He was lying. She heard the lie in his voice, but it was not only plausible, he was so good at telling the story that she would have believed him had she not been able to smell the lie. Smell the gunpowder. Smell the rage lingering in the room. Already sirens could be heard in the distance.

“I heard more gunshots.”

“We saw a man disappearing through the connecting door, over there.” He indicated the door behind her grandfather. One had to have intimate knowledge of the house to know the door existed. It looked as if it was part of the wall.

“A man?” she echoed.

“We were fairly certain Elijah Lospostos would retaliate, but this soon?” Paolo shook his head.

She shook her head. Now he wanted to make her believe that she had sex with the man who murdered her grandfather. She couldn’t tolerate his touch one more moment. “I need to sit down, Paolo. I think I’m going to pass out.”

He immediately led her to a chair just outside the door to the sitting room. Alonzo had already let in the police. Paolo and Alonzo immediately turned over their guns and gave their stories. She knew the bullet that had killed her grandfather wouldn’t match either gun. Still, she knew Paolo and possibly Alonzo had killed him.

The first questions the police asked after inquiring if she had seen anything or anyone were about what had happened to her to get the cuts and bruises on her face. She made up a story about working out with Paolo in the gym, boxing earlier, and she’d taken a couple of hard punches. They discovered the state-of-the-art gym complete with boxing ring and martial arts equipment and they seemed to believe her. Paolo raised his eyebrow at her and nodded as if he was pleased with her story when the detective went to him to confirm what she’d told them.

Hours later, after answering question after question, her ribs burning and her head throbbing, after crying her eyes out until she was certain she had no tears left, her grandfather’s body was gone and the detective was still talking to Paolo and Alonzo. She knew it was now or never. Paolo was watching her like a hawk. Her grandfather’s murder had been about her. About her declaration that Antonio find her another man to marry because she wouldn’t accept Paolo or Alonzo. She knew her grandfather had known she meant what she said and he argued with Paolo about it.