“His laptop is missing.”
I search his bookcase, and thumb through a college yearbook. “Oh my God. Look. Luigi went to Harvard. His real name is Steve Adair.”
Sebastian picks up a few bills addressed to the same name and shows them to me. “What’s an Ivy League graduate doing as a stripper?”
I point out a diploma hanging on the wall. “Not only that, he graduated Magna Cum Laude.”
“Huh.” Searching under a floorboard, he finds a safe.
“Should we take it?”
“No. It’s enough to know he feels the need to own one.”
Energized by our findings, I walk back to the kitchen and paw through the garbage while holding my nose. There’s a receipt stapled to a Chinese take-out bag and it’s dated a day before Mrs. Rossini claimed she saw the poisoning.”
I wave over Suds who reads it, and nods. Then, we carefully put everything back the way we found it because I’m pretty sure, sooner or later, the cops will be here. Someone, eventually is going to miss Steve Adair, AKA Luigi the gigolo.
With a finger to my lips, I motion Suds out the door, and he nods. We’ve found enough to move forward and shouldn’t press our luck.
My thoughts whir in the car on the ride back home.
Who is this Steve Adair?
While Suds drives back to Manhattan, I start researching.
Chapter 15
Suds
I check out of the Waldorf, drop Mykola at JFK, and after, deposit his generous tip in my bank. Once home, my thoughts wander to last night. Sam and I need to learn if this Luigi character is missing and hand this cluster-fuck off to the police.
My partner eyes me as Steve Adair’s tax form pops on her monitor. “I think it’s time we had another chat with Mrs. Rossini. I still can’t figure out why an Ivy League graduate became an erotic dancer.”
“Maybe he likes it. Some guys do.” Sipping on my coffee, I scoot my chair closer, our thighs touching.
Her left hand rests on the top of my leg, I cover it with mine, and she catches my heated gaze.
Her tongue slips across her lower lip as she gives me a sexy smile. “According to his ten-forty, his income is below the poverty line. He probably makes a whole lot more under the table, sleeping with cougars.”
“Maybe he does erotic accounting.” I meant it as a joke but after a moment, both our jaws drop.
Her eyes grow wide. “You think he was cooking the books for some of his clients?”
“He graduated with honors. For sure, he’s smart enough. It could explain why he’s gone missing or our motive for his murder.”
“We need to see her computer.” She stands but I pull her into my lap, and wrap my arms around her.
“Not very likely.”I don’t want her anywhere near that Gallo woman.
Wriggling, Sam tries to escape. “I’m serious.”
My cock, however, has a different agenda. “Whoa there, little lady. How about we go upstairs and talk about it?”
I kiss her open mouth, thrust in my tongue, and she goes all soft.
Breathless, her gorgeous eyes meet mine. “Change the subject much?”
“Is that a no?” I nibble her nose and when my hands slide under shirt, she arches into them and moans. “Can we at least discuss it later?”
