To Catch a Thief - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,72

Mrs. Garwood said. “If you need anything, just knock on the back door.”

After she had gone, Gina turned slowly. The sun was streaming through the kitchen window. Funny, she thought, recalling Rafe’s words a few weeks earlier. This place felt more like home already than the apartment she’d had in New York for years.

“He’s right over there,” Flynn told Rafe, pointing to an unremarkable-looking man sitting at the poolside bar, his expression glum as he sipped beer.

“That’s Bobby Rinaldi?” Rafe asked, not even trying to hide his shock. He’d expected someone more handsome, but maybe Bobby’s appeal wasn’t obvious to a man.

It had taken Rafe almost a month to fit this trip into his schedule. The holidays were approaching. He wanted this settled so he could spend them with Gina. With any luck at all they could be engaged by New Year’s.

“The one and only. Come on. I’ll introduce you. We’ve had quite a few chats lately.” Flynn hesitated. “Is he going to recognize your name?”

“Most likely.”

“Want me to use an alias?”

Rafe grinned. “No, let’s play it straight. What’s the worst he can do?”

“Run,” Flynn suggested.

“Maybe, but I’m sure you’re faster, and between us we’re not going to let him out of our sight until we get him back to New York.”

“Whatever you say.”

Flynn led the way across the deck, which was crowded with vacationers escaping the oncoming winter in the States. Soothed by bright sun and fancy rum drinks, many of them were half-asleep and oblivious to the sudden tension at the bar when Flynn made the introductions.

Once again surprising Rafe, Bobby looked more disappointed than fearful upon hearing his name. His expression lent credence to Rafe’s theory that he was down here hoping that Gina would be the one to follow him.

“Expecting someone else?” Rafe inquired lightly. “Gina, perhaps?”

Bobby sighed heavily. “What did you do? Forbid her to come, so that you could be her knight in shining armor?”

“She doesn’t know I’m here,” Rafe said.

“Why not?”

“I wanted to clarify a few things before I filled her in.” He gave Bobby a pointed look. “Or before you did that yourself.”

“I’m not going back,” Bobby said.

“There’s a return ticket in your room that suggests otherwise,” Flynn said.

Bobby frowned at him. “You searched my room?”

“Of course,” Flynn said. “I wouldn’t have been doing my job if I hadn’t.”

“You lousy, no-good creep,” Bobby muttered, but without much venom. He seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for the game.

“Let’s stay focused,” Rafe suggested. “First question, why did you take that money?”

“Because I wanted it,” Bobby said at once. “Why does anyone steal? Because they want something or they need it or just for the thrill of it.”

“Really? You didn’t do a very good job of covering your tracks. The payments to you were right on the books, but you counted on Gina not seeing them, at least not until after you’d taken off, right? So, I have a theory.”

“Do share it,” Bobby said sarcastically.

“You’re in love with Gina,” Rafe speculated, keeping his gaze fixed on Rinaldi’s face. Sure enough there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He went on. “She wasn’t interested in you. Now that the restaurant is doing so well, she doesn’t even need you the way she once did. This was a way to get her to pay attention.”

“If that was my plan, it certainly was a bust, wasn’t it?” Bobby said, not quite admitting to it.

“Because she doesn’t love you, except as a friend.” Rafe regarded him with a surprising burst of compassion. “She does care about you, though. She was devastated by your betrayal. For weeks she tried to convince herself that you hadn’t meant to ruin the business, to ruin her. She wouldn’t lift a finger to help me nail you.”

Bobby seemed surprised by that. “She wouldn’t?”

“Not at first. One of the most amazing things about Gina is her sense of loyalty. As time has passed, she has transferred that loyalty to the people you bilked out of money. Every single one of them will be paid back, no matter what it takes. She’s committed to that, but she won’t run to you to get the money. Her days of trusting you are over, Rinaldi. If your plan was to get her to need you, it backfired. She’s found other people to count on.”

“Like you,” Bobby said with a sneer.

“I’m one of them, but there are lots more. It seems to me if you really care about her, though, you’ll go back, return the money