Mary McBride – Romancing the Crown: Nina & Dominic: A Royal Murder (страница 2)

“Thank you, Your Grace,” she mumbled, obviously a little taken aback and unsure what else she should say.

She made a perfect curtsy, however. Her mother must have taught her court manners, Ryan decided.

Ryan managed a nod, his version of a bow, in Lorenzo’s direction.

Americans generally had problems kowtowing, and Ryan admitted he was the rule rather than the exception. Also, he knew the duke well enough to know when Lorenzo was putting on airs. Ryan had seen him in his shirtsleeves, smoking cigars and dealing cards across the table.

Not that Lorenzo even noticed Ryan’s nod. He was too busy taking Nina Caruso’s measure.

“I am so sorry to have missed your arrival at the palace,” Lorenzo said graciously. “The king has explained your mission to me.”

He then addressed Ryan. “And Pavelli just informed me of your objection. I should reiterate that our Nina’s participation in the investigation is not simply a request. It is her right as a sister, I believe.”

“I see,” Ryan said, tasting dry defeat. “Her right? Some new custom I’m not aware of?”

“Precisely,” Lorenzo affirmed. “There will be no problem accommodating her in this endeavor?” Though phrased as a question, Ryan knew very well it wasn’t.

He shrugged. “Probably, but I guess I’ll work around it if I have to.” His continued employment might be contingent on doing that, and this job was everything to him right now.

Work was his life. It was all he had left, and damned if he planned to junk it over something like this. He’d just have to invent some busywork to keep the woman out of his way while he was doing what had to be done.

“Excellent.” Lorenzo offered his hand and firmly shook Ryan’s, then smiled in Nina Caruso’s direction. “I shall tell the king that all systems are go. A space term for launching success, yes?” He raised an eyebrow at Ryan.

“Yes. Just before blastoff. Then everybody prays there’s no malfunction,” Ryan said wryly.

“As we all shall do. Grazie.”

Grazie for nothing, Ryan thought. He liked to think this was his investigation. The king had brought him in on it, but there wasn’t much doubt it had been Lorenzo’s idea to do so. And no doubt at all that Lorenzo was running the show. Ryan needed to know. “Shouldn’t we put all our cards on the table now. Decide who does what?”

The duke shrugged. “I provide you whatever access you need. You and your people follow through. Keep me up to date.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan agreed. It would simplify matters not to have to plow through the usual red tape involving court orders and search warrants. “I’ll be in touch.”

Lorenzo nodded, started to leave, then turned at the door. “When things settle a bit, we should arrange for another game. It has been a while.”

“Any time,” Ryan said, recalling the night at Pete’s not long ago when he had beat the royal socks off Prince Lucas, his chauffeur and Lorenzo. A strange, if rewarding, experience.

Ryan was usually up for a card game. And the winnings were nice, but he also gleaned information from those get togethers that sometimes proved valuable. He smiled at the thought.

“I shall leave you both to it then,” Lorenzo said and exited as swiftly as he had entered.

The determined look on Nina Caruso’s face instantly sobered Ryan’s smile, as did the prospect of stumbling over a family member of the victim while he concentrated on finding a murderer. Lorenzo would stay out of his way and allow him to do what he’d been hired to do, but it was clear this woman wouldn’t. Not when she had royal sanction to interfere.

“So, do I need to ask again for your consent in this?” she asked.

“Nope. Not necessary,” Ryan said. “It’s all in the way you put the question, I guess. A duke for backup definitely helped.”

This was Ryan’s first homicide in nearly a year. How was he supposed to give it his undivided attention and baby-sit at the same time? Nina Caruso was going to be trouble with a capital T, he just knew it.

In the first place, she was highly distracting. In the second place… she was highly distracting.

“You’re not going to be one of those condescending types, are you?” she asked as she rounded his desk, picked up her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder. “You should know, I loathe being patronized in any way.”

“Why, no, ma’am, I wouldn’t dream of it,” he assured her, sounding as superciliously indulgent as he possibly could. And as Southern as anybody from Savannah, Georgia, ever had.

The phone rang. “Would you excuse me a moment, please?” he asked her, looking meaningfully at the door.

Reluctantly she nodded and stepped just outside and closed it as Ryan answered, “McDonough.”

“My, but you do sound put upon, my friend.” It was Lorenzo again, obviously calling from his cell phone.

“That’s only because I am,” Ryan said conversationally, then added the requisite, “Your Grace.”

Lorenzo continued, speaking swiftly and much more seriously, “I had hoped to arrive before she did, but I was delayed. There was no time to arrange another audience with the king so that he could make you aware of the situation. He sent me to inform you that Nina Caruso is to be closely watched and that he wishes you to do this personally. Her motive for coming here bears careful scrutiny.”

“Why is that? Her brother’s dead and she’s come to find out what happened. Isn’t that motive enough?”

Lorenzo issued a little hum of suspicion. “So she told the reporters at the airport when she arrived this morning.”

“Reporters?” Ryan asked.

“TV-news team and the usual print hounds. She must have notified them herself. How else would they have known she was coming?”

Ryan shook his head. “Not necessarily. You know the papers keep a file on all you royals and everybody associated with you. Once word got out that Desmond had been killed, they would have started calling his family to get a reaction. If they found out where Nina worked, anybody in her office could have told them she was on her way over here. Especially if the caller represented himself as a friend who was worried about her, or used some ruse like that. The paparazzi are experts at that kind of thing. They’d have been lying in wait when she got off the plane.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Good point. But still supposition.” “You think she had prior knowledge, maybe conspired to have Desmond killed?” Ryan asked.

“Possibly. Find out and keep an eye on her while you do. A very close eye, my friend.”

“Count on it.”

So Nina Caruso was a suspect. Her motive for coming might be to insinuate herself into the royal family, play on their loyalty and gain their sympathy and acceptance by showing her grief. However, it was also possible that she was the one who had arranged Desmond’s murder and planned to cash in on his death. No doubt there was an inheritance of some kind.

He couldn’t deny she bore watching. Ryan just wished he wasn’t the one directed to do it.

Since he had no choice, he assured Lorenzo he understood and would comply. Then he went to join Ms. Caruso in the outer office.

“So, we are to be partners,” Ryan said, but he did so pleasantly, as if perfectly resigned to the situation.

She yanked the outer door open and stood aside for him to exit. “I’ll pull my weight,” she announced, her classic features set with fierce determination. “You’ll see.”

“Of course you will,” he answered idly. As if any cop in his right mind would actually allow a civilian and family member to take part in a murder case. And he was still a cop at heart.

Pavelli was waiting for them outside. “Ms. Caruso’s bags are in the boot,” he told Ryan. “If you like, Marcello and the car are at your disposal today.

Ryan accepted the offer, gesturing grandly toward the long black beast as if he owned it. “Your carriage awaits.”

She climbed into the limo and settled back against the butter-soft leather. Pavelli got in front with the driver as Ryan joined Nina Caruso in the back. He was glad to see that the glass partition was closed. It gave them privacy.

Ryan looked at her and imagined he saw her chin tremble. Had to be a trick of light. Nevertheless, he was prompted by it to ask, “Why are you really so intent on doing this, Ms. Caruso?”

She met his gaze with one just as intent as his. “Because Desmond was my brother.”

“He was Duke Lorenzo’s brother, too, and the duke trusts me to handle this.”

She granted him a short nod. “That may be, but I still want to be involved.”

“I can understand if you came over for the funeral, but why horn in on my duties? You don’t know a thing about investigations.” Then it occurred to him that she might. “Do you? Are you a cop or something?”

“No, I’m a graphic designer.”

Ryan snorted, not knowing—or caring much—what that entailed. He knew it didn’t have a damned thing to do with detective work.

“I have an excellent eye for detail,” she assured him, chafing her arms with her palms as if she were cold. “To tell the truth, I have to do something. Can’t you understand that? I have to do something for Desmond.”

“You and your brother must have been very close,” he said.

“Yes, of course.” Then she added, “But he’s been away a long time. Since he was twenty.” The admission cost her, he thought. She didn’t like confiding anything about herself, but it was his business to pry out secrets. And he was curious.