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“Anything I need to read now, or can I enjoy my tea first?”
“Nothing urgent, but I’ll give you the quick rundown.” I told her about Godwin’s remains being on the way to the UK and that the two agents from the Maltese task force would arrive in the Calabrian coastal town before we did. “Nem’s made arrangements for us all to stay in a large former-patrician manor. It’s been renovated recently, and there are plans to open it as a hotel. In other words, private both outside and in.”
“Are you trying to say you’d like us to share a room?” she said, smiling.
“I’ve already called dibs on the penthouse.”
She chuckled and shook her head.
“What’s funny?”
“Sometimes you remind me of a little boy, and please know I mean that in the best possible way.”
“Are you referring to me pouting?”
She laughed again. “That and how excited you get about things.”
“Things? No. Being with you? Yes.”
The smile left her face, and she took another sip of tea, then set the cup on the table. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? You and me?”
“I was thinking the same thing a few minutes ago.”
“I can’t remember what I didn’t like about you.”
This time, I was the one to laugh. “I’ll try not to do anything to refresh your memory.” My mobile pinged with an alert from Nemesis. Verity’s did too.
We picked them up and read the message at the same time.
“Brando Ripa? Have you heard of him?” she asked.
“His recent history is somewhat complicated, but he’s the man Nem mentioned had experience with the ‘Ndrangheta.”
“There’s a brief,” Verity muttered, swiping her screen. “It says he was released from prison a few months ago.”
I read the man’s background silently while she did the same. According to the information Nem sent, Brando Ripa had been arrested in Italy and charged with art forgery. However, given he was the half brother of Doc Butler’s daughter’s best friend, as well as in danger of retaliation from the ‘Ndrangheta, whose higher-ups were among those defrauded, Doc made arrangements for him to serve his sentence in the US. He also arranged for his early parole and hired him to work for K19 Security Solutions.
“This says he’ll be traveling with us from here, which explains why we’re taking a later flight.”
I nodded. “Also according to Doc, Ripa has trusted sources inside the ‘Ndrangheta and can aid us in getting an audience, given our theory is that AMPS is setting them up for Godwin’s murder.”
Her eyes opened wide. “This says he paid themmillionsin restitution.”
“I remember hearing something about the man’s father being a billionaire.”
Verity sat back in her chair. “Something tells me Doc Butler didn’t stick his neck out for this guy just because he’s the half brother of his daughter’s best friend.”
I agreed that there had to be more to the story and knew Doc well enough to contact him and ask. While I should check with Nem if she’d be opposed to me doing so, it was four hundred hours in Shere and twenty hundred in California, where Doc and his wife lived. If I waited until I heard back from her, I’d have to wait several hours to contact Butler.
However, before I could send the message, my mobile rang with a call from the woman.
“You’re up early, Nem,” I said.
“Yes. Listen, Zep, is Verity there?”
“Right here, as a matter of fact. Shall I put you on speaker?”
“Please.” She paused for a moment, then continued. “I’ve picked up intel that may prove your theory about AMPS setting up the ‘Ndrangheta. Footage from outside the hotel shows a man, whose description closely matches that of the bodyguard in St. Moritz, leaving the hotel last night around the time the coroner estimated the time of death. This has become a matter of urgency, because we’ve picked him up leaving the hotel again approximately thirty minutes ago. We’re pulling footage from area surveillance cams now. Be ready to mobilize.”
