by Zoey Kane
“Is he still investigating Tony as his prime suspect?” Gia asked.
Jennie shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
Back inside, Gia told Tony about Detective Evans’s new lead. “It’s looking like Thomas Nelson used to knock Amanda around.” She winced at her own words. “Found out she left him and then killed her.”
Tony just shrugged. Did he even hear her?
“Uh, hello? Maybe this will get the attention off of you.” She nudged his arm.
“No, it won’t.” Tony’s intense eyes bored into hers. What his father did to his mother would stick with him for the rest of his life, wherever he went. He had accepted his mother’s passing a long time ago. But he could never shake off the nightmare his father had created.
Gia sent Reese a text asking him to find anything on Thomas Nelson. She was worried Tony was slowly losing hope.
5
“Is that really appetizing to you?” Gia asked Petey, who nibbled at a patch of grass.
After Petey did his business, Gia walked him back to their apartment. She spent some time cleaning and rearranging furniture, still trying to see what fit where. She made a small bowl of chicken salad, gave a few pieces to Petey, and then sat down behind her computer for the next hour, updating her blog, responding to readers’ comments and questions.
Dear Curvy Soul, This morning I cooked breakfast for my husband and me, using the recipe you posted last week—Mama’s sausage, egg, and hash brown casserole. And we absolutely loved it! We plan on checking out your parents’ diner this weekend. :) Thank you for the recommendation. -Helen
Hi Helen! I’m glad you loved it. My mom used to make a different breakfast casserole every Sunday morning. My brothers and I would race down the stairs (picture a wildebeest stampede) once we heard the oven timer ding, excited and hungry to taste her latest creation. You and your husband will not be disappointed. -Curvy Soul
Gia got up to throw away the remnants of her snack. Her phone rang. It was Russell. “Hey, I got the info about Thomas Nelson you asked Reese for.”
“What did you find?”
“I’ll start by saying this dude is raising some serious flags. He’s been unemployed on and off for years.”
“Tough economy?”
“Anger issues. I’m surprised he still gets hired. He’s been fired multiple times for fighting with coworkers.”
“He sounds lovely,” Gia commented sarcastically.
Russell snorted. “Definite marriage material. Anyway, he’s got a long rap sheet of assault and battery. Some assaults involving hard objects.”
Oh, Amanda. Why couldn’t you have met a nice, quiet gentleman who had the temperament of a goldfish and liked collecting pinecones on a peaceful mountain?
“Get this, sis. Nelson recently withdrew five thousand dollars from his bank account.”
Gia’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of money,” she said, then asked, “How long can a person survive on five grand?”
"A few months, maybe. That's if you lived in your car, bathed in public sinks, ate uncooked noodles, and drank rainwater from an old water bottle."
“Good to know.”
“Reese told me you’re helping with a murder investigation. This guy a suspect?”
“It’s looking that way.”
“Makes sense, because this guy fits the bill. I’m going to send you a picture of him. It’s a mugshot... Um, Gia?”
“Hmm?” “Um, I usually don’t question what you do or how you live your life. Since, you know, you’re older—”
“What are you getting at, Russ?”
“Tony Santino.”
“Don’t worry about it. Okay?”
Gia thought it was incredibly sweet for her younger brothers to be concerned. But if they started to worry too much, she wouldn’t put it past them to sneak into her apartment and install security cameras and lasers. She hung up with a reluctant Russell, and then opened the picture message he sent.
Thomas Nelson was the spitting image of a deranged person. A long scar ran through his right eyebrow, his eyes were red-rimmed, and a hardened scowl etched into his face. A face of a man who had no problem strangling a person. Gia hoped Detective Evans found Thomas before he relocated to a different country with a Cup of Noodles.
Gia was on her way back home from picking up a few groceries at the market. She planned on baking lasagna rollups with an Alfredo sauce. Should she invite Tony? It was the least she could do, since he’d provided dinner the other night. But who was she kidding? This wasn’t a courtesy call. She simply wanted to see him again.
The sky had darkened since she had left her apartment. She’d spent a considerable amount of time perusing the aisles, taking note of different spices the small market carried. Gia noticed two bright lights in her rearview mirror. The two beams of light grew brighter and closer. She wasn’t driving slowly. She was following the posted speed limit. The jerk could just go around her if he was in such a hurry. But he didn’t.
She felt a slight tap of his fender hitting her bumper. What was this person’s problem? Gia pressed down on the gas as her heart quickened. The car behind her did the same, hugging the rear of her vehicle closely. A dark green truck. It tapped her bumper again but a bit harder, causing her head to jerk forward.
Gia could see her apartment in the distance. She released a breath. A glass of wine would soon be in her grasp. The driver behind her had other plans. He slammed his vehicle into her as a loud crunch filled the air. Her small car veered out of control, off the road into a bushy ditch. She screamed and hit the side of her head on the window.
The dark green truck zoomed past, leaving her shaken to the core. Gia was able to reach her phone and dial Tony. He arrived fairly quickly. His stomach had dropped when he listened to Gia’s frightened voice and almost had a heart attack upon seeing her damaged car. He helped her out of the car and pulled her into his arms.
After a few moments, Gia pulled away to inspect her car. The back end was completely caved in. “My car,” she whimpered.
“I’ll have someone take care of it, G.” Tony promised. “In the meantime, I’ll take you home.”
Gia didn’t dare look inside the trunk. That was where she had put the groceries. On the short drive home, Gia wrapped her arms around herself. Slumped in her seat, her left temple throbbed. What type of person bullies others off the road?
A deranged person, that’s who. A chill went up her spine. Her thoughts turned to Thomas Nelson. “I think I may know who tried to run me off the road,” she said quietly.
Tony tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Who?”
She told him about Russell’s phone call and her suspicions of Thomas. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” he shouted. “I was going to! The conversation just happened a few hours ago—”
“A few hours?” He rounded on her.
She groaned. “I got busy. I planned on inviting you over for dinner to discuss it. I’ve changed my mind. You can make your own stupid dinner.” She crossed her arms.
Tony looked at her like she had grown a second head. “This isn’t a joke!”
“I never said it was. Stop yelling at me!”
Tony pulled up to the apartment complex. They sat, not moving, in the car's dark interior. Tony rubbed a hand over his face. "Okay, so you think Nelson killed his wife. But what does he have to do with you?”
“I don’t know. We don’t even know if it was him who ran me into a ditch,” she said.
Tony angrily shook his head and followed her, mumbling to himself, to her apartment. Petey rose up on his haunches, placing his front paws on Gia’s leg.
“Hey, honey.” She knelt down.
“Grab a few things,” Tony said.
Something in his tone made her stop petting Petey and frown. “Why? What for?”
“If Thomas was the one that tried to hurt you, for some unknown reason,” Tony shrugged, “then he’ll do so again.”
“What are you saying
?” She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m saying it wouldn’t hurt for you to stay with me until this blows over.”
Wouldn’t hurt? The whole point of coming to Greenville was to be independent and not have anyone breathing down her neck or telling her what to do. Anger bubbled inside her, and she was ready to lash out when her throbbing temple stopped her.
“Fine.” She grabbed a tote bag and packed a few articles of clothing, a couple of Petey’s toys, and his soft bed. She sat the confused dog in the backseat of Tony’s car. “Please don’t pee,” she whispered to him. “These seats aren’t leather.”
6
Petey huddled with Gia on the couch while Tony contacted Detective Evans. She tried again to remember who was behind the wheel of the green truck. Just a dark figure and bright headlights seared through her brain.
“What did he say?” she asked when Tony returned.
“He’s in West Emily right now. Apparently, Thomas is missing.”
“You told him about the car accident?”
Tony nodded. “Yeah. But Evans doesn’t think it may be related to Thomas Nelson. He made a good point, saying it would be strange for Thomas to stick around if he killed his wife.”
“It would be,” Gia agreed.
Tony showed her to a small guest room. “The bathroom has clean towels in the cabinet.” He handed her a couple of pain-reliever tablets and a glass of water.
It reminded her of the wine she had been looking forward to, before her evening had been rudely interrupted. “Thank you.”
Tony responded by pulling her into another embrace. She melted into him. Definitely better than a glass of wine.
On her bed, Petey and Jade were snoozing, leaving her little space. She didn’t mind. Gia was happy to see her dog wasn’t freaking out again, being in a new environment.
After changing into a tank top and sweatpants, she gazed up at the ceiling, feet tucked underneath Petey’s warm belly. The adrenaline had faded, leaving her body limp and exhausted.
Gia awoke to an empty bed and the smell of bacon. Jade, tall and lean, stood side by side with short and chubby Petey at their food bowls. Gia stopped short in the kitchen doorway. Tony was shirtless, drizzling syrup on a stack of pancakes.
Yum.
Knock it off, she told herself. You’ve seen a man without a shirt before.
The image of her ex-boyfriend, Gary Duncan, from her last awkward relationship, flexing his bony arm, paled in comparison to Tony’s tan muscular arms and shoulders. She shook her head, looked into the fridge, and grabbed a jug of orange juice. “Mornin’,” she said, not looking at Tony.
“Good morning.”
“I’ll start the eggs.” She pointed to the carton sitting on the counter.
“Go for it,” he smirked. “Let’s see what your curvy soul has to offer.”
She mocked surprise and playfully swatted him with a spatula. Tony was glad to see she didn’t have any dark shadows under her eyes. Despite her scary run-in last night, she had slept pretty well.
Gia gladly accepted the challenge of proving she knew a thing or two in the kitchen. They both fell into a comfortable silence, cooking and handing each other different utensils and ingredients. Not once did they bump into one another in the small kitchen. Soon breakfast was served.
Tony had made maple, bacon, and vanilla buttermilk pancakes. Gia impressed him by making more than plain scrambled eggs. She chopped up avocado, sprinkled black pepper, and added feta. She quickly dashed upstairs to get her digital camera, praising herself for bringing that and her laptop. She took a quick picture of her plate and a picture of Tony making a goofy face. No way was she going to post a hot topless Tony on her blog for other women to ogle.
During breakfast, Tony explained that they needed to go about their day like any other and wait for updates from Detective Evans. If he was willing to supply any.
Gia and Tony chatted a bit more over their delicious meal. Tony told her stories of how Uncle Sal taught him to cook. “You didn’t mind taking over the business?” Gia asked, referring to the bistro.
“No, not at all. I would do anything for him,” Tony said.
Gia admired his loyalty to his uncle. After cleaning up their dishes, she and Tony walked Jade and Petey around a small part of the neighborhood. Gia noticed a few curtains twitching in windows and residents doing yard work frowning at her before looking away.
The sooner this murder was solved, the better.
Tony dropped her off in front of the bistro, the car still running. She gave him a questionable look. "I've got some errands to run," he said.
“Really?” She placed a hand on her ample hip. Instead of answering, he waved it away. He wasn’t going to tell her he planned on going into West Emily to talk to a few buddies. He had connections that Detective Evans and his officers didn’t have when it came to tracking people.
“I’m leaving you in charge. Make sure Greta doesn’t burn down the place.” He winked then drove off.
<<<>>>
The whole day was a complete blur. For once in her life, Gia’s mind was occupied with things other than food. Amanda’s murder. Nearly being killed last night. Tony. Murder. Petey behaving; he deserved a special treat. Tony.
Gia tuned into Jennie’s rapid chatter about a new guy she went out dancing with. “I think he may be the one,” Jennie said.
Completely beside herself that her cousin could have it in her to settle down, and so fast, Gia said, “The one you may marry someday?”
“Marry?” Jennie’s face twisted. “No way. He may be the one that can kick-start my acting career. Mark—that’s his name—said he knows a few people in the movie industry.”
“So you’re just using him.” Gia thinly sliced oranges and lemons and tossed them into a pitcher of iced tea. “That’s pretty low. Even for you.”
"I'm not using him. He's a cool guy, and I really do like him," Jennie insisted. "But if I'm going to cough up a hundred dollars for a dancing dress, it wouldn't hurt for him to help me become a movie star.”
Gia rolled her eyes.
“Who is that?” Jennie frowned out the window.
A large man with a thick beard and long hair pulled up alongside the curb in Gia’s car. She couldn’t believe it. Her small car was no longer damaged. The bumper was completely repaired. She hurried outside just as the man slammed the door of her car. “Uh, excuse me. sir?”
“I went ahead and changed the oil. Tell Tony he still owes me twenty bucks.” The hairy man smiled, revealing large teeth, then got into a black car with tinted windows that pulled up alongside them and drove away.
“Gia? Why did Bigfoot just drop off your car?” Jennie asked, beside her.
“It’s a long story.” She sighed. She didn’t want to rehash last night’s events and worry him. At closing time, Jennie left to go meet Mark, leaving Gia with a sleeping Greta
Gia was wiping the counters when Tony walked in. He’d been able to find out Thomas had quit his job the morning of Amanda’s death and had been spotted several times in Greenville around that time.
Tony glanced at Greta, her feet propped up on another chair. Gurgling noises erupted from her gaping mouth. His uncle sure knew how to pick em’.
“I have the dogs in the car. I was thinking we’d all have dinner by the lake,” Tony suggested to Gia.
She nervously wrung the rag in her hands and looked down at her messy apron. “I’m not dressed for that,” she said.
Tony shrugged. “It’s nothing formal. Plus, there won’t be anybody around the spot I have us set up at.”
Just the two of us? Gia thought. Well, Jade and Petey included.
Tony watched the change of emotions on Gia’s face and quickly added, “We don't have to stay long." His body stiffened, waiting—what seemed like forever—for her answer. Was he even holding his breath? Usually, women said yes to dinner with him before he'd finished asking the question. Though Gia wasn't like other women.
She agreed and untied
her apron. “What about Greta?” She glanced at the old woman.
Tony chuckled. “She’ll be fine. I’ll lock the door behind us.”
What Tony had in mind was a small clearing off a trail that wasn’t so far into the woods that Gia couldn’t see the lake. Tony set up a small blanket on the thick grass. Nearby, Gia could hear a stream trickling in between rocks. Sounds of chirping crickets and frogs.
The disappearing sun didn't take the warm temperature with it, but it grew cool enough to let her hair down. Jade and Petey settled on one end of the blanket. Gia giggled at the sight of the wicker basket Tony had brought along.
“Don’t laugh at me. We’re having a picnic. I think it’s very appropriate for the occasion.”
He passed Gia two silver bowls and a thermos full of water. She poured the water in the bowls for the dogs. Tony pulled out a couple of plates, and a plastic container of mixed leafy greens tossed with chopped squash and zucchini, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion, and grilled corn.
“Goat cheese? Nice touch,” Gia complimented.
“Thanks. My uncle taught me to pay attention to what ingredients worked well together.”
The colorful salad was drizzled in vinaigrette. A small bundle of foil held crostini bread. He provided them (nonalcoholic) Nantucket lemonade with lime in charming Mason jars. The meal was light and refreshing. Gia was touched that he had put so much thought into the meal. It sure beat roasted mini weenies on a stick.
While Gia sipped her drink, she watched Tony laugh at Petey who tried, and failed, to fit his big bottom in the water bowl. Murder had brought them together, just as it had separated them years ago. But Gia knew it was different, this time around. She had already somehow managed to wrap her mind around the fact that he was back to stay. What she couldn’t understand was continuing to look at him as just a friend.
7
The last of the food aside, they laid back, turned off the lantern, and watched the stars. The dogs yipped and snapped at fireflies, causing Tony and Gia to laugh at their furry hooligans.