Always Watching Read Free Page B

if I didn’t think
it was a last resort.  The last thing I want is for you to
feel like we’re trying to drag you back into the fray, but honey
–”
    “ I know this family and
how they operate better than anyone.  Tell me what you
need.”
    “ Could you go with Devlin
over to the office and take a look at the evidence?  If Sully
is reaching out right now, we need to know it.  I would
imagine that your former brethren back east would want to know that
information as well.”
    “ Of course I’ll do it,
Johnny.  I think Zack is taking the threat seriously
too.  We talked about a protective detail for Celeste while
the police get to the bottom of this mess.”
    “ Well, Datello’s lawyer
doesn’t want the locals looking into it,” he said.  “He wants
the state police on the job.  I’m pretty sure that’s an
indictment against Darkwater Bay PD, but considering that I run
that particular branch, and Devlin is one of my detectives now, I’m
not so sure that’s the driving force behind Stefano’s decision to
keep Darkwater Bay out of the loop.”
    “ I’ll go find Devlin and
we’ll head over to your office right away.”
    “ I’m not gonna ask you to
sign some sort of employment arrangement, Helen.  I know
that’s not what you want.  But …”
    “ If you need me helping,
I’ll do more than review whatever these threats are, Johnny. 
I’ll be your eyes and ears until you can come home.”
    “ You understand
then.”
    “ That Joe Collangelo
better have a damn good reason to drag you away from such an
important case right now?  Yeah, I understand.  Don’t
worry.  I’ll tell you what we’re doing every step of the
way.”
    “ Any gut instincts after
hearing what Stefano had to say in court this morning?”
    “ Not really, Johnny. 
It’s always hard to gauge what’s real with men like Datello and
what’s a ploy to gain sympathy.  We were just talking about
how it wouldn’t be unlike him to be the threat to his wife, a
threat he would full well act on if he thought it might help him in
some way.”
    “ I’m not so sure about
that.  You weren’t around when he fell for his wife. 
She’s very young, you know.  And Datello… well, let’s just say
that the way he behaves where Celeste is concerned is pretty
antithetical to what we’ve come to expect from him over the
years.  Also, this pregnancy, don’t underestimate the impact
it had on his motivation to cover up the original crime in the
first place.”
    “ Hmm,” I wasn’t
convinced.  Men like Johnny Orion might be tempted to read
something chivalrous into the behavior of men claiming love. 
I knew better.  I was once the new bride that one of them
pretended to adore.  In the end, it was a steaming heap of
bullshit.
    “ Keep an open mind,
please.”
    “ I’ll try,” I said. 
“But I won’t be so open that my brain falls out.  I don’t
trust Datello, and I will never forget that these men will throw
wives under the bus in a heartbeat if it means saving their own
asses.”
    “ Call me later,” Johnny
said.  “I don’t want to pester you while you’re reviewing
information.”
    “ Since when?” I
chuckled.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    I rubbed my eyes and listened carefully to
the audio recording submitted by Carlos Stefano for the dozenth
time.  “I can’t hear it.”
    “ Right there,” Dev
said.  “Hear it?”
    Crevan tapped the eraser head of his pencil
on the table in the conference room.  “I’m with Helen on this
one, Devlin.  I don’t hear a thing.”
    “ Then let’s take it down
to tech and have them pull the background noise up so you two deaf
–”
    “ I’m deaf?” Crevan
chuckled.  “You’re the dude that listens to heavy metal. 
For all we know, your ears are ringing.”
    “ I’m telling you. 
You can hear the sound of a ship’s horn blowing in the distance in
the background.”
    “ And I’m telling you, even
if the sound is there,