Ralph folded his arms across his chest. "But he told you instead?"
Susan stuck her chin out defiantly. "Of course he told me. We're sleeping together. He thinks he can trust me, the dumb bunny."
Ew. Way too much information for me.
Ralph shook his head in disbelief.
Disappointment flooded through my body. "You said it was a woman? About how old was she?"
Susan shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe around your age? She was wearing a big straw hat that covered part of her face. She had blonde hair, but come to think of it, that may have been a wig. It didn't look natural. Anyhow, she wasn't very chatty while she waited for Tony. Didn't even say good-bye or thank you when she hurried out the door to leave. I'm telling you, people have no manners anymore."
Of course this was a long shot. I had been looking for a man with a rose tattoo, not a woman. Still, the timing did seem a bit odd. "Did she talk about anyone else? A husband? Boyfriend? No one was with her?"
She shook her head. "Like I said, I didn't show her the place. She was alone and didn't say much to me at all. But when you asked about the rose tattoo, that was what made me think. She said her name was Rose Stanley."
A shiver ran down my spine as I exchanged glances with Josie. This was too coincidental for my taste.
"Was there a way for her to get inside the building on Saturday to shoot at the bakery?" Josie asked. "The doors were locked when we tried them."
"She could have gotten another tenant to let her in," Susan explained. "The police are checking the surveillance footage as we speak."
"Can you get a search warrant?" I asked Ralph hopefully.
He shook his head. "You'll have to go through the police for that." Ralph handed Susan his card. "Thanks for your time. Will you let me know if you see this woman again?"
Susan eagerly leaned forward. "Do you think she was involved with the shooting?"
"Hard to say. We'd only like to talk to her," Ralph said calmly.
She placed the card inside her purse. "I'll keep you posted."
We stepped outside. It was raining harder now, so we dispensed with any niceties as Josie and I ran for her van. We could discuss everything with Ralph when we got back to the bakery.
"What do you think?" Josie asked. "Could there be a connection with this woman wanting to see the apartment the day before?"
"Maybe." I leaned my head back against the seat wearily and closed my eyes. "The whole rose thing is kind of weird too. First we have the tattoo and then a woman named Rose? I guess it could be a coincidence. Maybe."
"Roses are supposed to be a sign of love, especially red ones," Josie said thoughtfully. "Look at the one Mickey left you earlier." Then she gasped.
Josie's eyes veered from the road to lock with mine as we both thought the same thing. The van swerved slightly.
"Look out!" I yelled. Her vehicle had started to move into the opposite lane.
Josie's hands were shaking at the wheel. "Holy crap. This is making me sick."
I wasn't feeling that great myself. "Come on. Mickey doesn't want to kill me. It's impossible."
Josie stopped for a traffic light and looked at me with blue eyes that were large and serious. The freckles on her face stood out against her fair skin. "But someone wants to kill you, Sal. And Mickey has a major crush on you. What if he's angry you're getting married on Saturday? I've read about this kind of stuff before. He can't have you, so no one else can either."
"Okay, this talk is seriously creeping me out," I said. "Mickey won't even look at me, but you honestly think he might want to murder me?"
Josie pulled the van up behind the store. "We have to consider everything. Remember, no one is above suspicion."
We made a mad dash for the back door. Unlike our old location, the back of the building didn't have anything overhead to protect our vehicles from the weather. This was going to be a major drawback in the winter when there was six feet of snow piled on the ground, but we'd deal with that issue when the time came. Hopefully Mike could put up a carport by then or an overhang of some sort.
"Ugh," Josie said as we entered the back room, and she fussed with her hair. "I feel like a wet dog."
I pulled my raincoat off and hung it on one of the brass hooks connected to the wall. "I didn't get wet at all." The coat was one of the best presents my mother had ever bought for me.
"Well good for you," Josie grumbled as she flicked on the light, and I laughed.
The crackle of thunder boomed in my ears, and lightning flashed across the front window.
"What a weird summer storm," Josie mused.
I stared across the street and was suddenly nervous. "Wasn't Ralph behind us?"
Josie looked up from the display case where she was straightening the tray of shortbread cookies. "I saw his car when we were at the traffic light on Green Street. He was two vehicles back."
"Maybe he's changing shifts with someone." Still, I thought it was strange that he hadn't said anything about it to us, but then again, we didn't have a chance to talk when we'd left the building. I stared at my watch. "It's after five, and I'm exhausted. No one's coming out in this. What say we close up and go home early?"
Josie untied the apron she'd just put on. "You've got my vote. As a thank you, I volunteer to put the garbage out."
My cell phone started ringing. "Sounds good to me. Take my coat so you don't get soaked." I drew my phone out of my jeans pocket and glanced at the screen. "Hi, sweetheart."
"Princess." Mike's voice sounded strained. "Ralph just phoned me. He said you guys decided to do a little investigating on your own today."
Gee whiz. I hadn't thought Ralph would rat me out quite so soon. "He was with us the whole time. We didn't—"
"I don't care," Mike said angrily. "I will not have you taking any more chances like that. Understand? I reamed Ralph out good, and now you're going to hear it too."
The thunder rumbled from outside again, the noise so loud it frightened me. Or perhaps it was Mike's voice that scared me even more. He had never talked to me like this before. I hated the fact that I'd made him so upset, and my eyes quickly flooded with tears.
I hiccupped back a sob. "Mike, I don't want to live like this. I'm not going to sit around and wait for someone to take another shot at me."
He blew out a long ragged sigh. "Don't get upset, baby. I'm sorry. Ralph also wanted you to know that he got a flat tire on the way back from your escapade. He said to stay in the bakery until he gets there."
Uneasiness washed over me. It was silly, of course. I hadn't wanted a bodyguard in the first place, but now that Ralph was on the job, it felt good to know that someone had my back at all times. I went to the front door and checked the lock then drew the blinds down. "As soon as he gets here, Josie and I are heading home. The shop's been dead all afternoon anyway, and I have some packing to do for a certain trip I'm taking with my husband very soon."
I knew that he was smiling on the other end. "Some pretty little nighties are all that you're going to need."
"You're so bad," I grinned.
"We're getting out of town as soon as possible." Mike said. "I'll be finishing up here in about an hour or so and then only have a couple of things to take care of tomorrow. I'm spending this evening with my soon-to-be-wife and no one else. No bridezilla mothers-in-law, no death-loving blogging fathers-in-law. Just you and me, baby."
"And some lingerie, right?" I teased.
"Especially lingerie." The tone of his voice had changed to soft and sexy. "Be good. I love you, princess. More than anything in this world. Don't ever forget that."
My voice trembled with emotion. "Me too."
I disconnected and smiled to myself. The life I had dreamed of for so long was finally within reach. Was it too much to ask to be with the man I loved? Why was someone trying to ruin this for me? I thought about Alexandra. True, I hadn't known the woman, but I'd always have to live with the knowledge that her death was my fault. Maybe I should try to contact her paren
ts, but what would I say? I'm sorry your daughter died because of me? How awful to have someone you love taken away like that. It was something I couldn't fathom and didn't want to.
I looked out the front window again. Still no Ralph. I wished he'd hurry up and get here. "Hey, Jos?" I walked into the empty back room.
Maybe she'd gone to get something out of her van. I stuck my head out the back door. Her van was there, but Josie wasn't in it. At least she didn't appear to be. The green dumpster we used was propped open against the rear side of the building, but Josie wasn't standing beside it.
Fear rose from the pit of my stomach and slowly enveloped the rest of me. The rain continued to pour down on my head as I walked hurriedly alongside the van. That's when I saw her.
Josie was lying facedown in a pool of muddy water in front of the vehicle. Her body had been blocked from my view at the back door due to the position of the van. Her arms were stretched out in front of her and lifeless, like the rest of her body which lay on the soaked gravel ground.
I screamed and ran toward my friend, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might leap out of my chest any minute.
"Josie!" Sobbing hysterically, I fell to my knees beside her.
There was a trail of blood along the back of my raincoat, which commenced near her right shoulder. With trembling hands, I turned her face gently. She let out a low moan, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God. Don't try to move, honey." I had no control over my shaking fingers as I pulled out my phone and dialed 9-1-1. The rain was soaking both of us, and I reached my arms over her protectively, although, not wearing a coat myself, there wasn't much I could do for her. My entire body would not stop trembling, and the rain now mixed with the tears running down my face. My vision blurred as I punched in what I hoped were the correct three digits.
Josie's eyes were half-open slits as she gazed up at me, and then they closed again. The words that fell from her lips confirmed what I already knew.
"Sal," she whispered. "I think I've been shot."
CHAPTER TWELVE
"It's all my fault."
I buried my head into my hands and sobbed. This couldn't be happening. It was bad enough that someone wanted me dead, but now my family and friends were in danger as well. Who was doing this? Why did someone hate me so much?
Mike wrapped his strong arms around me and kissed my hair. The intent was to comfort me but only led to my next crying jag. We were sitting in the waiting room of Colwestern Hospital—Mike, Rob, Grandma Rosa, Gianna, and me. Rob had been home with the kids since he worked nights when I'd managed to call him—between bouts of hysterical crying, that is. He'd found a neighbor to come over while he rushed to meet us at the hospital. He'd been here when Josie and I had both arrived in the ambulance. There was no way I would have left her side for a second.
"Come on, sweetheart." Mike's voice was gentle and reassuring. "You can't blame yourself for this."
Grandma Rosa, who was sitting on the other side of me, patted my hand. "He is right, cara mia," she said. "Be strong. Josie is a tough girl. She will be fine."
Rob was sitting across from us with Gianna next to him. At Grandma Rosa's words he ran an agitated hand through his hair and rose to his feet. He was a good-looking guy—brown hair in a buzz cut, serious brown eyes, and a well-trimmed beard. He turned and gazed at the large glass window that stared out onto the emergency room parking lot. His voice registered the impatience we all felt. "What the hell is taking them so long?"
"The doctor said that the surgery could take a couple of hours," Gianna said. "It's always longer than they initially tell you."
The door to the waiting room opened, and Brian walked toward us dressed in full cop ensemble. He nodded to everyone. "Any word on Josie?"
"She's still in surgery," Mike said.
Brian sat down in Rob's vacated spot then turned his full attention on me. "Ralph's flat was no accident. Someone must have followed all of you back from the apartment building. There was a bullet hole in his tire."
My mouth went dry, and Mike's arms grew tighter around me. "So obviously someone has been watching closely. They're aware that Ralph's been hired to protect Sal. They—him, her—it. Whoever this lunatic might be."
Brian's gaze met mine. "Sally, I ran a check on Mitzi Graber. She's living in Vermont with her parents. Looks like she's been there a few months."
Gianna gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "Isn't that the one who worked for you?"
I felt myself go cold. "Yes. For one day."
"Didn't she blame you because her fiancé died in a drunk-driving accident caused by an inebriated man Colin refused to stop serving?" Gianna asked as she gripped the arms of her chair.
I nodded in response and addressed Brian. "Her parents are from Vermont. They were contestants on Cookie Crusades with Josie and me. I forget which part they're from though."
"Bennington," Brian said. "An officer from their force is going to pay Mitzi and her parents a visit tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on all the details."
The door to the waiting room opened again, and a man in scrubs and surgical cap stared over at us. "Is there a Mr. Sullivan in here?"
Rob turned from the window where he was standing and moved quickly to the man's side. "That's me. How's my wife?"
The man nodded and held out his hand. "Dr. Wells. Mrs. Sullivan is in recovery. She came through the surgery fine and should make a complete recovery with no long-term issues."
Everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. I hugged Mike, too choked up to say anything for a moment.
"Praise the Lord," Grandma Rosa said as I echoed the sentiment in my head.
Rob's face was tight and drawn. He compressed his lips together, and I knew he was struggling for composure. "Can I see her?"
Dr. Wells nodded. "I'll take you back in a minute. But I wanted to tell you that there must have been someone watching over your wife today. The bullet fragmented when it entered her body and just missed her subclavian artery and vein. Instead it hit her upper shoulder and went through muscle and soft tissue. If there are no further complications, she might even be able to go home by Friday. Of course, she shouldn't return to work for a while. She was very lucky."
"Can I stay with her tonight?" Rob asked quietly.
Dr. Wells nodded. "We can move a cot in for you."
They disappeared from the waiting room while I sank back into the chair and proceeded to burst into tears.
Grandma Rosa stroked my hair. "Dearheart, you must stop blaming yourself for this. Josie would not want you to carry on this way."
Of course I blamed myself. But more than that I was angry—furious in fact. It was bad enough someone was out to get me, but now they were hurting people I loved, and I wouldn't stand for that. This maniac was going to be stopped, even if I had to be the one to do it.
"Did you hear me, baby?" Mike asked suddenly.
I glanced up at him. "No, sorry."
"Ralph's associate, George, will be taking over tonight. He's going to be parked in front of our house. There's nothing for you to worry about."
Sure, not a thing. I squeezed his hand and tried to put on a brave face but figured I'd failed miserably when I saw him watching me with anxious blue eyes.
"We can arrange to leave an officer here at the hospital overnight," Brian said. "Since someone made an attempt on Josie's life, it can be authorized. I'll send a patrol car up and down your road as well if you like."
Mike nodded in approval. "It's not much, but we'll take it." He kissed the top of my head. "Want some coffee, princess? I could use a cup."
"Sounds good." Normally I would be worried about the caffeine keeping me up but already knew there was no way I'd be able to sleep tonight.
"I will go too," Grandma Rosa said. "I am tired of sitting."
As they left the room, Gianna's cell phone buzzed. "Johnny," she mouthed at me. "I'll be outside."
That left Brian and me. I gripped the arms of th
e chair tightly and counted to ten. I was fighting a war against the rage growing inside me, but it was pointless. I had already lost the battle.
My face must have been a dead giveaway. "Are you all right?" Brian asked worriedly.
"No," I said through clenched teeth. "I'm not all right. I'm angry at this person who is trying to destroy my life. It's bad enough that someone wants me dead, but now my family and friends are targets too? I won't live like this, and they will not suffer anymore because of me."
He stared at me, thunderstruck. "Sally, don't interfere. Let the police handle it."
I didn't answer.
"Sally," Brian leaned forward and gave my arm a small shake. "Promise me you'll stay out of this. Run off with Mike tomorrow and get married."
I folded my arms across my chest. "There's no way that I'm going to leave my family here at the mercy of some crazy person. My best friend was shot. Do you know how that makes me feel? I've never been so upset in my entire life." Or terrified.
He sighed. "If you're gone, I don't think whoever is doing this will come after your family."
"But you can't be positive."
Brian's expression was pained. "No, I can't be positive. Look. We'll find this wacko, okay?" He rose then sat down next to me and patted my hand reassuringly. "I'll do everything I can to help you. That's a promise."
The door of the waiting room opened, and Ally walked in. She was dressed in street clothes of jeans and a T-shirt and seemed to be heading in the direction of the reception desk. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two of us—or more specifically—Brian's hand resting on top of mine. I glanced at my watch—nearly eight o'clock. I knew she worked three twelve-hour shifts, so I guessed that she was probably coming on duty now.
Ally's usually pleasant-looking face was pinched tight with anger, and her eyes shot daggers at me. Her gaze then shifted to Brian who in turn stared down at the floor. Her expression changed as she continued to look at her boyfriend, but she made no attempt to come near him. Ally remained frozen in place, watching him with a forlorn look that reminded me of a lovesick puppy. She then disappeared behind the receptionist's counter without a word to either one of us.
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