Fatal Cover-Up

by Lisa Harris

  The man hesitated, studying the badge. “And you’re with the FBI?”

  “Yes. I need to catch up with that boat. Please.”

  “Get in.” The man nodded, then switched on the outboard motor as Joe pointed in the direction the other boat had gone. “I always wanted to join my country’s secret service and become an agent. All the action, covert ops, shootouts with the bad guys, women…”

  Joe frowned, wishing he’d hurry. “Not everything you see on television is true.”

  The reality was that ninety percent of what he did revolved around paperwork, not chasing bad guys and getting in shootouts. Though those statistics had just been shattered over the past few of days. He’d been shot, and now someone he’d promised to protect had just been taken from him.

  “Can you hurry? Please. Around that next corner. They’re getting away.”

  “Which boat was she in?”

  “The small, flat-bottomed boat with the white awning. Six or seven meters long with an outboard motor.”

  “We call those a topetta. You can rent them, and even maneuver the lagoons without a guide, which might be smart if you wanted to go undetected.”

  “There it is.”

  “I see it, and I’m going as fast as I can, but the traffic’s pretty controlled. There actually are speed limits out here.”

  Joe stared straight ahead, keeping his focus on the boat they were following. Since they weren’t going to be able to track it via GPS, they were going to have to make sure they didn’t lose it.

  “What happened to your arm?” the man said.

  Joe looked down at his wound. The man asked too many questions. But a patch of blood had soaked through part of the bandage. The sun beat down on him, causing perspiration to pool around his neck.

  “I was shot.”

  “Seriously?” he asked, sounding as if there had been some kind of trophy involved. His driver turned onto the next channel. “So have you ever shot anyone?”

  Joe ignored the question. Kept his eyes straight ahead. It had to be Anna who’d shot him. And now Anna had taken Talia. Did she really think she could simply grab Talia and vanish? But Talia had been right about her assessment. Anna was running scared, trapped with few options, if she wanted to get her hands on the paintings.

  “Can you still see her?” Joe asked.

  He searched the narrow canal as they turned the corner. Buildings rose up beside them from the murky waters, with their exposed brick walls and green moss along the water line. Arched doorways, old bridges with wrought-iron rails, a row of gondolas dipped on the water line… But he could only focus on one thing. Talia. And if he lost her now he’d never forgive himself.

  He caught sight of the next boat a hundred feet ahead at the next turn.

  “Go left,” he ordered.

  “I see her. Who is she? A girlfriend…your wife?”

  “She’s—she’s just a friend.”

  Crazy how a couple days ago, Talia hadn’t even been that. She’d been nothing more than a complete stranger. Someone he’d approached because he had an alternative agenda. He wanted to find his brother’s killer, and she happened to be his one lead to do just that. And yet now…no matter how many times he told himself not to get involved—that this was just another case—he couldn’t stop thinking about her. And now he’d somehow let her slip away and let that woman grab her.

  She’d felt guilt over Marco’s death. Now he was feeling the same. Because somehow over the course of the past few days, anything he’d felt had only deepened. She’d somehow managed to walk into his life and turned it on end. She’d made him smile, made him laugh and made him want to protect her from everything that was going on around them. Made him want to take a chance at falling in love again.

  If he was given that chance again.

  “How do you know her?” the other man asked.

  “It’s a long story, and confidential,” Joe added to keep the man off his back.

  “So, what…if you told me you’d have to kill me?” The man laughed at his own lame joke.

  “Something like that.”

  “I’m Silvio Gabriello, by the way.”

  “Agent Joe Bryant.”

  Joe stood up in the boat, searching as far as he could see, but with the heavy boat traffic, it was becoming harder to keep up.

  “Do you see the boat?” He glanced down a narrow canal, where Anna could have pulled off if she thought she was being followed. There were dozens of the small veins of water. Dozens of places where she could dock and escape.

  “Wait a minute… I see it now,” Silvio said. “They’re just ahead of that second vaporetto.”

  Joe moved to the other side of the boat. Bingo.

  He glanced at his pilot. “We can’t lose them again.”

  If Anna hadn’t found the paintings then where would she go? She couldn’t go back to the crime scene. The police would already have blocked off the Morello house. Which meant if the paintings were still there, getting access would be next to impossible.

  “Where do you think she’s going?” Joe asked.

  “My guess is that they’re heading toward one of the smaller, underpopulated islands. Which would be smart if you wanted to disappear, though I suppose it would be hard not to stand out. Especially if you didn’t speak Italian. And on top of that there aren’t many hotels to hole up in. You mainly have fishermen who are out at night, then take their catch to the wholesale fish market.”

  “Stay back, then. Close enough to where we can see where they’re going, but far enough back that she won’t notice us.”

  Silvio nodded and moved into position, keeping a larger cargo boat between them.

  “A bunch of friends and I sometimes hang out on one of the other islands. There are local bars and pizzerias, gardens, antique markets and vineyards. Most of them you won’t find many tourists. Especially on San Michele.”

  “Why is that?”

  “It’s been the city’s cemetery for over two hundred years. The only thing you’ll find there are churches and long rows of tombs. So unless you have an interest for wandering around endless sections of graves with photos of the deceased in their Sunday best, there’s not much reason to go there. Though in November, there is a pilgrimage to these graves every year to lay flowers—”

  “Fascinating,” Joe interrupted, not interested in his commentary. “Do you carry a weapon?”

  “Yeah, I have a gun. Do you think you’re going to need one?”

  “It’s possible, though I’m surprised you have one. I understand that private gun ownership isn’t guaranteed in Italy by law.”

  “It’s not. But I transport goods on the islands. And sometimes the things I transport are pretty pricy. It’s all on the up-and-up and legal.”

  “That’s good, because I can assure you that the woman we’re after isn’t following the law.”

  “What has she done?”

  “Killed at least two people. And now kidnapped a third.”

  Silvio’s face paled. “Why?”

  “She wants something worth a couple million dollars.”

  “Don’t you think we should call the police?”

  “We don’t exactly have time, and I’m not willing to spook her.”

  Silvio pulled a handgun out of a locked box. “So what am I supposed to do?”

  “You said you wanted to be an agent,” Joe said, hoping he didn’t regret his decision. “You’re now my backup.”

  “Ahh…like Crockett and Tubbs.”

  “Who?”

  “Didn’t you ever watch Miami Vice?” Silvio asked, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “Two undercover cops trying to stop the drug trade… I watch a lot of American reruns.”

  Joe frowned. “Just try not to actually shoot anyone.”

  FIFTEEN

  Talia opened her eyes, then squinted into the bright sun. She was hot, her temples were pounding and her hands tied behind her back. She glanced around her as snippets of memories surfaced. Joe had
gone to get her something to drink, then someone had grabbed her. She remembered the boat. Remembered being hit with a gun.

  Anna.

  She turned toward the helm. The woman she’d once trusted was steering the boat into the open waters. Away from Venice. Away from Joe.

  “Did you kill Thomas?” Talia asked, loud enough to ensure she heard her over the strong winds.

  Anna glanced back at her. “You’re finally awake.”

  “Did you kill him?” she repeated.

  “You want answers? Here’s one. I honestly never set out to hurt Thomas.”

  Talia frowned. Intentions held no meaning at this point. “Tell me what happened that night. You at least owe me that.”

  Anna shrugged. “I don’t owe you anything.”

  “If you killed my husband, you owe me the truth about his death.”

  “You always did ask too many questions.” Anna pulled back her wind-blown hair and tied it up with a band. “The truth is that I had too many credit card bills. Student-loan overdue notices. Medical bills from my mother’s illness. Thousands and thousands of dollars. So I started stealing evidence collected during raids. It was easier than you’d think. It started with a pile of cash tucked in a drawer. No one noticed. I had a few contacts on the side, where I could quickly get rid of the drugs. Eventually I stumbled across the paintings. I knew some cartel members used art as collateral, so I knew I’d hit the jackpot.”

  There were more questions Talia wanted to ask. Had Thomas been involved? Had Anna been the one who’d pulled the trigger and ended his life? But instead she held her tongue and simply listened.

  “Then that night—that night Thomas caught me. I didn’t have time to think things through. Not with the rest of the team searching the other half of the house. So I shot him.”

  “So was Thomas involved in the thefts or did you set him up?”

  “Does it really matter anymore? The money was good, but the paintings were going to be my way out. Then somehow in the chaos of that night, they went missing.”

  Talia stared at the horizon. They were approaching one of the outlying islands. “You’re not answering my questions about Thomas. Did Thomas know what you were doing? Was he involved in the thefts?”

  Anna hesitated before answering. “No. He had no idea what I was doing.”

  Talia tried to stop the swell of emotions. All this time she’d thought he’d betrayed her. “Why kill him?”

  “Because Thomas was always so…black and white. He thought he could save the world. And when he found out what I was doing, he thought he could save me. The problem is I’m not exactly worth saving. So framing him became easier than giving myself up. I made sure that the case was quickly buried, and it managed to stay that way until your FBI friend decided to open it up again. I knew the truth was going to come out eventually, so I made a plan to disappear.”

  “But in order to leave the country, you needed the money from the paintings.”

  “I told you I never planned to hurt Thomas, but that night, when he discovered what I was doing… I didn’t have a choice.”

  “You always had a choice.”

  The jagged pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together. Had she really been so wrong about Thomas? She’d believed he was guilty. That her own taste in men was skewed because she hadn’t seen the truth. And yet he’d actually been the honorable man she’d once believed him to be, and had died trying to help his partner. Talia stared out at the water. If she died, no one would ever know that truth. Because she knew Anna had no intention of letting her go once this was over. Which was why giving up wasn’t an option.

  “Why did you kill his brother?” she asked, searching for more answers.

  “Thomas’s brother was another unfortunate accident.” Anna kept talking as if she hadn’t heard what Talia had said. “For him, anyway. If he would have just told me where the paintings were, I wouldn’t have had to hurt him.”

  Instead, she’d killed him.

  Talia shifted in her seat, then winced as the plastic restraints gouged into her wrists. “Why now, after all these years? What made you start looking for them again?”

  “For months after Thomas’s death I tried tracking them down. You had signed off for the paintings in part of Thomas’s things, so I searched your house and looked into everyone who’d been involved in the chain of evidence. But I still couldn’t find them anywhere. I figured someone had made a mistake, or they’d been snatched along the way. So even though I kept looking, I never found them. Then your FBI agent made the connection between the gun and the drug dealers and the paintings, and I figured I was being given another chance.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “I believe your in-laws know where they are. And you’re my leverage.”

  “And after you get what you want, then what? You’re planning to kill me as well?”

  “Well, I can’t exactly leave a witness, now can I?” She chuckled as they approached one of the islands. “I know what you’re thinking. That your FBI agent will come to your rescue. But he won’t. Not this time.”

  Talia watched one of the hundred plus islands came into view ahead of them. Most tourists never saw the series of islands that were scattered across the lagoon away from the historic center of Venice. She’d toured them once with a few friends, and while she’d always love the city of Venice, the outlining islands were full of traditional Venetian culture in the making for hundreds of years. They were full of fishing boats, vineyards and cathedrals. Museums and tucked-away hotels and restaurants. All without the throng of tourists clogging up the waterways.

  Which was more than likely why Anna was bringing her here.

  “Where are we going?” Talia asked, refusing to give in to the panic trying to edge its way through her.

  “A little place where we can hole up for a few days. Isolated enough that you won’t give me any trouble. Close enough to the main islands that I can finish what I need to.”

  “And you think your plan will work?”

  “Enough of your questions. And don’t forget the rules. Don’t even try to get the attention of any of the other boats.”

  Talia glanced behind them. There was another larger boat coming up behind them on their starboard side, along with a few scattered smaller boats. But none of them were coming to her rescue. Joe would have no idea where she was. No idea how to rescue her. Which meant she was on her own this time. And was why she had to come up with a plan.

  *

  Joe’s muscles tensed as Silvio maneuvered his boat toward an empty space along the dock of one of Venice’s outlying islands. He crouched on the bow, making sure to stay hidden behind the larger craft bobbing in the water between their boat and the craft Anna was just now docking. But as far as he could tell, Anna had no idea he was less than ten yards away. He caught a glimpse of Talia before they slid into the dock. She was sitting beneath the canopy, and looked as if her hands were secured behind her.

  Anna started tying the line to the mooring pole. Joe nodded at Silvio, praying their impromptu plan worked. Silvio jumped onto the dock, carrying with him a map of the area, then quickly approached Anna’s boat.

  “Excuse me… Sorry to bother you.” Silvio pulled open his map and started talking to Anna. “I’m a bit lost. I thought this was Sant’Erasmo, but now that I’ve docked, I’m not so sure.”

  Joe quickly jumped onto the larger cargo boat beside them, then made his way around the stern, to where Anna was holding Talia.

  “I think you’re on the wrong island,” Anna said. “But I’m just sightseeing, as well. I suggest you speak with one of the locals.”

  She started to turn back, but Silvio kept talking. “I’m visiting from down south. I’ve heard they grow the most incredible produce here—asparagus, purple artichokes. But now in looking at this map, I’m not sure.” He flipped the map upside down.

  “I said I can’t help you,” Anna said, raising her voice. “I’m sorry.”

  Time wa
s running out. He was going to have to make his move. The boat rocked beneath Joe as he stepped onto the small, flat-bottomed topetta. Talia turned to him, eyes wide with surprise as he moved past her. He motioned at her to stay quiet, then quickly moved along the edge of the boat, to where Anna stood. She had a small handgun in a holster at the small of her back.

  He came at her from behind, taking her by surprise. With one fluid motion, he disarmed her before tossing the weapon into the water.

  “Two can play the same game,” he said, twisting her arm behind her to restrain her.

  But Anna wasn’t going down without a fight. She turned sharply and jammed her elbow into his injured arm. He took a step back, trying not to give in to the excruciating pain that shot through his body.

  Talia rushed toward Anna to stop her, but constricted by her bound hands, she couldn’t avoid Anna’s disarming punch to the side of her face. Joe came back at her. This time he anticipated her next move and struck back. Anna landed with her face down on the deck and Joe’s foot firmly planted against her back.

  “Joe!”

  Joe turned as Talia lost her balance and the momentum swung her over the edge of the boat and into the water. She hit the murky water headfirst.

  “Keep your gun aimed on this woman,” Joe shouted at Silvio, then jumped into the water after Talia.

  He had no idea where she was. All he could see were particles of dirt floating around him. He started praying again as he searched the water. His eyes burned. His arm throbbed. But she was here somewhere. He found her struggling to get to the surface with her hands tied behind her. Grabbing her around the waist, he started for the surface, but she started fighting back. Joe held on to her tighter. His heart pounded as they broke the surface of the water. She gasped for air, and he caught the panic in her eyes.

  “Talia, it’s me. Stop. You’re okay.”

  He held on to her tightly with his good arm, her chest heaving as she drew in another lungful of air. He managed to pull her up onto the dock then laid her down carefully on her back. He grabbed his pocketknife then snapped off the restraint.

  “Talia…” He hovered beside her where she lay, still trying to catch her breath. “Please tell me you’re okay.”