Which meant he would have to punch a wall or something to alleviate his tension before seeing Lia. Or he could just punch David Richardson in his too-handsome face and kill two birds with one stone—or one punch.
But for now Gregorio had to concentrate on driving to Lia’s apartment so that he arrived in one piece.
He had deliberately avoided the reception area of the hotel today. Had avoided Lia. She had made it clear yesterday that she didn’t want to continue seeing him.
That was about to change—whether Lia liked it or not.
Raphael had telephoned him just fifteen minutes ago to report that as a routine precaution he had checked all the numberplates and owners of the cars parked in the street where Lia’s apartment was located. He had found Richardson’s sports car parked at the other end of the street, neatly—deliberately?—hidden between two SUVs.
Gregorio had left his hotel suite in such a hurry he had still been talking to Raphael on his cell phone when he’d stepped into the lift and impatiently punched the button for the basement car park.
If Lia had invited Richardson to her apartment, against all Gregorio’s advice for her to stay away from the man...
The thought had Gregorio pressing his foot down hard on the accelerator, his expression grim.
* * *
‘I’m still waiting,’ Lia challenged as David stood unmoving and silent in the sitting room of her apartment.
A mocking smile tilted his lips. ‘This place is a bit of a come-down for you, isn’t it?’
Her gaze remained fixed on him. ‘I like it.’
And she did. The apartment was compact and easy to keep clean. It was also her first very own space. She had enjoyed living with her father, but there had been a formality to it, with meals served at set times and an army of staff to cook for them and clean the house. And consequently very little privacy. Here she could do exactly as she pleased, when she pleased—including eating what and when she wanted. In the nude if she so chose.
‘If you say so,’ David derided sceptically.
‘Well?’ Lia’s impatience deepened.
‘Aren’t you going to offer me a coffee or something?’ He made himself comfortable on the sofa.
‘No.’
He chuckled. ‘I think I like this new, outspoken Lia after all. Very sexy.’ His gaze ran slowly over her, from her head to her toes and back again.
Her hands clenched at her sides. ‘Will you just tell me what happened the night my father died?’
David’s expression became guarded. ‘He invited me over. We talked. He had a heart attack. I left.’
Anger welled up, strong and unstoppable. ‘You already told me that much in the hallway.’
Had her father known David was responsible for the missing money? Had he confronted the other man and then David had simply let her father die when he collapsed?
Why hadn’t her father confided in her?
The answer came to Lia so suddenly and with such force she almost bent over from the pain.
David had been her fiancé. The man her father had believed she loved and intended to marry. At the time she had believed that too. She had no doubt her father had loved her enough to want to protect her from knowing the truth about her future husband.
‘My father confronted you about the embezzlement of Fairbanks Industries funds.’ It wasn’t a question but a statement.
David’s mouth twisted derisively. ‘He said that if I returned the money then no one else needed to know what I’d done.’
‘But you no longer have the money, do you?’
‘Not all of it, no.’
‘Because you’re addicted to gambling.’ Lia looked at him with disgust.