Bad Business by Anthony Bruno Page B

his lips and caught Tozzi’s eye. This was supposed to be a friendly little get-together, a little chat, maybe a little harmless shop talk, but nothing more. Did Ms. Halloran think that maybe she’d get lucky and pick up a few choice tidbits about Giordano in the course of conversation? Maybe she thought they’d gotten Giordano to really open up to them, midnight confessions in the safe house, the kind of existential bullshit that happens in spy movies. Maybe she thought that in a moment of despair Giordano had revealed his reasons for turning on his pals. Maybe she thought they’d share this intimate little moment with her—after all, she and Tozzi and Lorraine went way back, didn’t they? Maybe she thought she could get a little preview of what Giordano planned to say when he took the stand, so she could start putting together a new defense strategy. Maybe she thought a plate of linguine would buy a little advantage for her and her client Salamandra. Well, think again, toots.
    Gibbons bit off another piece of bread and butter. Tozzi may be right on the mark about her.
    â€œSo, am I right about that?” Ms. Halloran said. “The U.S. marshals usually do take custody of protected witnesses. This is very unusual for the FBI to be protecting a witness, isn’t it?”
    Tozzi set down his water glass. “You’re right. It is unusual.” From the tone of his voice, he may as well have told her to go to hell.
    She paused and looked at Tozzi out of the corner of her eye as her mouth opened in a cautious smile. “Michael, I hope you re not thinking that I asked you here just to pump you for information about Giordano. I certainly realize you can’t tell me anything.”
    â€œGood. Then don’t ask.”
    Lorraine gave her cousin a dirty look. She thought he wasbeing rude. Well, to hell with her too. She didn’t understand what was going on.
    Lesley leaned forward and looked Tozzi in the eye. “You don’t trust me, do you, Michael?” She turned to Gibbons. Her eyes were extremely blue. “Do you think I have ulterior motives?”
    Gibbons shrugged. Did she really want him to answer that?
    Lorraine was looking daggers at him. She didn’t understand.
    â€œMaybe this lunch wasn’t such a good idea,” Lesley said. “I’m getting the impression that you guys think I’m up to no good. I realize we weren’t exactly friendly way back when, Michael, but I thought that might have been all in the past. A trial like this gets to be a real grind, week after week, now month after month. I was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd when you showed up to testify. I thought maybe you might’ve felt the same way. That’s why I went to your apartment.”
    She sounded sincere, and Lorraine was staring hard at Tozzi, waiting for him to make nice. But what Lorraine didn’t realize was that criminal attorneys are great actors. Sure, Lesley sounded like she was coming on straight, but you could never be sure with a defense lawyer.
    There was a sharp knock on the window then, and Gibbons instinctively reached for his gun. When he saw who it was he frowned, wishing he could pull his weapon and plug the guy through the glass. It was Jimmy McCleery, out in the cold with his hands in the air, stick ’em up, a big leprechaun grin on his face. He lowered his hands and moved to the door. As if anybody wanted him. He looked at Lorraine and all of a sudden her face opened up like a flower, waiting for the son of a bitch to arrive.
    â€œLorraine Tozzi,” McCleery said as he came up to the table. “You warm a winter’s day.” He only had eyes for her.And how did he know she was still using her old name? Why didn’t he assume she was Lorraine Gibbons now?
    â€œJimmy, how have you been?” She stood up and leaned over Lesley to peck cheeks with McCleery.
    Gibbons bit his upper lip and bared his