Page 83 of Gin & Trouble

“I see.” I folded my arms. “What was the second tip?”

“This woman is wanted for questioning.” The officer in blue, gave me an eight by ten glossy. “A witness came forward claiming she had a conversation with the woman in the photo. During which, the person of interest said she was engaged to a Marchionni. Do you recognize her?”

Staring at the grainy image of Frankie, I asked, “What does she have to do with my brother’s shooting?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. We understand her name is Frankie Abruzzo, but she goes by the alias Julia Carpenter?”

I shoved the photo back into his hands. “That’s correct.”

“Do you know where Miss Abruzzo is now?”

“No clue.” Rather than seeming combatant or evasive, I went for the sympathy card even though I doubted it would do any good. “I’ve been at the hospital with my brother’s pregnant wife. I came home to change clothes and grab some food before heading back out.”

“But Miss Abruzzo is currently living with you?” The detective with the sour expression gave me a once over.

“She’s staying here with Iris temporarily. I’m in the penthouse.” I pointed to the ceiling just in case they didn’t know where it was. “I’m in a hurry to get back before my brother is out of surgery. If there’s nothing else, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Detective Smiley stopped smiling. “That’s quite the set up you have in your office. What exactly is it you do for a living, Mr. Marchionni?”

It took every ounce of my willpower to keep from turning to Iris. What the hell had she been thinking, allowing the police to go through my home? Reminding myself she was a civilian, not affiliated with the mafia, I leaped to the likely conclusion she’d agreed when the nice officers had asked to take a look around.

I shrugged. “Nothing really. My folks own the building and the company. I mostly play video games and watch YouTube. Now, shall I ask my attorney to join us, or will you be leaving?”

They exchanged glances, and boy oh boy, did they look like someone had taken a dump in their box of doughnuts.

I pulled my phone from my pocket. “He’s down on the second floor. An elevator ride away.”

Detective Not-So-Smiley gave me his card on his way to the door. “Call us if Miss Abruzzo shows up.”

“Will do.” I gave them a half-hearted and totally smart-assed salute and closed the door behind them.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know they thought Frankie was the killer.” Iris shot to her feet. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of her all day. I saw her picture on the television and thought…”

There I was, standing in front of the only friend of Frankie’s that I knew of, and Iris was what? Thinking Frankie had pulled the trigger? “You think she did this?”

“No! Never. I thought she might have been hurt, or…maybe the men who kidnapped me had her.”

Dante, you asshole.

Cursing myself, I drew the weeping woman into an embrace. “It’s okay. No harm no foul, right?”

“I invited them in and they started looking around. I didn’t know what to do.” She wiped her snot on the back of her hand. “Can they do that? I mean, is it legal for them to just…go through your stuff like that?”

“They’re investigating a high-profile murder and two high-profile attempted murders. They’re not going to follow all of the rules.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her how badly she’d screwed Frankie over.

Now that they had a positive ID on Frankie, it wouldn’t take much digging for the police to turn up information on the Abruzzos and my father’s accusations that Sophia had killed my brother and sister-in-law. Given the right details in the wrong context, Frankie using a fake name made her look almost as guilty as her showing up holding the murder weapon.

“You don’t think she did those things, do you?” Iris wrapped her arms around herself.

I have no idea what I think, sweetheart.

“No. I don’t, but I need to find out why she was at the scene when Enzo was shot.” I walked down the hall to check the Batcave. I didn’t make a habit of leaving questionable material on my desk, but I wanted to be sure nothing had been disturbed.

Iris followed me. “I didn’t either, but then the men who rescued me from her house came and searched her personal things.”

The room tilted, and I gripped the edge of the desk to steady my balance.

“Marco’s security team was here? When?” I hadn’t meant to shout, but I seemed to have lost control of my body. Hands trembling and lungs struggling to function, I turned to Iris. “Did they take anything?”

---