by Molly Dox
Chapter 7
Pops sat at one of the small tables in the back of the deli. When Gina arrived, he stood and stretched. "I was thinking of going down to the playhouse and seeing if there was anything that might have gone unnoticed. I talked with one of the guys down at police headquarters, and while I can't officially contribute, being retired and all, he knows I did plenty of investigating back in my day. So, if I happen to see something and mention it out loud, you know, he could jot notes. A retired Philly detective can't work the crime scene, but I'm not sure they swept the area like an experienced department would. To be honest, they don't see many homicides out this way. Charlie Samson is one of the guys that frequents the pub. I talked to him last night. He’s going back out to investigate and re-scan the area. Anyway, I mentioned that it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring extra eyes. I told him I knew some people that had a vested interest..."
"You are the best," Gina squealed. She swung her arms around her father's neck and hugged him. "Thanks, Dad."
"Where's Lottie?"
"Oh, I dropped her at the ice cream stand. I'll text her and tell her we'll pick her up along the way. What time are you meeting Charlie there?"
"The sooner the better. I wanted to get in a round of golf this afternoon, before the summer crowds come along and it's next to impossible to get a good tee time."
"Has your swing gotten any better?" she teased.
Pops groaned. "Not much, but it's a learning process. Golf wasn't my thing until I retired. There's a learning curve."
"What was your thing, Pops? Work all day, pub at night?"
He grinned. "I can drink anyone under the table, or I could work double shifts until the cows come home."
"Oh, Mom used to crow about you being gone all day," Gina said with a laugh. "But, we got it, you know. You took good care of your family. You were a good provider."
"Thanks, Gina. That means a lot. Man, I miss your mama. Nobody could get under my skin like that old broad." He smiled to himself.
"Seems like forever," Gina added.
Giuseppe strolled back to where the others were. "Hey, Pops. You were right about that place you mentioned."
Gina arched an eyebrow. "What place?"
"Don’t you worry about it. I just gave the boy some pointers on a place I found. Good date material is all," he finished.
"How did the date go, speaking of Jessica?" Gina turned toward her son.
Giuseppe grinned. "I'm seeing her again tonight if that tells you anything."
"You should bring her to dinner. I'll make a nice meal; we can talk," Gina started.
"Yeah, not happening. You'll smother her with questions and ruin my date. Besides, I already asked her what she knew about it," he said with a mischievous grin. "It’s not like I'm going to let Carla rot in jail."
"You did? What did she say?” Gina waited anxiously.
"She said she didn't have any new information. The last thing she saw was a guy with flowers. He was bringing them into Carla's dressing room. Kitty didn't look too happy. Apparently, the two of them have something going on the side."
"Wait? The director and Carla? I'm lost. He was bringing her flowers? I thought Carla wasn't interested in him."
"Oh, right. Nah, the guy made some comment under his breath as he walked by, but she couldn't make it out. Anyway, she thought there was some kind of tension between the three of them. She didn't know what was between them all, but she was certain she'd seen Kitty smooching up to him the prior day." Giuseppe tied on a white apron and folded it down so it covered only his jeans. He liked his full, muscled arms to be on full display when the ladies came into the deli. It never hurt to enjoy the attention of the adoring female fans, even if they were all twice his age and older. The retired crew still made him smile, the older ladies flattering him every chance they got.
"That's my boy," Gina said. She gave her son a hug then ran toward the door. "I need to go see Lottie!"
"Wait, there's more-" he said, but it was too late, she was gone.
"You dog, a second date tonight," Pops said with a wink. "You did good, kid."
Chapter 8
Ian wasn't a complicated guy, but he knew what he liked. In fact, what he loved. He'd been in love with Carla Ambrogi for as long as he could remember. She barely noticed him at first, but as her biggest fan, he was suddenly on her radar. She'd accept a compliment and flowers after a show, beaming and glowing. He'd seen most of her performances, until she left for New York. When he heard she'd be back in town for Summer Stock and was rehearsing at the local playhouse, he made sure to be there each day as she came and went, reminding her that in his eyes, she was the best thing since sliced bread.
He'd chosen a dozen long-stemmed roses. He'd found a gorgeous bouquet of white roses, in place of his usual red or tangerine that he usually got for her. He wanted to give them to her himself, but the director scooped them from his arms and told him he'd pass them on. They were busy since they’d be opening soon, and Carla didn't have time to sit around talk. They had work to do, scenes to perfect, and props to finish.
Ian was about to protest, but the man wouldn't take no for an answer. He'd come back later. Before leaving, he glared at the director who was already walking away. He'd take care of him later. Ian didn’t appreciate the way he was tossed aside.
It was Carla that mattered to him. He'd find a way to convince her to give him a shot. He'd been working up his courage to ask her out, but being laced with shyness, sometimes the thought was easier than the action. Following up wasn't his specialty. She’d grown warmer toward him the last time she saw him, touching his arm while they spoke. One day she'd offer him a peck on the cheek, he was sure of it. That would be the perfect opportunity to finally ask her out.
Only, after reading the newspaper the following day, his future with Carla wasn't so certain. She was the main suspect in a murder investigation! They claim she’d killed the playhouse director. She'd saved him the trouble of doing it himself, but he didn't want her to take the fall for something that big. He needed to defend her innocence. Carla Ambrogi was no killer. She might be his future wife if things went his way, and there was no way he'd let his fiancé sit in jail. Some might call him delusional, but he preferred to see it as planning his future - a well thought out future.
He'd make his way back to the playhouse and snoop around. Maybe the police had overlooked something. His kitten would never harm another soul. She was sweet, soft, and tender. Or at least, he imagined her that way.
The front door was locked, but around back, the prop room was open. He pulled the door, expecting somebody to protest and ask what he was doing, but nobody was around. Ian glanced over his shoulder to double check, but the coast was clear. Or so he thought. Not long after he snuck in, he heard voices coming from the front of the small building. Ian ducked into one of the dressing rooms and stepped behind a rail of clothing that hung on a rolling rack. Thankfully, he'd walked over, so his car wasn't sitting out front giving him away.
Ian gasped when he realized what was going on. It sounded like an officer had come in with some extra people. He heard two male voices and two female voices. Ian stood as still as he possibly could. He held his breath for extra measure.
"So, the body was found over that way, in the back. Let's cross over the stage. Off to the side are dressing rooms, storage and props are over that way. Try not to touch anything, but if you see something suspicious, let me know," the officer instructed.
Their voices carried through the small theater. It wasn't a big place, and the acoustics coming off of the stage made the officer's voice sound louder than it was.
Ian wasn't sure whether to make a run for it or stay put. If he was caught, he'd be in serious trouble, and yet if he moved, he might draw more attention. He chose to remain exactly where he was. He was barely breathing, but then....no, no! Ian sneezed, unable to stop it before it was too late. There was nothing he could do.
A woman shouted, "Over there, somebody is over there!
"
The officer ran over to where she was and together they searched the dressing rooms. They were one small room over, where the bit players changed. He was in the main dressing room for the stars - Carla being one of them. Ian jumped from the rack and bolted, hoping to be out of view before they came from the other room, but just as he turned to go, a booming voice ordered him to stop. "Freeze!"
Ian held his ground. He froze on the spot as if his shoes were made of concrete. Ian threw his hands over his head, covering himself from whatever shots might be fired. "I didn't do it."
"Aww, put your hands down kid. I'm not going to shoot you," he said. "Hey Charlie, over here. We've got a visitor."
Officer Samson found his way over to Pops. "Well, what have we here? What brings you to a closed playhouse? Nobody is supposed to be here. Are you trying to hide some evidence? Grab something you left behind when you took out the director?"
"What? No! I didn't hurt the guy. I'm here trying to clear Carla Ambrogi. She was wrongfully accused." Ian scratched his head. Why would they think he killed someone, other than the fact that he was trespassing on a crime scene? Oh yeah, there was that.
Pops shot out his arm and offered his hand. "Carla's grandpop," he said to the man. "We're here trying to do the same. I'm a retired detective."
Ian shook the man’s hand. "I'm a friend, well, a fan. Well, yeah, anyway, I was hoping to be able to free her. Then maybe she'd see I’m more than just a 'super fan', and more like dating material."
"Oh, that's sweet," Gina said. She offered her hand. "Carla's mom.”
Ian shook the woman’s hand, then turned to Lottie. "Let me guess, Carla's sister?"
"Well, aren't you as sweet as Shoo Fly Pie? I'm her Aunt Lottie, Gina's much younger sister," she said with a wink.
The officer was less than amused. "Look kid, I get that you want to help, but you're interfering with our crime scene, breaking and entering, and tampering with evidence. Good intentions or not, I'm going to have to take you downtown."
Pops shrugged. "Unless you just mention that he came with us to help search for clues."
Charlie sighed. "Fine. Let's just wrap up here, and put an end to this thing."
It was the glint and shimmer of something that caught Lottie's eye. "I'll be right back," she said, looking to see what was sparkling. Light from a window was bouncing off something to the side. Lottie dipped down and scooped up a tiny dog. The charm looked like it belonged to a bracelet. Lottie brought it back to the group and handed it to Officer Samson. “Look what I found. It seems out of place. Somebody must have lost it.”
"I wonder who?" They didn't think much more of it at first, but then realized anything out of place was worth noting.
Chapter 9
Giuseppe changed his mind. It's not like his pockets were lined in gold, since he was saving up for a new car. He made a quick call to his mother and mentioned he'd bring Jessica over for dinner after all. He'd take her out later for ice cream and then they could take a walk on the beach. He knew if he didn't bring the girl over this time, his mom would keep badgering him anyway. Might as well get it out of the way. He'd apologize, insist his mother gave him little choice, and see how she handled the quick change of plans. He liked the girl, and if she was easy going about a shift in plans, maybe he'd ask her out again.
As the evening closed in on them, Giuseppe picked up Jessica and drove her to his house. "We're a pretty likable bunch, most times, but if my Pops goes into one of his long spiels, just not your head and don't let him see your eyes glazing over."
She laughed, like he was kidding, but he wasn't.
Giuseppe opened the front door and led his date to the kitchen. It was the center hub of the Ambrogi household.
Gina welcomed the girl to her home, before asking where she'd gotten such a lovely charm bracelet. Bells went off in her head. "That's so pretty."
"Oh, thank you," Jessica said, flattered by the compliment. She didn't bother mentioning that it wasn't hers. She'd borrowed it from a friend for her date. Normally, she wore mostly gold jewelry, but with silver sparkles running through her shirt, the bracelet was a nice match.
Dinner went smoothly enough, but it was near impossible not to mention Carla's situation. Gina worded things cautiously. "Has there been any talk about -- well, you know, at the playhouse?"
"Oh, I don't know. It was still closed from what I’ve heard. They haven't asked me to return for a few days. I think they were still investigating. I was told that we'd be pushing everything back one week." Jessica paused and then delicately added, "I'm sorry about your daughter."
Gina felt the girl was sincere, but she didn't trust anyone at this point. "Who was Carla's understudy? Was that you?"
Jessica shook her head, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. "Oh, dear, no. I'd be too uncomfortable with so much attention. I like working behind the scenes. Kitty is going to be taking over. Again, I'm sorry. I thought they'd cancel the show, but they've only pushed it back. One of the old director's offered to step in after he heard about the tragedy."
"Kitty, huh?" Gina said.
"Quite honestly, I don't know how she's able to do it. Her and... well, the two of them were involved. The director, Finn, and Kitty were sort of a quiet item on the sidelines. Not many knew about it, but I stumbled into them one day, quite literally, tripping, and they were behind one of the costume racks. Anyway, when I stopped by to see her earlier, to see if I could borrow her bracelet, she didn't seem as sad as I'd expect. Her pseudo-boyfriend was found dead, but she wanted me to know the show would go on." Jessica covered her mouth. "I should keep my opinions to myself. I'm sorry, I've said too much."
"No, you've been quite helpful, thank you," Gina answered.
Giuseppe made a big show of 'are we having dinner or not' and then casually slid his arm over Jessica's shoulder. She settled in against him, liking this new move.
Gina's mind ticked. She needed to talk to Lottie. It appeared that Kitty had more cards on the table than she was willing to admit. Not only was the charm bracelet hers, she didn't seem upset over the fact that her beau had been knocked off, and wanted the show to go on. Something wasn't adding up, and it was time to learn more. Kitty had some explaining to do. If they could get Kitty to spill the beans, maybe admit to being involved in foul play, it may just save Carla from being charged and tried for a crime she didn't commit.
Chapter 10
Lottie's ears were getting red. "That little, conniving toad!"
"Yeah, when I heard she wasn't even upset about Finn kicking the bucket, knowing they'd been, you know, a thing, something felt weird about that. Right?" Gina paced as she spoke. "And the flowers, apparently, she saw him bringing them into Carla's room and got bent out of shape. Jessica mentioned she heard shouting, but she didn't stick around to hear more. She said it made her uncomfortable so she left to take a walk. Nice girl by the way, I think our Giuseppe may have a thing for her. He was very sweet with her, tender...hardly the Giuseppe we know and adore."
"Oh sweet, he always picks the wrong type of girl for him. Hopefully, he sticks with this one for a while. Do you like her? How was she otherwise?"
"Very sweet, agreeable, friendly, a little shy, but I kind of like her. Not bad after Giuseppe's last girlfriend, Bianca. Yikes, that girl was trouble!"
Lottie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, wasn't fond of the last girlfriend."
"There was just one thing that bothered me. She went from knowing and saying almost nothing, to knowing more than I expected. So, why hadn't she told the police all the stuff she was telling me? According to the report, she didn't mention much of anything. She said she didn't see or hear anything, and didn't really know anyone well, since she was new in town. And yet, she went out of her way to borrow jewelry from a girl she didn't know well...that's the only part that bothered me."
"Odd, you don't think..."
"I don't want to think, because I like her, and Giuseppe likes her, and she's nice, and she's certainly not Bian
ca. This girl actually wears proper clothes."
"She's not a micro-mini queen with a bikini top for a date material, and those thigh high boots, oh dear goodness, that girl liked to stand out.”
"Yeah, well, Bianca might not have been a hooker, but she sure dressed like one. So, Jessica’s humble nature is a nice change of pace." Gina frowned. "Am I giving her leeway for the wrong reasons? I just... Most people don't borrow jewelry unless they're good friends. Maybe she was closer to Kitty than she said, and yet, based on the police report... Something isn't adding up. Remember, I found that charm? Yeah, she was wearing a charm bracelet that she happened to borrow from Kitty. Coincidence? Or was it truly her bracelet?"
"It’s speculation... We don't really know, do we? Kitty will be coming over for the Ice Cream Queen stuff, let's ask her about a charm bracelet and see if she owns up to it being hers, or if she has no idea what we're talking about." Lottie fidgeted, lacing her fingers together.
"What do you think of that Ian character? Seems like he has Carla's best interest in mind, even if he is a little creepy and hanging around. I can't imagine him wanting her to be put in jail. He wouldn't have access to her there. Unless, he'd have access via visitation and that was his plan? To keep her like a caged bird. I want to believe he has good intentions."
Lottie stood up for Ian. "I think he wants her to himself, but out of prison. Sounds like he has a crush more than anything."
"Let's hope you're right, because the less people we suspect of foul play, the easier it will be to catch them."
"Oh, there was one other thing that crossed my mind," Lottie mentioned, "but, I think I'll wait to tell you this one. Let's go pay somebody a visit. After everything we've gathered so far, something just hit me."
"And what would that be?" Gina was anxious.
"Come on, let's go have a talk with somebody. I'll tell you more on the way." Lottie answered.
"Tell me! Tell me!" Gina nudged.