Karen Rose - I’m Watching You

„I called to him, but he didn’t answer. My Robert never would have been so rude.“

„One more question, Miss Keene,“ Mia said, „then we’ll be on our way. Do you have any pictures, maybe a picture of Robert?“

„Oh, mercy. I may have an old annual or two from high school, but I’d have no clue where they’d be.“

Mia gave her a business card. „It’s really important we find a picture. My name and number’s on here. If you find something, can you call us?“

Thursday, February 26,

3:00 p.m.

„Mr. Conti will see you now.“

Zoe fidgeted nervously. Now that she was here, she was wondering how wise an idea this request for an interview had really been, especially since they’d refused to allow Scott to accompany her. He hadn’t even been allowed to drive her here in the station van. She followed the butler, clad in a black pin-striped suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. Shades of Al Capone , she thought, glad she’d left word with the station on where she’d gone.

„Miss Richardson,“ the butler announced, gesturing her into Jacob Conti’s private office. Conti himself sat behind his desk, staring at her through narrowed eyes. Drake Edwards stood to one side. She supposed Edwards intended to look casual, but the man exuded such coiled power that anything remotely resembling casual was an impossibility. For a moment she stared at him in fascination, then turned to Jacob Conti.

„Thank you for seeing me. Please accept my condolences on the death of your son.“

Conti said nothing, but Edwards gestured toward the only other chair in the room. „Have a seat, Miss Richardson,“ Edwards said smoothly. „Stay a while.“

His words had a distinctly ominous ring, but Zoe refused to be cowed. She sat, making sure she showed just enough leg. „I wanted to request a formal interview.“

Edwards lifted a brow. „Why would Mr. Conti be interested in an interview?“

„There have been several attempts on the lives of Kristen Mayhew and her inner circle this week,“ Zoe said.

Conti’s face remained impassive, while Edwards’s grew amused. „And this concerns us how?“ Edwards asked and Zoe knew she was being mocked.

„There are allegations that you are involved, Mr. Conti. The police were here to visit you just this morning.“

„The police discussed no such allegations with us, Miss Richardson,“ Edwards said, again mocking her. „Perhaps your newest source is… incorrect.“ His eyes brazenly traveled the length of her body.

Zoe turned back to the silent Conti. „I wanted to give you the opportunity to address the allegations in a public forum,“ she said, as earnestly as she could muster while ignoring Edwards’s blatant leer. Conti said not a single word. His expression had not changed once in the entire time she’d been in the room. If she hadn’t seen his chest rise and fall, she might have believed he was dead. But he was very much alive.

And very much a threat. She stood up. „If you decide you’re interested, please contact me.“ She placed one of her cards on the corner of his desk. „Again, my condolences.“

She’d reached the door when Conti finally spoke. „Miss Richardson, I hold you as accountable for the death of my son as I do Miss Mayhew and his killer.“

Unable to control the sudden tremble of her body, she turned to look at him. „Is that a threat, Mr. Conti?“

„Why would you think a thing like that?“ Conti asked, his mouth curving in a truly horrible smile and she knew the true taste of fear. „Now leave before I have you forcibly removed.“

On shaking legs she obeyed. Edwards followed her to the mansion’s front entrance and opened the door. In his hand he held her card and a second later he’d deftly slid it down the neckline of her dress, between her breasts. „We know many things, Miss Richardson. Including how to reach you should we need to.“

How she managed to start her car she didn’t know. All she knew is she didn’t draw a breath until she’d cleared the front gate. A mile away the nausea passed and fury swept in to take its place. She’d lost the upper hand. She’d just have to get it back.

Jacob didn’t look up from his work when Drake reentered the room. „Kill her.“

Thursday, February 26,

5:00 P.M.

Kristen laughed when a singularly atrocious hat landed on the desk in front of her. She looked up to find Mia wearing a grin. „What is this?“

„It’s a gift for you.“

Abe came up behind Mia, smirking. „She made friends with a hatmaker.“

Mia sat behind her own desk and sighed. „I felt bad for her, all alone in that hat shop.“

„She’s alone because she’s mean.“ Abe pulled up a chair and straddled it. He was almost close enough to touch and the sight of him straddling a chair brought back the memories in a flood. Kristen’s fingers reached, then clenched and resolutely she focused on the ugly hat, but from the corner of her eye she saw him grin, enjoying knowing how much he affected her. „Except to you, Mia. You just charm everyone.“

Mia made a face. „Shut up. You want to tell her or should I?“

Abe gestured broadly. „Be my guest.“

Kristen listened as Mia recounted the conversation with Keene. „So Robert started early,“ she said, „assuming he really did come back to off the guy who’d killed his brother.“

„The junior vigilante squad. Kind of like Boy Scouts, but not,“ Mia said.

Kristen shook her head with a rueful smile. „Mia So what do you two think? Could Robert Barnett be our guy? That name’s not on any of my lists but…“

Abe nodded. „I say he could be, but we hit a brick wall. Couldn’t track Robert Barnett any farther than Keene. How did you do today?“

„I called everyone who was involved in a case Simpson defended and Hillman presided over. No obvious traumas, two invitations to celebration dinners, one nomination of the vigilante for the Nobel peace prize, and three I couldn’t reach. I’ll try them again tomorrow. Oh, and I found Paul Worth. I guess he’d be Robert Barnett’s uncle through Hank.“

Abe raised a brow. „And?“

„He’s alive, but we can’t talk to him. He’s in a nursing home up by Lincoln Park. Not lucid. I did talk to his accountant, who’s the executor of the estate. Paul Worth has no children and on his death that piece of land you found yesterday goes back to the state.“

„I wonder how our guy found out about the property,“ Abe mused.

„I don’t know. Maybe he knew the Worths.“ She handed him the sheet of paper on which she’d taken notes. „I asked the nursing home if you could see him. They said you were welcome to try. I wasn’t going up there by myself and Spinnelli’s gone.“

Abe looked over at Spinnelli’s empty office. „Where is he?“

Kristen sighed. „Mayor’s office.“

Mia winced. „Ooh.“

„Yeah. He’s got a press conference scheduled for seven. It’s not going to be pretty.“

They were quiet for a moment, then Abe’s cell phone trilled. Kristen’s heart skipped a beat. She’d been on edge all day, worrying about the Reagans, about Owen, about her mother, but everyone was accounted for. She’d warned Lois and Greg and knew she’d done her best to protect the people she cared about.

„Reagan.“ His face hardened and Kristen grabbed his arm.

„Rachel?“

He shook his head, covered her hand with his and gave a brief squeeze. „No, they’re all fine. This is something else.“ He stood up and walked a few feet away. „This isn’t a good time,“ he muttered, then, „No, I’m not free for dinner… Or drinks. Dammit, Jim, just say what’s on your mind and be done with it.“

Jim. Debra’s father. Poor Abe .