Page 70 of The Mob Boss' Pet

“Anderson.” I use up the last of my energy to throw on one more smile. “What brings you in tonight?” I ask. “There’s been no gunshot victims tonight.”

“I’m following up on another case. A nineteen-year-old was shot in a drive-by last week... when you were on vacation.” He stares at me.

I lean back in my chair.

“I’m not sure I can help then.”

“No, seeing you was just a pleasant surprise. I was actually looking for Dr. MacPherson. Is he around tonight?”

I check the board. “Not yet, he’s due to come on next shift.”

“Ah, okay. Not too long. I can wait.” He leans his forearms on the counter. “Glad to be back at work?”

I flicker my gaze to my computer. I can’t keep this up for much longer. My shift is almost over; I just want to get home and sink into my bed.

“Yeah.” I open the patient’s chart. “Just need to finish a few charts.” As a detective, he should pick up on my hints. But he’s like a dog with a bone.

“Paperwork is a pain in the ass, right?” He laughs, but it’s empty. He’s angling for something. Can’t he just get to it?

“Yep,” I say and focus on the chart. Maybe he needs a more blatant hint.

“I’m still working on the Manetto paperwork.”

My heart shoots like a rocket through my chest at the name.

“Oh?” A pathetic attempt at aloofness. I’ve done my damnedest to keep that name out of my head since I watched Vincenzo disappear into the house before Charlie even had the car in drive. Not that anything I did worked. Everything reminded me of him.

I bought a gallon of milk from the corner store and cried as I poured it over my cereal. I busied myself cleaning out my closet and had another moment of weakness when I came across an old Halloween costume. I’d gone as Catwoman.

“Yeah. You’d think it’d be easier with all the ends meeting so nicely. But still have to dot the i’s and cross those t’s.”

“What... what do you mean?” I ask, looking up from the screen.

“You didn’t know?” he asks, although he already knows I don’t. He needs to work on his acting skills. “Yeah. Anton Manetto confessed to the murder of Martin Peneva. A revenge killing for taking out his cousin, Sergio.” He cocks an eyebrow. “I would have thought Vincenzo would have told you?”

“Hey, Detective.” Julie appears at the station again. She grabs her iced coffee and takes long sip. “Dr. MacPherson just got here. I saw him coming up the hall. You might want to grab him before he gets started on his shift.” Julie has saved me. I’m going to buy Julie’s iced coffees for the next six months.

“Ah. Good.” He taps the counter. “I better get after him then. Thanks. It was good seeing you, Dr. Benzitto.”

“Thanks, Detective. Same here.” I give him a slight wave as he hurries down the hall.

“He looked like he was trying to get something out of you,” Julie mused.

“He’s a detective. He always looks like that.” I go back to my charts. “I’m transferring the patient in room 4 to Dr. MacPherson.”

“Sounds good. I’m going on break. Have a good night, Dr. Benzitto. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You, too, Julie.”

As soon as she disappears, I open a browser and pop in my search.

Anton Manetto arrested in the murder of local man Martin Peneva.

The headline takes my breath away. Anton confessed to Martin’s murder? I sit back in my chair and quickly read the article. There’s no mention of Sergio being a hired hit, only that Anton killed Martin in revenge for Sergio.

Vincenzo handled the situation.

Instead of taking out his brother for his betrayal, he sent him away. I can’t decide if it’s a mercy or not, but there’s no blood on Vincenzo’s hands. It couldn’t have been an easy decision. Vincenzo lives by a strict code. Betrayal deserves revenge. Disobedience deserves punishment.

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