It Cannoli Be Murder (Bread and Batter Cozy Mysteries Book 3)

by Karoline Barrett

  “That’s ok. It was just a thought.”

  “Do I get to come with you guys to the opening?” she asked.

  Olivia looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Seriously? What kind of question is that? You most certainly will come with us. And not just because we need your help. You’re a part of Bread and Batter. Part of the money Rocco gave us will go to you. You deserve a bonus anyway. But no sampling wine yet. You’re still too young.”

  She broke into a grin. “You guys rock. I love it here so much.”

  “We love you, too,” I assured her.

  “No doubt about it,” added Olivia.

  CHAPTER 18

  * * *

  I was beyond tired by the time the Sweet Hill Winery opening arrived. I didn’t think I could measure, mix, stir, or bake anything again. Olivia and Kendra felt the same. But everything we prepared was flawless. We were a wonderful team. Despite the fact that Rocco was who he was, and more of his kind had probably arrived in Destiny, I felt excited about the night. Especially spreading the word about our bakery to people who may not know about us.

  I’d dressed in a black pencil skirt, with a long-sleeved tailored white blouse, nude panty hose (I didn’t know panty hose was still a thing), and black heels. Olivia and Kendra would look the same. We decided on our uniform for the night a couple of days prior. We wanted to be elegant and classy.

  I dropped off Beau and Noelle at Dottie’s for the night. I picked up Olivia first then we headed over to get Kendra. I’d borrowed my father’s mini-van to haul all our desserts to Sweet Hill Winery. Olivia and I loaded her up just before we split up to change clothes. All those desserts weren’t going to fit in my tiny car, that’s for sure, and her vehicle was in the shop.

  My father didn’t like the fact that his prized mini-van was going to be amidst the New York Mafioso as he called them, but I promised nothing bad would happen to it. I couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t expressed the same fear about his only child, but I attributed that to his confidence in my ability to handle myself in any situation.

  I pulled into Kendra’s parents’ driveway and was about to get out when the front door opened.

  “Is that Kendra?” Olivia asked, her mouth dropping open. “She looks so different.”

  “My gosh, she does. I think it’s the hair. Where’s the pink?”

  Kendra climbed gracefully into the back. “Hi, guys. Thanks for picking me up.”

  Olivia and I turned to stare at her.

  “What? Is something wrong with the way I look? I thought I did pretty well.”

  “Let’s start with the hair,” said Olivia. “When did you have time?”

  Kendra patted her shiny dark brown shoulder-length hair. “This afternoon. Mary Sue fit me in. She’s such a doll. This is my real color. I don’t think either of you have ever seen it.”

  “It’s beautiful. What happened to your nose ring?” asked Olivia.

  “I needed a change.”

  Olivia looked at me and pretended to wipe away a tear. “She’s growing up!”

  Kendra laughed. “You guys approve?”

  “Honey, you look terrific. Very sophisticated. I love, love your hair,” I assured her.

  “What? You never liked when I colored it all those weird colors?”

  “Oh, I did,” I said as I backed out of her driveway. “But this is a whole new look for you and it suits you.”

  “Yes, I totally agree,” said Olivia.

  “I’m going to be a junior in college next fall. I need to look more adult.”

  “Not too adult though, please,” I cautioned.

  “Between our desserts and the three of us,” said Olivia, looking from me to Kendra, “I think Rocco’s getting the best he can get for his money.”

  “He totally, is!” agreed Kendra.

  It was almost eight o’clock when we entered the long drive leading to Sweet Hill Winery. Tiny white lights twinkled from the grapevines on the left side of the winding driveway.

  “Look!” exclaimed Olivia when we got closer to the main building. “Is that Emily on Rocco’s arm? Why isn’t his wife with him?”

  I stopped short of the front entrance where Rocco stood. It was indeed Emily, without her glasses. She was wearing a long midnight blue gown with a beautiful scalloped neckline and cap lace shoulders. It was gorgeous and she looked stunning in it. It fit her like a glove. Her hair was swept back in an elegant chignon and her makeup was fierce.

  A large, jeweled bracelet encircled her left wrist. Her right arm was tucked into the crook of Rocco’s left arm in a “back off, he’s mine” manner. I barely recognized her. She was a beautiful woman no matter what, but she favored casual clothes and no makeup. This was a brand-new Emily.

  I had to admit that Rocco looked devastating in a black tuxedo. Was he the reason Emily had turned down Alex? Had to be. I felt horrible that, in a tiny way, I couldn’t blame her. Alex’s background was basically just like hers. Rocco had money, mystery, maturity, and sex appeal out the wazoo, but she could not get involved romantically with him. Or socially. Or any other ‘ally.’ I just hoped I wasn’t too late.

  “Is she his date?” whispered Kendra. “I knew she was all gaga over him, but I didn’t think she was actually going out with him.”

  “Me neither.” I inched the car in front of the door. There were five stretch limos farther up the drive along with some menacing looking humongous SUVs. The parking lot to our right looked filled up.

  Rocco left Emily and hurried down the two front cement stairs to greet us as we all exited the mini-van.

  “Hi Rocco,” I said. “It looks lovely. Best wishes on your opening.”

  “Yes,” echoed Olivia, “best wishes.”

  “The twinkling lights on the trees are a great touch,” added Kendra.

  “Thank you. I’m glad you approve. The whole night will be magical. You girls look gorgeous. You are right on time. Dinner is just finishing. I will get someone to help you with the desserts. I’ll have someone park your car, too.”

  “Perfect,” I told him. “Thank you.”

  He turned and hurried back through the open entrance. Emily’s eyes followed him before she waved and came toward us.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Kendra didn’t waste any time.

  Emily smiled. “He asked me to be his hostess. His wife wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t make it. They aren’t exactly together anyway. But let’s not talk about that. Isn’t it a glorious night for his party?”

  “Yes, it certainly is. You look beautiful,” I told her. Now wasn’t the time to discuss the pitfalls of being with him. And she hadn’t answered Kendra’s question, I noticed.

  She smiled again. “Thanks, Molly. And look at you three. Kendra, your hair! You look marvelous.”

  She tried unsuccessfully to hold back a pleased grin. “Thanks, Emily. I’m glad everyone likes it.”

  “Come,” said Emily, holding out her arm, ready to shepherd us to our designated area. “I’ll show you where the desserts go.”

  Olivia and I looked at each other. I could tell we were thinking the same thing: Who is this woman?

  I had never seen such glamour. Not even at the Mellon School for Girls benefit. Rocco had guessed correctly it seemed. It looked like there were about five hundred people milling about. I think the whole town of Destiny had shown up. My parents had their weekly bridge game with their next-door neighbors, so decided not to miss that excitement.

  It looked like there were some news stations here, based on the cameras I saw men lugging about on their shoulders. I also couldn’t help but notice the burly, serious-faced men strategically placed all around the room. Each had a hand tucked inside their suit jackets. Security, I thought. With guns. I hoped a rival mafia family wasn’t going to burst in and try to take Rocco out. Or any of his guests. Or his dessert caterers. I also noticed a lot of photographers snapping away. I guess Rocco and his buddies didn’t mind media attention. I supposed they had a love/hate relation
ship with them.

  We followed Emily through the crowd to a corner of the main room. Rocco had arranged a beautiful buffet dinner and the waiters he’d hired were busy clearing dishes. There was soft music playing, and the lights were dimmed to a romantic glow. I wished Sean were here.

  Our desserts were already spread out on a long table. They looked fabulous, even if I say so myself. Olivia and I placed our business cards on each end of the table. People started making their way over immediately, oohing and aahing over our selections. Suddenly, the lights went up a little.

  “Can I have everyone’s attention?” Rocco spoke into a microphone.

  The crowd hushed and turned toward him. “I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. Thank you to Mia’s here in Destiny for providing us with a delicious dinner, and thank you to the lovely girls of Bread and Batter Bakery who have brought us a wonderful selection of desserts. Their cannoli are the best I’ve tasted. If you haven’t been to the dessert table, please go.” He smiled and waited for the applause to die down.

  “I also want to thank Destiny for welcoming me into your community so warmly. I couldn’t have picked a better place to buy a winery. While no one who has worked at Sweet Hill will lose their job, I’ve decided to change the name of Sweet Hill Winery to Lady of the Lakes Vineyard.

  “We’ll continue to concentrate on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. I’m also going to purchase additional Riesling, Chardonnay, and two hybrid grape varieties, Traminette and Cayuga, and also an American variety named Concord. That’s all I wanted to say. Please, enjoy dessert and make sure to drive home safely after sampling all the wine.”

  “I hope this is to your liking,” I said to Rocco when he came over to our table, Emily in tow. I didn’t like the proprietary hold she had on his arm, but did my best to ignore it. “This Chardonnay is exquisite, and I like the new name you picked for Sweet Hill.” I was a big fan of white wine, but I’d never had a Sweet Hill wine before. I was for sure going to bring a bottle home with me.

  “I’m glad you approve. I have Emily to thank.” He stopped to gaze at her. “She helped me see that it was the right name. All the lakes in this area are a part of what makes this area so attractive.”

  “It was nothing,” Emily weakly protested. “I’m so glad you like the name, Rocco. It fits your winery.”

  He turned back to me. “Your desserts were perfetto! You girls did a wonderful job. Next time I have a party, you’re hired. Bring the cannoli! Even in the city, I can’t get cannoli like that. I’ll tell all my friends about you!”

  Oh great! We’ll be known as mafia bakers. On the other hand, the money would probably be very good. Unlawfully gained maybe, but good, nonetheless. Maybe we could turn it into a reality show: Bakers for the Mob. It did have a certain panache to it. “I’m glad you’re happy. Your party looks like a big success. The wine we sampled was delicious.” I lowered my voice. “There’s something I need to discuss with you. Alone. It’s about the murders that just happened in town.”

  He looked into my eyes. “For you, bembolina anything.” He unattached himself from Emily. “I’ll be back soon.” To me, he said, “let’s walk.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I told Olivia and Kendra.

  From the looks on their faces, I gathered they were both too surprised to respond.

  His hand planted on the small of my back, he guided me to the far corner of the room, where we had a little space to ourselves. “What can I do for you?”

  I felt the tiniest stab of fear course through me. Fear and excitement. The excitement must be from the wine. The fear probably came from having a private meeting with a . . . a bona fide member of the mafia. My mind was rambling. I cleared my throat and got down to business. “Lucas Jardine. Does that name mean anything to you?”

  CHAPTER 19

  * * *

  Rocco’s face darkened. The air around him seemed to thicken. “Not a good man. Conosco i miei polli.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He laughed deep in his throat. Even his laugh was sexy. “Translation, I know my chickens. It means I know what I’m talking about.”

  “Ah, I’m glad you cleared that up.” He wasn’t exactly a candidate for sainthood himself. Obviously, I kept that thought to myself. I couldn’t believe I was consulting with him on a murder, but you gotta do what you gotta do when it comes to finding a killer. Or killers.

  He chucked me under my chin, which was a little irritating, never mind demeaning. “What’s a nice girl like you doing asking about a character like Jardine?”

  Yes, Rocco had an annoying habit of referring to women as girls as you’ve noticed, I’m sure, but I didn’t think I’d win any points correcting him. I didn’t want to antagonize the man. “He’s Senator Rydell’s husband.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Yes.” He made the sign of the cross. “May her soul rest in peace.”

  “Could he have killed her?” I asked. No sense in wasting time with small talk.

  “Let’s take a walk.” He gripped my arm. I guess it wasn’t exactly a grip, it was more like a light touch, but I shivered inwardly knowing a man who had ordered the killing of people, and probably done killing himself, was touching me. And where were we walking?

  He led me out of the main room, onto an open veranda that faced the grape arbors. I looked back and was relieved to see Olivia and Kendra watching me. Emily was too, but the look on her face wasn’t so much concern, but wariness mixed with annoyance. I couldn’t worry about her feelings now. We walked past the line of SUVs. I said a quick prayer for my safe return.

  He stopped at the far, far edge of the vineyard. I knew Destiny Lake was just beyond the edge of the last grape vines. Close enough so that I heard the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. The night air was clear and sharp. The only light was from the full moon and the tiny lights strung on the grape arbors. That must have been a lot of work for someone. “Now, we can talk with no one listening. Please, tell me what’s on your mind,” he said.

  I breathed in his cologne and tried to focus on the matter at hand. I cleared my throat, hoping I wouldn’t babble. “I…I’ve heard you have certain…uh…connections. I read recently that Senator Rydell reportedly turned Lucas Jardine and Piero DiGiovanni into the FBI. I thought maybe you had some thoughts about that.”

  He smiled. I hoped I wouldn’t swoon at his feet. The man was undeniably handsome. No wonder Emily was defenseless. “What kind of thoughts?”

  Okay, so he wasn’t going to make this easy. “Have you heard anything on the streets?” Even to my own ears that sounded scripted and campy. I was positive he and his cohorts would have a good laugh about this conversation later. “I don’t mean the streets here, naturally. I mean the streets in New York City. From your . . .um…associates. Mr. DiGiovanni publicly threatened to kill Senator Rydell. I need to know if he did kill her. Or maybe Lucas did? Or maybe he paid Piero DiGiovanni. Can you get us an audience with Piero? I mean get the police an audience, of course. Perhaps prevail upon him to cooperate with the police? Pave the way for us?”

  Rocco considered my words for a moment. I think another smile was dancing at the corner of his lips, but I couldn’t be sure. “You’ve done your homework. Besides being a fabulous baker, don’t tell me you are also on the police force?”

  I shivered despite the warm air. “Not exactly. I just seem to have a penchant and talent for helping to solve murders. This one’s a tough one. Rachael Rydell had a twin, Melanie Stewart. The soap opera actress. They were here for a school benefit. They both were killed.”

  “Do the police think both women were murdered by the same person?” he asked.

  “That’s still under investigation.” I wasn’t sure how much to give away. What I was sure of was that Sean would probably not approve of my discussing their murders with Rocco. But Alex and I had little to go on. I didn’t think Sean had much, either. Unless he was holding back. That was possible.
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  “You’re a nice girl. This town has been nothing but gracious to me.” Rocco looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. “This place is a world away from the city. The air makes you think straight, cleanses the soul, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, I agree.” Total disclosure, I’d have agreed with him if he’d said that large, green, grape-eating dinosaurs lived in the vineyard. I could see his long eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks in the bright moonlight. “We’re a great town, and yes, I do try to be nice, that’s true.” I wanted to get him back on track, but wasn’t sure how.