J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder (13 page)

Marcus covered my hand with his in an effort to stem the flow of tears. Most men don’t handle this kind of emotion well, and Marcus was no different. He patted my hand and offered words of comfort.

I sniffled and held back a heavy onslaught of tears. I rose to get a tissue from the bathroom. When I returned, Marcus had begun to clear the dining room table. We’d left the mess the evening before. Congealed food crusted serving dishes and plates.

“Sorry about that,” I said as I started to help him.

“Not at all. I understand, Vin. It’ll be hard, but I’ll help you through it.” His eyes held a look of concern as he folded me within the warmth of his arms, kissing my brow.

I thought it a safe place to be. My inner voice said otherwise. Warnings of imminent danger from romantic involvement with law enforcement officials droned through my head. Damn, I wished for a shut-off switch.

Once I’d reluctantly disengaged myself from his embrace, Marcus and I finished clearing the table. Eventually, the room looked like new. I headed upstairs to dress.

With straightened shoulders and a no-nonsense attitude, I took stock of my rumpled attire. My clothes didn’t matter since I had my mother to deal with and a tree to put up. Those two things seemed more important than clothing at the moment.

From the doorway, I heard Marcus say, “What has your mother been up to?”

In an instant, I realized he’d heard my side of the phone conversation with my mother. He’d played me when I’d returned to bed. This was a test to see if I’d tell him what had transpired, even though I was sure he already knew.

“Not much that I know of. She wants me to go over later today. I promised to help her with the bake sale tomorrow.”

His eyes took on a gleam, but he didn’t ask any other questions. Marcus simply nodded and left the room. Guilt swam through my gut like a shark around a sinking ship. The feeling passed quickly, and I headed down the stairs.

The less I told Marcus, the safer it was for him, and my mother. He was law enforcement, which meant he had a duty to perform. That duty did not include dragging my mother away in handcuffs, if I could help it.

I’d put Marcus and Aaron in tight spots before when I’d done things outside legal boundaries. If anyone had been the wiser, I’d have been in the cell that my mother might have the misfortune to inhabit.

Unable to accept that line of thinking, I turned away from it. Instead, I walked up behind Marcus, drew my hands up both sides of his spine and rubbed his shoulders. He turned with a smile and slipped his arms around my waist, drawing me closer. I kissed him. Things went crazy for a moment. Hunger spread through me like wildfire until a knock sounded at the door. The heated moment fled on swift wings.

We stepped apart, and Marcus answered the summons. I heard a deep voice rumble. Marcus agreed to take care of something. In a second or two, the door closed and Marcus strolled back into the dining room.

“That was my neighbor. I have to do a favor for him today,” he said.

“Oh, well, I need to get going. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” I placed a light kiss on his lips.

Holding me close for a moment, Marcus whispered into my hair, “Uh, huh. Keep in touch, please stay out of trouble, and that goes for your mother, as well.”

“Sure thing. You know me.” I smiled.

Releasing me, he said, “That’s the problem.”

“By the way, thank you for dinner, dessert, and the pajama parade,” I offered with a rueful grin.

“Anytime, beautiful.” He smiled and then whipped a box from his pocket.

My nerves tightened as I stared at the square box. It was the wrong shape to be a ring. I was grateful for that. I stood silent, frozen.

“I wanted to give this to you last night, but things got out of control,” Marcus said placing the small flat box in the palm of my hand.

When I tore away the gold foil paper, I noticed the jewelers name printed on the box lid. It was the same jeweler that my father used when he bought jewelry for my mother. Inside the box, a heavy woven rope bracelet of gold and silver lay coiled on a soft cushion. It was exquisite. My breath caught in my throat.

“What’s this for?” I asked as I withdrew the bracelet from its resting place.

“Your birthday is in a couple of days. I wanted to surprise you.”

The gleam in his eyes had warmed to something I couldn’t read. It seemed to be emotional, so I stepped into his embrace and kissed my thanks for the gift.

“This is lovely, thank you.”

“You’re not going to say ‘You shouldn’t have’?” he asked with a smirk.

“No, not at all. I’m very pleased with it, and by your thoughtfulness.” Relief that it wasn’t an engagement ring filtered through me.

“Why didn’t you wait?” I asked.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be here on your birthday. I’m off to visit my mother for a few days. I wanted you to have it before I left. She’ll be in New York on a shopping trip, and has asked that I join her.” He took the bracelet from my hand and clasped the catch around my wrist. The golden color glowed against my skin.

I glanced up as he spoke. “Oh,” I said. Disappointed that he’d be away, I made an effort to smile and thanked him again.

“It’s only for a couple days. I have vacation time owed me, so I plan to take advantage of it before the captain changes his mind and says he can’t spare me.”

I nodded, kissed him lightly, stepped into his arms, and rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. The warmth of his body invaded mine, leaving me with a safe and snuggly feeling.

Before I left, he held me tight and kissed me thoroughly. Breathless, I headed home.

Bright color gleamed and glinted, as the bracelet slid around on my wrist, while I drove in the early morning sun. The day had started out on a high note, and by sheer will, I promised I’d make it stay that way if possible. It was a daunting task.

Chapter 12

Within twenty minutes, I’d parked the car at the Salt & Pepper Deli, located on the corner down the street from my house. I hurried up the back steps of the deli and strode through the door.

A welcoming smile from Millie, the counter helper Lola had hired, turned to a grin when she caught sight of my face. I must have been glowing, because she started to chuckle, or maybe it was my attire that caused her to laugh. With a wave of her hand, she mentioned that Lola was in the kitchen with Monica Heartworthy. I smiled, nodded, and headed through the doorway.

The two women turned as I strode in. Grinning, I held out my wrist so their eyes could feast on the sparkling bracelet.

“Where did you get that gorgeous thing?” Lola demanded.

“Marcus gave it to me for my birthday. Great, huh?” I giggled like a schoolgirl. Why? I don’t know.

Her dark eyes glued to the bracelet. Monica moved forward and held my wrist. She gazed at it thoughtfully, and then glanced at me. In a dreamy voice, she said, “This was a gift given in love. Great thought was put into it. Another man will give you gifts, too.”

Her eyes snapped shut and then popped open again. For an instant, I thought it was a joke until I glanced at Lola’s serious face. I stared at Lola for a second and then turned to Monica.

“Monica, you give me the jitters sometimes. You know that, don’t you?”

The dreamy state was gone. Monica seemed to have come back to earth. Her face flushed as she looked at me.

“It’s a lovely gift, Vin. You must be very happy.”

“I was surprised when Marcus invited me to dinner at his place. We had a nice dinner, and then, well, never mind.”

As she sat back on the stool, Monica took my hand once more and stared at my palm for a few minutes. Now what? Leery, I wondered what she’d say.

“You have a lengthy lifeline, Vinnie,” Monica said softly. “You’re in a bit of danger though, and you must take care.” Her eyes rose to mine. I stared into her dark orbs.

“How do you know these things, Monica?”

“I don’t question it. I just know.”

“Does everything you predict come to fruition?”

“Most times, I think. Some people never tell me, so it’s hard to say what the percentages are.”

“Maybe you can tell Lola when she’ll meet Mr. Right, then?” I grinned.

“That’s something that hasn’t revealed itself. I’ve seen someone in her past coming forward again, though. He’s tall and wears a hat.”

“I think she means Jonah,” Lola said. “He’s called a couple times and asked me out, but with another cookbook in the works, I couldn’t go. The revisions and photos are done, so if he asks me again, the answer is yes.”

As I headed toward the door with a wave goodbye, Monica stood up and crossed over to me. She laid a hand on my forearm and squeezed it gently.

“You must watch over your mother. She doesn’t know how close danger is.” Her eyes filled with concern, Monica stared at me. Releasing my arm, she stepped away.

Chilled by her words, I left the deli. Rafael’s car was gone from the driveway. One of the overhead garage doors stood open. I parked in front of the closed door and wandered inside the garage.

A man stepped around the antique cars that filled the two parking spaces, a wrench in one hand and a rag in the other. The cars stood nose to end of one another. His mechanic’s outfit was greasy and stained. I grinned at Brett MacIntyre as he waved his greeting. His red nose and the stark white skin of his hands were a dead giveaway of how cold he was.

“Brett, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Mr. Cortland wants to move these cars to the new garage he built behind his house. Didn’t he call you?”

I shrugged and said, “Maybe he left a message on my answering machine.”

The four bays of the garage were rented to two men who collected antique cars. I had always wanted to use one bay for my own car, but the money that I received for the rentals was worth leaving my car exposed to the elements. Neither Rafe nor Aaron had asked to use the garage, either.

“I’ll check the answering machine. How about a hot cup of coffee? You look frozen.”

His face brightened when he smiled. Brett nodded, said to let him know when the coffee was ready, and went back to work, tinkering with the motor to get it started. I left him to it.

While the coffee perked, I listened to the multiple messages on the answering machine. A call from my twin brother said little more than hello. My mother called twice. The university requested that I teach another two classes next semester since one of the other instructors would be on sabbatical.

Finally, Mr. Cortland’s voice came over the speaker. He apologized for the short notice, but the final inspection of his new garage had gone without a hitch. He’d received the certificate of approval for the building. Brett would bring the cars to his place as soon as possible. He thanked me for the use of the building.

I cupped my chin in my hands while resting my elbows on the counter. When the coffee finished brewing, I poured a steaming cup for Brett. Friends for many years, I knew he liked his coffee sweet. I dumped three teaspoons of sugar into the cup with a heavy dollop of milk and went outside.

The first car ran smoothly. I heard the motor of the second car turn over and catch. It sputtered a few times and then coughed a bit. Like an old fart, the car spluttered until the engine started to warm. I stood back from the two vehicles and held the cup in the air for Brett to see. He grinned and strolled to the doorway where he slurped the hot beverage and smacked his lips. The gesture reminded me of a television commercial, and I snickered.

“Mr. Cortland did leave a message,” I told him.

“Are you looking for someone to rent these bays from you, Vinnie?” he asked.

“Not right away, I think. I want to use this side of the garage for a while. If I find I need the money, then I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, I know someone who’s looking for a place to keep his cars.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the thought.”

“Did you know my grandmother died recently?” he asked as he sipped.

“No, I didn’t know. I’m sorry to hear about that,” I answered in a sympathetic voice.

“She lived in Cranston in a senior citizen housing apartment.”

My heart sank as my nerves tightened. Could this be the same woman I’d watched die?

“What was her name?” I asked.

“Iva Lindon. My parents live in upstate New York now, and they’ll be coming down within the next week or so to clear her stuff out.”

I said, “I’m so sorry. I heard about her death.”

“It seems she was poisoned when she ate some cake at the senior center. I don’t know why someone hasn’t been arrested yet. Gran was a tough cookie, but she was still my gran.”

Nodding in agreement, I made a sympathetic comment, and returned to the house. Brett had passed the empty cup to me before he backed one of the cars from the garage. I heard the car putter up the road and wondered if he would make it to Mr. Cortland’s house without a breakdown.

A half-hour later, I’d showered and changed into old jeans and a well-worn sweatshirt. Sap-stained gloves covered my hands. I went to retrieve the Christmas tree from the side of the garage. I stepped out the door as a car stopped at the end of the driveway. Brett walked toward me on his way to the second antique Ford. I waited for him with a few questions.

“I was thinking about your gran,” I said as he approached.

“You were? Did you know her, Vin?”

“I met her briefly once.” I omitted the fact that the meeting had taken place moments before the woman had journeyed into the great blue yonder.

“She was great, huh?”

“Indeed,” I said. I peered at him for a moment and then asked, “Did she have any enemies that you know of?”

Brett admitted, “She wasn’t too popular with some of her neighbors.”

“Which neighbors? Do you know?” I asked.

“Mrs. Galumpky, the woman who ran the office, didn’t like her much. Then there is Mrs. Snarsky. She lives on the same floor in an apartment near the elevator. I think there might have been another person who didn’t get along with her, either, but I can’t remember his name. He was a burly man with wiry, gray hair, thin on the top, with a small ponytail at the base of his skull.”