Gray, Ginna Read Online Free Page A

another.
    Speculation was, that was so he could keep his current plaything
on a short leash, but personally, Sam thought he put them on the payroll to
fool Mrs. Giovessi. If there was one person Carlo feared, it was his wife,
Sophia.
    "What have you got on her so far?"
    "Not much. She's got no priors that we can find. All we have
is her car license and her address. Our preliminary report, along with a
transcript of her statement is in here," Lieutenant Dumphries said,
handing Sam a file.
    As he scanned the first page Detective Morgan grinned.
"Recognize the address?"
    "Yeah, I recognize it." That was one of the first things
he'd noticed while skimming through the Bureau's dossier on the way over to the
station house. The apartment building Ms. Brownley listed as her address was a
luxurious high-rise, owned by none other than Carlo Giovessi.
    "Uh-huh. And our witness drives a shiny new Lexus."
    "Figures."
    Insofar as it went, the police report jived with the Bureau's
findings. In addition to the information in the police report, agents had
observed that the woman stayed at the club after hours alone with Giovessi
every Friday and Saturday night. They'd also noted that Carlo visited her
apartment every Wednesday evening and stayed for several hours.
    Just an employee, my ass, Sam thought. His mouth twitched. He
wondered what excuse Carlo gave his wife for those evenings? That he was a
member of a Wednesday night bowling league?
    "Our surveillance team has followed her to the campus several
times. So she could be telling the truth about working there," the
lieutenant went on.
    Sam granted. Their men had done the same, but because they had
nothing to link her to any criminal activity, there had been no in-depth
investigation into her background or employment. In the opinions of the agents
who had tailed her, she was merely another of Giovessi's playthings who was
probably taking a few university classes as a lark.
    "Has anyone checked with the university to find out if she
actually is employed there?"
    "Not yet. We didn't want to start the investigation until you
fellas had heard her story."
    "Fine." Sam snapped the folder closed and nodded toward
the interrogation room. "Let's do it."

Three
    Lauren made another circuit of the dingy little room. Where was
everyone? What was taking them so long?
    She stopped at the front of the room and stared into the wide
mirror beside the door. Were they watching her through there, the way she'd
seen them do on police dramas on television? If so, why? Did they think she was
lying?
    Maybe Lieutenant Dumphries and Detective Morgan had gone to Club
Classico to look for the body. If so, they wouldn't find it. By now Carlo's
lackeys had disposed of all the evidence. She'd already told them that, but
would they believe she was lying if they couldn't find anything?
    Swinging away from the mirror, Lauren went back to pacing. As she
circled the table she glanced around and shuddered. Dear Lord, what was she
doing in this place? She'd never even been inside a police station before. How
had her life degenerated to this?
    Lauren made an aggravated sound and shot her reflection a
disgusted look. "Because you're a fool, that's how," she muttered
under her breath. "A naïve fool. Face it, you have no one but yourself to
blame for being in this mess."
    It wasn't as though the signs hadn't been there. Even as far back
as two years ago when she'd been in the hospital and Mr. Giovessi had come to
visit her, the nurses had hinted that he had a dark reputation.
    She had brushed aside their subtle warnings, unable to believe
that anyone with such impeccable manners could be anything but respectable.
    Lauren sighed. No, that wasn't exactly accurate. The unvarnished
truth was, she hadn't wanted to believe that Carlo Giovessi was anything
but what he appeared to be: a nice, courtly old gentleman.
    When Carlo had entered her life she had been lost and alone and
completely vulnerable. He had been the only person to come