Camera footage appears on the screen of Rachel in a tight crimson dress in the foyer of my house then being escorted to her car by Bruno.
Anger flashes across Rachel’s face. “He told me to go there.”
“Who?” I demand.
She doesn’t respond.
“Start talking Rachel.”
Her brown eyes flare. “Why should I?”
I’m losing patience. I grab her and shove her into the chair then force the barrel of my gun into her neck. “Because if you don’t, you’re going to end up on a missing person poster and no one is ever going to know what happened to you.”
“My lover will find out and then he’ll kill you both,” she snaps.
“I would love to see him try,” I hiss.
“Who the fuck do you think you are anyway?”
I shove the barrel harder into her neck. “Start talking Rachel. We’re here because we feel your little antics at the door were used as a distraction for an attempted murder. If you don’t start talking, you can be charged with conspiracy to commit murder. But I’ve never been a cop caller and with the way you’re resisting you might find yourself in the river.” I glare at her. “And stop acting like you don’t know who I am because you know exactly who I am.”
A slight glimpse of fear appears in her pupils and I know I got her.
“Alright, stop shoving that thing in my throat.” She gasps. “I can’t breathe. I didn’t kill anyone and I wasn’t part of any attempted murder.”
I remove some of the pressure on the gun.
“A friend told me to go to your party,” Rachel replies. “I don’t know why. He just said he would give me a thousand dollars if I went there and tried to get in.”
Dominic’s fingers trail along the back of the leather chair behind her head. He whistles. “Someone’s doing well for a secretary.”
She glares. “How do you know what I do for work?”
“We know everything about you. You work at Ambrose Lane’s firm. He’s a client of mine so naturally I need to look at everyone he works with. Now was it a friend or boyfriend that told you to go to the Capuano party,” Dominic continues. “Don’t try to lie Rachel. We’ll find out the truth eventually so it’s better if you come clean. Or we may have to get a higher power involved.”
“Might have to get the river involved too,” I mutter.
“No, he’ll kill me if there’s police. And he wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was talking to you,” Rachel’s voice trembles. “Can you stop shoving that thing in my neck, I can’t breathe.”
I remove the gun and stand in front of her. I take a moment and look around at the wide open space and floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal the river and the skyline. The living room is neutral with rich accents. White leather sofas and chairs are positioned next to a marble fireplace. The whole place smells of expensive candles.
Dominic sits on the coffee table. “Well, we aren’t going to tell anyone. Now let’s hear the whole truth.” He pulls out his gun and places it in his lap. “Before things get ugly.”
My gun almost falls through my fingers but I catch it. Holy shit, did Dominic Cartieri just pull out a gun and threaten someone?
The Glock in his lap confirms I didn’t hallucinate.
This is way off the straight and narrow for him.
And why does that turn me on?
Fuck. I’m so screwed.
Rachel eyes the gun. “Fine. He is kind of my boyfriend but it’s complicated.”
“Well uncomplicate it, then,” I snap.
She folds like paper. “Fine. His name is Valerio Neri.”
