The Comeback Kiss

by Lani Diane Rich

  “Someone out there killed my mother,” she said. Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry. “How can I just ignore that?”

  “By pretending it’s not there. If not for your sake, then for Tessa’s. She’s given up everything for you. What do you think losing you is going to do to her? I’ll tell you. It’d kill her.”

  Izzy rolled her eyes, slumped in her chair, and grumbled, “Big difference.”

  Finn’s eyes narrowed at Izzy, and for a moment she thought he was gonna yell at her. Instead, his voice was still and quiet. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Izzy focused on her fingernails as she tapped them on her Diet Coke. “It’s just, she never laughs. She never cries. I remember when I was a kid, she used to draw and paint a lot, enjoy life. Now she just gets angry and tries to be perfect.” She finally met Finn’s eyes. “Do you know she never even cried over Mom? She never talks about it. She never talks about you, or what happened with that. It’s weird. She needs to get her own life instead of trying to live mine all the time.”

  Finn raised his eyes, and she could tell she’d pissed him off. The guilt started to seep in. Izzy gnawed on the inside of her cheek and blinked hard.

  “Sorry,” she muttered.

  “You should be. You have no idea what Tessa’s gone through for you.” He stopped talking, and Izzy thought she saw something flash over his face, but it was gone before she could tell what it was. He sighed, then gave one brief nod. “All right. Go break out that piggy bank, kid. You just hired yourself a private detective.”

  Izzy sat where she was, frozen, not believing what she was hearing. “Really?”

  “Don’t start jumping up and down yet. I’ve got one condition: When Tessa comes home tonight, you tell her everything you told me. Start to finish. No secrets. I’ll work for you, but I’m not gonna lie to your sister. Understood?”

  Izzy swiped at the moisture in her eyes. “Okay. Okay. Will you... can you stay here until she gets here? I don’t know if I can face the firing squad alone.”

  Finn smiled, and her heart melted. He was supercute, with that spiky red hair and the blue eyes and being all grown-up and everything. She sighed before she realized she was doing it.

  “Go get that money, honey,” Finn said. “I don’t work for free.”

  Izzy nodded, pushed herself up from the kitchen table, and headed up to her room. Once there, she closed the door gently behind her and reached into her front pocket. Slowly, she pulled out the item she’d found in Vickie’s mailbox.

  It was a plain white envelope, now smudged from Izzy’s handling. She reached inside, her fingers shaking a bit as she did. The first thing she pulled out was a piece of notepaper with three words written in all caps.

  LEAVE IT ALONE.

  Izzy fished out the last item, a gold heart locket with a broken clasp, as though it had been tom off the wearer. She fingered the heart, but couldn’t open it. She knew she should probably give it to Finn, but he’d open the locket and Izzy wasn’t ready for that. Either it was her mother’s locket, and everything was as awful as it seemed, or it wasn’t, and she’d have to feel that loss all over again.

  At any rate, either way, she knew she was right. There was nothing accidental about the fire at her mother’s shop.

  Somehow, that knowledge wasn’t as much of a comfort as she thought it would be.

  ***

  Babs put another bite of the apple pie in her mouth. It was heavenly, just heavenly.

  “Did Max make this pie?” she asked Tessa, who sat across from her sipping a cup of coffee on her break, staring out the window, no doubt looking for Finn.

  Poor girl. She had it bad. Worse, she didn’t appear to know it. Very sad.

  “Hmmm?” Tessa said, then blinked. “Oh. No. Charlie at the bakery. It’s really good, isn’t it?”

  “Heavenly,” Babs said, and smiled.

  “So,” Tessa said, leaning forward and keeping her voice low, “what exactly do you and Finn do together? I mean, professionally?”

  Babs smiled. “Why, we run an investigation agency in Las Vegas.” Babs winked at Tessa, then glanced around. There were only two other customers there, and they were involved in a discussion on the other side of the diner. It was probably okay to take pity on the poor girl. Babs leaned forward, also speaking in low tones.

  “We do charity work,” she said.

  Tessa’s eyebrows knit together. “Finn? Does charity work?”

  “Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Babs laughed. “Well, he could hardly spend the rest of his life being a bird thief, could he? Can you imagine?”

  “He was a bird thief?” Tessa’s face registered dark surprise, and Babs wondered briefly if she was telling too much, then shooed the feeling away. Tessa would learn about Finn eventually, anyway.

  “Yes,” Babs said. “He was a bird thief. A damn fine one, too. That’s how we met, actually. He was breaking into my penthouse to steal my bird.”

  Tessa looked confused. “You hired him to work for you after he broke into your house?”

  “Well, yes, but not until after he’d saved my daughter’s life.”

  Tessa’s eyes widened. “He... what?”

  Babs sighed. Time to stop dancing and get to the heart of things.

  “He’s a good man, Finn. It’s a shame he doesn’t know it, but what are you gonna do, right? But the truth is, I’d trust him with my life and every belonging I have.” She took another bite of her pie. “This pie really is delicious. My compliments to Charlie.”

  Tessa leaned forward a bit more. “So... I don’t understand. What exactly is it that you two do?”

  Babs smiled. If she had a nickel for every time she had to explain this...

  “It’s all a little complicated. I’m a widow, which is boring beyond the telling of it. There are only so many benefit luncheons one can organize before one wants to stick one’s head in one’s oven. So, I started doing favors for various people in my circle, who tend to be the eccentric wealthy, and in turn they donate large sums to the charities of my choice. When the favor requires any skills I don’t possess or breaking any laws I don’t wish to break, I call Finn in, give him a cut, and he helps me.”

  Tessa sat back. “So, he... breaks the law? For charity?”

  Babs reached over and patted Tessa’s hand. “Oh, it’s not as bad as it sounds. For instance, one girlfriend of mine received a truly hideous diamond brooch from her husband for Christmas. Oh, it was awful. All shaped like ... I don’t even know what. Looked like a small intestine. Anyway, she asked us to break in and steal it, make it look like a burglary, so she wouldn’t have to wear it when he took her to the opera. That sort of thing.”

  Tessa blinked. “Oh.”

  “Yes, it sounds odd, doesn’t it? But it’s what we do, and it really can be a lot of fun. And it’s all for the greater good, you know. Have you ever heard of St. Jude’s?”

  “The children’s hospital?”

  “Yes. Last year, Finn was responsible for over half a million dollars in donations to St. Jude’s.”

  A small smile spread over Tessa’s face. “Really?”

  “Yes.” Babs grinned. “Really.”

  Tessa went quiet, and Babs didn’t have to ask to know what the girl was thinking. It was clear on her face. She was proud of Finn. As well she should be; Babs meant it when she said Finn was a good man. Under all his smart talk and bluster was a genuine goodness, whether he cared to accept it or not. And Babs could tell that Tessa knew it, too. That smile wasn’t just pride; it also held a hint of vindication. And, if Babs wasn’t mistaken, which she rarely was about these things, there was a dose of genuine affection in the mix as well.

  Babs thought for a moment about how she could get Tessa and Finn back together. The two of them obviously weren’t going to get the job done on their own, what with Finn all racked with stupid guilt and Tessa...

  Hmm. She didn’t know what Tessa’s problem was, but she made a mental wager with herself that she’d be able to u
ncover it in a few days’ time. If there was one area in which she was eminently skilled, it was getting to the heart of things.

  “So, tell me, Tessa,” she began, but then her cell phone rang. “Pardon me,” she said, fumbling around in her bag. “I know it’s supposed to be rude to talk on the phone in a restaurant, but honestly, what’s the difference between talking to your companion and chatting on the... Hello?”

  “Is Tessa there?”

  Finn. Of course. Babs swore the boy would never learn proper phone etiquette. “Yes. And hello to you, too. How are you?”

  “Tell her she needs to come home. Now.”

  Babs put her fingers over the mouthpiece. “It’s Finn He says come home, now.”

  Tessa’s eyes widened. “What? Why? Is it Izzy? Is she okay?”

  Babs removed her fingers from the phone. “What? Why? Is it Izzy? Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine.”

  “She’s fine?” Babs smiled at Tessa. “Now that wasn’t nice. You scared poor Tessa half to death. She’s got her hand on her chest and she looks like death.” She nudged her untouched water glass to Tessa. “Drink some water, dear.”

  Finn huffed on the other end of the line. “Just tell her she needs to get here as soon as possible.”

  Click. No good-bye. Honestly. For such a funny, smart, and handsome young man, he really was beyond hope sometimes. Babs tucked the phone back into her bag.

  “He needs you at your house.”

  Tessa finished a gulp of water and put the glass down. “What’s he doing at my house?”

  Babs shrugged. “Either causing some measure of trouble or stopping it, I imagine. It’s usually one or the other.” Tessa ran her fingers through her hair. “Oh, crap.” She looked at her watch. “Dinner starts in an hour. I can’t just leave Max to handle it by himself.”

  Babs stood up. “Well, then you won’t. Point me to a uniform and an apron, and I’ll take your shift.”

  Tessa blinked. “You don’t work here.”

  “I do now,” Babs said, excited at the prospect of an evening spent taking orders at a greasy spoon. “Do you know I’ve never worked in a diner before?” She took Tessa’s arm and pulled her up. “We’ll just go speak briefly with Max and I’m sure it’ll all be just fine.”

  A man raised one finger at them as they passed. Babs smiled at him.

  “Just one minute, dear,” Babs said. “We’ve got a minor personal crisis at the moment, but I will be with you in just a moment, and when I get back, that coffee’s gonna be free.”

  She winked at him. He smiled and nodded. “You bet. Thanks.”

  “See, I’m a natural already,” Babs said, her chest swelling with excitement at the opportunity to try something new.

  “Babs, there’s no way Max is going to let you—”

  They pushed through the kitchen door. Max stood at the range, spatula in his hand. He turned and Babs could see a flash of recognition and slight interest in his eyes when he saw her. She’d been around the block too many times to pretend she didn’t know interest when she saw it. She smiled.

  “Hello, Max. I’m Babs. We met briefly earlier today.”

  Max nodded, looked to Tessa, then back to Babs. “Yes. How are you?”

  Now, see, there was a man with manners.

  “Just beyond lovely. And yourself?”

  Max again looked to Tessa. Tessa sighed.

  “Look, Max, something’s come up with Izzy and—”

  “Get out of here,” Max said.

  “Pammy can’t cover, but maybe you could call Joe—”

  “I’ll be fine. Go on, get out.”

  Babs smiled at the way Max put Tessa and Izzy ahead of his own needs. It was an intriguing side of the man to see, considering that everything she’d heard from Finn had been less than flattering.

  This was going to be an interesting job indeed.

  Tessa pulled at her apron strings and crossed the room to the coatrack. “Babs, you can come with me.”

  Babs waved her hand at Tessa. “Thank you so much for the invitation. I’ll be there the moment my shift ends.” She grinned at Max, who stared at her blankly. “I’ll require a uniform. Do you have a size eight?”

  “You ever worked in a diner before?” Max asked. His face was unsmiling, but his eyes... now that was a different story.

  “No, but I used to run a winery.”

  “‘Used to run a winery’ is not a resume,” Max said.

  He was gruff. Babs smiled. She liked gruff men. They were honest, and honesty was a virtue she could get behind.

  “There’s much more on my resume than that, you can be sure.”

  He smiled. It was a small smile, but it was there. A few days, the man would be putty in her hands.

  Well, here’s hoping, anyway.

  “Babs—” Tessa said, shrugging into her coat.

  Babs went to full wattage on her smile, looking at Max as she spoke to Tessa. “Nonsense, child. Run along. We’ll take it from here.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tessa blew through the front door, coming to a skidding halt in her living room to find her sister and Finn sitting on the sofa, chatting and laughing. They both quieted and looked up at her, as though she was the one who was crazy.

  “What... what... what?” she said, unable to form a full sentence. She took a deep breath and looked at Izzy. “You’re okay? No bleeding. Not on fire. So, what the hell, Iz?”

  Izzy had on her guilty face. Tessa knew it well, and it never meant good news. Tessa put her hand to her forehead. She needed a drink. She needed a drink bad.

  “What did you do?” she asked, not really wanting to know. She pulled her hand down and looked at her sister. “And what is Finn doing here?”

  Izzy and Finn exchanged glances, and Finn motioned for her to take the question. Izzy straightened up and put on a nice front of confidence.

  “He works for me.”

  Tessa laughed. She couldn’t help it. “What?”

  Finn stood up, walked over to her, and held out his hand. “Hello, Miss Scuderi. I’m Dermot Finnegan. I’m your sister’s private detective.” He grinned. “You can call me Finn.”

  Tessa stared at him blankly. This couldn’t be happening. First, Finn wasn’t a private detective. She didn’t know exactly what he was, but he wasn’t a private detective. Second...

  “What the hell do you need a private detective for?” Finn curled his fingers in, dropped his hand, and he and Izzy exchanged a different, more serious look.

  “Oh, man. Izzy, what did you do? You were supposed to stay in the house and feign gastrointestinal distress. How hard is that?”

  Finn touched her arm. “Sit down, Tessa.”

  Tessa wrenched her arm away. “Don’t tell me what to do.” She looked at Izzy. “How bad is it? What did you do? Why do you need a private detective?”

  Izzy dropped her eyes. Oh, God. Whatever it was, it was bad. Tessa could feel it. She walked over and sat down next to Izzy.

  “You need to tell me what’s going on.”

  Izzy looked at Finn. Finn nodded. Izzy focused back on Tessa.

  “It’s about Mom.”

  Tessa took a deep breath. “Mom? What...?”

  Izzy began her story, starting with the night their mother died, moving into Joe’s suspicions, then with the worry boxes, then with the snooping around Vickie’s and Margie’s. By the time she got to the part where she’d trespassed on the site of a potential arson, Tessa felt the numbness descending over her. She knew she’d process it all later; right now she just had to take it in and let it sit.

  “So...” Izzy finished up, “that’s why I was at Finn’s this morning. And that’s why he’s here now. I can’t do anything else with this.” Izzy rolled her eyes, shamed. “Obviously. But he’s a professional. He knows what he’s doing.”

  Tessa chuckled, ran her fingers over her eyes. Dr. Frankenstein, meet your monster.

  “Tessa?” Izzy said nervously. “Tessa? Say something. You’r
e scaring me. You can yell, that’s fine, but you’re really scary when you’re quiet.”

  Tessa put her hands on her knees and pushed up from the sofa, looking at Finn.

  “Can I talk to you privately for a moment, please?”

  Izzy stood up. “Don’t be mad at him, it’s not his—”

  She shot her evil eye at Izzy. Izzy shut up.

  “Iz,” Finn said, “why don’t you go upstairs, take a shower, get the soot out of your hair?”

  Izzy ran her hand over her hair and made a face. “I have soot? In my hair?”

  Tessa gave her a look. A moment later, Izzy was upstairs. Tessa remained quiet until she heard the shower running, then looked at Finn.

  “You know you can’t take this case,” she said.

  Finn crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. “Your sister has eighty-nine dollars and seventy-three cents that says I can.”

  He smiled at her with that infuriating twinkle in his eyes, the one he got whenever he wasn’t taking things seriously, which was most of the time. Tessa took a few steps closer and lowered her voice.

  “You are not a private detective,” she spat in a harsh whisper.

  “Yeah, but I’m damned good-looking.” He grinned. “That’s gotta count for something.”

  “It doesn’t,” she said.

  “Ah, but you do admit that I’m damned good-looking. And people say you’re not observant.”

  “Stop it,” she said. “This is serious. My little sister just told me she thinks our mother might have essentially been murdered. This is not a joke.”

  His smile faded, and he gave her a small nod. “You’re right. It’s not.” He paused, looking at her for a moment, then put his hand on her arm. “You okay?”

  She let out a breath, scuffed her toe on the wood floor. She wasn’t exactly okay, but she was numb enough at the moment that she could fake it pretty well.

  “I’m fine.”

  “No,” he said, leaning his face into her field of vision until she allowed her eyes to meet his. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said, tamping the sadness down as it welled in her chest. “Thanks.”