The man had stopped breathing.

He’d sat down and tried to calm his panicking brain.

Rafael had pressed his fingers against the neck of the suspect and turned a leering gaze his way. “His heart has stopped. You lost your temper before he could give us the information! I won’t be blamed for this.” He leered, an evil smile on his face. “Your father will kill you with his bare hands. Your ass is dead.”

He shot Rafael twice in the forehead.

Shock had crossed Rafael’s face as he raised the gun, but he’d fired before the man could say another word. Disposing of his body had taken a few minutes and given him time to plan his next step.

Yes, he’d fucked up, but if he could find the device in time, he could save face and protect his father’s hard work. And his own neck.

His father would never forgive him if he knew he’d killed the old man before he’d told them where the thumb drive was.

His only lead was Gianna Trask.

Interrogating her would be a pleasure.

Nora knocked on the door to the suite. The presidential suite.

Many hotels had them, but actual presidents had stayed in this one, and now Gianna’s uncle had commandeered it. Nora wondered if he would have deigned to stay in another room if the suite hadn’t been available. From what she’d read about Saul Messina, his ego was legendary, but he cared about his employees and it had paid off. His company’s dedication and public praise were all over the Internet. He’d created the business from the ground up, his finger in every aspect. She knew he was single, but not from lack of women vying for his attention. She wondered what it had been like for Gianna to grow up in his home. He’d been commended for taking in his brother’s orphan and had been quick to crush all media attempts to interview the girl. He’d protected her like his own.

Nora had found one old public photo of Gianna Trask—back then Gianna Messina—taken immediately after her parents’ deaths. It was an image of Saul Messina carrying the girl out of the hospital, her arms clasped around his neck, his angry eyes looking directly into the lens of the camera. Newspapers and magazines across the nation had printed the photo of the survivor. Gianna was in profile, terror apparent in her expression. Nora assumed she’d been scared of the masses of media that’d camped outside the hospital where she’d recovered after her harrowing accident. Nora had blown up the photo and studied the child’s face, seeing the resemblance to the woman who’d survived another near-death experience in the Cascade Range.

Some people seemed to attract bad luck.

Or was Dr. Trask’s survival an example of good luck?

Nora wasn’t sure. What she did know was that three men were dead and Gianna Trask appeared to be a common denominator.

A man opened the suite door and Nora knew instantly it was Dr. Trask’s old boyfriend, Owen Thomas. She’d already run a quick check on him and nothing had jumped out at her. Chris Jacobs had reported that Saul and Owen had shown up on his brother’s doorstep, searching for Gianna, and been sent packing by her daughter.

Nora looked forward to meeting Violet Trask.

“Detective Hawes?” Owen asked.

Nora nodded and handed him her card as she stepped inside the suite, her boot heels sounding hollow on the marble floor. Nice.

Saul Messina came forward, shook her hand, and waved her toward a sofa in the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?”

She refused as she studied the man. His manners were impeccable. He was tall and moved with a deep-rooted confidence. She turned her gaze to Owen Thomas. What was his relationship to Saul Messina?

“Mr. Messina, I know you’ve built a successful business. Can you think of a reason someone would strike out at Dr. Trask to get back at you?”

A glimmer of respect crossed his face, annoying Nora. She didn’t waste time when she had an interview to do. She got down to business and got her questions out of the way. She didn’t have time to sip coffee and make pleasantries.

“The same thought occurred to me, Detective Hawes. I’ve tried to create a wall that separates my business from my family life. I’ve always protected Gianna’s privacy.” His face was fierce and Nora believed him. It was the exact same look she’d seen in the old photograph. “But I’ve come up empty. I have no enemies, Detective Hawes. At least none that I’m aware of. No threats have been made against WorkerBee or myself in over five years, and I’m proud of that fact. I run my company with the philosophy that we need to be good neighbors. It’s always worked well for me.”

“I’ve asked Dr. Trask if she can think of someone who would like to hurt her, and she can’t, but often I’ve found that the people closest to victims have different opinions. So I’ll ask both of you if you have any ideas.” She included Owen with a glance. The tall man had perched on the arm of a chair and pulled out his phone, and was occasionally scrolling, telling Nora that he didn’t feel the interview was worth his time. Saul had sat in a chair directly across from her and given her his full focus. Yes, the man knew how to win people over.

Owen needed lessons.

“Gianna doesn’t make enemies,” stated Saul. Owen nodded his agreement.

“Not intentionally, I assume, but sometimes things happen. Incidents with crabby neighbors. Road rage. Angry coworkers.” She looked expectantly at the two men, who exchanged a look and shook their heads.

“Truly,” said Saul, “I can’t think of anything.”