Death of the Family Recipe (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery Book 3) (10 page)

I leaned my head against the headboard and thought about it. I wanted to help Dan — we both owed him a lot. But Ted was so aggravated by the idea that I decided that Dan would have to be disappointed. I shrugged. "Okay."

Ted looked at me skeptically. "Okay?"

"I won’t meet with Atkinson and Dan will have to deal with it."

Ted relaxed and he stroked my cheek. "Really?"

"Really."

He kissed me. "Thank you."

Truthfully, I was relieved. I had doubts about Atkinson’s guilt, but the odds were that he murdered his girlfriend and her baby. The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to be involved in the case at all. How could I, an expectant mother, want to help someone who probably killed a pregnant woman and her baby?

My mind shifted to the search for my mother. Joe hadn’t said a word since I hired him, which meant he’d found nothing yet. I worried that there was nothing to find and my past would always be a mystery. In the end, I might have to accept that the closest thing I’d ever have to a mother was Melinda.

Our joint birthday party was set for Sunday, so pie day was shifted to Saturday. I accepted that Eric was there to stay and I was now the temporary fixture in the house, so I cleared some space in the garden shed for his boxes. After that, giving up my little office in the kitchen nook, including my desk, wasn’t as hard as I thought. My things were moved to the dining table and I did my best to be cheerful about the changes coming. Giving up my little house an inch at a time was easier than surrendering it all at once — but it still gave me aches and pains.

Ted had space in his garage, so while we baked, he and his brothers moved my non-essential items there. I smiled outwardly, but inside I cringed every time I saw them carry another box out to the truck.

We finished the baking by early afternoon and I went down for a nap. I was just over two months pregnant but all the changes in my body made naps necessary. Gone were the days of all-nighters and forgetting to eat. I awoke with Ted lying beside me. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at you."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "I can see that, but why?"

Ted smiled and put his hand on my belly. "Because you’re so pretty."

The last rays of daylight angled through the open curtains. I yawned and said, "What time is it?"

"About six."

I gasped and threw back the covers. "I slept for five hours?"

Ted held on to me. "Where are you going?"

I slumped against the headboard. "I don’t know. Where is everybody?"

"Zelda and Melinda are shopping; Eric is at Joe’s; and Boomer is with Daisy."

I twitched. "Zelda and Melinda are shopping?"

Ted nodded. "Emergency dress shopping for the wedding?"

I cringed. "Can’t wait to see how that turns out." I ran my fingers through his hair. "What have you been doing?"

His eyes got that sneaky-pleased look. "This and that."

I jumped out of bed and rushed to the door. "What did you do?"

He followed me. "Don’t freak out."

I pivoted back to him. "Freak out? What did you do?" I hurried out to the living room and screamed. "Where’s my stuff?"

Ted was right behind me. "Scotti, calm down."

But I was heading for the kitchen. "Calm down, my ass." When I walked into the kitchen I screamed again. "Where is everything?"

Ted locked his arms around my shoulders. "We moved a few extra things."

Pulling at his arms I said, "Who said you could do that?"

He held me tighter. "Take a breath. It’s okay, just breathe."

A
few
things? My industrial refrigerator, my O’Keefe & Merritt stove, half of my pots and pans and God knows what else. "Let go of me, you big gorilla and tell me what you did with my stuff!"

Ted released me and I stomped around the kitchen, checking cabinets, drawers, and closets. "A few things?" I trembled with anger. "Everything's gone!"

Ted’s voice was soft and reassuring. "We moved more than we planned, that’s true." He shrugged. "There was plenty of room in the truck and we were moving already, right?"

I tugged on my hair. "You moved everything because there was room in the truck?" I was two seconds from the blubber zone. "Now all my things are in your garage, getting dusty and covered with spider webs?"

He put his arm around my shoulders and led me to the butcher-block — which surprisingly still had the stools around it. He sat but I was too agitated. "Yes, some of it’s in the garage, temporarily." He held up a finger so I wouldn’t speak. "We needed the appliances to make sure they’d fit."

I scowled at the foreign appliances in my kitchen. "Where did those come from?"

"My house."

I leaned my butt on a stool. "You switched your appliances for mine?" I took a deep breath and frowned. "But I still have three more pie days before the wedding. How am I going to bake with this broken down crap?"

Ted laughed and tweaked my nose. "Thanks a lot."

"I’m a professional cook." I pointed at the appliances. "This stuff is for amateurs."

He nodded. "I know, honey. But Melinda said you can use her kitchen for the next three weeks. I know it’s not the same, but we’ll manage."

I frowned at him. "You should’ve asked."

"Copy that." He shrugged. "But we were on a roll, you were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. So we went for it." I couldn’t be mad, Ted did what husbands are supposed to do — take care of business. And had he ever. He pulled me into a hug. "I get that it’s a big change. But do you really want to move as soon as we get home from the honeymoon?"

I nodded. "You’re right, it’s easier this way." I blew out a breath. "But it’s not just the kitchen stuff, where are my other things?"

Ted tipped up my face to look at him. "You know that big house I live in? It’s got a lot of empty rooms. Your things are safe and sound and in our house. Okay?"

I lay my head on his chest. "Hard to believe I didn’t wake up while you were doing all this." I looked up at him. "You didn't drug me, did you?"

He gave me a quick squeeze. "How about we get some chow? You must be hungry." He patted my stomach. "I know the baby is."

Sticking out my belly I said, "I’m not even showing yet."

In a squeaky creepy baby voice Ted said, "Food, food, me wants some food. Feed the beast."

I laughed then frowned. "Stop calling her the beast — she’s going to think that’s her name." I frowned at my gutted kitchen. "Okay, take out it is but get extra cannoli’s. And a movie." I scowled at him. "I still have something to play a movie on, right?"

Ted stood and saluted. "Yes ma’am, ma’am."

I gave him a gentle push. "Go."

"You’re not coming with me?"

"No, I’m taking inventory."

<<>>

Sunday morning Ted woke me early and prodded me out of bed. "Ready for our day of fun?" I looked around a little dazed. "Come on recruit, snap to it." He pulled me to my feet and walked me toward the bathroom. "First stop, showers."

After our PG shower, I was hurried into a pair of shorts and a tank top, then whisked out of the room. Ted wouldn’t even let me go to the kitchen for a piece of toast. As he rushed me out the door, I caught a whiff of something and said, "Do I smell paint?"

By the time we arrived at Venice Beach, I was fully awake and starving. We had French toast and bacon in a cute little café on the boardwalk. In no hurry to do anything or go anywhere, we tossed the marauding gulls bits of crust and took bets on who would win the prize. The sun felt good on my bare arms as we lingered over lattes.

The sound of the surf set the pace as we strolled the boardwalk and perused the vendor stalls. I bought him a pair of orange Harley Davidson socks and a matching tee shirt and he bought me a pretty sundress and a pair of sandals.

We hadn’t had a lazy day for a while, and it felt good to wander the shops and the galleries. To go to the pier and ride the merry-go-round. To eat ice cream dripping from waffle cones. To just be together without any plans, schedules or whiteboards. And just when I decided I could stay there forever, Ted hustled me back to the car. "It’s party time, birthday girl."

"I need to go home first, to change."

Ted patted my knee. "We’re fine. It’s just a family party."

"But I want to look pretty."

"You always look pretty."

I pouted. "Ted."

He glanced at the backseat. I snapped my fingers. "Right." I leaned over the seat and grabbed the bag that held my sundress and sandals. Then I frowned. "So what, you expect me to change while you’re driving?"

Ted hit his blinker and we pulled off, then stopped at the first gas station we saw. While he filled the tank, I changed in the disgusting rest room — which was no easy feat. When I got back in the car Ted had the sneaky pleased look in his eyes again. "What’s going on?"

Ted pulled out and drove toward the freeway entrance. "Nothing. We’re going to a party."

I shook my head. "You’re up to something."

He flicked me a look. "Hypothetically, even if that were true, would you expect me to admit it?" He patted my thigh. "Just roll with it, honey."

I looked down at the cute little pink sundress and sandals I wore. "So this wasn’t really an impulse purchase?"

He reached out and put his hand in my hair. "Like I said, it’s best…"

"Yeah, yeah. Roll with it, right?"

"Oohrah."

Ted shot into the right lane to catch the exit and turned the wrong way on Pacific.

I craned my neck. "Where are you going? Melinda’s place is in the other direction."

In a nerdy sarcastic voice he said, "Yes dear, I know where my mother lives." He flicked me a look. "I have to stop by the house to get something."

I rolled my eyes. "We’re already late. What do you have to get?"

He grinned at me. "Your birthday present."

I smacked my forehead. "Oh crap. Yours is at my house."

"Ted pressed harder on the accelerator. "Not a problem. You can give it to me tonight."

"Then why are we going to get mine?" Ted raised an eyebrow at me. I slunked back in my seat. "Yeah, yeah, roll with it." Ted screeched into his drive and parked. He hurried around to my door and opened it. "Come on, step on it."

"I can wait in the car."

Ted groaned. "Honey, you’re ruining all my fun."

I climbed out of the car. "Oh, sorry. But you could give a girl a hint."

He laughed and scooped me up in his arms. "So help me God, I love you." He carried me inside, cut through the living room and the dining room then stopped at the kitchen door. He set me down and said, "Okay, cover your eyes."

I looked up at him and grinned — I had a pretty good idea what my birthday present was. "What?"

"Just do it, recruit." I shrugged and covered my eyes with my hands. Ted took me by the shoulders and walked me through the kitchen door. "Okay, open your eyes."

I uncovered my eyes and found myself standing in my new kitchen. Glorious is the only word to describe it. Like my old kitchen but twice the size and better in every way. And man did my stuff look great in it. I turned in a full circle to take it all in, but I still couldn’t believe what he’d done. "Unbelievable!"

Then the back door opened and everybody crowded in — Ted’s family, Zelda, Eric, Joe, Dan, my friends Peggy, Donna and Debbie. "Surprise!"

Ted slipped his arms around my waist. "Happy birthday, babe. Do you like your present?"

Me and my hormones cried like a happy little girl. "I love it. How did you do all of this?"

Ted’s brother Steve, snorted. "With a lot of help."

Everybody laughed.

Melinda grinned. "You haven’t seen the best part yet." She nudged Ted. "Show her, Teddy."

Ted walked me to the door on the back wall, opened it and flipped on the lights. My mouth dropped open — my new office. On the right were a built-in desk and cabinets with my computer and television already set up. He’d even installed a shelf above the desk to display my antique teacups. A little window looked out on the backyard with an adjacent door that led into the downstairs bathroom. On the left were a built-in crib, changing table and playpen. But the thing that turned on the waterworks was the vintage rocking chair with a big teddy bear sitting on it. "I can’t believe you did all of this."

Ted grinned like a little kid and stepped to the wall. "You’re going to love this." He pushed a button above the crib and a recessed panel rolled open and gave a view of the kitchen. Ted turned to me. "Cool, right? You can see into the nursery or out to the kitchen."

I put my arms around him and cried. "You guys are the best."

Joe swatted a hand at me. "Enough weeping — let’s celebrate. Time to get the vittles on that grill."

And the party went into full swing. We barbecued steaks and roasted corn and potatoes. Matt, Joe and Dan jammed together on banjos and guitars. Ted and I slow-danced like there was nobody else there. It was wonderful.