Page 60 of Possessive Mafia Vows

“The spare?” She blinks several times, processing the question.

“Did your father have the spare key, Sienna?”

It’s all starting to come together inside my head; just a few pieces left to connect. Her father got caught cheating at the Wraith because he needed an alibi. He needed witnesses to prove that he was at the casino while the gallery was being ransacked, and what better proof than being held in the private lounge by the owner? Demanding Sienna’s presence was the finishing touch, a foolproof way to ensure that the gallery was empty.

“I don’t know.” Fresh tears spill over her bottom lashes as she peers around at the destruction.

“Do you know where your father is now?” The cop scribbles on her notepad.

Sienna’s expression is blank, so I answer instead. “He’s at the Wraith. He’s currently being held by my head of security.”

“And can you tell me what time he arrived?”

“I can get the time from our CCTV cameras.”

I know where this is going, and I don’t want the NYPD to discount the man without at least considering the circumstances.

“Sienna’s father got caught cheating in the casino. I was dealing with the situation in-house, and he demanded to see Sienna. If he hadn’t, if I hadn’t called her and asked her to come to the Wraith, she’d have still been here.”

“But he has an alibi for the time of the break-in,” she reiterates.

“Yes, but it’s all a little too convenient, don’t you think?” I maintain eye contact, waiting for a hint of recognition that what I’m saying makes sense and that she’ll follow it up. “He coordinates the perfect alibi while an accomplice breaks into the gallery.”

She addresses Sienna. “Can you think of a reason why your father would want to do this to you?”

“No.” It’s obvious that Sienna is holding back tears, and my heart cracks open for her. “I hadn’t seen him in twenty years. He said he wanted to make things better.”

“And do you believe him?” The woman’s voice has softened just a little.

“No.” Sniff. “I don’t know.” Sienna snatches her hand away from me and covers her face with both palms. “It’s all … just wrong. I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.”

Her shoulders shudder as she finally succumbs to the sobs that she has been trying to contain.

“Sienna…” I fold her into my embrace and stroke her hair while she lets it all out. “I’ll make it all better. I promise I’ll find out who did this, and I’ll make it all better.”

“How?” She pulls away and stares at me, damp-cheeked, and teary-eyed. “How can you make it better? I can’t reproduce those pictures. They’ll never be the same because I’m not the same person I was when I put my heart and soul into painting them.”

“I know.” I’m finding it hard to swallow. “I know, Sienna, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you start over.”

“I just got a commission.” She shakes her head, talking out loud. “What about all the money I owe Caleb?”

The officer’s ears keen at this. “Who is Caleb? Can I ask how much money you owe him?”

“Caleb is my brother.” My shoulders slump with the increasing enormity of what it will take for Sienna to start over again. “He’s the investor behind the gallery.”

“How much money do you owe Caleb, Sienna?” she presses.

“I don’t know exactly.” Sienna dabs under her eyes with the back of her hand. “A lot.”

“And is he putting pressure on you to repay him?”

“No.” Sienna shakes her head vehemently. “It’s not like that.”

“What is it like?”

I know the cops have a job to do, but while she’s standing here asking questions about money, the perpetrator is out there somewhere and probably feeling zero remorse for having destroyed a young woman’s life work.

“My brother is married to Sienna’s best friend.” I step in. “He doesn’t want or expect Sienna to pay back the money he put into the gallery.”

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