Page 73 of The Rainbow Recipe
“None. I thought she’d watched some daft movie and wanted attention I didn’t give her. She never struck me as being terrified of Vincent so much as needing him because he had control of Bella. The whole family fought worse than cats and dogs. I almost sympathized with Matt for keeping bodyguards. I avoided being in the same room with any two of them at a time. Kit-Kat and I were friends with benefits, no more, and I needed the employment.” He looked ashamed at that admission.
“Lucia always kept journals, if just to track crop production. I’ll have one of my cousins contact the London police.” Dante gave no clue as to his reaction to this bombshell. “This may be something of their mother the twins will treasure when they’re older. Thank you for telling me. Shall I keep your name out? My family is well connected.”
“If the police let Matthew out, he’ll kill me on general principles. If he doesn’t, I need to work. I’d appreciate not having my name dragged into the case, if possible, although I’m aware if they put Vincent on trial, I’ll have to testify.” Nick sat up a little straighter.
“Matt isn’t getting out anytime soon. If they have enough evidence, Vincent could be charged for Katherine’s death as well as kidnapping. He will be tried in an American court. If you’re returning to London, your name probably won’t be prominent in the UK news stories,” Jax said reassuringly. Although he wasn’t a criminal defense lawyer or a journalist and didn’t know this for certain. The poor guy just needed time to regroup.
“Vincent will be the news. As accessories, Matt and Rhonda will take second place,” Dante agreed. “You won’t matter at all to the UK reports.”
Nick shook his head wearily. “The public defender says Matt and Rhonda claim to be innocent of any knowledge of Vincent’s plans, just as I was. They’re planning on letting them out on bond.”
Outraged, Jax leaned over the desk to object. “They’rekidnappers,and at the very least, accessory to murder. They can’t do that.”
Nick slumped in his chair. “I just came from the police station. Vincent had motive, opportunity and means for Kit-Kat’s murder and for kidnapping the children. They’ve already charged him. He bought the cyanide online, thinking he could hide the purchase. He opened the limoncello bottle—even Matt admits that. I only carried it after Kat began drinking from it. Vincent’s fingerprints are all over the bottle, under mine and hers. And Vincent arranged the limo and yacht for the kidnapping. None of the rest of us had a clue. Rhonda and I actually believed that he was taking Lucia’s children away from a neglectful dad. We didn’t know Lucia was dead.”
Rubbing his temples, Jax summed it up. “You may all have had means and opportunity, but Vincent is the only one with motive for murder—Katherine was about to implicate him in multiple crimes. But if Lucia is truly dead, his kidnapping the children still doesn’t make sense.”
Jax had relied on Pris and Evie’s talents when they swore Nick was innocent. Their testimony had allowed Nick out on bail. He’d thought they had enough to keep Matt and Rhonda behind bars.
Dante cut into his thoughts. “From the sounds of it, the police are holding only Vincent for KK’s murder and the kidnapping. They can’t prove Matt and Rhonda knew about the kidnapping or that Lucia’s death wasn’t an accident. Although...” He hesitated. “Is there any chanceKatherinealso kept a journal, one that might give evidence on how Lucia died?”
Jax sat up straighter. “Call your family,” he urged. “If there’s any chance that Matthew is a killer like his father, let’s keep the bastard off the streets.”
Thirty-five: Dante
Leaningagainst the kitchen counter so as not to strain his leg, Dante held an enormous bowl of rust-colored mush over a pie pan so Pris could scrape the bowl’s bottom. Preparations had begun for the Thanksgiving holiday, and she smelled of cinnamon and spice. He tried not to inhale too obviously, but just standing close had him slavering for far more than pie.
He told himself he’d get over it. He was just feeling particularly...vulnerable...at the moment.
“They think Matt will be out on bond?” she whispered in horror.
He glanced at the twins drawing turkeys around their fingers as Evie had taught them. “Jax called the sheriff, and I talked to the public defender. They both agree there is no evidence that Matt knew about the kidnapping. His bodyguard boyfriend supports that. And a ghost’s word that he shoved Lucia into a well won’t exactly hold up in court. His lawyer is asking the judge to let him bond out once his funds arrive. Since Rhonda attempted to help Vincent escape when we tried to stop the kidnapping, her bond is higher.”
“What about the stolen artifacts and money laundering?” She took the bowl and set it in the sink, sounding as appalled as he felt.
He wanted to hug her and say everything would be fine, but he would only be reassuring himself. And he might not stop at hugging. These last days had left him feeling as if he were walking across hot coals from a volcano in an earthquake, with Pris his only safe harbor. He was grateful she wasn’t inclined to hysteria or dramatics—although if she cooked any more food, they’d have to invite the entire town to dinner.
Her frustration might be as strong as his own, and it wasn’t just frustration with the crime. There were too damned many people around all the time. He had a hunch—should he ever be able to get her alone—that her kisses wouldn’t be as prickly as her attitude but as fiery as the red and orange streaks in her hair today.
“Stolen artifacts and international money laundering require the cooperation of police in three countries. They don’t have enough evidence to charge anyone yet.” Irritated by his inability to control events, Dante desperately needed to dosomething, but without a podium or a shovel, he was out of his element.
As if reading his mind—which she might possibly be doing—Pris handed him a rolling pin. “You’ve called your family and your colleagues and set Interpol or whatever in search of Etruscan artifacts for sale. All you can do is wait. Like your mother did. And Lucia. And your children. Start learning domesticity and roll the dough.”
Waiting reeked. Which was why Lucia had left. Got it. Didn’t like it. Needed to learn how to do it—while shutting down his mind so Pris couldn’t read his lusty thoughts. Setting his jaw, he checked that the twins were still happily occupied. Then he retrieved a bowl of dough and slapped it onto the floured board. He’d seen his mother do this a thousand times. He could learn.
The instant he rolled the pin over the dough, Alex climbed on the counter stool to watch. Nan showed no interest whatsoever.
“Role model,” Pris murmured wickedly, setting her pie in the oven.
Right. He could teach Alex that domesticity was not a bad thing. Life didn’t require airplanes and mobiles every minute. Maybe running 24/7 was an addiction.
Or an escape from his otherwise meaningless existence.Damn.
Sitting in the booth across from Nan, Evie manned three mobiles while painting cookies with orange icing and chocolate chips. Dante thought he might die of sugar poisoning before he saw home again.
The idea of that echoingly empty villa was daunting. His mother had called to say he could leave the twins with her in Scotland if he had to return to work. Once upon a time, he would have done it without a second thought. Now, he didn’t think he could.
One of the phones rang and Evie answered with crisp efficiency. “Dante Rossi’s office.”
