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“Good. Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”
“I do have some news you’re not going to like. I tried to track down the invitation that Delaney’s roommate was given. It’s almost impossible given their anonymity clauses,” Rocco stated, but I could tell by the smirk on his face there was more to the reason he’d stopped me prior to speaking with the police.
“What else?”
“It would appear that Ginny Meadows had recently been paid a large sum of money to the tune of twenty k. And before you ask, I’ve yet to track down where it came from, but it suspiciously arrived in the girl’s account three days before the incident in the club.”
I gritted my teeth. Delaney wouldn’t allow herself to believe Ginny had betrayed her. “Is there a reason she’d turn on her friend?”
“The girl’s mother was very ill. No insurance.”
Everyone had a price for selling their souls with almost no exceptions. “Okay. Anything on Brandon?”
“The businesses I’ve checked have all been legit. However, I’m trying to determine exactly who he’s meeting with in Europe.”
“Keep digging. I want solid information by the end of the day. Alturo?”
“Raphael Alturo had no qualms about ensuring those around him know how ruthless he is. He’s flamboyant and his family is everything to him. There is no doubt he’s coming into Florida, already making headway in Tampa and Miami. However, from what I can tell, there have been no overtures made directly to our operations in Key West.”
Something told me it was only a matter of time. “I want a full dossier on the man, including a rundown of every member of his family. Put the pilot on notice. Given everything that’s occurred, it’s possible a trip to the Keys will be necessary.”
“Dossier’s already started.” Rocco grinned. “I’ll make the call after this meeting. I’m sorry about everything.”
“Yeah, me too. I liked my house. It was starting to feel like home. Let’s get this shit over with.” My mother always reminded me home was where the heart was. Well, at this point, the only true joy I’d experienced had been in the New Orleans house with Delaney. Almost forty-two years old and I could finally say that. I wanted to laugh.
“How is Delaney?”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Awake. Understandably upset. She shouldn’t have to deal with my shit.”
“You two have chemistry. Don’t forget that.”
“Trying to handle me, Rocco?”
“Trying to remind you that you deserve happiness too.”
I moved toward the door to my brother’s office, placing my hand on the knob. “A relationship expert now, are we? Impossible given our chosen profession.”
“I have been married for a long time through thick and thin. Kids. Soccer games. Endless school plays. Maybe I know a thing or two about staying with someone, especially given our chosen profession.”
He had a way of making me laugh even during unseemly situations such as this. “How do you manage to keep your wife happy?”
“Bribes.”
I burst into laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind.” I opened the door and only Thomas registered my arrival immediately. As our almost adopted brother, he’d managed to bring not only an entirely different level of business savvy to our legitimate operations, but had also highlighted potential issues that would keep national law enforcement agencies from breathing down our necks. His knowledge from his former life of being the director of the FBI had come in handy.
More so than either Arman or I had initially believed.
“Francois. How is Delaney this morning?” Arman asked, finally looking up from his conversation with Detectives Carmine Silas and David Parker. They’d been partners for years, almost every local law enforcement member under our protection or our thumb, depending on who they were and how they acted. The family had provided charitable donations for years, my father explaining that by becoming beneficiaries instead of enemies, tensions would remain low.
He’d been correct, one of our father’s decisions that didn’t come with acts of violence.
“She’s recovering,” I told him, nodding toward the two visitors. “Gentlemen, have you had time to discover anything?”
“Unfortunately, we’ve had our hands full with issues created by our fabulous yearly festival,” Detective Silas stated, as usual taking the lead. When I started to snarl given the lack of immediate attention, he threw up his hand. “I assure you that we’re taking this seriously.”
“Evidently not seriously enough,” I snapped.
Arman lifted an eyebrow. “There were three other fires last night, all similar in nature.”
