Burned to a Crisp (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 3)

by Catherine Bruns

  Josie was silent for a second. "Well, I have to admit it's good advice for you. But I still don't think there's anything to those stupid strips of paper." She gestured to Sarah. "You open one."

  Sarah stared at her like a frightened kitten. "Uh, no thanks."

  Josie tied an apron on. "Do you think there's any truth to them, Sarah?"

  Sarah's delicate complexion turned crimson. "No. They're silly. I think a person should rely on themselves to make their own fortune."

  I exchanged glances with Josie. Sarah was always so timid. This might be a sign that she was ready to take charge of her life. Maybe it related to the new job, or perhaps she was dating a new man.

  "I'm impressed," Josie grinned. "That sounded very philosophical."

  Sarah's blush deepened. "I've just decided that I need to control my own destiny from now on. It's clear that I can't depend on anyone else. Everything is up to me."

  Josie reached for another cookie and handed it to my grandmother, who was watching us in silent amusement. "Come on, Rosa. Your turn."

  My grandmother wrinkled her nose at Josie. "You know that I do not bother with those pazza things." She directed a warning look at me. "Remember what I told you about them the other day."

  "This is just an experiment," Josie argued, "to prove to Sal that they're useless. Come on. Indulge me."

  My grandmother gave Josie an annoyed look then grunted and took the cookie. She broke it apart and read the message. "A pleasant surprise is coming your way."

  "See? She got a good one." Josie grinned at me.

  "Oh, for cripes sake," I muttered. "Are you done embarrassing me for the day?"

  Josie laughed and turned to throw the cookie into the garbage. Her foot turned slightly and collided with the garbage pail, causing her to lose her balance. She fell to the floor and yelped, reaching out to take the pail along with her.

  Grandma Rosa and I were both at her side in a second. "Are you okay?"

  She got to her feet slowly, putting weight on the arm that I held out to her. "I think so. I might have twisted my ankle but nothing serious."

  I folded my arms across my chest. "Watch your step. What an interesting message."

  "Oh, shut up." Josie winced in pain. "I'm still not convinced. You're so obsessed with those cookies that now you've got them working against me too."

  I threw my hands up in the air. "Yes, I've been plotting the whole thing all along. It's my fault. I confess."

  We heard the living room door slam, and I sighed. "Great. I don't want the customers coming in through there. I'd better go steer them this way before Dad offers them a nap in the coffin."

  "Not to worry," Grandma Rosa said. "Your mama and papa have gone out. She had her bathing suit competition for that pazza contest of hers." She shook her head. "My daughter, at her age, parading around in almost nothing for the world to see. Where did I go wrong?"

  "Heck," Josie said. "If I've got a body like hers at that age, you can bet I'll be showing it off too."

  I stuck my tongue out at her playfully. "Rob wouldn't let you."

  She snorted. "Well, that's true enough. He doesn't like me sharing my assets with the entire world."

  I laughed and crossed through the dining room, already wracking my brain for some excuse to tell this customer as to why there was a coffin in the room. My father did enjoy making life difficult for us.

  I stopped dead in my tracks when I came face-to-face with the so-called customer. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the pleasant surprise Grandma Rosa's cookie had warned of.

  My sister.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I rushed forward and threw my arms around Gianna. "Are you okay?"

  She nodded and buried her face in my hair. "I'm sorry, Sal. I know you wanted me to stay at the casino, but I couldn't do it. I have to tell the police what I know. I couldn't live with myself otherwise."

  I drew back and examined her face. A hint of color had returned to her cheeks, and the dark circles underneath her eyes were less prominent. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. I was wrong to ask you to stay there. That's not who you are. In fact, Josie and I were coming for you tonight."

  Gianna pursed her lips together and nodded. "I thought about what you said. I've worked too darn hard to let anyone take this away from me. Everything's going to be fine. I've already called my supervisor and told him what happened. I said I'd talk to the police as well."

  "With me, right there by your side."

  She grinned. "You totally rock. Hey, you don't happen to have any of those Dutch chocolate cookies on hand, do you? I need chocolate so badly right now."

  "I think that can be arranged." I looped my arm through hers, and we walked into the kitchen together. Josie was packing dough to store in the freezer, and Sarah was washing dishes. Josie shrieked when she saw us and started over, limping.

  She threw her arms around Gianna. "I'm so glad you're back, kiddo."

  Gianna hugged her and then glanced down at Josie's foot. "Did you hurt yourself?"

  "Yeah," I chuckled. "She didn't watch her step."

  Josie narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing.

  "Come," Grandma Rosa said to Gianna. "Let us go into the dining room and talk there." Gianna wrapped an arm around my grandmother's waist while I grabbed some cookies from the display case and placed them on a paper plate. I left Sarah in the kitchen to wait on any customers that might happen along.

  I filled Gianna in on our meeting with Victoria and our fun datefest with Rufus and Sergio. Her face turned pale. "I told you I didn't want you involved in this mess, Sal. It's my problem."

  "Not so," I argued. "Someone wanted Bernardo dead, and my bakery suffered in the process. I already have a vested interest, so to speak. Hey, did Bernardo ever happen to tell you about any other enemies he might have had?"

  "Outside of his family, that is," Josie murmured as she set a cup of coffee down in front of my sister.

  Gianna shook her head. "Honestly, it didn't seem like he had fans anywhere. When you extort money from innocent people for your own benefit, there's a good chance no one's going to like you very much. He did talk about his stepfather a few times. He said they'd never had a good relationship. And he mentioned there were problems with his wife. That may have been to judge my interest in him, which I should have caught at the time. I figured they might divorce."

  I folded my arms on the table. "Did he come on to you during the trial? There must have been many circumstances when you found yourself alone with him."

  Gianna reached for a cookie. "He didn't try to get physical until that night in my apartment, but there were a couple of weird moments. Once, he asked me if I had a boyfriend. Another time he mentioned that I looked beautiful, but I had no idea he was entertaining notions about running away with me. I mean, why would I think he was interested?"

  "No reason," I said smoothly. "Bernardo was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't blind."

  Gianna blushed and spoke in her ever modest way. "Oh, Sal. You're just being ridiculous."

  "We found out that Bernardo has children from a previous relationship," Josie said. "Did he mention that to you?"

  Gianna finished chewing the cookie and reached for another. "He never said a word. I'm not surprised though. Probably your classic deadbeat dad." Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh jeez. I can't believe I just said that."

  It made me sad to think of children growing up without a parent. My thoughts shifted to Mike and his awful upbringing—a father who had deserted him at the age of five, and a stepfather who'd smacked him around whenever the mood struck. I'd witnessed a couple of those incidents myself before he too had split on Mike and his mother. Sure, my parents were a couple of oddballs, but at least my childhood had been a happy one. Despite their eccentric ways, I'd never doubted their love for me or Gianna. And of course, Grandma Rosa was in a class all by herself.

  Gianna turned to Grandma. "You don't think Mom and Dad would mind if I move back in to
my old bedroom for a while, do you? Unless Dad's already using it as an embalming room or something like that."

  I laughed and placed a hand on her arm. "You're going to spend the night at my house."

  She raised her eyebrows. "No way. I don't want to intrude. I'm sure Mike would be thrilled about having a third wheel around."

  "It was Mike's idea," I said. "We'd both feel better if we could keep an eye on you. That Luigi character and his slimy son are dangerous. Mom and Dad mean well and would try to keep you safe, but then again, they are Mom and Dad."

  Grandma Rosa grunted. "What am I, chopped kidney? I would help keep my granddaughter safe too."

  Gianna glanced at her, amused. "You mean liver, Grandma."

  "Whatever." Grandma Rosa thrust her finger in my direction. "Don't I keep you safe from Nicoletta?"

  She had a point there. "No one will get to her with Mike around. Besides, we have an alarm system." I rose from the table. "I'm going to see if Sarah needs any help. Be right back."

  Sarah was alone in the kitchen, sweeping the floor. She turned her head when she heard me approach.

  "Sally, I was just coming to get you. I have to leave. Julie's babysitter has another commitment this afternoon, and I can't find anyone else."

  "Of course, Sarah. Please text me later, and let me know how she's doing. I hope it's nothing serious."

  Sarah shook her head. "No, it's just a slight fever. Julie will be fine." She grabbed her purse from inside one of the kitchen cabinets and then looked up at me again, the color rising in her cheeks. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but tomorrow's got to be my last day."

  Shoot. This was a major disappointment since I still needed her. "I thought you were going to stay through Saturday?"

  Sarah lowered her eyes to the floor. "I know I said I would and had planned to, but it's not possible. I'm so sorry. With Julie being sick, plus the new job, I need a couple of days to regroup before I start work on Monday. I'd also like to do something special with Julie. I feel like I've been neglecting her lately."

  I was overcome with pity for the woman. "Of course, Julie has to come first. It's just—well, I can't tell you how much I've appreciated having you here. We're sorry to see you leave. Plus, I have to confess that I'm really going to miss that beautiful little girl of yours."

  She smiled. "Julie adores you. You're going to make a wonderful mother someday."

  My cheeks warmed at the compliment. That was my greatest hope. "Thank you. Don't worry—I'll have your check ready for you tomorrow."

  "Thanks, Sally. I'll see you in the morning." Sarah started for the door then turned back around, her gaze direct with mine. "It's hard to deal with change sometimes, isn't it?"

  "It is. But it will all be worth it in the end," I promised.

  As I watched her leave, I thought of my own divorce and the decision I'd made to return back home from Florida. Had that really been less than a year ago? It felt like another lifetime.

  I poured myself a cup of coffee and reached into the refrigerator for some half-and-half. The container slipped from my grasp and fell to the floor. I ran over to the counter and grabbed some paper towels then got down on all fours, cleaning up the mess. There was a light tap on the screen door. "Come on in."

  The screen door opened, but I didn't bother to look up. "Be with you in a second." There was silence from the person standing behind me, and I started to feel a bit self-conscious. I adjusted my blouse and fastened the button that had come undone and looked up. I looked up to see Brian watching me with those brilliant green eyes and a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

  Ugh. Great. Now he would think I was putting on a show for him. Before I could get to my feet, he extended a hand, and having no choice, I took it. "Thanks."

  "That's the best thing I've seen all day." He grinned.

  My face burned from embarrassment. "What are you doing here?"

  He folded his arms across his broad chest. "I saw Gianna's car outside. I'd like to talk to her for a minute."

  It was difficult not to groan. "Come on, Brian. She just got back. She's planning to go down to the police station tomorrow and tell them everything that happened with Bernardo."

  "Ordinarily that would be fine," Brian said. "But I have some questions for her regarding a new development we've run across. It could be associated with the fire and really can't wait."

  I didn't like the sound of this, or the grim expression he wore. "She's napping."

  He gave me a disbelieving look. "Really?"

  "Uh-huh." My sister needed a break from all of this. "But I'll tell her you stopped by."

  "Oh, hi, Brian." Gianna walked into the kitchen and placed her cup in the sink.

  "Hello, Gianna." He turned back to me with a smug grin. "My, she woke up fast. Didn't she?"

  I threw up my hands. "Fine. Come into the dining room. Want some coffee?'

  "No thanks." He followed me through the doorway, and even though I couldn't see him, I swear I could feel his eyes raking over me.

  Josie's eyes sparkled as she observed him. "Well, look who's here. The man with the fast gun and even faster hands."

  Everyone was silent, and I desperately wanted to disappear. I swore to myself I'd get even with my friend later.

  Brian's light complexion turned a deep crimson. "Well, I guess I deserved that one." He gestured to the chair next to Grandma Rosa. "Okay if I sit down?"

  Grandma Rosa nodded. "It is a free state."

  Brian stared at her, baffled, but didn't comment. He removed his hat and hung it on the back of the chair then reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a plastic bag with something shiny inside. He placed it in front of Gianna. "Have you seen this before?"

  She drew her eyebrows together and examined the bag. Inside was a silver chain with the name Gianna intertwined through the center. "Yes. It's mine. Mom and Dad gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. Where'd you get this?"

  Brian seemed uncomfortable. "It was in Sally's shed outside the bakery. Next to an empty gas can."

  The four of us stared at Brian, dumbfounded. Sure, gasoline had started the fire. Why had I not realized before that it had been my gasoline—from the can inside my shed—which Rob had filled earlier that same day?

  "Why would it have been out in the shed?" Gianna wanted to know. "I haven't even worn that necklace in years. This makes no sense."

  Brian raised a hand. "I know you didn't start the fire, Gianna, but you have to admit it seems a bit strange." He turned to me. "Clint called me earlier to say he sent the report to your insurance company. From what was implied, it isn't looking very good for you right now as far as reimbursement goes."

  I thought I'd mentally prepared myself for this fact, but a wave of depression still descended over me. "Yeah, I had a feeling this might happen."

  "I noticed that the lock on your shed was broken," Brian continued.

  "Yes." Maybe if I'd remembered to ask Mike to fix it sooner, none of this would have ever happened. "So anyone could have gone in there and taken the gas to start the fire."

  Brian turned to Gianna. "Suppose you start by telling me what happened that night?"

  Gianna twisted her hands in her lap. "Bernardo came to find me at Sal's party. He wanted to talk about the trial and the possibility of his being retried. When we got to the bakery, he asked me if I had any aspirin. He followed me up the stairs and—" She colored slightly and bent her head. "He made a pass at me."

  Brian's face was stern. "What then? Did you hit him?"

  I winced, remembering his comments the other day about the marks on the right side of Bernardo's face. "She didn't kill him. Gianna was only—"

  His expression was annoyed as he turned to me. "Please don't interrupt, Sally. I'm only interested in what Gianna has to say."

  I bit into my lower lip to hold back a retort. Well, excuse me.

  "My," Josie grinned. "And here I thought you were interested in anything Sal had to offer."

  Good grief
. She never knew when to quit.

  A muscle ticked in Brian's jaw, but he didn't comment. "Go on, Gianna."

  "I hit him with a frying pan," she confessed, "but only once. He seemed a little dazed but otherwise fine. Then I threw him out of my apartment and practically down the stairs."

  "You saw him leave the building?" Brian asked.

  Gianna nodded. "Yes, but I must not have locked the door. I mean, how else could he have gotten back in?"

  Brian pursed his lips. "There's more. An unlocked briefcase was found in the trunk of Bernardo's vehicle. We went over it carefully, but the only prints we could identify were his."

  Josie rested her chin on her hand. "Was there money inside?"

  "Here's the confusing part." Brian leaned forward on the table. "There was one lone dollar bill in it."

  We all stared at him in amazement.

  "You found one dollar in a briefcase?" Gianna repeated.

  He pursed his lips as he watched her. "Any thoughts?"

  I snapped my fingers. "I wonder if—"

  Brian glared at me. "I'm sorry, but is your name Gianna?"

  I sat there, fuming in silence. I guessed Brian was doing this to embarrass me since he'd obviously been humiliated by Josie's statement. Fine. I would bide my time.

  Gianna tapped her index finger on the table as she considered the question. "Bernardo told me he had enough money to tide us over for the rest of our lives, and he wanted me to run away with him at that moment."

  "So whoever killed him obviously has the money now," Josie mumbled. "Plus, they tried to frame Gianna by planting her necklace in the shed."

  "This is ludicrous," Gianna said. "Bernardo's entire family is out to get me."

  I raised a hand and waited until I caught Brian's eye. "May I?"

  He nodded, a smirk on his lips.

  "I wonder if someone was trying to make a point," I said, "by leaving a one-dollar bill. They must have had some type of history with him. His wife, Victoria, came to see me. She thought he'd planned to leave town with Gianna too, but maybe she was saying that to throw people off her trail."

  "Holy cow," Gianna breathed. "I just thought of something. That night, when Bernardo told me he was divorcing Victoria, he mentioned she'd be lucky if she got one dollar from him."