“Good afternoon, Anything’s Pastable.” I spoke cheerfully into the phone.
“Oh, sorry,” a woman’s voice on the other end said. “Wrong number.”
Disappointment spread through my chest. I was trying not to panic, but it was difficult. Why weren’t people calling? Did they really think I could have killed Daphne with my cannoli? I was worried about Gabby’s bookstore surviving, but my business wasn’t off the ground yet and was even more susceptible.
As I made my way back toward the kitchen, I heard a male voice that didn’t belong to Vince and froze. Lorenzo. What was he doing here?
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” he said.
Vince’s voice floated through the air, as smooth and rich as a fine alfredo sauce. “No problem. She’ll be back in a minute. What’d you say your name was?”
“Lorenzo Garcia. Are you Tessa’s boyfriend?” he asked.
“No. Not yet,” Vince answered smoothly.
My mouth fell open in amazement as I listened. Where do you get your nerve, Mr. Falducci?
I forced my face into a neutral expression and entered the kitchen. Lorenzo was leaning against the back door, while Vince poured sauce into the container I’d left on the counter for that purpose.
Lorenzo moved in my direction. “Hello, Tessa.”
I gave him an encouraging smile. “Hi, Lorenzo. How’s everything?”
He glanced uneasily from Vince to me. “I need your help. The cops—they keep badgering me. They found out some things and—” His eyes shifted to Vince again.
Vince got the message. “I think I’ll be shoving off now.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Unless you’d prefer that I stay?”
I knew what he meant. He didn’t know Lorenzo’s situation and was concerned for my welfare. “No, I’m fine. Thanks for the cooking lesson.”
The sexy bad-boy smile was back in place. “Anytime, chef.”
I walked Vince to the door and watched from the doorway as he revved the engine to his Harley. He placed the helmet over his messy, dark curls and then looked back over his shoulder to shoot me another sly grin. Good grief. Vince Falducci should come with a warning sign—Danger Ahead.
With a shake of my head, I shut the door and faced Lorenzo. “So, what exactly are the police doing?”
Lorenzo’s nostrils flared. “There’s some guy—not your cousin—who’s called me back in twice for questioning.”
“Detective McDermott.”
“Yeah, that’s the name. He thinks that I killed Daphne.” Resentment sounded in Lorenzo’s tone. “I got so mad that I almost rammed my fist down his throat.”
His words made me cringe inwardly. I had hoped that Lorenzo’s hothead days were over. “That would be about the worst thing you could do. Do you want to go to jail for assault?”
He hung his head. “Can’t your cousin do something? You’ve all known my parents for years. This isn’t only affecting me. Mama’s losing business. People won’t buy from her now because of me—what they think I did. I overheard her talking to my father about it. She’s worried about all the bills coming in. I don’t want my parents to have to suffer for this.”
“Did you find out about the baby yet?”
He didn’t answer right away, so I pressed him. “Lorenzo, it’s none of my business, but you asked me to help. We need to know if you were the father.”
Lorenzo ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Okay, yeah, I know. I’ll find out tomorrow.” He exhaled sharply. “Maybe I should go away.”
“If you leave, that will make the police even more suspicious. You can’t go anywhere right now.”
He startled me by slamming his fist against the door. “This really bites. Big time. I feel trapped—trapped in my own hometown. Nice, huh? It’s not bad enough that Daphne lost her life, but mine is being destroyed, too. When you see your cousin, will you give him a message?”
Oh, boy. This couldn’t be good. “What is it?”
“Tell him to get that McDermott guy to stop stalking me,” Lorenzo raged. “He’s been following me around on the sly. I don’t appreciate it.”
“Gino talking to Paddy probably won’t do any—”
Lorenzo cut in, his dark eyes blazing with animosity. “The entire police department needs to stop harassing me. If someone pushes me too hard, I will push back. Don’t doubt it for a second.”
He opened the door and slammed it behind him, without another word.
* * *
Sometime in the middle of the night, I was awakened by a scratching sound. I clicked on the lamp next to my bed and saw Luigi sitting on the windowsill, meowing and pawing at the panes of glass.
“Hey, buddy. You okay?” I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Luigi yowled and continued to scratch the windowpanes. I’d never seen him act like this before. Yawning, I stumbled to my feet and went to stand beside him, peering into the night. The road was dark, except for a streetlight casting a faint glow several houses away. A car was turning off my road and then disappeared. I wondered what would make someone get out of bed at three o’clock in the morning.
Luigi looked at me and meowed again. He must have spotted a squirrel or bird in the darkness. How I wished I had his X-ray vision.
I laughed and scooped him up into my arms. “It’s a little early for bird-watching. Come on and cuddle with me.” I placed Luigi on Dylan’s pillow, where his loud purrs resonated through the room. I stroked his head and then shut the light off. “Such a good boy,” I murmured and immediately fell back to sleep.
The sun streaming through the half-open blinds awakened me. I glanced at the clock and blinked once, then twice. Eight thirty. Holy cow. I never slept this late. It must have been the wine. Luigi was on the floor, looking up at me expectantly. He jumped onto my stomach, causing me to groan. Now that he had my full attention, he began kneading my arms. His meow this time was full of disapproval. It clearly said, You had one job. My breakfast is late. Get moving.
I moved Luigi off me and rolled out of bed. He trotted after me down the stairs and into the kitchen where I filled his dish with food and gave him fresh water. While he ate, I brewed a cup of coffee in my Keurig and glanced down at my phone left on the counter from last night.
There was a text message from Penelope. She’d attached a credit card receipt but had blocked out the numbers. The name on the card read Marta Eldridge. Before I got too excited, I shot off a quick text to Gabby. Do you know Marta’s last name?
Her reply came back instantly. Elder or Eldridge I believe. Something like that. Preston told me when he introduced me to her. Why?
I’ll fill you in when I see you today, I shot back.
Gabby wrote, Okay. I’m at Gino’s for breakfast. I’ll stop over at the restaurant on my lunch break.
I’d been expecting to see Sylvia’s name on the slip, but it was believable that Marta had bought the groceries. Heck, she did everything else in that house, so why not?
So Marta had bought the chocolate and used it in the cannoli. And Sylvia may have been the one who added that little extra ingredient that resulted in Daphne’s death. I needed to get back in the house and have a chat with Marta when the others weren’t around.
I fixed myself some toast, brewed another cup of coffee, and then went back upstairs to take a shower. I was expecting a produce delivery, but fortunately it wasn’t due to arrive until around noon. I also wanted to experiment with a new vodka crème sauce and try it out on my family tomorrow for taste testing.
After I pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, I grabbed my keys and gave Luigi a hug. After locking up, I walked toward my car in the driveway and immediately froze.
Almost every inch of my new black SUV had been covered with green spray paint and graffiti. The words made me blush upon sight. No one had ever called me names like that before. There was one particular message that caught my
attention on the driver’s side of the car. Back off or die. It was the same message that had been attached to Gabby’s rock.
I glanced up and down the street, almost as if I expected to see the culprit. A tremor of fear shot through me, and I ran back into the house and dialed Gino’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“Nancy Drew’s starting early today, I see.” He sounded like he was in a good mood for a change.
“Gino.” My breath came out in gulps, and I was afraid I might burst into tears. “Can you come over to my house right away?”
“Tess, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Someone vandalized my car. And I think it was Daphne’s killer.”
Sixteen
As I’d expected, Gino’s mood had turned foul when he arrived. “You two never should have gotten involved in this,” he said. “For the last time, you’re not detectives. I was afraid someone might make it personal, and now look.”
My nerves were already on edge, and I bristled at his comment. “What do you expect us to do? Detective McDermott thinks that Gabby and I are involved somehow. You and Lou can’t work the case. What other choice do we have?”
He narrowed his eyes. “The killer’s got you in their sights now. Seems to me I’ve seen that before.”
Gabby, who had followed Gino over from his house, slung a protective arm around my shoulders. “Tess, this is all my fault. You’ve been through enough already.”
“Don’t blame yourself.” We were standing in the driveway, and I tried to avoid looking at my vehicle, but it was impossible. I’d managed to anger a killer again. Someone had destroyed my property and, if given the chance, probably intended to harm me as well. Gabby didn’t want me in danger, and the feeling was mutual. At some point, we must have spoken to Daphne’s killer. But who was it? Preston, Sylvia, or Lorenzo? Someone else who had a link to one of them?
I thought back to Luigi’s behavior last night. He must have seen the person spray-painting my car. How I wished cats could talk.
I showed Gino the text I’d received from Penelope earlier this morning, but he was unconvinced. “Just because Marta bought the same kind of chocolate that was used in the cannoli doesn’t make Sylvia a killer, Tess.”
Gabby rolled her eyes toward the sky. “You’re always giving people the benefit of the doubt. Come on, bro. Her husband was sleeping with Daphne. That’s enough of a reason for Sylvia to want her dead.”
“Anyone else could have bought that chocolate,” Gino remarked. “Amazon sells it, right? If they bought it online, you wouldn’t know unless you had access to their credit card records. Sylvia is a chef and probably—”
“Sylvia’s not a chef!” Gabby snapped. “She’s a phony. She followed Tess to Justin’s the other night and tossed that rock through my front window.”
Gino stared at his sister, dumbstruck. Gabby’s face flushed and she put a hand to her mouth. “Whoops.”
“Why am I just hearing about this for the first time?” he asked.
“Because I thought it might be some kids fooling around. Until we saw the note attached, that is.”
Good grief. She was making things worse for herself.
“What note? Did you touch it?” Gino demanded. “Where is it now?”
“I called Lou when it happened. He brought the note to Paddy, I think.” She looked faintly embarrassed.
Gino cursed under his breath. “This is just great. My own sister and her boyfriend—a coworker of mine—are keeping secrets from me. Wait until I talk to Lou.”
Gabby wrinkled her nose. “Lou’s out of town. I didn’t ask him to keep it from you.”
“But you didn’t happen to bring it up when you were at my house this morning, did you? Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove but—”
“There was a piece of stationery with the rock that we think belonged to Sylvia,” I cut in, hoping to steer Gino back to the investigation and from choking Gabby. “It said ‘Back off or die.’”
Gino glanced over at me and then at my car, sheer exasperation on his face. “Well, it’s obviously the same person who did this. What have you two been saying to people?” he demanded.
Gabby tossed her head in defiance. “Don’t worry. I’ve been keeping Lou up-to-date on what we’ve found out. We talked to Lorenzo, Sylvia, and Willow. And of course, Preston decided to go see Tessa unannounced last night.”
“We didn’t get much of a chance to chat,” I said with sarcasm. “I think we should talk to Daphne’s father.”
“No,” Gino said sharply. “You two are done asking questions. Leave it to Paddy.”
“Forget it,” Gabby shot back. “I don’t trust that guy. He’s got it in for me and couldn’t care less about my bookstore or Tessa’s restaurant. I have no customers, Gino. How long do you think a business can survive without customers? You can’t do this to me.”
Gino’s features softened when he looked at her, and he almost smiled. “Oh, yes, I can. Remember, little sis, I’m the law, not you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you both safe. Family over everything.” He hesitated for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.”
Gabby drew her eyebrows together. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting weirder than usual this week. Spill it.”
He flashed us a mischievous smile. “All right, but promise you won’t let Lucy know that I told you. She wanted us to tell the entire family together, at Tess’s grand opening. But I can’t wait any longer.”
Gabby and I looked at each other and then recognition dawned. “A baby?” I asked with delight. “Is Lucy—”
Gino beamed as he nodded. “She wanted to wait until she was officially three months along next week but—”
“Oh, my gosh!” Gabby burst into tears as she threw her arms around her brother. “This is wonderful.”
When she was finished, I hugged him as well. “I’m so excited for you both. Are you hoping for a girl this time?”
“As long as the baby’s healthy, that’s what’s important.” He stroked his clean-shaven chin and grinned at me. “But yeah, a little girl would be wonderful. We haven’t told Rocco and Marco yet, but I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”
Lucy had the patience of Mother Theresa. I adored their boys, but they could be little devils at times. Luigi hated it when they came to my house and always ran and hid from them.
Gino opened the door to his sedan. “I’ve got to get back to the station. I have to tell Paddy about this, so don’t be surprised if he wants to speak with you both again.”
“Great, can’t wait,” Gabby mumbled.
Gino ignored her comment and addressed me. “Do you need a body shop recommendation for your car?”
“I already called someone. Thanks for coming over.”
“Anytime. Please be careful. And don’t forget, not a word to Lucy about you-know-what.”
Gabby chuckled. “Remember, they say once you have one set of twins, the chance to have another pair doubles.”
We watched as the smile faded from Gino’s face. He mumbled something under his breath, started the engine, and drove away.
Gabby drew a tissue out of her jeans pocket. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an auntie.”
“You’re already an auntie,” I gently reminded her.
“Oh, you know what I mean.” She sniffed. “It’s a new experience all over again.”
“If you and Lou tie the knot, you could be next,” I said teasingly as we went inside my house.
Gabby made a face. “Let’s not rush things, okay? Besides, I don’t know if I want to be married to a cop. I’d spend every night worrying that he might not come home. Lucy deserves a lot of credit, let me tell you. And even though I despise a cheater, it had to be tough on Justin’s ex as well.”
I moved into the kitchen and started the Keurig. I hadn’t plan
ned to tell Gabby, but this was the perfect opening. Besides, I was curious what she’d have to say. “Natalie is back in town.”
Gabby, who had reached down to pet Luigi, jerked her head up. “Say what? You’re joking.”
I handed her the sugar. “No. I saw her come out of his house the other night. Justin told me that she wants to get back together.”
Her jaw dropped. “But they’re divorced.”
We went into the living room with our coffees and sat down. Luigi immediately jumped on my lap. “That doesn’t matter. It’s happened plenty of times. I believe she’s laying a guilt trip on him, and it’s working.”
She watched me closely. “You’re so calm and collected about this. I know you two are close. How do you feel about her being back?”
“I’m not sure. Beyond knowing that Natalie is nothing but trouble for Justin, I can’t process everything while I’m still mourning Dylan and trying to launch my new business. It’s a bit overwhelming. Let’s not forget the murder investigation, and the fact that we’re both suspects.”
“I think the graffiti incident might clear you,” Gabby remarked. “I can’t imagine that even Paddy would think you did that to your own car. But me? The jury’s still out on that one. Paddy should be disciplined.”
“Except for the intense questioning, he hasn’t done anything wrong. Besides, that’s not for us to say, and the Harvest Park PD wants him here,” I reminded her. “Gino’s said they’re lucky to have him, even though the guy doesn’t want to be stuck in our hick town.”
She sipped her drink thoughtfully. “Well, yeah, especially since the police department is overworked and underpaid, as Gino constantly tells me. Look, I should get over to the store, in case someone decides to stop in ever again. Can I drop you at the restaurant on the way? I’m guessing you don’t want to be seen in your car until it gets repainted.”
“Thanks, but I’m having it towed.” There was a tap on my front door. Luigi trotted over to it and then waited expectantly. “That’s probably him now.” I’d been hoping Gabby would be gone before the man arrived.
It Cannoli Be Murder Page 17