“Angela’s quite a looker, huh?” Marcus asked Rafe.
He grinned and nodded in agreement. “She has the features of a Roman aristocrat, that one. Gorgeous woman.”
A smile on my face, I chuckled as they compared notes on my employees. There was no doubt they had noticed the two women. I glanced at the clock and headed for the bedroom while they chatted.
Sweeping the covers over the bed, I tossed the pillows in place and grabbed clothes from the closet and dresser. I passed the two men on my way to the bathroom.
“Help yourself to more coffee. I have to be in the city shortly,” I said.
A strong hand grasped my arm as I passed. Rafael’s eyebrows hiked a notch as he stared at me.
“What’s the hurry?”
“Vinnie has to identify a body for the PPD this morning,” Marcus said.
“Why you?” Rafe asked.
“Uh, um, well, the body was found at the senior center.”
“What does that have to do with you?” Rafe asked with both eyebrows arched in what looked like concern.
“Detective Anderson thought I might know this person in light of the fact that my mother and I spend so much time there.”
“Go take your shower and we’ll talk about this later.”
Confused as to why he was so concerned since Rafe had nothing to do with law enforcement, and didn’t know any of the people involved, I left the two men in the kitchen. After I showered, dressed, and slapped make-up on my face, I stepped into the kitchen to find it empty.
A note from Marcus lay on the counter reminding me that I was expected for dinner. Rafe had added a few words in his slanted stylized handwriting concerning the fact that he would see me later in the day. Again, my curiosity jumped into play, but I pushed it aside as I scrambled to make the seven o’clock deadline with Porter.
The car was running as I stepped out the door. The remote starter had turned out to be a wise investment. The windshield was defrosted and the car was slightly warm when I slid behind the steering wheel.
I sped toward the city at a breakneck pace along with other early morning commuters. The four-lane highway was packed, bumper-to-bumper, with drivers jockeying for position. I sipped coffee from the travel mug I’d filled before leaving the house when my cell phone jingled, “Here Comes Santa Claus”. I smiled at the sound and glanced at the caller’s I.D. Porter’s cell number scrolled across the screen.
“Where the hell are you?” Porter demanded. “I’ve been waiting for a half-hour.”
“Sorry, I got tied up,” I remarked.
“Literally or figuratively?” he asked with a snort.
“Don’t be impertinent,” I snapped. “I’m nearly there. Meet me outside the building, so we can get this over with.”
“I’m already parked outside the medical examiner’s office,” he informed me sarcastically.
“Great.” Heading off the exit ramp into the city, I took a left at the traffic light. I ended the call and caught two red lights before I parked in the lot outside the M.E.’s office. My coffee still warm, I sipped it waiting for Anderson’s approach.
He slid into the passenger seat of the Altima. Porter’s serious expression alarmed me, though he nodded in greeting. It was then that I realized it wasn’t going to be a wonderful day.
“Good morning,” he said without a hint of good humor. “It’s decent of you to do this, Vin. I appreciate the effort.”
“Sure,” I said. “Sorry about the delay.”
He nodded and opened the door to get out. When I’d joined him, we strode toward the large, sterile-looking building. Entering the quiet corridor, we walked down a long hallway and took a left. A wooden bench sat outside a metal door that held a small window. Inside, there was an anteroom with a single desk and a bulky, old computer. Nothing adorned the walls, and a bleak atmosphere pervaded the room. Another closed, steel door faced us. Porter knocked and we entered at the behest of whoever was inside. Gleaming floors shone in the glare from overhead lights. Stainless steel compartment doors with pull handles lined two walls.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and greeted the tall, gaunt man who stood three feet away. His white lab coat hung off sharp, boney shoulders. He reminded me of Lurch, the butler from the old Addam’s Family television series. Sunken eyes and bleached skin stretched tight over his facial bones. They were set off by a heavy thatch of brown hair, which sprung in all directions at once, as though permanently electrified. Furry eyebrows sloped over the sunken eyes, and a beaklike nose loomed above thin lips.
“You’re here to view the body, I suppose?” he asked Porter in a flat, subdued voice.
“We are,” Porter said with a nod.
The man opened one of the steel doors and pulled the table handle. The table rolled out on silent casters. A white sheet draped the body. I had expected a body bag, but didn’t say so. When Lurch pulled the sheet just past the chin, Porter urged me forward to take a look.
My breath came out in a swift exhale. I had worried the body was one of the sweet people that my mother dealt with regularly, but instead it was Mrs. Galumpky. My knees weakened as I backed into Porter.
“Where did you find this woman?” I asked Porter in a hoarse croak.
From behind me, Porter said, “She was stuffed into the bushes. She’s a good-sized woman, so needless to say half of her was sticking out. The patrolman for the area noticed her, and he made the report. Do you know her? There was no identification with the body.” Holding my arms gently, Porter watched my reaction closely.
I wondered for a moment if he thought I’d been involved. “That is Mrs. Galumpky,” I said. A shiver ran down my spine. “She handled the accounts and such at the senior center and also those for the attached housing complex.” My sweaty hands became clammy. I casually wiped them on my slacks. At least I hadn’t done the hair flip thing, which was a dead give-away of my stress level.
Porter released my arms. “You seem relieved somehow. Who did you think this was, Vin?” Porter asked. His light gray eyes bore into my dark ones.
“I was afraid it was someone my mother helped at the center. She’s very attached to those people and it would break her heart if any of them died.” I glanced away from the body as Lurch slid it back into its space. “What was the C.O.D.?”
“Cause of death was a thump on her head with the proverbial blunt instrument. She has a double-sided fractured skull.”
I took a deep breath and asked Porter if we could leave. My whole body had started to sweat, causing my clothes to cling to my skin.
“Sure, this makes you queasy, huh?” Porter asked and nodded toward Lurch as we left the room.
“It isn’t one of my favorite activities, if that’s what you mean.” I glanced at the time.
“Thanks, Vin, for coming in. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Been up all night, huh?”
“You got it,” he said, followed by a yawn. “When the body was found, I was in the area and got assigned this particular task.” He arched a brow as we stood outside the building.
“Where were you between four and seven last night?” Porter asked as he held the car door open for me.
Unwilling to take offense at the question, I glanced at him and gave him the answer. Sketching out my evening, I left out the sex part.
He nodded and appeared to be relieved that I had an unshakable alibi. I, too, was relieved beyond belief. The last thing I needed was to become a suspect in another death.
Porter softly apologized for having to put me through the ordeal.
“Thanks, but this isn’t my first time in this situation. Why would anyone want to murder Mrs. Galumpky?” I settled into the car. “She was a forthright woman with a low tolerance lever, but that doesn’t mean she should die over it,” I stated and leaned back against the seat.
Peering into the open car window, Porter asked, “You have no idea why anyone would do this?”
“No, I hardly knew her. She handled the resident’
s business and the accounts for the facility. Other than that, I rarely saw her. She popped in to the center whenever there was a function, but she never engaged in lengthy conversation or friendly banter.”
I thought for a moment and said, “Galumpky made her presence known by waving to the residents and then she’d nod at us before she left. Once in a while she’d ask a question of one or two of the women running the functions, but other than that, she stayed in her office, as far as I know.”
“Who were those women?” he asked.
Their faces popped into my head. I searched my memory for their names. When I came up with them, I told Porter who they were and where they lived. He nodded and wrote them down on a pad of paper from his pocket.
“I won’t be in class today. Any homework I should know of?” he asked.
“Just an extension on the topic we discussed yesterday. Nothing major, so you shouldn’t worry about it,” I said. I hit the control button for the window, and headed east.
Chapter 10
We’d parted company, and I headed toward downtown Providence. Crossing Memorial Boulevard, I swung onto South Main Street. It was still early and my gift shop was closed, so I turned onto the highway and drove toward the university.
Traffic streamed full ahead across George Washington Bridge. Cars, trucks, tractor-trailers, and such filled the wide lanes that stretched in both directions. Everyone hurried toward their destinations. I focused on the trip rather than how I’d started my day. Dead bodies are depressing. It was no wonder I wanted to wipe it from my mind.
The exit for the university loomed ahead. In the rearview mirror, I saw lights flashing from the roof of a gray state police cruiser. Not again, I thought with a sigh. I’d been stopped yesterday and given a warning. Today, I’d get a ticket. There was no doubt in my mind.
The window scrolled down in silence as I pressed the automatic button. When the officer stepped to the car, I glanced up to see Marcus peer in at me. He waited for me to make a remark, and I obliged.
“Gosh, you scared the bejeepers out of me. I thought I was going to get a ticket,” I whined and I knew it.
“You weren’t speeding for a change, so I thought something must be wrong. Is there?” Marcus asked with one brow raised.
His uniform was trim and impeccable. His hat cocked a bit to one side, giving him a rakish air. I had difficulty concentrating on the question as I stared at the handsome brute. He was a chick magnet, no question.
A glance at my watch said I’d be late, but the students would understand, and keep themselves amused for a bit. In a moment, I had explained the body and Porter’s questions.
A smile hovered on his lips as he said, “I bet this was one time you were glad to have an unbreakable alibi.”
“Damn right.” I smiled.
“Don’t forget dinner tonight, my place. Good day, ma’am.” He dipped his head and walked away before I could answer. Feeling better, I drove to class.
The noise from the room of students filtered into the hallway. Someone had started a debate over the newest dead body found in the City of Providence and how it had occurred. Suspicions ran rampant as the Five-O’s exchanged ideas with security personnel. I let the din continue for some time before it petered out. Everyone stared at me in silence as they realized it was time to discuss the present assignment.
The lecture lasted for fifteen minutes before a question and answer period began. The subject returned to the dead body discussed the previous day. I waited to answer questions concerning what would happen in the investigation once the body was identified. Some of the cops already knew the answer, but the newer rookies had no idea.
Class time flew past. The students were dismissed a bit late, but nobody seemed to care. Nor did I. To focus on the classroom instead of murder, my family, and the mayhem that would soon follow was a relief. Mayhem was definitely, and without a doubt, going to happen. I just knew it.
Everyone left as I packed my valise. The door opened, and Attorney Casali entered the room. Assuming that he’d checked out my background and schedule, or he wouldn’t be here, the hair on my neck bristled. I took a sharp breath.
“Good day, Mr. Casali,” I greeted him nonchalantly.
“Ms. Esposito. How are you?” He approached the desk with a smarmy grin on his face.
“Fine, fine. What brings you to Portsmouth?”
“I was in the neighborhood, and wanted to have a word with you.”
“You were lucky to catch me. I’m on my way out.” I hefted the valise in one hand, slipping my handbag onto my shoulder with the other. I started for the door. Casali stepped between me and it. With an abrupt halt, I settled the valise onto a nearby chair and waited. I edged around the chair to be more than an arm’s length away from the short man.
Casali’s dark eyes slid over my torso. It turned my stomach to watch him lick his lips as though I was a cannoli waiting to be eaten. His short stature and portly paunch filled his shiny suit. The clothing reminded me of the thugs on Federal Hill in the old days. They’d recently up-scaled their suits to Armani instead of this cheap fabric. That was where the correlation between the two ended. I’d have been more comfortable around one of those bad boys, than I was with this slimy man.
“I speak Italian fluently, Ms. Esposito. It is rather bad manners to speak another language in the company of strangers. Didn’t you ever learn that as a child?” he murmured in a soft voice.
Alarms sounded in my head at the words. This would definitely be a confrontational affair. He was looking for trouble and thought he could intimidate me. Think again, my little voice said. I stepped back toward the desk as he stared at me.
“My manners are no business of yours,” I uttered. “You think you’re onto a good thing here, Mr. Casali, with hopes that a murder trial will bring you fame and fortune, am I right?”
“Not at all. It wouldn’t hurt if that was so, but my first, and only, concern is for you and your mother.”
I snorted. “Huh, I think not.”
He stepped closer to the desk and I waited. About five inches taller than the man, I knew I could inflict serious pain on him if he became aggressive. The assurance gave me confidence, though I was unwilling to enter combat, especially since he was an attorney. A lawsuit loomed before me as I took a verbal stand.
“What are you really here for, Mr. Casali?” I asked with a fair amount of curiosity.
“Since you were playing hard to get, I thought maybe I’d come to you since you wouldn’t come to me. I know you find me attractive, so just admit it.” Casali stepped around the edge of the desk.
Before he could enter my space, I moved away and waited. One more step toward me and I’d let him know just what I really thought of him. My body tensed as I readied for his next move.
The classroom door opened and Rafe stepped inside. The smile on his lips faded when he looked at my face. I nodded to him as relief swam through my body.
“Hey, Rafe, I’m glad you could make it,” I said. “I was getting ready to leave.”
His glance flicked to Mr. Casali, who’d turned in surprise at the interruption. Casali’s chin tipped up farther and farther, until I thought his neck would break. Stifling a chuckle at the sight of it, I stepped away from the man.
“Mr. Casali, this is Rafael, a friend of mine. He lives upstairs from me.” That should take care of him.
The two men shook hands. I saw Rafe’s eyes narrow a tad. Abruptly, Rafe disconnected the contact.
“Pleased to meet you,” Rafe murmured before he turned toward me. “Are you ready to leave, Vin? I have reservations for us at The Tempting Teapot.”
This was the first I’d heard of it and wasn’t sure he was telling the truth or making it up. I went along with the act.
“Let’s go.” I turned to Mr. Casali and said, “We’re finished here, right? There’s nothing further to discuss, understand?”
“Yes, certainly,” Casali said and cleared his throat gruffly. He nodded toward Rafael, c
ollected himself, and left the room.
My valise swung from Rafael’s hand. I hitched my shoulder bag back in place as we left the building. A sigh of relief escaped me as we walked side by side.
“What was that about? I thought you were going to punch the daylights out of him when I walked in and saw your expression.”
I glanced up with a grin. “It had occurred to me, but escape was uppermost in my mind.”
“Was he coming on to you?” Rafe asked with a serious demeanor.
“He tried, but that wasn’t an option for him. He was about to step into my space, and I was about to run like hell. I did want to put him on the floor and kick the living daylights out of him, though.”
“It’s fortunate that I showed up when I did.” Rafe chuckled.
“Casali wants fame and fortune. He seems to think a murder trial with Mom and me as the defendants will put his name in lights.”
“You told him it wasn’t going to happen, huh?”
“Something to that effect.” I smiled and tucked my hand into the crook of his arm.
Our vehicles, his Saab and my powder-blue Altima, sat next to one another. We’d each slipped behind our steering wheels when Rafe lowered his window and waited for me to do the same.
“I do have reservations for us, you know,” he said with a grin. “I wasn’t joking.”
“You weren’t?” I smiled.
He shook his head. “Follow me.”
With a nod, I cruised behind him until we reached the eastbound exit in Seekonk, Massachusetts. I turned off the exit and into the lot, drawing my car up next to his.
The gift shop attached to the restaurant was one of my favorites. A place where I’d often purchased gifts for family and friends. The quality of the treasures sold were hard to match anywhere in the area. Unique and lovely metallic colors shined wherever I looked when we entered the building.
Gorgeous, collectible cats of paisley and prints, stood tall and short on a table. I petted them as though they were alive. Rafe touched my shoulder, and I glanced up to see the mirth on his features.
J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder Page 8