Page 10 of Criminology of a Character

“So disturbing.” She shuddered.

“Which is why you aren’t crazy. You know the truth about what’s out there. You’re also observant, so you saw something today that no one else noticed. I wish I’d been there so I could get you answers.”

“Me too, but it’s probably nothing. He was most likely just a guy getting some vanity work done. I shouldn’t let it bother me.” She shifted in his lap to rest her head against his chest. “How was golf?”

“Isobel.”Eamon’s voice cut through her haze of sleep, his deep rumble so distant that Bel assumed she’d dreamed it. “Isobel, wake up.” Broad hands shook her, and she groaned as her consciousness raced to the surface.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she blinked awake. The bedroom was dark, and her exhaustion told her she’d only been asleep for an hour or two. They’d spent the rest of their day on the water before meeting the Victors. Dinner had turned into drinks which had left Bel so worn out that she barely stayed awake long enough to pull on one of Eamon’s oversized shirts before she’d passed out.

“Get up.” Eamon gently tugged her from her sprawled position across the mattress. “You need to see this.”

Bel realized the TV was humming in the background, and she rolled over to find the late-night news playing on the screen.

“The manhunt for Alessandro Gianni continues after the disappearance of the undercover agent who’d spent the pastyear infiltrating the organization,” the reporter said into the camera, and Bel’s body flushed cold as the televised woman stared almost accusingly at her. “The FBI has been building a case against the new head of the Gianni family, but with the sudden disappearance of both their agent and Alessandro, law enforcement agencies have joined forces in the search.” A photo of Mr. Gianni replaced the reporter’s image, and Bel’s stomach pitched at the sight of his face. His very familiar face.

“If anyone has news of Alessandro Gianni’s whereabouts, the FBI urges them to call the tip line at the bottom of their screen,” the reporter continued as Bel reached out and clutched Eamon’s hand. “The FBI also asks that if anyone sees him, they do not engage. Mr. Gianni is considered armed and extremely dangerous.”

“I let that man put his hands on you.” Eamon’s voice was so low that the room visibly darkened with his power.

“Alessandro Gianni…” Bel whispered his name as if speaking it out loud would summon the violent mob boss. She’d never seen him, but she was well acquainted with the Giannis from her NYPD days. They were a brutal family, and to become their leader was to become the worst of them. And she’d let that monster kiss her hand.

“He stood right in front of me.” She leaped out of bed and started to pace to keep her racing heart from exploding. “Alessandro Gianni was here, and I let him walk away. How did I not realize that was him? Mia Cara,” she repeated, the Italian phrase obvious in hindsight.

“This isn’t your fault.” Eamon captured her shoulders to halt her movements. “You didn’t know who he was when he flirted with you. I should’ve picked up on it, though.”

“But that’s just it!” she practically shouted. “Do you know how many crime scenes I examined because of the Gianni family when I worked for the NYPD? How many deaths Iinvestigated because of them? I should’ve recognized him the moment he grabbed my hand…. Oh my god.” She slapped her palms against Eamon’s bare chest and dug her fingers into his muscles, thankful he didn’t feel pain the same way humans did because she needed something to cling to. “That’s why his face changed. You were right. I think he got Botox or some sort of operation while here. This is a private island teeming with surgeons. No homeland security. No passports. No FBI. He flew here undetected because he discovered a rat in his ranks. I guarantee you he killed the undercover agent and then forced a doctor to alter his features. The privacy of this resort would allow procedures to be performed off the books, and now the news is circulating a photo that no longer resembles him.”

Eamon cursed as he pulled Bel into a hug. “I’m just thankful he didn’t hurt you while I was playing golf.”

“I could have stopped him,” she said into his skin as guilt consumed her. “The most wanted man on the East Coast was literally in my grasp, and I let him escape.”

“I’m glad you did. I wasn’t around, and who knows what he would’ve done if he suspected you knew his identity?”

“I need to call Barry.” Bel bounced off his chest so fast that Eamon almost flinched. “The FBI’s hunting a face that no longer exists. They’ll never find him.”

Bel snatched her cell off the bedside table where it lay charging and dialed Agent Jameson Barry. They’d met during the Darling case and had formed an excellent working relationship, especially after he helped her conceal who truly killed Peter Pann.

“Detective Emerson,” Barry answered on the second ring. “It’s late. Is everything okay?”

“Alessandro Gianni.” She skipped her greeting. “I know where he is, or at least where he was ten hours ago.”

Bel told Agent Barry about her encounter with the handsome flirt in the resort’s lobby a week ago. The news confirmed the man she met was the Gianni leader, and she explained her theory about why he traveled to the island, ending with how his features had so drastically changed that she stared into both faces and didn’t connect the dots until it was too late.

“Do you have proof?” Agent Barry asked when she finished. “Did you take a photo, or does the resort have security footage?”

“I didn’t think to take a picture,” Bel said as she glanced at Eamon, and he shook his head in answer to her silent question. “And there are no surveillance cameras. We’re on a privately owned island, and while there are security measures in place, they aren’t recording their guests.”

“Okay, so there’s no proof,” Barry said. “Being that you’re the detective who saved the Darling family, your sighting will be believed, but only your interaction from last week. A police officer making a positive ID carries weight, but if I present the idea that Gianni has had plastic surgery without concrete evidence to back me up, they’ll laugh me out of the meeting.”

“I figured as much, but I had to tell you,” Bel said. “His features were changed enough to trick any facial recognition software. He left the resort this afternoon, so, unfortunately, he could be overseas by now. TSA won’t flag his new face.”

“God, I hope not.” Barry let out an exasperated breath. “Do you have time? I want to set you up with a sketch artist. I can’t prove to my superiors that you’re telling the truth, but I’m smart enough to listen to you. If my team knows what Gianni looks like, we may be able to find legal means to locate him.”

“Of course I’ll help.”

“Great. I’ll video chat with you when the artist gets here. Thanks for calling. This is the first lead we’ve had since our agent went missing.”

“I’m sorry about your agent.”

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