by Lena Gregory
She was too winded to yell again without stopping and gasping for breath.
He was almost on her.
She rounded another corner, but she was lost. No clue how far away the meeting room was or in what direction. She poured on more speed, turned another corner, and almost plowed right into Cole.
He shoved her against the opposite wall.
She hit the wall, bounced off, and went down hard on her hip.
McNeil barreled around the corner, and Cole plowed his fist into the other man’s jaw.
McNeil dropped like a rock.
“Are you all right?” Cole rushed to her.
Gia sobbed and held her hip, unable to get up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She shook her head. “Savannah,” she managed to say.
“Where is she?”
Gia pointed down the hallway she’d come from and struggled to stand.
Thankfully, Cole didn’t argue. He simply scooped her up and put her on her feet, then helped her hobble back down the hallway. “I need the police and an ambulance at the town hall.”
Confused, Gia looked at him.
He held his phone to his ear with his free hand while trying to explain why he’d knocked someone out without really knowing why.
She glanced back at McNeil.
The man was down for the count, but she still didn’t want him to get away.
“Stay.” She pointed and hoped Cole understood. “He killed Marcia Steers.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
Footsteps pounded down the hallway, saving her from having to decide.
Leo rounded the corner at a dead run. “What happened? Where’s Savannah? Are you all right?”
Gia pointed down the hallway and started walking with Cole for support. “She’s down there. She’s hurt. McNeil killed Marcia Steers.”
Hunt followed a little behind Leo. “Are you all right?”
Gia nodded and a sob escaped.
“I’ve got this. Go.” Hunt stopped and checked McNeil’s pulse, then pulled out his cell phone and made a call.
Gia led Leo in the direction she thought she’d left Savannah. It was a pretty direct route back to the office. Somehow while running for her life with a monster on her heels it had seemed more confusing.
Savannah still lay on the floor, eyes closed.
Brenda bent over her, crying softly and begging her to wake up. She looked up when Leo, Gia, and Cole walked in.
Leo fell to his knees at Savannah’s side. “Savannah. Wake up.”
Cole helped Gia to kneel on Savannah’s other side, then guided Brenda away from Leo so he could tend to Savannah. He led Brenda to a chair and placed his hand on her shoulder. Brenda wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Gia held Savannah’s ice-cold hand and tried to rub some warmth back into her.
“Savannah. Please. Wake up now, honey.” Leo smoothed her hair out of her face.
Savannah groaned. Her eyes fluttered and she jerked awake.
“Shh… It’s all right, honey. You’re okay. Relax.”
Gia continued to rub her hand.
“Leo?” Savannah whispered.
“Yes. It’s me. Are you all right?”
She frowned and rubbed the top of her head where it had smacked the desk. “I think so.”
“Let me see.” Leo parted her hair and checked her head. “You’ve got a nice knot.”
“Oh, my—” She tried to get her feet under her.
“Oh, no you don’t. You stay right there until the ambulance gets here.”
“But Sean McNeil—”
“It’s fine. Gia told us, and Hunt already has him in custody.”
“But—”
“Look at me.” Leo cradled Savannah’s cheek and stared into her eyes. “We can sort it all out later. Right now we have just cause to hold him for hurting you and trying to hurt Gia. He’s not going anywhere, Savannah, now please relax.”
She started to nod, then stopped and held her head in her hands.
“The EMTs will be here in a minute.” Leo continued to smooth her hair, his hand trembling.
“Don’t make me go in an ambulance,” she pleaded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right with you the whole time.”
“Thank you.”
Leo kissed her hand. “There is one thing you need to know.”
“What?” Savannah probed the tender spot on her head.
“I’m not waiting any longer.”
Savannah looked up into his eyes. Her lips quivered for a moment before she quickly averted her gaze. “I understand.”
“No. I don’t think you do.” He held her chin and brought her gaze back to his. “I love you with all of my heart, Savannah. I have since we were kids. I’ve waited for you for most of my life. I can’t wait for you any longer. When I knew you were hurt, I couldn’t get to you fast enough. When I came through that doorway and saw you lying on the floor, my heart stopped. Please, Savannah, I can’t take the thought of being without you.
“I have to be honest, I’d imagined this under much different circumstances this time around, but here goes. Again.” He reached into his pocket and took out a small velvet pouch, then opened it and shook a ring out into his hand. “Savannah Mills, will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. “Yes.”
Chapter 25
Gia strode through the café, making sure everything was ready before they opened. She expected a good crowd again today, after she’d offered everyone free coffee as a thank-you for their support at the meeting. She checked the row of coffeepots behind the counter, all brewing nicely, the aroma filling the café. Confident she was ready, she unlocked the door and held it open for Earl and Cole. “Good morning, gentlemen.”
“Good morning.” Earl kissed her cheek.
Cole hugged her. “Good morning.”
“Thank you again, Cole. You saved my life.”
“Nah. I’m just glad I came along when I did.”
“Me too.” Gia hugged him once more, then led them to a table near the counter. She and Earl usually shared a cup of coffee at the counter, but a table would be more comfortable for the three of them. She set out three mugs and a stack of plates, added a platter of muffins, then grabbed a coffeepot and placed it on a trivet in the center of the table. “I’m glad you came, Cole. You are welcome to join us anytime you’d like.”
“Why, thank you. I’ll be sure to come in on my days off.”
“Days off? You found a job?” Gia couldn’t deny a small sense of disappointment. She’d been hoping he’d accept her offer. Working with him and Earl had been fun.
Cole rubbed his fist, then opened and closed his fingers. “I have to say, hanging out with you sure has proved interesting.” He laughed. “Gets the juices flowing, for sure.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. She liked him too much to be mad at him. She was just glad he’d found something that would make him happy. She filled their mugs. “So, where are you going to work?”
“Right here, I hope. I’ll be here bright and early Saturday morning.” He held up a finger. “Weekends only, mind you. For now, at least. Maybe one day during the week if you promise to keep things interesting.”
She laughed, thrilled that he’d agreed to cook for her. “I promise I’ll do my best.”
“And I was thinking,” Earl said. “I wouldn’t mind pitching in now and then too. I enjoyed working with you the other day.”
“Oh, Earl, that would be fantastic.”
“I can’t move like the two of you, but I can do some of your prep work and tend the grill when you’re not too swamped. I know it’s not much, but it’ll give you the opportunity to get out in the front and get to know your neighbors a bit.”
&
nbsp; “I’d love that, Earl. Thank you so much.”
He patted her hand. “Now, what kind of muffins do you have this morning?”
“I tried something new today. Apple cinnamon.”
“That sounds delicious.” Cole held out his plate. “I’ll try one of those, please.”
“Me too.” Earl held out his plate as well.
Gia served each of them a muffin, then waited to see how they liked them.
“These might be my new favorite,” Earl said, after he swallowed his first bite. “It’s a toss-up between these and the banana chocolate chip.”
“Oh, right. The banana chocolate chip are amazing.” Cole took another bite.
Keys rattled in the lock as Savannah unlocked the door and strode through with Leo. “Good morning, all.”
Gia jumped up and ran to her. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” Savannah hugged her. “Thank you for hanging around the hospital until they released me. I know you had to get up early.”
“Of course. I’d never leave you hurt.”
“I know you wouldn’t. You’re the best.” Savannah smiled. She held up her hand, wiggled her fingers, and squealed. Her ring sparkled in the reflection of the overhead lights.
“It’s beautiful. I’m so happy for the both of you.”
“Me too.” Savannah held Leo’s arm in both hands and looked up at him.
He leaned down and kissed her.
Gia hugged Leo and said hello, then grabbed two more mugs while they sat and Earl and Cole congratulated them.
“Better make that three.” Leo pointed to the door where Hunt was about to knock.
Gia unlocked the door and opened it for Hunt.
He leaned down and kissed her. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Her cheeks heated. “Good morning.”
“I brought you a gift.” He held out a shopping bag. “I’ll run by and install it as soon as I’m done with breakfast.”
Gia opened the bag, peeked inside, and laughed.
“Sorry, babe. I’m getting sick and tired of banging on your door and you not answering. Next time I get stuck out in a tornado, you’ll answer right away.”
“Bite your tongue, mister. I thought you wanted me to stay in Florida?” Of course, Detective Tall, Dark, and Thoughtful was definitely a plus in the stay column, maybe even enough to make up for an occasional tornado.
Willow knocked on the door, and Gia glanced at the clock and went to let her in. “Hi, Willow. You’re early this morning.”
“Yeah. I figured with everything that went on last night, you’d be tired, so I came in early to see if you needed a hand.”
“Thank you so much.” Gia hugged her. “Just a sec. I have something for you.”
“For me?”
“Yup.” Gia opened the register and pulled out the key she’d had made for Willow. Even though trusting people was hard for her, she was going to have to try. Willow had become a good friend. It was time to start opening up and letting people in. She held the key out to Willow. “Here you go.”
“You’re giving me a key?”
“It’s foolish for you to have to wait for me to lock and unlock the door all the time, and you’ve proven time and time again how dependable you are, so yes, I’m giving you the key.”
“Thanks, Gia. Having the key is special, but not as special as knowing you trust me with it.” Willow hugged her, then slid the key onto her Batman keychain and dropped it into her backpack. She waved to everyone at the table. “Good morning, guys. I see you have a full house this morning, Gia.”
“Yup. What better way to start the morning?”
“Very true.”
Gia grabbed another mug. “Come on in and sit. I have exciting news. Cole and Earl are going to be joining our staff.”
“Awesome. Welcome aboard.” Willow pulled a chair over from another table and sat.
“Wow, this certainly is the morning for exciting news,” Savannah said. “Leo and I got engaged, Cole and Earl got jobs, Willow got a key, Gia got a doorbell…”
They all laughed.
“And Hunt got reinstated.”
“Are you serious?” Gia ran over and hugged him.
“Yes. Not only as a detective, but as acting captain pending the investigation into Hayes’s involvement in Sara Mills’s murder.”
“How did you manage that?” Gia replaced the empty coffeepot in the center of the table with a fresh one, then sat down next to Hunt and grabbed a muffin. She’d already tried the apple cinnamon, so she chose a banana nut.
“When Hayes suspended me, and then Leo found his name on the list of people who’d signed out the information on the café, I took everything to Internal Affairs. Questions arose about his involvement. After they looked everything over, they got back in touch. Since I already knew the case and had a history with Hayes, they asked me to help them out, so I was working with them for a while.”
“You did seem to know an awful lot of what was going on for someone who’d been suspended.” Come to think of it, he’d always said “we” when he was referring to information he’d found.
“That’s why I couldn’t tell anyone where I was when I went to investigate the Sean McNeil cases. Hayes didn’t know at first. I’m sorry I worried you guys.”
Gia leaned against his arm. “That’s okay. I understand. I’m sure it won’t be the last thing you’re not able to share with me. And I can live with that, as long as you’re always honest.”
He kissed her. “That’s one thing you’ll never have to worry about.”
“So,” Earl broke in. “What ended up happening?”
“Well. Aside from Hayes being suspended, McNeil was arrested for Marcia’s murder, and when we searched his hotel room, we found the missing zoning documents. The search of the surveillance video from the records department showed him entering the building several times a few weeks before Marcia’s death.” Hunt swiped a hand over his mouth and pushed his half-eaten muffin aside, then clasped his hands on the table. “We were also able to match a ring he wore to an imprint the medical examiner found on the side of Marcia’s head, so we have a strong case against him.”
“That, and Brenda turned on him before they even got her into an interrogation room,” Leo added.
“That’s a real shame,” Cole said. “The Sean McNeil I remember was a nice guy.”
“Years of torment at the hands of Floyd Masters seem to have taken their toll,” Hunt said. “He wanted his life back, and I guess Marcia stood in the way of that.”
All of them sat quietly for a few minutes. Then Earl asked, “What about Masters? Seems unfair for him to walk away unscathed after causing so much trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Masters isn’t walking away.” Hunt looked right at Savannah. “There’s no statute of limitations on murder. The Sara Mills case has been reopened. It’s too early to tell if we’ll be able to get him for the murder, but we’re hopeful. I’m expecting the DA to offer McNeil a deal if he’ll testify, but we’ll still have to find evidence. The list Hayes buried at the time is a good start.”
Tears shimmered in Savannah’s eyes, then tipped over her lashes and ran down her cheeks. She made no move to wipe them away. “Thank you, Hunt.”
“You’re very welcome, little cousin.”
Gia sat back and blew out a breath.
“What about Maybelle?” Savannah wiped her cheeks. “Did you find out how her phone ended up at Gia’s?”
Hunt shook his head. “Best we can figure, she must have dropped it while looking for Hank. We did find out how she knew you two were at Marcia’s house with Leo and me the day Marcia was killed, though.”
“How?” That had bothered Gia a lot, because she’d worried someone Hunt or Leo had trusted with the information had betrayed them.
“One of Mar
cia’s neighbors identified Maybelle’s car, said she used to see her sitting outside of Marcia’s late at night when she went to walk her dog before bed. She took the license plate number one day, in case anyone got robbed. Her car was there several times throughout the day Marcia was killed.”
“Apparently, she had a clue what Hank was doing long before anyone realized,” Gia said.
“Yup. Anyway, I gotta run. I have to be at the station for a meeting with the DA in about an hour.” Hunt pushed his chair back and stood, then lifted the bag he’d given Gia. “And this doorbell isn’t going to install itself.”
Gia walked him to the door. “Will I see you later?”
“You bet. I was thinking leftover barbeque tonight, sound good?”
“Mmm…yummy.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Then maybe a movie?”
“Something funny?”
“Perfect.” He kissed her once more, then opened the door.
Gia watched him go, then turned back to the rest of her family. Content in a way she hadn’t been for a very long time, Gia flipped the sign to open. It felt good to finally know she was home.
If you enjoyed Murder Made to Order, be sure not to miss the first book in Lena Gregory’s All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series!
For Florida diner owner Gia Morelli, there’s no such thing as too much breakfast—unless it kills you….
When Gia Morelli’s marriage falls apart, she knows it’s time to get out of New York. Her husband was a scam artist who swindled half the millionaires in town, and she doesn’t want to be there when they decide to take revenge. On the spur of the moment, she follows her best friend to a small town in central Florida, where she braves snakes, bears, and giant spiders to open a cheery little diner called the All-Day Breakfast Café. Owning a restaurant has been her lifelong dream, but it turns into a nightmare the morning she opens her dumpster and finds her ex-husband crammed inside. As the suspect du jour, Gia will have to scramble fast to prove her innocence before a killer orders another cup of murder….
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Chapter 1