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Brandos’ block
Todt Hill
Ryan had been sitting in the back of the landscaping truck, pounding away on his laptop, when, fifteen minutes ago, Joseph’s car had come roaring around the corner and turned into his driveway. Quickly, Ryan had squatted down low, staying that way as the assemblyman jumped out of the car and strode into the house.
Tightly coiled, Ryan had poised himself to listen to whatever Joseph told his wife. But nothing came. Not a sound from Joseph’s office. In fact, you could hear a pin drop. Which meant that Donna wasn’t in there, and now, neither was Joseph.
Ryan had sworn under his breath. Obviously, Lina’s parents were talking behind different closed doors. And there was no way in hell that he could get inside the manor to catch that all-important discussion.
He was racking his brain for a creative solution when the front door flew open again, and Joseph and Donna both exited the manor, climbed into Joseph’s car, and took off.
Where the hell were they going?
Scrambling into the front seat, Ryan turned over the ignition, eased the truck away from the curb, and as per what he’d learned from Marc and Patrick, followed close—but not too close—behind the Brandos’ car.
It was his turn to do the tailing.
Offices of Forensic Instincts
12:45 p.m.
The initial emotional wave had passed, and Gia, Dani, and Lina had already begun forming the unique bond that identical triplets shared. They’d talked, laughed, and even nibbled at some of the lunch Casey had ordered, celebrating their union with the FI team.
But now was the time for questions, answers, and a search for the truth—a truth that, with the aid of Forensic Instincts, would free the girls from danger and put whoever was after them behind bars.
With Gia’s and Dani’s consent, Casey opened her mouth to bring Lina up to speed.
Her cell phone vibrated—once, twice, then repeatedly, showing no signs of going silent.
Quickly, Casey glanced at the phone display, saw that the call was from Ryan, and rose. This had to be important or he wouldn’t be calling. He knew what was going on at this end.
“I really have to take this,” she told the girls. “It’ll be quick. Then I’ll pick up where I left off.”
She walked off into a corner of the room, keeping her back to the group.
“Yes, Ryan,” she said quietly into the mouthpiece.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said without prelude. “But this couldn’t wait.”
“Go on.”
He ran through the events that had occurred since he’d spoken to them in the van. “I’m in the truck, following Joseph and Donna Brando. Obviously, Joseph’s already talked to Jimmy. I have no idea what was said or what Brando now knows. But there’s something you should know. Jimmy Colone disappeared a month after the Pontis’ murders and the triplets’ kidnapping. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Disappeared?”
“As in fell off the face of the earth. There’s no record of him being anywhere, doing anything since he was eighteen. No credit cards. No phone records. No job. No addresses. Nothing.”
Casey’s heart was pounding. “You’re thinking he did the hit and Angelo arranged his disappearance to protect him.”
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“On all fronts, yes. It would explain why the triplets were separated. Angelo was afraid that keeping them together would alert law enforcement to the coincidental timing of a double homicide and the adoption of the victims’ three missing babies. He was probably terrified that an investigation would lead them to Jimmy. So he split them up and organized three separate adoptions.”
“Which worked—until now,” Ryan said. “Gia and Dani found each other and Jimmy is freaking out. His big brother’s not around to protect him, there’s no statute of limitations on murder, and he’s fighting for survival.”
Casey’s fingers tightened on the phone. “Plus he now realizes that Lina’s about to learn the truth. Everything’s unraveling. That’s going to push him closer to doing something drastic.” She sucked in her breath. “Ryan, we’ve got to find Jimmy Colone.”
“Let’s see where the Brandos are headed,” Ryan replied. “Maybe they’re going back to confront him together. If they do, I’ll be all over it.”
