I pointed to Lany. “You see that man over there, the one you were threatening? The same man you knocked around?” There was still a red mark on Lany’s cheek. “That man is my husband.” I held up my hand and showed the guy the ring Lany had slid onto my finger the day we got married. “He is also the nephew of the chief of police. So, you can scream police brutality all you want, but who do you think they are going to believe?”
“You could always turn him over to my uncle,” Eddie said as he hobbled over. “He doesn’t have to worry about this guy screaming brutality. There wouldn’t be anything left of him.”
I chuckled. While I liked that idea, I did have to do this the legal way. “I’d rather question him and get some answers, but I have your uncle’s number. If this guy doesn’t cooperate, I’ll give Vinnie a call.”
The guy gasped.
I glanced down at him again. “Do you know Vinnie?”
The man didn’t say anything, but his face paled.
I grinned.
“You do know Vinnie.” I pulled out my phone and held it up. “Should I call him?”
I hadn’t missed the fact that I never mentioned Vinnie’s last name, which told me a lot. This wasn’t some random robbery or shakedown. These guys had specifically chosen to hit the gallery when Eddie, Lany, and Lyn were here.
I swear, I was going to stop letting the three of them go anywhere without bodyguards.
The three of them…
I stood up and walked toward the back of the room. As I passed Clarke and Burke, I said, “Come with me.”
I stopped where I could still see Lany and the rest of the room, but far enough away that no one would hear me talking. I also wanted to make sure we could keep an eye on the guys Clarke and Burke had restrained.
“What’s up, Lieutenant?” Clarke asked.
“I think we have trouble.”
Clarke’s eyes rounded. “You think?”
I growled. Clarke wasn’t getting it.
“Two weeks ago, Eddie, Lyn, and Lany were out for lunch when the restaurant they were in got robbed. Eddie got shot in the leg.”
Clarke nodded. “Right.”
“Today, the gallery gets hit while Eddie, Lyn, and Lany are here.”
Clarke nodded again. “Right.”
I stared at the man.
“I’m not making the connection, Sal.”
“That guy I shot”—I nodded toward the man—“he knows VinnieCastellano. I think he was here specifically for Eddie, just like when Eddie was attacked at the Thai restaurant.”
Clarke’s eyebrows rose. “You think someone put a hit out on Eddie?”
“Either that, or he has the worst luck in history, maybe even worse than Lany.”
I knew what I thought it was.
Man, the chief was going to shit kittens.
“I need to have a little chat with good ol’ Uncle Vinnie.” This was going to gut Lany. “Can you keep an eye on Lany and make sure his uncle doesn’t toss him behind bars?”
Clarke stared. “I’m sorry, make sure he doesn’t do what?”
