Page 80 of The Lies We Tell

“Of course. I’m just as eager as you are to find out who did this.”

“I’ve spoken with a few of your associates. A man by the name of Roarke Kennedy who said he was a silent partner.”

Matteo shook his head and bit off a wry chuckle. “Yes. We’ve worked together for years.”

“He provided all the paperwork I need, and everything seems to check out. We have some preliminary thoughts on what happened, but I guess my big question for you is, do you know anyone who would do something like this to you? Any enemies, deals gone bad, disgruntled ex-employees. Things like that.”

Shifting in his chair, Matteo leaned closer to the phone and wondered how much he might be able to get Mertens to divulge without being obvious about it.

“I suppose one is bound to make enemies at some point. But no one comes immediately to mind,” he lied. “I’ve been trying to rack my brain on who in Sicily might want to hurt me like this, but I can’t think of anyone.”

“You think it might be someone local to you?”

The surprise was evident in the man’s tone, and Matteo sat up straighter. “You don’t think so?”

There was rustling on the other end of the line. “Does the name Clyde Stewart mean anything to you?”

Instantly Matteo snatched his phone off the desk and sent Maeve a text asking her to listen in. He waited for the click that signaled her engaging the second line before speaking again.

“I sort of know a Clyde Stewart. We socialized in the same circles when I lived in Dublin for a few years.”

“We have pretty solid evidence suggesting he’s been casing the airport for a few weeks now. But nothing more concrete that would allow us to charge him with anything.”

“I can’t imagine what he would stand to gain from this.”

That was a lie. Matteo could list three motives Stewart might have off the top of his head. And it wasn’t trouble for him so much as the Quinns.

“Rest assured we’re looking into this, and as soon as we know more, we’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your hard work on this.”

As soon as the call disconnected, his office door flew open so hard it bounced off the wall. “That son of a bitch! What the hell kind of game does Stewart think he’s playing at?”

“He was pretty sour over the fact we cut him out of the last agreement.”

“We cut him out because he was skimming off the top. Grandda isn’t going to like this one bit.”

“But you’re going to enjoy telling him.”

Maeve grinned, propping her hands on her hips. “Clyde Stewart and his smarmy sons have had it coming for a long time. Now they’re going to finally get it, and I can’t wait. You know what this really means, though.”

“The Quinns are about to go on a rampage through Scotland?”

“Well, yes. They are that. But I meant about Tessa.”

That dull ache whenever he thought about her seated itself back in his chest, and Matteo sat back in his chair with a huff. It was time he stopped avoiding the issue and actually spoke to her. See what she had to say for herself and if he could tell the lies from the truth this time.

“I’ll speak to her tonight.”

“Good,” Maeve said with a decisive nod. “You should’ve done that two days ago.”

Matteo’s snarled response was cut short when Maeve disappeared from the doorway to answer the ringing phone. Everyone was a fucking critic. They wouldn’t have to worry, though. Once he did whatever he ended up doing with Tessa, he would never let anyone get close enough to make him vulnerable to this kind of mistake ever again.

He would make the Mafia his sole focus. Eventually he’d arrange a marriage for himself, produce a couple of heirs. But he had time before he would be forced to do any of that. Time to close himself off the rest of the way and get Sicily and the Bianchi Corporation on its feet.

“Tessa’s gone.”

He glanced up at Maeve’s wide eyes. “What do you mean, gone? Where the hell could she go?”

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