Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

That was true. It just seemed to be such a lucky break. On the other hand, Vittorio knew most of the serial killers apprehended were caught on a lucky break. Detectives could pore over evidence, but it was that one thing the killer didn’t count on that tripped them up.

“The house is owned by a man by the name of Byron Fields. He’s a lawyer for Beta Corporation, a business we do some work with. It’s small, but they’re very good. They gather data on other companies and sell it to anyone interested after their initial client has had their report for ninety days.”

“Double-dipping,” Eloisa said with a sniff of disdain.

“Or smart business practices. Sometimes a company, when they see the information up on an auction block, buys it back themselves,” Giovanni said. “Beta Corporation has made some good money in the last few years. They’ve done well in the stock market. Their investigators are very good at finding out secrets.”

“What’s the plan?” Vittorio asked. He wanted to rush out that instant and make certain he could put an end to Haydon Phillips before the night was over.

“Byron’s wife is a schoolteacher and she’s at work. So is he. They have three children. One is in middle school and she’s in her classroom. The boy is in elementary and he’s in his classroom. The youngest is three and in preschool. She’s being babysat at the house until noon and then she’ll be taken to her school. The sitter won’t pick any of the kids up until three and then she takes them to various after-school programs.”

“It doesn’t matter if the family is in the house or not,” Vittorio pointed out. “We enter houses all the time with others in them. I can go now and get this over with.”

“That’s true,” Stefano said, “but we need to know he’s in there. We’ve got Raimondo with a broken-down car a block from the Fieldses’ house. Hood’s up and he’s working on it himself.”

“Raimondo?” Eloisa inquired.

Vittorio sighed. The bodyguards were all related. Close relations. It was so like Eloisa not to know them. “Raimondo Abatangelo. He’s Tomas and Cosimo’s younger brother. Good kid. Looks the part. Right age.”

She sent him an exasperated look and put her hands in the air as if that wasn’t enough information to clue her in. He knew better, but he rarely rose to Eloisa’s bait.

“Raimondo sent word that a man appearing to be homeless entered the house after waiting until the sitter drove away. Raimondo is still there, watching to make certain he doesn’t come back out, but here’s the thing. The ‘homeless’ man had a key. He entered from a fenced-in side yard where the neighbors would be less likely to spot him. The dog barked but appeared to be tied up.”

“Is that normal? The dog kept in the yard tied when it’s fenced?” Ricco asked.

“Dogs can be escape artists,” Giovanni said. “They dig.”

Eloisa gave a little shudder. She’d never allowed her children to have pets of any kind. “How do you want this done?”

“Vittorio will take Phillips down,” Stefano said. “We’ll make certain the family stays away. If for any reason they look as if they are going home while Vittorio’s there, we’ll arrange a delay quickly. Taviano will back Vittorio up just for safety reasons.”

“We can’t have a dead man stinking up someone’s home,” Eloisa said.

“We’ll leave him there and send an anonymous tip to the police in a day or two. All of us will need to be seen everywhere. We’ll get looked at because we’re tied to Phillips through Grace,” Stefano said.

Eloisa rolled her eyes, but she didn’t deliver one of her many barbs as they all stood up to go. She traveled by shadow back to her home and then Henry, her chauffeur, along with two bodyguards, took her downtown to shop.

Giovanni was the only one with a vehicle and he sauntered out to his car as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Sasha was with Suzette and he drove straight over to the Balbonis’ home and, in plain sight of every policeman watching, got out and went up the three brick steps to enter the house.

Stefano made his way home first and then got into a car with his bodyguards to be driven downtown. He made certain the window was down and his face could clearly be seen at every traffic stop. He entered the building across from Beta Corporations.

The others one by one did the same, each getting into a vehicle and going to a place of business near one of the schools where the children or their mother were. The Ferraro family members just had to be seen.

Vittorio went to Grace. “I’m going to be gone for a short time, mi amore. I’ll be back as soon as possible. I would prefer that anyone making an inquiry be told that I’m not available as I’m on a conference call, but I’ll be happy to speak to them as soon as I’m off.”