stuffy.
"None of your business."
She sniffed. "I just wanted to
compare notes. Maybe she told me something important."
"Okay then, shoot." He flicked
his indicator to turn into Punt Road then wound down his window as they joined
the flow of traffic. "What did she tell you?"
"That Mack Thompson and Rocco
Mollino have the best motives for killing John but Rocco was close to his
cousin."
Nick nodded but kept his eyes on the
road. He stuck to the speed limit which confirmed Lucy's suspicion that he
wasn't a risk-taking kind of guy. He might look dangerous, but in his
case, looks were deceiving. Which would make her job harder.
She loved a challenge.
"I've spoken to both men. They were
pretty cut up over John's death. In fact, everyone was. Except for Janet."
She glanced across at him and admired his
profile. It could have been cut from a piece of granite it was so hard and
angular. And perfect, except for the scar. On him, the slight imperfection just
made him more appealing, sexier. "You think she killed her husband?"
He leaned his elbow on his door and
rested his other hand in the twelve o'clock position on the steering wheel. "She's
the main beneficiary in his will and his life insurance. Rocco gets the
business but she gets all the houses and the share portfolio. Not a bad little
sum when you add it up. And she doesn't exactly look like the grieving
widow."
"He cheated on her, what do you expect?"
He said nothing for a while, then on a
breath he said, "I suppose. She deserves monetary compensation for what he
put her through." He shook his head. "She must have been humiliated
when she found out he was cheating. The disappointment and self-loathing she
would have felt afterwards..." He glanced at Lucy. "Anyway, you're
right, she deserves the money."
What the hell was that all about? Humiliation?
Self-loathing? Disappointment? "Speaking from experience?"
He didn't answer her. In fact, he didn't
speak all the rest of the way to her Richmond apartment. When they reached her
boxy Fifties-style brown building, she dug her keys out of her handbag.
He blocked the door and held out his
hand.
She raised both brows. "What?"
"Your keys."
"I can unlock the door myself. I'm
not an invalid."
He stepped aside with a shrug. "Sorry
I offered," he muttered.
She unlocked the door then trudged
upstairs, fighting the urge to turn around to see if she could catch Nick
staring at her butt. Pity she wasn't wearing something tighter than the suit
pants.
At the door to her apartment, he stood in
front of her again. "I insist this time. We don't know who's inside."
"I do know kick boxing," she
said.
He held out his hand for the key. "So
do I, plus I've got a gun."
"You win." She handed him the
keys. Feminism was one thing, but there was no need to go overboard. Besides,
she kind of liked his chivalry. Most men never insisted after she mentioned the
kick boxing.
He opened the door and stepped inside. She
followed. He checked the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom then turned to her. "No
one here."
"Won't be long." She headed for
the bedroom, pressing her answering machine button as she passed to hear the
messages.
"Hi, this is Mack Thompson. You
don't know me, but I was a colleague of John Mollino. I, ah, was wondering if
we could chat sometime." He gave a phone number and the message ended.
Lucy looked at Nick. "What's he
calling me for?"
"I don't know, but I'll be asking
him when I speak to him."
The machine beeped and a second message
crackled to life. "Speak to the cops and you're dead."
Lucy's knees went weak and she gripped
the bench for support. Something solid slipped around her back and propped her
up.
"You okay?" Nick's luxurious
voice hummed along her nerves. His hand rubbed her back in a circular motion
and she leaned into him, wanting to be enveloped by his strength.
"Yeah."
He stepped away and she caught the bench
to regain her balance after the sudden loss of his solid body. "Lets get
out of here."
Nick paced
"None of your business."
She sniffed. "I just wanted to
compare notes. Maybe she told me something important."
"Okay then, shoot." He flicked
his indicator to turn into Punt Road then wound down his window as they joined
the flow of traffic. "What did she tell you?"
"That Mack Thompson and Rocco
Mollino have the best motives for killing John but Rocco was close to his
cousin."
Nick nodded but kept his eyes on the
road. He stuck to the speed limit which confirmed Lucy's suspicion that he
wasn't a risk-taking kind of guy. He might look dangerous, but in his
case, looks were deceiving. Which would make her job harder.
She loved a challenge.
"I've spoken to both men. They were
pretty cut up over John's death. In fact, everyone was. Except for Janet."
She glanced across at him and admired his
profile. It could have been cut from a piece of granite it was so hard and
angular. And perfect, except for the scar. On him, the slight imperfection just
made him more appealing, sexier. "You think she killed her husband?"
He leaned his elbow on his door and
rested his other hand in the twelve o'clock position on the steering wheel. "She's
the main beneficiary in his will and his life insurance. Rocco gets the
business but she gets all the houses and the share portfolio. Not a bad little
sum when you add it up. And she doesn't exactly look like the grieving
widow."
"He cheated on her, what do you expect?"
He said nothing for a while, then on a
breath he said, "I suppose. She deserves monetary compensation for what he
put her through." He shook his head. "She must have been humiliated
when she found out he was cheating. The disappointment and self-loathing she
would have felt afterwards..." He glanced at Lucy. "Anyway, you're
right, she deserves the money."
What the hell was that all about? Humiliation?
Self-loathing? Disappointment? "Speaking from experience?"
He didn't answer her. In fact, he didn't
speak all the rest of the way to her Richmond apartment. When they reached her
boxy Fifties-style brown building, she dug her keys out of her handbag.
He blocked the door and held out his
hand.
She raised both brows. "What?"
"Your keys."
"I can unlock the door myself. I'm
not an invalid."
He stepped aside with a shrug. "Sorry
I offered," he muttered.
She unlocked the door then trudged
upstairs, fighting the urge to turn around to see if she could catch Nick
staring at her butt. Pity she wasn't wearing something tighter than the suit
pants.
At the door to her apartment, he stood in
front of her again. "I insist this time. We don't know who's inside."
"I do know kick boxing," she
said.
He held out his hand for the key. "So
do I, plus I've got a gun."
"You win." She handed him the
keys. Feminism was one thing, but there was no need to go overboard. Besides,
she kind of liked his chivalry. Most men never insisted after she mentioned the
kick boxing.
He opened the door and stepped inside. She
followed. He checked the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom then turned to her. "No
one here."
"Won't be long." She headed for
the bedroom, pressing her answering machine button as she passed to hear the
messages.
"Hi, this is Mack Thompson. You
don't know me, but I was a colleague of John Mollino. I, ah, was wondering if
we could chat sometime." He gave a phone number and the message ended.
Lucy looked at Nick. "What's he
calling me for?"
"I don't know, but I'll be asking
him when I speak to him."
The machine beeped and a second message
crackled to life. "Speak to the cops and you're dead."
Lucy's knees went weak and she gripped
the bench for support. Something solid slipped around her back and propped her
up.
"You okay?" Nick's luxurious
voice hummed along her nerves. His hand rubbed her back in a circular motion
and she leaned into him, wanting to be enveloped by his strength.
"Yeah."
He stepped away and she caught the bench
to regain her balance after the sudden loss of his solid body. "Lets get
out of here."
Nick paced
Similar Books
