Staged to Death (A Caprice De Luca Mystery) (19 page)

“Bella isn’t intimidated by anything or anyone.”

“I think she’s intimidated by Joe.”

Caprice considered that. “I always thought she just wanted to please him . . . wanted to be the best wife, the best mom. She wants him to be proud of her.”

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

“I am. But after the party, maybe everything will settle down.” Caprice rifled through the papers on her lap. “Or maybe it will get all fired up. You know how Joe can be.”

“He loves Bella.”

“I hope so.”

Still exploring Isaac’s inventory in the shed, Nikki picked up a figurine of a courtly gentleman seated beside a beautifully dressed lady. “Nana might like this. I think it’s a music box.” She turned the key and a tinkling melody began issuing from the statue.

“It’s ‘The Way We Were,’” Caprice said, immediately recognizing the melody. “I’ve watched that movie with Nana more than once.” She hummed along for a few bars with the music box until it stopped.

“Come on,” she said to Nikki. “Let’s get through the papers. I have research to do tonight on a home builder who is planning a new development. I’d like to stage his model homes.”

“Luxury homes?”

“Not exactly. Homes around three thousand square feet. My brand could help his and vice versa.”

“Do you have a meeting with him?”

“I haven’t set one up yet. I want to know everything about him before I do.”

Returning to Caprice and the boxes, Nikki lifted out a handful of papers. For the next fifteen minutes, they sorted, scanned, and particularly studied the sales dates. They were about to give up when Caprice noticed, “These receipts are from three years ago. That’s the right time period. And there are notes on many of the invoices . . . descriptions and histories too.”

Nikki suddenly stopped flipping through them. Carefully, she examined a paper on her knee. “Describe the dagger to me again.”

“It has a gold and jeweled hilt. Did you find it?”

“I think I did! There’s a picture too. Hold on. There’s another page stapled to it.”

Scrambling over to Nikki, Caprice peered over her shoulder. The copy was faint, but still readable. “There’s the provenance.”

Caprice pointed to the dagger’s history and then she pointed to something underneath it that was in quotes, a little bolder than the rest. “And there’s the legend that goes with it. You were right about it having one.”

They read it silently together.

“What do you think it means?” Nikki asked.

“I’m not sure, but this could be the missing link. I think maybe we’ve been looking too hard at one place. Maybe we need to look at suspects we haven’t considered before.”

“Like?”

“I’m not sure. Let me think about it.”

“The problem is, Caprice, you don’t just think, you do. Promise me if you figure this out, you’ll call in help.”

“When I figure it out, then I’ll know what to do.” She knew she sounded confident enough, but then she remembered the other night at the storage compartment. When panic took over, a person didn’t know exactly
what
to do.

She would not panic . . . because panic could get her killed.

Vince had brought Lonnie!

Standing at the buffet table in her backyard on Monday afternoon, Caprice helped Nikki arrange the trays with prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, sausage with pepperoni balls, and a lentil and tomato salad served in puff pastry cups. Those were merely the hors d’oeuvres. When she’d noticed her brother descending the porch steps with Lonnie, she’d realized they were among the first to arrive for her mom’s surprise party.

“Where is everybody?” Vince asked Caprice.

“They’ll be here,” she assured him. “Bella asked everyone to arrive no later than four. Everyone will probably pile in at once. The hors d’oeuvres are ready when they do.”

“I hope you don’t mind that Vince brought me.” Lonnie seemed nervous as she glanced from Caprice to Nikki.

“Of course, we don’t mind,” Caprice assured her. “Vince told me about your appointment at CDER with the FDA official.” Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area was known for its agencies with acronyms. “Vince said your meeting went well. How do you feel about it?” Caprice asked, eager to have Lonnie’s opinion.

“The man was thorough. He wanted to know every little detail. But I only knew so much. I only heard so much.”

“But they will investigate?”

“As I told you after the meeting,” Vince said patiently, “like any government agency, they’re close-mouthed. They’re not going to tell us what they’re going to do next. They probably don’t want anyone to know. The element of surprise and all that.”

Leaning a little closer to Lonnie, he motioned to the transformed backyard. “So what do you think? Did my brother-in-law and I do a great job or what?”

Lonnie’s gaze drifted to the four white canopies, the white folding chairs trimmed with silver and pink bows, the tables covered with pale pink cloths with their pink roses and silver streamer centerpieces. “I think it looks fabulous. I can’t believe you did all this yourselves.”

“We set up the canopies and had the tables and chairs delivered yesterday,” Nikki explained. “While Caprice and I prepared the food trays this morning, Roz covered the tables, worked on the flower arrangements, and attached the bows.”

“Bella should be here any minute,” Caprice told Vince. “She’s taking care of wrapping the presents. Isaac came through for us. I think Mom will be pleased with the Fostoria pieces he found.”

Just then the back door opened and Dylan barked as Roz emerged with him. Joe, Bella, and the kids were right behind.

Roz went straight to Vince. “Caprice and Nikki asked me to act as hostess and doorkeeper. What do you think about that? What if your mom’s friends—” She stopped, then after a moment went on with, “What if they shy away from me? What if I’m a distraction?”

To Caprice’s relief, Vince shook his head. “We’ve only asked Mom’s closest friends. And she would want you here. I’ll say the real question is—are you up for it? There could be a whisper or two. Will that bother you?”

“I’d better get used to it,” Roz responded practically.

“Then I think it’s a good idea. We’ll be busy talking to the guests. Your help with the flow of traffic will be a benefit.”

“All right. I’ll keep Dylan inside with me and Sophia. I don’t want anyone to step on him.”

After Roz patted her side, Dylan ran up the steps with her and returned inside.

Caprice asked her brother, “So is Grant still coming to the party?”

“He said he was.”

Caprice thought about Seth’s enthusiastic acceptance of her invitation and her heart fluttered faster. From anxiety because both men would be here? Of course not. She was simply looking forward to seeing Seth.

As more guests filed into the backyard through her house, Caprice tried to greet each one. There was a neighbor of her mother’s they had all known since they were kids. Kendra had babysat them when her parents had “date night.” A few of the teachers they’d invited piled their presents on the gift table, looking happy to be there. Her dad’s foreman and his wife joined the others, as well as Giselle. A special guest, her mom’s college roommate, who’d driven two hours to help celebrate, was going to be an unexpected surprise.

When Grant entered the backyard, Caprice gave him a friendly hello, and he migrated to the table where Vince and Joe were standing, probably talking sports stats. They could bore her to death with those conversations.

Coming up beside Caprice, Bella asked, “How do you think the presents look?”

“They’re beautiful. You know how to make them look professionally wrapped. Did the kids bring anything to entertain themselves?”

“Timmy has his Nintendo DSi, and Megan brought her drawing supplies. They’ll be fine. Joe gave them his ‘You’d better behave’ speech, threatening them with taking away privileges if they don’t.”

Caprice’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her coral slacks. She pulled it out to see a text message from her father. “Dad wants to know if we’re ready. I’ll give him the go-ahead.” Even though Seth wasn’t here. Maybe he wouldn’t come after all. Maybe he would be late. That was the life of a doctor—putting one’s personal life on the back burner.

Vince had suggested they leave the house empty now. If one of them escorted their mom outside, even their expression could give something away.

So while guests, family, and friends waited for Fran De Luca’s arrival, they kept their voices lowered and milled around in one large group near the buffet table. Vince acted as bartender, pouring wine and soda.

Grant stopped by the punch bowl and ladled in half a cup. After a few swallows, his gaze found Caprice’s. “It’s good.”

He stepped a little closer, so they could keep their voices down, she guessed. “Pineapple, grapefruit, and ginger ale. Mom uses the recipe every New Year’s Eve.”

He was wearing casual clothes today—jeans and a snap-button shirt. He looked like a guy ready to enjoy a picnic rather than a lawyer.

“Do you know how Stripes and Creamsicle are doing?” she asked.

“I saw Tanya in the yard with them yesterday. Her mom lets her take them outside to romp in the sun. Then they return them to the house. Both mom and daughter are loving them, Caprice, so you don’t have to worry.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not worrying.”

“The hell you aren’t,” he said with a wry smile.

Just like her family, Grant seemed to think he knew her. Did he?

Suddenly there was a sound from inside the house. Then a male voice called, “Hello?”

Caprice knew that voice. Rushing forward, she reached the porch just as Seth emerged from the back door, a pastel envelope in his hand.

She ran up the stairs to greet him. “You got here!”

He grinned at her. “I know I’m a little late. Tough last patient. But I made sure no one else was headed in because I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”

In a polo shirt and chinos, Seth looked as if he might have jogged from his car. His hair was windswept, his face a little ruddy.

“You can relax now. Have hors d’oeuvres and punch until Mom and Dad—”

On the porch, Caprice heard the phone inside the house ring.

“Do you need to answer that?” Seth asked.

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Nothing more from her dad. “No, I’ll let the machine take it. I don’t want to be on the phone when they arrive.”

The phone had just finished its third and last ring when they heard noise inside the house and her mom’s, dad’s, and Nana’s voices. She’d know them anywhere.

To her surprise, Seth grabbed her hand and leaned close to her ear. His breath fanned her cheek as he suggested, “C’mon. Let’s crowd with everyone else so your parents don’t see us on the porch.”

Of course, he was right. She let him tug her down the two steps, and they hurried to stand beside Nikki, who gave her a wink. Bella’s smile was knowing too, and Caprice felt herself blushing.

That was crazy! She did
not
blush.

Behind her, in a tone everyone could hear, Vince said, “When the screen door opens, I’ll count to three. Then everybody shout ‘Surprise!’”

Her dad and Nana must have been stalling their mom a little—maybe they stopped to pet Sophia—because it seemed to take forever for the screen door to open.

Vince counted down and everyone called, “Surprise! Happy birthday!”

Caprice thought her mom might faint. She looked that shocked.

Still holding Seth’s hand, Caprice let go and stepped forward with her sisters and Vince.

Bella explained, “We wanted to give you a birthday to remember. You always do so much for us. Happy birthday, Mom.”

Everyone else formed a circle around Fran, offering loving words and kisses and hugs.

Breathless and beaming, she hugged each guest, squealed like a teenager when she spotted her college roommate, and thanked everyone for being there.

After the rush of good wishes died down a bit, Caprice introduced Seth.

“So this is your doctor!”

Okay, so she was blushing. “Mom—” she cautioned under her breath.

Seth simply laughed and joked back. “I’d have no problem being Caprice’s doctor. Happy birthday, Mrs. De Luca.” He handed her the card. “Not very original, but I’ve heard a spa day at Green Tea Haven can reduce stress. Since you’re a teacher, I thought you might appreciate that.”

Never standing on ceremony, appreciative and excited about the gift, her mom gave Seth a hug. “Thank you so much! I’ve always wanted to make an appointment for a massage there and just never have. Now I get a whole day. Wonderful. You don’t have to return to the clinic tonight, do you?”

“I’m always on call if I’m needed. But this is my evening off.”

“Then why don’t you and Caprice get something to eat? After I greet everyone, I’ll join you.”

As Caprice and Seth headed for the buffet table, she said to him, “You know how to make a woman happy.”

“I try.” His sexy smile was absolutely toe-curling.

Although Caprice helped Nikki and Bella keep the food warmers and trays filled, generally making sure the party was proceeding smoothly, she managed to spend a good bit of time with Seth. He was a great conversationalist and seemed to be able to talk to anyone.

Anyone . . . but Grant. Grant was keeping his distance.

At one point during the celebration, all of the guests were seated at the same time enjoying ice cream and cake. Seated across from Bella, Caprice noticed her sister looked gaunt and wan.

Earlier she’d seen Bella sampling Nikki’s sausage and pepperoni balls. Now Bella took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream . . . and turned green. Pushing back her chair, she stood and rushed into the house.

Caprice was almost on her feet, ready to follow, when Joe said to Vince, “Keep an eye on the kids, will you?”

Nikki murmured, “Uh oh. I think the cat’s about to leap out of the bag.”

No way did Bella want to tell Joe about her pregnancy here at the party before the presents were opened. Caprice didn’t know whether to stay out of it or make sure Bella was okay.

Seth’s elbow grazed hers as he asked, “Would you like me to check on her?”

Caprice shook her head. “She doesn’t need a doctor, at least not to tell her what’s wrong.”

Leaning closer to her, his shoulder brushing hers, Seth asked, “Is she pregnant?”

“I’m sworn to secrecy.”

At the other end of the table, Grant pushed his chair back, stopped briefly by Fran, and said a few words to her. Then he gave Caprice a very long look, holding her gaze long enough to make her forget ice cream was melting on her plate, raised a hand in a good-bye gesture to everyone else, then climbed the porch steps.

Caprice tapped Seth’s arm. “I’ll be right back.” Maybe she could catch Grant to say good-bye and check on Bella at the same time.

As she passed Nana, her grandmother caught her hand and warned in a low voice, “A man’s jealousy can make him sullen.”

Grant, jealous? She doubted that.

After giving Nana a quick kiss on the cheek, Caprice went inside. She would have hurried through the living room to catch Grant—she heard the front door close—but raised voices suddenly erupted from her downstairs powder room.

Bella’s voice was shrill and unintelligible.

Joe’s response was angry as he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you knew?”

Caprice took a step forward, then a step back. Should she join the fray? Shouldn’t husband and wife work this out on their own?

She didn’t have to make a decision because seconds later Bella shot out of the bathroom into the living room and ran by her out the front door.

Joe followed her but stopped when he saw Caprice. “Did you know?”

Caprice kept silent.

Obviously frustrated and more than a little angry, he said to the ceiling, “Of course, you knew! Nikki too probably. Maybe your whole family. When is she going to realize I should come first?”

So Joe was worried about himself and his pride, not Bella and her condition. Although she should keep her mouth shut, Caprice just couldn’t. “You do come first, Joe. That’s why she
didn’t
tell you. She’s upset and scared and needs reassurance.”

As Caprice had guessed, none of what she said helped. “Stay out of it, Caprice. And Nikki too. This is for me and Bella to settle.” He brushed by her and left the house, letting the front screen door slam.

Caprice called after him, “I’ll watch Megan and Timmy.”

Bella and Joe were definitely a couple in crisis. Caprice just hoped their children could be protected from the fallout.

Nikki stood at the back door when Caprice crossed from the living room through the dining room into the kitchen. “Is everything all right?”

“I don’t know. Are Megan and Timmy occupied?”

“Timmy and Vince are playing catch. Megan is coloring. I’ll keep an eye on them.” She opened the door and handed Caprice the sugar bowl. “Can you fill this? Everyone must have used it in their coffee. By the way, I think your doctor is a catch.”