Page 43 of Home Team Advantage
Ian tapped some keys, and within seconds, the image Anna had been looking at in the library was projected onto the large screen on the wall. “Know anything about these guys?”
“Paul DiGiorgio, Sal Santini, and Constantine Delvecchio,” Nick read from the caption.
“DiGiorgio is the one running for governor,” Ian said. “The other two are his muscle.”
Bree was nodding. “DiGiorgio I know of. The others don’t look familiar, but it’s hard to see their faces with their hats down like that.”
“What can you tell us about DiGiorgio?” Matt asked.
“Not much. He’s a relatively new face in the political scene. Started coming up in the ranks about a decade ago, when the power base out there shifted from one family to another. Same stuff, different manager, if you will.”
“What kind of stuff are we talking about?” Matt asked.
Bree shrugged. “The usual. Drugs, guns, extortion. There were some rumors about prostitution and sex trafficking, but nothing substantial as far as I know.”
“Can you tell us why the interest?” Nick asked. “Maybe if we know where you’re coming from, we can be more helpful.”
Matt looked at Ian, who nodded in response. Matt gave a brief rundown of the highlights, which admittedly, weren’t many.
Bree’s brows pulled down low. “Let me get this straight. You’re concerned that your elderly neighbor’s new personal caregiver has questionable motives, and the only thing you’ve got is that she was reading an article about the race in Chicago on a public library computer?”
Matt winced. It did sound like a huge reach when he put it like that. “In a nutshell.”
Nick shook his head. “I know you’re a wizard, Ian, but not even you can conjure a mob connection from that. What are you not telling us?”
“It is more complicated than that,” Ian admitted. “Elsa’s grandson is the one who believes she’s got ulterior motives and hired a PI. Matt asked me to do some digging, but I would have done that anyway. Mrs. Campbell is a sweet old lady and has been a friend of the family for years. As for the aide, her CV appears legit, but there’s no trace of her prior to seven years ago. That raised some red flags for us.”
“Nothing?” Nick asked doubtfully.
“Nothing. Lots of Anna Blacks, but none that I can say definitively is our Anna Black.”
“Hmm,” Bree mused. “Sticking with the mob theme … witness protection maybe?”
“I suppose that’s a possibility,” Nick said slowly, “but it’s still pretty thin. I hate to say it, man, but I don’t think we can help you with this one.”
“That’s all right,” Ian said, letting out a breath. “It was a long shot. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us.”
“Anytime. After all the stuff you’ve done for us? We’re always willing to help.”
They rose to go.
“Hey, while you’re here, you want to stick around and join us for lunch?”
“I never say no to Kate’s cooking. What do you say, Matt?”
“Sounds great,” he said, but he’d lost his appetite. He felt certain that there was more to Anna than met the eye. So much more. Had he completely lost perspective? Were his finely honed instincts in need of a serious adjustment? Or, after that last op, had he become so jaded that he was imagining things lurking in the shadows that weren’t really there?
Chapter Twenty-Three
ANNA
Leaving Elsa and her friends to their lunch, Anna set off to run errands. She enjoyed these small pockets of time where she was free to explore. Mrs. Campbell was lovely, but it was nice to have a few moments to herself too. The day was overcast, and the forecast called for showers off and on throughout the afternoon.
The pharmacy was first. When the tech handed her the bag, Anna double-checked the contents, ensuring the prescriptions were what she expected.
Next stop was the jeweler to pick up the watch she’d left weeks before. Unfortunately, the man she’d dealt with before wasn’t around. A young woman was sitting behind the counter, doing something on her phone. Anna waited patiently, clearing her throat several times before the woman looked up with an irritated expression.
“I’m here to pick up a watch,” Anna said.
