Seven O'Clock Target (An Inspector Rebecca Mayfield Mystery) by Joanne Pence

Author:Joanne Pence
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quail Hill Publishing

Richie had stewed all night over what to do about Rebecca and her escalating problems with City Hall. That morning, mid-morning actually, he contacted a friend of his mother's named Matteo Veltroni. Veltroni knew everyone who was anyone in city government including the mayor, the deputy mayor, and the entire Board of Supervisors. Every year he was the top contributor to their campaigns and as a result many people saw Veltroni as a master puppeteer with political marionettes at the end of his strings.

Richie thought if anyone might know if or why Dianne Cahill had it in for Rebecca, it would be Veltroni.

The strangest thing about the man, in Richie's point of view, was that he was smitten by Carmela, Richie's mother. Considering that Veltroni could have had any number of young, beautiful women who swirled around him like hummingbirds to a spring flower, Richie couldn’t understand why he always made a fuss over Carmela. Maybe the fact she knew how to play hard-to-get added to her allure. Or, at least, Richie hoped she played hard to get.

If she didn’t, he didn’t want to imagine her and Veltroni together. That was a vision he doubted he could ever “un-see.”

But as a result of that “friendship,” when Richie gave Veltroni a call and asked if they could meet briefly, Veltroni happily obliged.

The two met at Gino’s bar in North Beach, a favorite hangout for many of the city’s Italians, even though few of them still lived in the area.

Veltroni was sipping on a rum and coke, heavy on the coke, when Richie arrived. “My stomach,” he said by way of explanation.

Richie ordered a gin and tonic, without the gin. “Same reason,” he explained.

After a few pleasantries, including Veltroni asking after Carmela, Richie got down to business. "The woman I’m seeing, Rebecca Mayfield, is a homicide detective. She’s been involved in some scary incidents lately, and from what I’ve seen, I suspect someone in City Hall—possibly working with the police commissioner—is behind them.”

Veltroni snorted. “What, you mean that coglione, Giulio Barcelli, is giving her grief? He’d take out half the city if his bosses told him to.”

Richie couldn’t help but grin at Veltroni calling the police commissioner a “testicle,” a very Italian way of saying the guy’s an idiot. “Exactly.”

Veltroni’s rubbery lips protruded. “I’ve also heard the Virginia Kirk case is again being talked about.”

As usual, Richie thought, Veltroni was on top of things. “It is.”

“You should know that Kirk and the Deputy Mayor are friends.”

“Virginia Kirk and Dianne Cahill?” Richie exclaimed.

“How else did Kirk get away with murder?”

Richie couldn’t stop his eyes from widening.

Veltroni’s voice was deep and raspy. “Of course, the woman Kirk killed, that Sharon Lynch, was a real witch, una strega. Lots of people said she was weird. A little crazy even, so nobody much cared that she’d been offed except maybe her family.”

“That would explain why Kirk is suddenly in the picture again,” Richie said.

“You know, Richie, when your lady investigated some recent cases and exposed those big real estate deals, she made everyone run for the hills.

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