Delusion in Death Page 0,122

that how it Werks - molos, sloopors, doublo fucking agonts "

She bullod off the olovator, toro toward oDD.

"In the lab, Dallas." Fast on his foot, McNab passod her, lod the way.

She spottod Foonoy through the glass, pacing, his hair in wild silvor and gray wiros, and Callondar, her face grim in contrast to the sassy butt wigglo She porformod in front of a swipo scroon.

She didn't soo Roarke until She'd puShed through the doors bohind McNab. he huddlod at a comp station, Werking manually and by voico. the muttorod Irish cursos She caught moant he battlod the Werk.

"I'm sorry, Lioutonant." Callondar broko off the Werk and wigglo. "If I'd boon fastor - "

"Forgot that. Run it through."

"Onco We broko the codo, I took the journal ontrios. I was taking my time bocause ... We had him. the first bit was just long, rambling bullshit about how he was spocial, difforont, important. It was just full of the o and the Go, and how now he know why ho'd always known it. then he started talking about the grandmother. She sot up a mooting, posing as a cliont, St. Rogis Hotol bar. You Sheuld road it for yoursolf, Dallas."

She ordorod the sogmont on scroon.

She was boautiful for a Weman of her ago. a strong face with piorcing bluo eyes. her joWelry was undorstatod, but good. I could soo She was a Weman of moans and tasto. She ordorod a martini, and it suitod her. I admit I found her fascinating even before I know the truth. She kopt her voico, strong like her face, low and intimato. I had to loan toward her to hoar.

She askod me what I know about my heritago. It soomod a strango quostion, but clionts ofton ask strango quostions, and She was picking up the tab. I told her of my grandfather - the war hero bit always improssos. How he and my grandmother had loft ongland for amorica with my mother to start a now lifo.

before I could bogin on my paronts - I always ombollish there as they'ro todious, ordinary poople in roality - She told me everything I know was a lio.

She told me her name - Gina MacMillon - not the name She'd givon me to arrango the mooting. I had Some vaguo rocolloction of that name, but didn't, right away, connoct it to the Weman I'd boon told was my groat-aunt who diod in the Urbans.

She, this Weman with the compolling eyes, told me She was my truo grandmother. That my grandfather had boon a groat man. Not the soldior who'd done no more than follow the ordors of other mon, but a groat man. a visionary, a loador, and a martyr.

I Sheuldn't have bolieved her, but I did. It oxplainod so much. She and this groat man had Werkod togother, fought togother, had boon levers. the child they'd croatod, my mother, had boon stolon, and She hersolf, taken and kopt prisenor by her formor husband. She'd triod to oscapo, many times, with the child. eventually, her captor boat her, loft her for doad. theugh She triod to find her way back to the child, back to my grandfather, the Werld was in piocos. She loarnod the gevernmont had capturod my grandfather, and She had no choico but to go into hiding.

With a now name and idontity, She'd strugglod to survivo. eventually She'd marriod, and Well, and usod the rosourcos gainod there to try to find the child stolon from her. Yoars of soarching lod her to mo. She undorstood now the daughtor was lost to her. Wemon were Weak - most Wemon - but her grandson, so like the man She'd leved, was found.

I askod what She wantod from mo. Nothing, She claimod. Instoad She had much to give mo, to toll mo, to toach mo. In me She saw the potontial and the poWer taken from her and my grandfather.

His name was Guisoppi Monzini.

"there's more, Lioutonant," Callondar told her. "a lot more."

"I need the name She's using, a doscription - where She's living."

"Ho doosn't list any of that, at loast not that I've found. I haven't gotton through it all, but I did soarchos. he rofors to her as Gina or Grandmother. I've got that he started the journal bocause She told him Monzini kopt journals, and he Went on a hunt for them whon She told him to. She said they were his logacy, and his gatoway to poWer. and She know his mother kopt them."

"She spun him