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

by Catherine Bruns

  She reached into her housecoat pocket and pulled out a slip of paper which read Take a chance. Loved ones need you.

  "So you see, cara mia," she continued. "Sometimes these messages can prove to be useful."

  She was a true wonder. "What would I ever do without you?"

  Grandma Rosa shrugged. "You would be lost." She stared at Sarah still crying on the floor, and clucked her tongue. "I told you that one had problems. Even I did not see this mess coming, though."

  "You saved our lives, Grandma," I said.

  She looked pleased. "I am a good Cagney and Stacey, yes?"

  I laughed and kissed her on the check. "The best." I didn't even bother to correct her this time. As far as I was concerned, my grandmother could be any detective team that she wanted.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Brian and his partner arrived within minutes of Josie's call. Sarah was led away, sobbing and yelling obscenities at them.

  Jeez, you think you know a person.

  Josie had some paper towels in the back of her van and wrapped them around my hand before she drove me to the hospital's emergency room, with Grandma Rosa following. Fortunately, the waiting room was empty, and I was able to be seen right away. I needed a few stitches and almost whined out loud when they told me. I hated needles and hospitals. If I wanted a family someday, though, I guessed I would have to learn to get used to them.

  Grandma Rosa sat there and held my other hand, whispering comforting words to me until the doctor was finished. It reminded me of the time when I was seven and had been running out back, chasing Gianna, and had fallen, creating a huge gash in the side of my head. My parents weren't home at the time, so my grandmother had been the one to rush me to the hospital. I remembered how I'd cried when I had to have stitches, but afterward Grandma Rosa had put me to bed, let me watch cartoons until late at night, and brought me cheesecake. There didn't seem to be any problem that she couldn't solve.

  Josie had called Mike for me and explained what had happened. When Grandma Rosa and I returned to the waiting room, he was sitting with Josie. Although he looked incredibly handsome as always, the look of exhaustion on his rugged face was undeniable. He had spatters of paint in his dark, curly hair, which was in a state of disarray. The front of his T-shirt was dirty, and there was paint on his jeans as well. He rushed forward when he saw me, his midnight blue eyes filled with love and concern.

  He gathered me in his arms and hugged me tightly against his chest. "Are you all right?"

  I held up my right hand. "Five stitches. It could have been a lot worse."

  Mike drew my hand to his mouth and kissed it, bandage and all. "Thank God."

  "You should have seen her, Mike," Josie grinned "Sal was awesome. She ran right at Sarah, not even thinking about herself. She just wanted to make sure Sarah didn't hurt me."

  Mike's lips compressed together into a fine, thin line. He frowned and said nothing for a minute, and I knew he was struggling for composure. Finally, he spoke. "You could have been killed. Both of you. I told you to stay out of that building until Dave checked it out."

  "I could hear noises coming from above while we were inside," Josie added. "It didn't sound good."

  I winced. Thanks for the help, Jos.

  Mike drew back and held me at arm's length, his eyes pinning me with their direct gaze. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

  As I'd been getting my stitches, I'd debated about what to say to him, given the lies he'd been telling me. I thought maybe I'd act indifferent or cool, but when I saw the expression of concern in his eyes, everything fell away. "I'm sorry. We only planned to go in for a minute. Then Sarah arrived, and things got out of hand."

  Mike sighed heavily and drew me against him. "I'm just thankful you're both all right."

  The door to the waiting room opened, and Brian entered. He was in jeans and an American Eagle T-shirt, obviously off-duty. He nodded to Mike and Josie then looked at me and the bandage on my hand. "Are you okay, Sally?"

  "Yes. Thanks for getting to the bakery so quickly when Josie called you."

  "Not a problem." He gestured at the chairs. "Maybe we should all sit down for a minute."

  After we were settled, everyone turned to Brian expectantly. His expression was grim. "Thank God you guys got out of that building when you did. It definitely could have been a lot worse."

  Mike narrowed his eyes at him. "What happened?"

  "Seems like part of the second floor fell onto the first," Brian said.

  "But the fire wasn't even upstairs," Josie protested. "I don't understand. How could something like that happen?"

  A muscle ticked in Mike's jaw, and he swore under his breath. "I knew it. It was probably a weight-bearing wall that collapsed." He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. When he spoke again, his voice was gruff. "You're like a cat with nine lives, Sal. But I've lost count of how many you might have left."

  So had I, and the thought did not make me want to jump with joy either.

  Brian's gaze met mine. "Sarah confessed to everything. She's been locked up and will be transferred to another jail in the morning."

  Josie visibly shivered. "I can't believe we hired a murderer. I never would have thought she was capable of such a heinous crime. You can't trust anyone anymore."

  Brian nodded. "You two seem to have a way of attracting these kind of people. Sort of like magnets for disaster."

  "Gee, thanks for the compliment," I mumbled.

  He went on. "It sounds like Bernardo egged Sarah on, and she snapped. From what she told us it seems like she'd been planning some type of revenge for years. It's just too bad she didn't stop and think about how her actions might affect other people."

  My mouth went dry. "Has someone checked on Julie? Is she okay?"

  Brian's face reddened with anger "Sarah told us about Julie, so I left my partner to take care of the report at the station and went out to the house with another officer. The little girl was sound asleep and all by herself. That woman won't be winning any Mother of the Year awards, that's for sure."

  "But she was okay?" Mike asked.

  Brian nodded. "I woke Julie up, and we took her to the station. She has a great-aunt in Syracuse who's on her way to get her."

  Without thinking, my mouth opened, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "I could take Julie for the night, Brian. Until her aunt gets here. What's going to happen to her now?"

  He scratched his head. "I believe the aunt's planning to take her long-term."

  "Do we know anything about her?" I burst out. "Maybe she has issues too. You can't hand her over to that woman without knowing."

  Everyone was silent, looking at me. My heart broke for that precious little girl, and I put my face in my hands.

  "Hey." Mike placed an arm around my shoulders. "Sal, this woman is Julie's family—a blood relative. It's not up to you to decide."

  I burst into tears. "It's so wrong that that sweet little girl has to suffer because of her mother's faults. I'll take her if no one else will."

  Mike stared at me in amazement. "Do you realize what you're saying?"

  "Julie's an innocent victim," I sobbed. "Both her parents failed her. She deserves a chance at a better life." I reached for his hand. "We could give her a good life."

  He said nothing for a moment, just held my hand and stroked my fingers softly. Perhaps he was thinking about his own miserable childhood. Then those beautiful blue eyes smiled into mine. "If they'll let you have her, Sal, it's okay with me."

  I glanced up at everyone. Grandma Rosa smiled at us, and Josie was wiping tears from her eyes.

  Brian cleared his throat. "Sally, you didn't let me finish. The aunt was very concerned about Julie. She mentioned that Sarah had had a nervous breakdown when she was a teenager, so apparently the woman's had problems for years. The aunt is Julie's blood relative, so she has a right to her. I know this sounds cruel, but what you want is of no consequence here."

  It was as if someone had pu
nched me in the stomach. One minute I was on the verge of being a mother, and then just as quickly it had all been taken away. I lowered my head. "Oh. I understand."

  Mike kissed my hair. "You're a beautiful person for wanting to do this, Sal. I hate to say this, but maybe someday, when Julie knows the whole story, she'd resent you for having a part in it, and I know that would destroy you."

  I blew out a sigh. Mike was right, of course. "I wish I could do something for her. Maybe if I go see her—"

  My grandmother, who had been sitting quietly on the other side of me, spoke up. "Cara mia, I think it is wonderful that you want to help the little girl, but you need to step aside. Mike is right. It is better that you do not see her again."

  The tears rolled down my cheeks again, and I said nothing. Grandma Rosa patted my back. "Be strong, my dear. Sometimes there are things that we cannot fix, no matter how hard we try."

  I wiped my eyes and glanced over at Brian, who wore a somber expression. "If something happens with the aunt, will you let me know?"

  "Of course I will." He got to his feet. "I'm glad that you're all right and sorry about the bakery. But I'm thankful you guys made it out of there in time."

  The door of the waiting room opened again, and Ally Tetrault walked in. She was tall and slender, with short auburn hair the same shade as Josie's and striking gray eyes. She was wearing pink scrubs and carried a large purse slung over her shoulder, obviously leaving for the day. She grinned at me. "Hey, Sal. I heard you were here. Long time no see. How's the hand?"

  I waved it at her. "Still attached to the rest of me."

  She laughed and touched Brian on the shoulder. "I thought you were off duty?"

  Brian kissed her on the cheek. "I am but wanted to let Sally know about the details of an investigation that involved her bakery. I'm finished here now, so I can follow you over to your place if you're ready to go."

  Josie wiggled her brows at me and then glanced down at the floor, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

  "At your service, Officer." Ally waved to the rest of us and smiled at Mike. "I saw Gianna last week, and she said you guys were getting married next month. Congrats. You've got yourself a good one there."

  Mike ran a hand through my hair. "That's one thing I'm sure of."

  Ally turned back to Brian. The look of affection that passed between the two was unmistakable. As I watched them, I realized Brian's infatuation with me was finally over, and I felt nothing but relief this time.

  "I'm starving." Ally reached for his hand. "It was good seeing all of you. Keep in touch, Sal. Maybe we can double-date sometime."

  Mike mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Try never," and I poked him in the ribs.

  "Sure thing. You guys take care," I smiled.

  "We'll need you and Josie to come down to the station for some further questioning tomorrow," Brian said to me.

  I nodded. "No problem."

  Brian turned away and held the door open for Ally. I watched them through the window as they crossed the street, holding hands and talking. I had to admit they made a cute couple.

  "Wow," Josie breathed. "He didn't even give you a backward glance, Sal."

  "Good. About time," Mike muttered.

  Josie rose to her feet and crossed over to hug me. "It's after eight, and Rob has to work tonight. Forgive me if I bail on you now?"

  I glanced from Mike to Grandma Rosa. "I'm in good hands. You go ahead."

  Josie hesitated. "So we definitely have to find a permanent location now. Maybe we'll have to look in another town. Rob and I found a building for rent about forty-five minutes away in Cherryville. I called, and they said it can be shown only during the day. Seems the owner works nights. I know the commute's not ideal, but it beats running the business from your parents' house."

  "No argument there." I turned to my grandmother. "Do you think you could handle the kitchen for a couple of hours tomorrow so that Josie and I can go look at it?"

  Grandma Rosa looked uncomfortable and glanced down at the floor. "We will see."

  I stared at her, baffled. My grandmother never refused me anything, but I didn't press the issue. Maybe she was taking Mrs. Gavelli to chemo. I'd talk with her later.

  I gave Josie a thumbs-up with my good hand. "We'll figure something out. See you in the morning."

  She smiled, hugged Mike, and kissed my grandmother then left.

  Grandma Rosa eased out of her chair. "I made tiramisu. You two should come back to the house and have some."

  I was all about the comfort foods right now. "That sounds good." I reached for Mike's hand. "What do you say, babe?"

  He hesitated and glanced from me to my grandmother. "As long as you're okay, would you mind if I went back to work for a couple of hours?"

  I was stunned. What the heck was going on? Stay calm, Sal. Don't do anything stupid. "To finish the Webster's floors, right?"

  Mike watched me, confused. "Right. I want to have that job completed by the weekend. I finished the roof this morning."

  Grandma Rosa shook her head. "You are working too hard. Have you eaten?"

  "I'll grab something later, Rosa, but thank you." They exchanged a knowing look, and now I was totally perplexed. Here he was, lying to me, and all my grandmother cared about was if he was hungry. Had everyone gone crazy?

  Mike planted a soft kiss on my lips. "I might be pretty late, so don't wait up."

  I clenched my good hand at my side but could no longer keep my mouth shut. "I'd appreciate it if you could come home soon. We need to talk, Mike."

  He seemed surprised by my reaction. "What's wrong? Is it about the wedding?"

  I glanced over at Grandma Rosa standing behind Mike. She placed a finger to her lips. Why didn't she want me to say anything when I knew Mike was lying? I swallowed hard and forced the initial words back down my throat. "There's some things we need to go over."

  Mike grinned in apparent relief. "Well, I'm not as good of a wedding planner as your mother, but I'll do the best I can, for your sake. I'll try to finish up early." He traced a finger softly over my lips. "Love you." He gave my grandmother a broad smile as he exited the room.

  Damn, he wasn't making this easy. I sat back down in the chair and drew my bandaged hand to my face before I burst into tears.

  "Do not cry, cara mia. Everything is fine."

  "Grandma, why didn't you want me to say anything to him? He's lying to me, and I have to know why. I can't live like this."

  She reached for my other hand. "Sally, my dear, come. I know what you need."

  In no time at all, I was sitting at the dining room table with Grandma Rosa, stuffing my face with tiramisu. I was exhausted but refused when she asked if I wanted to lie down for a while.

  "I'm going to confront him when he gets home," I said. "I won't have our marriage starting out like this. I've been down this road before. Can you drive me home?"

  Grandma Rosa stirred her cup of tea absently as she sat across from me. "Cara mia, there is no doubt in my mind that your young man loves you very much. Please do not go about making trouble."

  "Me?" I cried out. "What trouble? I haven't lied about anything."

  "Trust in your young man," Grandma Rosa said. "He is not cheating on you."

  Deep in my heart, I knew she was right. But given what I'd been through in the past, I was still somewhat vulnerable. "Grandma, I have a long history of men cheating on me."

  Grandma Rosa snorted. "Bah. It is not that long. Your clown of an ex-husband. That is all. Of course it does not excuse what he did to you. My heart aches for all that you went through. But do not make it sound like every man you ever cared for was unfaithful. That is not so."

  She sipped her tea and then continued. "You thought Mike cheated while you were dating in high school. You never gave him a chance to explain, and then you went and married that—buffoon. Rest his soul." She made the sign of the cross on her chest. "You were wrong about Mike then, and you are wrong now."

 
My cheeks grew warm under my fingertips. "Okay. So technically it was only one man." Still, I couldn't help myself. I hated feeling insecure and knew I shouldn't dwell on the past, but Colin had created some very deep wounds that were taking longer than I thought to heal. Maybe they never would entirely. Mike was nothing like Colin, so I shouldn't be having doubts, but I knew that something was amiss. "Okay, if he's not cheating, then why is he lying to me?"

  Grandma Rosa shrugged. "Be patient, my dear. I am sure he will tell you soon."

  I rubbed my eyes wearily. "I want to marry him more than anything else in the world. I never even thought it was possible to love someone so much. In some ways it scares me."

  "Do not be scared," Grandma Rosa said. "Be grateful for such a precious love. I had that once too and will always be thankful for it."

  She sipped her tea again, and I watched her, curious. "You mean with Grandpa, right? I wish I could remember him." He had died when I was three.

  She shook her head. "No, cara mia. There was another boy who stole my heart long before your grandfather." Her large brown eyes that were always so full of wisdom and strength looked unbelievably sad as they fixed on mine.

  My chest constricted with pain as I watched her. "Then you mean Uncle Luca?" Grandma had dated him before her younger sister, Luisa, had stolen him away. Eventually they'd married, and Grandma and Luisa's relationship had never been the same. Aunt Luisa had been murdered shortly before my return to Colwestern last year, thus beginning my career of encountering random psychopathic killers.

  Once again, Grandma Rosa shook her head. "No, my dear. This was another boy. I have never spoken of him to anyone. Remember the other night when I said I have had my tests too?"

  I nodded. "Please tell me about him."

  "His name was Vernon," Grandma Rosa said. "We met one summer when his family moved into the house next to mine. I had just finished high school." She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering. "Like your Mike, he was handsome. Dark hair, dark eyes. All of the girls were crazy about him, especially your Aunt Luisa." She made the sign of the cross on her chest. "Luisa never liked anyone, except for the boys who wanted to spend time with me." She gave a little proud toss of her head. "Luisa was a nutsy cookie too but not in a nice way like your mama."