“Surveillance?” I look up at the officer. How the hell did they get footage?
“Yes. The suspect is a small-framed woman with a college hoodie.” He nods at Joanne and she hands me her phone. A dark and pixilated video shows a person walking into the restaurant from a camera pointing at the door. When the person gets closer to the camera before disappearing from view it clearly shows my college hoodie.
“Is this your hoodie, Miss Levere?”
“Yes, but it’s not me!” Do I dare mention Nancy’s name? With our history and the fact that I just lied about being alone the night before, it sure didn’t look good for me. “I wore my hoodie to work the other day and forgot it. When I went back to get it, it was gone.” I shrug. “I don’t know who took it.”
“Is that the truth?” asks the officer, his stare embedding into my eyes.
“Yes, sir. I haven’t seen it in a few days.” My mouth is dry and I feel the tremble in my hands.
“I trust that you will not be going anywhere for a while.”
“No, sir.”
“Good. Be sure you don’t. We will be contacting you for further questioning.”
I turn to Rocco, but I don’t receive the same warmth he gave me when I initially arrived.
“Rocco?”
“I think you should go,” he says, turning away from me.
My heart drops into my stomach and I turn and walk away.
Back in my apartment, my mind moves from one thought to the next. They think I had something to do with the fire. I’m out of a job, probably the best job I could ask for. Nancy is out of a job so there goes my father’s money. Rocco and Joanne both hate me. I fall down onto my bed and cry myself to sleep. I feel like my whole world is falling apart and I’m powerless to stop it.
Just after the sun comes up, a knock on my door sits me up in my bed. If it is the police, I need to tell them about Nancy. I need to clear my name. But how can I be one-hundred percent sure it is her? I’ll just tell them what I know and hope that the truth prevails.
I open the door to a rough-looking Rocco standing in the doorway.
“Can I come in?” His tone is low, curt and his eyes stay on the floor.
I move back and let him in.
“Do you want some coffee?”
“Who is the guy?” He keeps his head down but his eyes look up at me. I see the disgust and it makes me quiver.
“What guy?”
“The surveillance from the night you said you were there alone. You weren’t.”
“That is Nancy’s father. She was there too.”
“I know that,” he snaps. “You gave him something. An envelope. What was it?”
He saw it? I stay quiet, watching him.
“Why did you lie?”
“Rocco, I can’t tell you. But it doesn’t have anything to do with what you are thinking. Please.” I step forward to touch him but he steps back from me. “You have to believe me. Trust me.”
“I can’t do that, Maddie.”
My mind scrambles and I start to put the truth together. I look at Rocco and my eyes widen.
“I have to go,” I tell him. “I need you to trust me on this. Please. I will have answers for you. I promise.”
I grab my purse and phone and rush out the door, leaving him in my apartment.
Chapter 17
ROCCO
My heart wants to believe her, but Maddie is making it very difficult to do so. I leave her apartment, closing the door on my way out.
I talk Joanne into meeting with me about plans for a rebuild and a few days later she agrees. Walking into her favorite café, she is already there with a coffee cup to her lips.
“Any news?” I ask, sitting across from her.
“Nothing yet. They went through all the footage and can’t get a positive identification on the suspect. I know it was Maddie. I don’t know why we are playing these games. Just arrest her for God’s sake.”
“Joanne, I think we should let the cops do their job and put this all behind us. I think we should talk about rebuilding.”
“What? No. Everything is destroyed. It would take months to even be able to open the doors.”
“I have talked to the insurance company. It is all covered. All the damage to the restaurant and the surrounding businesses that have been damaged as well.”
“I think we should just divide the check, cut our losses and go our separate ways. I hear Boca Raton is beautiful this time of year.”
“It’s not what you really want. I know you. This restaurant is your life.”
“And New York has tired me out. Apparently, someone is trying to tell me something.”
“Maybe they are telling you to rebuild from the ground up instead of meager remodeling. Maybe they are telling you that you can finally build your dream. Come on, Joanne. We have been in this business for too many years together to give it all up now. Clean slate? What do ya say?”