The Italian Affair (8 page)

‘Anthony is just a friend. And now he’s also a relative by marriage,’ she emphasized, suddenly feeling as if the conversation was leading up to something of which she was totally innocent.

‘So it isn’t true you had an affair with him?’ Brougham accused.

Gina felt her face suffuse with colour as her hands balled in her lap. ‘No, it damned well isn’t. And you’ve no right to make accusations like that.’ She looked from one man to another furiously. ‘I thought we were discussing who would want to hurt Maria, not nasty gossip.’

Detective Brougham replied calmly, ‘We have to look at every angle. I’m sure you can understand that.’

Oh, she could understand it, she thought, furiously. But she didn’t like it. While she was tempted to argue their method of reasoning, it would only prolong the interview. Right now, she wanted out of the place fast.

‘Is that all, Detective?’

He stared at her as if he couldn’t make up his mind about something. ‘Not quite. I still have a few more questions.’

Somehow, Gina had a feeling the worst was yet to come. Her hands clenched in her lap.

‘What about your husband? Jason Gallagher.’

‘I thought you’d get around to him eventually.’ She breathed in deeply, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘Jason wasn’t at the wedding, if that’s what you mean. He didn’t have an invite.’ Her eyes were
cool, distant. ‘And we’re divorced, by the way.’

‘Have you seen him lately?’ asked Brougham.

Gina hesitated slightly, though she kept her gaze level. ‘I don’t want to see him.’ Oh God, this was getting worse, she thought. ‘Look, I don’t see what this has to do with what happened to Maria.’

Brougham said quickly, ‘Don’t lie, Ms Rosselini. Why don’t you tell us why you met your ex-husband two hours before the wedding?’

Gina gasped. She gripped the arms of the chair. ‘How did you know that?’

Brougham gave a low laugh. ‘I can’t disclose that either, I’m afraid, but let’s just say the police have their ways.’

She saw Rick’s accusing look. She hadn’t lied outright: she’d merely avoided the question.

‘It’s not like you think,’ she said frantically. Why was she trying to explain herself again to him anyway?

Brougham leaned forward. He said calmly, ‘We’re trying to help. So why don’t you just tell us what happened?’

Gina took another deep breath. ‘I knew it would come back to haunt me. Jason was released from rehab a couple of weeks ago. He rang me on the morning of the wedding and said that he needed some money badly. I … I gave in to him. I arranged to meet him at the beach and wrote him out a cheque.’

‘I see. And how much was it for?’ asked Brougham.

‘Fifty thousand dollars.’

Brougham whistled. ‘That’s a lot of dosh. Why didn’t you call us?’

‘I didn’t have time. If the police turned up that would have upset the wedding. I had to think of Maria. So I had no choice but to give him the money.’

‘Have you heard from him since?’ continued Brougham.

‘No, I haven’t.’ He looked like he didn’t believe her. ‘I’m telling the truth.’
‘We could have him arrested on grounds of extortion,’ he offered. ‘We should nip this in the bud since he might try that again.’

Gina remained silent. She knew that was entirely possible, but the next time she wouldn’t be under so much pressure and she wouldn’t give in to his demands. ‘I don’t want to take this any further. I’ll be ready for him next time.’

‘Did he say why he wanted the cash?’

‘Jason promised me he was going make a new life for himself. He just needed a helping hand.’

‘And you believed him?’ asked Brougham.

‘I … I’m not sure,’ she replied honestly. ‘I guess I wanted to. He seemed to mean what he said.’ She hesitated. ‘Jason wanted me to go with him. He told me how he was going to make up for what had happened between us. But I refused.’

Brougham arched a brow. ‘Do you know where he is staying?’

‘No, I don’t. He didn’t say. And quite frankly, I didn’t want to know.’

‘You should have told us,’ Brougham admonished. ‘This could be important.’ He made a few more notes on his pad. ‘He’s not Italian, is he?’

‘No, he’s not.’ She hesitated. ‘My grandparents held that against him. They were against me marrying him. It caused a lot of difficulties.’

Brougham looked thoughtful. ‘How is your sister by the way?’

‘She’s stable … the doctors are pleased with her progress. It’s a relief to know she’s going to make it.’

‘We’ll continue the surveillance outside her hospital room just in case there is another attempt,’ he informed her.

‘You don’t think they’ll try again, do you?’

Brougham spoke carefully. ‘We don’t know, but we have to cover all our options. We’ve also posted a patrol car outside your house and one down on the main road below your property.’ His gaze flicked to Rick, then back to Gina. ‘We’ll work in conjunction with Rick and whatever private security arrangements he’s made.’

‘Thank you,’ she murmured.

Rick spoke quickly. ‘The Rosselini family’s security arrangements aren’t that tight. A few things need updating. I’m looking into that now. I’ve hired more security men to guard the property and I’m putting in an additional alarm system. But all this is going to take time.’

Detective Brougham nodded. ‘Sounds like you’re doing all you can.’ His gaze met Gina’s. ‘There’s a limit to what the police can do protection-wise, but I’m sure Rick will do everything he can to make sure you’re kept safe. You’ve got one of the best people in the business. I’ve known him for years. We did our training together at the Police College in Wellington.’

So Rick had a professional reputation. Somehow it didn’t surprise her. ‘That’s reassuring to know.’

Brougham stood up. ‘OK. That’s all for now, Ms Rosselini. Thanks for coming in. If you could please step outside, I’d like to speak to Rick privately.’ Brougham held the door open for her. ‘We’ll be in touch.’

Once Gina had left the room, Brougham switched off the tape recorder and turned to face Rick.

‘What’s your take on Ms Rosselini?’

‘For the record, I’d say she loves her sister and her grandparents. I think she’s telling the truth.’

‘She lied about meeting her husband.’

‘She avoided the question,’ corrected Rick. ‘There’s a difference.’

‘You sound like you’re defending her.’

‘She’s my client; I’m paid to.’

‘Actually, I’m surprised you took on the Rosselini job. I didn’t think you’d be into protecting the rich and famous.’

Initially, Rick hadn’t thought so either, but he had always been open to new challenges.

‘You know how it is. Got to take the work when it comes along. Times are lean. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve got a downturn in the economy. Plus I’m a one man band. I have to be versatile.’

Brougham’s eyebrows rose. ‘Yeah, well, if I don’t get more help around here, I might join you. Need a partner?’

‘That bad, huh?’

Brougham sighed. ‘Same old story. We’re short staffed. Work too many long hours. This Rosselini case is stretching us. And my wife’s on my back about taking a holiday. She reckons I live here more than I do at home. I’m starting to think that myself.’

Rick could believe it: Brougham was totally dedicated to the job. He was highly respected by his colleagues. ‘Take my advice, you’re better off staying in the force. At least you get paid overtime.’

‘You tell my wife that,’ said the detective, wryly. ‘Incidentally, getting back to the case, we’ve had the ballistic report back. The bullet that hit Maria was .223 calibre. One of the weapons stolen from that sports shop raid a couple of weeks ago was a Remington in that calibre. It could be the weapon.’

‘Yeah, I remember hearing about it.’

‘If the attacker was responsible for that robbery, he could be planning other raids now that he’s armed,’ Brougham pondered. ‘Or he could be planning to finish off Maria Rosselini.’

‘Do you think it’s Gina’s ex-husband?’

‘I really don’t know. But we’ll try and find out where he is for a start. Bring him in for questioning.’

‘With fifty thousand dollars, chances are high he’s skipped the country,’ remarked Rick.

‘Possibly. We’ll check that out with passport control.’ Brougham reached over for another file sitting on his desk. He opened it. ‘There’s something else. I did a bit of digging. Remember that scandal about four years ago, to do with Rosselini Fishing Industries?’

Rick searched his memory. ‘I think I was away at the time, working in Greymouth, on that Triad drug smuggling case. But I remember my cousin, Mark, mentioning it. He’s a fisherman. Wasn’t it to do with fishing quotas? Some court case hit the news?’

‘Yeah, that’s right. One of Rosselini’s vessels was forfeited to the
Crown. A guy called Dani Russo was the owner and skipper of the boat and contracted it to Rosselini. Russo was convicted of quota fraud. Well over the catch limit. He said Rosselini put pressure on him to overfish. Rosselini denied all knowledge of what he had done. Russo took the rap.’

‘So what’s this got to do with Maria?’

‘She was involved in giving evidence against him. Millions of dollars were at stake at the time.’

‘So why didn’t you bring it up with Gina?’

‘I needed to look through the file first.’

That made sense to Rick. He made a mental note to ask Gina about Maria’s involvement.

‘Any luck tracing that Skyline which tried to run us down?’

Brougham shook his head. ‘Nothing yet, but we’re working on it.’

Afterwards, Rick thought about what Gina had said. Her husband had demanded money and she had given it to him. So why would he shoot Maria afterwards? Unless there was something else they didn’t know about. And what about Dani Russo who had committed quota fraud? Could that also have some connection?

Brougham might be in charge of the case but that didn’t stop Rick from fitting the pieces together as well. As a private investigator, he’d worked closely with the police on many occasions. He’d never forgotten what it was like to be a cop. If anyone asked him what it was he missed about the force, he’d say it was the team work and the comradeship. He’d often tried to define what made a good cop and had never come up with a specific answer. Cops were human beings too and made mistakes along the way in spite of their good intentions. He might not be a cop now but the way he felt about the law and protecting the public hadn’t changed. The only difference was who paid him.

Rick returned to the waiting room. He saw Gina sitting there. She was pale, too pale under the tan. ‘You OK?’

‘No … no … I’m not.’ She turned on him, her eyes flashing. ‘I
thought you were supposed to be on my side. How could you let Brougham question me like that?’

He frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘All those questions he was asking about Anthony … and Jason. How do you think he made me feel?’

Rick recognized she was strung up tight. He could hear it in her voice. ‘Probably damned uncomfortable,’ he replied, ‘but you have to remember he’s trying to find out who shot Maria. He’s a police officer.’

‘He kept making insinuations about me and Anthony.’ Despair washed over her. ‘Damn him.’

‘He was just doing his job. He’s one of the best officers in the force. And he gets results. I ought to know, I worked with him for long enough.’

‘Well, you would stick up for him, wouldn’t you? Being an ex-cop shows exactly where your loyalties lie.’

Warning lights glinted dangerously in his blue eyes. ‘That’s enough, Gina. You know nothing about being an ex-cop.’ He gripped her arm firmly as they walked along the path.

Gina knew then she had hit a nerve. An odd bleakness had come into his eyes but was gone so quickly she nearly wondered if she had imagined it. She bit back the retort on her lips.

After a few moments, she added, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I don’t know why I let him get to me. I guess it’s also because of the questions about Jason.’ She took another deep breath. ‘Here I am trying to forget I was ever married to him, and just when I think I have my life on track again, he turns up demanding money. I had no choice but to pay him because I was thinking of Maria. I know I should have told Brougham.’ Her voice lowered regretfully. ‘What else was I to do at the time? After Maria had been shot, I didn’t want my grandfather to find out I’d met Jason again. I didn’t want to make things any worse because he was so upset already over our marriage. Am I so wrong to want to protect my family?’

He grimaced. ‘No, you’re not. But the information might have
been important. Brougham would have kept it in confidence.’ He took her arm, leading her forward and said in a low voice, ‘Come on, let’s take a walk down by the river.’

They crossed the busy road and headed down the stone steps which led under the road bridge and along the sloping bank. Weeping willow trees lined the edge of the river, sweeping low, the branches trailing lightly into the clear green tinged water. The river was calm and smooth, not a ripple out of place. They followed the narrow concrete path a little way, then stopped to sit down on a battered wooden bench covered in graffiti.

Gina took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

‘Feeling better?’ he asked, after a while.

She turned to answer, but before she had a chance, he gave her a smile which made her heart do a quick somersault. The shock of it was so physical, she raised her hand to her breast. To hide her confusion, she stammered, ‘I … I’m not sure.’ Then fell silent. When she found her voice again, she added, ‘Maybe I did overreact back there. Police stations don’t agree with me. I guess I can thank my ex-husband for that.’

Rick’s eyes focused on her, turning a deeper shade of blue, and for one split second, Gina felt she had to try and explain some things to him.

‘My ex-husband was a gambler and he had a drink problem. He got involved in the drug scene to pay off his debts. The cops were always chasing him. Give him his due, he really did try to put things right for a while but it didn’t work out that way.’ The excuse sounded lame and she knew it. She didn’t know why she was even trying to defend Jason because deep down inside she knew he deserved everything he got. And what was more, the misery he put her through nearly destroyed her.

Rick said gently. ‘It might help to talk.’

‘Talk? That’s kind of hard to do right now.’ She hesitated. ‘Still, if you think it might help us find who tried to hurt Maria, I’ll tell you everything.’ She paused slightly as she collected her thoughts.
‘Like I said, Jason was into drugs. He became a dealer. When the police came to arrest him at our home, he wasn’t there. They searched the flat. Found some cocaine. So the cops took me instead. It wasn’t a pleasant experience being locked up and it’s certainly not one I want to repeat.’ Her heart began to beat faster as the memories came rushing back. She could still hear the sound of the slamming cell door echoing in her mind. ‘I’m surprised Detective Brougham didn’t bring it all out during his questioning: I’m sure it’s all on file.’

Rick frowned again. ‘Did you know Jason was dealing drugs?’

‘Of course I didn’t,’ she said indignantly. ‘I had no idea he had drugs stashed away. Luckily, I had a good lawyer, someone recommended by Anthony, and I was cleared.’

‘And what about Jason?’

‘He got off the drug charges. We separated. Then he eventually went into rehab. Our divorce came through six months ago.’

‘Do you still love him?’ he asked tentatively.

Gina clenched her hands together in her lap. Love him, she thought? She hated him. Detested him for what he had done to her. And the shame he had brought on her family.

‘No, I don’t love him. He hurt me badly at the time. I made a big mistake in marrying him, and paid for it. Jason is out of my life forever. Now, I just want to forget about that whole sordid episode. But Maria being shot has brought it all up again. What if it was Jason who shot Maria? That keeps going around in my mind.’ She shook her head. ‘I didn’t want to accuse him back there. Why, I don’t know. When I met him the other day, he seemed to have changed. He asked me to go back to him. But I refused.’