Angelina Bonaparte Mysteries Box Set Nanci Rathbun (i love reading books txt) 📖

“Adriana,” Bart said, “do I have your authority to transfer the money from your drawing account?” She nodded. “Give Bertha the banking particulars,” he told Bram. “You’ll have the funds tonight.” He paused. “I assume you don’t want to disclose where they’ll be?”

“It’s better that way.”

“Hold on, guys,” I said. “I’m not willing to be put into some sort of security cage. Outside of the financials, almost everything we know about this case came from my digging. I can’t let it go now. And there are people involved who won’t speak to anyone else.”

“Who would that be?” York asked.

“One, Josif Zupan, Dragana’s husband. Two, a survivor of Sarajevo who teaches at UWM. I believe they have important information. I can connect with them. I don’t think you can.” I challenged him with my eyes.

To his credit, he considered what I said and didn’t play the “little woman” card. “Very well. You’ll be guarded 24/7, though.” He looked at Adriana. “You’re in the most danger. I want you in a secure location. Agreed?”

“Angie?” she asked, her voice wavering.

“I think it’s wise to do as Bram suggests.” I gently leaned toward her and offered my hand. She took it. “It won’t be for long. I think we’re close.” True? I wasn’t sure, but it felt like there would be an important break in the case soon.

Bobbie broke in. “I need to be with Angie. It’s the best way for me to learn the ropes.”

“You’re not ready, Bobbie,” Bram said. “You’re not out of boot camp yet, and this is a high-level mission.” His voice was firm, but quiet. “You need time to learn the basics before you can be effective. Self-defense, driving techniques, firearms, hand-to-hand combat.” He turned to me. “I’m sure you’ve mastered those, Angie.”

Was this a Wukowski-style snipe at my skills? I checked his posture and facial expression and decided it was genuine. Problem was, my basics were more along the lines of computer searches and interviewing techniques. “I can handle a gun and I know enough self-defense to disable the bad guy and run. My PI work doesn’t usually require more than that.”

Bram assessed me. “Smart. You’re too small to take on most men.” He turned back to Bobbie. “I won’t waste my time trying to keep you in line. Are you in with the plan?”

Bobbie sagged a little, then straightened his spine and nodded. “I’m in.”

“Good man. Spider will make some contacts and set you up with instructors. You’ll know your stuff when they’re done, I guarantee that.”

This time, I wasn’t so sure about Bram’s sincerity. But if Bram was pumping Bobbie up, it worked. The light came back to his eyes. I wondered if the intern would soon outpace the mentor in the physical aspects of the job. That would be okay with me. A woman’s gotta know her limitations.

The security team went into a small huddle to discuss tonight’s logistics. I turned to Bart. “We need to let the MPD know what’s happened.”

“Not yet. It’s all conjecture.”

“Bart, now we have a paper trail on the book in the attic. I don’t want to take a chance that someone will break into the Johnson house and steal our only hard evidence. And I won’t let the police walk into this blind. They need to know.” I made up my mind as I spoke. If Bart wouldn’t back me, I’d tell Wukowski anyway and resign from the case. There was no way that I’d let Wukowski, Iggy or any other police office take that risk.

He sighed and leaned back in his reinforced office chair. “You’re a hard woman, Angelina.”

“Damn straight, I am.” I puffed myself up like a little bantam rooster.

That broke the tension and we laughed. “Okay, you have my permission to tell Wukowski what’s up. They’ll want evidentiary custody of the items in the attic. That should ease your worries about burglars.”

We split up as we left Bart’s office. Once again, Bobbie and Adriana made for the tunnel route out of the building, Bobbie explaining it to Bram and Malone in a serious voice. Spider and I left the same way we entered, from the parking garage in his Ram truck. As he pulled out, he told me, “There’s little sense in spiriting you away, if you’re determined to stay on the hunt. Sooner or later, you’ll be tagged. Your condo is fairly secure. We might as well take advantage of that.”

“I plan to call the homicide detective on the case, Ted Wukowski, and set up a meeting at my place tonight. He needs to know about today’s developments.”

“Bart told me a little about him. Uh…he staying the night?”

“Maybe. It’s his call.”

“Ask him, Angie. I’ll feel better outside, knowing you’ve got backup inside. Once Bram gets a few more guys on the team, it won’t be an issue.”

“I can handle myself, you know.”

“Yeah, I got that. But we always work in pairs on a mission. Safer that way.”

I felt better, knowing that Spider thought of me as another team member and that he wasn’t applying special rules to me simply because I’m a woman. “Okay, I’ll ask him and I’ll let you know.”

When we got to my building, Spider escorted me upstairs and ran a check of the condo. “Be sure to let me know if Wukowski is staying tonight. I’d hate to get rousted for assaulting a cop,” he said as he headed out the door for an uncomfortable night in his truck. As far as I could tell, the only sleep he got in the last two days was in catnaps at Adriana’s hotel or on the street outside my unit. He didn’t look or act tired, though. Must be the training, I thought.

Chapter 22

I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.

—Ani DiFranco

I called Wukowski and told him there were developments I needed to share. Then I asked, “Are you available