Free Franco's Fortune (Redemption Book 2) by Cara Marsi

wouldn’t have thought she told him.”
    “Where’s Lynn now? Where’s the husband? And why
didn’t you tell the police?”
    “You should be a cop with all these questions.
Lynn’s still in Rumson, New Jersey, far as I know. Her husband may
have a different last name and I’m not sure if he’s out of
prison.”
    Jo entered the information into her tablet. “Why was
her husband in prison?”
    “Assault. It may have been mob-related. He
apparently did some work for them.”
    Jo groaned. “God save me.” She held up a hand and
counted off on her fingers. “You dated a woman whose husband was in
prison. You broke her heart. Husband has mob ties. You didn’t think
to tell the police these little tidbits?”
    “Lynn is a good person. I felt bad that I’d hurt
her. She was always sad and needy. I couldn’t risk hurting her
again by bringing her into this. She’d cheated on her husband. I
feel sure she didn’t tell him about me, but if I told the police
the whole story, they’d investigate her, and her husband might find
out what she did. I couldn’t do that to her.”
    “Aren’t you the Sir Galahad?”
    “Don’t mock me, Jo. I know your impression of me,
everyone’s impression. Yeah, I’ve been wild and irresponsible, but
there are things about me you don’t know. No one knows. Believe it
or not, I do have a heart.”
    Guilt pricked her conscience. She knew he had a good
heart. She’d seen more and more of it lately. “I’m sorry, Franco. I
shouldn’t have said that. You didn’t want her to get into trouble
for cheating on her husband. I get that. But she knew full well
what she was doing when she started the affair with you.”
    She held his gaze. “What am I going to do with you?
You don’t tell anyone about the kids and the cleaning lady who have
keys to your house. You don’t tell the police you dated a woman
whose husband is in prison. A husband who has mob ties. I’m
beginning to think you have a death wish.”
    ***

Chapter Eight
    E xcitement surged through
Jo. She bolted upright in her chair, rubbed her eyes, then stared
back at the computer screen. Finally. Here was something—a possible
lead in this case. She scrolled down the page and reread the police
reports, making sure she hadn’t missed anything. She pressed a hand
to her thigh to stop the jittery movement her leg made whenever her
instincts kicked in.
    Salvatore DiGiacomo, husband of Franco’s old flame
Lynn DiGiacomo, had a sheet going back to his teen years. He’d
recently served time for assaulting a man in a bar. According to
the reports of eyewitnesses to the latest incident, DiGiacomo had
tried to collect money the man owed him. When the guy couldn’t pay
and begged DiGiacomo for more time, DiGiacomo had refused and beat
the guy badly enough to send him to the hospital for two weeks.
DiGiacomo had been released from prison a month ago.
    Jo’s mind whirled with possible scenarios. She fist
bumped the air.
    Franco had said the guy might work for the mob.
Could DiGiacomo have been trying to collect mob money from his
victim? Sifting through her thoughts, she gazed off into the
distance. The mob took retribution on its collectors who didn’t do
their jobs. DiGiacomo would know what the mob would do to him if he
failed. If the victim hadn’t come up with the money, DiGiacomo
would still owe the mob. Knowing Franco was wealthy, maybe
DiGiacomo was trying to shake him down for money to pay his debt.
That way he could get revenge on Franco for sleeping with his wife
and he’d get his money.
    The fine hairs on her arms stood at attention as
excitement swirled through her again. Yes, it could be. It was
beginning to make sense.
    Jo stretched her arms above her head and glanced at
the microwave clock. Three a.m. Harris had promised to relieve her
at four this morning so she could get some sleep before her
shopping trip at ten. She rolled her eyes, blew out a breath,
rubbed her lower back and twisted her head from side to