The following is an excerpt
from my current work-in-progress.
MURDER AT THE GALLIANO CLUB is the next book in the Galliano Club series, coming October 2022!
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Luca drove to West Park Circle, occasionally glancing at Tess. She gazed out the side window, her face half hidden by the upturned collar of her coat.
He coasted to the curb in
front of the house, cut the engine and turned to her. “Say something, Tess.”
“Rotolo was the name in that ledger, wasn’t it?” she asked, still not looking at him.”
“Yes.”
“He’s a gangster,” she said flatly. “How are you mixed up with him?”
“I’m not mixed up with him.”
“He seems to think so.” Tess’s lips quivered. “Are you a gangster, Luca?”
“No, of course not.” He reached for her hand but her arms were folded. “Look, Tess. I don’t want to talk about Rotolo. He’s my problem. Doesn’t concern you.”
“Doesn’t concern me?” Tess flared. “I love you. Everything about you concerns me.”
Luca was suddenly speechless, as if his brain required an extra heartbeat to process the meaning
of her words. He swallowed hard. “I love you, too.”
“Then tell me what’s going on.”
Luca shook his head. “Rotolo’s a bad man. That’s all you need to know.”
“What aren’t you telling me? How are you involved with him?”
Luca looked away, trying to think a way out of the conversation that didn’t involve mentioning Jimmy Zambrano. The elegant street was deserted. Porch lights were on, but otherwise the houses circling the park were dark, the exception being the first-floor lights waiting for Tess to come home.
“The Galliano Club buys beer from him,” he admitted. “Bootleg beer. He forced out our usual supplier and is charging us a pile of money for beer. He wants to bankrupt Vito, my boss, and buy the club. He offered me big money to go work for him. But he’s a crook and I don’t like him.”
“Tell me what this has to do with the ledger,” Tess said stonily. “Are you getting a slice of the divvy? Are you the fourth partner? Skimming money off the top?”
“No.”
“Then why did you ask me to look at it? Be honest. Are you and Mr. Fisher cheating Rotolo or are they cheating you?”
“The ledger’s got nothing to do with it,” Luca said.
“I deserve a better explanation than that.”
“There is no other explanation. I found the ledger and wondered what it was.”
“You said your boss found it.”
Right then and there, Luca knew he was in deep trouble.
Get the prequel now!
