unit six months ago. Name's Frank. He also worked as a high-level bodyguard. Say the word and he's yours."
"I’ll ask Austen and let you know. What are your plans after lunch?" I asked, circling my finger over my rapidly diminishing order.
"We have another meeting with Charlie but this time, it’s at the bank. We're going to wade through their security footage. I hope something stands out from one or more of the robbers and we can use that to start looking for them. I'd like you to meet us there."
"No problem. I can check in with Garrett and ask what he knows too before I start the Takahashi case."
"And the FBI?"
I knew what Solomon meant: did I contact Maddox and his partner, Special Agent Sadiq Farid yet?
"I can do that. Or you can."
"They might let something slip with you."
"I think Maddox works very hard not to let anything slip around me."
Solomon huffed. "You'll think of something." He finished his burger, smacking my hand gently when I went in for another handful of fries before relenting and letting me take some.
"Thanks," I managed to say between bites. Why did food taste so much better from his plate? In the spirit of marriage, I pushed my plate to the middle of the table and Solomon helped himself.
"Can you meet me at the bank at four PM?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Do you feel okay about going there? If you'd rather skip it..."
I shrugged. "Nope. I've gotten past much worse experiences."
"Unfortunately, this is true." Solomon signaled the waitress and gestured for the check. When she brought it over, he handed her the cash, grabbing his jacket as he got to his feet. "We really need to start shopping for cars. I had to walk here," he said, "Have you thought about what brand of car you want?"
"A Ferrari," I said, my lips twitching as I held back a smile.
"Perhaps something a little less flashy?"
"Then no, I haven't decided."
"As soon as these cases are solved, we’ll go shopping for a new car." Solomon kissed me and I watched him walk out of the diner. Then I observed several other patrons watching him walk across the parking lot to the sidewalk. One of them loudly sighed. With a roll of my eyes, I followed my husband outside.
In the car, I dialed the number Austen gave me for Zach Gallo. Since he was Sophie Takahashi's only relative, I wanted to talk to him about his sister and get a feel for the kind of man he was. Austen's suspicions still puzzled me. I couldn't quite work out how someone with a supposedly hidden past could also have a very visible brother. Surely anyone who changed their identity or intended to hide something about their past wouldn't appear to have anyone? It was far more likely that someone in hiding would create a story about a family who died or abandoned them; people that could never be traced or contacted. I needed to corroborate their identities as a primary measure, and then get Zach's take on his sister's accident, gleaning whatever I could about his personality. Austen gave me the impression Sophie wasn't as close to Zach as she once was, and I wanted to know if Zach agreed with that assessment. If something was driving a wedge between them, could that same something be the source of Sophie's attack?
Zach didn't answer my call and a generic voice invited me to leave a message. Instead, I disconnected.
A dozen ideas whipped through my mind as I drove to the police station, each more fanciful than the last. Did Sophie have a secret gambling addiction and owe money to the wrong people? Had she witnessed a terrible crime only to be silenced? Was she having an affair and her lover tried to kill her when she wouldn't leave Austen for him? Was her attack a message to Austen from a disgruntled employee at one of his businesses? By the time I parked near the police department, the only thing I knew was: I had to keep an open mind and explore all avenues.
I picked up a visitor's badge from the desk sergeant and headed to Garrett's office, a route that usually took me a long time. I was almost certain to bump into several serving family members. This time took even longer since they'd all heard about the bank robbery and that I was present. By the time I reached Garrett, I was ready to get a coffee, sit down and