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My lashes flicker at him for a moment, and then I lower myself back into the chair, wiping my nose with a tissue.
“I’ll help you. I’ll find a way, it’s just that there’s this case on my hands right now, but as soon as I’m done, I’ll try everything I can to obtain the required clearance so I can look into the case myself.”
“Thanks,” I breathe. Our eyes meet briefly again, but I dart mine away first, especially since I’m about to ask for another favor.Grabbing my spoon again, I slurp up some portion of the soup then clear my throat. “There’s something else I need from you.”
He raises a brow but nods his head to show he’s listening.
“There’s this case we’ve been assigned to, the victim died under suspicious circumstances, and I’ve been trying to find out how. I was wondering if you could grant me access to the footage from his house?” I blink my lashes at him hoping it’s having the irresistible effect it always has on him.
“What case is this?”
Leaning forward, my eyes scan briefly around the room before falling back on Dennis.
“It’s Donald Henshaw’s case. The ex-con who was jailed for killing his wife and son.”
His eyes widen with recognition as he grabs a glass of water, gulping it down his throat.
“Ah… Henshaw. Well, fortunately for you, my team is on that case as well, and we also didn’t rule out the option of murder, but…” he reaches into his briefcase for a document, “...the autopsy says otherwise. The death was actually natural.”
My lips curl in a small smile, encouraging him to pass the document over to me. When he does, my eyes run over the words swiftly, “So he had a heart attack? Naturally?”
Dennis nods, “The CCTV footage from his house was all clear. Nothing suspicious. The autopsy doesn’t point at foul play either.”
“Thank you so much.” My eyes flicker to meet his gaze. There’s a smile on his lips, as if he’s fascinated by the fact that I’m seated in front of him.
“Anytime, Aria, anytime.”
My fingers reach into my bag for my cell phone. Passing this news over to Elio would definitely convince him that I’ve been working to help him find the truth about Henshaw’s death.
Just confirmed Henshaw died a natural death from his autopsy.Then I hit the send button.
Dennis is saying something about the food again, but I pay no attention; my work here is done.
I wrap my fingers around the handle of my bag, fixing a polite smile on my face.
“I’m sorry, Dennis. I really have to run along now.”
He takes another sip from his water glass and nods at me.
“Let’s do this again.”
The smile on my face deepens as I stand up.
“And don’t worry about the bill. I’ve got it.”
I open my mouth in protest, especially since my soup is only half-eaten, but think against it immediately. Who knows? He might even come in handy sooner than I expected.
“Thank you so much, Dennis.”
Then I sashay away, feeling his eyes boring holes into my back.
Chapter twenty-one
Elio
The blinds are half-drawn when I walk in.
Aria’s father, Karl Abruzzi, is a far cry from the last time I set eyes on him.