“She had breakfast with Cassie at Cafe Bianco on Via della Spiga. They left the cafe around 8:45 AM. Never returned to the hotel. Her phone goes straight to voicemail. Cassie’s does too. This was on the floor.” I hand her the note, now sealed in a clear hotel laundry bag I’d commandeered.
Ollie snatches it, her eyes scanning the three words. A muscle in her jaw ticks. “Idiots. Theatrical idiots.” She tosses it back to me. “They made their move.”
“Who?”
“Aethelgard’s cleanup crew. The ones who handle liabilities that can’t be bought.” Her gaze is distant. “They got me a few months ago. Made me an offer.A mountain of cash to disappear. Enough money to make Elvis Presley blush. The alternative was… not gettin’ to enjoy the money.”
The pieces click into place. The video calls and Violet’s increasing isolation. This woman didn’t have a stroke. They added that fluff to the story as well. I remember the look on Violet’s face when she told me about it and Ollie’s behavior changes. Like she was losing a relative she held close to her. “So you took it.” My voice finally finds me. “You left her alone.”
The flint in her eyes sparks. “I took it so I could findher, you judgmental glacier. If I were dead in a ditch, I’m no good to anyone. If I’m rich and invisible, I can hire people. I can track movements. I’ve been two steps behind them since I landed. But they moved faster than I thought.” She looks around, anger simmering in a focused rage. “They’ve got her, and I know where they’ll take her. There’s only one place in this city he’d be stupid enough to use.”
“Who?”
She looks at me. “Michel.”
That’s a name I’ve heard before. The gears in my mind start churning until I can remember where I’ve heard it.
“Calm down, Sparky,” Ollie says, cutting off my thought process. “You’re thinkin’ too hard. Michel is her security double.”
That’s it. The guy who is supposed to be keeping her safe. This whole thing is a fucking mess.
“Where are they taking her?” The urge to do something is boiling my blood. I almost can’t stand still.
“Old textile warehouse, south of the Navigli. It’s an abandoned mill. He owns it through a shell company. Uses it for storage.” She checks the slim, diamond watch on her thin wrist. “If they’re doing a local disposal. They’ll take her there first. For the… paperwork.”
The word disposal sends ice through my veins. Theo makes a gagging sound.
I’m already heading for the door. “Give me the address.”
Ollie falls into step beside me, pulling out her phone. “I’m coming with you.”
“Me too,” Theo says.
“No,” Ollie points to Theo, the muscles in her mouth looking like she’s trying not to laugh. “You’re a target. You stay here, coordinate whatever resources you have. Call the police. Give them this address.” She jots it down on the hotel notepad by the door. “Tell them there’s a kidnapping in progress.”
Theo looks at me, pulling something from the pocket of his jeans. “At least take this.”
A knife. It has the USA logo on it and looks as if it were handmade. I don’t ask questions, but I accept the offering.
He wants to help. He’s a cheat and a no-good low-life, but the knife is nice.
Ollie grabs my arm in a surprisingly strong grip. “Listen. The man we’re dealing with? Michel? He’s not a thug, he’s a businessman who sees people as assets and liabilities. Violet is a liability, and he has her right where he wants her. He won’t hesitate.”
I look down at her hand, then back to her face. “Neither will I.”
For the first time, something that isn’t fury flickers in her eyes. Respect, maybe recognition. She releases my arm and raises the jacket of her pantsuit, revealing a pistol on her hip.
This fucking broad is just full of surprises.
She lowers her jacket as we both nod with understanding, as she rattles off an address. “The south entrance is weakest.”
I pause outside the door, trying not to leave her behind.
Tightening her watch and tucking a stray hair behind her ear, she pushes me into the hall and closes the door behind us.
“Let’s go get our girl.”
I don’t nod, I’m already gone, the echo of Ollie’s order and the sound of Theo’s helpless panic fading behind us.
