he’d killed Leonard Balducci. Taking fire, he’d had no other option but to shoot back. His bullet had hit its target. He’d been blessed that those meant for him had missed. The shooting had almost derailed his career in law enforcement. He’d been grounded, confined to a desk and the shuffling of papers. There had been months of scrutiny from Internal Affairs and strangers who knew nothing of him. The media had questioned his integrity and others had a field day, calling him a monster. He’d felt boxed in and had been ready to give it all up. Despite everyone’s assurances that it hadn’t been his fault, the guilt he still carried was immense.
“I’m sorry,” Danni said softly.
Armstrong shrugged. “It didn’t have to end that way, but we weren’t given a lot of choices.”
Danni nodded. “So how would you like me to play this?”
“Trust your instincts. You got yourself further than I would have anticipated, so play it how you think best. When you’re undercover I can only support you from a distance. Although Pius would have been a kid and might not know who I am, the family definitely knows me, so the best I’m going to be able to do is my good-cop or my bad-cop routine, if needed.”
“I think I made a connection with the girl Ginny. And then there’s his brother.”
“Pius’s brother?”
“Well, half-brother. His name is Carlo. He said they have the same mother but different fathers. He runs the coffee shop. I didn’t even notice the family resemblance until he said something, it’s so slight.”
Armstrong’s brow creased as he seemed to search for something in his memory. He reached for the file, flipping through it briefly before slapping it back against the table. “From everything I know, Paul was an only child. He doesn’t have any siblings.”
“Not according to Carlo. He also said something about a sister. Allegedly, she was a runaway.”
He gestured back toward the file folder. “Find out what you can about him. And before you leave, head upstairs to the tech guys.”
“The tech guys?”
“I’m putting in a request for that surveillance wire. They’ll get you hooked up.”
Danni laughed. “I told you I’m not wearing a damn wire, and I mean that.”
“Don’t try me, Detective,” Armstrong said, amusement dancing in his eyes as he stood and moved back out the door. “I’ve been a very nice guy up till now!”
* * *
Armstrong watched her as she made herself comfortable with the other members of the task force. Danni had a relaxed disposition, and people were at ease with her. For most of the morning she’d been researching the files to ensure she was up-to-date with the investigations, asking pertinent questions when needed. She seemed to enjoy engaging each person individually, her dry humor winning her a number of fans. Her likability factor was extraordinary, and he instinctively understood how she managed to integrate herself into other people’s spaces so effortlessly. She was a force to be reckoned with, a quiet storm that seemed to sneak up unnoticed before raging gallantly and then dissipating like a sweet summer rain.
He rocked back in his seat, the front legs of the wooden chair he sat in rising off the vinyl-tiled floor. His hands were folded together in his lap. His expression was reflective as he sat in quiet deliberation. The faintest smile ever pulled at his lips. She amused him as much as she infuriated him, digging her heels in when she wanted to prove a point. She challenged his intellect and seemed comfortable with testing his authority; doing her job as she ignored protocol. And she made him smile. She was not the detective he had expected, but she was one his intuition told him he was going to enjoy working with immensely.
Sitting forward in the chair, he called for her, his deep baritone voice bellowing through the space. “Detective Winstead!”
From where he sat he saw her toss him a look, her gaze narrowing. She shifted her eyes back to the conversation she was in the middle of, seeming to ignore him. He glanced to his wristwatch, taking mental notes as he continued to observe her. After six minutes passed, he debated whether to call out a second time, and then she turned, sauntering easily in his direction.
“Yes, sir?” she said as she moved into the conference room to stand before him. Her arms were crossed over her chest. “You called?” Her expression was nonchalant, barely curious. Her lips were pursed ever so slightly, and her eyes were focused on him intently. She gave him reason to pause as he stared back, suddenly wondering what it might be like to kiss the soft curve of her bottom lip.
He shook the thought away, ignoring the sensation that suddenly swept through his southern quadrant. “Is there a reason you haven’t been upstairs yet, Detective?”
“Yes, sir, there is.”
His brow shifted upward, his expression questioning.
Danni continued. “I am not wearing a wire. I won’t risk blowing my cover before I figure out if I can even infiltrate Pius’s crew. You need to trust me on this one. Sir.”
There was a moment of hesitation as they continued to stare at each other. Armstrong finally nodded. As he did, he pushed a small white box across the table in her direction and gestured for her to take it.
Danni’s eyes shifted from his face to the box and back. “What’s this?” she questioned as she took the container and lifted the lid. Inside lay a silver cross embedded with marcasite jewels and an inlay of red coral. It was about the size of a small plum and fit nicely in the palm of her hand. An extended length of silver chain was threaded through the charm’s silver loop. She lifted her eyes a second time, curiosity seeping past her lashes.
“My extremely savvy tech guys call it wearable technology. If you find yourself in a situation, you push the large jewel in the center to trigger the alarm. The device then starts recording audio and calls your emergency contacts to let them know your location. The team and I are your emergency contacts. It’s also waterproof, so once you put it on you don’t need to take it off. And if you activate the sensor by accident, you just deactivate it with your smartphone.”
Danni turned the piece of jewelry from one side to the other, eyeing the details.
He continued. “The tech guys...upstairs...can explain it to you in greater detail. Go up and talk to them,” he said, his tone commanding. “Now, wear the damn wire! And the next time I give you an order, either follow it, or take your ass back to Atlanta. Is that understood?”
Danni nodded. “Yes, sir!”
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