Bailed Out (The Anna Albertini Files #2) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,36

the level of detective because of sharp intellect and well-honed strategic abilities. What was missing from the file? “If you’re trying to get to Aiden or the Lordes, I’m not the way to go,” I said, looking up to meet his gaze directly.

“I have no doubt if it comes down between your sister and Devlin that you’ll save Tessa.” His chin lowered, and he looked every inch the cop. “Please listen to me for once. The last place in this world you want to be is between me and Devlin, Anna. Even if he didn’t take out Pucci, he’s involved in the entire situation, and none of it is pretty. This time, he’s going down. Stay out of the line of fire.”

Chapter 13

Kelsey Walker lived in one of the stylish brick apartment buildings in the older part of Timber City. Trees were mature, sidewalks were cracked, and the lawns were cute and small. I stood on her weathered gray porch and knocked on the charming round-topped door.

Shuffling sounded inside, and then the door opened.

Whoa. I stepped back. “Hi, Kelsey. I’m Anna Albertini from the prosecuting attorney’s office, and I’d love to ask you some questions, if that’s okay with you.”

She studied me for a moment. Kelsey looked to be in her early twenties with green eyes and dirty blonde hair back in a ponytail. She looked a little bit like Tessa, except for a monstrous black eye that extended down her cheek in odd purple and yellow striations.

“Come in,” she said.

I followed her inside and shut the door behind me. “Thanks.” Now that I was there and she’d let me in, I wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed.

She gestured toward the sitting area that held a soft yellow sofa and chair set in front of an older fireplace with a painted white mantle. “Have a seat.”

I took the chair and she took the sofa, putting one leg beneath her. Today she wore blue shorts and a white tank top that showed bruises down both arms and around her wrists. Another set of bruises stood out on her pale neck, showing where Pucci had apparently tried to strangle her. “Are you sure you’re up to this?” I asked, my heart aching for her.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Just a little sore with nothing broken. At the very least, I’m still alive.” Spirit glowed in her eyes.

Even so, I couldn’t take advantage of her. “You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want. I’m here more in a personal capacity, although I am a prosecuting attorney.”

She set a light blue sofa pillow on her lap. “I didn’t kill Danny.”

“I know. The police have cleared you.” The buzzing of a lawnmower filled the quiet afternoon outside. “Who do you think killed Danny?”

She shrugged and then winced as obviously something ached. “Heck if I know. He wasn’t the nicest guy.” She looked up, and the bruise on her cheekbone made me want to punch Danny in the face. Too bad he was dead. “You’re Tessa’s sister, right?”

I nodded.

“You’re the youngest Albertini?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Well, the youngest in my family. Donna’s the oldest, then Tess, then me.”

“I’m the youngest, too,” Kelsey whispered. “It’s like I’m always screwing up.”

I got that. “The fact that Danny was a jerk isn’t your fault. Do you blame yourself? If you do, I know a heck of a shrink. It’s our cousin Wanda.” Well, cousin a bunch of times removed. But she helped me all the time. “Danny’s problems were his and not yours.” I leaned toward her. “My sister Tessa is the strongest and smartest person I’ve ever met, and she dated him.”

“I think she’s still dating him,” Kelsey said, her green eyes shallow with what looked like pain. “That’s what we were fighting about when things got…out of hand.”

My heartbeat increased. “I know they talked a few times, but Tess said they weren’t dating. That she’d never date him again.”

“That’s probably true,” Kelsey sighed, looking down at the pillow. “But they were talking, and when Danny wanted something, he usually got it.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “How long did you date Danny?” Should I say that I was sorry about her loss? As it looked to me, she was lucky the bastard was dead. Saying that was probably a bad idea at the moment.

“Next week is our two-month anniversary,” she said quietly. “He wasn’t all bad, you know. It’s just, sometimes when he drank, he got so angry. But there were good times, too. I