by J. D. Griffo
“You mean she’s too dumb a person,” Jinx said. “She needs someone who’s going to treat her with respect and protect her, instead of accusing her of making his life more miserable than it already is.”
She looked up and saw that Bruno wasn’t even listening to her, he was staring at the doors leading to the lobby, where Nola might be at this very second if she hadn’t left the building.
“Someone like you,” Jinx said.
“What do you mean, someone like me?” Bruno asked.
“You have to stop lying too, Bruno,” Jinx said.
“Lying about what?” he asked.
“Your feelings for Nola,” Jinx replied.
“I’m not in love with Nola,” Bruno protested.
Jinx didn’t respond, she just smiled at him and waited for him to realize what she already knew.
“I shouldn’t. I mean, she’s given me more legal headaches than any woman ever should,” Bruno said. “But ... there is just something about her that despite all my misgivings and my better judgment makes me want to protect her and hold her and, well, there you have it, I’m in love with her. Are you happy now that I said it and proved you right? I hope you’re happy, because I’m not happy because it doesn’t matter what I think or feel, Nola’s only got eyes for the loudmouthed director.”
Jinx smiled. Hearing Bruno’s nervous confession was heartwarming, but she also figured out how he could tug at Nola’s heartstrings. “I know the perfect way to make Nola forget about Johnny and fall in love with you.”
“This is not the time to toy with me, Jinx,” Bruno warned. “Swedes don’t condone violence, but Sicilians have a history of aggressive behavior.”
“I’m not toying with you,” Jinx said. “All you have to do is make her jealous.”
“And how am I going to accomplish that?” Bruno asked.
“By going out with another woman,” Jinx said, smiling a very pleased-with-herself smile as she put her hands on her hips.
“Nola isn’t going to get jealous if she sees me going out on a date with you,” Bruno said. “Freddy might punch me, but Nola wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.”
“You’re not going to go on a date with me,” Jinx replied.
“Then who am I going on a date with?” Bruno asked.
“Adrienne.”
CHAPTER 25
I bravi ragazzi non finiscono sempre per ultimi.
“You’re playing matchmaker between Bruno and Adrienne?” Alberta asked. “Lovey, that’s playing a dangerous game.”
“Gram, we’re investigating two violent murders,” Jinx replied. “How can playing Cupid be dangerous?”
“Because once you’re dead the pain is gone,” Alberta said. “If Bruno gets his heart broken, he’s going to carry that ache around with him for the rest of his life.”
Jinx held Lola closer to her face and rubbed her cheek on her fur. She wasn’t receiving any comforting words from her grandmother, maybe she’d get some solace from her favorite cat. Lola, however, proved she was her mother’s cat daughter and let out a noise that was part meow and part purr and jumped from Jinx’s arms to the kitchen floor. She stretched her lean limbs, did a quick, full-body shake, and sauntered off into the living room. There would be no more Lola love this morning.
“You think I made a big mistake butting my nose in where it doesn’t belong?” Jinx asked.
“I think your intentions came from a good place, lovey,” Alberta said as she placed the plate of scrambled eggs and tofu bacon in front of Jinx. “I’m just worried that this isn’t going to end well.”
“Because you don’t trust Adrienne?” Jinx asked.
“I don’t trust the heart,” Alberta replied.
“Sorry, Gram, I don’t understand.”
Alberta turned to the stove and transferred the rest of the eggs onto her plate, but added real bacon instead of the imitation meat Jinx preferred. The bacon was crisp on the edges, with a healthy proportion of fat, just the way Alberta liked it. It was good to be fortified with a hearty meal when you had to tell your twenty-seven-year-old granddaughter about the birds and the bees. Not the physical elements of the story, but the emotional ramifications.
Once again, Alberta was fascinated that Jinx could be so self-assured and mature in certain aspects of her life and yet be so ignorant in others. She didn’t know if it was a quality Jinx shared with other young women her age—Nola certainly was more street-smart—or if it was unique to her granddaughter.
“Even in the best matchmaking scenarios, there’s always a chance the relationship between the two people you’re setting up will go fuori dai binari, off the rails.” Alberta paused and took a bite of bacon, savoring its smoky flavor before she continued. “But here you have four people involved.”
“But only Bruno and Adrienne are going to go out on a date,” Jinx said.
“And they’re going to bring Johnny and Nola along for the ride as emotional baggage,” Alberta explained.
“I never thought of it like that, but it makes sense,” Jinx said. “I mean, the whole reason behind Bruno hooking up with Adrienne is to make Nola jealous.”
“Exactly!” Alberta cried. “But it isn’t just Nola’s emotions you’re playing with, it’s Johnny and Adrienne’s too.”
“And if three’s a crowd, what does four make?” Jinx asked. “A hostile gang?”
“Nothing may come of it, lovey, but we know Nola’s emotional and impetuous. She has a long, complicated history with Bruno, and I suspect she has feelings for the boy she’s never truly explored,” Alberta said. “We also know Johnny has a temper, so who knows how he’ll react if he catches his girlfriend getting upset that Bruno’s out with somebody other than her.”
“And then there’s Adrienne,” Jinx said.
“She’s the wildest wild card of them all,” Alberta said. “I mean, what do we really know about her?”
“On the surface she appears to be pretty cool, but she’s kind of a contradiction, Gram,” Jinx said. “When we interviewed her, she was blase about Missy, she didn’t get emotional, and, in fact, told us she didn’t even consider the woman to be part of her family.”
“Then, when she was onstage, she suddenly burst into tears,” Alberta said.
“And why was she onstage in the first place?”
“What do you mean, lovey?”
Jinx gobbled up her breakfast and, in between bites, described her concerns. “She isn’t an actress, she has no sentimental connection to her dead aunt, and yet when Nola suggested she take over Tambra’s part in the play, she immediately said yes and even agreed to move to Tranquility for a few weeks when she works a half hour away in Parsippany,” Jinx said. “When you break it down, it doesn’t make sense.”
Alberta scooped up a healthy forkful of eggs and chewed it slowly, ruminating on the details Jinx laid out. Once she had a chance to digest the information as well as the thick and fluffy eggs, she reversed her original position. Jinx hadn’t made a mistake grabbing hold of Cupid’s arrow, she’d made an insightful maneuver that might actually help them solve this case.
“It makes all the sense in the world, lovey,” Alberta declared.
“What?” Jinx asked. “You were just telling me I was playing with fire trying to shove Bruno into Adrienne’s arms.”
“I was wrong. We need to learn more about Adrienne, and what better way to do that than when her defenses are down while she’s on a date? Especially if Bruno keeps refilling her glass with wine,” Alberta said. “And do you know what will make the date even better?”
“If we strap a wiretap on Bruno and listen in on their conversation?” Jinx asked.
“Why use a wiretap when you can be there yourself?” Alberta asked. “You and Freddy are going to join them and make it a double date.”
“Gram, for an old lady of a certain generation you are totally with it!” Jinx exclaimed.
“That’s exactly what Sloan said to me last night,” Alberta said.
Jinx’s howls of
shocked laughter roared throughout the house and sparked Lola’s interest. The cat returned to the kitchen and placed her front paws on Jinx’s knee. Unable to resist Lola’s public display of affection, Jinx grabbed her around the belly and lifted her high up in the air. Unafraid, Lola closed her eyes and purred, and Jinx lowered her arms and cradled the cat like a baby.
“I’d love to play with you all day, Miss Gina Lollab-rigida, but I have to get ready for a hot date,” Jinx said.
“Do you think Freddy will go along with the plan?” Alberta asked.
“Freddy’ll do whatever I tell him to do,” Jinx said. “But I am worried Bruno is going to chicken out.”
Alberta got up and walked around the table to take Lola from Jinx’s arms. The cat did not appreciate Alberta’s interference and voiced her displeasure loudly.
“Zitto!” Alberta cried. “Shoosh, Lola, we have to let Jinx alone so she can go play paraninfa.”
“What’s that?”
“Matchmaker,” Alberta said.
She kissed Jinx on the cheek and said, “Now go on and get out of here, and make us all proud and prove once and for all that I bravi ragazzi non finiscono sempre per ultimi.”
“Whatever that means,” Jinx said, “I’ll try to prove it.”
Jinx returned a kiss to Alberta’s cheek, planted one on the top of Lola’s head, and dashed out of the kitchen. Alberta swayed Lola from side to side and sighed. “I have a feeling Jinx isn’t going to make good on her promise, Lola. Because no matter how hard they try, nice guys always wind up finishing last.”
* * *
When Freddy’s electric-blue Ford Ranger pulled up in front of Bruno’s condo complex, Jinx was afraid her plan had gone awry before it was even set into motion. The most important part of the equation was Bruno, and he was nowhere to be found. Without him there could be no double date. And if there wasn’t a double date, she wouldn’t be able to find out what Adrienne was hiding.
“Did you tell him to be outside at 7:30?” Freddy asked.
“Yes, and I texted him when we left,” Jinx replied.
“Dude’s got cold feet,” Freddy said.
“Dude cut himself shaving and had to wait for his chin to stop bleeding.”
Freddy turned to look out the driver’s side window and saw Bruno glaring at him.
“Bruno, what’re you doing over there?” Freddy asked.
“I live in this complex,” Bruno said, pointing behind him. “Not the one over there.”
“Sorry, Bruno, my fault,” Jinx said. “Kip’s poor direction must be rubbing off. Hop in so we can pick up Adrienne.”
Since the Ranger was a two-door, Bruno ran around to the passenger side and struggled to get into the back seat while Jinx leaned forward and pulled the back of her seat up so Bruno could squeeze in.
“Tell me again why I’m playing along with this charade?” Bruno asked when he finally got into the car and Freddy started to drive off.
“Freddy, speed it up if you could,” Jinx said. “I made reservations at the Black Forest Inn for eight o’clock.”
“I made reservations there too, for the same time,” Bruno said. “Klaus, the maître d’, is going to kill me.”
“Klaus is cool,” Freddy said. “I saved his life on a diving trip once, so he owes me.”
“You see Bruno, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” Jinx said.
“Then why do I feel sick to my stomach?” Bruno commented.
“Has it been that long since you’ve been on a date?” Freddy asked.
“This isn’t a date,” Bruno declared.
“You’re right about that, Bruno,” Jinx said. “This is a top-secret mission and it’s time to get serious.”
* * *
Clearly Adrienne didn’t get Jinx’s memo about the serious nature of the evening’s festivities because when she saw Bruno struggle to get out of the back seat of the truck, she threw back her head and let out a raucous laugh.
“Madame,” Bruno said, trying to make the best of an awkward situation. “Your, um, chariot awaits.”
As Adrienne climbed into the back seat, she turned to Bruno and smiled, “I feel like I’m back in the boondocks.”
“I can promise you one thing,” Bruno said.
“What’s that?” Adrienne asked.
“The restaurant has indoor plumbing.”
Once again Adrienne’s laughter filled the air. Maybe the evening wouldn’t be so bad after all.
* * *
True to his word, Freddy was able to smooth things over with Klaus and the maître d’ didn’t even mention the reservation snafu. They followed Klaus to a spacious booth that was much more comfortable than the bucket seats in Freddy’s truck and overlooked a lush expanse of trees that looked like an enchanted forest when the moon-glow shined down on them.
Jinx was relieved to see that Bruno started to lighten up after drinking his first glass of merlot and even began asking Adrienne questions about her life back in Michigan and how she was enjoying living in New Jersey. Their conversation was flowing nicely, Adrienne seemed forthcoming in her responses and, surprisingly, a tad flirtatious given that Jinx and Freddy were inches away. The double date was off to a successful start and Jinx almost felt guilty about what she was going to do next. But if she wanted to find out the dirt on Adrienne, she was going to have to manipulate the conversation.
“Did you grow up in Deer Isle, Adrienne?” Jinx asked.
“No, I grew up in Rockport, which is close by,” she explained. “When my grandmother, Angela, married Enrico Petrocelli, they moved there and opened up a small lobster fishing business on the Penobscot Bay.”
“Whenever I think of Maine, I never think of it having any kind of Italian population,” Freddy said.
“The Miccalizzos were fishermen from Sicily,” Adrienne said. “When they came to the States, they felt right at home in Maine.”
“Then how did everyone get to Michigan?” Jinx asked, refilling Adrienne’s glass with more wine. “That’s in the middle of the country, there can’t be that many fishing opportunities there.”
Bruno opened his mouth to respond to Jinx’s comment, but Adrienne proved to be a much faster talker.
“Michigan is part of the Great Lakes region,” Adrienne said. “My grandparents moved there to open up their own fishery operation, and for a while business was booming, but after a few years the whole area was overpopulated with fishermen all trying to make an honest living and they went bankrupt.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jinx said. “What did they do after that?”
“Moved around the area, taking odd jobs, finally settling down in the little town of Harrietta, on the western side of the state,” Adrienne said, draining her second glass of wine.
After a while, the boys stopped trying to participate in the conversation and just listened to Jinx and Adrienne talk. It also gave them more time to devote to their meal, which was authentically German and authentically delicious.
“It’s such a sin that your grandmother and her sister never reconciled,” Jinx said. “It’s like my mother and my grandmother.”
“They don’t talk to each other?” Adrienne asked.
“Nope, they had some silly fight years ago and now it’s been over a decade,” Jinx shared. “I know they both still love and miss each other, but I guess they’re too stubborn to admit they were wrong and reach out.”
“From what I know, Missy let her business managers handle all her money and alienate her from her family so they could control her and make her a big star,” Adrienne said. “By the time Missy was an adult, there was too much water under the bridge for her to reconcile with anyone. I don’t even know if she knew where my grandmother lived.”
“Family dynamics can be a minefield,” Jinx said. “I’ve only started to feel comfortable enough to talk about my mother in any detail in front of my grandmother.”
Adrienne took another gulp of wine and agreed. “I remember my grandmother getting
drunk and saying the worst things about her sister, and then the next day she’d profess her love for her and say that Missy Michaels was the most wonderful woman who ever lived.” Adrienne poured herself some more wine from the second carafe the waiter had placed on their table only moments earlier. “My grandmother was a very complicated woman.”
“I suspect Missy was too,” Jinx said.
“She was a bitch.”
The only one who didn’t react to Adrienne’s catty comment was Adrienne. But that was because Adrienne was rip-roaring drunk. The wine was finished before dessert was served, but Adrienne jumped on the waiter’s suggestion that German coffee spiked with Kirschwasser brandy would be the ideal liquid companion to their peach kuchen, a standard German dessert.
By the time they left the restaurant, Bruno needed to hold Adrienne up at the waist to make sure she remained vertical until they got to the truck. It took Freddy’s assistance to get Adrienne safely in the back seat, but once Adrienne was seated, she started to nod off. In the front seat, Jinx felt bad for her role in getting Adrienne blitzed, especially because she didn’t think any of the gossip she’d shared about her family would prove useful to their investigation.
When they pulled up to the Tranquility Arms, Bruno had to nudge Adrienne several times until she woke up from her nap on the drive there.
“Let me help you up to your room,” Bruno offered.
“No!” Adrienne yelled. “I want Jinx to take me.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Bruno said, not fully understanding the reason for Adrienne’s protest.
“I’m drunk and you want to take advantage of me,” Adrienne slurred.
Now that he understood why Adrienne wanted Jinx instead of him as her chaperone, he was shocked. “I would never do that, I swear.”
“They all swear, all you men lie,” Adrienne said, grabbing onto the headrest in front of her in an attempt to sit up. “Just ask my ex.”
“I can assure you, Adrienne, I’m nothing like your ex,” Bruno affirmed.
“You know who my ex is?” Adrienne asked.
For a split second, Adrienne was lucid; all the alcohol had seeped out of her body as she stared at Bruno with fear in her eyes. Bruno didn’t see Adrienne’s fright; he was still more concerned with trying to convince her that all he wanted to do was get her safely to her room. Jinx, however, could tell by looking at Adrienne that she would never let that happen.