He gives me a look. “Tell me everything that happened the day you got shot. How am I supposed to figure out who wantsyou dead when I don’t even know how it happened in the first place?”
“Oh.” Taking a deep breath I give him a play by play of everything that happened here at this house last week. Dominic scribbles notes while continuing to eat.
“Where is the chess piece?” he asks when I finish.
I get up and walk to the living room where I’ve hidden the chess piece and feather in the drawer.
Returning, I place it in front of him.
“That’s your father’s chess piece.” Dominic turns the king over in his hand.
I’m shocked he remembered. “Yes, it is.”
“Where is the rest of the set?”
“I think it’s at Mama’s house.”
Dominic’s brow furrows. “Then you’re right. It must be someone close to you that wants you dead. They would have to be in your family’s good graces to be able to get access to something like this.” He looks at me. “Maybe you should change your locks.”
“I’m already on it. I have someone coming tomorrow.” I take another sip of coffee.
He turns the king piece over in his hand again. “Whoever this person is wants to send a message to you.”
“But why use a king piece? Why not a queen since that’s what I am.” I pick up my fork and move some eggs around on my plate so I don’t have to look at his face.
“Maybe they are trying to tell you something about your father? Who knows, maybe they couldn’t find the queen.” Dominic shrugs.
“But Lucia got that package just before I got shot,” I protest.
“Then maybe the box wasn’t supposed to go to you?”
“It had my name on it.”
Dominic ponders this. “If you supposedly died, the box would go to your family. They would open it and see the king piece.” He taps his pen. “Wait a minute, maybe the king represents the head of the Marconi family. Maybe the message was supposed to mean that the head of the Marconi family wants to kill you.”
“But he’s been dead since 1995!”
“I don’t know Cipi, I’m just throwing out theories here.” Dominic sets the piece on the table and observes it. Glancing up, he locks eyes with me. I feel my stomach flutter.
I look away fast and stand up. “I’m going to go upstairs and change.”
Dominic looks me up and down. I pray my nipples aren’t showing through my robe. “I think you look just fine,” he replies, “Very cozy.”
“I’ll be right back.” I stand up and brush past him.
He grins, clearly amused by my discomfort. “Suit yourself. I’m going to reconstruct the scene.”
“What?” I pause in the doorframe.
“In order to find out how your killer moves we have to take a walk through hell.”
Shaking my head, I exit and climb the stairs. Halfway up, I lean over the railing and see Dominic scribbling something in his notebook.
I chide myself for almost losing my composure at breakfast. Even after all these years, one look from him can make my guarded walls start to crumble. I tap the railing with my fist and continue up the stairs. I can’t get distracted, not with everything on the line.
Besides, with all the bad blood between us, I’m sure Dominic Cartieri would rather go to bed with a rattlesnake than me.
Chapter six
