Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys

by Leighann Dobbs

  “Thanks. How did it go after I left?”

  Ruth’s eyebrows pressed together adding another layer of creases to her already wrinkled brow. “I was surprised none of his family got up to talk about him. Reverend Peters gave a lovely eulogy though.”

  “I’m not surprised given what most of them had to say about him,” Nans said.

  Helen nodded. “Yeah, he wasn’t well liked in his own family, but do you think any of them disliked him enough to kill him?”

  “I don’t know. But some of them seemed concerned about the will. I think a few of them were down and out, and needed money,” Ida said.

  “We should make a note to look into their finances.” Nans turned to Ruth. “Do you have a list of the relatives?”

  Ruth nodded.

  “Okay, let’s find out which ones needed money. The missing will could be a factor too.” Nans tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. “I wonder if someone was afraid they were being written out of the will and is looking for it so they can destroy it. Then they would have to revert to his old will … the one the lawyer has.”

  Everyone turned to look at Ruth.

  “It could be … he never discussed it with me,” Ruth said.

  “And we need to find out what type of gun he was killed with, and then see if any of the relatives own that type of gun.” Nans looked at Helen with her brows raised.

  “That should be easy,” Helen said. “I can find out online if any of them had guns registered. Of course, they could still have a gun they didn’t register, but there’s no way for us to find out about that.”

  “The way I see it, we have two possible motives. One is that he was killed so the killer could take the will … or whatever it is they are looking for. The other is that someone got mad and killed him in a fit of anger.” Nans ticked the items off on her fingers.

  “And a third possible motive,” said Ida, “is that his involvement in organized crime is what got him killed.”

  “You mean, like a mob hit?” Ruth asked.

  Ida nodded.

  “I doubt he was still involved in anything like that …” Ruth let her voice trail off.

  “We should still keep it open as an option,” Helen said.

  “The person who killed him might not necessarily be the one searching for whatever it is they are searching for.” Ida took a sip of tea, her keen blue eyes sparkled at them over the rim of the cup.

  “Right,” Nans said. “He might have been killed for one reason and now his relatives are taking the opportunity to try to find the new will … or maybe they are looking for something else entirely.”

  “How much money did he have anyway? It would have to be a lot to be worth killing over, I would think,” Helen said.

  “That’s the thing,” Ruth said. “I don’t think he had a lot, I mean he never spent a lot. I guess I don’t know how much he had socked away. For all I know he had a million bucks hidden in various nooks and crannies and that’s why everyone is searching his stuff.”

  “We’ll have to look into that,” Nans said. “Maybe we can hack into his bank accounts.”

  Lexy could feel her eyelids getting heavy. She looked out the window, as the ladies droned on about the different possible scenarios surrounding Nunzio’s death. The waterfall looked cool and refreshing. People were strolling by on the sidewalk enjoying the summer day, most of them wearing shorts and tee-shirts in summer colors.

  Except for the two guys on the opposite side of the street, who seemed to be looking right in the window at them. Lexy narrowed her eyes toward the men. Something was familiar about them … their dark suits out of place on the hot summer day. Had she seen them at the memorial?

  “Lexy!” Nans tapped the table in front of her, startling her.

  “Yes?”

  “Tell us about Simone. What’s she got to do with Jack?”

  “He introduced her to me as an old friend, but Cassie said she’s an ex-girlfriend.”

  The ladies eyes all went wide.

  “Jack dated someone from the Mob?” Helen asked.

  “Well, not really. Simone isn’t from the Mob. He probably didn’t know the grandfather was—if he even was. Anyway, that was all a long time ago.”

  Nans narrowed her eyes. “You should try to get more information out of him. I bet he knows something that could be pertinent to our investigation.”

  “I doubt he would tell me. You know how closed mouthed he can be. Anyway, I don’t really want to get involved. Even though I can see that you are trying to drag me in.” Lexy smiled at Nans fondly.

  “Sorry, dear. It’s just that we so love having you in on things with us.”

  The other women nodded and Lexy felt her stomach clench, then she remembered this was probably part of Nans’s plan—make her feel guilty so she’d join in the investigation.

  “Let’s not forget about the key,” Helen said.

  “Yes … the key.” Nans pressed her lips together. “It’s rather small so it must go to some sort of locker or a small box or safe. Maybe even a safety deposit box. We should make a list of all the places in the vicinity that have those types of boxes.”

  Ruth pulled out the locket and popped it open. “It has a number so that might make it easy for us to find the locker … if it is a locker.”

  “Shouldn’t we tell the police about it and let them sort it out?” Lexy asked.

  Nans gave Lexy “the look”. “Do you really think the police will take us seriously? A key found in a locket? They’ll probably take it and do nothing and we’ll never be able to solve the crime. Nope, best to keep it to ourselves … don’t you think girls?”

  Ruth, Ida and Helen all nodded.

  The bell over the door rang and everyone swiveled their head toward the sound. Lexy felt her stomach flip-flop when she saw Brax walk in. He’d replaced his suit with a black tee-shirt and jeans. The tee-shirt was a little tight, accentuating his perfectly developed physique. Lexy heard Ruth and Helen suck in their breaths.

  Brax glanced over at the table and smiled. “Just the person I wanted to see.”

  Lexy raised her eyebrow, hoping no one could see her cheeks burning and her pulse jumping.

  “Oh, are you in the market for another cinnamon bun?”

  Brax laughed. His laugh had a deep masculine timbre that sent tingles up Lexy’s spine and from the looks on their faces, it had the same effect on Nans and her friends.

  “Actually, I hear you ladies know a little bit about the Nunzio Bartolli case,” he said looking at Nans, Ida, Ruth and Helen in turn. Lexy notice each woman flushed when his eyes fell on them.

  Nans recovered first. “Yes, we do. Ruth here was a good friend of Nunzio’s.” She pointed to Ruth on the other side of the table. “And who might you be?”

  Brax smiled. “How rude of me not to introduce myself. Brax Daniels. F.B.I.”

  He flashed his badge, then held his hand out and shook hands with each of them as they introduced themselves.

  “So, if you’re here that means Nunzio’s murder must have had something to do with organized crime.” Nans narrowed her eyes at Brax.

  Brax spread his hands “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

  The ladies laughed.

  “Seriously, it might not have anything to do with it. That’s why I’m here, to figure out whether it does or not. I heard you ladies had some keen investigative skills and I thought you might have some information that would be useful to me.”

  Ida, Ruth and Helen looked at Nans who stared at Brax, sizing him up. Lexy knew she was trying to decide if he could be trusted and how much to tell him.

  “We haven’t heard anything about any organized crime connection,” Nans said at last. “We had a memorial with the family today and I can tell you there is no love lost between Nunzio and most of them.”

  Brax raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? So you think someone in his family might have done this?”

  Nans shrugged. “Maybe. We’re looking into that angle.�
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  Brax nodded. Pressing his lips together he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

  “Tell you what. If you find anything you think I should know about, give me a call.” He handed a business card to each of the women who looked star struck as if he was a rock star handing out autographs.

  Nans regained her composure first. “And you’ll let us know if you find anything out as well?”

  Brax favored her with his sexy, gleaming smile. “Of course.”

  Lexy stomach somersaulted as he turned his gaze on her and nodded toward the doorway. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Lexy got up, wondering why her legs were shaking like a newborn colt. Probably the combination of lack of sleep and caffeine, she reasoned.

  Brax pulled her out of earshot, his warm hand on her wrist sending tingles up her arm. He leaned down talking softly. His lips were close to her ear which made her pulse skitter.

  “Your grandmother has quite a reputation as an amateur investigator, but this case could be very dangerous. You’d be smart to get her to back off. I heard she’s also very stubborn, so if you can’t do that, at least keep a close eye on her. I wouldn’t want those sweet old ladies to get hurt.”

  He stood back just an inch and looked down at Lexy. His green eyes drilled into hers and Lexy thought she saw something more than concern for her grandmother in them.

  He tucked a business card into the top pocket of her apron, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin as he did. Lexy’s heart jerked in her chest as his gaze went from her eyes, to her lips and then back to her eyes.

  “Please call me if anything comes up. Even something that doesn’t seem important. Feel free to call me … for anything at all.”

  He traced his finger lightly down Lexy’s arm, then turned and disappeared out the door.

  Lexy felt her breath rush out in a whoosh. Had she been holding it?

  She glanced at the clock and her heart skipped a beat. She only had one hour to close up the shop, rush home, shower, change and then run over to Jack’s for supper. Guess that nap wasn’t going to happen after all.

  Chapter Ten

  Jack peered over at Lexy’s house while he brushed olive oil on the grill, his heart sinking as he wondered if she was going to show up. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the display … she hadn’t replied to any of his texts.

  Of course he couldn’t blame her for being mad after finding Simone in his kitchen the night before. Jack sighed. He wished he could tell her the truth, but he had to keep it a secret for a while longer.

  Jack’s heart lurched when he saw her kitchen door open. His pulse quickened noticing she was wearing one of his favorite shirts—a bronze colored V-neck that plunged daringly in the front and highlighted the bronze undertones in her brown hair. The shirt hung loosely over her slim hips. Her mid-thigh white shorts showed off her tanned legs making Jack forget about the two porter house steaks he had been looking forward to grilling all day.

  A smile lit his face as he watched her navigate the space from her yard to his, teetering on the grass in impossibly high strappy white sandals, Sprinkles at her heels.

  “Hi, there.” She greeted him with a smile which Jack hoped meant everything was okay between them.

  “Hi.” He grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her close. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, trying to read the look in her eyes, then brushed his lips against hers.

  She didn’t react.

  She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t fall into the kiss either. Jack didn’t know what to make of it, so he released her and turned his attention to the grill.

  “Sorry, I didn’t reply to your texts today. I catered a memorial for Nunzio Bartolli and time just got away from me.” Lexy picked a beer out of the cooler beside the grill and popped it open with a bottle opener. “Can I help with something?”

  “Nope. I have everything under control.” Jack motioned to the patio table he had already set for dinner. “Have a seat and relax. I’ll put the steaks on and I have a garden salad and potato salad in the fridge.”

  Lexy took a seat and Sprinkles plopped down at her feet while Jack went inside to get the rest of the meal. He opened the fridge and grabbed two large bowls that housed the salads and a platter that had the steak. Balancing them in his hands his stomach clenched as his mind replayed the scene from the night before when Lexy had stumbled into the kitchen to find Simone in here.

  Should he bring Simone up or wait for Lexy to do it?

  He headed out the door with a sigh, if Lexy asked about Simone, he’d just have to keep with the story of her being an old friend that just stopped by and hope Lexy wouldn’t be able to tell he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

  “That looks delicious.” Lexy lifted the Saran Wrap from the salad and picked out a tomato wedge, popping it into her mouth.

  Jack shot her a smile then slapped the steaks on the grill, listening to the welcome sound of sizzle as the flames shot up around them. He grabbed a beer from the cooler and sat down at the table.

  “So, how was that memorial? I’m sure Mona had ulterior motives for having it.” Jack took a long pull on the beer.

  Lexy smiled. “Of course. You know her. I didn’t stay very long. Just long enough to know Nunzio has some strange relatives.”

  Jack raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t stay? You’re not investigating it with her?”

  Lexy’s brow creased as she took a small sip of beer. “Well, I had no intention of getting involved. But Brax said it could be dangerous and maybe I should keep an eye on Nans. You know how headstrong she can be. Maybe if I help her, I can keep her from doing something crazy that will put her in danger.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes at Lexy. “Brax? You mean that F.B.I guy? How do you know him?”

  “Oh, he’s been by the bakery a few times. John introduced us.” Lexy casually picked a piece of lettuce from the salad bowl and bit off a dainty piece.

  Jack’s felt his stomach tighten. He wondered just how many times Brax had been to the bakery. He didn’t know the F.B.I agent very well, but he’d heard the guy had quite the reputation with women. He didn’t like the idea of him hanging around the bakery … or Lexy.

  “I think the steaks need to be flipped.” Lexy nodded toward the grill, pulling Jack from his thoughts. He went over and flipped the steaks with a large fork, then closed the lid.

  “Anyway, I’m not really sure what to do. Nans is hell bent on figuring out who killed Nunzio.” Lexy looked at him sideways. “Do you have any idea who might have done it?”

  Jack took a deep breath. He didn’t like discussing his cases and he certainly didn’t want Lexy getting involved in this one. The problem was, the more he told her not to the more she would want to. He’d have to be selective about the information he gave her to try to steer her in the least dangerous direction.

  “We don’t have any solid leads but we are looking into the family very seriously.”

  “Speaking of the family, I saw your friend at the memorial. Simone is it? Did you know she was Nunzio’s granddaughter?”

  Jack’s heart pounded against his ribcage. Lexy knew about Simone. How should he handle this?

  Trying to shrug casually, he got up to check the steaks. “Yeah, she was in town for the reunion. I didn’t know her grandfather was in organized crime back when I knew her. It was a long time ago.”

  Jack turned to see Lexy looking up at him quizzically and he had to look away fearing she would see he wasn’t telling the whole truth. He busied himself with putting the steaks on a platter and placing it on the table.

  “Dig in!” He sat down and filled his plate, silently watching Lexy do the same.

  Jack’s mouth watered as he cut into his steak. It was perfectly seared, the outside brown almost to the point of being crispy and the inside a medium pink. It practically melted in his mouth.

  They focused on eating their food for several minutes. The occasional scrape of silverware on plates inters
persed with nummy noises were the only sounds to be heard.

  Sprinkles danced in between them, shifting her attention from Lexy to Jack. Finally the poor dog could stand it no more and she let out a soft bark, stealing Jack’s attention from his steak.

  “Oh, you need a treat, don’t you?”

  Sprinkles went crazy, spinning and bowing. Jack cut a little piece of steak and held it out to the dog who practically rolled her eyes back in her head. She went through a repertoire of tricks—first putting out her paw, then sitting, then rolling over without any prompting—causing both Lexy and Jack to laugh. Finally Jack gave the steak to the dog who inhaled it, then looked to him for more.

  “The steak is delicious.” Lexy pushed her plate away and sipped more beer.

  “Thanks. I think I have my grilling technique perfected this year.” Jack smiled as he popped the last piece of steak in his mouth. Over the past year, they’d grilled out a lot together and he actually had been practicing on cooking the perfect steak.

  “Thanks for making all this,” Lexy said, as she put the Saran Wrap back over the bowls.

  Jack pulled her chair closer to his.

  “My pleasure,” he said, taking her palm and rubbing it with his thumb, then working his way up her arm, moving his face slowly closer to hers until finally, their lips met.

  He kissed her tentatively at first, his heart beat kicking into high gear when she sighed and parted her lips. Her tongue flicked his lower lip and he pressed his mouth harder on hers, scooping her out of her chair and into his lap.

  He felt her hands snake around his neck as he caressed the silky fabric of her top, then slid his hands underneath to her warm, soft skin. She let out a mewl of contentment which caused his own growl of satisfaction as a warm tightness started to form in his lower belly. His lips left hers to trail down her neck, his arms tensing to pick her up and carry her inside.

  And then her phone rang.

  “Shoot.” She broke the kiss and looked at her phone on the table. “It’s Nans, I better take it.” She scrambled out of his lap and back into her chair.

  Jack leaned back with a sigh. He watched her answer the phone, thinking of how beautiful she looked with her tousled hair and lips all puffy from their kiss.