Wild Blue Mysteries Boxed Set

by Diane Bator

  The details of their dinner Saturday night were still sketchy. She had no idea how she’d explained things to him or if she’d even had the opportunity. Leo’s appearance in the bar may have saved her from Clancy’s wrath for another day.

  Leo.

  Christina bowed her head and, reluctant to face reality, threw on a thick sweater. A fresh layer of ice coated the back stairs and hoarfrost clung to the trees. The air was so cold her nostrils seemed to freeze shut. She let herself into the chilly kitchen and walked through the store front to check on the front door. At least she’d remembered to slide the bolt into place after Leo left on Sunday. After he’d kissed her so hard even the soles of her feet had burned beneath his touch.

  She sighed and turned toward the tree. The bakery continued to sprout more Christmas cheer than half of Packham, but by whose hand? If she had the money, she’d invest in a surveillance camera. With a severe shortage of funds, she’d have to settle for hiding behind the counter one night and waiting. A dangerous proposition if the intruder was armed.

  What sort of Secret Santa would break into a bakery locked and loaded? Across the room, beneath the cheerfully adorned tree branches, sat six small packages with a red envelope taped to the largest one. Her fingers shaking, she opened the envelope. “On the sixth day of Christmas, someone gave to me six boxes of chocolates.”

  Christina decided these were the most useful gifts of all. Her stress could be eased a little by some breakfast chocolate. She opened the smallest package. No need to be greedy so early in the day. The hazelnut truffle melted slowly in her mouth while she warmed the oven and gathered the ingredients for the morning’s baking.

  There had to be a better way to catch her Secret Santa. She could dump flour on the floor in front of the doorway, which would make more mess than it was worth. Hiding in the store all night was an option too. With her luck, she’d fall asleep before the intruder actually intruded, but if she bought a miniature video camera...

  Bad idea. Again, that would take more money than she had, especially if she needed to find a way to bail Brady out of jail. She fingered the swaying ornaments on the tree. Whoever left the gifts had no idea what a disappointment she truly was. She couldn’t even put together a lousy gingerbread house without Leo’s help.

  Her mother had never needed help. Never asked for help. Not even when she was dying.

  Maybe that was why she’d died.

  The thought brought tears to her eyes.

  Through the entire day, Clancy only made one appearance for calzones and a box of cookies. No insults. No guilt. Nothing but a passing comment that he had an important client. Christina was grateful. The bakery was far busier than the week before and, without someone to help out at the front counter, she barely had enough time to do all the necessary baking.

  Not even Leo put in an appearance. She guessed he’d gone back to Newville to confront Brady once more and she’d get another nasty phone call from her husband, warning her to keep Leo’s nose out of their business. So far, she’d resisted going to even see or call Brady. While they were so close at one time, once they got married, they’d lived separate lives. Sprained, was how she would describe their relationship. Not broken, just temporarily disabled, like a car without gas.

  By the end of the day, Christina didn’t want to think about Brady anymore. As far as she was concerned, he could sit and rot in his jail cell. Maybe one of his many boyfriends would bail him out, unless he’d alienated them all. She blew out a long breath, pulled the shade then locked the bakery door.

  The front door knob rattled, making her jump backward a foot. Someone pounded on the wooden frame.

  She peered around the shade and came eye to eye with Leo, the one distraction she didn’t need. A groan deflated her further. “What do you want?”

  “Leftovers.”

  Christina tried not to laugh. “They’re called day-olds and I don’t have any. Lucy came earlier and bought most of the desserts I had left.”

  Leo frowned, glancing toward the tattoo parlor. “Is Clancy still at work?”

  “He called to say he had a late customer. Somebody important.”

  His breath left clouds around his head. “Are you afraid of me?”

  Christina snorted. “You’re six-foot-four and built like a monster truck. What’s there not to be afraid of?” Besides, he made her entire body tremble at a glance, and not in a bad way.

  “Meet me at Clancy’s. I have a surprise for you.”

  “I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I want to go home.” She shook her head. “And I don’t want another tattoo, especially of a cinnamon bun. Clancy would probably ruin it just to spite me.”

  Leo breathed on the glass and drew an arrow in the fog which pointed toward the tattoo parlor. “Come on, meet me there then we can go for dinner.”

  Christina nearly dropped the blind back in place. “Are you asking me out again?”

  Since he was already rosy from the cold, it was hard to tell if his face reddened. “You have five minutes.”

  “What if I don’t show up?”

  Leo shrugged, the arrow fading as he walked away.

  Christina stared at the door and wondered if she had time to change. She grabbed her sweater and opened the back door. By the time she was halfway up the wooden stairs, Leo ran up behind her and lifted her to the top.

  “Let me go. I don’t want to go out.” She struggled out of his grasp.

  “Too bad. Get dressed.” He refused to take no for an answer.

  She opened the door. “I am dressed. What I want is to take a hot shower and put on my pajamas.”

  “How about a cold shower and a slinky red dress?”

  Christina growled and reached for her parka. “Forget it.”

  Leo helped with her parka and boots. “You’ll need mitts and a hat too. Baby, it’s cold outside.”

  She fought back her smile as she pulled on mittens and a hat. “Good?”

  “Perfect as always, babe.” He waited for her to lock the door then took her hand.

  They strolled behind the row of shops to a park that followed the Packham Creek. Christina had run these paths often as a kid. Along one side of the creek were toboggan hills lit by old-fashioned street lamps. As dozens of children shrieked their way down the slope on sheets of colored plastic or wooden sleds, she envied their ability to live in the moment.

  Leo hooked his arm around hers and steered her further into the park where the town, and a few faithful volunteers, had erected displays of bright lights in seasonal designs. Manger scenes, a neon North Pole with a Santa Claus and even dancing penguins came to life against the snowy back drop.

  Christina smiled. Nothing had changed in at least twenty years and the sights and sounds took her back to happy memories of her family having snowball fights and skating on the Christmas light ringed pond at the far end of the park.

  “I talked to Brady today,” Leo said, like he’d detected the shift in her mood.

  She paused in the ankle-deep snow to stare at a dancing penguin. “What did he say?”

  He nudged her until she walked along beside him again. “He told me all about you and Gage. What did you ever see in him anyway?”

  “Brady’s a sweet man. Leave him alone.” Her bad mood resurfaced.

  “I meant Gage. He’s an A-one jerk from everything I’ve heard.” Leo grimaced. “Brady’s no shiny tin star either.”

  Christina shook her head. “You don’t know either of them the way I do. Did.”

  “Did Gage even care you were married, even if it was only out of convenience for Brady? Did he call you when your mom died?” Leo asked. “Did he call after your mom’s funeral?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t need to answer that. You’re a detective, you probably already checked my phone records.”

  Leo shrugged. “I didn’t have to, the police did. Apparently, your friend Gage was in Buffalo not so long before his death trying to convince a gallery to show his work.”

&n
bsp; “A gallery? He would’ve told me about that.” She swallowed hard, angered by the revelation. “I would’ve helped him. He was a talented artist. I believed in him.”

  “That’s not what I heard. From what the gallery said, aside from a few pieces, most of his work lacked something exciting.” He seemed to study her for a reaction.

  She sucked in a sharp breath. “You talked to the gallery owners?”

  “A friend of mine asked them to print off pictures of the pieces he submitted.” He hesitated. “Most of them are nothing special. There are a few though—”

  Christina stopped and grabbed his arm. “Wait, you’ve seen the paintings he sent?”

  “Even better, I have copies.”

  Christina’s heart beat so fast she grew light-headed. “Can I see what he sent them?”

  Leo dug an envelope out of his pocket and handed her several photos. “I have a few questions about his work. I hear you’re the artsy type and would know more about his paintings than I do.”

  Christina waded closer to a light display through the knee-deep snow for a better look. Of the ten paintings Gage had sent the gallery, three were semi-nude portraits of Christina. Self-portraits she’d painted that Gage tried to take credit for. Her head spun so fast she needed to sit.

  “That one’s my favorite.” He reached around and pointed to one of her posed in front of a window. She wore an old white shirt covered in smudges of paint.

  Christina’s face burned and she itched to tear the photos into pieces. Instead, she shoved them back at Leo. At least he’d have something to remember her by once she’d left both the bakery and Packham in the dust.

  “These are just copies. You sure you don’t want them?”

  “No.” Her hands shook so hard she pressed them beneath her armpits. Why hadn’t Gage told her he’d tried to hang her paintings in a gallery show? His gallery show. Her breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. “That was another life. One I need to forget. It’s all said and done.”

  “I get that, Christina.” Leo reached for her, but she pulled away. “For the record, since Gage died so tragically, his paintings will be worth a fortune. Some people will want to know who the gorgeous model is.”

  “Oh yeah?” She stomped through the deep snow back to the path, glancing back over her shoulder. “Maybe they should ask who the artist was instead.”

  A smug smile flashed across Leo’s face before he returned the envelope to his pocket. “Brady said he plans to divorce you. He wants you to move on.”

  “Well, Merry Christmas to me then.” Tears filled her eyes. “I got just what I always wanted. My dead boyfriend tried to take credit for my paintings, my husband’s in jail and I’m getting a divorce. Wrap that all up and shove it under the tree for me, will you?”

  “Christina, wait.” He lunged to grab her arm. “Do you really think he’ll hold to that offer once he finds out how talented you are and that your paintings could be in high demand?”

  “Thanks for the walk down memory lane, but I need to be alone right now.” She pushed him away. “I’m a walking train wreck, Leo, and I guarantee if you hang out with me, things won’t end well for either of us. I’m nothing but a curse.”

  She left him standing in the idle of the path and stumbled toward Main Street. Leo meant well, but even he was no match for the bad luck that had fallen over her life lately. If she was prone to self-medication, she would have stopped for a bottle of cheap wine. Unfortunately, she’d feel even worse, or end up in bed with Leo again.

  Christina sighed. Some days, she just couldn’t win.

  Chapter 17

  Leo slapped the report he’d worked hard on all morning onto the table and sat across from Clancy. The Tipsy Duck buzzed with lunch time customers and he wasn’t keen on anyone overhearing their conversation. “There’s everything you asked for.”

  “About Chrissie?” Clancy raised his eyebrows and stirred his coffee. “That was fast. I can’t believe you’re giving me a formal report. I would have been good with a verbal one, or is it all blank paper?”

  “No.” He flagged down a server and asked for a beer and a menu. He’d need a full stomach to deal with Brady later. “I’d rather you not read it here though. Save it for later when you’re somewhere private.”

  Worry flickered across Clancy’s face. “Is it that bad?”

  “Actually, there’s something else we need to talk about.” Leo avoided the question.

  “What?” His mouth twitched. “Did you and Christina have a fight?”

  Leo raised his eyebrows. “Why would you ask that?”

  “You ordered a beer and you normally don’t even drink. Did my sister cut off your cookie supply or something?”

  He studied the gouged graffiti on the table top. “Probably. When I told her you asked me to check into her life, she wasn’t amused.”

  Clancy clapped a hand over his eyes. “Bro, that was not a good move. What the hell possessed you to bring that up?”

  “I figured if I was honest with her, she’d be honest with me.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Clancy grimaced. “And how did that go?”

  When their beers arrived, Leo took a long drink. He hated the taste, but needed the after effects to mellow his emotions.

  “That well, huh?” Clancy drummed the table with his fingertips. “That’s too bad. I’d hoped she’d leave that loser she married and hook up with you.”

  Leo flinched, glancing up. “You did? Let me guess, you had someone check me out too.”

  “I might have asked around.”

  “Yeah?” Leo shook his head. “What did you find out?”

  “Lucy and her kids think the world of you. Katie is indebted to you forever and would do anything for you. Danny wouldn’t say much, but told me you’re a pretty good guy deep down.” When the server stopped at their table, Clancy ordered a bowl of chili.

  Leo asked for Shepherd’s Pie and passed on a second beer then shook his head. “I can’t believe you checked me out.”

  Clancy groaned. “Did you dig into my past?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then it’s all good.” He shrugged. “I’ve got nothing to hide. You?”

  Not anymore. “Nothing I haven’t already told Christina.”

  Clancy raised his beer bottle. “Then here’s to truth, honesty and the pursuit of happiness.”

  Leo forced a smile. “On that note, I’m leaving town this afternoon.”

  “What? Where are you going?”

  “Newville. Brady’s lawyer was in the process of getting him sprung, but ran into a roadblock. The models who posed for Gage are stonewalling.” He paused for a sip of beer. Good thing he had more research to do before he had to drive. “She thinks she knows whodunit, but no one at Rascalz will talk to her and the police have had to tell her to back off before they charge her with harassment. The whole bloody case has come to a standstill.”

  “Who does she suspect?”

  “She’s leaning toward Marty, but—”

  “I see.” Clancy tore the label off his beer bottle. “So you’re riding your white steed in to save the day. Off to fight for truth and justice and forget all about Christina’s sanity and what’s best for her.”

  “Something like that.” Leo blew out a long breath.

  Clancy gazed at the folder containing his report. “When are you coming back?”

  “I’m not sure.” He shrugged, glad when their food arrived. First he had to get Brady out of jail, then he’d make plans. Those plans, for now, included leaving Packham for good.

  They ate in silence for several minutes before Clancy set his spoon aside. “What do I owe you for your research?”

  “Nothing.” Leo stabbed the Shepherd’s Pie with his fork. “Just help your sister through this. If she doesn’t already need you, she soon will.”

  Clancy shook his head. “I don’t think it’s me she needs. She talks to you far more than she deals with me. You don’t take her crap the same way the rest of us have.”<
br />
  “You’ll understand once your read the file. Sometimes people get sucked into doing things that have nothing to do with them and can’t find a way out.” Leo thought about the look on Christina’s face when he’d shown her the photos of her paintings Gage had tried to pass off as his own. His stomach ached with so much guilt he only ate half his food.

  After lunch, he left Clancy at the tattoo shop and strolled into Java Jo’s for a couple cups of tea, then made his way to the bakery. He was greeted by silence in the front of the store and a frantic Christina muttering beneath her breath as she rolled cookies at lightning speed and knocking things over.

  “Is everything okay? It smells like something’s burning in here.” Leo stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the front of the bakery with a cardboard tray.

  Christina sucked in a sharp breath and seemed uncertain he was actually there or if she was daydreaming. When the smoke detector went off, she got her answer. “Oh, crap!”

  She threw open the oven door and yanked out the rack filled with trays of over-browned sugar cookies. Only the ones on the top racks were badly burned, the rest were still good. She’d probably have to get the oven checked once things slowed down.

  Leo reset the smoke detector and opened the back door.

  “This is all your fault.” She shot him a frown, then returned her attention to the cookies.

  “Me? How do you figure that? I wasn’t even here. I was at Java Jo’s buying you tea. I thought I’d come by before I head back to the city.”

  Christina didn’t seem to care. She let out a long sigh. “My life stinks.”

  Leo chuckled. He spun her around and pulled her into his arms. The tray with two large cups of tea sat on the counter out of her reach. “You were so busy thinking about me, you neglected the cookies. I can see how that would happen. I am pretty hot stuff.”