Page 5 of Third Crime's A Charm
“Oh, well…” Neville blushed and scrubbed the scruff on his jaw as he floundered. “I wouldn’t know about any of that, sir.”
“Nor should you,” Truman said with a dismissive wave, his focus still on the screen over the fireplace’s mantle.
“What do you want to do with him? I told him he was free to go but he says he’ll wait.”
A calculating smile spread across Truman’s face. “He knows we’ve got him. Let him stew for a while. I want to knoweverythingabout Matteo von Hessen before I present my offer.”
“Very well, sir. I’ll see if our guys have found anything yet.”
With that, Neville took himself off, leaving Truman alone with his thoughts and his regrets. Neville and Carmine had been a little rough with Matteo, but there were consequences when you fucked with Truman Tennyson.
And the consequences were steep when you fucked Truman Tennyson and tried to steal from him while he was sleeping.
Truman had told them to be rough and that Matteo was particular about his face. He wanted to teach Matteo a lesson but Truman warned them not to do more than bust up an eye or a lip. They had been appropriately measured in their response and Truman was assured that Matteo had suffered little more than a few bruised ribs, a fat lip, and a black eye.
Matteo wouldn’t be pleased with him but Truman was delighted to have found his burglar. He had an extremely sensitive and complex job that required a highly skilled professional who could move within the same circles as Truman and his clients. Not only was Matteo skilled and the season’s most interesting bachelor, he was an Austrian royal.
Who better to steal an infamous Austrian treasure?
A Chicago boy until the day he died, Truman had viewed his exile to New York as a punishment. He had fooled around with a hitman’s ex-husband and made a dangerous enemy so it was strongly suggested that Truman spend more time with his practice in Manhattan. But within a matter of days, Truman saw that he had been handed a gift.
There were whispers about missing brooches and bracelets, lost watches, and disappearing rings. Many people suspected that there was a pickpocket amongst them but no one wanted to admit that something untoward had happened at their partyor that one of their guests was a thief. And most of the victims wouldn’t be caught dead talking to the police. It would be gauche to discuss the value of their jewels and many of the items stolen weren’t the sort of thing one wanted to admit to owning, due to various tax or provenance issues.
Truman quickly realized that he was searching for a mastermind and carefully laid a trap. First, he quietly gathered guest lists for all the parties where thefts had occurred. He was left with a dozen names that had attended all the parties that were targeted. A direct invitation would be suspicious so Truman cultivated connections among shared acquaintances, building a network of associates around each of his suspects.
Thosefriends were invited and Truman made them aware that the diamonds would be in his safe, providing the perfect bait for his burglar. With the trap set, all Truman had to do was wait for his prey to make his move, then pounce. He hadn’t counted on Matteo von Hessen being his prey, though, and Truman was the one who was captivated.
All of the von Hessens were rumored to be incredibly handsome and Truman had heard that Matteo was “the beautiful one.” But Truman couldn’t take his eyes off of Matteo from the moment he arrived. The chatter in the room had dropped and everyone craned their necks to get a look as Matteo waded into the crowd that had gathered in the townhouse’s parlor level and side terrace. Truman had been holding court by the bar and kept a close watch on Matteo as he made his way around the room.
That was the only reason Truman had been able to catch him. It happened so quickly, Truman would have believed Cynthia Portman’s emerald bracelet had simply vanished if he hadn’t seen it slide off and behind the lapel of Matteo’s coat for himself. Having known an array of criminals—from low-level street hustlers to highly sophisticated serial killers—Truman waslegitimately impressed by Matteo’s elegance and finesse and astounded at his intelligence.
He was a cunning and meticulous criminal and he operated right under his victims’ noses, nearly in plain sight. After watching him work, Truman didn’t just want to collaborate with Matteo, he wanted to make Matteohis.The matter quickly escalated into obsession when Truman introduced himself and they shook hands.
One electric touch was enough to hold Truman’s fickle attention. Instead of trapping and hiring Matteo, Truman set out to seduce and claim him. He had hoped that Matteo would change his mind and stay in bed, instead of tiptoeing around like a thief in the night. Truman would have come clean and shared his plan over breakfast but Matteo chose to go through with his mission to rob Truman.
“It really is a shame… We could have made a beautiful team.”
They could still be partners in the criminal sense so Truman spent the next several hours learning everything he could about Matteo von Hessen and his brothers. It was evening when Truman made his way up to a guest room on the fifth floor and knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Matteo called and was scowling over a magazine when Truman strolled into the room. “The service in the establishment stinks,” he said, tossing the magazine on the bed as he sat up. “Look at what they’ve done to my face.” He pointed at it, his nostrils flaring as he stared up at Truman.
“Such a shame…” Truman clicked his teeth as he traced Matteo’s cheek. “Do you know what usually happens to people who steal from me?” he asked and Matteo pulled his face away.
“Go ahead, tell my brother and call the police. They’ll banish me to a pretty little castle in Austria and order me to think long and hard about what I’ve done.” He pulled a face, laughing. “Please don’t!”
“We both know you’re bluffing. Theonlything you’re afraid of is disappointing Leo and Theo,” Truman said and gasped when Matteo’s smile vanished and his hands curled into fists. “There’s your weakness! I thought it might be money. That business about the challenges and improbability of communism and settling for socialism was a smokescreen.” He tossed the emerald bracelet, watches, and a strand of pearls on the bed. “We can’t figure out what you’re doing with all the money but I’m estimating at least half a million this year. You’re an expensive man to buy but I know I can break you with your brothers.”
“Why the fuck would you—?” Matteo went to dive at Truman but the bedroom and bathroom doors burst open and Neville’s and Carmine’s pistols were aimed at him. “Alright! Let’s relax!” Matteo said as he fell back against the pillows. He crossed his ankles and folded his arms behind his head. “I’m relaxed, now get the fuck out.”
Truman gave them a nod, smiling at Matteo as they closed the doors behind them. “I prefer you relaxed and I’d rather you were a willing partner.”
“As opposed to blackmailing me or holding me hostage?” Matteo countered but Truman shushed him.
“Those are very ugly words and entirely unnecessary, I think, once you’ve heard my proposal.”
Matteo’s brows jumped. “What kind of proposal?”
“I have an important job and I need someone with your exact skill set.”
