Cassidy twisted around to look at us in the back seat. “Oh, yeah?”
I nodded and launched into an explanation of everything that had happened including how someone had been scared away from our tent before trying to enter it this morning. By the time I’d finished, Cassidy was frowning.
“Can I just say, serial killers are a whole other kind of monster,” Mike said.
“Have you ever had to investigate a homicide where the murderer turned out to be a serial killer, Detective Williams?” Wes asked as Mike pulled into the restaurant car park.
He exchanged a glance with Cassidy before nodding. “Yeah, we chased a really bad one about thirteen years ago and then a few years later, a copycat ofthatguy. They’re real pieces of shit.” Mike parked and we all got out.
“I don’t envy you,” Cassidy said as we walked toward the restaurant. When the door opened, a couple walked out all smiles and laughter. The second they got a look at Wes and me, their faces fell as they took in our glad rags and made a wide circle around us as they passed.
“Shite,” I said, looking down at my filthy clothes. “Completely forgot we were dressed like this.”
Cassidy and Mike stopped and turned around, eyeing us up and down before laughing.
“Feck off, arseholes.” I gestured toward the restaurant. “We can’t go in there like this.”
That just made them laugh harder. Cassidy pointed to the outdoor seating across the front of the building after he got himself under control. “I’ll go in and ask for a table outside.”
“Good as gold.”
Five minutes later, we were seated at the very end of the outdoor seating which was roped off from the street like they did with lines at movie premiers. Wes took it all in his stride, even when he’d gotten looks from the hostess when he’d asked where the restrooms were. He’d endured the young lady’s horrified stare as she pointed inside. I just smiled and joked that at least we smelled better than we looked when I went with him. I was pretty sure we’d have been chased out if she hadn’t followedus in and waved us back to the toilets after quietly telling a coworker that two nicely dressed men had accompanied us.
“I don’t think we were meant to overhear that,” Wes insisted.
I laughed as I stepped into the stall beside him, greatly relieved it was clean. We washed our hands and quickly made our way outside. A server came and took our orders and then I started asking questions.
“What’s happened? I know it must be somethin’ important or ya wouldn’t have made a special trip over to talk to us.”
“We had a very interesting meeting with Detective Kershaw,” Cassidy began. “He’s the detective working on the murder that Marigold Bishop witnessed.”
Wes leaned forward. “What was interesting about it?”
“He was very helpful.” Cassidy went on. “Patsy and Agent Smith sat with our sketch artist and when she’d finished with them, I faxed the likenesses of all three suspects over to Kershaw so he’d have them in advance of our meeting.”
Mike continued. “We’re very glad we took the time to compare cases. It turns out, he was able to piece a lot of things together for us.”
“Like what, Michael?” I asked.
Cassidy lowered his voice. “For one thing, he recognized the two men who assaulted Father Gilmartin straight off, but they also knew the other man.” He glanced at Wes. “The one who looks a lot like you. I’m only able to tell you all of this, Wes, because though this investigation is ongoing, the details are important because none of the men have been caught yet.” He glanced at me. “And we wanted you to be brought up to speed, on the off chance that they come after Wes.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re sleepin’ down here surrounded by the FBI then,” I said. “Who are they, Cassidy?” Wes looked laser focused on what the detectives were saying.
Mike glanced around and then leaned forward to make certain no one could overhear him. “They’re affiliated with the Italian mob.”
“What?”
Wes’ eyes were as wide as I’d ever seen them.
Mike said, “We believe that they were hired to kill Abraham Feldman. That’s the man who was murdered…the homicide Detective Kershaw has been working on.”
“How would that be tying into yer jewelry store burglary?” I asked. They explained the investigative work Kershaw had done on Eli Goldfarb and how they now believed he’d hired the three men to kill his father-in-law. I had to admit, all three detectives had done a stellar job, but questions remained. “Why do ya think they chased Wes onto the roof, Cassidy? It can’t be because they worked out who he was after Father Gilmartin’s assault?”
They exchanged a smile but before they could answer, our server came out with our meals. I groaned a wee bit as I looked at the food and if I had to guess by the way Wes’ eyes were gleaming, he was just as hungry as I was. We decided to put it aside for the moment as we tucked into the food. I couldn’t remember enjoying a plate of ribs with mashed potatoes and gravy more. When we were all as full as a bull, I repeated my earlier question.
Cassidy pushed his plate aside and leaned forward. “When we spoke to Detective Kershaw, he reminded us that the sketch Marigold Bishop did, was widely distributed to all precincts. Even though Kershaw works in the Hollywood division, he remembered seeing the sketch himself.” He pinned us both witha hard stare. “And, though I hate to say it, it’s his theory that there might have been a cop on the mob’s payroll who spotted Wes’ sketch and showed it to them.”
Wes grabbed my arm. “When the big guy who looks like me came into Raj and Rami’s store, they showed them a picture of me, Patsy. It was right before he got back into the car with the other two.”
