J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder (11 page)

“I speak Italian fluently, Ms. Esposito. It is rather bad manners to speak another language in the company of strangers. Didn’t you ever learn that as a child?” he murmured in a soft voice.

Alarms sounded in my head at the words. This would definitely be a confrontational affair. He was looking for trouble and thought he could intimidate me.
Think again
, my little voice said. I stepped back toward the desk as he stared at me.

“My manners are no business of yours,” I uttered. “You think you’re onto a good thing here, Mr. Casali, with hopes that a murder trial will bring you fame and fortune, am I right?”

“Not at all. It wouldn’t hurt if that was so, but my first, and only, concern is for you and your mother.”

I snorted. “Huh, I think not.”

He stepped closer to the desk and I waited. About five inches taller than the man, I knew I could inflict serious pain on him if he became aggressive. The assurance gave me confidence, though I was unwilling to enter combat, especially since he was an attorney. A lawsuit loomed before me as I took a verbal stand.

“What are you really here for, Mr. Casali?” I asked with a fair amount of curiosity.

“Since you were playing hard to get, I thought maybe I’d come to you since you wouldn’t come to me. I know you find me attractive, so just admit it.” Casali stepped around the edge of the desk.

Before he could enter my space, I moved away and waited. One more step toward me and I’d let him know just what I really thought of him. My body tensed as I readied for his next move.

The classroom door opened and Rafe stepped inside. The smile on his lips faded when he looked at my face. I nodded to him as relief swam through my body.

“Hey, Rafe, I’m glad you could make it,” I said. “I was getting ready to leave.”

His glance flicked to Mr. Casali, who’d turned in surprise at the interruption. Casali’s chin tipped up farther and farther, until I thought his neck would break. Stifling a chuckle at the sight of it, I stepped away from the man.

“Mr. Casali, this is Rafael, a friend of mine. He lives upstairs from me.”
That should take care of him.

The two men shook hands. I saw Rafe’s eyes narrow a tad. Abruptly, Rafe disconnected the contact.

“Pleased to meet you,” Rafe murmured before he turned toward me. “Are you ready to leave, Vin? I have reservations for us at The Tempting Teapot.”

This was the first I’d heard of it and wasn’t sure he was telling the truth or making it up. I went along with the act.

“Let’s go.” I turned to Mr. Casali and said, “We’re finished here, right? There’s nothing further to discuss, understand?”

“Yes, certainly,” Casali said and cleared his throat gruffly. He nodded toward Rafael, collected himself, and left the room.

My valise swung from Rafael’s hand. I hitched my shoulder bag back in place as we left the building. A sigh of relief escaped me as we walked side by side.

“What was that about? I thought you were going to punch the daylights out of him when I walked in and saw your expression.”

I glanced up with a grin. “It had occurred to me, but escape was uppermost in my mind.”

“Was he coming on to you?” Rafe asked with a serious demeanor.

“He tried, but that wasn’t an option for him. He was about to step into my space, and I was about to run like hell. I did want to put him on the floor and kick the living daylights out of him, though.”

“It’s fortunate that I showed up when I did.” Rafe chuckled.

“Casali wants fame and fortune. He seems to think a murder trial with Mom and me as the defendants will put his name in lights.”

“You told him it wasn’t going to happen, huh?”

“Something to that effect.” I smiled and tucked my hand into the crook of his arm.

Our vehicles, his Saab and my powder-blue Altima, sat next to one another. We’d each slipped behind our steering wheels when Rafe lowered his window and waited for me to do the same.

“I do have reservations for us, you know,” he said with a grin. “I wasn’t joking.”

“You weren’t?” I smiled.

He shook his head. “Follow me.”

With a nod, I cruised behind him until we reached the eastbound exit in Seekonk, Massachusetts. I turned off the exit and into the lot, drawing my car up next to his.

The gift shop attached to the restaurant was one of my favorites. A place where I’d often purchased gifts for family and friends. The quality of the treasures sold were hard to match anywhere in the area. Unique and lovely metallic colors shined wherever I looked when we entered the building.

Gorgeous, collectible cats of paisley and prints, stood tall and short on a table. I petted them as though they were alive. Rafe touched my shoulder, and I glanced up to see the mirth on his features.

“You should see your face.” He laughed. “They aren’t real, you know.”

“I know, but aren’t they wonderful?” I turned back to touch each one. The smoothness of some was set off by the textured features of others. I never checked the prices, but instinctively knew they were astronomical.

Rafe’s musical laughter reminded me that we had a reservation, and suddenly I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten breakfast. Hunger pangs gnawed at my stomach, though I hadn’t noticed until now.

“Let’s eat. I’m starved,” I acknowledged with a laugh as we moved toward the dining room.

The hostess showed us to a table in front of the fireplace. A fire warmed the room and the chill that clung to my clothing was soon gone. Sturdy leather menus lay atop the table. We ordered coffee, and I flipped to the first page to view the fare offered.

“How about a bowl of chowder and a sandwich?” I asked as he stared at me over the top of his menu.

Our waitress brought a steaming pot of coffee and filled the earthenware mugs. She left the pot and took the lunch order. Her eyes rested on Rafe for longer than necessary, causing me to grin at him as she walked away.

“She thinks you’re the best thing since popcorn.” I chuckled.

“Is that right?” Rafe grinned. “I thought I had a smudge of dirt on my face or something.”

After the meal was served, we chatted on and off. When the waitress cleared the table and took our request for dessert, I relaxed and fiddled with the coffee mug handle.

“You asked me about the Carochi family,” I said “Why was that?”

Rafe murmured, “I wasn’t sure if you were aware of Gianna’s background. She seems like a pleasant sort.”

Mesmerized, I stared at his blue eyes. They reminded me of the color of cornflowers. This man was a mystery. A mystery that grew deeper by the moment. I accepted his invitations with interest and curiosity, hoping that with time spent in his company, I’d learn more about him and his character within. Rafe, or his job, had never been made implicitly clear to me. My curiosity got the better of me. It was unusual for me to hold back my inquisitive nature.

Shaking my head, I straightened in the chair. If he was interested in Gianna, then maybe he was in search of more information from me.

“You’ve been to the shop, then?” I asked.

Rafe nodded. “I’d spoken to Lola, at the deli, and she mentioned it. I was looking for something special to send my sister for Christmas, so I stopped by. You carry unique gifts, Vinnie.”

“We try to be different than other shops in the state. It brings people back when they can find a gift that is beyond the ordinary.”

“Well, you’ve succeeded,” he said. His gaze wandered around the room coming to rest on my face once again. Rafe cleared his throat as his fingers touched my hand.

“Stay away from Mr. Casali. He’s bad news for you.” His voice was light, like that of a harp. The sound surrounded me with its musical lilt.

Unable to tear my gaze from his, my angst rocketed as the blood raced through my veins.
What now?

I smirked, but Rafe didn’t smile in return. “He isn’t exactly the person I’d have chosen for representation. I don’t know where my father found him. Under a rock, I’m sure.”

“That’s likely more true than you realize,” he stated. “The fact is he’s a dangerous and unscrupulous man, who wouldn’t think anything of harming you without provocation.”

That was it. My out of control curiosity took over. I needed to know how he’d arrived at that assumption.

“You might be right, Rafe. I’d like to know how you came by that opinion.”

A smile slowly crawled across his features. It was startling when it finally arrived. Handsome was too commonplace a term for Rafe’s good looks. His blue eyes sparkled and those marvelous dimples deepened.

“Just call it intuition on my part.”

“If that intuition is catchy, then I hope I come down with a heavy dose of it.” I smiled and pleaded, “You must have gotten your information about the little meatball from someplace other than intuition. Fess up, Rafael.”

“Vin, there’s nothing to confess. It’s just a feeling I have about the man. He’s dangerous. You know it, or you wouldn’t be on your guard when he comes around.”

Rafe leaned back in the chair, breaking contact with me. The unsteady rhythm of my pulse returned to normal. The mystery that shrouded this man had begun to nag me. I concluded that I needed to find out more about him than I currently knew, which wasn’t much.

My eyes lit upon the Christmas tree in the corner, all gold and glittery. It was a lovely sight. I remembered I hadn’t gotten my tree yet.

“Will you be putting up a Christmas tree?” I asked him.

“Probably not,” he answered.

“Is it a religious decision or just that you live alone?”

“Religion has nothing to do with it. I just figured you were going to put a tree up in your house, so I could enjoy that one. Besides, I won’t be in Rhode Island much longer.” He grinned.

“Oh. Where will you be going?”

“I have a new assignment. I’ll be leaving the country for a while. When are you putting up your tree?” he asked.

“As soon as I go pick one out,” I said with a smirk. “What kind of assignment?”

“It’s a photo shoot in the Caribbean. I’m a freelance photographer. Didn’t you know?”

With a shake of my head, it occurred to me that he might be doing some photography for Lola’s next cookbook.

“Is that why you’re at the deli all the time?”

“Yes, didn’t Lola tell you?”

Satisfied with the answer, I said, “Now that you bring it up, she may have mentioned it. I know she’s been working hard on the recipes. Are you working with her on that?”

“Her father is a family relation twice removed or something. We ran into one another in Boston and he mentioned Lola’s project. I offered to do the photos for her. That’s how we connected.” Rafe shrugged. “It was a coincidence that you had an empty apartment, a nice one, I might add.”

“Now it all makes sense. Lola hadn’t said what you did for a living, but that you needed a place to stay for a while. Her recommendation of you was enough for me. I didn’t ask any questions.”

“It was quite coincidental, really.” Rafe smiled, his charm oozing across the table. “Now, how about that Christmas tree? Why don’t we pick one out this afternoon? Even though it gets dark early, I think there’s still enough light left.” His willingness to help me didn’t allow me to refuse. Besides, maybe I could delve into his past a bit more while we tree hunted.

“Sure, why not.”

“Do you have any particular place in mind?” Rafe asked.

“I usually go to Seven Mile Road to Henry’s Tree Farm in Scituate. My aunt Livvy and I went together most of the time. It would be nice to have your company since she isn’t alive any longer.”

His thoughtful gaze rested on my face before a smile crossed his lips. I wasn’t certain he was aware of Aunt Livvy’s death. I hadn’t known Rafael very long.

Dessert arrived. We ate cream puffs filled to overflowing with rich whipped cream, and drizzled with a rich chocolate sauce. As we left the restaurant, I heard the waitress tell Rafael to return soon. I smiled at the sultry utterance of her words.

In the parking lot, I turned and imitated her. He threw his head back and laughed.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.” His shoulders shook with mirth while his eyes twinkled with delight.

“Nah, she just knows a good thing when she sees it,” I admitted and headed toward the car.

He slung his arm over my shoulders as we walked across the parking lot. He continued chuckling, and I laughed at his sense of humor.

“Lead the way, madam,” he said and left me at my car to go get into his Saab.

The trip across the bridge was quick for a change. No traffic jam and no accidents. Lady Luck was on my side. How long that would last, I didn’t know.

As I pulled into Henry’s Tree Farm parking lot lined with cars, I slowed to a crawl, and searched for a spot to fit the car into. At the end of a long row, I found a place and squeezed between two trucks.

The Saab rolled into the lot. Rafe parked near the exit. I watched him get out. His gaze roamed the cars until he found mine. I joined him and we went toward the sprawling, one level, wooden structure.

Inside the main building, a gas fireplace blazed with artificial logs. Wreaths hung everywhere, some were decorated and others were plain. Garland of hearty pine filled one corner rack. The woody scent, mingled with spiced cider, gave the room a sweet, heady aroma.

My spirits lifted as the excitement of the holiday season sent a thrill through my body. I glanced at Rafael and watched a wide smile stretch across his lean face.

We took a hand saw and headed into the field. We’d gone about a hundred yards when I veered to the left. A lone Scotch pine tree stood among firs and spruce. It silently beckoned me. I nodded in acquiescence as though I was daft. When I reached the tree, I turned to Rafe and said, “This is it. This is the one.”

A guffaw met my announcement as he gazed at my choice.

“You’re sure you want this Charlie Brown tree?” he asked with a crooked grin.

“This is the one.” Proud of my choice, I walked around the tree, admiring it from all sides.

“If you insist.” He went to work cutting the tree at its base.

I held the tree fast as he sawed through the trunk. I sniffed the pine. Pitch glued itself to my old gloves. Yep, this was the one, I thought with a satisfied grin. Aunt Livvy would have loved it as much as I did. Crooked or not, the tree had personality.