Texas Tango: A Flint Rock Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

just missed each other.
     
    Zeta returned.   "Flint I have sent a document to your email.   You can read it at your leisure.   It is a government report written by a CIA analyst.   It strongly suggests, but offers only circumstantial evidence, that Gina Francesca may have been the force behind her son's mob activities.   In fact, the author of the report thinks she may have had her son assassinated.   Dr. Milan is mentioned as a person of interest, in fact as a possible confederate who may be an information conduit between Signora Lezioni and a man from Naples who has been Dr. Milan's patient for nearly five years.   His name is Freddy Gambini, a name that is on Dr. Milan's list of most likely male suspects."   Zeta paused as she and Harry looked at Flint.  
     
    "You are wanting a reaction from me?" Flint commented when Zeta kept silent.
     
    "Yes," responded Harry.
     
    "I don't know enough to say impossible.   But it feels highly unlikely," Flint said.
     
    "What if she passed along information without realizing it?" Harry asked.
     
    "The info would have to have been very subtle and not something on a regular basis," Flint speculated.   "Any evidence that Signora Lezioni or her son knew Gambini?"
     
    "Yes," Zeta supplied.   "The report says that Gambini is a cousin of the mother, therefore a more distant cousin of the son."
     
    "Sounds like it needs to be pursued on the ground in Italy," Harry noted.   "You up for that, Flint?"
     
    "I could be.   You offering to come along?"
     
    "Sounds interesting, but neither Zeta nor I will be smiled on to go.   Our budget is always stretched thin and the leads in this case are too tenuous to justify trips to Europe."
     
    "One more thing," Flint said.   "I wonder if one of you can find out who was in the Menger bar from around 3:45 to a little after 5:00 yesterday .   I mean behind the bar.   Especially around   4:10 to 4:15."   Flint described Ava's leaving the card.   "That seems the only time someone could have observed any connection between Ava and me.   Unless Ava is lying.   They would have had to watch me leave the bar an hour later in order to have stolen the dump truck and run me off the road.   The waitress named Shana whom I mentioned to Harry didn't look hostile,” Flint said, “but she did walk two blocks to tell me I had forgotten the card."
     
    "I'll check it out," Harry offered.   "Any chance your friend Laura is implicated in some way?"
     
    Flint looked pensive.   "She is the only person who knew I would go to the Menger and leave a little after 5:00.   She might have told someone.   I haven't known her long and don't know her well.   Wouldn't hurt to find out more I suppose.   She is also a client of Ava's."   He spelled Laura Ann Syms’s name for Zeta, pushed his chair back and stood.
     
    Zeta and Harry promised to call or email him anything new.   They parted with handshakes and well wishes.  
     
    Inside his rental car, Flint called a private American Airlines employee number, asked about standby possibilities to Rome.   Flint could fly standby free on American as a retired employee—if there were empty seats at flight time.   A flight was scheduled to leave in two hours from Austin through Dallas and London.   There were seats.   He picked up Interstate 35 South, grabbed an always packed carryon at his house.   He was in long term parking at Bergstrom Field in time to walk onto the flight as the doors were ready to close.   The flight attendant put him in 2B, first class.   He told Ava by phone he was headed to Italy.
     
    Flint hung up, then said to his phone that he wanted Laura Syms.   She answered on the second ring.
     
    "Flint.   I was thinking of calling you.   How did you get on with Dr. Milan?"
     
    "Well enough I think.   I understand you gave her my number last night."
     
    "Yes, always trying to help.   I gather you have talked with her.   What do you think?"
     
    Flint ignored Laura's query.