Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 1) (15 page)

Charlotte seemed absorbed in their conversation, then happened to turn her head in our direction. She frowned, and her eyes narrowed when they came to rest on me.

"Wow." Josie's mouth dropped open. "If looks could kill. I never knew timid, little Charlotte could be so brazen."

My mother and father had somehow skipped over a few people in front of us and were now talking to Kate and Charlotte. My mother held both of Kate's hands in her own and seemed to be speaking in earnest. Next to her, my father pulled a tape measure from his trouser pocket and showed Charlotte.

"Oh no." My sister covered her eyes. "I don't believe this."

While Gianna and I watched in embarrassment, not quite sure what to do next, my grandmother appeared from out of nowhere. She excused herself to Charlotte and dragged my father away.

"I have someone in the office who needs to speak with you right now, Domenic."

"The undertaker?" His face brightened.

"
Si
." Grandma Rosa nodded. "He has a better tape measure than yours."

My father left Charlotte standing by herself while my mother continued talking to Kate.

Gianna rested her head on my shoulder. "Why can't they ever act normal?"

As I watched my father and Grandma Rosa leave the room, I caught sight of Mike toward the back of the line. His eyes held mine for a long moment, and he smiled. He wore a dark blue suit the same color as his eyes.

Josie noticed him, too. "Dang. He should never be allowed to wear that color. The man is lethal."

Gianna nodded. "Totally fine. Josie said you went to see him last night. Details, please."

I thought again of the kiss we had shared, my heart drumming wildly against the inside of my chest as we continued to stare at each other. I nodded to him, then turned back to Gianna. "Nothing happened. Come on. Let's go."

The people ahead in line had moved from the kneeler in front of the coffin to speak with Kate. The three of us walked toward the casket together, Gianna clutching my arm. We both made the sign of the cross and knelt while Josie stood beside us. Josie didn't care much for religious beliefs. She said she believed in God, and that was enough for her.

The casket was made of ivory and lined with pink satin. Amanda looked as if she were sleeping. Her white, silk dress was similar to what a bride might wear. Golden hair spilled over her shoulders, and a diamond tiara was perched on top of her head.

"I know this sounds disrespectful," Gianna whispered as she bowed her head to pray. "But white on her? Like that isn't a joke."

I couldn't tear my eyes from Amanda's face. Who could have done this? The motive had to be more than plain hatred. Who stood to gain anything from her death?

A few feet away, Kate glared at us, an icy expression on her face. Charlotte had disappeared. "Come on. People are waiting behind us to pay their respects."

Josie grabbed my hand and walked with me.

Gianna reached Kate first. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Kate nodded stiffly at her. "Thank you for coming." She glanced at me and Josie.

Beads of perspiration collected on my forehead. "Kate, I wanted to say—"

"Save your phony sympathy." Her eyes flashed with anger. "Charlotte told me what you really thought about my daughter and the things you did to her. What a fool I was to be taken in by the likes of you."

I took a step back, too stunned to say anything.

Josie's mouth compressed into a thin, hard line. "Hold on a minute, Kate. Your daughter slept with my best friend's husband. And Sally never laid a finger on her. You're the one making something out of nothing here."

"Josie, not now. This isn't the time or place," I said quietly.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Kate's tone was menacing. "Somehow I'll prove that you were involved. At the very least, I'm going to ruin your pathetic little shop, and you won't have a leg left to stand on in this town." She turned her attention to the people waiting uncomfortably behind us. "Jack, Sarah, how good of you to come."

This appeared to be our invitation to leave. My legs were blocks of cement, and I couldn't get them to budge. Gianna gave me a slight push forward, and I lost my balance. I stumbled and fell head first into an elderly man's lap in the front row. Everyone in the room gasped.

Gianna and Josie were quick to help me up. Gianna's face was scarlet, and mine, no doubt, mirrored hers.

"I'm so sorry. Please excuse me," I stammered to the surprised man.

"Drop in any time, honey." He gave me a huge grin. The stern-faced woman sitting beside him frowned. From the dirty look she gave me, I guessed she must be his wife. She muttered something to him under her breath, which I couldn't quite make out.

Kate's eyes were hostile as they met mine.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Josie whispered.

As we walked toward the front door with everyone staring, I caught sight of Mike again, his face focused on the floor. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Well, at least someone found it amusing.

The doorman nodded politely and opened the door for us. As soon as we stepped out onto the large wraparound porch, Gianna exhaled a long breath. "Sweet Lord. Could things have gone any worse?"

"Probably not." Josie wiped at her damp forehead with a tissue.

Gianna reached inside her purse and pulled out her cell phone, which was vibrating away. "Excuse me, guys. Frank's calling. I'll be back in a sec." She sauntered off in the direction of the parking lot.

Josie turned to me. "What do we do now? Because there's no way in hell I'm going back inside. We're not going to learn anything from the outside looking in, either."

"I've no idea." I longed to leave, but was disappointed we hadn't found out anything useful, other than the fact that Charlotte was telling Kate lies about me. I caught sight of my mother, leaning against the rail of the porch, smoking a cigarette. "Mom, I thought you gave those up."

"I'm going to call Rob. Be right back." Josie walked toward her van at a fast clip.

My mother smiled as she exhaled a perfect circle of smoke. "Old habits die hard, honey. Which reminds me, I spotted one of yours back inside."

"Oh, Mom. Not you, too."

"I've always liked Mike. You know that. He's such a sweet guy, and I think you were unfair to him."

I winced. My mother's job wouldn't be complete until I was married again and had bore her a couple of perfect grandchildren. After Mike's heartfelt speech to me yesterday, it appeared she might be correct in her opinion. I sighed but said nothing.

"It's amazing he grew up normal in that family of his." My mother inhaled a deep drag.

I'd always thought my family was normal when compared to Mike's. Now I wasn't so sure if we still made the cut.

I changed the subject. "Where's Dad?"

My mother closed her eyes, lost in her smoke-filled haze. "Talking to the undertaker, of course."

Probably picking out his coffin.
"Is Grandma with him?"

"No, she's around here somewhere with Nicoletta. God knows what they're doing." She dropped the cigarette butt on the wooden floor and stubbed it out with her heel, then frowned and stooped to pick something up.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I bummed a match from Charlotte. She was out here smoking with me, and I think she dropped these. Make sure you give them back to her." She handed me a packet of matches. "I'm going back in to find Daddy. Are you coming?"

I shook my head. "Uh, no, I think I'll stay out here. We'll probably be leaving soon."

"All right, sweetie." She kissed me on the cheek. "Why don't you and Josie come by for dinner tonight? Grandma's making manicotti."

"Okay, I'll call you."

Mom gave a giggle and pranced back over to the door where the doorman was already three paces ahead of her. She passed through the entrance while he stared after her, obviously checking out her legs. I had to give her credit. Most women half her age didn't look as good in a short, tight skirt. I loved my mother and could understand her fear of aging, but it drove Gianna crazy when she didn't behave like a typical mom.

Leaning over the rail, I tried to think of who stood to gain anything from Amanda's death. Charlotte? Vido? Liza or Zoe? Jeannie Peterson? True, a lot of people hated her, but there had to be more of a motivation to kill. Didn't there?

I glanced at the packet of matches in my hand. The cover was purple with two white dice in the middle and the words "Snake Eyes Casino" imprinted underneath. Give these back to Charlotte? I don't think so.
Excuse me, Charlotte, I know you hate my guts, but I needed another reason to talk to you.
I threw the packet in my purse
.

Footsteps tapped the porch behind me, and I turned to see Brian dressed in his dark blue uniform, arms crossed over his broad chest. His eyes bored directly into mine.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. "Nice to see a friendly face."

"I'll bet. Something tells me you're not too popular around here today."

"How was your trip?"

"It was great, but a long drive back." He seemed annoyed about something. "I heard you've been playing detective again. Kate Gregorio called me this morning. She said you and Josie threatened Amanda. She demanded I arrest you. Didn't I tell you to stay out of this mess?"

"Are you going to?" I held my breath.

Brian stared—then a grin broke out over his face. "Arrest you? No. I'd need a little more proof to do that, and I don't believe you did anything. But my opinion's not important here. Amanda wasn't very well liked in town. Anyone who knew about her allergy could have done this."

I thought about Mike and the Jacuzzi situation. Brian needed to know he was innocent. "There's something I have to tell you."

Brian's eyes searched mine. "Well, I have something to tell you, and it's not going to make you very happy."

Fear gripped me. "What is it?"

He placed his hands on my shoulders and gently sat me down on the iron bench. "Vido Falzo was found dead last night in his apartment."

"Oh my God," Josie cried out in alarm. She and Gianna were standing behind Brian.

My mouth fell open, and I stared at Brian in silence, unable to get any words out.

"There's more." He sat down next to me, hat in hand.

Josie's eyes were wild. "For goodness sake, tell us everything."

Brian hesitated for a second. "We're not positive how he died yet, but we have a good idea."

I grabbed his arm.
"Do you think his death is connected to Amanda's?"

"Possibly. We're not sure yet." He seemed to be grasping for words. "We found a box of cookies from your bakery in his kitchen. There were five left in the box. Do you remember how many he bought?"

Josie clamped her lips together in a stubborn manner. "He didn't buy them. They were a gift of sorts."

"A dozen." I gave my friend a warning stare. "He also took a dozen of the fortune cookies."

Brian's expression was grim. "It's going to take quite a while for toxicology reports to come back on Vido."

"Amanda's autopsy didn't take that long," Josie said.

He shook his head. "This is a possible drug-related homicide. The tests take a lot longer to complete. They'll have to take samples of his liver and other organs."

My stomach grew queasy at the thought of Vido's internal organs. "You think he died of a drug overdose?"

"The cookies were taken as evidence and tested. They were laced with morphine. Like I said, we don't have proof yet that's how Vido died, but it's a pretty good assumption." Brian's gaze met mine. "We're going to have to treat you as a suspect now."

"That's ridiculous!" Josie stomped her foot like a child.

My mouth was like sawdust as I struggled to speak. "B-But you said you didn't know for sure he was poisoned, right?"

"We're not positive, no." Brian rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "The evidence does look pretty damning though."

"But the cookies. No. There's no way."

Josie sat down on the other side of me. "He knew something. That's why he was killed. So he couldn't come today."

Brian's face was puzzled. "Do you mean to the wake?"

I didn't want to tell him about our snooping, but it was too late now. "Vido and Amanda spent some time together. They were…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word. The very idea made me nauseous.

His mouth twitched slightly. "Intimate?"

"Yes." My face grew warm.

"Ew." Gianna twitched her nose. "You've got to be kidding."

Brian suppressed a grin. "We knew about that. Several of Amanda's neighbors reported seeing him at her place. We'd already questioned him."

"Did he happen to tell you Amanda thought her life was in jeopardy?" I asked.

He frowned, his voice stern. "What exactly did he tell you?"

I was taken aback by his tone. "He told us that Amanda was afraid someone was trying to kill her. We asked him for further information and—"

"And?" Brian searched my face.

He was going to be furious. "We—"

"I told him I'd give him money if he gave us information," Josie blurted out. "Sal had nothing to do with it."

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably and focused my attention on the wooden floor.

Brian was silent for a few seconds as he processed this information. "I see."

There was no way I'd let Josie take the rap for this. "No, it was my idea. I asked him to tell us what was going on. Vido wanted five hundred dollars and personalized baking lessons from Josie."

For a brief second, Brian looked as though he might explode into laughter. "Personalized baking lessons?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to interfere with the investigation, honest. I need to get my sales back up." I stared at him in earnest. "If we have many more days like the last few, I won't have a business for very long."

He hesitated. "I need to talk to you about that as well. I recommend you shut the place down for a while."

"What do you mean?" Panic set in.

Brian clamped his lips together. "As soon as word gets out about this, especially if the toxicology reports come back saying Vido was poisoned, the Health Department is going to descend upon you and force you to close."

Josie had tears in her eyes. "I don't believe this is happening."

"Would you two ladies let me talk to Sally alone for a minute?" Brian asked.

"Of course. We'll meet you at the van, Sal." Gianna put her arm around Josie, who started to sob as they walked toward the road.

A lump formed in my throat. "Everything started off so great. We had a nice write-up in the paper, orders for parties were pouring in, and now this."

Brian sighed. "Please don't be upset."

"How long will I have to stay closed?"

He shrugged. "Two weeks at the most. Hopefully."

"Two weeks," I gasped.

"I'll try to put a rush on the report. No guarantees though."

"What am I going to do? I can't close for two weeks. I have bills to pay, and Josie has four kids to feed. I need to find out who did this."

"There are more important things to worry about besides your business right now. It may sound insensitive of me, but I'm concerned about you. This is serious. I don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't stand that." Brian stroked my palm in a circular motion with his thumb while I struggled to stay focused on what he was saying. "Promise me you'll stay out of this. Leave it to the police. That's what we're trained for."

I didn't answer.

"Well?"

I exhaled deeply. "I'll try."

"You're not a very good liar." Brian gave me a long searching look, then released my hand and strode toward his squad car.

My stomach convulsed with dread as I watched him leave. I turned my head to see Mike standing in the parking lot next to his Camaro, arms folded across his chest. As soon as our eyes met, he climbed into his car and drove away.
Great.
I just can't do anything right today.

I got to my feet and walked over to where the minivan was parked. Gianna and Josie were leaning against the vehicle. "Let's get out of here."

Grandma Rosa approached us from the parking lot.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"I brought Nicoletta home. I borrowed the car keys from your papa. Instead of fitting your father for a casket, they should measure him for a straitjacket." My grandmother made the sign of the cross on her chest.

Josie grimaced. "Rosa, what's her problem? Why does she hate Sally so much?"

"It's all right." My voice faltered. "I don't need to know." The truth was I didn't want to know. I wasn't sure how much more bad news I could handle today.

My grandmother cradled my face between her hands. "She does not hate you,
cara mia
. She really cares for you a great deal."

I drew my eyebrows together. "I don't understand."

"Do you remember Johnny's mother? Nicoletta's daughter, Sophia?"

"A little." I waggled my hand back and forth.

"She died when you were a little girl." Grandma Rosa patted my cheek. "You look a lot like her."

"So what?" Gianna asked.

My grandmother went on. "Sophia was a crackhead. Young and stubborn. A little like you in that manner. But she ran with the wrong crowd and died of an overdose. I think in some ways, Nicoletta associates you with her daughter, and she is trying to protect you. She has never been the same since Sophia died."

I bit my bottom lip hard. "All the times she harassed me when I was a kid, and you never told me?"

Her large brown eyes were solemn. "I thought she would stop when you came back home. She simply cannot help herself, sweetheart. Nicoletta and me—well, we are old ladies. We have nothing left but our children and memories."

I flinched as I remembered unkind thoughts I'd aimed at the old woman whenever she'd yelled at me. "Well, this day keeps getting better and better."

Grandma Rosa shook her finger. "None of you are to ever breathe a word about this. It is our little secret." She gave all three of us a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, you girls go. I will take the crazies home." Without another word, she turned and walked toward the front door of the funeral home.

Josie watched her leave. "You guys are so lucky to have her. She's like an encyclopedia of wisdom and knowledge all rolled into one."

"I guess I should go join the crazies." Gianna leaned over to hug me.

"Don't you want to ride back to the shop with us?" I asked. "Have a coffee?"

"I think I'll go home and take a nap. See you for dinner." Gianna smiled at Josie. "Mom wants you to come too."

She shook her head. "I need to get home to the little monsters. Some other time, thanks."

As we drove back to the shop, I couldn't help thinking about how my life had become total chaos since Amanda's murder. My business was teetering on the edge, and our deliveryman was dead. Mike had admitted he still loved me while I, in turn, was confused about my feelings for him. Brian, whom I had grown fond of quickly, just informed me I was under suspicion for murder. No wonder my head ached. I reached into my purse for some Tylenol.

Josie interrupted my thoughts. "What did Brian say after we left?"

I swallowed the pills dry. "He wants us to stay out of the investigation. He said it's dangerous."

"Well, he has a point. If Vido was murdered, it's because he knew something. The killer might think you know it too."

"How can I back out of this? Now Brian says we have to close for about two weeks."

Josie's mouth fell open. "That long?"

"Don't worry, I'll figure out something for you."

She frowned. "I'm not taking charity from you. You'd keep paying my salary while living back home with your wacky parents. I know you."

I didn't want to scare Josie, but what would happen if they never found the person responsible for Amanda's death? My stomach revolted at the thought. There was no way I could back off the killer's trail now.

Josie pulled the van into the alley behind the shop.

"Do you have to rush off? We really need to come up with some kind of game plan." I glanced toward the back door, and a chill ran down my spine. "Did I forget to lock the door?"

Her face paled. "I saw you lock it."

We both jumped out of the vehicle and rushed toward the building. A huge chunk of the wooden door was missing, and it stood wide open, daring us to enter. We glanced around inside with trepidation, fearful someone might be lying in wait for us. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the prep area. In the two hours since we'd been gone, the place had been completely trashed. Ingredients had been dumped from shelves and spilled onto the floor. Glass storage jars lay shattered.

We trudged through the mess and made our way through the storefront, uttering no words due to shock. I was totally unprepared for the sight before my eyes, and a strangled cry escaped from my throat.

Our intruder had taken the strawberry frosting from inside the fridge and smeared it all over the walls. One side of the display case had been shattered, perhaps by a hammer or someone's foot. Most of the cookies had been emptied from the case, and the floor was littered with a mass of crumbs and glass shards. Several of the crumbled pastries were ground fine, and I found myself wondering if the thug had been brushing up on his tap-dancing skills.

Josie grabbed my arm and pointed at the back wall above the cash register. In pink strawberry frosting, someone had crudely written, "Back off or die, bitches."

"Oh my God." Her voice trembled. "Call Brian."

I covered my face with my hands, not wanting to look anymore.

Josie shook me by the shoulders. "Call him!"

Trembling, I reached for my purse, knocking it onto the floor and into a pile of chocolate chip cookie pieces. I fumbled inside the bag until I located my cell. My hands shook as I searched for his number, pressed the button, and waited, breathing hard.

He answered on the second ring and must have recognized my number. "Sally, this isn't a good time right now."

"Brian." It was a faint whimper—all I could manage.

"What is it?" Brian's tone was alarmed. "What's wrong?"

I picked up the broken stand Rob had made for our wall. Tears fell from my eyes as I spotted one of the little porcelain figures with his head ripped off. Ignoring the mess, I sank onto the floor. "Please come to—to the shop. Some-somebody's trashed it."

"Are you all right?"

I nodded mutely.

"Sally, answer me!" Brian yelled into the phone.

"I'm okay," I sobbed.

"Try not to touch anything. I'll be right there." He clicked off.

Josie sank down onto the floor and wrapped her arms around me. We said nothing as we rocked back and forth, holding each other as if we were drowning.