Page 53 of The Ruthless and the Strong

“Ah.”

Lorenzo’s father, Vincent, was a powerful and rich man in Chicago. He owned hundreds of chain restaurants all over the country, and the one here in Chicago had been Olivia’s favorite, before his bastard son hurt her.

“You’re doing this all for show?”

Officer Hernandez offered me a sheepish smile. “We’re just looking into all the people who might have had a past with him before.”

“I don’t know why you’re here questioning me, then. I haven’t seen Lorenzo in years. Not since his sentencing.”

Officer Kyle spoke up for the first time since he sat down. “Because of his assault on Olivia Williams, right?”

“Olivia Kade,” I said.

“Pardon?”

“She goes by Olivia Kade now.”

“That’s right. She married your brother, didn’t she?”

“I don’t see what this has to do with your case. I don’t even think there is a case. The last I heard, his family had cut him off.”

“Not completely,” Officer Hernandez answered.

I shrugged. “Doesn't matter.”

“Well, as I said, we’re doing a routine questioning of anyone who might be involved with Lorenzo. We’ve checked out the dates. Everyone we questioned so far has got an airtight alibi on the night Mr. Vitelli died. We just need to account for your whereabout.”

“We just want to know where you were from March fifth to March ninth,” Officer Kyle added.

“Hmm, March fifth, you say? I’d have to look back at my calendar.”

They didn’t say anything for a moment. I pulled out my phone, keeping my expression neutral. Pulling up my calendar, I said, “Ah, yes. Those were the days I went on a fishing trip with my good friend Nicolas Rockwell. My assistant can confirm the dates.”

“Nicolas Rockwell? I believed he came up in our investigation. He owns a private security firm, doesn’t he?”

I nodded. I wasn’t sure how thorough they were on this investigation, but to have looked into Nicolas… I wondered if they already heard about my supposed “fishing trip” before coming to me with the questionings.

This might not be as routine as they were trying to make it out to be. I was sure they questioned Nicolas already. But we’d already got the timeline sorted out before I made the seventeen-hour drive from Carlyle to Wyoming in a car registered to a random man I had paid off on the street.

I had been careful. But now I questioned whether I had left something behind.

I stood up. “I hope you got everything you need. My whereabouts on those nights can be checked out. Now, I don’t mean to rush this, but I am a busy man.”

They stood up, too. Officer Hernandez was easy to read. But Officer Kyle could be trouble, especially if he was being pressured by his superiors to look more into the case for the Vitelli family.

“Thank you for your time,” Officer Hernandez said.

“Of course.”

I walked them to the door and stood there watching as they waited for the elevator. It wasn’t until they disappeared from view that I thought about what all this meant. If they were looking into everyone with a past connected to Lorenzo, then I had no doubt they’d questioned Olivia as well.

“Fuck.”

I moved back to the office and grabbed my jacket, keys, and cell phone. I walked out of my office and said, “Cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day, Rebecca. There are some personal matters I need to attend to.”

“Yes, Mr. Kade.”

I didn’t look back at her as I rushed out the door.

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