When The Sun Goes Down - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Forty-Five

"I have been dining with the enemy, it was a wolf in sheep's clothing now it's so clear to me." - This providence

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I jumped to my feet. Son of a bitch! That was him. I ran out of the room hot on his tail. Had to play this cool, had to play this cool.

I pull my own recorder out of my purse. "Detective Cooper! Detective Cooper!" I called as I chased him doing my best "annoying paparazzi" impression with my recorder held out in front of me as if I was trying to get a hearing on him. "Detective Cooper since I'm already here how about an exclusive for channel 8? Full credit to the police department on their most recent advances on the fight against organized crime will of course be given." I insisted as I ran.

He disappeared into an office and I followed after him. I stopped in my tracks as the office I entered was empty. The door swung shut. I jumped backwards and grabbed the first thing my hands touched for defense.

I raised the rectangular object high into the air ready to strike him with it.

"Easy girl!" Matteo said and put both of his hands up submissively.

"Who the hell are you really!" I demanded.

"My name is Nash." He said calmly. "Now, if you wouldn't mind please putting down Ellie." He motioned towards my hand.

I glanced to the picture frame I was holding. A very blonde looking Nash was crouched down to his knees and a little blonde girl in a big poofy blue tulle dress and a tiara was standing on a stepping stool in front of him, the little girl was taking charge and holding both hands over his cheek and kissing him, she looked to be no older than four at most.

I hated to admit it, but it was adorable.

"What? You think I'm really going to shoot you? Here? At the police station?" He asked seeming almost amused at the ridiculousness of the statement. "Okay fine look." He reached for his waist and even though I realized how useless this picture would really be as a weapon, and how I really didn't want to break it either, I raised it higher. "I'm going to put my gun on the ground and kick it over to you."

I watched him take the gun out. He kept one hand in the air and very slowly bent to the ground, all the while keeping those blue eyes trained to me. He set the gun down. "See?" He said and very slowly stood upright. A gentle nudge of the foot sent the gun to me.

I kept my eyes on him while I placed the picture back down on the desk. I picked the gun up, and after a moment set it down on the desk as well. "Who are you?"

"I told you. My name is Nash."

I glanced to a filing cabinet against the wall. Another picture frame was perched on top. This one was a small collage all in black and white photos. One picture was Nash and Ellie in the mirror, Nash was smearing shaving cream on his face and Ellie was puckering her lips and putting lipstick on. Above that picture was one of Ellie whispered into his ear and he had a pretend shocked face on, and then beside those was a larger picture was just a picture at the beach, Ellie was simply sitting on his shoulders, he had his arms upright and was holding her hands, both were facing the ocean.

"Cute girl." I muttered.

"My daughter." He said without missing a beat.

I looked away from the frame and to his face immediately. "Your daughter? I didn't know-"

"She's four now. These pictures are a little older." He said and looked towards the collage and then back to me.

I glanced to his hand. No wedding ring. I looked around the office. There was one other spot that had pictures. Behind his desk there was another filing cabinet and on it were four pictures just a smidge bigger than a wallet. One in which she was a tiny, wrinkly little baby, the pictures ascended as she got bigger, in each picture she had a number with her to represent her age.