every month.”
“You were a good whore, Bobby.”
“You were good at finding clients who’d pay to keep their perversions secret. I miss those days.”
“We could pick up. Go somewhere else. Start over again.”
“We could, but I like my life now. Once everything dies down, I still want that house on the hill. It’s mine.”
“Arthur Vartanian will have left it to his legitimate children, Bobby.”
“But I have a legal claim. And soon his legitimate children will be resting alongside the judge and his bitch of a wife.” The words left a bad taste in the mouth.
“Well, when that happens,” Ta
“Grandmother Vartanian’s silver tea service.” Bobby chuckled. “Yes, I know.”
Atlanta, Saturday, February 3, 7:15 p.m.
“It’s nice,” Susa
“It’s clean, thanks to my…” The thought trailed when he saw his dining room table, covered in a white linen cloth and set for two. He didn’t need a second look to know the china was his mother’s, as was the ornate silver candelabra that stood, ready to light.
Susa
“Yeah.”
Susa
“Everybody likes my mother.”
“What about your father?”
“Oh, she smothers him with hugs, too,” he said wryly. “Pop has a restaurant with his brothers. Greek, of course. In the old days, Mama was head chef. Now my cousins take care of the daily stuff. Leaves my dad and my uncles time to finally enjoy life, but Mama misses it. She makes up for it by cooking for all my friends.” From his closet he pulled the suit from the day before and gave it a sniff. “Barely a hint of smoke and rotting fish.”
“Your dry cleaner delivers inside your apartment?”
“My dry cleaner is my cousin Joh
“I wonder if he can get those red clay stains out of Chloe Hathaway’s black dress.”