Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 1) (12 page)

"Are you okay?"

She whimpered. "If you think I'm going to tip that monster for breaking my back, you're crazy."

"I'll give her something, don't worry. If I don't, she might throw us both down the stairs. Can you move at all?"

Josie grabbed my hand and, with assistance, slowly raised herself up from the table. She placed a foot onto the floor and grimaced, while the other slowly followed. "We may need to get me a brace on the way home. I don't think I can go back to work today. Time for me to go home, curl up, and die."

"Don't worry about the shop. Maybe it's only a temporary stiffness, and you'll feel better tomorrow."

"Crippled is more like it." Josie started to put her clothes on, with my help. "Can you believe that broad? All the things she said about Amanda. I mean, come on, tell us how you really feel, babe."

I shook my head. "Amanda didn't have many fans." I definitely knew all about that.

"Sal." Josie leaned forward and whispered. "Liza could have done it."

"No, I don't think so." My voice sounded unconvincing, even to myself.

Josie looked as if she might explode. "Are you kidding? She almost killed me, and we just met!"

There was a tap on the door. "Ladies, whenever you're ready."

Josie clenched her teeth. "Oh, yes. Let's not keep Godzilla waiting any longer."

"Quiet. She'll hear you." I projected my voice in the direction of the door. "We'll be right out." I threw my clothes on and grabbed my purse, producing two ten-dollar bills from my wallet. "This will have to do. I can't wait to see what the rest will cost us."

"Tell me about it. On the bright side, we learned some valuable information." Josie hobbled toward the door. "No great loss without some small pain."

"You mean gain," I corrected her.

"Not in this case." Josie winced as she reached over to open the door.

Zoe stood in the hallway, a meek expression on her face.

Liza stood next to her, arms folded across her rounded stomach, glaring at both of us. "Well, you two certainly took your time."

I handed each woman a ten-dollar bill. "Thank you both very much for a—an interesting experience."

"It was our pleasure." Liza seemed to soften a little at the sight of the money. She led the way toward the stairs, and we followed, Josie leaning on me for support. "Come back any time."

I touched my face gingerly. "I love the honey smell in the facial."

Zoe giggled. "Isn't it great? We sell the mask here, if you'd like to purchase a jar. We even mix the ingredients for it ourselves. Amanda, rest her soul, kept up on all the newest trends. Bee venom facials are very popular at salons in New York City, and they've done well for us too."

"Did you say bee venom?" I almost choked on the words.

"Yes. That's the active ingredient in the anti-aging facial, along with manuka honey and natural botanical oils. They stimulate, nourish, and moisturize the skin. I guess it's kind of funny that Amanda would even want to feature it at her salon, what with her allergy to bees and all."

"Bee venom?" Josie repeated. Her face was whiter than flour.

We had reached the reception desk.

Liza had a sly smile on her lips. "Even if you're allergic, the stuff can't hurt you unless it's ingested somehow. Still, Amanda never went near it."

Her eyes glittered while Josie and I retreated a hasty step backward.

"And to think, I could have ended all of my problems sooner. How unfortunate." She clucked her tongue at both of us and then disappeared back up the stairs without another word.

"Oh, my God." Josie's eyes widened in alarm.

The receptionist looked puzzled. "Was something wrong with your service, ladies?"

"Um, no, of course not." My heartbeat was racing a mile a minute. I took a deep calming breath and reached for my wallet. "How much was the facial?"

"Let's see, one hundred and fifty dollars." The receptionist stared at the computer screen in front of her. "And the massage was one hundred."

Josie's eyes flashed with surprise. "A hundred? The girl on the phone told me fifty."

"I'm so sorry. Perhaps she misunderstood. Cash or credit?" The receptionist held out her hand.

"But I can't even freaking move! I want—"

I pinched Josie's arm in warning. "She went to the gym this morning. I kept telling her not to overdo it. Put both services on my card, please."

Josie cursed under her breath. "Sal, I'm not going to let you do this."

I signed the slip while ignoring her protest. Trying to find a killer was proving to be costly.

The receptionist handed me a receipt. "Thanks again. By the way, we welcome reviews on our website. Here's the address." She pushed a business card across the counter at each of us.

"Now you're talking." Josie reached out to grab the card.

I snatched it from Josie's hand and escorted her out the front door. "Bye now!"

The receptionist stared at us in confusion.

"I'll give her a review." Josie's face was bright red as I unlocked the car. She groaned and crawled into the front passenger seat. "Thank God you drove. We'd crash and burn if I had to maneuver this car right now."

"Bee venom." A shiver went down my spine. "You know what this means? What if one of them was at her apartment that day and slipped it in her drink? Charlotte said the employees went there sometimes."

"I can picture Liza killing someone." Josie massaged the back of her neck and winced. "She hated Amanda. Plus, she's nuts. Double motive right there."

"Yeah." I fell silent as Mike came to mind again. What had he been doing at the spa? And more specifically, in Amanda's office?

I remembered Zoe's reference to Amanda touching him, and heat crept into my face. Why did this bother me so much? I had no claim to him anymore. Amanda had burned me badly, but she was dead now. Yet, I still couldn't seem to let it go.

"Hel-lo, Sal?" Josie clapped her hands. "I'm in agony, and you're tuning me out. Where'd you go?"

"Sorry. I guess I was daydreaming."

"Uh-huh. Come on, I know you. You were thinking about what Zoe said. When she mentioned Mike coming to see Amanda."

"No, I wasn't."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Look, it doesn't matter if they were seeing each other. That's his business. I think I need to pay him a little visit though."

"Do you now?" Josie's smile was wicked.

I brought my car to a stop in the alley behind the bakery. "If he was seeing Amanda, he might have some idea of who was trying to kill her."

"Do you think he'll tell you the truth? I mean, about their relationship?"

"That isn't important right now." I opened the car door. "I'm only interested in finding out who killed Amanda."

"Right." Josie gave me a doubtful look.

With the exception of my sister, the shop was empty. Gianna sat in the exact same spot we'd left her in, still poring over law books. Three empty coffee cups were stacked next to her.

"How'd everything go?" I asked. "Did you get a lot of customers?"

Gianna stood and stretched. "Probably about twenty or so, I'd say."

"Awesome." I grabbed the back of a chair with both hands. "Did they buy much?"

"A few." Gianna shut her book. "One woman bought a dozen chocolate chips. Then Mrs. Gavelli came in and asked for a single butter cookie."

Josie made a face. "Did you tell her what she could do with it?"

"Be nice now." I turned back to Gianna. "Did she ask if I was arrested yet?"

Gianna's lips curved upward slightly. "Well, she did wonder why you weren't here. She hoped they'd finally come to their senses and hauled you off to prison. Said it might be your only salvation."

"Great."
Why did the woman hate me so much?

"Oh, and she asked for two fortune cookies. No, wait, that's not strong enough. She
demanded
them. People were staring, and I didn't have the strength to argue with her. I hope that's okay."

I nodded. "No problem."

"What'd the fortunes say?" Josie asked. "Did they tell her to pull the knife out of your sister's back?"

"She didn't read them out loud. After she opened the first one, she threw it on the floor and left in a huff." Gianna's eyes filled with mirth. "It said, 'Life is too short for cheapskates.'"

We all laughed.

I dumped Gianna's coffee cups in the trash. "I guess she won't be back for a while."

Gianna gathered her books in her arms. "You said you're going to the wake tomorrow, right?"

"Are you going?" I cocked one eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I'm sorry she's dead, but I have no desire to go to a wake for a woman who caused you so much pain," my sister said. "I don't even know how you can do it."

I smoothed the cream-colored tablecloth, and thought of how my grandmother had crocheted it for me with such loving care. The two on the adjacent tables were ivory. "Her mother asked us to go. She may be upset with me for what I said to Amanda the other day, but I have to make an appearance. It wouldn't be right if I stayed away. Besides, I think it will help me make my peace with everything and move on."

Gianna shook her head in disbelief. "You're a better person than I am."

"I don't know about that. You're pretty okay in my book."

"Dad keeps insisting we all go, so I guess I don't have much choice either. If he sees anything he likes, he wants me to take notes." Gianna rolled her eyes at the ceiling.

"Okay, he's really starting to carry this funeral obsession a bit too far." Josie limped over to the table and sat in the seat Gianna had vacated.

Gianna's brow wrinkled. "Are you okay?"

I held back a smile. "Josie just had a massage by Lizzie Borden. She whacked with her hands, not an ax, though."

"Ha, ha." Josie narrowed her eyes.

"Uh, yeah, that sounds like the kind of spa treatment I'd want. Did you find out anything useful?" Gianna asked.

I adjusted the slightly crooked venetian blind on the window. "We found out all of Amanda's employees hated her. Of course, we'd already guessed that part."

"Well, duh. Remember who we're talking about." Gianna put her books down to give me a hug. "Are you coming by the house tonight?'

I shook my head. "I have an errand to run. Then I'm going upstairs for a nice, long, hot bubble bath." The television and a quart of double fudge ice cream were on my agenda as well, but they didn't need to know that. I was looking forward to a night of relaxation, topped off by the fact tomorrow was Sunday, and I could sleep in.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Gianna tossed her hair back. "Mom and Dad want you to come by the house tomorrow so that we can all go to the wake together."

I was about to agree, then remembered Vido. "Why don't you guys meet us here? Josie and I have something to do right before we leave."

Josie turned to Gianna. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Rob's going to stay with the kids, so I'll keep your sister company on the ride over."

"Okay. See you guys tomorrow then." She grabbed her books and pushed the front door open.

I sat across from Josie. "Do you want me to drive you home?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "No, I think I'll be all right. I might need you to push me into the car and tie my hands to the steering wheel, but then I should be fine. Are you sure you don't want me to stay? We've got almost another two hours to go."

"No worries, I can handle it."

"We should close at five every night. Why only on Saturdays?"

I shrugged. "We still don't know when our busiest time is, especially given the last few days. Once we do, maybe we can adjust the hours some."

"Since Amanda's death, we're busy all the time. We're not making enough sales though. Does that count?"

"Smart aleck. I think I'll hit the ATM when I leave here, and then if Mike's agreeable, I'm going to stop by and see him."

"Don't forget your lingerie." Josie grinned.

I pursed my lips together. "Okay, that was so uncalled for."

"Sorry, I can't help myself. Seriously, do you really want to go to his house alone? It's going to spark a lot of old memories for you guys. It might not be a smart move on your part."

"We're both adults. Besides, our relationship has been over with for years."

Josie looked skeptical. "I don't think it's ever been completely over for you two."

I changed the subject. "You should go home to your babies. They need you."

"All right, but I want details."

"I doubt there will be any. Oh." I hesitated for a moment. "Do you happen to know his phone number?"

Josie eased her aching body off the chair. "Afraid not. He had an apartment on Green Street before. After his mom died, he moved back into her house. Well, it's his house now, I mean."

I sighed. "I don't remember her number. Who knows if it's even the same one? I really hate to stop without calling first
.
"
What if he's entertaining a lady friend?

"Your grandmother might have it. She knows everyone's number in town."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather they didn't know about this. I guess I'll have to take a chance and surprise him."

"I doubt Mike will mind being surprised by you," Josie quipped.

"You never stop. Meet me here tomorrow by 11:30. Vido's due at noon."

"I wouldn't miss it, believe me. With his help, maybe we can start putting the pieces together in this puzzle." Josie waved and made her way gingerly out the back door and into the alley where her vehicle was parked next to mine.

"I hope so." A niggle at the back of my mind made me wonder if I was throwing away money where Vido was concerned. Hopefully I was wrong. I glanced at my phone on the counter, thinking about the new information we'd learned. I should share my findings with Brian. Plus, it would be nice to hear his voice. My face grew warm at the thought.

Oh, what the heck.
I prayed he wouldn't be mad at me. I picked up the phone, searched the contacts section, and dialed his number. I waited, heart thumping.

"Officer Jenkins." His voice sounded brisk, and I could detect laughter in the background.

Shoot. I'd forgotten all about his parents' anniversary. "Hi, Brian, it's Sally. Sally Muccio. I'm sorry to bother you."

"You're never bothering me, Sally." His voice filled the phone with warmth and sex appeal.

A tingle ran through me.

"How are you? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I feel bad about interrupting your day off though."

"Don't worry about it. We're all sitting around having a cookout in my parents' backyard. I get to chaperone my nieces in the pool." He chuckled. "They keep trying to dunk me."

Somehow I could picture this and laughed out loud. The image of him in a pair of swim trunks was enough to send my brain into overload as well. "I wanted to let you know about something I found out earlier today."

There was a long silence at the other end. "Have you been snooping again?"

"A little." The words started to tumble out before I could stop them. "See, Josie really wanted a massage, so I decided to go along with her to get a facial. We—"

"You were at Amanda's spa?" Brian interrupted.

I exhaled sharply. "Yes. We found out that Amanda offered a bee venom facial to her clients. The technicians mixed the ingredients for it themselves."

There was silence again. "Really. I was there yesterday and didn't know about this."

"Do any of her employees know how she died?"

"Not unless you mentioned it."

I shut my eyes and winced. He was angry. "I didn't say a word, I swear. Please don't be mad."

Brian sighed. "I'm not mad. I appreciate you letting me know and will definitely check into this further when I get back. Now, will you do something for me?"

"Of course." I waited in anticipation.

"Please don't get involved. I don't want to have to worry about someone coming after you too." He paused. "I've got to get going. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Dejected, I didn't know what else to say.

"Okay." His voice became sensual again. "Have a good night. I'm looking forward to our dinner later this week." He clicked off.

Relief washed over me as I put the phone back in my purse. Now that the conversation was over, I was glad to have shared my information with him. I thought of our upcoming dinner date. Was I ready for this? At least I had a few days to decide. I removed some cookies from the case that had been baked the day before yesterday and were too old to sell now. I placed them in a box to drop off at the homeless shelter on my way to Mike's.