Page 22 of Ruthless Beast

“I do have a theory I’d like to discuss with you when you have a moment,” he says.

“What is it?”

“Could we have coffee tomorrow? I’d like to talk to you face to face.”

I’m growing weary of the cops and their theories. Why don’t they just get it over already and catch the bloody killer?

“Uh, okay. Tomorrow at noon at the coffee shop near the precinct?”

“Okay.”

My good mood is shot to hell. What a crappy ending to a spectacular evening. I get into bed, but who knows if I’ll sleep now?

* * *

“Thank you for coming, Emily,” Cox smiles.

“Hi. Sure. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“How familiar were you with David’s work?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know if he worked for any unsavory clients?”

“Unsavory? I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to be more specific.”

“Well, we know David was a skilled accountant…”

“Chartered accountant, actually,” I blurt out, interrupting the detective. David wasn't just any accountant. He was brilliant.

“Sorry, yes, chartered accountant. My question is this. Do you know if he had any interactions with organized crime syndicates?”

What? How insulting. What is this cop trying to say?

“David would never get involved with such people. Why would you even ask me something like that?”

“I’m sorry, Emily. I’m not trying to offend you or sully the memory of your brother. But it does look to me like David’s death may have been a hit. At this stage, I’m investigating all the angles.”

“The mob,” I say softly. “David was always very private about who he worked for. I took that as a sign of his loyalty and discretion. An admirable quality when you’re dealing with such a sensitive subject as someone’s wealth.”

“I agree. No one wants an accountant with a loose tongue, I suppose,” Cox says, slurping his coffee. “So, he never discussed his client list with you?”

“No. And I didn’t ask.”

“Do you know if he talked about his work with anyone?”

“I’m sorry, Detective. I can’t help you.”

What the hell is this cop trying to tell me? Was David involved with the mob? Surely not. Not the man I knew and loved. It’s impossible!

“What makes you think it was a hit, Detective?”

“When you’ve been a detective for as long as I have, you get a feel for this sort of thing.”

A feeling? This guy is telling me he thinks David was involved with the mob because he has a feeling! What? Does he get a sore knee before it rains, too? Is he joking?

“I know what you’re thinking, Miss Thornton. This cop is full of it. Right? And I don’t blame you. But believe me when I tell you that this was more than likely a professional killing.”

---