Murder at the Mistletoe Ball

by J. D. Griffo

  Her grandson’s actions weren’t the only thing Alberta found disturbing. While Jinx was truly stunned by Sergio’s outburst, Alberta had an inkling that things might get physical because she knew there was the possibility that he caused the bruise on Natalie’s arm. She was bracing herself for an altercation, and she noticed Lisa Marie and Tommy were doing the same thing. They were eyeing Sergio nervously, as if they expected him to lash out at any moment. It was because they knew their son had a problem with anger management.

  Alberta remembered that Tommy said Sergio threw a punch at him, Lisa Marie admitted that he had a temper, he even raised his hand to Jinx. She didn’t want to give in to stereotypes, but Sicilians of both genders were known to have an aggressive streak, they were loud, confrontational, and some of them were violent. It was hardly a general characteristic, just a cliché, but her grandson did have a history of uncontrollable behavior. A background that would be brought up by the prosecutor at trial in order to paint a profile of Sergio’s character as being unstable and prone to striking out at those he loved. In skilled hands a jury could be molded to think that her grandson had been a murderer waiting to find the perfect victim. Once they believed that, they wouldn’t wait very long to return from deliberation with a guilty verdict.

  Alberta looked at Lola, who was sitting on the window ledge over the sink gazing at the outside world. This had to be the worst Christmas season of her entire life, she thought. Even worse than the time both her kids had chicken pox and Sammy decided it was a good time to invite his sister and her family to visit. Alberta disliked her sister-in-law Edna almost as much as Edna disliked Alberta. They both rubbed each other the wrong way. Sammy could do no wrong in Edna’s eyes and Alberta saw his faults very clearly. Had she only had a better relationship with Sergio, seen him more often, knew what he was really like as a person, Alberta might have known him as well as she knew Sammy. Despite his flaws, Alberta knew what her husband was capable of and how he’d react in any given situation, she couldn’t say the same thing about her grandson.

  Was it possible that he could have killed Natalie in a fit of rage? Could she have done or said something that would have gotten him so angry that he could take a knife and stab it through her heart? From everything she knew about their relationship, Natalie could ignite passion in her grandson, why not revulsion? The line separating love and hate was sometimes invisible. But the line separating innocence and guilt was much thicker.

  Alberta saw firsthand how distraught Sergio had been when he saw Natalie’s dead body. She’d held him as he sobbed. He wasn’t crying for himself or for his role in what happened, he was crying because a woman he loved had been slain, her life struck down, left to lie on the ground at his feet. Even when he resorted to violence and punched Bruno, he was doing it because he was being accused of physically hurting Natalie, which was something he couldn’t comprehend. He couldn’t find the words to express himself, so he let his fists talk for him. It wasn’t wise, it wasn’t mature, but it wasn’t the action of a guilty man. As Sergio’s grandmother, Alberta was certain of his innocence, but she wasn’t sure if twelve strangers on a jury would share her opinion.

  She had wanted to take another trip to New York to see if she could make contact with Rudy this time instead of roaming around his empty apartment, but Vinny informed her that he was working with the local police department to track Rudy down. The NYPD had been advised that Rudy Lewendorf was officially a person of interest in the murder of Natalie Vespa. Alberta was not happy to learn Vinny had to tell them he wanted help to find Rudy as a way to strengthen the state’s case against Sergio, but he felt it would sound more legitimate. If Roxanne found out Vinny was trying to get another state’s police force to hunt down a suspect when she believed the murderer was already behind bars, Sergio would ultimately suffer the consequences.

  With a trip to the Empire State nixed, Alberta’s backup plan was to question Carmichael again. The dog-eared magazine they found in Rudy’s apartment linked the two men, and Alberta suspected the hospital administrator hadn’t been fully honest the last time they spoke. She wanted to find out what his connection was to Rudy and if that connection extended to include Natalie and perhaps even J. J. She was all set to take a drive to Newton when Jinx told her to cancel her plans.

  Since it would have been a blatant conflict of interest if Jinx wrote about the Vespa murder case, Wyck assigned her to cover the newfound partnership between St. Clare’s Hospital and the Sussex County Medical Center. The institutions were former rivals and had been jockeying for position to be named the best hospital in New Jersey, St. Clare’s through its cancer drug trials and Sussex County with its cardiac wing. Wyck figured there had to be something scandalous to make them want to exchange their rivalry for camaraderie.

  It was a jaded approach, but he was hoping there would be some juicy gossip, doctor bashing, and questionable ethical behavior among the professionals that would bring even more eyes over to the pages of The Herald. Jinx told Alberta that she already had appointments to meet with Carmichael and Bambi, and if Alberta got to Carmichael first, he might clam up when Jinx interviewed him. Alberta had to agree that he’d be more comfortable talking to a journalist and not the grandmother of a murder suspect. With Jinx, Carmichael might let down his guard and unwittingly reveal a tidbit of information they could use to help Sergio, but with Alberta he would choose every word he spoke wisely, especially if he had something to hide.

  Without a Plan C, Sloan was able to convince Alberta that she needed to take a break from all the stress she’d been under these past few weeks, first with the search for Lisa Marie and Tommy, then the search for Sergio and Natalie, and now trying to find Natalie’s real murderer to spring Sergio from jail. Spending an hour or two being Sloan’s girlfriend and not an amateur detective would help recharge her battery and lift her spirits. If that was true, though, why did she feel like such a Grinch?

  “Doesn’t the town square look beautiful?” Sloan asked. “The snow, the decorations, the Christmas joy.”

  “Bah, scempiaggini!” Alberta cried.

  “That’s enough out of you, Ebenezer,” Sloan said. “You promised you’d welcome the spirit of Christmas into your heart this morning.”

  “I’m sorry,” Alberta said. “My heart is heavy and my mind is racing with thoughts of how to free Sergio. It’s hard to feel any joy at the moment.”

  “I know,” Sloan replied. “And I’m not trying to make you forget what’s really happening, but I do think you need a brief diversion to reclaim your strength. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

  “How can things get any worse?” Alberta said. “You just spent ten dollars for two cups of coffee!”

  “May I remind you that you ordered an eggnog latte?” Sloan said.

  Against her will, a smile appeared on Alberta’s face. She looked at Sloan and was once again reminded how handsome he was. The few lines around his mouth and across his forehead, the crow’s feet around his sparkling blue eyes, only added to his good looks. When she took a moment like this to stop and let the world around her continue to move forward without her, she felt like a schoolgirl who saw her life as one filled with promise. It had been a long time since she held that feeling in her heart and she was delighted it had returned when she met Sloan. Sometimes she had no idea what she was doing, embarking on a relationship with a new man at her age, but at other times, at times like this, she knew one of the best decisions she had ever made was accepting Sloan into her life. Even on mornings like this, when she wanted to strangle him.

  And yet she knew he was right. She knew she needed to step away from the turmoil and pain she was feeling watching her grandson face such devastating charges and do something normal for a little while. In the long run this respite might just prove beneficial.

  “Let’s buy Lola a treat,” Alberta said. “I think my baby’s getting jealous because I’ve been spending so much time with Lisa Marie.”

  “That cat
has you wrapped around your little finger,” Sloan said. “Which means Lola and I have something in common.”

  A full-on smile emerged on Alberta’s face this time. She grabbed Sloan’s hand and led him to the pet store.

  “C’mon, signore, let’s go shopping.”

  Thirty minutes later Sloan and Alberta were no longer holding hands because Sloan’s hands were otherwise engaged, carrying two large shopping bags. One filled with toys and treats for Lola that Alberta planned to dispense on a daily basis from now until Christmas as sort of a living Advent calendar for her cat and the other filled with pastries from Vitalano’s Bakery. Alberta thought it might lift everyone’s spirits if they had some homemade baked goods the next time they met instead of their usual buffet of Entenmann’s desserts. Everyone deserved an upgrade around the holidays.

  Which is exactly what it looked like Bambi had given herself.

  Alberta saw the woman crossing the street carrying four shopping bags from four different stores, the priciest shops in town, and wearing a full-length shearling coat and a brown suede fedora. The woman looked like she could give Joyce a run for her money in the fashionista department, but Alberta felt that Joyce’s philosophy concerning her wardrobe was that she looked at well-made clothing as almost works of art that she, as a patron, needed to display. Joyce didn’t go in for trendy items that she’d throw out at the end of the season, almost her entire wardrobe was filled with classic pieces from the last century. When she looked at Bambi, her chin held high with a bit of a smirk formed on her lips, Alberta got the impression that she wore expensive clothes to show off. Alberta decided to use that to her advantage because what show-off could resist an audience?

  “Hi, Bambi!” Alberta yelled, waving her hand in her direction.

  The woman proved Alberta’s theory wrong. Upon seeing Alberta, Bambi immediately veered to the right to avoid walking toward her. She even quickened her pace and moved as quickly as the three-inch stiletto heels of her brown suede boots would allow.

  “I don’t think Bambi saw me,” Alberta said.

  “I don’t think Bambi wants to see you,” Sloan said.

  “Why wouldn’t she want to see me?”

  “Because of the Mistletoe Catastra-Ball.”

  “Catastra-Ball? What’s that?”

  “It’s what some people have dubbed the Mistletoe Ball since it was such a catastrophe.”

  “You think Bambi’s avoiding me because I’m Sergio’s grandmother and she blames him for ruining her event?”

  “That’s what I like about you, Berta, you catch on quick.”

  “Well, we better start jogging if we’re going to catch up to Bambi.”

  Sloan watched as Alberta ran ahead, avoiding patches of snow that crept onto the sidewalk and holding her arm out to the side in an attempt not to spill her eggnog latte. Sloan shrugged his shoulders and did what every dutiful boyfriend has done since the beginning of time—he ran after his girlfriend.

  “Bambi!” Alberta cried. “Wait up!”

  Bambi didn’t, but Alberta didn’t give up. She convinced herself she was on an early morning jog with Jinx, wearing her sneakers, running gear, and sports bra, and increased her speed until she was alongside Bambi, panting but victorious.

  “Oh hi Alberta!” Bambi cried. “I didn’t even see you there. Guess I’m having one of those mornings with my head in the clouds, all wrapped up in the joy of the season.”

  “I can see,” Alberta said. “Are you Christmas shopping or doing some retail therapy?”

  “A little bit of both,” Bambi said.

  Alberta’s prayers were answered and Bambi finally stopped walking. She could see that the woman’s heavy makeup couldn’t hide the deep circles under her eyes and Alberta assumed Bambi had also lost a few nights’ sleep. Bambi looked to the right, as if searching for an escape hatch, and when she came up empty she sighed and bowed her head.

  “I’m sorry,” Bambi said. “I shouldn’t have tried to avoid you, but with everything going on . . . I just don’t know what to say to you.”

  “I understand that, I really do,” Alberta said. “You must know that we’re on the same side.”

  “All I know is that the Mistletoe Ball was supposed to be the premiere event of the holiday—of the entire year, for God’s sake—and it’s turned into front page news and not the good kind,” Bambi said. “As the person in charge of running St. Clare’s and keeping it as far from scandal as possible, you can imagine this tragic turn of events has put me under a tremendous amount of stress.”

  “I do know what you’re going through,” Alberta said. “My world has been turned upside down as well.”

  “I’m sure it has,” Bambi said. “Your grandson is responsible for destroying what was supposed to be the biggest publicity event in St. Clare’s history.”

  Alberta suddenly realized she and Bambi might not be on the same side. “There is such a thing as innocent until proven guilty.”

  “There’s also such a thing as cause and effect,” Bambi replied. “What Sergio caused to happen at the Ball has had a profound effect on me and this entire community.”

  Alberta glanced at the shopping bags swinging from Bambi’s agitated arms.

  “I can see how upset you are,” Alberta said.

  “When I’m upset I shop,” Bambi replied. “My late husband would always know something was wrong if I needed help carrying my purchases from the car.”

  “We all have our own ways of handling life’s hardships,” Alberta said, her tone undeniably sarcastic.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m meeting a friend for breakfast and I’m already running late,” Bambi said. “I know that you and your family are dealing with an extraordinary crisis and personally my heart goes out to you, but speaking in my professional capacity, it would be better if our paths didn’t cross again.”

  Sloan finally ambled up to the women, breathing heavily. “Hi, ladies, what have I missed?”

  “Bambi was just giving me some professional advice,” Alberta said. “Which has been duly noted.”

  “Excellent,” Sloan said. “I hope you gave Berta a discount.”

  When Sloan’s joke was met with silence he didn’t act like a wise man and keep his mouth shut, he acted like the nervous man he was and kept rambling. “You know, because it’s the holiday and there are sales all over and from the number of bags you’re carrying, you cannot resist a sale. Plus, a discount would be a really nice Christmas gift because, you know, the two of you are . . . friends.”

  That was an overstatement. Alberta and Bambi were friendly, but any friendship they may have had had definitely become a thing of the past. There was someone, however, whose relationship with the hospital administrator was still going strong.

  “Bambi, where’ve you been? I’ve been standing outside waiting for you.”

  When Bambi turned around Kylie Manzini was able to see who had been preventing her from keeping her scheduled breakfast date. Kylie’s expression went from annoyed to shocked to uncomfortable in less than three seconds. Alberta was starting to feel like the town pariah.

  “Dr. Manzini,” Sloan said. “This is a nice surprise.”

  “Yes . . . yes, it . . . it most certainly is,” the doctor stuttered.

  From the look on Kylie’s face, not to mention her difficulty speaking, the woman didn’t agree; it was definitely a surprise, but not a nice one. Her face was almost as pale as her platinum blonde hair. Alberta remembered that the doctor had told her when they first met that her father was from Oslo, Norway, which explained her hair coloring. It didn’t explain why her Scandinavian father had an Italian surname.

  “Kylie, I’ve always meant to ask you,” Alberta said. “How did your Norwegian father come to have an Italian last name?”

  Now the doctor looked annoyed. Alberta assumed it was because doctors didn’t like to be questioned by those outside the medical community. Or Kylie, like Bambi, wasn’t happy to be in the company of the grandmother of
a presumed murderer.

  “I can’t believe you remembered that,” Kylie replied.

  “She’s got a mind like an elephant, Berta has,” Sloan said. “I can’t tell you how many times she’ll ask me a question about something I said three months ago. Trust me, nothing escapes her.”

  Despite being compared to an elephant, Alberta smiled. She thought it was nice to be complimented by her boyfriend when two women she hardly knew were glaring at her simply because they thought her grandson ruined their holiday charity event. It suddenly struck Alberta that the women—well, at least Bambi—seemed more concerned that the Mistletoe Ball had been cut short than the fact that a woman had been murdered.

  “Was your father’s mother a native Norwegian?” Alberta asked. “That would explain your fair coloring.”

  “What?” Kylie asked, obviously forgetting Alberta’s original question. “Oh yes, his mother, Olga, was from Oslo, which is where she met my grandfather, Pasquale, who was born in Sorrento.”

  “Santo Cielo!” Alberta cried. “How did a fella from Sorrento get to meet a gal from Oslo?”

  “Research,” Kylie replied. “My grandfather was part of one of the first research teams trying to find a polio vaccine. They weren’t successful, of course, but some of their discoveries helped lay the groundwork for the vaccine that Jonas Salk eventually invented.”

  “That’s fascinating,” Sloan said.

  “I’m very proud of my grandfather,” Kylie said.

  “I see his legacy continues,” Alberta said. “Now that you’re going to head the cancer research lab at St. Clare’s.”

  “You’ll read all about it in our press releases,” Bambi said. She then turned to Kylie and ordered, “We should be going.”