Northern Moonlight

by Anisa Claire West

  “I also enjoy the finer things in life. Like the Chianti Classico we drank the other night. And going to art museums. And maple candy.” This last part was uttered with a disarming grin that made Sabrina bite her lip coyly.

  “Maple candy? Mmmm. That’s my favorite. Somehow I can never get enough of maple treats even though I have access to them all the time.”

  “Well, you can never get enough of something good.” Gio said suggestively.

  “I suppose not,” she evaded. “Maybe we can get some maple candy on the way home.”

  “And spoil our appetites? No, I’m taking you to dinner in Stowe. Then after we’ve filled our bellies, I’ll get you some maple candy for dessert.”

  Sabrina was perceptive about people’s emotions, and it was clear to her that he was making an extreme effort to hide his anguish over the afternoon they had just spent. She felt uneasy about going to dinner when he probably needed some time to absorb the startling news revealed to them.

  “Gio,” she began. “Why don’t we take a raincheck on dinner? It’s been a stressful afternoon, and I don’t want you to feel that you have to put on a cheerful face.”

  “I want to do this, Sabrina. Please. What I found out today does change a lot of things for me. But I can’t let my past rule my present.”

  “No, Gio, but this is your present. You have a lot of decisions to make now. I for one would want to get in touch with that investigator, Chief Cooper. It sounds like he could be a key person to talk to about this case. I wonder if he still works for the fire department.” Sabrina’s tangent was agitating Gio.

  “You’ve read too many Agatha Christie novels, Sabrina. I’m going to say this for the second and final time. This is not a case. This is…”

  “It’s your life, I know. I’m just trying to help.”

  “But why?” Gio wondered aloud. Suddenly it seemed odd to him that this woman whom he hardly knew would take such a keen interest in his personal tragedy. The cynic in him who had hidden so long from intimate relationships could not believe she or anyone would want to help unless they had a selfish secret motive. “Why do you want to help me Sabrina?”

  She understood the implication in his words and sighed. “I’m just sensitive to other people’s pain. And what you’ve gone through is unthinkable. So I want to help. Is that so unbelievable? On the practical side of things, my sister is a law student and might be able to help too…and what about your friend Max? Don’t you think we’d all make a good team?”

  To Gio’s ears, Sabrina sounded well-meaning, but naïve. And she still seemed to think of his life as an open case that she wanted to neatly and craftily seal shut. Yet, he wanted to solve this haunting mystery as well. It was hard for him to admit to himself that he needed her help, but he knew he did.

  “OK, Sabrina, I’ll think about it.” He conceded. “For now, let’s enjoy the rest of this day and get something to eat because I’m starved.” Sabrina nodded happily, starting to feel a rumble in her stomach.

  The ambience was bright and welcoming inside the Mountainside Inn. After such a morose day, Sabrina was relieved to be inside a public place bustling with happy diners. The walls were made from genuine tree logs, giving the restaurant the appearance of a cabin nestled in the woods.

  “This is a nice place, Gio.” She said as a waitress seated them in a corner booth.

  “I think you’ll like the food too. This is a good place to come after you’ve gone hiking and need to refuel.” At that moment his beeper went off, startling them both. “That’s strange,” he muttered. “I’m not on call…Sabrina, would you excuse me, I have to go phone the firehouse and see why they’re paging me.”

  “Sure,” she said and began to scan the menu. The food was certainly hearty and geared towards meat lovers. Sabrina was more of a light eater, so she searched for something more substantial than a salad, but less daunting than barbecued ribs with mashed potatoes. She flipped over to the dessert page, drooling at descriptions of warm apple cobbler with fresh vanilla ice cream and semisweet chocolate soufflé. A few minutes passed, and Sabrina wondered what was keeping Gio so long. She continued to look half-heartedly at the menu, now focusing on Gio’s extended absence. Ten minutes had passed when he finally returned to the table looking angry.

  “I just spoke to my captain and a couple of guys called in sick tonight. I guess it must be the inclement weather,” he said sarcastically, glancing out the window at the blue sky. “Anyway, I need to get to the firehouse as soon as possible to cover an overnight shift. I’m really sorry. Do you think we could get something to go and definitely take a raincheck?”

  Sabrina tried to conceal her disappointment as they ordered some entrées to go and hurriedly filed out of the Mountainside Inn. Gio drove quickly back to Burlington, and Sabrina knew that she was getting an accurate picture of just how important his work was to him.

  When they arrived at her house, the day was growing dark, and he dropped her off without exiting the car. “Good night, Sabrina. I’m sorry I have to run like this.” He looked at her with an unreadable expression and did not attempt to steal a goodnight kiss or even give a friendly hug.

  “Good night, Gio.” Sabrina bid him somberly, feeling unreasonably disappointed as she watched him pull away and rush off to his overnight shift.

  It was a Saturday night, and she suddenly felt edgy and lonesome. She also felt a little suspicious that he had so unceremoniously deposited her at her doorstep after one beep from his employer, if that’s really who it had been. Why couldn’t they get someone else to cover the shift? Certainly the city of Burlington must have greater resources. But, perhaps not, she mused, realizing that she was standing dazedly outside in the darkness staring at an empty driveway.

  *****

  Sabrina awoke the next morning still annoyed and perplexed by Gio’s abrupt departure. She stumbled into the shower, adjusting the water to the hottest temperature her body could handle. As she reached for a bar of glycerin soap, she was astonished to hear the unmistakable chime of her doorbell. She hadn’t invited anyone.

  A little frightened, she got out of the shower as the bell sounded again, and she wrapped a pink towel around her sopping wet body. With silent footsteps, she crept downstairs and looked out the peephole.

  Gio! What was he doing there so early and unannounced?! Very conscious of the fact that she was half-naked and without any make-up, she opened the door the slightest crack, as Gio peered in, catching his breath at the sight of her. While Sabrina was self-conscious of her au naturel appearance, Gio thought that she looked exotic, like a numinous mermaid.

  He struggled for words as she opened the door a little wider, “Good morning, beautiful.” She blushed at his compliment. He delved into his jacket pocket and removed a small gold box tied with a ribbon. “I got out of the firehouse about an hour ago and thought that you might like this.” He handed her the box, as she clung more tightly to the towel and cautiously reached for the box.

  “Thank you. I can’t really open it right now, as you can see.” She motioned towards her towel. “Could you tell me what it is?”

  “I’ll leave that to you. For now, I’ll let you have your privacy. I’m going home to catch some zzz’s. I’ll give you a call in the afternoon, Sabrina.” With those words and a tense smile, he turned away and boarded the truck.

  Chapter 4

  Inside the truck, Gio felt himself break out in a cold sweat. It had taken all his control to leave her standing in the door, wet and nearly nude. How he wished he could have gone inside and up to her bedroom, yanked off that towel and made love to her…but he had done the gentlemanly thing. As hungry as he was to see what was underneath that towel, he wanted to court Sabrina. The woman got a kick out of flirting and seducing, no doubt, but she was not a conquest. She was someone he wanted to get to know from the inside out. But, oh, how he looked forward to becoming acquainted with her outside. Even though he had just clocked out of work, Gio was not the least bit tired. Deciding to burn
off his pent-up energy with a vigorous jog, he headed home to change into his running suit.

  Drenched with perspiration after his nearly two hour jog, Gio came home with no other wish than for a cold shower. To his dismay, Max was waiting for him at his doorstep. “Man, you’re lucky it’s a Sunday and I’ve got nothing better to do. I’ve been waiting here for half an hour.” Max shook his head and pointed accusingly at his watch.

  “Why were you waiting here?” Gio was blank-faced.

  “Did you forget we were going fishing today?”

  Wiping beads of sweat from his brow, Gio apologized, “Max, I completely forgot. So much has been going on with me lately. Come on in and I’ll tell you about it.”

  Max followed Gio up to his third floor loft, trying not to be angry at his buddy for forgetting the fishing trip they’d been planning for a month. Max was an even-tempered fellow, which was essential in his investigative line of work. Not quite as tall as Gio, but just as broad and of a stocky physique, the sandy-haired bachelor lived a few blocks away in a modest ranch house he owned.

  Gio unlocked the door and the men walked inside the dark loft, greeted by the ecstatic sound of Pal barking and yelping. “Here, boy,” Gio pet the dog and gestured for Max to take a seat. “Can I get you a beer? I know I need an ice cold one.”

  “Yeah, you also need a shower.” Max joked. “Give me whatever you got.”

  Gio grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator and proceeded to tell Max the entire story. He started with the unexpected introduction of Sabrina into his life and concluded with their interview with Bert Shanty. By the time Gio finished, mentally exhausted from the task, Max looked appropriately stunned.

  With his analytical labyrinth of a brain, Max had always known there was more to the fire than Gio chose to acknowledge, but out of respect for his friend, he had never let on. Even now, Max found himself hard-pressed not to blurt out, ‘Aha! I told you so!’ Instead, he gave Gio a supportive pat on the shoulder and breathed, “Wow. What else can I say, Gio? I want you to know that I’m in this investigation as much---or as little---as you want me to be.”

  “I want you in.” Gio said simply.

  “You got it. The first thing I want to do is run some research on Bert Shanty and Glen Cooper.”

  “Why Bert Shanty? I told you that Sabrina and I are confident he’s completely innocent.”

  “Listen, man, in this business, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Until a case is cracked wide open and solved, every party is of interest. Everyone is also a suspect. I’m not saying that I’m leaning towards old Shanty being responsible in any way. For one, there’s no motive. Besides, the story you conveyed was one of a man that has nothing to hide. Cooper is the one I really want to get a hold of. Do you think he still works for the fire department?”

  “He’s gotta be in the sixty-something ballpark now, and he could be retired.”

  “Yes, he could. And he could also have moved out of state. I’m going to run background checks on his employment history with the Mount Hollow Fire Department and see if there were any blemishes on his record. Any misbehavior or citation could be construed as suspicious. It might take me a while because I want to be thorough. Plus, I’m going on the road tomorrow for two weeks to spy on some married sleaze in Connecticut. His wife is convinced he has a mistress.”

  “Max, you don’t have to explain to me. Take all the time you need. I know you’re good at what you do and your services are in demand.”

  “Damn straight.” The sandy-haired man affirmed proudly.

  “Your humbleness is admirable.” Gio said wryly.

  Max chuckled. “Look, Gio, just lay low for the next couple of weeks until I get back. I could be back sooner or later depending on what I find on Husband-of-the-Year. For now, sounds like you have your hands full anyway with Miss Sabrina.” He smiled knowingly.

  Gio evaded the implication, not willing to reveal any of the details of his relationship with the lovely Sabrina Montrouge. But the mention of her name sparked one bit of information he had left out. “Before I forget, Sabrina volunteered her sister Cara who’s apparently studying law.”

  Max looked pensive. “Hmmm. OK, someone in the legal field can’t hurt. But it would have been more useful if she were already practicing law. Sounds like you’ve got a spunky gal on your radar screen.”

  Gio grinned, “Max, dear friend, “spunky” doesn’t even begin to describe. She’s incredible.”

  A few minutes later, their fishing trip indefinitely postponed, Max headed out the door with a promise to call Gio as soon as he got back into town. As he peeled off his running suit and stepped into the shower, Gio imagined Sabrina still in her towel opening up the tiny box.

  *****

  Sabrina held the gold box in her hands, testing it with a jiggle and hearing several small objects move inside. Curious, she untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a selection of maple candies shaped like miniature hearts, flowers, and leaves. Even though she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, Sabrina couldn’t resist plucking a candy from the box and tasting it. The texture was buttery and smooth, and Sabrina sighed as the candy melted away on her tongue. That was the second romantic gesture Gio had surprised her with in just four days, after he so gallantly kissed her hand. Still, the puzzle pieces were scattered haphazardly, and she felt she had a double enigma on her hands: the fire and the man himself.

  Late in the afternoon, as Sabrina was tossing Softy a sack of catnip, the phone rang and she instinctively felt it was Gio. She answered cheerfully, “Hello?”

  “Hello, Sabrina. How did you like the candy?” His deep voice inquired.

  “They’re delicious…well, they were delicious because I ate them all.” She confessed, embarrassed.

  Gio chuckled under his breath, “Well, I’m glad they didn’t go to waste. If you’re not about to enter a sugar coma, would you like to go for a sunset stroll?”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up at five thirty, and we’ll go from there. There’s a park I want to show you.”

  After they hung up, Sabrina began to prepare for his arrival, realizing she didn’t have much time. First, she arranged her hair into a twist and pinned it with a silk lily. That would keep the wind from mussing her hair. Then she refreshed her make-up, applying a few dabs of raspberry blush, some velvet black mascara, and tawny lip color. She decided to stay in her current outfit of sea green button-down sweater with signature snug jeans, so worn that the threads were coming undone. Sabrina’s object was to look attractive, but not as though she had fussed, and she achieved just that.

  When Gio arrived at her doorstep for the third time in twenty four hours, he was smiling broadly as he drank in her appealing attire. He tried valiantly to banish any lingering thoughts of her in the towel, but found it impossible, as those images would stay imprinted in his erotic imagination. Sabrina greeted him warmly with a chaste kiss on the cheek, oblivious of her arousing effect on him. “Hi Gio, do you want to come in for a moment or should we go?”

  “Well, if it’s alright with you, I think we should go. I’ve got Pal waiting in the truck. He’s going to accompany us on our walk, if that’s OK with you.”

  Sabrina laughed, “Of course! This should be fun! Let’s go.” She grabbed a light spring jacket and locked the door behind them.

  The park was a very short drive from Sabrina’s house and a place that she knew quite well. Recognizing the verdant landscape, framed by neatly planted tulips and daisies, Sabrina said, “This is one of my favorite places. The air is pristine and the atmosphere is so peaceful.” Gio was relieved that he had taken her to a place she approved of. Thus far, their courtship had been rather unorthodox, with the mystery of the fire looming over them and their interrupted dinner the previous night.

  Few people were in the park, so Gio released Pal’s leash and let him roam free. The loyal pup didn’t stray far, but rather sprawled himself contentedly on a soft pillow of grass for a n
ap.