Hooked

successful businessman, owner of a large construction company. If she’d read about him in the papers, she didn’t connect the gentle man with the crime boss who rarely let anyone take his picture. Stunned when she finally saw a photo, she debated whether to drop him as a client. He was attractive and cosmopolitan, an intelligent conversationalist, and a considerate lover, always treating her with respect. She saw no reason to let him go.
    After she’d made her decision, she consciously avoided reading anything about him. Mario never talked about either of his businesses, and she never asked questions. Ignorance was the better road where he was concerned.
    Today was different. Today she wanted to know everything about him, especially who in his cadre of associates meant enough for him to go out on a limb to protect.
    * * * * *
    L inc had a running dialogue with himself all the way back to his precinct. He’d done everything wrong. He should have opted out of this investigation as soon as he realized his feelings for Tawny had veered off track from professional to personal. He put her realistic assessment of their uncharted relationship out of his mind in favor of his gut instinct that Tawny was holding something back. Something that could put her at greater risk and jeopardize the operation. Why? What did she know?
    Should he tell the captain what he thought, how he felt, or should he let it ride for two more days? Tawny had begged him to give her one more night, and he said it was too risky. Considering what they suspected from the beginning, she’d been at risk since they pulled her into the operation. No, the primary reason he wanted to pull the plug was because she was going to Upper Eighties for one more night with some stranger. One more night making love to someone other than him.
    He stopped for lunch, thought, and thought some more. Drank enough coffee to wake a corpse. Went back to his desk. Fortunately, the captain was out. He really didn’t want to decide right now how much to tell him, what to leave out. When should he make that decision? Could he let it ride until Thursday? He spoke as little as possible with the other guys, then sat at his desk and riffled through the case updates, but nothing registered. He couldn’t think straight. He’d been up half the night. He needed to go home, get some sleep. Instead, when he got back in his car, he headed for SoHo .

Chapter Twenty-Four
    The First Crack

    B enny stayed on the island expecting the worst, but no one banged down his door and hauled him off to jail. No word from Colin that any client had flipped out and gone postal. And because he was home with Eileen, allowing her to make him happy, he heard no more jealous rages. All the bad things were behind him. Benny was sure.
    Then Melody called, and he almost suffocated from the weight of the black cloud bearing down on him.
    “I won’t tell you where I am,” she said, “but my neighbor Joe called to tell me the police came to my apartment. They showed him a picture of Serena. He recognized her from the paper. Then they showed one that from his description sounded like you. I threw away my cell phone, and I’m using one I bought with minutes. I can’t stay away forever, Benny. I’ll have to tell the truth eventually, then my parents will find out what I’ve done, and it’ll kill them. I’m screwed either way. They’ll say I’m an accessory to murder by covering it up. What should I do?”
    Benny shuffled to the bathroom and fumbled in the medicine cabinet where Eileen kept a stash of prescription antacid. Nothing over the counter was going to smother the continuous inferno blazing in his stomach. “Don’t say anything now, honey. Stay where you are for a while. I’ll send you money. Give me a little time, okay?”
    “I don’t need money, but I’m not sure how long I can hold out. If they know what’s going on, then pretty soon the whole thing will be out in the open, and I’ll go to jail for lying. My parents will disown me.” She started sniffling.
    “A few more days, a week tops. I’ll make it worth your while. For Benny, please.”
    “Money won’t matter if I’m in prison. Maybe I can plea bargain. You know, like they do on Law and Order.”
    Jesus . “Take care, honey. Call me in a couple of days. I’ll know better what to do. Just don’t let them know where you are.” Benny hung up before he heard another word. He went into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He