Ashes of Autumn (Mina's Adventures Book 4)

by Maria Grazia Swan

  In spite of all her good intentions Mina found herself speechless. Was Margo overreacting? “Margo, you need to tell me the whole story. I haven’t had much food all day. How about you?”

  She shook her head.

  “What do you say we order a pizza? I know, I know, I’m always bitching about American pizza but these are special circumstances. Do you know of a delivery place around here?”

  This time Margo nodded.

  “Okay then, let’s order a pizza and grab a drink downstairs and let’s talk. Here,” She handed her a tissue from her purse. “Blow your nose. I’ll get out of these clothes and meet you downstairs. Okay?”

  In the kitchen, Margo sipped beer from the can, and Mina poured herself a glass of Prosecco from the open bottle in the refrigerator. The pizza should be arriving soon.

  “Soooo, you want to talk or wait for the pizza?”

  No answer, just sniffling. “Dear God, Margo, what happened at that school? I’ve never seen you so distraught.”

  The doorbell rang. The pizza had arrived. Mina grabbed the money they had already counted for the pizza plus tip. But when she opened the door, there stood the same cop that worked the surveillance shift the night before. He wanted to make sure the deliveryman was legit. They ended up offering some pizza to the policeman, and he seemed to be the only one who actually enjoyed it. He firmly refused the cold beer, even with Margo pestering him. After he went back to his car, it was time to compare their sad stories. “You go first,” Mina said.

  “I’m old. I’m so fucking old I might as well die.”

  That wasn’t what Mina expected. And even for Margo, the statement was way off any mood chart. “You wish to die because you think you’re old, and I wish to die just because I am alive. What a great pair we are.”

  “We are alone. No one wants us.” Margo bobbed her head to the cadence of her sad comments and Mina, who was at her second glass of Prosecco, picked up the tempo and did the same. “That’s right, we’ll die single and childless.”

  “In this sad, rented place.”

  “But I’m buying a house. Remember? And you should move in with me.”

  “We will still be single and childless.” Margo burped.

  “Wait, we could get a cat, like Kathy. No, we’ll need two cats, one for each one of us. Then we wouldn’t be alone, right?”

  “We don’t have a job. You don’t need one though…”

  “I know, I know…we will start a pet sitter service in our house in Laguna Canyon, and we will have all kind of little furry friends, and people would love us because we are good to their pets. What do you think?”

  “It depends. Would I have to sleep with the animals?”

  “No, of course not. There are guest quarters over the garage. Hey, that’s a great idea, why didn’t I think of that before?”

  “They made fun of my hair and my jewelry. They made faces behind my back as we walked by.” Margo said.

  “You poor, poor girl. Wait. Who are they?”

  “The students, you know? The beauty academy students. I had to take the tour with the person who tells you about the school and the fees and all that. She must have been nineteen years old. I knew she didn’t like me even if she kept smiling. I guess that’s what they pay her to do. We walked through the different classes. There are so many people learning to be beauticians. And they were all young and sort of… I don’t know…different, with body piercing and strange haircuts. I didn’t mind, not at all, although I did feel old. Then the whispering started, and I knew they were talking about me, and I could sense it wasn’t good. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I didn’t want any of the papers to read and fill out. I already decided I wasn’t going to go to any beauty school. I drove home, and, well, you know where you found me.”

  Mina gave her a big hug. But the idea fueled by the Prosecco suddenly didn’t sound half bad. She liked the concept of a place where she could take care of people’s pets while earning money, and Margo could be her partner. The cottage that was to be her love nest could be her pet shelter. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

  “Margo, I’m serious. Forget beauty school. Let’s do this. Tomorrow morning first thing I’m calling Kathy and asking her to speed up the deal. I want to be able to move in as soon as possible, and we also need to make sure we can have a permit or whatever it’s called for us to watch people pets. It’s like when people baby sit kids, right?”

  “I don’t know, Mina, I’ve always been a secretary working for a boss. I sat and did what I was told to do. This would be so different almost like playing instead of working. You’re sure you want to do this? Do you even like animals?”

  “Like them? I love them. I don’t want to call Kathy this late, she may be with De Fiore.”

  “What did you say?” Margo’s personality was back in full color.

  “Oh, that’s right. You don’t know. I found out today. Remember when De Fiore asked for her business card? So I gave it to him and didn’t think about it, I mean the man is such a loner. Well, he met with her at her office to talk real estate, and then she told me they were meeting for drinks after work. Drinks after work. I just can’t imagine what he’s going to talk about. I don’t ever remember him talking about anything else but work. Right?”

  “Right. Must have been love at first sight.” She sighed.

  “I’m kind of glad, you know? They are both single, hard-working, they may be the same age. Hey, if they get married, I’ll be the matchmaker. Maybe they’ll name their firstborn after me.”

  “How old do you think they are? How come I never met this Kathy?”

  “Because you’re never around when she picks me up. That’s why. Shoot, I’ll have to tell Adams, huh?”

  “Oh, you mean about the pet sitting idea?”

  Mina nodded. “He may need to adjust the plans for the remodeling. Maledizione, I wish I paid more attention when Kathy showed me the drawings today. That’s okay. We can still make changes. This is so exciting.”

  They put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and for the first time since Diego left her, the vise that gripped her chest and her heart somehow released, and Mina conceded to herself that maybe, just maybe, life could go on without him.

  CHAPTER 15

  The euphoric state brought on by the Prosecco encouraged Mina’s acceptance of life without Diego. She convinced herself it was akin to losing a limb. Life would go on–she would adapt–other people did it–she would too. And she would share all the pent up love she carried in her heart with unlucky kittens and puppies, and the world would be a better place. That’s what she thought as she fell asleep.

  In the morning however, her perspective had changed, a lot. Her headache didn’t help. She was mad as hell, mostly at De Fiore for taking her car and tricking her into sharing the humiliating secret about Diego kissing the dark-haired woman. Her Diego. That witch, who was she? She would hunt her down. Yes, she would make her pay. She should have kept the photo Madrid had. He probably left it with De Fiore. Of course, they must have been copies. That’s it. She would pay De Fiore a visit. Wait, how? No car.

  She dragged herself downstairs and made coffee. Margo was still asleep, good for her. First she would call De Fiore, demand to get her beloved Bug back, then she would need to tell Kathy about speeding up the purchase of the Laguna Canyon property. Finally she had to go face Adams and discuss her business plan. Business plan. That sounded very grown up. Her mother would have been proud. She surfed channels looking for news, waiting for nine am to come around. The never-before-never-after-nine phone call rules her grandmother taught her still controlled her subconscious. At nine she dialed De Fiore’s cell.

  “Well, good morning Mina. Are you okay?”

  “Of course I’m okay. Why shouldn’t I be?”

  “Oh, here we go with the attitude. What’s going on? My men annoying you?”

  “Your men? Huh…wait…you mean the bodyguard? Nope, no bother. Actually, we like Chris.”


  “We?”

  “You know–Margo. Yeah, Chris is nice. We let her stay at the house. Anyway, I called for two reasons.” She heard a sigh at the other end. “Am I boring you, Detective De Fiore?”

  “Boring? You? Me? Never. Other choice words come to mind, but why don’t you tell me to what I owe the pleasure?”

  Mina ignored his sarcasm. “Two things. First I need my car back, very important. Second, when I come to get my car, I would appreciate it if you could give me a copy of the photo of the long, dark-haired woman that–who–you know…the one at the pool, the house on the mountain.”

  Silence.

  She waited. After a while she wondered if they got disconnected. “De Fiore?”

  Some grumbling, then, “Unbelievable. You’ll get your car back when I say so. As for the photo…? Seriously? Here we are, a whole department trying to keep you safe and stop whoever is doing this, and all you can think of is to find out who was the unfortunate woman who kissed your boyfriend. Don’t deny it; that’s why you need the car and the photo. What are you planning on doing? Playing detective to track her down?” The devil man read her mind. “And then what? Grow up. The man sends you flowers. What for? I’ll never figure that out. A woman kissed him, and you are out for revenge? What part of someone is trying to kill you do you not understand? Stay home. Watch television. Paint your nails–whatever. I don’t know, but stay out of my way. Got that? Good.” He hung up.

  She sat, stunned. Whoa! De Fiore wasn’t pretending. He was mad. Boyfriend? He called Diego her boyfriend. He had to know they broke up. Did he not? Maybe he was not a morning person, or maybe he didn’t sleep well. Oh, right, Kathy. Perhaps he went out with Kathy. Why didn’t she think of that? She should have called Kathy first, talked her into being her ally. She dialed the Realtor’s number.

  “Good morning, Mina. You’re up early.”

  “And you sound…cheerful.” She stopped herself short of saying happy. Better pretend she didn’t know about De Fiore’s late night.

  “I am. It’s a beautiful day in Orange County, and I’m working on your file. What can I do for you?”

  “You’re at the office?”

  “Indeed, been here since eight. Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “I’m not a morning person so I’m always puzzled by morning cheerfulness. Plus, I’m still without a car.” She waited to see if Kathy took the bait.

  “Why don’t you get yourself a rental?” Wrong answer. Better switch gears.

  “I’ll think about it. How fast can we close on the house? I’ve been discussing business possibilities with my roommate and…”

  “Margo?”

  “Yes, Margo. You sound…skeptical?”

  “Isn’t she going to beauty school to become a hairdresser? You can’t run a beauty shop out of your house…”

  “No, no, it’s all changed. She isn’t going to that school, long story. We are going to rescue pets.”

  Silence. Again? What was it with morning people? Their brains worked in slow motion, or what?

  “Mina, that’s great.” Oh, good. “I’m all for saving helpless creatures, but…” Oh, here we go… “You may want to discuss it with Adams. It’s a little out of my know-how. It will probably have to do with how many animals you take in and all that, but it’s feasible. Again, talk to Adams, and I will do my part to close escrow as soon as possible. How is that?”

  “Perfect.” Just as she hung up she realized nothing was said about getting De Fiore to hand over her car and a copy of the witch’s picture. Maledizione. Time to wake up Margo and get serious about things.

  Days went by slower than Italy at siesta time. In a moment of loneliness, in the middle of a sleepless night Mina decided to call Emilia, her old friend back home in Vicenza. She missed the warmth and the camaraderie. She also missed Fufa the cat. Since it was daytime in Vicenza, Emilia was more than happy to chat and catch up on things. She listened to Mina’s short versions of the break up and the soon to be completed purchase of the place in Laguna Canyon. Of course, even the short version was a painful one, and while Emilia didn’t come out and shout, “I told you so,” in regard to Diego, it was implied. Then it was Emilia’s turn to share unexpected news. Gino, the lawyer turned bar manager, a good friend of Diego’s, had paid an impromptu visit just last week. Gino? How strange.

  “What’s strange?” Emilia asked. “I have a good supply of excellent wine, and he likes to talk. By the way, he cut off his ponytail, looks much better. He asked about you, but I didn’t have much to tell. He did comment that no news is good news. I assume he didn’t know about you and Diego? Or maybe he did and was fishing for my reaction. Except, I didn’t know about it until five minutes ago. Oh, what a complicated life we create for ourselves.”

  Just hearing Gino’s and Diego’s names brought back an avalanche of memories from her time in Italy only a few months ago. It now felt like a lifetime away. She hung up feeling even more depressed, and she forgot to tell Emilia about her intention to open a shelter for stray and abandoned pets.

  Since they were both unemployed and waiting to move into their new home, Mina and Margo decided that instead of Mina renting a car, Margo would drive her to appointments. The one they both dreaded was to Adams’s office.

  The office was empty. Even the receptionist had gone to lunch. Mina assumed Adams picked the dead time on purpose. What was he up to? Margo entertained herself with old magazines, very old. The Vanity Fair cover with a naked and hugely pregnant Demi Moore must have been at least a year old. The kid was not only already born, but walking.

  “So, Mina, tell me about this business idea of yours.” Adams spoke softly as usual, and he seemed in a pretty decent mood. So why was she so nervous?

  “I would like to open a place for abandoned pets. We would then put them up for adoption. I have been talking to people who have fostered cats and dogs and also to a veterinary clinic who would do spaying and neutering at a very low cost and…”

  “That’s all good dear, I can tell you feel very passionate about it. Do you happen to have anything in writing?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  The way Adams’s head jolted up to look at her from behind his massive desk was… priceless. Mina sent a silent thanks to Kathy who had convinced her to consult a business accountant who in turn wrote her business plan. Without a word, she laid the large pink folder on the desk. Again, he looked at her. “Pink, heh?” He tapped his fingers on the shining wood desktop then picked up the folder. “I like that. You’re finally putting your heart and brain into something. Let me go over this, and then I’ll let you know what I think. Okay? And, Mina, even if the zoning doesn’t allow for it, don’t be too concerned. You can always lease a small store front down below on the main road and still keep your pets,” He winked at her, “close to home.” And with that, the meeting she had so dreaded was over.

  “Let’s celebrate. Margo, do you have your cell? Let’s call Kathy and go do something fun…”

  “Finally I get to meet this Kathy of yours.”

  The three of them piled into Margo’s Camaro and drove to the Newport Beach Yacht Club where Kathy was a member. They sat at the bar drank, munched, and chatted, and Mina felt it was her best day since Diego left her.

  “I’m glad you’ve got Adams’s approval, or something to that effect,” Kathy said. “Tomorrow we should be ready to sign. If I call you, can you get yourself to the title company?”

  Mina looked at Margo who nodded. She’d been quietly keeping her gaze locked on the very handsome bartender, but thankfully limited herself to eye contact.

  “And then what? I sign…”

  “Relax, the seller is signing today. So if all goes as expected we should be getting the keys to your house within twenty-four hours. It will depend on what time you sign, whether title can get recording the same day or next morning. Either way, I hope you’re packed. Aren’t you?”

  Margo and Mina looked at each other. “We will be, starti
ng as soon as we get home. Where should we go to get boxes?”

  “You don’t even have boxes? Seriously? Packing boxes you need to buy, but for little stuff that isn’t fragile you should go to your favorite grocery store and ask. They’ll be happy to give them to you. Otherwise they just throw them away.”

  Mina decided this was the perfect time to be nosy. Gnawing on the lemon rind she fished from her drink, in her sweetest voice she asked, “By the way, how is Detective De Fiore these days?”

  Margo spit rum and coke from her nose, but Kathy didn’t even blink. “Best way to find out is to ask him directly,” she said and went back to sipping her wine.

  To Mina that was like admitting that they had “a thing.” Oh, well, she would come back to the subject next time around.

  It was after five by the time Margo and Mina and about a dozen empty cardboard boxes from Ralph’s made it back to the townhouse.

  They were going to pack, for sure. First thing tomorrow.

  CHAPTER 16

  Kathy called around two. Her voice betrayed her delight. “It’s done. I have the keys.”

  “Oh, my God, oh my God. I have a house. I have a house.” Mina shook Margo’s arms. “We have the keys.”

  “Hey, you’re spitting all over my phone.” Margo pretended not to be all that excited.

  “Kathy, where can we meet you?”

  “I’m in South Laguna, got the keys from the listing office, and I’m heading to the house. Should be there in about ten, fifteen minutes depending on traffic. Did you remember to have the utilities put under your name?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I did. They promised it would be done yesterday.”

  “Good, I’ll check it out when I get there. Where are you? Are you on your way?”

  “We are getting moving boxes from the hardware store, but I think we would do better shopping at a moving company and see what’s available. Anyway, we’ll head South in about five minutes. See you. And, Kathy, thank you so much.”