by Jen Carter
“It was our dog who really found her.”
“Victor told me that he suspected Xavier shortly before the appointment I had with Amy last night to look at a rare book. You know about her business, right?”
I nodded.
“Sandie went to the appointment with me, and Amy was clearly agitated. I asked what was wrong, and she said she was worried about you. I pressed for more details, and she filled me in. In my gut I was sure Xavier was trapping you in the same place where he had bootlegged wine years ago, so I raced over there. Sandie gave me her pepper spray and told me to call with an update when I got there. When I arrived, I heard screams inside the shed. I called 911, barged in, and you know the rest.”
Nico was right. Stevens’ story was wild.
“Thank you,” I said. “It’s scary to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t put the pieces together.”
Stevens nodded. “By the way, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“And on that note, I also wanted to say that I’ve been reflecting on how this school year has gone. I think I might have been harder on the teachers than I’ve needed to. The reasons for my approach aren’t as valid as they once seemed, and I’ll be continuing to reflect on this as we close up the year and go into summer.”
I nodded. Maybe I had been too hard on Stevens. Pressure from the school district was tough. And how could I fault anyone for being extraordinarily grumpy after losing a spouse?
“It might be hard for you to believe, but it’s not really in my nature to be a difficult or uncaring person.”
“No, it’s not hard for me to believe,” I said. “The people at Temecula Hills rave about you. Amy and Nico both like you. Even Detective Fitts likes you. I think he said you were ‘delightful,’ actually.”
Stevens laughed.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “I’d take ‘genial,’ though. Anyway, going into our next school year, I hope you’ll keep an open mind about me. I do value the work you do.”
I nodded at my feet. Well, shoot. It was nice to hear that he valued my work, but I did wonder where that left me. How much did he value my work? Enough that I ought to stop applying for jobs up in Temecula? Asking me to keep an open mind after saving my life yesterday might mean putting off the job search for at least another year.
“I will be making one big change tomorrow, though,” Dr. Stevens said.
I looked at him.
“I’m buying all the teachers pepper spray.”
I liked that.
“Hello, Jill!”
I turned at the sound of my grandfather’s voice. Behind me, Livy and Aldo were walking across the park toward us, arm in arm. I stood as they approached.
“Nonno, I was wondering where you were. No exercising with the Council today?”
Aldo laughed. “No, no. No exercise today. Too much to do! I have lines to memorize, Jill.”
Lines to memorize?
I looked at Livy who was grinning.
“Victor dropped out of the play,” she said. “He needed a break after everything that happened, and I’m not sure he ever really wanted to be part of it in the first place.” She looked at Aldo, still grinning. “So your gracious grandfather offered to step in and take Victor’s role.”
It was my turn to laugh. “You’ve always wanted to be an actor, Nonno,” I said to my grandfather.
“You see, Jill,” he said wagging his finger at me, “we get to live many lives in one lifetime, don’t we? Maybe, you know, I’m starting on my next life as an actor.” He winked at me.
“I can’t wait to see how it goes,” I said.
“Come on, let’s get started. The kids are all here,” Livy said to me and my grandfather. To Dr. Stevens, she said, “Do you mind if I steal Jill?”
“Not at all,” Dr. Stevens said. “I think we’re finished.”
“Thank you again,” I said to him.
He nodded, almost with a smile. Behind him, I saw Sandie Oakes crossing the street toward us. I wondered if they were meeting up for a date.
I was happy for them. I was glad they found each other.
As I walked across the park toward the high schoolers waiting for us, I thought about what Aldo said.
We get to live many lives in one lifetime, don’t we?
Maybe he was right.
With the friends and the family and the love I had, certainly I had more life than I deserved.
Thank you for reading Starved for Attention. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Just a couple words would be greatly appreciated.
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The Otto Viti Mysteries
Honeymoon in Italy (Before the Otto Viti Mysteries: A non-mystery prequel novella)
http://a.co/2yWzMGC
Must be Murder (Book 1)
http://a.co/b7WkI3Z
Fired and Inflamed (Book 2)
http://a.co/bbD7oe9
Starved for Attention (Book 3)
Also by Jen Carter
Chasing Paris
Amy Chase is no stranger to mysteries. In fact, back when she was Amy Winthrow, the mystery of a long-lost grandmother is what brought Will—her future-husband—into her life. See how their paths crossed and how the mystery of Elizabeth Hathaway changed both of them in Chasing Paris:
https://amzn.com/B008M7UCFQ
Remembering Summer
Long before Livy moved to Otto Viti, she grew up in a coastal California town known for its annual Shakespeare festival. Growing up there, she learned to make the products eventually sold in Mortar and Pestle, and she fell in love with Hunter. See how her story unfolded in Remembering Summer:
http://amzn.com/B00EFYI626
The Sarafina Series
for Young Readers Ready for Chapter Books
When Mother Nature gets sick, her sister Sarafina must take over. What happens when she makes mistakes, like mixing up the colors of a rainbow and making a volcano erupt bubbles?
I am a mom. Find out why I wrote the Sarafina Series here: www.sarafinabooks.com
Sarafina Series Volume 1: Books 1-4 https://amzn.com/B01FYMS3KM
Sarafina Series Volume 2: Books 5-8 https://amzn.com/B01FYMS3R0
Individual Books:
Sarafina and the Mixed up Rainbow (#1) https://amzn.com/B00QZHHJ0Q
Sarafina and the Muddy Mess (#2) https://amzn.com/B01BFURKSS
Sarafina and the Bouncy Island (#3) https://amzn.com/B01BJUN9IY
Sarafina and the Bubbly Volcano (#4) https://amzn.com/B01C68BC8M
Sarafina and the Protected Pyramid (#5) https://amzn.com/B01E1PHHM8
Sarafina and the Bamboozled Countryside (#6) https://amzn.com/B01E1PZKV8
Sarafina and the Raging Rainforest (#7) https://amzn.com/B01FBE5UYK
Sarafina and the Broken Rules (#8) https://amzn.com/B01FBE6HC4
About the Author
Jen is a teacher and writer who loves writing for both children and adults, including the Sarafina Series for school-aged children and the new Otto Viti Mystery Series for adults. She lives with her beautiful family in the San Diego area. In her free time, she enjoys running, practicing yoga, and reading.
www.jencarterwrites.com