Reach of Destiny

Untitled Part 44

 CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

"Wait...what?" Julia's voice squeaked.

"That is a photograph of Rocco Perri. Are you certain that was the man involved with your suicide victim?" She appeared to be speechless, only nodded at him. Murdoch's thoughts whirred, as he picked the photograph off the board. "Your sister said a man named Rochbert gave her the information for her article. Extremely accurate information about the whole case, notably leaving out the true cause of death for Mr. Salieri. Rocco is the diminutive for Rochbert --- or Bert...Bertie." He could barely believe it. "Julia, I think...." He stopped, looking at her face. She looked shocked and speechless. "There was no leak to the press. Rocco Perri gave your sister the information for her article." He was not sure how Brackenreid was going to take that, because it also meant Rocco Perri was one step ahead of him the whole way, and the constabulary played right into his hands...

"Can you believe it?" Rather than shocked or fearful, Julia looked positively...gleeful.

He was dumbfounded. This answers so many questions!

"How extraordinary. We have been working on parts of the same mystery all along." Julia kept going on excitedly. "Those must have been his children, I knew it!"

She was magnificent -- bold, brilliant, unshakable. Too bad she won't like my answer.

He sent a glance over to Brackenreid's office where her sister was still holding court. He shook his head. "Rocco Perri handed over his own man, John Salt, also known as Giovanni Salieri, because distributing poisoned alcohol hurt Perri's business. Perri killed a man. Handed him over dead, instead of us arresting him, alive, to be tried in a court of law where he might implicate Perri."

She looked chastened. "And you think he will get away with it, don't you?"

"Perri has effectively insulated himself completely from any guilt and we have no evidence tying him or anyone specifically in his organization to the murder of Mr. Salieri. He eliminates a threat to himself and sends a message to anyone else who hurts his business that the penalty is death, all in one blow. And I am not certain you wish to have someone murder for you as compensation for your actions."

"And the apology?"

"Someone was sent to drown me in the lake by ramming a boat at us, and mistakenly sent you in the water with me. I am quite sure that was no accident, Julia."

"Oh." Her eyes held steady.

He studied her remarkable face, a smile tugging at his mouth. "Your sister should have given you more credit in her newspaper story."

"Since Ruby got her information more or less directly from a criminal it is hardly surprising my contribution was overlooked."

"Point taken. As for the rest..."

She took both his hands in hers. "Later, Detective..."

Her face turned up toward his, her lips parted. He was certain she was going to kiss him, and his lips twitched in anticipation thereof when he heard a chair scrape against the floor outside his office. He unwound his hands from hers and stepped back. "Doctor...the rest of today is going to be, well...difficult. Do you suppose..."

"How about dinner tonight?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

"Yes. I'd like that, and I think we need to talk." He found himself smiling at her.

"Yes, we do," she answered, reaching for his hand and giving it a slight squeeze, hoping to allay any concerns about her interest.

He squeezed back. "Seven o'clock? Have a place in mind?"