AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“May I?”
She gestures to the laptop, and Carmine nods. She picks it up and rests it in her lap. She replays everything, pausing here and there, zooming in a few times. She points to the screen, paused on the culprits’ return to the lobby.
“There. Look.”
Her fingernail is almost touching the screen. There’s the slightest reflection of a face in the gold plating around the buttons. I lean forward and peer at it before shifting my gaze to Carmine.
“Can you zoom in more and clean it up?”
“I don’t think so, but Lorenzo probably can.”
Sinead looks at Carmine questioningly. He glances at me before answering.
“I’m good at gathering and analyzing intel, but Lorenzo has a degree in computer science. He can handle these things better than I can.”
He takes care of everything to do with any software or programs we use, both legally and illegally, and he’s been our computer forensic analyst more than once. Carmine’s old defense mechanism used to be knowing everyone’s business right up to the result of their last colonoscopy. Information was the only power he felt he had for a long time, and I can’t blame him. But it also meant he became our best intelligence gatherer since he could use his genius for good rather than evil. For all his faults, of which there were plenty, he has always put our family first, for better or for worse. Now that his secrets aren’t only his and mine to keep, people understand and appreciate him as much as I always have.
“Eagle eyes,piccolina.”
“I was an open water lifeguard during my summers in high school and college. I got to spend my days at the beach, and I paid for a chunk of undergrad that way. I’ve also been to enough crime scenes to know to look for anything shiny that reflects.”
“I’ll get Lorenzo to work on this now.”
Carmine excuses himself, and Sinead turns to me.
“We know nothing more, but I’m going to have to call Marta again, and soon. If she finds out I’m here some other way, she’s going to be pissed.”
“I know. Call her, but put her on speaker, letting her know I’m with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She sighs and pulls out her phone and does what I ask.
“Marta, it’s me again. Something’s come up.”
“Are you all right? You’re wearing years off my life.”
“I’m sorry. I’m here with Mr. Scotto.”
I speak up.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Mr. Scotto.”
“Marta, Mr. Scotto found listening devices in my hotel room. We left and are now at Paola Mancinelli’s home.”
“What? Why was Mr. Scotto with you at your hotel? Did you have a client meeting?”
“No. I—”
“I escorted Ms. O’Malley to her home yesterday after she left court and found several listening devices in her apartment. I insisted she have a security detail last night when she went out. I also insisted she not return to her apartment because someone we haven’t identified easily opened her front door. We were together last night when I received a text with the image of her sister. I showed it to her and intended to question her. It was my fault. I triggered the panic attack. I called the ambulance and took her to the hospital, where I stayed all night. Upon her discharge, I escorted her to her hotel and insisted upon inspecting it. Fortunately for all of us, I did. I found four bugs, which I disposed of. It clearly was not safe for her there, and the security detail you hired is not up to the task. I will speak to Enrique about that personally. She is now with my family and me at Paola’s home. She can stay here until we secure a safer location.”
“Mr. Scotto, you don’t need to sound like an expert witness. You are not on the stand. Yet. Sinead, this is not a good idea. But frankly, I don’t think there are any good ideas left. My guess is the Mancinellis don’t know who bugged your home or your hotel suite.”
“Not yet, but they are actively working on it.”
