LITMIR.BIZ

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during the day.

      “Studying? Oh. Your exams,” Brad said. “No, I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

      “I’m fine,” she answered automatically, turning her back on the sofa. “You, on the other hand, sound a lot more distracted than usual. How’s Sue? And my two gorgeous nieces?”

      “Good. They’re good. So how are you doing?”

      She laughed. “You just asked me that. Somebody was talking about you the other day. Let’s see—oh, I know. Hank Percy. He’d heard your name on the national news—some case you were trying. He wanted to do a piece on you for the Chef Voleur Weekly Record. I’m supposed to ask you if you would talk to him.” She paused for dramatic effect. “So, ADA Harcourt, I guess you’ve finally hit the big time. You’re going to have a write-up in Hank Percy’s column.”

      There was a pause, barely enough to notice. “I guess.”

      “Brad? Is everything all right?” The sinking feeling came back. “Is Sue okay? The girls?”

      He sighed. “Seriously, sis. Can’t I call and check on you without you getting paranoid?”

      “Interesting choice of words,” she said wryly. “It’s been a weird day. But my last exam is Monday, and I’ll have a whole six weeks before summer classes start.”

      Suddenly, she missed her brother. He and Sue and her nieces were her only family since their mother had died. “I was planning to fly up there for a long weekend this summer. Why don’t I come next week, or the week after?”

      Another pause. Longer this time. “Now’s not a good time. That big case Hank Percy called you about has put me behind on several others, and—and the girls have a virus.”

      Angela felt hurt. Brad was putting her off. She could hear it in his voice. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

      She heard him take a breath. “Absolutely. It’s just hectic. Maybe in about a month. How about the Fourth of July?”

      “Okay then. Now’s not really a good time for me, either. I’m probably going to sleep for a week after my last test on Monday. Why don’t you give me a call when things settle down—if they ever do?”

      “I will. I promise. Things are just crazy right now. Listen, sis. Watch out for yourself. New Orleans can be dangerous.”

      “Don’t worry about me. I’m tough. See, when I was a kid, my brother and his best friend picked on me all the time. I had to learn to stand up for myself.”

      Brad chuckled. “You are tough. There’s no denying that.”

      “Speaking of your best friend, guess who I ran into today?”

      There was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone.

      “Brad? Are you there?”

      “Yeah. What—you don’t mean Delancey, there in New Orleans?”

      “Who else? How many best friends have you had?”

      “So you saw Luke. I thought he was in Dallas.”

      “Well, apparently he’s taking a vacation.” She frowned. “It’s funny. He didn’t ask about you.”

      “Hang on a second,” Brad said.

      She heard him talking to someone.

      “Sis, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a meeting in two minutes. Good luck on the rest of your tests.”

      “Love you,” she said, but Brad had already hung up.

      She realized she was oddly close to tears.

      “That was weird,” she whispered. As she swiped her fingers across her cheeks, her gaze lit on the smudge on her sofa.

      Her fist tightened around her cell phone and she shivered.

      “HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU let Angela see you? I thought you were good at this stuff.”

      Lucas cringed at the fury in Brad’s voice. He’d seen Angela on her cell phone a few moments ago. She must have been talking to him.

      “Hey, I’m a detective, not a cat burglar. I was bound to run into her sooner or later. I was grabbing a quick café au lait. Who knew she’d finish her exam in just over an hour? Isn’t that record time?”

      “You should have known. Have you forgotten how smart she is? What did she do when she saw you?”

      “What do you think she did? She got pissed off. Wanted to know what I was doing here. I told her I was taking some time off.” He sniffed. “The years haven’t mellowed her much.”

      “So what now? You’re going to have to find me somebody to take your place.”

      “Nobody’s taking my place. She just thinks it’s her bad luck that she ran into me. I could see it in her face. Nope. I’ve got cameras set up everywhere—the street in front of her apartment, her hallway and door and her living room and kitchen. Anybody even goes near her building, I’ll see them.”

      He paused for a beat and then took a deep breath. “Somebody’s going into her apartment when she’s not there, Brad.”

      “Oh, God. You’ve seen him? I knew it. It’s got to be Picone. He’s sent someone down there after her. A hit man.”

      “Who? Who would he send?”

      Brad grunted in frustration. “That’s the $64,000 question. Picone’s organization is a family business. He’s got four sons and two daughters. Word is Nikki Jr. is being groomed to take over someday. Milo and Paulo have been linked to several suspicious deaths. And the son-in-law, Harold, was convicted of manslaughter about six years ago. The younger daughter isn’t married. She’s in her twenties. I’ve heard she’s a technology whiz.”

      Lucas filed the names away in his brain. “What about the fourth son?”

      “Tony. The youngest boy. He’s totally clean, from all the information I’ve got. The police have a confidential informant who says he’s Mama’s baby, and not in the business.”

      “So which one’s out of town?”

      Brad laughed wryly. “I wish it were that easy. None of them have been seen for the last couple of days.”

      “Have you got pictures?”

      “I’ll have to get my secretary to check the newspaper archives. Why? Have you spotted someone hanging around?”

      “Not really. There is this one forgettable type who seems to hang around the building a lot. He’s kind of dumpy and pale as a fish’s belly.”

      “Doesn’t sound like any of the family I’ve ever seen.”

      “Maybe that’s the point. Forgettable is probably a job requirement for a hit man. I’m keeping an eye on him.”

      “Think he’s the one getting into her apartment? Have you talked to the super?”

      “Not yet. This guy’s never done anything that I’ve seen. He just hangs around like he’s waiting for somebody. But the next time the intruder goes into her apartment, I’ll be watching. And trust me, I’ll be all over him—”

      “The next time?”

      “Don’t worry, Brad. I’m going to get Ryker to talk to Chicago P.D. and maybe get a handle on who your big crime boss might have sent.”

      “You can’t do that. I don’t want to broadcast that I’ve got a sister, much less where she is.”

      “I said don’t worry. Look up the word discreet in the dictionary and you’ll find Ryker’s face.”

      “Yeah, but Ryker’s so by-the-book. I’m afraid that’ll trump his discretion. He’ll

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