Guilt E-Book

Emma Calin

• Herausgeber: Emma Calin
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 358

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

TO HELP KEEP YOUR EREADER TOPPED UP, ALL TITLES IN THE SERIES ARE ON LOCKDOWN DURING CORONAVIRUS

Sexy but alone Helen Marx is a cop too guilty to love. Sexy but alone Marco Ambastilias is the world’s greatest opera star too guilty to sing. When their guilt collides their bodies betray their needs in a climax worthy of theatre, worthy of love.

Widowed as a bride, Police dog handler Constable Helen Marx loses herself in her work. For eight years her German shepherd Lanza has been at her side. When a thug leaves him gravely wounded the whole framework of her life is gone. As her dog fights for life, Marco Ambastilias, the renowned but reclusive opera star comes to her side. There is a spark and a rekindling of her own passionate sexuality. She enters his life and that of his daughter Cressida whose drug issues have brought her into contact with deeply evil men.  Helen uncovers a terrorist plot to attack the Queen at the Royal Ascot race meeting but has orders not to alert Marco and his daughter who will be attending the event. A desperate struggle against suicide attackers reveals her deception and she loses his trust and they split. Police work sweeps her up. The supreme world terrorist leader remains at liberty, planning another outrage.

Global authorities come together to set a trap.

Can she convince Marco to act as bait? Can she overcome her guilt at loving a man again and then deceiving him? Can she express her own sexual desires without guilt? Could the music and eroticism of love put an end to the joyless dictatorship of terrorism? Could a seed of joy root in her flesh?

Guilt – when naughty goes good.

A Passion Patrol Series novel. Enjoy action and adventure with these sassy female cops who are as passionate about solving crime as they are about the men they fall in love with.  Stand alone novels with a guaranteed HEA.  Books may be read in any order.

Leseprobe

PASSION PATROL SERIES

GUILT

Hot Cops

Hot Crime

Hot Romance

By

Emma Calin

GUILT

First published 2019

By Gallo-Romano Media

copyright © 2019 Emma Calin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

All characters in this compilation are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to ‘Diesel’, a Belgian Malinois police dog, who died in action fighting terrorists in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, 18th November 2015.

Table of Contents

Guilt – The Story

A Message From Emma

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Chapter 1

Three a.m.

Exclusive house.

Intruder disturbed.

Violence.

Emergency call to Scotland Yard.

Officer responding CO185 dog unit.

Floor the pedal, blue lights on.

Routine.

First unit on scene. Assess situation. Big guy, superficial head wound bleeding, pointing toward open country.

Update Control. Assistance. Ambulance.

Vehicle doors, running feet on gravel, adrenalin wiping fifteen years off her thirty-five. A newly trodden track ran through grass and the scent was fresh. PC Helen Marx tried to keep pace with her German shepherd as he bounded ahead on the long leash. They were in open green field land, where London kept uneasy truce with nature. The first light of mid-summer dawn snapped blurred monochrome photos as she ran.

A figure broke cover two hundred yards ahead. Breathless call.

“Stop or I release the dog.”

A blur of feral hunting speed as eight-year-old Lanza stepped up once again to his duty. A flash of fire. A crack, a cry.

She slammed her fist into the suspect’s face, as Lanza held on with his last strength. There was a plea in his eye. Still he kept his jaw locked on the arm as the guy writhed and kicked. She drew her cuffs and running on instinct snapped the metal onto his wrists. He tried a vicious head-butt. She drove her foot hard into his groin. Game over.

Lanza slumped down into the long damp grass. She assessed his condition. Bright foamy blood and a sucking chest wound. In minutes he would bleed to death. Looking back toward the house she could see running figures and the blue roof lamps of other police units. She spotted the firearm and covered it with her foot. Lanza was dying and she could do nothing.

The big man from the house knelt down alongside the dog.

“Do your police stuff with that idiot—looks like a bullet straight through the lung. I’ll do what I can.”

She watched as he turned the limp animal over, placed his fingers into the sucking wound and felt the neck for a pulse. He pulled out a cell phone and spoke quickly with a slight accent.

“It’s a dog. He needs fluids, or he’ll bleed out. Just get here. Drive straight across the down in a four-by-four.”

Lanza was dying. She could think of nothing else. The suspect was kneeling. The bastard deserved to die for what he’d done. She was a cop, not a killer. She’d already thrown a punch in anger, but she could and would deny that.

“You’re under arrest. You don’t have to say anything....”

Other officers were everywhere. A scenes of crime guy was bagging up the gun. A detective was talking to the suspect. Lanza was dying. She knelt at his head and stroked back his ear. He flicked open an eye.

“He’s fighting,” said the big man. “Those guys heading for us will be a top team I assure you.”

She watched the bouncing headlights of an approaching Landover.

“Vets, doctors, or what?”

“Vets, of course. The best ever. They’re neighbors.”

A man and a woman sprang from the vehicle. Within seconds they had an IV drip running.

“I’ve alerted the surgery. We’ll stabilize for a few minutes, then go for it. Can you guys do a high-speed escort?” said the man, pulling on surgical gloves.

Helen fought back her nausea and desperation.

“Sure, I guess—has he got a chance?”

“He’s still alive and he wants to live. I can say no more than that.”

She looked back to the big guy who was holding out his hand to pull her up. He spoke gently.

“What’s his name?”

“Lanza.”

He smiled slowly with a slight shake of his head.

“That’s incredible. Now, can you fix a police escort to the RSPCA animal hospital in Putney and we don’t want any speeding tickets.”

She looked around, realizing that half the top brass of the Metropolitan Police was surrounding her. How much time had passed? Her sole focus had been Lanza. The man and woman were lifting him into the Landover. A uniformed inspector finished talking into his radio.

“Helen, jump in the back of Oscar Lima Four. They’re the blue light escort so go for it. By the way—well done. Everyone’s praying for him.”

She’d never prayed but she’d take any prayer in any faith. He could not die. She would not let him die. She’d held him as a pup. He was due to retire and she’d been considering going back to regular duty rather than train a new dog. Generally, dog handlers were family guys and she was no longer in that mould. She stayed quiet during the ride. She knew the crew didn’t want to talk about Lanza, like she was already some kind of police widow at the Christmas party alone. No one thought he was going to make it. How the hell had that big guy known who to call? Why were so many big hats at the scene of a burglary?

As they arrived at the animal hospital two further medicos in scrubs rushed out to join the team. Within seconds Lanza was gone and she was left alone in a waiting area. Was this it now? She’d not been there when her man had hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and she’d kept it together. She’d been puppy walking Lanza then and Captain James Marx was coming home with hopes of joining her in the Job. She’d held it all together then.

But now she could not. She slumped in helpless sobs like a pathetic girlie civilian. This was not the show she wanted the world to see. Cut it out, Helen. No one wants some woman bawling over an old dead dog. That’s not what they pay cops for. She took deep breaths and walked outside. The dawn had given way to morning as the city shook off its night, littered as always with the debris scattered by pitiless time. The traffic on the South Circular Road created an ocean roar of sound. And nobody cared if an old dog died. London would take it all on its shoulders and never even shrug.

“You must be exhausted.”

It was his voice—the big guy from that house. A wound on his forehead had been closed with steri-strips. In any other place, on any other day, she’d smile and bathe for as long as she could in the soul of this man. “Please....”

She sniffed and wiped away tears. His arms were open to her—for no reason.

“Please,” he repeated.

And he was holding her.

“I’m sorry. Not many folks want crying cops.”

She had to stay cool, drag out some gallows humor from the police manual of cynical self-denial.

“There was me thinking you were a woman.”

His body was powerful, his manner confident and assured of how his presence would play with others. To rest here like this against him was unprofessional but just so liberating. She could cry a lifetime onto this nameless man.

Chapter Two

He brought her a coffee from the machine. He hadn’t asked. She realized she hadn’t even looked at him. She didn’t want to think of anything other than Lanza. Anything else would somehow be unfaithful. It had been over an hour. She stared at the blue swing door through which she knew the yes or no would come.

“You always know if a jury will say guilty or not guilty,” she said.

“You do?”

“Sure. If they look the prisoner in the eye then he’s out of jail. If they keep their eyes down, he’s in trouble.”

“I believe he’ll pull through,” he said.

A jolt of anger shook her. What did he know? What right did he have to give her false hope just to cheer her up in some pathetic way. Like she needed some feel-good crutch.

“Believe?”

She could tell he’d picked up her resentment.

“I’m sorry. I just said what was in my heart, my gut. I wasn’t thinking about how you might see my intrusion.”

He’d caught her signal, tuned in to her at once. She flicked her eyes to his and found them on her face. Large dark eyes with strength and sorrow speaking to her. This man was deep or had the shallow tricks of the actor. She sighed.

“I didn’t—”

“You didn’t need some idiot to mess with your own hopes.”

Voices approaching the swing doors. He took her hand. He didn’t ask.

A bespectacled man in green scrubs pushed through with his shoulder, cleaning his hands with practiced professionalism. Another day, the usual routine. He looked up and smiled. And held her eyes.

“Hi, I’m Simon Leonard. He’s with us, but weak. He’s breathing on two lungs. These next few hours are critical.”

“Can I see him?” she asked.

“Not for a while. The last thing we want is infection.” He turned to the intimate stranger at her side who was still squeezing her hand. “Marco, what the hell happened?”

“A burglar I suppose. We struggled and he ran onto the down-land. I phoned police. I saw what happened with the dog and called the best vet in the world.”

“Ha! The best vet living next door. You were lucky I’d just come home from an emergency. If I’d been in bed….”

As the two men talked she was alone to take in the news. Chains inside her snapped.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Words and tears tumbled from her helter-skelter.

“You need to rest yourself. I imagine you’ve worked all night,” said the vet in a kind voice.

“What time is it?”

“It’s nine-thirty on a sunny summer day in London town.”

She’d lost track of everything. There would be arrest reports and the usual paper chase of official forms. She’d abandoned her police vehicle at the scene. And this guy was still holding her hand. No, she was squeezing his hand. She’d lost the plot. She stepped away and finally took the time to study him. He was about six feet, big-chested and strong. His hair was dark, wavy, and long onto his collar. At a guess he was forty-three years old. There was an olive tint to his skin and a passionate sensuality to his wide mouth and expressive lips. Then there were those eyes, those dark eyes staring back with brazen self-confidence. He knew what they could do to a woman. A woman like Helen Marx. Now this was a novel feeling. Metropolitan Police Constable CO 185 was someone else and that was a role she knew how to play.

“I’ve let everything slide. I’ve got to be somewhere doing something. I’ve just got to focus. I’ve had no other thoughts but Lanza.”

He kept his kind gaze on her as he spoke in his rich voice.

“Someone somewhere must be thinking about you and where you are?”

She nodded slowly as she thought. A man like this couldn’t be interested in her so her response wouldn’t matter. All the same he was knocking at a tender door and if ever she were to open it to man like this.…

“Yeah, sure but they’re used to it.”

“You guys are something else. I can’t imagine how much I’d worry if my partner were a cop.”

“It’s just a job.”

“Lanza took a bullet that could just as easily have been for you.”

He was right. His words took her mind back to what had happened.

“Or you for that matter. The detectives must be needing to get a witness statement from you.”

“I told them I’d be there once I’d checked up on you and Lanza.”

“Did anyone want you sooner—like immediately? Like they’ve got an armed criminal locked up and they need to crack on. Maybe you shouldn’t be wasting time with me?”

“People only argue if you give them choices. I told them you and your dog were my priorities.”

She smiled. This was the kind of man who just assumed he would do what he thought best and no one would stop him. What the hell was he in the world? She was curious but didn’t want to show it. As a professional it concerned her that he would be holding up the show on her account.

“So now you’re free to help the police get that piece of shit locked up for a few years. But, thanks for—”

“Caring,” he interrupted.

What was he on? Caring and all that stuff was for civilians.

“Caring is good stuff,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow. He’d picked up on her flatness. He was an emotional weathervane.

“Yes, caring is good to give but not always so easy to take. I chose caring because I do.”

She wanted him to go. Hard-working officers would be needing his statement and she had to admit, she didn’t want to get used to having him on her case. What sort of man was this? He’d been so calm in giving first aid to Lanza, as if blood and trauma was no surprise.

“Thanks for the what you did at the scene. Had you seen that sort of stuff before?”

“Only once in the back streets of Naples, but then it was men.”

His expression was so open and kind, but this wasn’t the time to go deeper.

“I don’t really know your name—Marco, I think. Please, I’m good, and I want you to help the police and the population of London rather than care about me.”

“Yes, Helen, it’s Marco Ambastilias. I’ll do what you want and you’re right. I’ll be following up on Lanza.” He turned to walk away then spun back. “And you.”

She waited. How odd she must have looked with her disheveled hair and crumpled uniform. Her sergeant had come and she’d done her reports. He’d offered some leave and she’d taken it, after all what’s the use of a dog cop without a dog? She’d started to doze.

“You can come through for a few minutes.”

She looked up into the kind face of a veterinary nurse who was gently pressing her shoulder. She followed through the swing doors, into a world of antiseptic smells and machines like in any hospital. Lanza was in an oxygen tent.

“He’ll stay sedated for a while yet. His respiration levels are a bit low, but climbing. We can’t risk him struggling with oxygen by tube because his sternum is severely damaged and will require further surgery and plating.”

“Further surgery?”

“Once he’s a bit stronger. Mr. Leonard is a top specialist and he’s confident.”

She watched the rise and fall of Lanza’s chest. His eyes were closed and his body so still.

Helen bent down and got as close as she could to his head.

“Good boy,” she whispered.

A paw twitched, a tail gave one thump on the white-sheeted table.

“He knows you’re here,” said the nurse.

And there she stayed. A few cops came and went, a few sandwiches and coffees kept her body alive. A press guy from Scotland Yard took shots of Lanza for the next morning’s papers. And there she stayed.

“Helen, Lanza’s coming round and we have to fix his chest. He won’t be able to function as he is. His oxygen is up and we’ve controlled the bleeding. Now it’s time to turn him bionic.” She watched the face of the vet. It was 4 a.m. Already they were wheeling him away. “You need to look after yourself. You’ve done everything you can here. We’ll call you.”

Chapter Three

The doc was right. She needed to get away, go home. She took a deep breath of the dawn air as she stepped out. A white Alfa Romeo Giulietta, on Italian plates, pulled up alongside her.

“Good job I called by if you’re ready to leave.”

“Marco? Is it polite for me to ask what the fuck?”

“Very polite. I spent half the day with Inspector Scarpia at Croydon police station. After I have business to do and then I called by only to see how Lanza was doing because you didn’t want me to care about you.”

“It’s dawn, 4:15 in the morning.”

“So, we miss the traffic.”

“How long have you been out here?”

“I’m beginning to see that cops keep asking questions.”

She was so tired but even so it warmed her to think that he was there. So tired, so tired, and yet her brain turned over a word he’d used. She slumped down in what should have been the driver’s seat of the car. OK—Italian car, left-hand drive.

“Scarpia—chief of police—Tosca, Puccini.”

He slapped his hand on the steering wheel.

“Yes, you call your dog Lanza. You just had to like opera.”

“It’s a long story Marco, please, please.”

She was exhausted and right now she couldn’t talk about Lanza or how he got his name.

“So, Helen, your address?”

“Donnybrook Road, Streatham SW16. You don’t have to do this.”

“If I had to do it, I’d refuse on principle.”

The car was pulling away. She must be stinking and haggard. This was the most attractive man she’d ever met. She was letting this domineering person take her over and just carry her along. The first red London buses dotted the streets like poppies in the cornfields of her childhood. She wanted to tell him that, so he would know her a little more, glimpse some petticoat of her soul. The words stuck and tangled as familiar streets turned foreign to her exhausted mind. She remembered him opening the front door of her house with her keys. She remembered falling into bed. She remembered a drawing of curtains, a hand on her back, a long drink of iced water. Then darkness.

Lanza! She’d been lying awake and her mind had been empty. Her cell phone was ringing.

“Yeah?”

“Helen, it’s Simon Leonard. I didn’t call before because I guessed you’d need to sleep.”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s the news?”

“He’s good and stable. He’s got some titanium where he once had bone. His days of backflips are over. We’ll be reducing his sedation over the next three days. Once he’s supporting his own weight we’ll see where we need to go from there. I’m hoping he’ll be fixed up for his retirement and some casual walks on the common.”

“Thank you so much. I’ve not even thought about payment.”

“Anything the police don’t cover Marco has promised to pay without limit.”

“What?”

“Helen, we’re talking about Marco Ambastilias. He has worries enough, but money isn’t one of them.”

Oh my God. Oh, my crazy God. Marco Ambastilias—the name on half the music in Captain James Marx’s collection. Music she’d not touched since the day she’d learned he would never come home to take a precious vinyl or a CD from the shelf himself. Marco Ambastilias, tenor star of Covent Garden, La Scala, and the New York Metropolitan. Since that crack of gunfire, she’d thought of nothing else but her dog, a pup her man had named after tragic opera legend, Mario Lanza, a few days before he’d gone off on his final tour of duty.

She needed a drink. She needed a friend. The first part was easy, too easy. The second part was difficult, too difficult. She realized she’d slept in her uniform. She took a long shower and kept things simple. She poured a long whisky and water but rationed the water for the sake of the environment. It wasn’t even a weak joke if she couldn’t share it. Since the day she’d brought Lanza home as a pup, she’d never been alone in the house. Now she really was a solitary drinker. The scotch hit her brain with an empty stomach hammer. Had Marco put her to bed? Had she embarrassed herself or him? She’d spoken to him as if he were just any man. He’d talked to her as an equal, had almost seemed to court her approval. She didn’t have his cell phone number but she would never dare call him. All the same, if she had his number she could thank him. She took another drink. If a cop couldn’t get a phone number who could? Then, if he called she would know his number and maybe answer, maybe not.

“Hi, it’s Helen Marx,” she told the veterinary receptionist.

“Everything’s going well. I’ll just see if I can track down Mr. Leonard—”

“No, don’t trouble him. Marco—Mr. Ambastilias—gave me a lift home and I left my bag in his car. I don’t suppose you’ve got his cell number there?”

“Well, I shouldn’t really.”

“I’m a cop, not a stalker.”

“Sure, it’s 00397565239279. Don’t tell him I told you.”

“Fancy Italian number, eh? Thanks.”

She took another drink and studied the number she’d tapped onto her screen. She would never press that call button. She never would, but a cat can look at a king. She hit the button.

“Marco?”

“Si.”

“Helen.”

“I was worried you didn’t find my number.”

“I didn’t, so I pulled a cop stunt. Why didn’t you sing outside my window? Did I blow my one chance?”

“I’m glad you called. I wanted. I needed—needed to ask you a couple of police things.”

“I hope you pay your taxes. We check up before we give out free answers to international superstars.”

“I can hear you’ve come back to life.”

“I’ve watered my roots with water and a dash of scotch. My courage is tartan today.”

“I’ve seen your courage, Helen.”

His voice was slow and actually beautiful.

“So, you need police advice? I need something too.”

“What?”

“Something you should never ask for. Right now, I need a friend and if you weren’t some famous big shot I’d be asking you to get your shoulders round here for me to sob on.”

“Look, forget the hype. I’m that opera guy’s body double and that’s our secret. Did you eat yet?”

“Not quite.”

“Then we eat Italiano alla casa mia– see you in venti minuti.”

“Ciao.”

Bloody hell. She’d done it now.

Chapter Four

Look, he wanted legal advice for free. It was as simple as that. He wasn’t going to be interested in a thirty-five-year-old brown-haired woman who defined average in her own mind. As she dressed, she spotted a slip of paper by her bed. It was Marco’s number with the words “anything any time.” She threw on some black jeans, a yellow T-shirt and some white pumps. It was the evening of a mid-summer day and the air was warm. She pulled her hair into a ponytail as she picked up a blue denim jacket and of course her police warrant card ID. She took a deep breath and tried to quell her racing heart as the Alfa Romeo pulled up outside. He’d scrubbed up into a breath-taking hunk in a light blue Italian suit.

She hated driving with civilians, and Marco was an Italian civilian with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car. His one-handed vehicle control technique swung between the exotic and the passionate. With his free hand he emphasized his conversation.

“How do these big tough cops work, when beautiful girls like this distract them?”

“Did I miss something?”

“Yes, you miss that uniform.”

“I guess your work clothes get pretty exotic.”

He swerved around a truck, blaring his horn, but didn’t answer.

“You need some police advice?”

He turned to study her face.

“Marco—watch the road,” she half yelled.

“You see, the police worry if you look at a cell phone, but how can a man not look at a beautiful woman?”

“How can a man not smash into a bus?”

He laughed and shook his head.

“OK, I won’t look at you again. Yes, I need advice. I need to talk something through because I don’t know what to do.”

“You must have access to top cops. I’m a foot soldier who scraped through the law modules at Hendon police school.”

“You know good from bad and you know about people. We’re nearly at my house and we can talk with maybe a glass of wine.”

His mood had become more serious, almost sad. He troubled her with his change of temperament. She was sure he could act out any part and maybe a simple cop who’d never walked the stage could be taken in.

They stopped on the drive. An electric blue Aston Martin Vanquish S was already parked.

“Wow! That’s a lot of car,” she said.

“It’s too much bloody car.” Marco had already sprung out and was striding to the front door. His body language displayed almost rage. “You fucking shit. Get out of my home.”

Some cop-instinct had her quickly catching him up as he stood shouting in the center of the grand hallway. This wasn’t acting. She heard a door slam on the upper floor. A young man in grungy teen-type clothes appeared on the wide stairs and started to slouch toward them.

Marco’s face was set and white. His fists were clenched. If he pulled his trigger that young man was going to hospital and Marco was going to jail even if she had to lock him up herself. The boy wasn’t picking up on the danger and by the look of his eyes his perceptions were blurred by artificial substances. She guessed he was nineteen and surely the Aston Martin couldn’t be his.

“I was invited. Cressida called me.”

His posh, accented voice was a little slow. Fuck! This wasn’t weed. This had the look of heroin. Marco took a step forward. She stepped in front of him staring into his face.

“No—no way are you touching him. He’s a kid and he needs help.”

His eyes fixed on hers. Every second she could hold his attention on her would calm the fire. His eyes snapped back to the boy.

“Look at you, Peter. A fucking junkie.”

“I’m cool. I’m going.”

“Marco, stay where you are and remember we’re the adults here.” She watched his fists unclench and his head sag onto his chest. The fate of this young lad was a police job.

“Peter, that’s never your car?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“His pocket money could run the Metropolitan Police and look what he does with it,” said Marco.

The kid started to walk on out to the car. Helen grabbed his arm.

“That’s far enough if you’re thinking of driving.”

“You can’t stop me.”

She pulled her police warrant card and held up to his face.

“I’ve stopped you.”

He tried to pull away.

“If you want a pain hold I can put you in one. If you act up I’ll arrest you and search that car.”

He nodded. She could see he had no aggression.

“Heroin, right?”

He nodded and stared at the floor.

“Give me the keys or you’ll be doing cold turkey in a police cell tonight.”

As he threw them down she tried to clear her mind. Arresting kids for simple possession solved nothing, but that was her duty. She quickly drew a picture in her mind of a group of spoilt rich brats using whatever they could get to take the edge off their pampered boredom.

“Who’s supplying you?”

No answer came and she’d not expected one. To take this further would lead her well out of her depth. If she knew he had drugs and let him go she’d be in deep shit with the police.

“Looks to me like you’ve had one too many beers, Peter. In fact, you smell like a brewery. Mr. Ambastilias is going to call you an Uber cab. Get yourself home and drink plenty of water. Get your folks to collect the car and tell them to bring proof of ownership. Give me your name and date of birth.”

“Peter Ivan Lodovitch. Twenty-first May, two thousand.”

“You got a police record yet?”

“Not much....”

Behind her Marco snorted his derision.

“He’s just out of rehab. I’ll call him an Uber.”

Helen pulled out her cell phone and took a portrait picture.

“It’s just for my personal album,” she said.

Within a couple of minutes, a cab pulled up. The lad gave an address in Chelsea which she noted as she watched the car drive away. Both he and Marco had had a lucky escape.

“Helen, thank you. God, in that moment I felt capable of killing him.”

“I’m not sure I did the right thing.”

“You were perfect and we do need to talk.”

Something was sparking in her mind and she needed to know the truth.

“That incident last night was part of all this, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but right now I’m not sure exactly how. That guy last night was a serious armed criminal. Helen, maybe today I didn’t tell the police everything. My daughter, Cressida, is involved with these people. I have to protect her.”

“You lied to the police about the burglary?”

“Not lied. I did some damage-limitation for the sake of my family.”

She shook her head. For a moment she busied herself opening the hood of the Aston Martin.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Protecting our collateral. I’m separating the electrical plug on the fuel injection system. There’ll be another set of keys and whoever comes for the car may not want to talk. This way they get to ring the doorbell. I’d like to see who shows up and maybe get a photo.”

“You’re a pro.”

“I’m a dog cop without a dog. We know who shot Lanza and you’re going to tell me why he was here or at least be honest about what you know. Beyond that there’s bigger fish to fry and the oil is heating up.”

“I invited you for a meal.”

“And I’m holding you to that Marco. When do I get to meet Cressida?”

Chapter Five

His hands were a blur as he chopped garlic, onions, and fresh tomatoes. He harvested basil and oregano from an herb garden outside the kitchen door. From the window was the view over Kenley Aerodrome which had once been a Battle of Britain Spitfire base. The house was big but not palatial or dripping with the feel of money even though with London prices it would cost several million pounds.

“So, what does the world’s greatest Italian opera singer cook for guests?”

“Well, I’m sure you know I’m an ex-opera singer and never the greatest but I’m doing gnocchi con pollo e funghi.”

He spoke so quickly and she had no idea what it was. She decided to stick to business

“Will Cressida be eating with us?”

“That’s something I never know. She’s eighteen.”

“And an adult. I wonder how many times I said that half a lifetime ago.”

“Did anyone listen?”

“No one listens to soldiers in the British army. You’re not there to express your rights.”

“You were a soldier at eighteen. Why was that?”

“Cos they wouldn’t take me at sixteen. I’m a groundsheet girl in a spreadsheet world.”

“You’re sensational.”

“You should see me with a glass of full deep red wine.”

Marco slapped the palm of his hand on his forehead.

“Dio mio! I’m so bad a host. That punk distracted me. We both need that drink.”

She’d stopped worrying about getting home and she’d rather not think about Marco’s driving. He selected a bottle of Barolo from a rack and poured two glasses which more or less emptied the bottle. She couldn’t believe this man was serving her wine when he had mixed with the elites of the world for half his life. He had sung at royal weddings and requiems for heads of state. Here he was chopping onion and talking to her about her life. You could almost start to feel a little urge for this man. No, forget it. Helen, just don’t go there. But how could she feel so relaxed with him?

“Salute,” he said, touching glasses and holding, holding, holding her eyes. She took a deep drink that shook hands with the scotch she’d had at home. Sod it. She could have died a couple of days ago and never rejoiced in the joy of wine again. She took another swig and noticed he did the same.

“I’ll feel braver with a little wine to do my talking,” he said.

“Then perhaps I’ll feel brave enough to listen.”

“Look, Helen, I asked you to eat with me but you know, I wouldn’t ask a woman just like that if she had someone—a husband or someone—”

“Maybe I have.”

“Maybe you don’t.”

His face was serious and thoughtful. Was he acting out a part? He was touching nerves inside her and she didn’t mind the feeling at all.

“So, do I?”

“I know your story. I know it like I saw a newspaper headline. I’ve been around your detectives and they tell me without me asking. I knew enough to believe I could ask you here.”

“Because you wanted my police advice?”

“I want that too.”

She smiled back at him, this big guy in his apron, dipping a finger in the sauce. She wasn’t trying to back him up, but that was how she coped with men. That was how she had coped with men up until now. She couldn’t forget that at the animal hospital he’d opened his arms to her and he’d held her.

A sound caught her ear. A car engine was cranking. Someone wanted their quarter of a million pounds of car back. She went to the front window, taking a video on her cell of two men on the drive. A flashy custom black American Chevrolet van, with smoked windows, had also shown up. One guy was white, the other mixed race. She filmed long enough to be sure of an ID.

“Marco, how deep is your girl in with this trash?”

“I wish I knew.”

“It’s about time to find out. Simple question, OK. Bust these guys and risk them telling their story about her, or let it run until we know what the fuck we’re doing? Bottom line—is she in deep enough to get busted?”

“Helen, let it run. Please keep her out of this.”

His tone was almost a plea.