“No,” Roman shook his head in wonder. “We only wanted to question him about Tesano business-security stuff at our Chicago factories. Nothing-nothing like...this.”
“Is he a friend of your family?” Weaver asked.
“Aside from being an employee-no,” Roman said.
“So it’s all business? No social connection?”
“Dammit Weaver, we don’t run in the same circles with the guy, alright?” Pitch lost his patience. “Now why don’t you tell us what you’re getting at here?”
“Cory?” Roman’s suspicion mounted.
“Thompson.” Weaver called to a plain clothes officer who’d been dusting for prints along the side of the wood-topped metal desk.
Thompson stood, reached for a folder and opened it carefully with his gloved hands.
The Tesanos’ reactions were identical. Roman and Pitch leaned into one another for support, both blinking rapidly and frowning as if to make sense of what they were viewing.
“Is this some kind of fucking joke?” Roman snapped, knowing the answer.
“Can you ID her?” Weaver asked.
“You fucking know I can!” Roman growled. “Sh-she’s my sister-in -law.”
Weaver nodded, his gaze lowering in regret. “I’m sorry for this, Rome. I had to be sure.”
“You knew when you called?” Roman said.
Weaver nodded again. “With all the press your family gets, I suppose someone on my staff was bound to make a connection. I take it the family business you were handling involved her?”
Roman closed his eyes, his head sloping forward. “She’s been missing for a week now.”
Weaver grimaced as though he too were pained by the news. “May we have her name for the record?” he asked.
“Giselle,” Roman said. “Giselle Tesano.”
“Guiya Giselle Tesano,” Pitch corrected. “Is she here?” he asked.
Weaver shook his head. “No trace of anyone else here. We’re conducting a search of this entire-”
“Sir?”
Weaver turned, spotting another colleague waving to him from across the entrance hall. He excused himself from the Tesanos with a slow nod.
Pitch and Roman watched the exchange. The saw Weaver’s beefy shoulders stiffen beneath the dark wrinkled jacket he wore. The man nodded after a few moments and then returned.
“A ferry boat reported a floater in the Hudson night before last,” the detective shared. “We can’t confirm, but prelim observation matches your sister-in-law’s description. I would appreciate you gentlemen coming with me to confirm that.”
~53~
“Put on your sleepy clothes, Mommy,” Hill stretched chubby hands toward his mother.
“I will, Omo,” Imani’s regal cadence lilted softly with playfulness and love.
Isak lay on the twin bed in the room he shared with his brother. Imani sat on the edge, her hand resting lightly atop the toddler’s tummy as she settled him for a nap.
“You know the agreement,” she spoke softly to her firstborn.
Hill gave a dutiful nod. “Close eyes for naptime so Omo will,” he recited.
“Not a baby!” Isak spat the translation. He had already puzzled out the Yoruba word for ‘baby’.
Portuguese was the common tongue in Imani’s native Mozambique. Still, the young mother was determined to teach her sons all the languages she herself had mastered.
Isak giggled when Imani leaned close to rub her nose with his. “That’s right,” she cooed, “you’re a big boy who knows how to take a yummy nap, aren’t you?”
Eagerly, Isak nodded. The movement sent small ripples through the Popeye pillowcase under his head.
“That’s my sweet guy,” Imani put a soft kiss to Isak’s mouth as she whispered the words. She looked over, smiling at Hill who returned the gesture. His eyes, dark with violet streaks held a look of playful cunning as he turned his head into the case and hid his smile.
Imani put another kiss to Isak’s small brow and threaded her fingers through the mop of blue-black waves crowning his head. She laughed softly, pleased to see him already drifting off. Gently, she eased from Isak’s bed to join Hill on his. She pretended not to see the yawn claiming him as she took a seat.
“Alright, my love, your turn,” she whispered.
“Not sleepy,” Hill declared even as another yawn claimed him.
“Well let’s try for just a few minutes and if you try really hard you may be able to get up when I come back in my sleepy clothes, okay?”
“‘Kay,” Hill sighed, a heavy fringe of soot-colored lashes settling across his plump cheeks as his eyes closed.
