Page 23 of The Guilty Trial

A man’s voice responded, too muffled to make out the words.

“I know,” Vinny said. “Just give me an hour.”

More muffled protests, then retreating footsteps. The car door slammed again, and the engine started. Vinny waited until the sound faded before stepping back inside. He closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

Jason didn’t comment on the interruption. “You were telling us how Bennett reacted when you refused to loan him money.”

Vinny returned to his desk. “He got mad. The man shows up after four years like nothing happened, asking for a favor. That’s some nerve. Started ranting about how the whole legal system was corrupt, how everyone had conspired to put him in prison in the first place.”

“Did he mention anyone specific?” Allie asked.

“Not by name,” Vinny said. “Just kept saying the lawyers and the judge and the prosecutors were all in on it. That they’d destroyed his life and stolen his career.”

Allie exchanged a glance with Jason. Bennett seemed eager to repeat the same grievances to anyone willing to listen.

Jason leaned forward slightly. “Did Bennett indicate that he wanted to harm anyone?”

Vinny rubbed his jaw, considering. “Not directly. He was ranting, you know? Going on about the conspiracy and how they all deserved to pay. But he didn’t name names or say he was going after anybody specific.”

“How did that conversation end?” Jason asked.

“He cursed me out,” Vinny said flatly. “Called me a vulture and a few other things I won’t repeat. Then he said he was done wasting his time and that he was going to find a way to get to the casino to get his life back.”

Allie straightened. “Which casino?”

“He didn’t say exactly, but I’m pretty sure he meant the Diamond Princess.” Vinny tapped the desk with his pen again, a nervous tic.

“Did he say anything else?” Jason pressed. “Mention where he was staying or who he’d been in contact with?”

“No,” Vinny said. “He just stormed out. I haven’t heard from him since. And hope I never do again unless he’s come back with what he owes me. But I’m not holding my breath.”

Allie pulled out her phone and checked the time. If Bennett had gone to the casino Friday and was still in the area, they might be able to pick up his trail.

“Is there anything else you can tell us about him?” Jason asked. “Friends he might stay with? Places he liked to go?”

Vinny shook his head. “People like Bennett don’t have friends. Most people who knew him back then wanted nothing to do with him after he went to prison. He burned a lot of bridges. Some people don’t seem to have the ability to see beyond the end of their own noses. Bennett’s one of them.”

Allie studied Vinny for a moment. His earlier defensiveness seemed to have been replaced by something close to resignation. “If Bennett contacts you again, we need you to call us immediately.”

Vinny nodded. “Yeah. I will.”

Jason stood and laid his card on the desk. “Day or night. It’s important.”

“I got it,” Vinny said quietly.

Allie followed Jason to the door. As she stepped outside, she glanced back at Vinny. He sat slumped in his chair, staring at the business card in his hand. Whatever business he ran, it clearly wasn’t lucrative enough to cover the risks. She wondered how many men like Bennett he’d dealt with over the years, desperate and angry and looking for someone to blame.

Cold air hit her as they descended the stairs, a sign that winter would be making its appearance soon.

“It’s getting late,” Jason said as they reached the car. “I’m thinking we call it a night.”

Allie nodded. The casino would be crowded at this hour, packed with people looking for distraction or fortune. And trying to lasso the staff to help track him down would be like herding cats. “Let’s go in the morning. First thing.”

“Agreed,” Jason said. He moved toward the passenger side of Allie’s Nissan while she unlocked the car. “You think Bennett’s still around?”

Allie looked out at the dark water beyond the docks. Bennett hadn’t even been free for a month, and everything they’d learned pointed to a man consumed by anger and a need to reclaim what he lost. Whether that meant money, vindication, or something darker, she couldn’t say yet. But men like Bennett didn’t disappear quietly. They either found what they were looking for or they imploded trying.

“He’s around,” she said. “We just need to figure out where.”