Page 55 of Forbidden Want
“So you think it’s something to do with the Manzanis?”
Did it shock her brother that the grizzly scene didn’t upset her? It did because it was vile, but so was the man. He deserved everything he got.
It took Lachlan a minute to clear his throat. “He’s still a John Doe, but he worked for someone and had the Manzani mark.”
“First Evander, now this guy,” she said. “The Manzanis dealing with a coup?”
Intrigue twitched in his eye. “That’s the second time you’ve referenced the Manzanis turning on their own. What do you know?”
“I know the Manzanis.” Unfortunately. “They’re power hungry. All of them. And ruthless.”
“Same could be said of a lot of people in this city. In the world.”
“True,” she said, smoothing the sheet on her lap with one hand. “It’s just my opinion.”
“Your educated opinion,” he said. “You know these families.”
“Sometimes I do,” she said.
“You may not be a criminal underworld expert, but you know the Manzanis.”
“Some of them.”
“What about the McDades? Anything from them?”
“Nothing,” she said.
“You never told me why you were so close to his club.”
“I don’t want to talk about Connel.”
“You know nobody calls him that.”
“It’s his name.”
“You’re the only one who calls Evander Manzani Evander too. For most he’s Vex.”
“He’s Vex because he pisses people off everywhere he goes. That’s why he always has someone at his back,” she said. “He could just keep on being him while his guys or his brothers paid his debts and bailed him out.”
“One of those brothers is in prison.”
A serendipitous tangent to explore. “Do you know who worked that case?” she asked because it was relevant to her investigation. “Helios Manzani’s conviction?”
“Not off the top of my head,” he said. “Want me to look into it?”
“No, but you could get me into Records again.”
“They don’t like people just wandering in off the street.”
She flashed him a smile. “Yeah, but I’m the superintendent’s daughter.”
“Has Dad been here much?”
“He calls the nurses’ station. They let him know how I’m doing.”
“Henry’s been in.”
She smiled again. “Grandpapa’s here every day. I think he likes the photo op on the stairs. I keep seeing him in the news.”
