Page 103 of The Arrangement

“Where were you that night?” Todd repeated.

Viviana swallowed again. “My Aunt Lucy’s.”

“Lucille Carducci, you mean.”

“Yeah. Was there all night. Woke up to a news broadcast about Roman, and my mother called crying when she found out over the goddamn radio on her drive home. Now, if that’s all you—”

“It isn’t.” Todd tossed a stack of white papers on the bed, but Viviana didn’t make a move to look at what it was. “Phone records between your father’s office phone and your cell phone shows you were on the phone with him from nine-fifty that night until five after ten. Care to share what that call was about?”

No, she certainly didn’t care to fucking share.

“How many times do I have to ask you to get out before you get the hint and go?”

“Where’s Mr. Avdonin?” Danover asked. “We’ve stayed around watching and he’s been MIA for a great length of time. Seems like people hear of him coming and going, but no one has actually seen him for themselves. That strikes me as odd, what about you, Stan?”

Agent Todd nodded with a severe expression. “Certainly. Wouldn’t be like a mob boss to leave his pretty fiancée all alone like he has, unless he has some important business to attend to. Something he isn’t worried about coming back on her because he’s going to take care of that all by himself. On the streets, right, Viviana? Men like him, they don’t deal with waiting for police to handle a little nonsense like a bomb. After all, no one can handle a situation quite like an Avdonin could. They have something of a flair when making a particular point clear. Would you like to hear some of his?”

Viviana flinched inwardly. Shit.

“I was arguing with him about wanting to leave my aunt’s. The phone call, I mean,” she was quick to say, hoping it’d keep them away from the topic of Anton. “I needed some clothes and was going to pick them up, but he wanted me to stay there for the night. We’d already been there three weeks. I was getting sick and fucking tired of it. I was young … stupid. Didn’t really understand the severity of what he must have been handling, or trying to.”

“Because of the arrangement between the Avdonin family and yours,” Todd said, expression not changing in the slightest.

“If you know, why ask?”

The man smiled a grim line. “You know why. We’d like it confirmed.”

“I assume that was why,” she bit out.

“Your father was killed—”

Viviana snorted indelicately. “My father died of a heart attack. My dad was killed. If you want the facts from me, you might as well get your end right.”

Both men’s brows flew up to their hairlines.

“What?”

“I am the biological daughter of Nicoli Avdonin. Roman Carducci, however, was the one to raise me. See the difference?”

“That’s … very interesting,” Todd muttered, eyeing his partner.

“And odd,” the other man echoed, “given who she’s about to marry.”

“Not really,” Viviana butted in, feeling indignant and pissed. “Anton’s grandfather was killed when his father was a young boy, which anyone with access to the internet would know. I think that’s enough on that, though, so if we could finish this up, that’d be great.”

“Yes, fine. Again, the phone call. Given the coroner’s report, it’s likely your father—dad—was killed that evening. Water mucked up the exact time of death a bit, but they narrowed it down to late evening hours to very early morning. Several reports from neighbors stated your uncle wasn’t seen around his home that night. The car trailing him earlier in the evening lost him. I’m sure you’re aware we’re looking at him, especially since right after Roman’s death, he slipped right into the Cosa Nostra throne like he was born for it.”

Viviana forced the rising bile down. “Are you asking if Roman mentioned something to me? Because if so, he didn’t.”

“No,” Agent Danover replied, “we’re wondering if you heard anything. See the difference?”

“Shit, Vine, sorry that took me so long. The nurse from this morning just came back on shift and had your engagement ring packed away in a safe spot. Figured you’d want it clean …”

Ivan’s voice trailed off as he pushed the room door all the way open. The disgusted scowl that covered his features as he exhaled harshly at the sight that met his eyes only caused Viviana’s nervousness to intensify. She understood all too well how it looked for her to be alone with federal agents.

The lawyer was fast to surprise her.

“Might I remind you both that given my client’s current medical state, any and all questions you ask, along with the answers she may give, are irrelevant and inadmissible for any public record.” His finger pointed to the beeping machines when he added, “She’s medicated. Dealing with immense trauma and stress. Liable to be considered under duress, which her doctor will be quick to point out first, should you take anything said farther than this room. Not only that, but she’s in a much more delicate state than either of you possibly understand, not that it’s any of your business to be properly informed. Under no circumstances is this an appropriate time for you to be accosting her with questions.”