“I want Lucien cleared for good.”
“I know what you want,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Lucky for you I’ve got a guy that’ll wipe the record of this phone call. You must really be shaken to call me and say the things you have. It would really be a shame for someone to learn about what you’ve done.”
I’d known he might try to blackmail me even if I followed through on the bargain, so I’d done some digging on him. “Remember when you killed a boy in high school, and your family managed to make the whole thing disappear?”
“How the fuck do you know about that?” Devil sounded more rattled than I’d ever heard him.
“I have my ways. Did you really think I wouldn’t check up on you?”
“There’s no proof I was involved, and I was never charged.”
He was right about that, but he was also scared. “It would be a shame if the case was reopened, wouldn’t it?”
“Are you trying to get me to come for you?”
“Don’t fuck with me. And don’t make assumptions. You’re not the only one who knows how to get a phone record wiped.”
“I thought you were Mr. Play-By-The-Rules.”
“Sometimes playing by the rules includes talking to informants, and sometimes those conversations need to be off the record for everyone’s safety.
“You know what a lot of those informants do in their spare time?” Devil asked. “They work for me.”
“I don’t ask them for personal details. I just work my cases.”
“If you value your health, you won’t ask any more questions about me or my family.”
“Don’t commit any more crimes.”
Devil snorted. “How about I just don’t get caught?”
When I ended the call, I was shaking with a combination of fear and anger. I’d compromised myself. Devil and his family could easily ruin me. Sure, I had some dirt on them, but their power went far beyond mine. I was playing a game I couldn’t win. The best I could hope for was that Devil would keep his word and leave me alone. Lindsay had been right. I should have left this case the fuck alone, but now I couldn’t. I still didn’t know who the murderer really was, and I’d be looking over my shoulder every fucking day, waiting for Murphy’s handlers to figure out what I’d done. The best chance I had of getting out from under this was finding out who’d controlled Murphy and getting what I needed to bring them down.
After being grilled by multiple people over the course of the next few days, I was finally able to talk to my lieutenant about the new “evidence” I’d gotten in the Milano case.
McDonough narrowed his eyes at me. “So Mr. Henderson swears he saw Marchesi enter the restaurant he’s remodeling before the girl was murdered and didn’t see him leave again until after the time of death?”
“Yes, sir. Henderson’s story corroborates Ms. Carson’s original testimony that Lucien was at the restaurant at the time of the murder.” I managed to tell the lie around the lump in my throat, though I might have to go throw up when I was done. The city worker had no idea if he’d seen Lucien or not, but he’d been paid very well for his story. Money really could get you anything.
Along with intimidation and the willingness to kill.
Fuck, maybe I should give up on justice and become a mobster myself.
McDonough tapped his finger against the case notes. “I see here you’ve also had this confirmed by an employee from the renovation crew working inside the restaurant.”
“Yes, sir. Between the three of them, there’s no time when Lucien wasn’t in sight at the restaurant.
“And you believe their stories?”
“I do. I think Murphy questioned the alibi because he wanted to pin the crime on Marchesi.” That I truly did believe. Either Lucien was a convenient target or the men behind Murphy’s actions were enemies of the Marchesis. “There’s no evidence other than his presence at the apartment to suggest Lucien is the killer. I think we need to look elsewhere.”
McDonough nodded. “All right then. Clear him and move on.”
“Yes, sir.”
I texted Devil as soon as I was back at my own desk. It’s done. Lucien is no longer implicated.
Too bad we’re done too. He added a winking emoji.
I didn’t respond, but I felt the same way, and I was sure Devil knew it.
8
Devil
I’d ignored Marco for two days, but he finally found me at a dive bar where I was sulking, trying not to think about how much I missed Joe.
How do you miss a person you don’t even really know?
I hadn’t missed other men I’d fucked. I just walked away satisfied and so did they. Was Joe still thinking about me? He’d better be. The asshole.
Marco settled onto the stool next to me and gave me a hard look. He didn’t say anything, but he was obviously waiting for me to tell him what had happened after I’d sent him away from Joe’s house.