A Pinch of Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery (Frosted Love Mysteries Book 2) (5 page)

Chas and Missy took a cab to an Italian restaurant that was known for superb food and an extensive wine selection.  The delightfully air-conditioned interior was beautiful yet still homey, featuring elaborately printed wallpaper that was a rich Cabernet color and lovely hand scraped wood flooring.  The lighting was romantically low, and soft music played in the background.  The hostess led them to a plush velvet-upholstered booth in a quiet corner, and presented them with menus.  Every description sounded delicious, and Missy, who hadn
’
t eaten since nibbling on a piece of toast for breakfast, was suddenly ravenous.  Her stomach gurgled audibly, making Chas grin and Missy blush. The detective selected a wine that would go with both of their entrees, and Missy took a small sip, the complex fruity flavor delighting her palate with an explosion of flavor.

“
Mmm
…
that
’
s so good,
”
she sighed appreciatively.

“
Just take it slow and easy,
”
Beckett cautioned.
“
You haven
’
t had much to eat today.
”

To underscore his point, her stomach growled again, cracking them up.

“
Clearly,
”
Missy agreed, giggling. She took another sip, and then set her glass down and her demeanor became more subdued.
“
So did you find anything interesting today?
”

“
Not really,
”
Chas admitted with a sigh.
“
I found out the name of Marta
’
s assistant and have been checking into his background, but so far there really haven
’
t been any red flags.
”

“
Do you know what the police are doing at this point?
”
she asked, worried.

“
No. There are no details disclosed in any of the news reports, and I haven
’
t questioned any of the detectives on the case because I don
’
t want them to know that I
’
m doing what amounts to a shadow investigation of their case. They
’
d be watching you much more closely if they suspected that you had a friend in law enforcement,
”
he assured her grimly. He saw the look on Missy
’
s face and his tone softened. He reached across the table to squeeze her hand reassuringly.
“
Don
’
t worry, we
’
ll get it figured out, these things just take time, okay?
”
Missy nodded and took another sip of her wine.
“
So how
’
s Toffee doing?
”
Chas asked, knowing that Missy would
’
ve called Doris from Happy Tails to check in, and wanting to take her mind off of the case.

“
They went for a walk in the woods today, and Toffee and Bubba swam in her pond and had to have baths,
”
she grinned broadly, picturing her exuberant pet leaping into the pond and paddling contentedly.

“
You know, your face just lights up so beautifully when you talk about that furry girl,
”
Chas observed, gazing at her with naked appreciation.

Missy blushed from the nape of her neck to the tips of her ears at his compliment.
“
She means the world to me,
”
she confessed, missing those big brown eyes and floppy ears. Detective Beckett
’
s comment warmed her from her head to her toes, and she was quite sure that the giddiness that she felt, despite her circumstances, had nothing to do with her tiny sips of wine.

“
She
’
s lucky to have you,
”
he remarked with a soft smile, holding her gaze longer than necessary. Missy was spared from having to respond, not certain that she could respond around the lump in her throat, by the arrival of the waiter with their food. She had ordered a creamy, delightful alfredo, and the detective had ordered a hearty lasagna. They both dug in with gusto, having been too busy to stop for a proper meal during the day. Missy attributed the return of her appetite to the relief that she felt knowing that Chas Beckett was on her side and would help her figure out what had happened to poor Marta Cambridge.

Chas and Missy savored their meals thoroughly, trading bites so that each could taste the other
s
, and generously supplementing their repast with wine and conversation.  For two relationally shy people, they were getting along fabulously, finally relaxing and enjoying each other
’
s company.  Neither of them wanted the carefree evening to end. Going back to the hotel would be a profound reminder of the grave reality of Missy
’
s situation, and it was nice to leave it behind for an evening, so they prolonged their meal by ordering a dessert sampler and decaf espresso.  Missy
’
s eyes grew wide when the waiter brought the tray of delectable dessert bites. She was understandably quite particular about such things, but if the taste was even half as good as the presentation, she
’
d be completely satisfied.  Her first bite was a fluffy, white chocolate cheesecake with a fresh raspberry reduction that absolutely melted in her mouth, and each successive treat was just as good as the last.  They both sampled all four desserts and had just set down their forks when Chas
’
s text tone went off. He looked at his phone and frowned.

“
Bad news?
”
Missy asked, fearfully.

“
Don
’
t know, could be great news, I
’
ll have to wait until I get back to my computer to find out,
”
he responded.
“
I sent some feelers out regarding Taylor Whitcombe, Marta
’
s assistant, and just received a message that one of my guys found something. If it
’
s significant, it could be just the break we need.
”

“
Oh! Okay,
”
Missy said, digesting the news.
“
I hate to feel good about the potential downfall of others, but
…”

“
You shouldn
’
t,
”
Chas interrupted sternly. 
“
Whoever did this has to pay the price for their crime, and if the police are going to wrongfully assume that you
’
re the prime suspect, we have to set them straight so that the actual killer can be brought to justice.
”

“
I know you
’
re right, I just hate being involved in such ugliness,
”
Missy closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she saw the detective gazing at her with a look that she didn
’
t recognize.

“
It
’
s going to be okay, Missy, I promise,
”
he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly, unknowingly sending all sorts of fireworks through her midsection.  Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded slowly.

Missy was exhausted and happily full. In the back seat of the cab, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes just for a moment.  The next thing she knew, Chas was caressing her cheek to wake her up as she snuggled against his shoulder. Sitting upright, blushing again, Missy blinked, trying to shake off her lethargy.

“
I don
’
t know what happened to me,
”
she said, embarrassed.
“
One minute I was leaving the restaurant, and the next I
’
m crashed out practically in your lap.
”

“
Well, it wasn
’
t exactly like that,
”
he chuckled,
“
but, no worries. You
’
re exhausted after a stressful couple of days, you needed the rest.
”

“
I think the nap was sufficient, I
’
ll be able to get through your news about Taylor now,
”
she said with more confidence than she felt, as they exited the cab.

“
Absolutely not,
”
Chas insisted.
“
You
’
re going to go to your suite and get some sleep. I
’
ll catch you up on everything tomorrow,
”
he promised.

“
Okay,
”
she agreed reluctantly, a wide yawn overtaking her.

Chas grinned down at her.
“
C’mon,
”
he guided her with his hand in the small of her back,
“
I
’
ll walk you up.
”

Missy thanked her lucky stars that Detective Beckett had decided to accompany her to her door, because when he slid the card through her security lock and the door opened, it was evident that someone had quite thoroughly trashed her room.  Chas put a finger to his lips, indicating that she shouldn
’
t say anything, and motioned for her to stay in the hallway while he searched for intruders.  She nearly gasped when he drew his service revolver and held it at shoulder level when he entered the suite. She fidgeted in the hallway, scared and restless until he appeared a few minutes later, weapon holstered and speaking normally.

“
Whoever it was, was looking for something,
”
he told her, keeping his voice low and leading her into the ravaged suite. The cushions were pulled out of the sofa and chair, and both furniture pieces were turned upside down. The mattress was pushed off the bed and pillows were taken out of their cases. Every cabinet in the bathroom had been left open, and the entire contents of the mini-bar spilled across the floor, unopened bottles and snack bags scattered haphazardly. Missy
’
s suitcases had been opened and tossed aside, and all of her clothing that had been in the bureau and closet had been thrown about. Too numb to cry, she looked at Chas for direction.

“
We need to pack up your things and move them into my room temporarily. You
’
ll stay with me tonight, since it
’
s late, and we
’
ll get you checked into another hotel tomorrow. Once we leave here in the morning, you
’
ll stop by the LVPD and pay Detective Brasco a visit. Don
’
t mention anything about what happened here, just let him know that you
’
ve changed hotels and tell him it
’
s because you felt too scared to stay because of what happened to Marta. Don
’
t say any more or less, and don
’
t give him the opportunity to ask you any questions. Say what you need to say and get out. Understood?
”

Missy nodded, still in shock. Chas took her into his arms and she clung to him tightly, burying her face against the thickly muscled wall of his chest. He stroked her back soothingly, kissed her hair, and deliberately released her, so that she could pack her things. While Missy put her suitcases together, he patrolled the suite, taking pictures with his phone and making mental notes. She was ready to go in short order and they rode the elevator to his room in silence. The Spartan furnishings of a non-suite room were a surprising contrast to Missy, but she found an open corner in which to place her belongings.

“
I
’
m going to go have a chat with hotel security to try and get a copy of the security tapes from your floor. While I
’
m gone, I want you to get some rest. Take a bath if you
’
d like, watch TV, or whatever, but make sure you get a good night
’
s sleep, we
’
re going to be hitting it hard tomorrow and you
’
ll need to be alert.
”
The truth of the matter was that he didn
’
t expect, or even want, Missy to help with the investigation at all, but he knew she
’
d be more open to getting some sleep if she thought her help would be needed the following day.
“
Go ahead and take the bed,
”
he directed.
“
I
’
ve got a long night ahead of me.
”