Stella frowned and laid her head on his shoulder. Sam wrapped his arm around her. Immediately there was a small silence. Several others at the bar had ceased conversing and were staring at the two of them in astonishment. She realized it was the first time Sam had ever really shown any kind of public display of affection toward her. She didn’t move and simply waited for the Search and Rescue crew to begin their normal dissecting of their operation in the way they did.
“Didn’t James Marley have two breaks on his finger as well from the fishing line or something like that?” she asked.
“I don’t think it was from the fishing line, Stella. I think the killer has a signature, but we can’t risk being overheard here.”
She turned her face into his neck, keeping her voice very low. “You’re right, but I just have to know how they were missed at Trail Crest. It doesn’t make sense, Sam. You and Vienna were there.”
He nuzzled her temple and then her ear. “They had a permit for three people. His brother was supposed to be with them and couldn’t make it at the last minute. We were only looking through the database for couples with permits.”
She closed her eyes. Such a simple mistake. The permit had been for three people, not two, and Vienna and Sam had been focused on looking for permits for couples only.
“We need to talk about my father showing up and you letting him in.”
“I think I got that it wasn’t such a good idea, Sam.” She sat up straight and took a sip of her mojito. It suddenly didn’t taste so good and she pushed it away.
The Grill was filled with members of Search and Rescue, sitting at the bar or at the big round table, eating from the platters of the various appetizers Alek Donovan, the owner, had created in his kitchen to serve before his simplistic bar-style foods. The lunch room was almost at full occupancy, but Vienna had called ahead of time and Alek had saved them their spot, even though he didn’t take reservations in the bar.
“I’m not good at turning anyone away,” she admitted. “And Mr. Rossi being a relative of yours made it even more difficult. He was very polite. Raine was with me and I kept Bailey in the room the entire time. I didn’t text you that he was there because I knew what you were doing was dangerous, or I would have. I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you.”
“I’m aware of that, Stella.” He waited, his eyes on her, trusting her to let him know what his father had said to her.
“He told me he’s retiring, and that he’d like to live closer to you. He said he wanted me to come with you when you go to talk to him in order to keep you calm.”
Sam’s expression didn’t change. He kept his gaze fixed on her face. “What do you think?”
“I don’t think, I know you don’t need me to keep you calm, Sam, and I told him that. I don’t go behind your back. He might really be ill. He said he’d had a heart attack. I don’t know him well enough to know what’s true and what isn’t, you’ll have to determine that for yourself.”
“Did he scare you?”
“Not at all. He was very polite. Very charming. He had another man with him. Lucio Vitale. Do you know him?”
“I knew him back when we were both kids. He was from a very poor family. Had to work his way up. His father and two brothers were murdered. He was responsible for his mother and a sister, I think, from a very young age. He fought his way up the ladder, and I mean that literally. It wasn’t easy for him. I wasn’t that surprised to see he’d made it all the way. My guess, he’s an underboss or capo, not Marco’s bodyguard, although they introduce him that way.”
“You took his weapon.”
“Marco handicapped him by telling him he didn’t want me shot or killed. There’s that. There’s also the fact that I spent most of the intervening years fighting for my life. Lucio didn’t. He might train, but when your life is on the line every day, you keep your skills honed. Don’t underestimate him for one moment.”
“I wasn’t underestimating anyone. They did help to pass the time. And Raine was with me. She had known Lucio in New York apparently. Her father was in the Irish mob. He supposedly retired and moved to California but someone put out a hit on him anyway and he was killed. Her family blames her and she’s dead to them. Literally. Your father knew her father.”
Sam shook his head. “This is getting complicated, Stella. I’ll go talk to him, but I’d rather you keep your distance until I find out what he’s really doing here.”