Vince ran a hand over his chin. “True. But this place hasn’t even opened yet, and from what I saw of the main room, everything looks ready to go. It’s almost like you’re inventing work to do here.”
I carried the plaque over to my office door. “Maybe I’ll hang it here. What do you think?” I was purposefully avoiding his question, and he knew it. I wasn’t going to admit it, but Vince was right. Except for a few minor details, everything was done, but I needed to keep busy. Some days were better than others, but I wasn’t quite there yet.
When I turned around, Vince was standing there, arms folded across his muscular chest, watching me carefully. “What?” I asked.
His expression told me that I wasn’t fooling him, but he merely said, “You’re right—that’s a great spot. Let me grab some nails and I’ll hang it for you.”
Six
Four hours later, I had returned to my happy place. I stirred the stainless-steel pan with carbonara, inhaling the rich and tantalizing scent. A pot of drained pappardelle stood on the counter next to it. I tossed the pasta into the pan of sauce. The carbonara coated the wide noodle strips to perfection and absorbed the sauce nicely.
My house smelled heavenly. I’d been fortunate to find guanciale from a specialty store about forty miles away and arranged for them to ship it directly to the restaurant, although I’d been warned they might stop carrying it soon. I could always get the meat directly from Italy, but that was an added expense I hoped to avoid. When I tasted the sauce, though, I knew that was irrelevant. Guanciale added so much more flavor than pancetta, and the fat from the pig’s jowl made it tender and tastier.
As I continued to mix the sauce and pasta together, I reflected on all that had transpired earlier today. Gabby had filled me in on the latest when I’d stopped over with her minestrone. A few customers had tried calling her to ask what happened, but she’d chosen not to respond. I’d invited her for dinner again, but she’d refused. Lou had been called into work this evening, and I hated for her to be alone. Liza would be back at the store tomorrow, ready to work, and I hoped that Gabby had already told her about Daphne’s death.
A knock sounded as I placed piping-hot garlic bread from my oven onto the table. Luigi trotted over expectantly and stood by the door, waiting. Justin, tall and athletic looking, with windblown, dark wavy hair, greeted me when I opened the door, a bottle of merlot in his hand. A broad smile broke out on his face when he saw me, and he stepped inside to give me a hug. “Hey, Tess.”
“It’s so good to see you.” I gave him a squeeze and then took the wine from his outstretched hand as he stooped down to pet Luigi. When he stared up at me again, I was startled to see how much thinner his face was. He was still handsome in a rugged sort of way, but the fine cheekbones were compounded by a brittle look, most likely caused by too much responsibility and too little sleep. His smoky-gray bluish eyes were still the same, though, and they brightened when I smiled at him. “Is everything okay with you?”
“It will be.” Justin stood up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked into the dining room together. He set the wine down on the table.
I wasn’t sure what his comment meant. “Did you walk here?” He only lived a block away, and I hadn’t seen his truck in the driveway.
He nodded. “Yeah. I needed the air.”
Luigi rubbed against his legs. “Looks like someone missed me.” Justin laughed and petted Luigi again, then scratched him behind the ears. “How’s the big guy? Did you take care of everything while I was away?”
“Like a boss. Wine or beer?” I called from the kitchen.
“I’ll take a beer for now, thanks.”
I grabbed one from the fridge and set it on my breakfast counter, which he was now standing beside. “Back at work already?”
He sipped his drink and nodded. “Last night.” Justin was a firefighter at the local station, an occupation that made me proud and terrified for his safety every day. As far as I knew, he’d never wanted to be anything else.
“How’s your mom?”
Justin leaned over the counter, watching as I fussed with the salad. “She’s okay. Every day is a little better than the one before. It’s going to be tough for her—getting used to life without the man she’s loved for so many years.”
I said nothing. When I turned to offer him a glass, his eyes were stricken. “Oh God, Tess. I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.”
“It’s okay.” I picked up the cheese I’d grated earlier. There was something masked behind his eyes that bothered me. “Is there something else bugging you?”
Justin heaved a long sigh. “She’s been talking about me moving back home.”
“To California?” My heart sank into the pit of my stomach.
He nodded. “I can’t do it, Tess. Katie will be back home in a year when she finishes college. I told Mom she can come to New York and live with me, but she hates the cold.” His eyes regarded me solemnly. “And I don’t want to leave here.”
I didn’t want him to leave either but refrained from saying so. It would only make things more difficult for him, and that wasn’t my intention. Plus, I still had to relay the story of what had happened to Daphne before he heard it from someone else. Justin didn’t need to worry about me on top of everything else. He had enough to deal with.
While I carried the pasta and cheese to the table, Justin brought the salad. Careful not to look at him, I said, “You have to do what’s best for you and your family. I’m sure any fire department would be thrilled to have you.”
“Thanks, Tess.” Justin’s eyes widened as he unfolded his linen napkin and gazed at the food. “Oh, wow. You made carbonara? This looks fantastic.” He helped himself to a large portion while I brought a glass of wine to the table for myself. “So, tell me what’s been happening while I’ve been gone. The restaurant opens what—next week?”
“In six days. You should stop by so I can give you a tour.”
Justin took a bite and let out a groan. “This is amazing. You have no idea how good it feels to be back. What else is new in Harvest Park?”
“Well, now that you mention it…” I relayed the details of the signing last night and finding Daphne’s body.
Justin’s fork clattered against the china plate. “Tess, this is unreal. First you almost get yourself killed looking into Dylan’s death last year, and now you find a dead body in Gabby’s bookstore?”
I took a long sip of wine, and then another. “Yeah, I know. It’s like we have some kind of death hex on our heads. Poor Gabby.”
“Actually, I was thinking poor you. I mean, to find someone like that is a horrifying experience to go through.” Pain flickered in his eyes. “It’s something you never forget. God knows I’ve seen my share, and it doesn’t get easier. If anything, it becomes more difficult.”
I waited to see if he’d go on, but he didn’t. Justin usually refrained from lengthy conversations about his work, and I knew why. He saw devastating events all the time—lives and homes lost on a daily basis. When he managed to save someone, he’d modestly reply that he was only doing his job. Still, it had to weigh heavily on him. “You know that you can always talk to me about anything,” I said.
“I do know,” he said, “and hope you feel the same way.”
“Of course.” We lapsed into companionable silence for a few minutes while Justin continued to eat with considerable relish, as if he hadn’t seen a decent meal in days. My heart soared with happiness. Nothing pleased me more than to watch someone enjoy a meal that I had prepared. That’s what cooking was all about for me.
Justin reached for another piece of garlic bread and eyed me sharply as I poured myself a second glass of wine. “You’re not going to get drunk again, are you? I remember a night not too long again when you could barely stand.”
I winced at the memory, and then we both laughed. “What a mess I was tha
t night, huh? No, I don’t plan on a repeat performance. Between the restaurant about to open and finding Daphne, I’m a bit on edge today.”
“Yeah, that’s understandable.”
“There’s something else bothering you. Do you want to talk—”
Justin’s phone beeped, and he glanced apologetically at me as he drew it out of his pocket. “Sorry, Tess. It could be work.”
“No worries. Go right ahead.” I brought my glass to my lips as a loud pounding commenced at the front door. I stared at Justin, but he seemed distracted by the text message he’d received. So much for our quiet dinner. I went to answer the knock with Luigi at my heels. Another banging sounded before I could reach it.
“Tess?” Gabby’s voice filtered through the door. “I need you!”
What now? I unlocked the door, and Gabby collapsed into my arms. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“Coffee,” she croaked and made her way through the vestibule and past the dining area. She cocked her head at me when she caught sight of Justin, who was typing out a message on his phone. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I forgot you had company.”
Justin looked up and gave her a quick nod. “Hey, Gabs. How’s everything?”
“Welcome home. Nice to see you,” Gabby said. When I came back to the table with her coffee, she pulled me down into the chair next to hers and immediately downed half her beverage.
“What’s going on? Is this about Daphne?”
She stared at me grimly. “You and I are mentioned in the online version of the Harvest Park Press tonight. I told Gino about it, but he doesn’t think Paddy gave our names to the newspaper. I for one am not so convinced.”
“Paddy’s a detective. Why would he do something like that?”
“Because he’s a jerk!” In frustration, Gabby pounded her fist on the table. Startled, Justin looked up from his phone, and her face turned the color of raspberries. “Sorry.”
“It must have been someone else,” I insisted. “The media was probably at your store after I found Daphne’s body.”
Gabby sniffed. “Gino said that reporters constantly hang around the police station, trying to dig up dirt. But I wouldn’t put anything past that creep. He’s convinced that you or I have something to do with Daphne’s death. He’s like a bloodhound sniffing out a bone.”
It felt like Paddy had a personal vendetta against us. “Do you have any more good news to share?”
She gulped her coffee. “Since my relationship with Lou is part of Harvest Park’s grapevine, he’s not allowed to work the case either.” Gabby looked like she was about to cry. “And because Daphne died in my store I can’t reopen until the police give the say-so, and with the big brute detective in charge, that’s never going to happen.” She wrapped her trembling hands around the mug to steady them.
“Oh, Gabs. He can’t intentionally keep you out of there. I’m sure Gino will do something.”
Gabby shot me a disbelieving look. “Gino said he’ll speak to his boss, but if you ask me, everyone is walking on eggshells around the new kid in town. They don’t want to rock the boat and lose the big-city detective wonder. The word is out that Preston’s publicist died in my store. People know Daphne, and I have a history and not a good one. I even had to shut down Once Upon a Book’s Facebook page because people were posting hateful messages. Let’s face it, I’m ruined.” She put her head in her hands as if it ached.
“No, you’re not. We’ll figure out who did this, don’t worry.” But I knew firsthand that word of mouth was vital to a business, especially new ones like mine and Gabby’s. I’d been accused of serving Daphne the deadly dessert, and on top of everything else now I had to contemplate the unpleasant gossip about me and my new restaurant at Harvest Park’s dinner tables tonight.
She pushed the empty mug toward me. “May I please have another? I’ll take it black this time.”
“Of course you can.” I rose and looked over at Justin, who was texting again on his phone and seemed oblivious to our entire conversation. Maybe his mother was sending him pleas to return home. If it had been a work-related call, he would have already left.
As I refilled Gabby’s mug, Justin came into the kitchen with his windbreaker on. “Tess, I’m sorry, but something’s come up and I have to leave.”
“Oh, no. Is it work?” Maybe I had been wrong. Justin’s job was always unpredictable. He’d once confided to me that he believed his demanding career had led to his ex-wife Natalie sleeping around on him. In my book, though, there was no excuse for what she’d done. When he’d served Natalie with divorce papers, she’d walked away from the house they’d owned and not even offered him a dime. Justin was so anxious to get on with his life that he hadn’t pursued the matter.
Justin hesitated. “No. It’s something else.”
I placed the mug in front of Gabby and walked with him to the front door. “Your mom? Is she okay?”
He nodded. “I’ll call you later, okay?” He turned and gave Gabby a wave. “Good seeing you, Gabs.”
“Yeah, you too.” She sighed into her mug.
Justin gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks for dinner. It was amazing.” His troubled eyes searched mine for a second, and then a smile flickered across his face. “And so are you.”
Before I could say anything further, Justin let himself out the front door. I waited as he jogged up the street, never glancing back once. What was going on?
When Justin had turned the corner and was out of sight, I closed the front door and went back into the dining room. I gathered up his empty plate, glass and beer can while Gabby watched me. “Why’d he take off so soon? Was it because of me? Sorry I’m such a downer.”
“It isn’t you.” I knew Justin well, and his behavior had been different tonight. I suspected there was something besides his father’s death bothering him. “He’s not the same Justin that he was before he went away.”
Gabby looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“He’s distracted. Something else is going on.”
Another knock sounded on my front door, and Gabby held up a hand. “You go ahead, I’ll grab it. Maybe he forgot something.”
When I returned from the kitchen, Gabby was sitting at the table with Gino beside her. “Hey, Tess. Sorry to interrupt your dinner,” he said.
The look on his face told me this wasn’t a social call. “Would you like some carbonara? I have plenty.”
“No, thanks. Lucy made pot roast tonight. And she didn’t burn it for once.” Gino gave a wry smile. He loved to tease his wife about her cooking mishaps, but most of them weren’t Lucy’s fault. She was too busy chasing their six-year-old twins and never had a spare moment to herself.
Gino stared from me to Gabby. “I suppose Gabs has told you about the bookstore being closed, and the so-called leak in town.”
“And let’s not forget Detective Paddy McJerk who wants Tess and me to wind up behind iron bars,” Gabby scoffed.
Gino pressed his lips together tightly. “He’s not going to arrest you. Paddy is just doing things the way he knows. I told you not to take it personally.”
Incredulous, Gabby stared at him. “How am I supposed to take it then?”
“Paddy didn’t cause the leak,” Gino insisted. “There were reporters sniffing around the station earlier. It happens all the time. There is such a thing as freedom of the press, you know.”
“Well, remind me of that when I can’t pay my mortgage and have to move in with you and Lucy,” Gabby retorted. “Because there’s no way I’m living with Mom again.”
I sat down on the other side of Gabby. “Are the toxicology tests back yet on Daphne?”
“No.” Gino folded his hands on the table. “It could take a few weeks. But the testing on the cannoli was completed.”
“I knew it,” Gabby groaned. “She was poisoned. And everyone will t
hink that I did it.”
“What was wrong with them?” I asked fearfully.
“First off, a Gucci handbag was found in Gabby’s dumpster out back,” Gino said. “It belonged to Daphne. There was an unused EpiPen inside.”
“So, she did have an allergy,” I mused.
Gino nodded. “Her father confirmed that it was a severe one, to shellfish.”
Gabby looked at him like he had corn growing out of his ears. “What’s that have to do with the cannoli she ate?”
“Let me finish,” Gino said. “We found shrimp powder in the cannoli. Is that a common ingredient used to make them?”
“No, of course not,” I said.
His mouth formed a thin, hard line. “I didn’t think so. Then this was no accidental death. Someone wanted Daphne dead, and they got their wish.”
Seven
Gabby pushed aside her mug and reached for the wine bottle. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
Gino snatched the bottle out of her reach. “That didn’t exactly help you last night, sis. A couple of customers mentioned that they saw you throw wine at Daphne.”
“But I told you that I didn’t!” She shrieked so loud that I was tempted to cover my ears. “Instead of lecturing me, why don’t you try to help me?”
The lines in his forehead deepened. “If Sergeant Warner finds out I’m working this case against his direct order, I could lose my job, Gabs.”
She closed her eyes. “Well, I might as well put up the going-out-of-business sign tomorrow.”
“Don’t talk like that,” I chided her, trying to make sense of the situation. “Someone obviously knew about Daphne’s allergy and hoped she’d eat the cannoli. They must have taken her purse away, so she had no chance to use her EpiPen. They brought the tray of cannoli in special for her. That clears Gabby, right? We left the store together.”
Gabby opened her eyes and looked at me hopefully. “Besides, I didn’t know about her allergy. I hadn’t seen her in years before last night.”
It Cannoli Be Murder Page 8
