Carter paced as they waited in a small area. The ADA was running late. Richards came in and took a seat. No one spoke. This was the end of the line for the truth and Carter prayed the truth was all dressed up and ready to be exposed.
They were called back and gathered in a large interview room. Lila had talked to her dad on the phone and she seemed upset. The excitement of the morning was gone and replaced with the seriousness and determination he knew well. Nothing would keep her from having her say.
They made room for the ADA. Richards was on one end and Lila and Carter were on the other. The ADA would sit between them, and Carter hoped they could get this over with quickly.
The ADA rushed in with an armful of files, a laptop, a briefcase and a purse slung over her shoulder. “Good afternoon, everyone.” She laid everything carefully on the table and took a deep breath. “They’re bringing Walter Fox in. The forgery is a done deal. My concern now is the arson charge.”
“Why?” Lila asked. “Sapp says he was in on it.”
“I intend to take this slow, Ms. Colton. I’m allowing you here because it was your place of business that was destroyed. I feel you have a right to face them. Just let me handle this.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Lila’s expression was tight. She was upset, but he had a feeling it wasn’t about Fox. It was about something else.
He reached out and touched her arm. “Relax.”
The door opened and Walter Fox in jail attire and handcuffs was escorted in by an officer and a lawyer. Fox was a small man, probably five feet seven inches, and always dressed as if life was an occasion. Carter thought he probably lived it that way, too, needing money and more money to fit his lifestyle. Now it had all come crumbling down and his demeanor was one of a broken man.
Today there was no hat and no bow tie and no three-piece suit to grab one’s attention. He was just a man looking for forgiveness.
“Mr. Fox will plead guilty to the forgery charge, but he had nothing to do with the arson.” His lawyer took up the cause.
The ADA placed the tape recorder on the table. “We have a witness who will testify that you and Rossini talked about burning down the gallery, which Rossini owns.”
The lawyer whispered to Fox and nodded for him to speak. “I talked about wanting to get rid of the paintings because I knew Mr. Finch was coming to town and I would get caught selling forgeries.”
“May I ask a question?” Carter asked.
“Go ahead.”
“How did you know I was coming to Chicago?”
“Just a friend who works in the art industry.”
“What’s his name?”
The lawyer and Fox whispered again and then the lawyer spoke. “That has nothing to do with the arson case and my client has no reason to answer it.”
“I agree,” the ADA said. “You’re a good detective, Mr. Finch, and I know you can figure it out on your own. Let’s move on.”
Damn! He was hoping to get a little help, but she was right. He would find it in the archives of people who wanted to get even for putting them in prison. It could wait until another day. This day was for finding the arsonist.
“Mr. Fox, our witness says that you talked with Mr. Rossini about torching the gallery. Mr. Finch could verify the paintings were fakes and the only way to save yourself was to get rid of them. Am I correct?”
“My client...”
“I’m willing to tell you my part in this—” Mr. Fox interrupted “—for a lesser sentence.”
“I’m listening.”
“Yes, Lou and I talked about it. He wanted to get Ms. Colton off his back before she called an electrician. We agreed to pay half if we could find someone to do it.”
“What is half?”
“I paid five thousand and Lou paid five thousand.”
“Who did you pay this money to?”
“I gave my share to Lou and he would give his share to the person he hired.”
“Who did he hire, Mr. Fox?” Richards asked.
“I don’t know. He never told me.”
“So you just gave him five thousand dollars?”
“Yes. He promised to give me thirty thousand when he got the insurance money for the building.”
“Thirty thousand? For what?” Carter asked.
“So I can get the full amount for my paintings.”
Rossini didn’t even need Fox. There was something that wasn’t ringing true about the stories.
“Mr. Fox, did you ever receive any money from Mr. Rossini?” Richards wanted to know.
“No. That’s why I went to his office to find out what was going on. I needed my money.” He turned his gaze to Lila. “I’m so sorry for what happened to you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did hurt me to keep from getting caught. And you stole from Homer Tinsley to feed your gambling habit. He trusted you and that trust meant nothing.”
“Where did you get the gun, Mr. Fox?” The ADA took control again.
“It’s a small Smith & Wesson. I bought it for protection after poker games. It went off in the car when I tried to take it away from Lou. I didn’t mean for anything like this to happen. I’m sorry.”
The ADA clicked off the tape recorder. “Mr. Fox, I will talk to your lawyer later. I will definitely have a deal for you if you will testify against Rossini.”
“Yes, yes. I would be willing to do that.”
The interview ended and Fox and his attorney left the room. The ADA looked at her watch. “I have to go to my office and make a phone call. Rossini should be brought over in about fifteen minutes. The girlfriend is here and trying to bail him out, but Rossini just learned that his wife put a lock on everything he owns. He’s not happy and the girlfriend is demanding to see me. Oh, what a wonderful day.”
“I have to check in at the office,” Richards said and walked away.
Lila and Carter made their way to the waiting area and a young girl brought them coffee. “Thank you,” Lila said. “That’s very nice of you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you okay?” Carter asked as they sat down.
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“You talked to your dad on your cell and I could see it upset you.”
“He and my grandmother found out about the experts looking at the will, and the hearing has been pushed back till a judge can rule on the expert’s findings. They’re very upset and said it was all my fault.”
“It’s not. Lila—”
“I know it’s not my fault. My fault is loving too much and believing that one day my father would love me the way most fathers love their children. I realize that’s never going to happen, and even though I know it’s true, it still hurts.”
“I’m so sorry he hurt you again. I wish I had more time to—”
“You were right all along. Love hurts, and having a home and a family does not make it better. It is not the solution to everyone’s problem. I can see that now. Marriage has to be a personal commitment that you’re willing to make. It’s a risk that you have to be willing to take. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.”
“Please don’t change into a bitter person who doesn’t believe in love. I know that it exists. How do I know? I see it every time I look into your eyes and I see it in the way you deal with life and your family. That’s love. Don’t throw it all away because of my jaded ideas.”
Richards slid into a chair across from them. “They’re bringing Rossini over. Showtime.”
Carter pulled out his phone and sent a text to Sharon. The interview with your husband and the ADA is about to start. Just thought you might want to know. He slipped his phone into his pocket and hoped she showed up. If not, there was a very good chance Rossini’s attorney could get him out on bail.
He turned to Lila. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
They sat in the interview room once again in almost the exact same positions. Rossini was shown in with his lawyer, who was cursing and yelling at the top of his lungs.
“This is ridiculous. I demand that Mr. Rossini be released.”
“Sit down, Mr. Harris, and if you don’t change your attitude, I will have you removed from the interview.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Try me. This is not a courtroom. I’m just trying to see if we have enough information to take Mr. Rossini before a judge.”
“You don’t.” Mr. Harris set his monogrammed briefcase on the table. “Can you place him at the fire?”
“No. But his fingerprints are all over the place.”
“He owns the building.”
“I’m aware of that. I’m just letting you know.”
“You can’t put my client anywhere near that building on that night.”
“No, not at this point.”
“What do you have?”
“For starters, the kidnapping of Ms. Colton and being held against her will.” The ADA held up two fingers. “Two witnesses who say that Rossini talked about setting the fire. One made the device for him and the other actually gave him money to destroy the paintings in the gallery. Mr. Rossini offered him thirty thousand dollars after the fire from his insurance money.”
“Why would Mr. Rossini offer anyone thirty thousand dollars after the fire?”
“For his silence, Mr. Harris,” Carter replied. “Silence is worth a lot of money.”
“That’s hogwash. You’ll never get a jury to believe that. Mr. Rossini is well-known around this city and is a respected businessman. This is a witch hunt, and a jury will never believe this insane nonsense.”
Voices outside distracted the meeting. The ADA motioned to Richards. “See what’s going on?”
He was back in a second. “Ms. Wilcox is demanding to see Mr. Rossini and she’s taking offense at your attempt to keep her out.”
Carter leaned over and whispered to the ADA. Lila could hear him, as he had to speak over her. “Let her in. She was at the poker games and knows more than she’s saying and she might accidentally let something slip.”
The ADA gave it some thought. “Let her in.”
Ms. Wilcox charged into the room like a bull into an arena full of energy. With a twist of her head, she tossed back her long dark hair, daring anyone to question her presence here. Richards brought another chair and she sat close to Rossini, stroking his arm. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll get you out of here.”
“Ms. Wilcox.” The ADA’s voice rose. “Sit back and listen or I’ll have the officer remove you.”
“I’m only trying to help Lou.”
Mr. Harris leaned in and spoke to Rossini. “Tell her I can handle this.”
Rossini patted Tanya’s hands. “Just be quiet, baby.”
Tanya crossed her legs and scooted back in the chair with a smug expression.
Lila stared at the woman and something clicked in her mind. “You’re the woman who called me from Rossini’s office and wanted my signature on a piece of paper that concerned the safe’s contents.”
“Yeah, that was me.” She twirled a strand of dark hair around her forefinger. “Mona’s always trying to get the best of me. I offered to take it to you, but she said I didn’t have enough sense to do that. I showed her.”
“How many times have I told you not to come to my office?” Rossini’s anger sparked.
“Don’t yell at me! I heard you come into your office and had to leave quickly. I took it back later that afternoon when no one was there. I just laid it on Mona’s desk with a sticky note attached. I drew a smiley face on it.”
Mr. Harris cleared his throat to get the interview back on track. “You don’t have enough evidence to charge Mr. Rossini with anything. I demand a bail hearing so he can be released.”
“Attempted murder, kidnapping and arson are not crimes I dismiss without a lot of thought,” the ADA told him.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Don’t push me, Mr. Harris. Rossini was caught at the airport fleeing our jurisdiction. He is not going to be granted bail.”
“Mr. Rossini did not set the fire and did not know two people were in the building. Mr. Rossini did not build the device to set the fire. Mr. Rossini has done nothing wrong. He is innocent and I demand that he be taken before a judge.”
Lila looked down to see Carter reading his phone. She read it, too. It was from Sharon. She couldn’t embarrass her children. Lila’s heart sank. She’d made it to the courthouse, but then changed her mind. After all they’d been through, it came down to a wife who didn’t have the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. Rossini was going to get away with it.
She glanced at Carter and she could see the same thoughts were running through his mind. Lila got to her feet. “Excuse me, please.”
“Lila...”
“Is there something you’d like to share?” the ADA asked.
“No. I just have to make a quick call. It’s private.”
Lila left the room and expected Carter to follow her, but he didn’t. She hurried to the big foyer and asked the receptionist if she’d seen anyone waiting. The girl pointed to the front doors and Lila ran for her life, trying to catch Sharon. She stopped and caught her breath as she saw Sharon standing there with her car keys in her hand and the strap of a big purse over her shoulder.
“Sharon!”
The woman turned toward Lila’s voice, and in a split second, Lila thought she was going to run, but decided otherwise and walked toward Lila. “I’m sorry, Lila. I’m just not a hero.”
“I bet your children think otherwise. From everything that you’ve told me, I’m assuming your life was miserable. Even expensive clothes and a fancy house can’t disguise that. Your children know the pain you’ve been through—at least, the older ones.” Lila touched the big bag on Sharon’s arm. “You probably have enough evidence in there to put him away for a long time.”
Sharon clutched the purse a little tighter.
“You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. You can just walk away and your husband will, too, as well as his girlfriend. She came to his rescue and she’s in there, sitting right by his side, thinking he has millions of dollars to share with her.” Lila gave her a minute and then added, “Maybe he does. Maybe he knows you better than you do.”
Sharon clenched her jaw but didn’t say anything.
Lila went back into the building and she didn’t know how she was going to handle Rossini being released. Scream. Cry. Kick the furniture. Probably none of those. She would wait patiently until they found more evidence that pointed to him. She wondered if they sold patience at the pharmacy.
She slipped back into the room and whispered to Carter, “Tell you later.”
“Do you have anything to share, Ms. Colton?” the ADA asked.
“No, ma’am.”
“Okay, Mr. Harris, you get your arraignment. The judge will decide bail, but I’ll fight it.”
Tanya jumped out of the chair and leaped onto Rossini, almost knocking him out of his. “Oh, baby. We’ll be in Hawaii in no time.” She held out her left hand. “And I’ll be wearing a beautiful wedding ring. You said they couldn’t touch you and you were right.”
“Shut up, Tanya.”
“It’s best if we go.” Mr. Harris spoke up.
The ADA’s phone buzzed and she took it. “Yes, send her in.” She placed her phone on the desk with a thoughtful expression. “It seems we have more information, so please keep your seats.”
“What?” Rossini was on his feet, his earlier happy expression marred by a scowl. He looked at his lawyer. “We don’t have to put up with this, do we?”
“Yes, you do.” The ADA was quick to correct him.
“Who is this person that has information?” Mr. Harris asked.
“Mrs. Rossini.”
“My wife?” They now had Mr. Rossini’s full attention.
“She can’t testify against him. They’re married.” Relief was evident on Mr. Harris’s face.
The ADA picked up her phone and touched a couple of numbers. The door opened and Mrs. Rossini walked in dressed in a navy sheath with short puffed sleeves. She was every bit the businesswoman she opted to be.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Rossini wanted to know.
“Everyone take a seat,” the ADA ordered. “And I will speak to Mrs. Rossini.” They went into the hallway and the others sat there, not saying a word.
Carter glanced at Lila and she gave him a thumbs-up, hoping Sharon’s appearance meant exactly what she wanted it to.
In a few minutes, the two women came back. The ADA folded her hands over a large folder she’d brought in with her. “Mr. Rossini, do you have anything to say before I start?”
“No. I’d just like to get out of here.”
The ADA looked at Tanya. “You mentioned Hawaii and marriage. Are you aware that Mr. Rossini is married?”
“Of course.” She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “He’s divorcing her as soon as he can and then we’re getting married in Hawaii, just like he promised.”
“Mr. Rossini promised you marriage?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
Tanya blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Why couldn’t he divorce her six months ago, a year ago or even two years ago? All he had to do was ask her for a divorce, but he didn’t. Why all of a sudden is he going to ask his wife for a divorce?”
“Because he realized how much he loved me and not that old crow.” Tanya glanced at Sharon, but she remained stone-faced.
The ADA pulled a file from a folder and slid it across the table to Tanya. “Sharon Rossini filed for divorce yesterday, and to have all the evidence she needed, she hired a PI to follow Mr. Rossini for the last four months.” She held up a CD. “On this CD is just about everything he’s done during that time.”
Tanya paled significantly. “What...? What...? Lou?”
“Don’t worry, baby,” Rossini told her with a sneer on his lips. “I got this. My wife, or soon-to-be ex-wife, is not intelligent enough to outsmart me.” He faced his wife. “You know that PI you hired? I offered him a lump sum of money for his information and he took it. He wasn’t very loyal to you. So, my sweet wife, you have nothing and you’ll be out of my office by tomorrow.”
“This is highly irregular,” Mr. Harris complained. “And I will be talking to the DA.”
“Go ahead, but first, let’s go over some things. Mr. Harris, you’ve been asking me if I can place Mr. Rossini at the gallery. No, I can’t, but I can place someone he’s very close to there.”
Tanya stood. “I really have to go...”
Richards jumped up and blocked the doorway.
“Sit down, Ms. Wilcox,” the ADA said. “I’ll show you some interesting pictures and videos.”
“What’s going on?” Rossini asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
The ADA removed the CD from its holder and pushed it into the recorder beneath the TV. Picking up the remote control, she went back to her seat. Everyone scooted their chairs around and Richards stood at the door.
“I haven’t seen this before, but I’m assured of what’s on it.” She clicked the remote control. Nothing happened. She clicked it again. Nothing but a whirling sound.
Rossini laughed, a sickening sound. “It’s blank. I told you, you stupid cow. I bought everything he had. You have nothing. You’ll never outsmart me. You’re just a dumb bitch who’s worth nothing and...”
Carter got up and grabbed Mr. Rossini around the neck and squeezed as hard as he could. The man’s face turned red and he spluttered.
“You say one more word and I’ll snap your neck.” Carter released him.
Rossini rubbed his neck. “That’s police brutality. I’m suing the Chicago Police Department and Mr. Finch.”
“Mr. Finch does not work for the Chicago Police Department,” the ADA told him. “I’d advise you to tone it down.” She turned her attention to Tanya. “Ms. Wilcox, are you sure Mr. Rossini has plans to marry you?”
“Of course he does. We talk about it all the time. He hates his life with her.” She pointed to Sharon.
Sharon sat between Lila and Carter. Her head was bent, and she gripped her hands tightly in her lap. It was the final blow in her life with Rossini. She finally stood up for herself and he had humiliated her beyond belief. Lila wanted to touch her hands or something to make her realize she wasn’t alone. But she didn’t want to embarrass her more.
“This has all been very interesting,” Mr. Harris said, “but can we move on and get to a hearing?”
Sharon moved and Lila thought she was leaving the room, but she reached down and pulled out a big folder from her purse. She held it in her hand as she started to speak. “It seems very ironic that no one has thought of the real motive for the gallery fire.”
Real motive? That puzzled Lila. How many motives could there be?
“It was because of the wiring,” Richards said.
Sharon shook her head. “That was only part of it. Lou bought the building many years ago. The roof had a leak, but Lou never fixed it. There were steel beams in the roof to make the dome of the gallery. Chicago has lots of rain, and water leaked onto the beams, causing them to rust. Lou decided to sell the place, but it didn’t pass inspection because of the rusted beams and the wiring. The inspector put a lock on the door. Until the repairs were done, Lou couldn’t sell the place. So Lou does what he always does. He hired an inspector for a false report and rented the place to Ms. Colton.”
Lila listened to this in shock. “No, that can’t be right. I had an inspection done before I rented and the guy said everything was okay. I have the report in my files.”
“I’m sorry, Lila. It was another fake inspection. When the wiring problem came up again, I decided to look for the first file and found Lou hadn’t done any of the repairs as he’d told me and the city of Chicago.” She waved the file toward the ADA. “It’s all in there.”
“You mean the roof could have come crashing down at any moment?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
A chill ran through Lila. So many people could have been hurt, some killed. It was a horrible thought.
Sharon reached for her purse and took out something that looked like a photo. She walked to the ADA and slipped it inside the file. “In case you need it.” She then eased her purse strap over her shoulder and stared at her husband. “Lou wanted the building gone, but he didn’t have the guts to do it himself. He tried to frame Sapp and Fox. He finally found the perfect pigeon to do his dirty work.” She glanced at Tanya and walked out of the room with her power intact.
“What did she mean by that?” Tanya asked. She got up out of her chair as the truth hit her. “Oh, no, no! I’m not taking the blame for this.”
“Sit down, Ms. Wilcox,” the ADA ordered.
“I’m not going to be set up.”
“Just shut up, Tanya,” Lou said. “Trust me on this.”
“If you have anything to tell us, you better tell us now. I tend to be lenient when people are honest.”
They waited, but Tanya didn’t budge.
“This might help.” The ADA laid the photo in front of Tanya. Carter and Richards got up to view it and the lawyer and Rossini leaned over, as did Lila. It didn’t take long for Lila to figure it out. There was a large photo of three children on a dresser, and in front of the photo lay a steel-like object about two and a half inches long and bigger than a tube of lipstick. Rossini stood at the mirror putting on cuff links.
“Mr. Rossini, can you identify the children in the photo?”
“They’re mine.”
“Where was the photo taken?”
“Looks like our bedroom.”
“Who took the picture?”
“I have no idea. This is the first time I’ve seen it. Obviously, some of Sharon’s handiwork,” Rossini said.
Carter pointed to the person who could be seen in the mirror lying in the bed. “Who is that?”
Rossini swallowed. “You know who that is.”
“Say it.”
“It’s Tanya.”
Carter placed his finger on the object in front of the photo. “What is that?”
“You don’t need to answer,” the lawyer whispered.
“No, he doesn’t,” the ADA said. “Donald Sapp made it and I’m guessing he knows what it looks like.”
“I’ll have all of this thrown out,” the lawyer said.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Harris.” She tapped the device on the photo. “I can almost put it in his hands. Wait—no. He put it into Ms. Wilcox’s hands for a promise of marriage. Am I right, Mr. Rossini?”
“I refuse to answer.”
“Do you have plane tickets to Hawaii? Do you have a wedding ring?” The ADA directed the questions at Tanya.
It took a moment for the answers to sink in for Tanya. She leaped toward Rossini and slapped his face and kept on slapping until Richards and Carter pulled her off. “You bastard. You used me. I’ll bury your ass.”
The ADA motioned for Richards to get Rossini out of the room. He read him his Miranda rights as he arrested him, leading him out the door.
As the room emptied, Rossini shouted to Tanya, “Babe, don’t tell them anything. It’s you and me, babe, all the way.”
For the next thirty minutes, Tanya told her story. She’d placed the device for Rossini on the promise of marriage and a future. She’d done it during the showing when it was busy. No one had noticed her. An officer led her out, no sass left in her. The ordeal was over.
Lila hugged the ADA. “Thank you. And thanks to Sharon. We could have never proved that Tanya was the one who set the device.”
“You’re right about that.” The ADA gathered her things. “It’s been the weirdest interview I’ve ever taken and I never want to have one like that again. Have a good evening.”
Lila and Carter walked to the car without saying a word, both shell-shocked at the outcome of the interviews. Now she had to concentrate on the morning and Carter’s leaving. That would be even more gut-wrenching.