A Thousand Tombs Read Online Free PDF

whole deal.”
    “What did he say?”
    “Nothing so far. He’s pretty shaken up. But whatever he does say, I’m not sure it’s going to be the whole truth and nothing but.”
    She went back to the dining room and made a call to report the home invasion, and they sat down to wait.
    Vitelli cleared his throat. “Can we keep the coin out of the conversation we are about to have with the authorities?”
    Gen frowned. “That kind of blatant omission might just put my license in jeopardy. Why should I, Mr. Vitelli?”
    “As a courtesy to me, nothing more. I worry that the wrong people might hear that I have something valuable in my possession.”
    “I think the wrong people already heard that.”
    He turned up his palms. “I would like to keep this from reaching any more of them.”
    “And you think the police will shout it from the rooftops?”
    “They would, of course, be interested.”
    She watched him for a moment, gauging her options. “All right, but I don’t know why I’m agreeing. So tell me then, why am I here? I have to provide a semi-believable story, they’re going to ask me for a statement.”
    “To try to sell me something.”
    “That would be easy to prove wrong. They’d just have to do a little research into my background and they’d know I was lying.”
    “What do you do for a living?”
    “I’m a private investigator.”
    Vitelli’s face darkened for a moment before he recovered. “I see.”
    “How about I was trying to track down a long-lost brother and the trail led to you, but you’re not the right Vitelli? I had a case sort of like that last summer.”
    He nodded. “Vitelli is a common enough Italian name.”
    By the time they’d finished fleshing out the story, a pair of uniforms were at the door. Gen didn’t know them and vice versa. That started out to be a good thing. But when the boys split them up and took their statements separately, her interview went south.
    The Asian half of the team was staring at her now, and she could tell his goal was to make detective grade. She wished she could drop Hackett’s name, but she was on her own.
    “So, Miss Delacourt,” Officer Lee said. “How was it you just happened to show up and find the victim?”
    “I’m doing some leg work for a client,” Gen replied. “Looking for a brother, last name’s the same. I rang the bell, but no one answered. So I went around to the back to leave a note and my card where no one would see it. The mud room door was open. I heard a sound, or thought I did. I didn’t think it was kosher. It could be my job just keeps me on edge, you know? Anyway, I came in and saw Mr. Vitelli taped to the chair. I was walking toward him when a guy grabbed me from behind. Then he hit me. That’s it.”
    “Looks like your PI skills could use a little polishing. You’ll be wearing the evidence for a while.”
    “Yeah,” Gen said, a little sour at the crack. “My first black eye.”
    “It’s a beaut. I need a picture for the file, by the way. Anything about this guy worth mentioning?”
    “I never got a look at his face, but he had a tattoo on his wrist, a scorpion. Then he clocked me, and that was it.”
    “Tell me again, what was it you were here for?”
    Gen paused. “I’m on a case. Missing person.”
    “And you’re sure this Vitelli isn’t the right guy.”
    “He’s not. We figured that out while we were waiting for you to show.”
    “So what’s your client’s name?”
    “Look, Officer.” Gen kept her tone respectful but firm. “Do you suspect me of taping an elderly man to a chair, threatening him into silence, then blacking my own eye to muddy the trail?”
    Lee offered a lazy smile. “I’ll take that as reluctance to answer the question.”
    “I answered, sir. I’m searching for a missing sibling, but Mr. Vitelli isn’t him. This is a dead end. Vitelli will confirm that.”
    “How long has your target been gone?”
    “A very long time.” Gen stood and gave him back the same slow