The Girl Who Disappeared Twice

“Was it the same Bennato as the one Casey is referring to?”

“Yes, Hope, it was. Tony Bennato. But I represented him on a domestic, not a business matter.”

“What kind of domestic matter?” Casey asked at once.

“A rather complicated divorce.”

“Really. That’s unusual, considering you’re not a matrimonial attorney.”

Edward bristled. “There were some criminal charges involved. Bennato’s ex was suing him on charges of assault and ongoing physical abuse. It was a high-profile case for me at the time. So I took it.”

“And you won, of course.”

“I did.” Edward’s jaw was working. “Any organized crime allegations didn’t impact my defense preparation. Nor were they a factor in the trial.”

“How much were you paid?” Hutch inquired. He and Grace had stayed behind to continue their behavioral analyses, while several of the CARD team members and investigative agents had taken off to bring in Joe Deale.

“How would I remember that? It was over ten years ago.”

Hutch gave an offhand shrug. “I’m just curious if Tony Bennato paid you by check or cash.”

Hope shifted a bit at the question, uncomfortably lowering her gaze.

Edward was far less subtle and far more vocal. “Are you accusing me of something, Agent Hutchinson?”

“No. I’m just trying to establish the nature of your business relationship with Mr. Bennato.”

“I defended him,” Edward said. “He was found to be innocent of all charges. Further, he walked away with most of his monetary assets. He was happy. I was happy. Our relationship ended there. And I’ve had no contact with him since.”

“Wow,” Casey commented. “That must have been some defense you mounted.”

“I’m an excellent attorney, Ms. Woods. My reputation speaks for itself.”

“Indeed, it does.”

Casey made sure to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Still, from the corner of her eye, she saw Ashley-who was standing in the far corner of the hallway-wince. The poor girl obviously thought Casey was making a veiled reference to Edward’s infidelity. The truth was, that was the last thing on her mind. What she was thinking was what a sleazebag Edward was, and how she wouldn’t dismiss the prospect of his own mob dealings.

“The fact is, Tony Bennato would have no reason to hold a grudge against me,” Edward was concluding. “And, if he did, he wouldn’t have shelved it for ten years. Krissy wasn’t even born when I handled his case.”

“Point taken,” Hutch replied. “Unless there were some under-the-table payments involved. Those tend to prompt very long memories, and very high expectations. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Edward’s only response was a glittering stare.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Hutch continued. “Unless you’d rather save us some time and tell us how you collected your legal fees from Mr. Bennato.”

“I have nothing to say. Feel free to call my accountant and discuss my finances to your heart’s content, Agent Hutchinson.”

“Now that would be a waste of time, and we both know it. You’re an intelligent, resourceful man. If you’d conducted any illegal or unethical transactions, you’d be sure to cover them.” Hutch’s expression stayed totally neutral. “Your reaction, on the other hand, has been anything but a waste of time. My suggestion? Don’t get too comfortable. Right now, our only priority is to bring your daughter home, safe and sound. But, once that’s done, I’m sure our Organized Crime division will be eager to chat with you.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ashley pulled Edward aside the instant it was feasible without raising any red flags.

“I have to talk to you,” she said in a low, urgent tone.

“Not now,” Edward replied, teeth clenched. “Not after that interrogation.”

“It might throw fuel on the fire of what lies ahead,” Ashley returned, her eyes wide and frightened. “Please, Edward. Give me a minute.”

Edward glanced around. Hope was talking with her mother. Sidney was working with the sketch artist. And Casey Woods was in the middle of a heated debate with Agent Hutchinson.

With a jerk of his head, Edward signaled for Ashley to follow him into the kitchen.

“What is it?” he demanded. “This is definitely not the time.”

“Casey Woods knows about us,” Ashley replied without preliminaries.

“What the hell do you mean she knows about us? That’s impossible. You must have misunderstood.”

“Hardly. She cornered me early today. First, she pressured me to tell her what was going on to make your wife so jumpy. She sensed that I knew something. When I refused to share what I knew, she not-so-subtly reassured me that she didn’t plan on telling Judge Willis that you and I are sleeping together-but that she’d really appreciate if I reconsidered sharing what I knew about Judge Willis’s jittery state. A sort of one hand washes the other. Does that sound to you like I misunderstood?”

“Dammit.” Edward slammed his fist on the counter. “How did she find out?”

“I don’t know. The same way she finds out everything. Does ‘how’ matter? The important thing is she wasn’t fishing. She was stating a fact. Denying it would have been stupid.”

“So you admitted it?” Edward had clearly reached the end of his rope today. “For God’s sake, Ashley, first you keep the ransom call from me, and now you give Casey Woods confirmation that we’re having an affair. Why don’t you just tell her we’re taking Krissy and all my undeclared cash and flying off to the Cayman Islands?”

“Because we’re not.”

“You and I know that. But I’m under a microscope. The FBI might not think I abducted my own daughter, but they do think I’m a criminal. Any way I turn, I’m screwed. You’re in better shape. Ms. Woods thinks you’re supernanny, and, undoubtedly, an innocent young woman who’s been sucked in by a rich, successful older man.”

“Isn’t that exactly what I am?” Ashley wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, visibly reticent about what she was about to say. “And isn’t that exactly what you are? Edward, I realize you don’t share your business dealings with me, but I’m not stupid. I know the kind of clients you represent. Plus, I know that Judge Willis got her hands on a quarter of a million dollars in cash in record time and without tipping off anyone-not the banks or the authorities. To me, that says there’s cash lying around here. Lots of cash.” She waved away Edward’s reply. “I don’t care about that, and I don’t want to discuss it. I just want to give you a heads-up about Casey Woods. If it makes you feel any better, she promised to keep her mouth shut about our secret, not just to your wife, but to the authorities.”

“How comforting.” Sarcasm dripped from Edward’s tone. “As if I trust her. And, even if she does keep quiet, the FBI’s going to be watching me like a hawk. Which reminds me, since the ransom call came in on your cell, they’ll be monitoring it. I’ll have to buy you a throwaway for our conversations.”

A long, painful pause. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Meaning?”

“Edward, you know how much I love you. Just like I know that I’m just a romantic distraction for you. So this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you. But I can’t do this anymore. Not to Judge Willis. And not in light of what’s going on. I’m sick with worry over Krissy, and sick with guilt that Casey Woods has to waste her time on us when the real kidnappers are still out there.”

Edward looked stupefied. “You’re breaking things off?”

“I have to. I can’t stop loving you. But I can start living with myself again.”

“Fine,” Edward snapped, rubbing the back of his neck. “Whatever you want. Frankly, this is an absurd conversation to be having right now. My daughter’s out there somewhere. I have no idea if I’ll ever see her alive again. So whether or not we keep sleeping together is low on my list. So if you’ve said everything you have to say, I’m going back into my living room to see if that son-of-a-bitch father that old man dragged in here can identify Krissy’s kidnappers.”