To Catch a Thief - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,69
thought. Something told her that without Rafe beside her, she’d be lucky to sleep at all, much less dream.
Chapter Fifteen
Rafe felt an overwhelming sense of relief when Charlie Flynn called to report that he had Bobby Rinaldi under surveillance in the Cayman Islands.
“He’s living pretty quietly,” Flynn said. “He’s certainly not throwing his money around.”
“What’s your take on the guy?”
“Frankly, I was surprised. I expected a lot of flash and dazzle, a woman on each arm, especially after what you’d said about the way he took in your mother.”
“And?”
“He’s just an average guy. There are no women, though he hangs out at the hotel bar most evenings. If one comes on to him, he certainly flirts back, but he goes back to his room alone.”
Rafe was as startled by that as Flynn. “That doesn’t fit the image I had, either.”
“What do you want me to do?” the investigator asked.
“Keep an eye on him. If the opportunity presents itself and you can do it without stirring up any suspicion, get to know him. See if you can figure out what his motive was in running out with all that cash.”
“Will do,” Flynn said. “I’ll check in when I have something.”
“Just don’t lose track of him,” Rafe warned.
“As if I would,” the investigator said scathingly. “Not for what you’re paying me. I don’t shut my eyes for a second.”
“I’m counting on that.”
Rafe hung up, his expression thoughtful. Why would Bobby Rinaldi betray Gina, run off with all that cash and hide out in the Caymans? He’d left a reasonably clear trail, so Rafe doubted he was trying to drop out of sight to avoid paying heavy gambling debts. What else could it be? Was he in trouble with some married lover’s husband? With the IRS? Rafe wondered if anyone at the restaurant might have a clue.
Knowing Gina would probably object, he didn’t tell her his intentions. Instead, he dropped in at Café Tuscany just before opening the next day. From the instant he entered the soothing, classy foyer, he understood what Lydia had been saying all along about the place. It was a step above most flash-in-the-pan successes. Café Tuscany wasn’t a trendy fluke. It was here to stay. Somehow he found that reassuring. It suggested that once she’d sorted through some things, Gina would be back. They could resume their relationship right here in New York, where they both belonged.
A slender, dark-haired woman wearing a simple, stylish black dress came toward him from the kitchen, a questioning expression on her face.
“We’re not open for another half hour,” she said with a warm smile.
“I know. You must be the famous Deidre that Gina has told me so much about.”
Her expression faltered. “And you are?”
“Rafe O’Donnell.”
“Ah,” she said slowly. “The attorney for the investors.”
Rafe tried not to let it matter that she’d heard of him only in his professional role, not as Gina’s lover. Maybe that was for the best, since he was here to get answers.
“Some of them,” he admitted. “If you have a minute, could we talk?”
She shook her head. “Without a subpoena, I have nothing to say to you.”
“It won’t take long,” he promised, though he could see from her expression that time wasn’t the issue. He was pretty sure he knew what was. He added, “It could help Gina.”
That seemed to surprise her. “You want to help her?”
“Yes,” he said with total sincerity.
She studied him intently, then nodded and led the way to a table. She gestured for him to sit.
“Would you like some coffee? A cappuccino?”
“Nothing, thanks.”
She sat opposite him. “What do you want to know?”
“How well did you know Bobby Rinaldi?”
“Not intimately, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” she said with a touch of indignation.
“I’m not suggesting anything improper,” he soothed. “I’m just trying to get a picture of the guy. Why would he run off with all that money?”
“A woman,” she said at once.
“But he’s in the Cayman Islands all alone,” Rafe said. Her eyes widened. “You know where he is?”
“Yes.”
“Does Gina know?”
He nodded. “Was Bobby a gambler?”
“No way,” she said.
“A big spender?”
“Yes, but he had the money. His take out of here was pretty substantial.”
Rafe was relatively certain that Gina had been taking very little out of the business. Why had Bobby gotten so much more? And why hadn’t that shown up on the books he’d picked up from Deidre a couple of months back?
“More than Gina’s salary?” he asked.
“I think so. I could look at the books. I’ve been paying bills while Gina’s away.”
It occurred