It hits me. Hilary.
I rush over to Enzo, grab his arm, and tug on him. "Come here," I say.
He's not fast on his feet, so I practically lift him out of his chair. "What is it?"
"What did the police find in Hilary's purse?" I ask.
He shakes his head and frowns. "I'm not sure. The usual, I think."
"Did they find a lottery ticket? Two of them actually."
He's still shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. Why?"
"She went to the store to buy them like she did every workday."
Now he nods. "Right."
"But she didn't go to her mother's afterwards. She went home," I'd completely forgot to ask her why.
"And?" Enzo asks.
"If she played the lotto, where are the tickets? And who won all of that money from last week?"
My brother's eyes widen, and his expression tells me that no one at the precinct thought to look into this.
Loud footsteps sound, and I turn to see Paulie charging toward us.
My parents and Alice get to their feet, and we walk over and meet Paulie halfway.
He has a huge grin on his face. "She's had the baby, and everyone is fine. It's a boy!"
We're standing by the nurses' station, and they glance over and smile as the family cheers and congratulates my brother-in-law.
"What's his name?" Enzo asks.
Paulie frowns and looks startled. "I don't know. We haven't decided on one yet."
Ma and I laugh.
"She wants to see you all but Alice and Gianna first."
I grab Alice's hand, and we follow Paulie.
When we get inside the room, Izzie is grinning too. She looks sweaty and tired but oh so happy. My heart swells for all of them, even Alice, who seems very eager to meet her baby brother.
There's a clear bassinet near the bed and a tiny pinkish face peeking out of a white blanket. He's all swaddled, and his little eyes are shut. His lips are pursed, and I can't believe something so tiny exists. On the same hand, I can't believe something so big came out of my sister.
"How are you feeling?" I ask her.
Alice goes over to the bassinet and starts softly cooing at him.
"Okay. Better than I did an hour ago."
"So no name yet?" I ask and join Alice.
The baby is sleeping and looks so squishy. I don't want to disturb him or else I'd pick him up and kiss his entire face.
"No, but we're weighing options," she says.
"You better decide before he grows up as No Name Donato," Alice says with a chuckle.
We spend another ten minutes and then head back to the waiting room so that Ma and Pop can go in.
I want to stay and pamper my sister and coo over my nephew, but they both need their sleep. There isn't much I can do until they get home. This is the perfect opportunity to check out my theory that someone killed Hilary for the lotto ticket. It's time she was finally honest with me, but I don't want to call for her in a hospital. I need to get home.
I tell Enzo and Alice I need to run and to tell Izzie I love her, and then I speed out of there. Back in my car, I'm across town much faster this time. I pull into the parking lot behind the deli, still lost in my thoughts about nephews, lotto, and the female who called the police station. Is she someone who wants to clear Kevin? Yeah, Mindy has the hots for him, but enough to throw suspicion on me? That doesn't feel right.
Is this female caller the one who killed Hilary?
I grab my purse and step out of my car.
Why would Hil want to protect one of her neighbors? She's not in love with the man she's sleeping with. It seems unlikely that she'd care that much about Mindy, Brenda, or LouAnne. Besides, I refuse to believe Brenda killed her.
I lock my car door and walk across the gravel to the building.
So who are females in Hilary's life that she cares about?
Tanya? She's young and fit but not yet related. According to Tanya, they weren't close yet. Would Hilary go out of her way to protect her brother's fiancée? Wouldn't it be better to let Steven know whom he was involved with so that he doesn't end up marrying a murderer?
I insert my key into the lock.
That leaves Mrs. Porter. No, I can't believe she'd kill her own daughter.
I pull open the door and hear footsteps behind me.
As I turn to see who is there, someone covered in shadows rushes toward me. Something jabs against the back of my neck, and my entire body jerks and spasms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I open my eyes and have to blink a few times to adjust to mostly darkness. There's a thread of low light to my right side. My body is incredibly sore, and my arms are unnaturally pulled behind me. I try to move them forward, but they won't budge. My wrists are bound, as are my ankles. What is…
Chills chase one another through my body as I'm seized by fear. What happened? I was unlocking my door, and someone rushed me. Then pain and…I was tased.
Oh no, this is not good!
Where am I now?
I'm resting on something soft, and it smells like…me. It makes sense that the person brought me upstairs. I'm on my bed. As my eyes continue to adjust, I finally make out my dresser and the shut door leading to the living room and kitchenette. The shades are open, and that sliver of light is coming from the moon and a nearby streetlamp.
Am I alone? Should I shout? No one is at the deli now. No one will hear me.
Tears gather in the corners of my eyes. One slides down the side of my face into my hair. How did I get myself into this predicament? And, more importantly, how do I get out?
Footsteps sound in the next room, and I open my mouth to call out but immediately clamp my lips shut.
Don't be dumb, Gianna. Think. Whoever is in the apartment is the person who tied you up.
"What have you done?" someone says.
"What you were too scared to do," says a second voice.
I can't make out who is talking. There's some light traffic outside, and my captors aren't shouting. There's two of them, which suddenly makes this so much worse. Does this mean two people killed Hilary? This is connected, right? Why else would they tase me, tie me up, and hang out? A thief would've been gone by now. No, they want something.
I can't just lie here and wait for them to come for me. If I don't get the upper hand now, I may not get out of this at all, and I really don't want to become a ghost.
I manage to wiggle to the edge of the bed and sit upright with my legs dangling over the side. That's progress. Now to free my limbs.
"What are you going to do?" It's a male voice, and it sounds familiar.
"What do you think? We have to kill her. If she didn't know the truth before, she certainly does now," says the second voice, which is definitely female.
I lean forward and slip down the side of my mattress until my feet touch the hardwood floors. I have one sandal on and one off. I kick the one off so that I'm not making harsh slapping sounds and almost fall on my face, but I lean to my side and fall against the bed instead.
Gravity pulls at me, and before I can right myself, I slide to the floor. Shoot!
"I can't be a part of this," he says, and my heart sinks because it's Steven.
Crap! How is he involved? And this can only mean that the person who called the police was—
"You already are," Tanya says. "You already killed your sister."
No, no, no, Steven. Why?
I push my body against the bed as I try to get back to my feet. The bed starts to move, and I immediately freeze. It'll scrape and surely be heard. I listen for sounds of them coming to me, but they're still arguing.
"I won't be a part of hurting her," Steven says.
Yay!
I use my face, pressed against the side of my mattress to help me stand up. Man, I need to strengthen my core muscles.
"This is our future, babe," Tanya says.
I don't know what made Steven kill his own sister, but he sounds remorseful. Tanya, on the
other hand…well, I'm glad I only bought her the one breakfast.
Finally upright, I jump forward and forward until I reach the dresser. It's only a foot of distance, but there's no way they didn't hear me.
I manage to turn around and get my wrists close to the corner of the dresser before my bedroom door swings open. Light from the main room floods in, and I have to blink and lower my head.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask.
"As if you don't know," Tanya says.
I look up and squint. "Well, I didn't before you tased me and I woke up to you and Steven arguing about killing me like he killed his sister."
If I'm about to die, I may as well be blunt. No time for subtlety.
I move my wrists along the corner of the dresser, targeting the tape. Back and forth, using the corner to try to break through it.
"I know you're out there, Steven. Why did you do it? For Tanya? You love her more than your sister?" I ask, hoping to buy some time before they do whatever they're going to do.
"You don't understand, Gianna. It was an accident," he says, but I still can't see him. He's still in the living room, on the other side of the doorway. The coward.
Coolness presses onto my bare arms and legs, and I turn my head and see Hilary by my window, not even an inch behind my left shoulder.
"You didn't tell me because you're protecting him," I say to my ghostly ex-friend.
"He's my baby brother." Her voice is a whisper, and the words twist in my belly.
She loves him, and he hurt her. Wow, this is more awful than I could've imagined.
"Who are you talking to?" Tanya asks.
I have nothing to lose at this point.
"I can see ghosts, and I'm talking to Hilary."
Tanya scoffs.
Steven peeks into the room.
I continue rubbing the tape against the corner of the dresser.
"Okay, yeah, sure." Tanya scoffs.
"You don't believe me? Yeah, it sounds far-fetched. Hil, tell me something only you and Tanya would know."
"We don't know one another. She never liked me and didn't spend time with me," Tanya says. Her words tumble out rushed.
"She's right," Hilary says.
Great.
"Well, then, tell me something only Steven knows." This has to work. That is if Hilary says something useful before Tanya approaches.
"When I graduated high school, I got a fake ID and went out drinking at the corner bar. I wanted to prove I was grown. I was alone because, well, I had ruined my friendships."
I slow down my wrist action and listen. The sadness in her tone is overwhelming. This is the first time she's shown any remorse for her actions senior year.
"I got so drunk that I don't know how I made it back home. Mom was asleep, and Steven was up late. He heard me, helped me upstairs, and hid the truth from Mom. The next day, he brought me orange juice and aspirin while Mom was getting ready for work."
I repeat every single word to my captors.
I hear Steven gasp, but he's gone back into hiding. "I never told anyone that," he says.
"See, told ya." I give Tanya a pointed look.
Part of the tape gives way. I press on and jab the underside of my wrist into the corner a couple of times. I almost cry out but hold it in. If there's a chance I'll survive, it'll happen after I become free.
"That's not possible," Tanya says and walks toward me with determination.
"Help me," I whisper to Hilary.
She steps in front of me, and I admit I'm surprised. With all the griping we've done this last week and a half, I'd assume she'd hesitate or yell at me about my coming between her and Kevin first.
"I knew she wasn't good enough for my brother," Hilary says.
"But she's not the one who killed you," I remind her.
"Unfortunately," she says under her breath.
"Stop messing around," Tanya says and swings at me.
I start to duck at the same time my wrists are free. The movement causes me to fall flat on my stomach, and I look up to see Hilary jump into Tanya. How did she know she could do that? I've seen other ghosts perform that trick and had it done on me once, but I didn't tell her about it.
They stagger backwards, and I wiggle myself backward on my butt until I knock into my nightstand. I don't know how long Hilary can stay inside another body, so I have to move fast. I pull open the drawer and fish around for something sharp. I have no idea where my phone and purse are. Either outside or in the living room, I'm sure.
"Steven, you have to stop this," I shout.
Tanya is thrashing around, and I find a ballpoint pen. I use the tip to make holes in the tape at my ankles, over and over again, until I can rip through it. Finally free, I get to my feet and rush toward Tanya. I shove her, and she staggers back until she hits my closet door and falls to her butt.
I lunge toward the bedroom door and hit the light switch. I'm not sure how I'm getting out of this, but I now know that I am. I run into the living room and it's empty. My front door is wide open.
Steven ran out. Wow, he truly is a coward.
"Whew, that was a workout," Hilary says and looks to be staggering.
Tanya charges out of my room as I spot the stun gun on the breakfast bar.
I race toward it, and she does the same. I'm a few seconds faster though. With it in my grip, I turn and press the button as she leans into me.
Her body convulses, and I actually feel bad for a moment before she goes down. She doesn't seem to be totally out of it. Clearly, I don't know how to use this, but it's enough time for me to do what any sane person would do. I grab my keys and run.
I practically fly down the stairs and hope Steven isn't still around.
The parking lot only has my car. I wonder where Tanya parked but don't truly care in the moment. I fumble with my keys at the deli's back door, and find the right one as I hear Tanya shout, "Gianna, you can't get away from me."
Um, wrong.
I unlock the door and pull it shut behind me, locking it back up. There's no way she's getting inside. I only have the one key to the deli, so I don't have to worry about her finding a spare. I run up front to the phone and call 9-1-1. Then I call Enzo because I really want to see a familiar face right now and not only some random cop.
I still don't have answers though. Only speculations.
When the police show up, Enzo is only a minute behind them. He comes to the deli door, bangs on it, and calls out my name. I unlock the back door and give him a hug.
I tell him everything that happened. It falls out in a heap, and he keeps an arm around my shaking shoulders.
He issues an APB for both Steven and Tanya while a couple of other uniformed officers check out my apartment.
Sanchez shows up, and I'm surprised I don't see Ma, Pop, and Julian. I spend the next forty-five minutes replaying all of it. Well, minus the ghost parts.
No matter how many times I repeat the events, I can't believe Steven killed his own sister. He genuinely seemed so upset. Maybe that was exactly why he was so distraught—because he was guilty on top of it all.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Enzo asks when the cops are done and leaving. "Why don't you stay with Ma and Pop tonight? I can follow you over."
I consider it for a moment, but I really want my own bed. "I'll be fine."
I'm still a little shaky, but there's no way Tanya or Steven can get through two locked doors with deadbolts and a chain to reach me. I'll even sleep with a kitchen knife to feel more secure.
Enzo kisses my forehead. "Call me if you need anything. I'm glad you discovered Hilary's killer, sis, and that you're okay."
I offer a smile and wish I felt proud. I'm just sad and super tired.
He stands there and watches as I step through the downstairs doorway and lock up. Then I head upstairs.
Hilary returns as I lock the second door.
"Can you tell me what happened now?" I ask.
She still looks beat and hovers on the cou
ch with her feet on the coffee table.
"He didn't mean to do it, Gianna. We were arguing about money."
"About the lottery ticket?" I ask.
She smiles at me. "You figured that out?"
I nod and lean on a breakfast stool.
"He was mad that I hadn't given it to Mom and accused me of wanting the money, of being selfish. That was the second time that night someone had called me selfish."
"Michael."
She nods.
"How did he know the ticket was a winner at that point?" I ask. I'm not well versed in gambling.
"He saw the winning numbers on TV. Mom picked the same ones each week. All of our birthdays."
It all makes sense now. Well, all but one bit.
"Why didn't you go to your mother's that day and drop the ticket off?" I ask.
She shrugs, and it looks like her eyes fill with tears. "I hadn't been sleeping well. Kevin and I were arguing more than usual. Work had been exhausting, and I was sad that you wouldn't speak to me."
Is she blaming me again?
"This isn't about you. This time." She chuckles, and I can't help but smile.
"I was simply tired and just wanted to go home. It was a fluke, and there he was accusing me of wanting to cheat my mother out of money. It escalated. Fast. Maybe I would've been calmer if Michael hadn't called me selfish just minutes before. I threw a slotted spoon and other utensils at him. In trying to defend himself, he flung his arm out, and it knocked into a bowl of tomato sauce. I turned my back, ready to throw something else, and the next thing I know, I felt this pain at the back of my head. I went down."
I suck in a breath. This is horrible. "You died."
"No, not yet. I was semi-conscious, and I heard him call Tanya. I heard her shrill voice in the apartment, telling him it's too late and that they needed to go. They left, and eventually I was here."
I walk over and sit beside her. "Hilary, that's awful. I'm so sorry."
"Me too. I know he didn't mean it, and I couldn't let him pay for it. Him or Mom. I don't care about Tanya."
"And telling me Kevin did it? You're that mad at him?"
"That was fun." She chuckles, and just as fast, she becomes sullen. "Aren't I supposed to move on now, go poof?"
Diamonds, Pies & Dead Guys Page 22
