I coughed, so the words, “Oh my Lord, what were you thinking?” wouldn’t escape my lips.
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. Maybe you don’t think he’s Mr. Charming, but I do. I have more mature tastes.” She grabbed her apron and put it on. “Besides, he’s not a no-account who has nothing. And he’s practical. Says he’s got real good insurance. Now, tell me to have a good time.”
I grabbed her by the elbows. “Promise me you’ll play hard to get.”
She put her hands on her hips. “A smart woman knows what a man wants. Never mind what he thinks he wants.”
I had no desire to know which was which so I changed directions. “Where’s he taking you?”
He’ll meet me here at 7:00, after we close then dinner somewhere.”
My phone again. This time it was Dad, probably to ask me about Larry. I let it go to voicemail. “Aunt Lena, that’s exciting.” Maybe you should bring a piece of cheese. “My phone’s going crazy. I better get back to the office.” I kissed her damp cheek. “Have fun tonight.”
I turned the key in my car’s ignition. Nothing but an irritating whirr. I tried it twice more. No difference. I couldn’t blame old Bob. He had over 190,000 miles and probably dreamed of retirement. But I couldn’t afford to replace him. Every day I hopped into his rust-covered body and prayed his tired engine would turn over, but I feared this time he’d run his last. Thank God I was wrong and with a congested huff, he started up. We sputtered along and I tried to figure a way to afford a newer car. I quivered inside every time I thought about Bob heaving a last gasp on a dark, deserted road.
My phone rang. My dad again.
I barely said hello when he started. “So what do you think of Larry?” Sarcasm dripped with this last word.
“Didn’t talk to him. I didn’t want to cut in on Aunt Lena’s action. He looked normal if you like rodents with poor taste in clothes, but I’ll do that background check on him when I get back to the office.” I hesitated for a moment then dropped the bomb. “She has a date with him tonight.”
“She’s out of her mind. We need to do a che cosa? An intervention.”
“Don’t do anything until you hear from me. Promise?”
He huffed. “Sorry, Pumpkin. It’s just…she’s your mother’s sister and Theresa, God bless her, would strike me from heaven if I let something happen to Lena.”
My heart went out to my dad. Mom had been gone less than four years. He was still learning to live without her and at the same time, deal with Aunt Lena. Aunt Lena, who thought it was her mission to smother my dad in her unique bossy way, with food and advice. Now he wanted to protect her. I pulled into my office parking lot. “Call you as soon as I find something. Okay?”
I opened the door to my office, flicked on my computer and started to dig into the life of Larry Walters. Except there wasn’t any information to be had.
Killer Cannoli
Private Investigator Claire DeNardo visits her Aunt Lena’s café, Cannoli’s, and discovers a romance brewing between her aunt and a new customer. Claire’s suspicions that he’s lying about his identity prove solid when he’s found dead at the café. Claire ignores the warnings of Police Detective Brian Corrigan and delves into the dead man’s life. In the process, she realizes her aunt may unwittingly possess what the killer wants. And it’s not her tiramisu recipe.
Bake Me a Murder
Private Investigator Claire DeNardo reluctantly takes on a case presented by her part-time employee, Ed. Ed’s cousin, Merle, is searching for his former girlfriend, a topless dancer who ran with a rough crowd. But it’s too late. The woman has been killed and Merle, who is now Claire’s client, is arrested. When Claire digs into the victim’s past, she uncovers a thriving illegal drug trade. Her fears about this case double when she learns about the mobster who is behind the unlawful business. All this while dodging Police Detective Brian Corrigan’s determined efforts to get her off the case and into his arms.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my husband, Greg, for his support, ideas, and patience. Nikki Salupo and Joanne Moore both stepped up when I needed their help most. Patience Jackson, Rae-Dawn Brightman, and Bill Payne lent their expertise to my efforts. Huge thanks goes to Kathleen Baldwin, whose advice, assistance, and reassurances made the publishing of this book possible.
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Carole Fowkes
eBook conversion by Ink Lion Books
Cover by Kathleen Baldwin
Release date: January 2016
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, downloaded, transmitted, decompiled, reverse engineered, stored in or introduced to any information storage and retrieval system, in any form, whether electronic or mechanical without the author’s written permission. Scanning, uploading or distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission is prohibited.
Please purchase only authorized electronic versions, and do not participate in, or encourage pirated electronic versions
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Killer Cannoli
Bake Me a Murder
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Plateful of Murder Page 20
