What were they missing?
“This isn’t helping,” Brandon cut in. “We don’t have any evidence that leads us to believe anything other than the obvious. Samantha.”
“I’m telling you, Bran —”
“Give me something to work with, Alec. Because a hunch isn’t going to cut it. We can’t do jack shit with a hunch. If you’re so sure we have it wrong, then please. Give us something we can use.”
Caleb stopped pacing and looked between his brothers. Brandon’s unexpected outburst silenced the room for a moment. Of the four of them, Brandon was usually the calm one. Logical and level-headed.
Alec glared at Brandon. “Because my gut feeling can’t possibly be as reliable as Joe’s, Caleb’s, or yours, right Bran?”
Brandon rubbed a hand over his head. “Grow the fuck up, Alec. This isn’t about that and you know it.”
“You said yourself that something was off with this situation. You know what? Fuck off. I’m done defending myself to you.” He slouched back in his chair, his scowl full of arrogance. “Asshole.”
Not in the mood to break up a fistfight, Caleb moved fast, placing himself between his brothers. He slammed his hand down on Brandon’s shoulder as he tried to rise. “Calm down, both of you.” He squeezed Brandon’s shoulder in warning. “Stand down. Let Alec talk.”
Brandon wisely chose to heed his command and relaxed back. “Fine.”
Caleb kept his hand on Brandon’s shoulder, just in case. “Go ahead, Alec.”
“All I’m suggesting is that we’ve been working off assumptions. Sam assumed Vincent was responsible for the break-in at her office. Why? Because the file she’d kept on him had been pulled out. Then, her address book is stolen from her apartment. Again, Sam assumes this is Vincent’s doing—probably thinking she’d be dumb enough to document Carlotta’s location in her book.”
“Under the circumstances, those are safe assumptions for Samantha to make,” Caleb defended. He didn’t like that Alec made Samantha sound as if she’d acted irrationally.
“Not what I meant.” Alec picked up a file folder and waved it. “I’ve been over everything, and there’s nothing to suggest Vincent lifted a finger to find his wife. Unlimited cash and resources and he’s worried about an address book?” Alec shook his head. “I don’t think so. A private investigator would’ve been less hassle and risk, yet there’s no indication he hired one. And now he’s dead.” Alec tossed the folder on the table, causing several of the photographs to slide out.
“Wait a second.” Amanda stood, picked up the photo and studied it. “No wonder he never looked for her,” Amanda whispered so low, Caleb almost missed it. His sense of dread increased as the color drained from her face.
“When was this picture taken?” Amanda demanded. Joe placed his hand on her waist as she slammed the photo back to the table and shoved it in Alec’s direction. “When, damn it?”
“Couple of days ago. Outside the Driskell.” Alec picked up the picture and looked at it again, as if searching for something he’d missed.
Caleb’s patience was at its end. “What’s the problem, Amanda? We knew Vincent was in Austin before tonight.”
“It’s not him I’m worried about.” She tapped the photo Alec slid back her way. “It’s her.”
Caleb frowned as he scanned the photo. “We haven’t been able to identify that woman. How’s she the problem?”
“Because, Caleb.” Amanda’s voice rose as she pointed to the woman wrapped in Vincent’s embrace. “That’s Carlotta Matteo.”
Caleb’s blood ran cold. He snatched the file and started flipping through the other pictures. “How do you know that? The woman in the picture doesn’t look anything like the photos we have of Carlotta.” To prove his point, he tossed a picture of Carlotta as a young woman onto the table. He’d admit there was a slight resemblance, but —
“That’s because she’s not supposed to be Carlotta anymore. But, I swear to you, the woman in the picture is definitely her.”
Brandon stood, pressing his fists into the table as he checked out the photos for himself. “And again, how do you know that?”
Amanda stepped away from the table, as if trying to put distance between them. “I … well … oh, to hell with it. I’m the one who helped Samantha procure a new drivers license and birth certificate for her.”
“You did what?” Joe and Caleb demanded together, Joe’s angry tone slightly louder than Caleb’s.