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“The first time you laid eyes on her, she was a body wrapped in plastic.”
Del’s eyes widened. “And now you know how she came to be there?”
Gary nodded.
Del beamed. “Then by all means, buy me that drink. This is one story I want to hear.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sunday, August 5, 2018
DAN CLEAREDaway the dishes from lunch, and by the time he returned to the table with the coffee, Gary still hadn’t moved. He sat with his water glass between his hands, rolling it slowly back and forth. Dan stood a few feet away, watching.
“If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I may have to kill you,” Dan quipped.
Gary jerked his head in Dan’s direction. “Hmm?”
Dan sat beside him. “You’ve hardly said a word all morning. What’s on your mind?”
“All you have to do is touch me and you’ll probably have the answer to that question.”
Dan smiled. “It may interest you to know that I try not to do that where you’re concerned.” When Gary frowned, Dan covered his hand, lacing their fingers. “When we touch, I make a conscious effort not to open myself up to my gift. The only time I ignore this little rule?” He leaned in and kissed Gary on the lips. “—is when we’re making love.” Another slow kiss. “Being physically—and mentally—connected to you is mind-blowing.”
Gary’s pupils enlarged a little. “Maybe that explains why we spend so much time having sex.”
Dan knew the signs. “Before you get that let’s-go-to-bed look in your eyes, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
Gary hesitated for a moment, then leaned back. “It’s this case.”
“The case we just solved?”
Gary’s mouth went down at the corners. “The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that it’s not going to be easy to convict Gianni.”
“Convicting him isn’t your job.”
“I agree, but for others to convict him, they’ll need evidence.”
Dan reached for the notepad and pen Gary had left on the table. “Okay, so what do we have? What’s our most damning evidence?”
“Bruno’s testimony. Gianni told him he’d killed Cheryl, and why. He also told us Gianni was behind the artwork heist at the museum. But it’s his word against Gianni’s.”
Dan made a note. “What else?”
“Chris Reed can place Gianni on the roof rafters with James Sebring. He heard them talking. Not only that, it seems likely Gianniwastalking about Cheryl.” He sighed. “This assumes Chris is still alive when it comes to trial.”
Dan nodded. “My thought too.”
“And finally we have Frank Wyler, whomighttestify that Gianni asked him to put his hand up to the Kevin Donaldson murder.” Gary bit his lip. “I say might because he didn’t sound too happy about fingering Gianni the last time we spoke.”
Dan paused in his notes. “I think you’re overlooking something.”
“What’s that?”
“Think about what happened at the airport with Paul’s lawyer. It seems as though Gianni doesn’t have Paul’s support in this. So if he’s got Bruno against him,andPaul….” All Dan’s instincts were telling him one thing. He smiled. “I have a feeling that once word gets out, the tide is going to turn. Maybe more witnesses will crawl out of the woodwork. And there’s something else. The first artwork from the Isabella Stewart Gardner heist has been found. All those people who bought the remaining twelve pieces may suddenly decide they’re too hot to handle now that the case will be back in the public eye. Don’t forget, the FBI reward for information is, what, ten million dollars?”
Gary chuckled. “Have I told you lately how much I love the way your mind works?”
“No, you haven’t. So maybe we need to rectify that.” Dan stood. “In bed.”
