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“Come in and meet Joseph,” Donna urged. “He’ll be delighted to put faces to the names Lina talks so much about.”
“Yes, Dad will be thrilled to meet you.” Lina was nodding vigorously. “While you’re chatting with him, I’ll get Hero settled with the techs and Frisbee. After that, I’ll introduce you around. Once you’ve gotten through the formalities, it’ll be party time. You can eat, drink, and hang out with me and my friends. Brianna’s here. She can’t wait to see you. Oh, and don’t be fooled by the sous chefs you’ll catch a glimpse of in the kitchen. Mom cooked almost everything herself. So it’s all homemade and it’s all amazing. If it weren’t for Dad’s insistence, Mom would be serving on her own, too.”
“Okay, enough doting on me.” Donna was already maneuvering the team through the house and, presumably, toward her husband. “Joseph is in the living room. This is his day, so let’s get you all introduced.”
Lina took Hero’s leash from Ryan and guided him toward the rear of the house, while Casey and the team followed Donna Brando through the throng of guests.
“Shit, it’s like seeing another Gia and Dani,” Ryan muttered under his breath to Claire.
“The resemblance alone is almost proof enough,” Patrick agreed quietly.
“Visually, yes. Scientifically and legally, no.” Marc, ever-pragmatic, watched Lina walk Hero in the opposite direction. Still, his former BAU training kicked in. “But the stance, the facial expressions, even the walk—not to mention the identical features—I doubt we’ll be surprised by the DNA results.”
“I can’t wait to get that hair sample,” Emma murmured, tightly gripping her purse. “That’ll clinch it.”
With a warning glance at her team, Casey put an end to the discussion. Donna was slowing down, then easing into a packed living room. She gestured for them to follow.
“Joseph is over there with his campaign manager, Neil Donato, and a dozen friends and legal colleagues,” she said, pointing to a tall, charismatic man who was laughing and making easy conversation with the folks gathered around him. Affable, approachable, and dynamic in his power suit and tie, Joseph Brando commanded attention with his presence alone. And the lawyer-looking man with the sharp dark eyes standing beside Joseph, subtly keeping all the attention on his candidate, had to be Neil Donato.
“The consummate politician and the guy destined to take him to the top,” Ryan muttered again. “I see a presidential run in the future.”
“Stop, Ryan,” Casey told him. “Save your running commentary for the ride home. We’re on now.”
Ryan nodded and fell silent just as they reached the man of the hour.
“Joseph,” Donna said, putting a hand on his sleeve. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’d like you to meet the Forensic Instincts team.” She indicated each of them with a motion of her hand. “Casey Woods, Marc Devereaux, Ryan McKay, Patrick Lynch, Claire Hedgleigh, and Emma Stirling.”
Joseph turned, a smile on his face as he extended his hand to shake theirs. “It’s great to meet you all. Your reputation speaks for itself, and Lina thinks the world of you.”
Again, handshakes all around.
“Congratulations, Assemblyman,” Casey said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”
“Joseph,” he corrected. “Please, no formalities.” He half turned toward Neil. “This is my campaign manager, Neil Donato.” A corner of Joseph’s mouth lifted. “He’s the brains behind the victory.”
Neil, who looked about as serious as a heart attack, gave what Casey was sure was a rare chuckle. “I like that introduction, even if it is a gross exaggeration. Nice to meet you all.” His brow furrowed as he looked at Marc. “There’s another Devereaux here—an Aidan Devereaux from Heckman Flax. I see a strong resemblance between you. Any relation?”
“My older brother,” Marc supplied, pleased to have been handed the opportunity he needed. Now he could go say a proverbial hi to his brother without it looking anything but natural.
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He scanned the room, pretending not to spot Aidan gazing at him from the bar. “We’re both so busy, we rarely see each other. Do you know where he’s hiding? I’d like to say hello.”
Neil scanned the room, then gestured toward the bar. “He’s right there.”
“Ah.” Marc nodded his thanks. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course.” It was Joseph who replied. He turned to Casey. “I’d enjoy chatting with you and your team for a few minutes, hearing more about the workings of Forensic Instincts. I’m fascinated by your abilities. After that, I’ll release you all to go have fun.” He lowered his voice. “But first things first. I want to thank you for what you did for Brianna. She’s like a sister to Lina, and she’s come back to life since you caught that animal who was stalking her.”
“We were relieved to get that case solved,” Casey replied. She kept it short and sweet since she didn’t intend to get into it. All FI’s cases were strictly confidential, even after they were solved—unless the media got wind of them. Then they had murkier waters to navigate.
And how ironic that Joseph would use the word “sister.” A coincidence or a fishing expedition?
It was hard to tell. Joseph’s game face was honed to perfection. If he was aware of—or guilty of—the events that had been taking place, he wasn’t about to show his hand.
Fair enough. Crowd or not, Casey intended to get a handle on Joseph Brando. And she had a strong feeling he planned to do the same with them.
Okay, Mr. Congressman. Game on.
