Cupcakes and Corpses

by Carole Fowkes

  My aunt then began her own act. She jumped from her chair, her voice loud and clear enough to be heard next door. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Does your mother know you’re doing this?”

  The blonde did her best to ignore my aunt. Other customers hollered at Aunt Lena to sit down. Someone even threw a swizzle stick at her.

  Ed popped up then. He made a show of grabbing my aunt’s arm to get her seated again. This did nothing but encourage Aunt Lena to yell louder, “I told you we shouldn’t have come here.”

  “Lena, I’m warning you. Sit down and be quiet! The girl’s doing great.”

  “I’ll do no such thing. You think she’s the only one who can bump and grind? In my younger days…” Heading toward the stage, my aunt looked around and nodded when she saw me heading toward what I believed was the dressing room.

  A door marked with a star was down a hallway. Nobody stopped me and I flung it open. Seated was a woman who looked like her best days were behind her. A cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth, she mumbled, “Bathroom’s down the hallway.”

  I quickly introduced myself and my reason for being there.

  “Yeah, the cops were here too. I got nothing to tell you. Desiree was a good kid who got a bunch of bad breaks.” She ground out her cigarette. “You better go before Tony finds you here.”

  “Just one question. Do you know where else Desiree worked?”

  The door flew open and Nick, Esposito’s flunky, stood there. “I thought I seen you sneak back here. Now get out.”

  “I just need one answer. Please.”

  He growled, “Bobbie don’t have nothing to say to you. Right, Bobbie?”

  Bobbie nodded. “Bingo.”

  Without a bit of hesitation, I stepped around the man and through the door. He followed.

  By the time we reached the bar area, two large men were escorting my aunt off the stage and the blonde’s breasts were covered by what looked like a large napkin. Ed trailed after my aunt and I pulled up the rear.

  The two bouncers walked my aunt to Ed’s car and demanded she get in. I unlocked his car from a distance and as Aunt Lena slid inside, one of the guys said, “If you ever come back, we’ll have you thrown in jail.” Then he glanced at Ed and muttered, “What kinda guy lets his old lady pull stuff like that?” The other man agreed and they made their way back inside the club.

  Once the coast was clear I approached the car and got inside. Ed, chuckled, “Lena, swear-to-God, I never knew you could move like that.”

  My interest was piqued. “Like what? What happened?”

  Aunt Lena ignored my question. “Before I met Tommy…A girl learns things.” She reached for Ed’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

  I knew then I wasn’t about to be included in the loop. It was okay, though. In fact, I was sort of glad. I had enough to think about. I thanked both of them profusely and made it over to my car.

  It was enough for me to process what the stripper, Bobbi, had said. Was she telling me Desiree played bingo as a second career? Or was that just a response to the goon who’d chased me out?

  It was past eleven when I got home. Charlie woke up and was so excited to see me, I was afraid he’d wet the floor. Out we went for a walk. Watching him sniff around for the exact spot got me thinking. I’d sniff out all the bingo places on the West Side until I found someone who’d seen Desiree, if that person existed.

  My pet and I returned home and I began an internet search for bingo places in Cleveland.

  Chapter Eleven

  It seemed as if Charlie and I had both just settled down to sleep, he in his cage and me in my bed, when my alarm went off. Tuesday morning already. I dressed to the local news.

  The same serious-looking reporter as the other day held a piece of paper and addressed the television monitor. “We’ve just learned the police have apprehended the man they believe to be the Red Bow Killer. Now to Kirstie Radner with the latest on this situation.”

  An attractive, thin brunette wearing glasses flashed onto the television screen. “We’re here at an apartment in Ohio City where police, acting on a tip, discovered the man they believe may be the Red Bow Killer. My understanding is, Rick Gutkowski will be charged with the murder of four women in the Cleveland area.”

  “No!” I yelled at the television screen. I still believed he didn’t kill Mrs. Amato or Eileen. Or was it wishful thinking? If he was the murderer, I could kiss the reward goodbye.

  I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. I needed to play my hunch and check out all the bingo halls on the West Side. What could it hurt?

  First, though, I had to make an appearance at the agency.

  Gino was already at work when I arrived. “Did you hear they caught the guy who killed Betty’s sister, Rose?”

  “Yes, I heard. I don’t believe it though.” The words slipped from my tongue before I could catch them.

  “You don’t believe they got him, or that he’s the killer?”

  “Never mind. I’m just talking.” I faked a yawn. “Didn’t sleep much last night so my brain is a little foggy.”

  Gino rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. “Wish we’d have caught the creep. Wouldn’t have minded that reward lining my pocket.” He added quickly, “Yours too.”

  I smirked. “Yeah, plus I bet your value in Betty’s eyes would’ve also gone up.”

  Leaning his chair back, his head resting against his palms, he sounded wistful. “There’s that too.” He pulled himself out of the mood. “Well, no use crying over spilt beer. Wishing for a different ending sure ain’t gonna pay the bills. Or your salary. What else we got?”

  Going through the list of pending cases, I found one that only needed Gino’s sign off. I printed the invoice and handed it to him. “Here. If this is okay, sign it and I’ll set an appointment with the client for you.”

  He flipped through the file. “I remember this guy. You hadn’t started back here yet. Kind of a strange old guy. Wanted to know if his nephew had anything to do with the kid’s own mother’s death.” Gino chortled. “In my opinion, the nephew should’ve been investigating the uncle.” He took the invoice and signed it.

  After making a quick phone call, I said, “The client has agreed to come in today at one this afternoon to make his final payment and receive the report.” Without taking a breath, I asked, “Do you mind if I leave the office for a couple hours? I need to check up on my aunt. She wasn’t herself last night.”

  “Sure. Just be back by noon. I want you here before this…” He glanced at the invoice. “…Wolden guy shows up.”

  “Definitely.” To leave and start my hunt for Desiree’s bingo place I would’ve agreed to just about anything. I had to follow every possible lead before I could rest and go along with the conclusion that Rick Gutkowski really killed Mrs. Amato.

  Having to hustle, I practically jogged to my car. Not counting church bingo, there were five places on the West Side. One was in Berea, a small city southwest of Cleveland. Three were in Brook Park. Since Desiree lived and worked in the area, the Brook Park bingo halls seemed the places to start.

  All three of the Brook Park halls were dead ends. It was nearing noon when I pulled into the Corey Bingo Center in Berea. Pounding on the locked door produced no response. I was just about to go back to my car when the door finally opened. A man in coveralls, about fifty, said, “You didn’t have to try to break the door down. I was in the basement.”

  “Sorry. I’m in kind of a hurry.”

  “Aren’t we all? What can I do for you?”

  I introduced myself and then showed him a picture of Desiree. “Did this woman work here?”

  He slid his glasses down his nose and peered at the picture. “Joanna. Yeah. Used to be a hostess here but she quit last week.” He shook his head. “The wife and I just heard what happened to her. Awful. Just awful. Glad they caught the guy, though.”

  I didn’t want to chit-chat about Desiree’s demise and waved his last comments aside. “Do you k
now why she quit?”

  “Something to do with a guy.” He raised his hands and shrugged. “Don’t know exactly what, but that’s the story.”

  “Is there anyone else here who might know more about it?”

  “My wife, Helen, but she’s off on an errand. She should be back…” he looked at his watch, “…in about ten minutes if you want to wait.”

  I rubbed my forehead. Gino would be less than happy if I didn’t make it back in time for his client, but this was important. Maybe Helen would return earlier than he expected. “I’ll wait a bit.”

  “No sense standing out here. Come on inside. I’m George, by the way. Me and Helen own this place.”

  After five minutes, I questioned the wisdom of agreeing to wait. “Thank you for letting me hang around, but I really can’t stay—”

  A woman’s voice interrupted me. “I’m back.” Helen spotted me. She placed two white plastic bags on the counter. “Are you here for the hostess job?”

  “No, sorry.” I introduced myself as a PI working with the police and asked if she could tell me why Joanna quit.

  Helen tsk’d and made the Sign of the Cross. “That poor girl. May she rest in peace.” She squinted. “But I thought they caught her killer.”

  “The police have a person of interest. We want to make sure it’s an iron-clad case.”

  “Okay then. Joanna claimed one of the customers was making her nervous. She was pretty sure he was following her home. She wouldn’t tell me who it was. Said she didn’t want to make any trouble.”

  That meant Helen couldn’t give me a description of the stalker. “Are you or your husband here during the bingo games?”

  She shook her head. “No. That’s why we have or had a hostess. Our niece is filling in for now. George and I own another bingo hall in Akron and we’re down there most evenings. It’s closer to home.”

  “Have you talked to the police about this guy or what Joanna told you?”

  “They caught her killer so quickly I didn’t think I needed to.”

  My phone rang just then. Gino, no doubt wondering where I was. I ignored it. “Do you have a camera videoing the bingo games?” Maybe the stalker guy would be on those videos. I was desperate for a break in this case.

  “No. But if you come back tomorrow night, one of our regulars, Louise, used to talk to Joanna. She could maybe describe him to you. We also have bingo on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays.”

  “What time does bingo start tomorrow?”

  “Seven, so if you get here by six thirty, you can ask Louise questions. After they start calling the bingo numbers, don’t even try to get anyone to talk to you.”

  After thanking George and Helen, I headed back to the office. On the way there, I called Corrigan to tell him what I’d learned. When it went into his voicemail I shook the steering wheel, imagining I had him by the shoulders. It seemed he was never around when it was important for a case. But when I was messing up, he managed to be right there. With no other option, I left a message asking him to call me ASAP.

  By the time I pulled into the office parking lot it was almost one thirty. Making my way up the stairs and into the office, I concocted an acceptable excuse. To my surprise, Gino was alone. He looked up at me, his face contorted into a furious scowl. “Where the hell were you?”

  Composing my face into what I hoped was sheer contriteness, I said, “I’m really sorry, but my aunt was in worse condition than I thought. She was so jittery she couldn’t even frost cupcakes. I had to do it for her. Then she needed me to fill the cream puffs. I did it as fast as possible. When you called, I was elbow deep in whipped cream.” I said a quick prayer hoping I hadn’t just jinxed my aunt.

  Gino folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, okay. Family comes first. But next time, you call me. I had to handle that crackpot by myself and it wasn’t easy.”

  It was time to reassure Gino. “You must have done a great job and satisfied the guy. He wasn’t here long.”

  “Gotta know how to talk to people, Claire. That’s the secret to success.”

  Suppressing a groan, I asked if he wanted more ready-to-close files.

  “Yeah, two if we got ‘em.”

  The rest of the afternoon passed like corn syrup dripping off a spoon. It probably didn’t help that I kept checking the time every five minutes. Finally, blessedly, the business day ended.

  Having already told Aunt Lena I’d be working late tonight and tomorrow night, I headed back home to feed and walk Charlie and to ring Corrigan again, since the man hadn’t returned my call.

  Still he didn’t pick up, but this time I left an even more detailed message regarding what I’d learned at the bingo center. Maybe that would get him to talk to me.

  After shoveling down a Lean Cuisine and savoring two chocolate-frosted brownies, I departed for Sacred Heart’s hall for bingo. For me, being lucky tonight meant finding out that the Red Bow Killer wasn’t already sitting in jail and I could collect the reward. For Mrs. Amato, who had played bingo at Sacred Heart’s, being lucky meant I’d find her killer.

  The church’s bingo games weren’t scheduled to start for another hour, but you’d never know it by the crowd of people already seated with their cards and markers. I got one bingo card and strolled around the room, pretending to be engrossed in the card’s numbers. The majority of players were women, middle-aged and older. The few men there were around the same age as the women they accompanied.

  Since the tables were filling up fast, I took a seat at Table 8 in the back. A few minutes later, one of the deacons announced the game was about to begin. Taking another glance around the room, I felt a wave of disappointment. Unless more people came in later, this was going to be a long night with little to show for it.

  The first game ended when a frail-looking woman yelled bingo. While the deacon went over her card to make sure she actually had the right numbers, the door opened and a few other players came in. I cringed. One was Angie, my aunt’s friend and employee. I could only hope she didn’t spot me since I’d lied to my aunt. I slid down into my chair, but it was too late. Angie smiled and headed straight toward me. The other people at my table made room for her and she sat to my right.

  “I didn’t know you liked bingo.” When I gave her a weak smile, one of her overly-plucked eyebrows shot up. “Okay. What are you really doing here?”

  “Please don’t tell Aunt Lena you saw me.” I went on to explain my motives.

  Angie looked set to respond when the deacon began calling out the numbers for the second game.

  It seemed to last forever, and I was beyond relief when at long last, someone yelled bingo.

  Angie nudged me with her bony elbow. “Let’s go to the restroom and talk.”

  Staring into the mirror fixing her bouffant hair, Angie said, “I won’t tell Lena if you promise me one thing.”

  All sorts of demands she could make rushed through my mind. What choice did I have? My aunt would be furious to know I lied to her, never mind that she’d think I was still playing detective and risking my life. Which I was, but she didn’t need to know.

  “What am I promising?”

  Angie grinned. “If you’re wrong, and the real killer’s already in jail, I won’t say anything to Lena. If you’re right, I want to help catch this creep.” She held up her hand to stop me from protesting. “I know, it could be dangerous, but this guy needs to be caught. Vincenza Amato, was a good woman and if this monster could kill someone like that, what’s to say he won’t get me next, or you, or even Lena? I want to be able to go home at night and not be crazy with fear that I’m gonna be wearing a red bow the next morning. Now that’s the end of this discussion.” She took a breath.

  “Plus, I know the regulars here and it’s none of them. So that saves you time. We need to go to other bingo halls.”

  I closed my eyes, wanting to turn her down. Angie has been Aunt Lena’s best friend since my aunt was eight and Angie was seven. If something happened to Angie, it would devastate my
aunt, and she’d never forgive me. At the same time if she knew what I was doing instead of working at Cannoli’s when she needed me, she’d be furious. My aunt can hold a grudge. She still isn’t talking to my cousin, Adriano, because he didn’t come to Cannoli’s grand opening five years ago. “Okay. But you have to do what I say.”

  She grinned like a human version of the Cheshire Cat. “Sure.”

  “All right then.” I cleared my throat. “Let’s go back and watch for any strangers coming in.”

  “That’s it? That’s all we’re going to do tonight?”

  “PI work isn’t as action packed as it is on television.”

  From the corner of her mouth she said, “I can see that.”

  By the time bingo night was over, neither of us won a single pot. Or identified possible suspects. One other guy came in after the initial arrivals. He was on oxygen, so he wasn’t a likely Red Bow Killer candidate.

  Before we exited the hall, I told Angie I would drive her to her car. “Just because we didn’t spot the guy doesn’t mean he’s not around. Once you’re inside your car, don’t unlock it until you get home.” Once she agreed to that rule, I added, “Next time there’s a bingo game, don’t drive to it alone. Have your son drop you off at the door and pick you up. In fact, he can bring the whole family.”

  In mock obedience, “Yes, mom.”

  “I’m serious.” Then I told her about attending Corey’s Bingo Center the next evening.

  She snapped her fingers. “Ooh, I can’t go with you. My grandson is playing in a school concert. I’ve got to be there.”

  Promising to fill her in on any pertinent happening, I drove her to her Ford and made sure she turned the engine on. The doors automatically locked. She waved as she pulled out of the lot. Sure Angie could no longer see me, I slumped in my seat, relieved she couldn’t make it the following evening. Chances were a lot better for spotting the killer, if indeed he was still free, tomorrow night at Corey’s. I didn’t want to worry about Angie’s safety. I’d be too busy worrying about my own.