Page 11 of Third Crime's A Charm
“Where will he keep the star? In a bank or the safe in his room?”
“The safe in his room.”
“Tell him you’ll be staying at the St. Regis too, so you’re just a few doors away while you’re working out the final details.”
“That will appeal to his paranoia. Herarelytravels because he’s afraid he’ll get assassinated or arrested and he’s scared to move the star because he doesn’t want to get caught with it. I’m the only person he’s ever shown it to but he’ll have it with him in case he needs to barter. It’s in a red velvet bag and if anyone asks he’ll say it was his mother’s and a sacred family heirloom passed down from his great grandmother. To anyone else, it would look like an old lady’s brooch and that most of its value is sentimental,” Truman explained and Matteo hummed in agreement.
“Lonsdale isn’t stupid. We’ll take it during the party or the morning after, before he leaves the hotel on Monday. We need to learn everything we can about the party, Lonsdale’s movements while he’s in Manhattan, and who he’ll be traveling with,” he whispered rapidly.
Truman was fascinated as he watched Matteo calculate. “He hates to fly and won’t risk security finding it so he’ll drive. It won’t be too difficult to get what you need. Give me a few days.”
“I’ll also need a notepad and whatever I can get on the hotel.”
“That should be easy enough but wait until we’ve got hard copies. Don’t do any internet searches for Lonsdale, the star, or the hotel while we’re here, in case there is an investigation,” Truman said and Matteo’s face twisted.
“What do you take me for?” he snapped. “Give me ten minutes while you’re making the reservation and have your minions get me whatever they can.”
“My apologies,” Truman said hastily. “I’m always thinking like an attorney. Is there anything else…I can give you?” he asked hesitantly. His fingers walked across the mattress between them and cautiously traced Matteo’s collarbone before his wrist was snatched. “Goodness, you’re very fast,” Truman noted.
“Thatisn’t happening and you’ve got a lot of nerve eventhinkingabout it.” Matteo pushed Truman’s hand away, then rolled onto his other side and yanked the duvet over his shoulder.
“I just thought that since we were both here and we already had and it had been so good…” Truman rambled and leaned away when Matteo swore and flopped onto his back.
“He is truly out of his mind!” he whispered loudly at the ceiling, his hands waving wildly. “It wasso goodand yet he allows his thugs to treat me like a common criminal. Worse than that! I was treated like trash!” he hissed and flailed.
He was adorable and Truman wanted to croon and cuddle Matteo into submission but his instincts warned that he’d be lighting a fuse. “You tried to rob me.”
“What does that have to do with it?” Matteo demanded but Truman could only stare, stuck as he tried to discern if it was a translation issue or if one of them was broken.
“What does…? You had sex with me and then you tried to rob me.”
“Right!” Matteo smacked his own forehead and muttered something in Italian. “The sex was personal, the diamonds were business.” He used his hands to illustrate the difference but Truman still wasn’t following.
“And I took it personally when you tried to take them,” he confirmed, making Matteo whisper a string of curses.
“Obviously! This happened!” He pointed at his face, then at Truman when he rolled his eyes. “Don’t you dare say it isn’t that bad. My whole life, this is all that has ever mattered and I’ve made it work for me. What if I was a painter and you’d broken my hand?”
“I have conceded that I made a tactical error but look at how well it’s working out. By the time we return to the city, we’ll be the hottest couple of the year.”
“My family is going to love that! We’re going to lie to them and then I’m going to let everyone down by dumping you as soon as this is through.”
“Too sooncould be suspicious but they’ll probably be relieved,” Truman predicted and Matteo snorted.
“Probably, but first I’ll have to convince them you’re decent because they’re going to have questions and I doubt they’ll be happy.”
That was all fair but it still stung. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. If we’re lucky they won’t notice until after the party and that can be part of the reason you break up with me.”
“It definitely will be.Wehave rules and we don’t play with people’s hearts or lie about who we love. We know how much that can cost us,” Matteo said, nodding at the ceiling. “Your intelligence about my family is sorely lacking if you think it’ll take that long for someone to notice. You were also misled if you think they won’t smell a scam. God help you when Muriel gets wind of this. If she hasn’t already.”
“She’s out of the country and it’s only been a few days,” Truman observed but even he knew better than to underestimate Muriel Hormsby. He did his best to avoid her whenever he was in town because she was so nosy and outspoken. She was also a friend of his mother’s so word would get back to Chicago if Truman stepped too far out of line. “We’ll cross that bridge when and if we get there,” he repeated, causing Matteo to chuckle sarcastically.
“I’ll let you worry aboutthatpotential hiccup. I’ve got a robbery to plan,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And we will never cross this bridge again.” He nodded at the space between them. “I have too much self-respect.”
“Come on!” Truman protested. “I admitted it was a tactical error. You don’t need to be petty. Sorry!” He patted Matteo’s shoulder and shushed. “I meant the implication that I’m not respectable. I workforcriminals but I’m a…mostly upstanding citizen.”
“Mostly upstanding.” Matteo rolled his eyes. “I would feel gross after the way you and yourcriminal associatestreated me. Upstanding citizens don’t do that, Truman.”
He loved the way Matteo pronounced his name. “Trooman.” It gave him goosebumps, even if Matteo was only using it because he was angry and being petty. “You sound like my mother,” he sighed, then frowned. “No, you don’t. Forget I even mentioned her.”
