Free Havoc by Steven F. Freeman

Gowin, she asked, “Have you met Inspector Rossi yet?”
    “No—I just got here.”
    “We were talking with him a minute ago. Let me take you to his desk. It’s right down the hall.”
    They started down the hallway together, but Gowin opened his cellphone to an e-mail app and soon fell behind.
    Alton leaned over to Mallory. “Who’s Tom?”
    “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t discuss past relationships.”
    “We did, but that was when we were talking about our high-school and college days. If Gowin’s bringing this up, you must have met Tom after you moved to Washington. Does Tom work for the FBI?”
    “Sweetie, please don’t worry about it. It’s in the past.”
    Alton dropped the subject but continued to ponder it. Always feeling a little undeserving of Mallory, he had waited a good many months to propose for the fixed purpose of giving her ample time to conclude in her own mind that her future happiness could be secured with him. He had hoped the test of time and a better knowledge of each other would impart to Mallory a confidence in the wisdom of their union.
    Now, with this new intelligence, fresh doubts crept into Alton’s mind. If Tom was FBI, did Mallory see the man every day? Mallory seemed happy, but were her feelings for Tom truly over, or were they simply dormant? Would today’s reminder of the regard she once held for him lead her down a path of doubt?
    Alton warned himself against overreacting. He knew Mallory well enough to believe she was as content in her current relationship as she claimed to be. He told himself this, yet he felt the smallest seed of fear—a fear of Mallory eventually realizing she deserved better—plant itself in the soil of his mind.
     
    After exiting the police building, the couple hailed a taxi to return to their hotel. During the ride, Alton leaned over to Mallory. “You okay with going on to Naples in a couple of days?”
    “Yeah. I feel bad for Anna, but I don’t know what else we can do for her. If Rossi has any questions, he can always give us a call.”
    “That’s how I was feeling about it, too. You know, with all the time we’ve spent helping the investigation, though, there are a few things we planned on seeing here in Rome that we won’t have time to visit, like the Trevi Fountain just down the street.”
    “I know,” said Mallory. “Do you think we could tweak the rest of our schedule so we could return here a day or two early? Then we could hit that stuff at the end.”
    “Yeah, let’s do that. I think returning two days earlier would give us enough time. Most of the stuff we missed is right here near the hotel. In fact, I’ll change the reservations as soon as we get back to the hotel.”
    “Thanks, Sweetie,” said Mallory, scooting closer to Alton. “It’s good to know you’re always looking out for me.”

CHAPTER 18
    That evening, Anna called Mallory’s cellphone. “Would you mind visiting with me tomorrow? I’m sorry for messing up your vacation, but I just need someone…” The phone fell silent except for the sound of quiet sobs.
    “Yes, of course. Would you like us to meet you at your hotel?”
    After a long sniff, Anna replied, “Yes, that’d be great. Thanks so much. How about nine o’clock in the morning?”
    “That’s fine. I’ll call you when we get there. Is there anything else we can do for you?”
    “I don’t think so. Thanks for meeting me. I feel so…lost.”
    “I can only imagine. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
     
    Alton and Mallory arrived on time for their appointment the following morning. After calling Anna from the lobby, they met her in the hotel’s al fresco restaurant. Her police guard maintained a watchful eye from the street bordering the restaurant.
    Mallory greeted Anna with a hug. “How are you?” she asked as they took seats around a circular, wrought-iron table.
    “I don’t even know how to answer that.”
    “Have you eaten breakfast?”
    “No—or dinner last night.”
    “Let’s