Plateful of Murder (25 page)
“Hey, kiddo. Ed.”
Ed Horwath was my new part-time assistant. Not that my business needed one since I’d only had one big case so far. That’s when I met Ed and he, in turn, almost got killed because of me. Another story, though. He’s a security guard, but works for me when I need some muscle. Or an extra body.
“What’s up?” I hoped he wasn’t looking for an assignment. To tell the truth, I was still a little uneasy around Ed. He grew up in a tough part of Cleveland and while he swore he never punched anyone unless it was necessary, I think his definition of the term ‘necessary’ was different than mine was.
Lately my business had shrunk from being bad to pitiful. What was even more pathetic was the type of cases. Take for example Gloria Wellsing, my latest client. She had me investigating who was secretly feeding her purebred Husky, Sheba, table scraps and making her fat. I couldn’t even admit to Ed I’d taken that job, but a girl’s got to eat. Maybe if I found who fed Sheba, I could wrestle some of the scraps away.
Ed cleared his throat. “Been pretty dull around here. Need some excitement. Got any for me?”
“Sorry, Ed. Nothing’s come in.”
“Okay. See ya.” He sounded like a kid who finds out the roller coaster has been closed for repairs. But I couldn’t do anything about it.
I turned back just in time to see Aunt Lena shake rat-man’s hands and head toward the kitchen. Angie nudged me hard. “Find out what happened.”
I waited a moment so as not to appear too nosey, then strolled back into the kitchen. Aunt Lena’s face was flushed and she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. “Damn menopause.” She picked up a towel and fanned herself with it.
I grabbed her by the elbows. “So how’d it go?”
She leaned back, pretending to be blasé about it all. “He asked me out for tonight. I said yes.”
I coughed, so the words, “Oh my Lord, what were you thinking?” wouldn’t escape my lips.
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. Maybe you don’t think he’s Mr. Charming, but I do. I have more mature tastes.” She grabbed her apron and put it on. “Besides, he’s not a no-account who has nothing. And he’s practical. Says he’s got real good insurance. Now, tell me to have a good time.”
I grabbed her by the elbows. “Promise me you’ll play hard to get.”
She put her hands on her hips. “A smart woman knows what a man wants. Never mind what he thinks he wants.”
I had no desire to know which was which so I changed directions. “Where’s he taking you?”
He’ll meet me here at 7:00, after we close then dinner somewhere.”
My phone again. This time it was Dad, probably to ask me about Larry. I let it go to voicemail. “Aunt Lena, that’s exciting.”
Maybe you should bring a piece of cheese.
“My phone’s going crazy. I better get back to the office.” I kissed her damp cheek. “Have fun tonight.”
I turned the key in my car’s ignition. Nothing but an irritating whirr. I tried it twice more. No difference. I couldn’t blame old Bob. He had over 190,000 miles and probably dreamed of retirement. But I couldn’t afford to replace him. Every day I hopped into his rust-covered body and prayed his tired engine would turn over, but I feared this time he’d run his last. Thank God I was wrong and with a congested huff, he started up. We sputtered along and I tried to figure a way to afford a newer car. I quivered inside every time I thought about Bob heaving a last gasp on a dark, deserted road.
My phone rang. My dad again.
I barely said hello when he started. “So what do you think of
Larry
?” Sarcasm dripped with this last word.
“Didn’t talk to him. I didn’t want to cut in on Aunt Lena’s action. He looked normal if you like rodents with poor taste in clothes, but I’ll do that background check on him when I get back to the office.” I hesitated for a moment then dropped the bomb. “She has a date with him tonight.”
“She’s out of her mind. We need to do a
che cosa
? An intervention.”
“Don’t do anything until you hear from me. Promise?”
He huffed. “Sorry, Pumpkin. It’s just…she’s your mother’s sister and Theresa, God bless her, would strike me from heaven if I let something happen to Lena.”
My heart went out to my dad. Mom had been gone less than four years. He was still learning to live without her and at the same time, deal with Aunt Lena. Aunt Lena, who thought it was her mission to smother my dad in her unique bossy way, with food and advice. Now he wanted to protect her. I pulled into my office parking lot. “Call you as soon as I find something. Okay?”
I opened the door to my office, flicked on my computer and started to dig into the life of Larry Walters. Except there wasn’t any information to be had.
Private Investigator Claire DeNardo visits her Aunt Lena’s café, Cannoli’s, and discovers a romance brewing between her aunt and a new customer. Claire’s suspicions that he’s lying about his identity prove solid when he’s found dead at the café. Claire ignores the warnings of Police Detective Brian Corrigan and delves into the dead man’s life. In the process, she realizes her aunt may unwittingly possess what the killer wants. And it’s not her tiramisu recipe.
Private Investigator Claire DeNardo reluctantly takes on a case presented by her part-time employee, Ed. Ed’s cousin, Merle, is searching for his former girlfriend, a topless dancer who ran with a rough crowd. But it’s too late. The woman has been killed and Merle, who is now Claire’s client, is arrested. When Claire digs into the victim’s past, she uncovers a thriving illegal drug trade. Her fears about this case double when she learns about the mobster who is behind the unlawful business. All this while dodging Police Detective Brian Corrigan’s determined efforts to get her off the case and into his arms.
I want to thank my husband, Greg, for his support, ideas, and patience. Nikki Salupo and Joanne Moore both stepped up when I needed their help most. Patience Jackson, Rae-Dawn Brightman, and Bill Payne lent their expertise to my efforts. Huge thanks goes to Kathleen Baldwin, whose advice, assistance, and reassurances made the publishing of this book possible.
Copyright © 2016 by Carole Fowkes
eBook conversion by
Ink Lion Books
Cover by Kathleen Baldwin
Release date: January 2016
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