End of Days (Pike Logan #16)(79)
Lia nodded, then said, “So what do you want?”
Knuckles asked for a tablet, Jennifer gave it to him, and he went through what had happened to him the day prior. He showed her the picture of the killer with his pants down, and she inhaled, the shock of the night coming back home.
He said, “This man was at the Knights’ headquarters right before a bomb was placed on my car. I think he was the trigger for the attempt. We can’t do anything because we aren’t law enforcement. But we thought you might.”
She took the tablet and said, “You’re sure this man was there? At the headquarters for the Knights of Malta?”
“Yes. Right before my car exploded.”
I said, “Is that enough?”
She stood up and said, “Yes. That’s most definitely enough. You’ll have to testify to his presence, and we’ll have to get the crime report from the explosion, but that’s enough for me to arrest him. Let me contact my department and we can go. I’ll have a carabinieri team meet us at the palace.”
She saw the change in the room and said, “What? Do you want my help or not?”
I said, “We want your help, but you can’t contact the police and he’s not going to the Italian justice system. He’s ours.”
“Who are you?”
I said, “Well, we aren’t CIA or FBI.” I pointed at Shoshana and said, “Some aren’t even American. But we’re most definitely on your side here.”
She said, “Are you really Israeli?”
Shoshana said, “Yes. I am. Will you help us?”
She said, “Let me get myself together.”
She went back in the bedroom and we sat around looking at each other, wondering if she was on a phone calling a SWAT team to come get us.
Shoshana began pacing, rubbing her hands together. She said, “This is going to be good.”
I said, “Not yet. It might be good, but not yet. Don’t force this.”
She looked at me with a little bit of venom, then said, “He’s there, and he’s mine.”
I said, “Shoshana, if you screw this up, you’re not in the wedding. I mean it.”
Jennifer glared at me, and honestly, I couldn’t believe that had slipped out of my mouth. It was cruel, but it was the only thing I had. Threatening her with an ass-beating would have only been a challenge. Jennifer was right about her. She wanted to be a bridesmaid, and so I said it.
Shoshana looked at Jennifer, then at me. Jennifer said, “He doesn’t mean that.”
Shoshana said, “Okay, Pike. I’ll follow your lead right up until that lead doesn’t work. Agreed?”
I smiled and said, “Carrie, if my lead doesn’t work, you can kill whoever you want.”
She squinted her eyes at my sarcasm, and Lia finally exited, wearing jeans and a simple blouse, her face now cleaned up, looking as attractive as she did when we first met. I saw Knuckles take notice and thought, Oh, boy.
I said, “You ready?”
“What’s your plan?”
“Basically, it’s this: You’re going to be the face of the operation. We’re going to be the muscle. You get us in to the palace, then locate the guy with your Italian and your badge, and we’ll take him down. We’ll exit the building with him, and then it’s over. When it’s done, they need to think it’s an Italian operation all the way through.”
“But what are you going to do with him once we have him? He’s a serial killer here in Italy, and he deserves justice.”
I smiled and said, “Honestly, that’s two steps ahead. I haven’t thought that far yet, but we’re going to find out about his killing spree all over the world and why he was doing that. Once we’re done, you can have him. If he’s still alive.”
She didn’t like the sound of that and paused. Shoshana said, “He’s getting justice. That’s all that matters.”
She nodded and picked up her purse. I said, “We’re good?”
She looked at the screenshot on the table, seeing him holding his penis in his hands, her eyes wide open in fear. She said, “Yes. We’re good.”
Chapter 52
We exited the building and went down to our cars. Lia tried to enter Knuckles’s car and I said, “He’s not coming with us. You need to get in ours.”
She said, “You’ve got four people already in that car. Why cram into one?”
“He’s already been there under a different name. It’s just us going in because they’ll know he’s not Italian police. He’ll be nearby for backup.”
She glanced at him and he said, “Hey, you get this done and I’ll take you to dinner. Paid for by the U.S. government. You pick the most expensive restaurant here in Rome, and I’ll pay the bill.”
For the first time, I saw a smile that was genuine. And thought, What is it with that asshole?
We left, Lia giving directions, and within twelve minutes were outside the Magisterial Palace of the Knights of Malta. We rolled up to the gate, and the guard blocked our advance. She showed her badge, then said, “Let us in.”
He did so.
We parked and I left Jennifer behind the wheel, telling her to coordinate with Knuckles and Brett for support because we might be coming out in a run.