by Linda Wiken
Rocco greeted her with a smile, a hug, and an espresso before asking what else she’d like.
“Do you have any of that wonderful rolled eggplant with smoked provolone left?” She was eyeing the chalkboard behind the counter. “How do you say that in Italian?”
“Involtini di melanzane e provola. And I do have one left. I can warm it up just a touch to bring it back to life.”
“Sounds perfect.” She took her espresso and went to sit in what was becoming her favorite spot, a table for two beside the window.
“How are things, Rocco?” she asked when he brought the plate with her food over to her.
“Life, it’s è bella. Business is good and my new chef, she has magic in her fingers. And how about you, my friend. Is all good with you?”
“Well, I’m going to spend the evening stuffing envelopes for Gary Myers’s campaign. How’s that for exciting?”
“That is quite the sacrifice for one so in demand,” he teased.
“It is, Rocco. Life is not so bad. And it’s about to get better.” She took a bite and nodded her appreciation.
CHAPTER 35
J.J. was surprised to see so few people at the campaign office. She’d thought it might be an “all hands on deck” kind of night. But besides Dawn, there were only two other women, whom she hadn’t met. After introductions, Dawn steered J.J. into the back room. Fletcher Kane’s office was dark as they passed by, so J.J. had been right to think stuffing envelopes would not require a campaign manager’s scrutiny.
“I sure hope you don’t mind working in here by yourself, but there’s a lot more space to spread everything out,” Dawn said, switching on the light.
“No, that’s fine by me.”
“Great. And I do want to thank you so much for coming to help tonight. I took you at your word. We really have fallen behind, and Fletcher wants these letters out this weekend. I don’t think it will take too long to finish off. Not with all of us working at it.”
“I’m happy to help, and I’m glad you called on me. Now, those letters into those envelopes?” She pointed from one box to the other.
“That’s right, along with a copy of that small flyer. Just call me if you need anything.” Dawn left the door open, and J.J. could hear her talking to the others.
After about twenty minutes, the other two women poked their heads around the corner and wished J.J. a good night.
“You’re all finished?”
“Oh yes. We’ve been here since four. Time to head home for dinner. Nice to meet you and thanks. If you hadn’t come in, we’d still be here.”
“Glad to help.” J.J. wondered how many times she’d be saying that tonight.
After a few minutes, Fletcher stepped into the room. J.J. almost dropped the envelope she was stuffing. Where did he come from?
“Uh, it’s good of you to help us out, especially since I may have been a bit curt with you last time we met.” He eased the door behind him but didn’t totally close it.
J.J. wondered if she should be worried. But no, Dawn was still here. She glanced out the window into the main room, just to be sure. “That’s okay. You have your turf to protect. I understand.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I knew you weren’t being that forthcoming, but I wasn’t sure why. I talked to Yolande today.” She might as well get this out in the open and over with. She had noticed that Dawn was keeping a close eye on them. She’d be safe.
“Oh?”
“I know about the affair.”
Fletcher now totally shut the door. “If she was foolish enough to tell you about it, I can only hope you’ll keep that knowledge to yourself. There’s still the election to think about.”
“I was thinking that it could be a possible motive for murder.”
“What? Why? To keep Miranda from talking? She wouldn’t do anything to hurt her brother. And Yolande would never harm her.”
“Is that what you truly believe?”
“Of course. What?”
J.J. just looked at him.
“Do you think I killed her in order to keep her quiet? That’s crazy.” He sounded as angry as he looked. J.J. wished he weren’t standing between her and the door.
He took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. “I will tell you this one time and one time only. I did not kill her. I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other.”
He stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. J.J. let out the breath she’d been holding. Maybe she should have told Devine where she was going, after all. But strangely enough, she did believe Fletcher. That wasn’t an act. So, where did that leave her? With a large stack of envelopes to be stuffed. She opened the door, preferring not to be shut in so totally. About half an hour later, she saw the overhead lights in the front office flick off. Only some light from what she believed to be the lamp on Dawn’s desk remained on. Must be time to close up. She worked faster.
“How is it going?” Dawn asked.
J.J. looked up in surprise. She hadn’t heard Dawn enter the room. “Just a few more envelopes, then I’m done. Are you finished for the evening?”
“All finished. Everyone else has left. I have just a few loose ends to deal with.” Dawn smiled. She’d worn her hair pulled back in a ponytail, which made her face look gaunt, even a bit haunted.
J.J. smiled back. “Anything else I can help with?”
“Oh yes. You can.” She moved a step closer “I heard you and Fletcher talking earlier. He seemed angry when he left.”
“He always seems to get mad at me. I need to filter what I say to him.”
“About that. I heard you tell him you knew about the affair.”
J.J. looked startled. She hoped Dawn wouldn’t ask her any questions about it. “I should also learn to speak more softly.”
Dawn smiled again. “That really is too bad.”
“What do you mean? What does it have to do with you?”
“She said the same thing to Fletcher, namely that she knew about the affair.”
“Who?” J.J. was getting a bad feeling about this conversation.
“Miranda. They were arguing in his office, and I heard her say that as I walked by.”
“And?”
Dawn shrugged. “And I had to deal with it. Just like now.”
“What do you mean, ‘deal’?”
“Well, I couldn’t let Miranda go telling anyone else about me and Gary. If his wife knew, who knows what she would do?”
She said it so matter-of-factly, J.J.’s mind went blank. But only for a few seconds.
“Wait a minute. You and Gary Myers? The two of you? You’re having an affair?”
Dawn smiled again. “For quite a few months now.”
Is she for real? “Did you kill Miranda?”
There had been a woman in one of the blurry photos they’d rejected who looked a bit like Dawn. She should have followed up on it. She’d meant to follow up on it.
“I had to, for Gary’s sake. He needs to win this election. It means a lot to him.” She pulled a knife from behind her back. A big one.
Is she nuts? J.J. tried to glance around the room, looking for a weapon. Where was her smartphone? In her purse, which was on a chair in the corner with her jacket on top of it. Could she call 911 in time? Not likely. There wasn’t much space between them.
“But what about Fletcher?” J.J. knew she had to keep her talking. “If he knows, why haven’t you killed him, too?”
“Because he’s devoted to Gary. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt his chances in the election. Fletcher might not like the idea of our affair, but I know he won’t say anything.”
Lovely. Now what? “Fletcher knows we’re here together. Don’t you think he’ll put two and two together? First Miranda, now me.” She shivered. “And both of us talked to him about the affair. Only it’s not your affair we knew about. It’s Yolande’s.”
“What?” Dawn looked momentarily stunned. “Yolande is also having an affair?”
“That’s right. And what’s more, that’s what both Miranda and I talked to Fletcher about. Yolande’s affair. Not yours.”
Dawn’s grip wavered, but she regained her concentration before J.J. had a chance to make a move. “I don’t get this.”
“What it means is that you killed her for nothing. And if you kill me, it will be two huge mistakes on your part.”
“Oh, but I have to kill you now, because you know about Miranda. So, only one mistake.” She smiled.
Is this girl for real? “What do you plan to do? Several people have seen us together tonight.”
“Well, we’re going to leave, and I’ll tell the police that we said good-bye at our cars. And I’ll actually drive off, but you will be found at some point, dead in your car.”
A frisson of cold slithered down J.J.’s back. She knew about good-byes in parking lots and bodies left behind. She couldn’t think of a thing to do while they were inside, though, unless she could spot a weapon or at least a shield. Maybe she’d have a chance of getting away once outside. If she could distract Dawn. And then run.
“All right. Let’s get it over with.” J.J. tried to keep her voice calm. She didn’t want Dawn to realize how she was almost paralyzed with fear.
Dawn looked surprised but gestured for J.J. to grab her jacket and purse. “You lead the way. Stop at my desk while I grab my things but don’t get too close to it.”
J.J. did what she was told, all the while keeping her eyes moving around the room, looking for anything that might help. Dawn reached for the front door, then once she’d opened it, ordered J.J. outside, pulling the door shut behind them both. “I’ll lock up after. Now, walk normally to your car.”
She was right beside J.J., knife poking in her side.
Can I trip her? No, she might slice me. I can’t call out to anyone, either, not that there’s anyone on the street. Why did the office have to be in a quiet section of town? No local nightlife going on. No homes with lights on front porches. She noticed there was no light shining in the parking lot, either.
J.J. stumbled over a raised joint in the sidewalk. That hadn’t been on purpose. She felt the knife cut through her jacket and cried out.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that, but watch where you’re going. And keep quiet,” Dawn hissed.
J.J. nodded. It felt more like she’d been burned rather than cut. They reached her car.
“Unlock the door.”
“My keys are in the front section of my purse.”
“Grab them slowly, and no funny stuff.”
J.J. stifled a giggle. This was beginning to sound like an old-time gangster movie. Her hand paused on her smartphone. Could she use it? Probably not. She grabbed the key fob and pointed at the door.
“Okay. Now unlock the freaking door.” Dawn sounded like she was starting to stress out.
J.J. did as she was told, and when the double beeps sounded, she swung her purse around to clip Dawn on the side of the head. She felt another slice in her side but elbowed Dawn and started running back to the office and pulled open the front door. She could hear Dawn’s heels clicking on the sidewalk, close behind her.
She made it through the door but had to fight to close it. Dawn had grabbed the outside handle and was pushing hard. J.J.’s side felt like she was being stabbed multiple times. She gritted her teeth but yelled out as the door crashed open, knocking her to the side, followed by Dawn rushing at her.
They both fell to the ground, Dawn on top.
J.J. closed her eyes. Her side hurt like hell. There was a searing pain at the back of her head where she’d hit the side of something hard. Sorry, Mom was all she could think. If these were to be her last few moments, she should do better than that.
She felt the floor beside her. Anything of use? She felt Dawn searching also. Where was the knife? Somebody grunted. Nobody spoke.
With one final burst of energy, J.J. managed to push Dawn off, and rolled to the side. Her hand hit the small iron doorstop. Dawn clamped a hand down on J.J.’s leg. J.J. grabbed the doorstop and lashed out with it, hitting Dawn. She heard a groan.
J.J. collapsed backward. She heard a scuffle; someone crying out. It could have been her own voice. She was too tired to open her eyes.
“J.J. Are you okay?” Devine’s voice never sounded so sweet.
She willed her eyes open and struggled to sit up. “I guess.”
Devine turned on the light switch next to the door. J.J. followed his gaze to the floor and the small pool of blood beside her. “I guess I got stabbed.”
She felt dizzy and slowly settled back onto the floor.
Devine cursed and knelt down beside her, peeling back her jacket and doing a quick check of her side.
“It doesn’t look too deep. Just lay quietly. I’m calling an ambulance.” He had his smartphone out and punched it three times.
She listened while he gave the necessary information.
“Where is Dawn?”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Devine said, taking off his jacket, balling it up and placing it under her head. “And neither are you until the paramedics arrive.”
CHAPTER 36
J.J. leaned against the pillows on her hospital bed. The meds had reduced the pain in her side to a dull throb, and she was having a hard time focusing on all the talking going on around her.
Skye stood on one side of the bed, holding her left hand. Devine stood on the other side, holding her right. She felt safe.
“How did you know?” she asked once the nurse had left the room.
“Rocco told me.” His grip tightened.
She tried to raise her eyebrows but it hurt to do so.
“I stopped in to buy some olive oil on the way home,” Devine explained.
J.J. sighed. “I know. Dumb move on my part.”
“You think?”
“I thought I’d be stuffing envelopes.”
“I doubt that.”
“I didn’t clue in about Dawn.”
“Nobody did.” He shook his head. “But it doesn’t surprise me one bit that you ended up in this position. Again.”
J.J. glanced toward the door as Hastings walked in. “I think that goes for a lot of us,” he said with a slight grimace.
“Ah, Detective Hastings. So nice,” J.J. said, feeling woozy. It was an effort to talk.
“I’m actually just passing by to ask that you come to the station as soon as you’re able to make a statement. I’m not sure if that sunk in when we were talking in the ER. And to give you this.” He held out a small package.
J.J. winced as she reached for it. Skye took it instead. She looked at J.J., who nodded, so she tore the wrapping off and held up a package.
“Lake Champlain Chocolates.”
“My favorite,” said J.J. “Thanks.”
Hastings smiled. “My pleasure. They’ve got a dandy gift shop here. See you later.”
J.J. felt Devine’s grip twitch.
Skye grinned and ran a hand along J.J.’s arm. “I love those chocolates but wouldn’t nearly get myself killed in order to get some. I really wish you’d just stick to event planning. I’m starting to get gray hairs already. And I’m not even your mom.”
J.J. turned her head to face Skye and felt a jolt down her side. She winced. “Don’t tell Mom about this. Promise.”
“I won’t tell her, but you will when you’re all better. What about going home next weekend? It will be obvious something’s wrong. And what if she comes to live here? She has to be forewarned what to expect with her daughter being so nosy and all.” Skye smiled but J.J. could hear the tough note in her voice.
“She’d better be forewarned, because I don’t think anyone this stubborn is going to change,” Devine threw in. “I’ve given up.”
“I know you have, and look where it got her,” Skye challenged. “If you’d keep a closer watch on her, these things wouldn’t happen.”
“Hold it, you two. I am in this room. And I do appreciate your concern. But I
have a splitting headache. And a sore side. I’m going to be a bad host and ask you to leave.”
“Amen,” said the nurse just entering the room.
CHAPTER 37
“I’m just breathing a sigh of relief that we’re able to actually have our monthly Culinary Capers dinner,” Beth said, taking her chicken dish out of the oven.
“You and me both,” J.J. agreed. She grabbed the bottle of wine but was relieved of it by Evan before she even made it to the table.
“Allow me,” he said with great aplomb. “You are still in recovery mode. You’re sure it’s all right that you came today? We could have postponed for a week.”
J.J. shook her head. “I’m all right. Really. It was just an overnight in the hospital. I’ve stopped hearing bells, and I see only one of you now.”
Evan almost dropped the wine.
“Just kidding. You guys are making too much of this.”
The doorbell rang, and J.J. exchanged glances with Beth. “Who’s that?” she asked. “Did Connor change his mind?”
Beth shook her head and flung her oven mitts onto the counter. “I’ll get it.”
J.J. took a last look at the chicken and entered the hall just as Devine walked in the door. J.J. just stared.
“Thanks for the invitation, Beth. Here’s my contribution.” He passed over a covered dish.
“Thank you, Ty. You really needn’t have bothered, but I’m sure we’ll enjoy it. J.J., will you get a glass of wine for our guest?”
J.J. nodded, still speechless. She grabbed a glass from the counter and Evan filled it.
“Hi, Ty. Welcome to our cozy dinner party.” Evan saluted him with the bottle.
“I didn’t realize,” J.J. said, still at a loss for words. She looked at Beth. “When did this happen?”
“Well, Connor is out for this month, so we had an extra dish needing to be made. And besides, I thought Ty deserved a thanks for saving your life and also helping with my problem.”
J.J. opened her mouth to protest that he hadn’t saved her life, but who knew? Dawn had been stunned by the hit on the head but not knocked unconscious. It might have ended very differently if Devine hadn’t shown up at that point. She looked over at him and smiled.