Burned to a Crisp (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 3)

by Catherine Bruns

  In addition to all of the preparations for Tuesday's opening, I wanted to get Gianna's personal items out of the apartment and figure out where she might have gone. I was anxious to hear a determination from my insurance company, but when I'd called again, they'd only told me that the claim was still pending. There were several things related to my upcoming wedding that I needed to finish as well. Life, in a word, was nuts.

  Josie and I had returned to my parents' house and moved the kitchen table and chairs into the basement. We'd found a small folding table to hold the cash register we'd just bought. Luckily, there had also been enough room for the mini display case we'd purchased as well.

  I phoned Sarah and brought her up to speed on the new developments and location. Josie had texted her last night to tell her about the fire. Sarah was happy but surprised by the news that we'd be reopening so soon.

  "Is this really going to work?" The doubt in her voice was apparent.

  I chuckled. "Let's hope so."

  She was quiet for a moment on the other end of the line. "Um, Sally, I—"

  "What's up?"

  Sarah paused for a moment. "I don't know how to tell you this. It's just that I figured the bakery wouldn't be reopening for quite a while, so I applied for a job at Wrigley's Grocery Store today. I'm supposed to start work in a week. They have someone going out on maternity leave who's not coming back and need the help immediately."

  "Oh." I was stunned by her news and didn't know what else to say.

  "I'm sorry. I was planning to call you tomorrow and tell you."

  "Are they paying you more money?" I asked.

  She was silent, and I immediately regretted my question. "Forget I said that. It's none of my business."

  "Oh, I don't mind that you asked," Sarah said, "and yes, they are. I'm also going to be trained for a management position. You've been terrific, but I really think this will work out better for me in the long run."

  For some strange reason, I was hurt by her decision. It almost felt as if she was rejecting me. I tried to see things from her perspective. She had a child to think of. "Could—could you still work this week at least? I've got a lot going on and need the help while we settle in at my parents'." I also didn't know how involved the search for my sister might get, and if Josie came along with me, someone would have to hold down the fort. I didn't want to burden Grandma Rosa with it.

  "Oh sure. I should give you notice anyway—it wouldn't be right if I didn't." Her voice suddenly became shaky. "You've been wonderful to me, Sally, and I appreciate everything. You gave me a job when no one else would."

  "Hey, I'm just glad I could help," I said. "Do you think you can come over to my parents' house tomorrow and help us do setup for Tuesday? You might be on your own for a while too. Josie and I will need to go over to the bakery and take care of a few things."

  "Of course," she said. "Do you think you'll be able to rebuild the shop?"

  "No idea." I sighed. "Maybe it would be better for me to just make a fresh start."

  "I know what you mean." Sarah hesitated. "I've been thinking a lot about that myself lately. I'll be there tomorrow morning to help. I just have to ask again…"

  "Yes?"

  "Well, do you think this is actually going to work? Running a bakery from your parents' house? No offense, but they are a little different, Sally."

  That was putting it mildly. "I guess we'll find out." I disconnected and rubbed my eyes wearily. Yes, Sarah had a valid point. What the heck was I getting myself into?

  "You're nuts." Mike grinned as he helped me clear the dinner dishes. We'd cooked steaks on the grill with steamed vegetables. As I stacked the dishes in the sink, he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck.

  I handed him a sponge. "You can wash, and I'll dry."

  He turned on the faucet. "You drive a hard bargain, princess."

  I glanced at him with uncertainty as I placed a glass in the cupboard. "Josie and I—we spent three thousand dollars today. And I still need to get some more supplies."

  Mike turned to gaze at me with thoughtful blue eyes. "I didn't ask how much you spent."

  Feeling anxious, I babbled on. "I know, but I feel like this is all my fault. I should have had more money in the bank. I didn't realize that my business would slow down in the spring. Plus, we had all the expenses with the new roof you had to install and the plumbing. If I'd been more careful it—"

  He calmly dried his hands on a dish towel then gathered me in his arms. "I told you that was our money. You did the same thing for me once too. Remember?"

  He was referring to the time he'd been arrested for the murder of my ex-husband, and I'd put up the bail money. That money hadn't actually belonged to me either—most of it had been borrowed from my grandmother. "That's not the same thing. Besides, you were totally ticked off about it at the time."

  Mike stroked my cheek tenderly. "Yeah, but I know you did it because you love me. And that's why I'm doing this now. Frankly, I don't care if you spend all of it, Sal. I know how important this business is to you. But I've got to say my piece first."

  "Okay." I had no idea what he was getting at.

  "Running the bakery out of your parents' house is just asking for disaster."

  "You're not the first one to say that. Believe me." I finished drying the dishes and walked over to the kitchen table. I picked up the newspaper, idly glanced at the real estate section, and squealed. "Hey. There's a building available on Carson Way for rent. That's only about five minutes away from my shop. I think I know the place—it's even got the same setup as my bakery." It was hard not to contain my excitement as I grabbed my cell phone and punched in the number.

  Mike watched me intently. "What are you doing?"

  "I want to see if I can make an appointment to see the building. You'll come with me, right?"

  Before he could respond, a man's voice came on the line. "Hello?"

  "Yes, I was wondering if I could make an appointment to see the building located at 13 Carson Way sometime tomorrow. Whenever the owners are available."

  His deep voice permeated through the phone. "I'm sorry—you're too late. I rented it earlier today."

  My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. "Okay, thank you." I disconnected then tossed the paper into the garbage. "Well, I guess I'm out of options for now."

  Mike wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me below my ear. "I can think of some fun options."

  Despite my disappointment, I managed a smile for him. "I'm being serious here."

  "So am I." He spoke in that bedroom voice that warmed me from head to toe.

  Desire flooded my body as I pressed my lips against his, and he uttered a guttural sound low in his throat.

  "You looked mighty sexy while washing those dishes, Mr. Donovan."

  His breath was hot in my ear. "Oh, tell me more."

  Spike started to bark, and Mike turned and glanced out the living room's front window. A patrol car had just pulled into our driveway.

  He shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell? It's Jenkins again. That guy has got the worst possible timing. I'm starting to think he's doing this on purpose."

  I grabbed his arm before he could start toward the door. "Uh, I need to talk to you about him."

  His expression was grim. "Did he try something with you last night?"

  I purposely avoided the question. "He's my only source of information right now to find out what happened to Bernardo. I'm afraid they think Gianna might be involved. I asked Brian to keep me informed about the autopsy, so maybe that's why he's here. I'm hoping it will clear my sister from any suspicion."

  Mike pursed his lips together and frowned. "I don't like the sound of this, but for Gianna's sake, I'll go along with it."

  "Please don't start anything with him. I know you're going to hate hearing this, but I have to be nice to him."

  He lifted one eyebrow. "How nice?"

  I waggled my hand back and forth. "A couple of steps above civil."
r />   "Do I have to be nice too?"

  I ran a finger across his lips and grinned. "Can you?"

  Mike leaned down to kiss me. "Not likely." There was a tap on the door, but he didn't move. "So what does this mean, Sal? Are you going to pretend to be interested in him so that he'll share more information?"

  "No," I said quietly. "You trust me, don't you?"

  "Of course I trust you. It's Jenkins that I don't trust." He ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair and gave me a resigned look. "Oh, fine. But I'll be watching him."

  I opened the door to Brian, who was standing there in his uniform. A wide grin spread across his face as his eyes focused on me. At that particular moment, a low growl sounded from behind me, and I prayed that it came from Spike.

  "Hi, Sally. Do you have a minute to talk?" Brian asked.

  "Of course." I opened the screen door. "Come on in."

  He nodded at Mike, whose only response was to fold his arms across his chest and glare back at him. When I shot Mike a disapproving look, he sighed in resignation. "Want a beer, Jenkins?"

  Brian looked surprised at the suggestion. "Not while I'm on duty."

  "Oh, right."

  Brian bent down to pet Spike and then focused his attention back on me. "Bernardo's autopsy came back. There were some interesting findings."

  I didn't dare breathe. "Such as?"

  "He didn't die from the fire, Sally." Brian cleared his throat. "Bernardo was already dead."

  The blood pounded in my ears as I exchanged glances with Mike.

  Mike leaned against the partition that led to the kitchen. "How do you know that?"

  "Because the coroner said he didn't die from smoke inhalation," Brian said, "and there was blunt trauma to the right side of his face. He was hit with something several times."

  Panic surged through my body. I tried to maintain a calm exterior, but on the inside cold, dark fear was engulfing me. Had Bernardo tried to make a move on my sister? Now that she was back on the market, Gianna was attracting men like a magnet, and Bernardo seemed like the type that took anything he wanted. Could Gianna have been forced to protect herself?

  Mike moved next to me. "Do you know what he might have been hit with?"

  "We're not sure yet," Brian said. "They did find a rolling pin on the floor in the back room. It was burned from the fire, so we can't be positive it was the weapon, but there's a good chance."

  My heart stuttered inside my chest. "Someone killed Bernardo with my bakery equipment?" The whole scenario sickened me.

  "We're not positive." Brian hesitated. "But I can tell you one thing. The person who did this to him was left-handed."

  I shivered but said nothing. Only one person in my entire family was left-handed. Gianna.

  On several occasions Grandma Rosa had proudly declared that Gianna had inherited the trait from her late husband. When we were growing up, she had always told my sister, "Left-handed people are very smart."

  Brian must have caught the look that passed between Mike and me. "Your sister is left-handed, isn't she?"

  I put a hand over my chest to steady myself. "So what? Lots of other people are too."

  "Maybe he tried something with her," Brian said. It was almost as if he could read my thoughts. "Bernardo had quite the reputation. Rumor has it he was cheating on his wife with several other women. His wife said he has at least one child from a past relationship but didn't know any other details. She said he never sees the kids."

  What a role model of a father Bernardo must have been. "You've been to see his wife? How's she taking his death?"

  Brian waggled his hand. "She's not exactly grief stricken, but then again, she wasn't jumping up and down for joy either."

  "Did anyone actually like the guy?" Mike wondered aloud.

  "His stepbrother and stepfather are pieces of work too," Brian added. "And it appears Bernardo had no shortage of enemies." He looked at me. "As his attorney, Gianna could tell us things about him that might help with the investigation. So if you know where she is—"

  Mike took a step toward Brian. "Sal doesn't know where Gianna is, Jenkins. She already told you that."

  I tried to change the subject. "Brian, what about my building? Anyone can get in there through the back door and take things from Gianna's apartment. How bad is it upstairs?"

  Mike interrupted. "I'll stop over tomorrow and secure it. If it needs a new door, that won't take long to install."

  "You'll have to wait until the investigation is finished first." Brian turned to me. "One of my fellow officers is patrolling the place tonight. If you want to go in tomorrow and get Gianna's things, like clothing, I'll escort you."

  Mike snorted but said nothing.

  "Can't I just run over there tonight?" I pleaded.

  "Like I already mentioned, the investigation is still pending," Brian said, "but I expect it to wrap up tomorrow, and then you'll be allowed inside. I'll call you as soon as I know for sure. I also need to go through your sister's things. I want to see if we can find any evidence of what happened or where she might have gone."

  Aargh. That had been my plan. Maybe I would have to borrow that skirt from my mother after all. I glanced at Mike, whose expression was stern. I hoped he didn't know what I was thinking.

  Mike put his arm around my shoulders. "Is the place structurally sound?"

  "Yes," Brian nodded. "That's what I've been told by the firemen."

  "Well, that's not good enough for me," Mike said. "Even I can't tell for sure. I've got a friend who's a structural engineer, Dave Perkins. He's hard to catch, but I'm hoping he can get in there during the next couple of days to look around." His arm tightened around me. "It's probably okay for you to get Gianna's things, but I don't think you and Josie should plan on spending any significant amount of time in there until we know exactly what's going on. Sometimes buildings have to be demolished after a fire."

  Brian frowned at him. "Not always."

  "I think I know a little more about this than you do, Jenkins," Mike retorted. "I'm not taking any chances with Sal and Josie's safety."

  A muscle ticked in Brian's jaw. "I'd never let anything happen to either one of them under my watch."

  Both of them were starting to drive me crazy. They were like two little boys fighting over a piece of birthday cake, and I was getting tired of it.

  I squeezed Mike's hand in reassurance. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Please don't worry. Hey—maybe you could come with us?"

  Mike's face fell. "I wish I could, babe, but I'm starting another new job tomorrow. I tell you what. Text me before you go over, and I'll try to break away for a little while."

  "There's no need," Brian said quietly. "I'll take care of her."

  Mike's eyes flashed angry, blue sparks. "Oh, I know you'd like to."

  Brian ignored the comment. "You can only take her clothing and toiletries, Sally. Nothing else leaves Gianna's apartment until I go through it first."

  "My sister is not a criminal." I pressed my lips together tightly.

  Brian looked pained. "I know that, but what if she didn't leave of her own free will? We have to take that into consideration. Maybe something could even give us a clue as to what happened to Bernardo. Would Gianna have locked him inside the building?"

  Startled, I stared at him. "No, of course not. Why would she do that?"

  He answered my question with another. "Then why was he in there alone?"

  I didn't have a response for that and merely shrugged.

  "You don't have to answer those questions, Sal." Mike gave Brian a surly look. "My fiancée is not on trial, Jenkins, so don't treat her like she is."

  Brian clenched his fists at his sides. "I'm only trying to find out how Gianna's client wound up dead in Sally's bakery. You must admit it seems a bit odd."

  "I don't want Sal involved in your investigation," Mike said. "She's had enough brushes with danger lately. You and your department need to handle this by yourselves. You're the detectives, not her."

&nbs
p; "Excuse me?" My tone was so shrill that both men stopped arguing to look at me. "I'm already involved in this. I own the building, which someone deliberately torched. The most important thing right now is finding my sister, so I'd appreciate it if you two could stop your bickering for a few minutes."

  Mike's face reddened. "You're right, Sal. I'm sorry."

  Brian edged toward the door. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know when it's a good time to come over."

  "Thanks for stopping by to fill us in."

  Brian nodded. "Did you know that Bernardo was also being investigated for tax evasion? Plus, he managed to hide all his assets so he could seek out a public defender and not pay for an attorney. This whole scenario stinks like rotten eggs. If there's anything I can't stand, it's someone who lets other taxpayers foot the bill for him."

  "I've got to side with you on that one, Jenkins." Mike opened the door for Brian's departure.

  Great. How wonderful to hear that my poor sister had gotten mixed up with such a sleaze. Then another scenario occurred to me. Could Gianna have witnessed the killing and left town because she was terrified?

  No, that wasn't my sister's way. She was an attorney, a lover of the law, and did everything by the book. But what if Bernardo had tried to attack her, or one of his buddies had shown up and hurt her? Would she have fled then?

  I waited until Brian was in his squad car and out of earshot. "I have to find Gianna, and soon, Mike. I'm scared for her."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  "Yes." My father pumped his fist in the air. "I've missed those fortune cookies."

  I looked up in surprise from the oatmeal cookie dough I was mixing. "Dad, it's only been two days since you had one."

  "Sure." My father leaned forward over the Formica kitchen counter next to Josie as she removed a tray of fortune cookies from the oven and set them on top of a trivet on the kitchen counter. She immediately laid the fortunes in the centers and started to roll them since they hardened quickly. "But it seems longer."

  Josie kept her head down, but I could still glimpse the gnashing of her teeth. She didn't like people crowding around her while she was baking, especially my parents.