Chapter 4
Carlo had a split lip and one bruised eye.
He was furious about the wine.
Not his face.
“The bottle was wrong.”
That was the first thing he said after sitting down in my study.
Not hello.
Not thank you.
The bottle.
I almost respected that.
“What happened?”
Carlo looked toward the door.
“Marcus came downstairs at six.”
Marcus was upstairs under guard.
I kept my face still.
“Alone?”
“No.”
“Who?”
Carlo hesitated.
“Katherine.”
Of course.
“They brought a case.”
“What case?”
“Wine.”
“Why?”
“They said the Christmas selection had changed.”
“And?”
“I told them Christmas selections do not change without your order.”
That sounded exactly like Carlo.
“What happened next?”
“Marcus told me to take the night off.”
“You refused.”
“I told him to get out of my cellar.”
Also exactly like Carlo.
His swollen mouth almost smiled.
“Then someone hit me from behind.”
“Someone?”
“I didn't see who.”
I leaned back.
“Katherine or Marcus?”
“No.”
That interested me.
“How do you know?”
“The hand was too heavy.”
Carlo touched the back of his head.
“And when I woke up, they were arguing outside the linen room.”
“About?”
He frowned.
“Timing.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did they say?”
“Katherine said tonight was too soon.”
I stopped.
“Too soon?”
Carlo nodded.
“Marcus said they had no choice because you were getting suspicious.”
That made no sense.
I hadn't been suspicious.
Not until tonight.
Unless someone believed I was.
“Anything else?”
Carlo thought.
“One name.”
“What name?”
“Sal.”
I looked toward the closed door.
Salvatore.
No.
Too easy.
Too obvious.
Carlo saw my expression.
“I don't know who they meant.”
“Did you hear the full name?”
“No.”
A knock interrupted us.
Salvatore entered.
Perfect timing.
He looked at Carlo.
“You all right?”
Carlo stared at him.
Then away.
Salvatore noticed.
So did I.
“What?” he asked.
I answered casually.
“Carlo heard Marcus mention someone named Sal.”
Nothing moved except Salvatore's eyes.
Once.
Toward the vial on my desk.
Then back to me.
“Half the men in this family know a Sal.”
True.
That was the problem with suspicious minds.
Everything becomes evidence if you want it badly enough.
I didn't.
Not yet.
Salvatore stepped closer.
“We found the replacement case.”
“Where?”
“Service garage.”
“Who brought it in?”
“No camera coverage.”
That was impossible.
The garage had three cameras.
I designed the system myself.
“Why?”
“Feeds were disabled for nine minutes.”
“When?”
“Six fourteen.”
Carlo had said Marcus arrived around six.
I looked at Salvatore.
“Who can disable them?”
He paused.
“Me.”
“Anyone else?”
“Two security lieutenants.”
“Names.”
He gave them.
Neither had attended dinner.
Good.
A real lead.
Then Katherine began screaming in the hallway.
Not frightened screaming.
Angry.
“Roman!”
I stepped out.
She stood between two guards.
Marcus was behind her.
Katherine pointed at Salvatore.
“Ask him.”
Everyone went silent.
I looked at her.
“Ask him what?”
She smiled.
A terrible, desperate smile.
“Ask your loyal dog who gave Marcus the first bottle.”
Salvatore's face didn't change.
But Marcus's did.
May you like
And for the first time that night, my attention moved away from Katherine.
Toward the man standing beside me.
