CRUMBLED TO PIECES

by BRUNS, CATHERINE

  "I know. We'll have to make up for it when I get back. Besides, you have to finish the house renovation and won't be around much anyway. And if I remember correctly, there's a special event going on next weekend for just the two of us."

  He nuzzled my hair with his face. "Have you thought about us going away somewhere for the weekend? We've got a lot to celebrate."

  Do we ever. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Josie was the only one who knew about the pregnancy. I'd decided to hold off on taking the test until Monday. I couldn't wait to see Mike's reaction. It would be nice if I could wait until our actual anniversary to deliver the news but wasn't sure I'd make it that long. "Surprise me."

  "Oh, I'm full of surprises, princess. Wait until you see your present."

  "Oh, yeah?" My eyes darted around the room with interest. "Where'd you hide it?"

  He laughed and kissed me again. "You won't find it, so don't even try. Stick to the other kind of snooping you do best. You know, tracking down killers of old ladies."

  I gave him a playful pout. "You're taking all the fun out of it."

  His voice grew soft as he lifted my chin and cupped my face between his hands. "I want you to know that this has been the happiest year of my life, Sal. You mean more to me than anything else in this world."

  Tears started to gather in the corners of my eyes. "I feel the same way about you. Life is only going to get better, sweetheart. Wait and see."

  He placed the duffel in the back seat of my car and kissed me one more time before I got behind the wheel. "Call me when you land."

  "I will. Love you."

  "Love you too, princess. Good luck. I hope this woman has the information you're looking for."

  "Me too." I waved to him and pulled out of the driveway. My thoughts turned to Violet as I drove, uneasiness washing over me like a tidal wave. Violet was Allegra's own flesh and blood. She'd received a nice inheritance but still hadn't bothered to come to her mother's service. Seriously, how dysfunctional was this family?

  It was nine o'clock—opening time—when I arrived at the bakery. Josie's minivan was out front waiting to bring us all to the airport. Grandma Rosa and Nicoletta would be arriving within the hour. Our nonstop flight was scheduled to take off at one. We would land at six—or, according to Vegas time, three o'clock in the afternoon.

  Josie was taking a tray of raspberry cheesecake cookies out of the oven. "I've been at it since six o'clock," she said. "I'm totally wired for this trip. I can't wait to hit the slots. By the way, Mickey said he could help Gianna behind the counter if she needs him."

  Mickey was our part-time driver. "Gianna's only going to be here a couple of hours today, remember. I hate bothering her with this, especially now. Haven't you noticed how thin she looks? I think she's working too hard."

  Josie arched an eyebrow at me. "With Johnny going away this weekend and her staying behind, I wonder if something's going on between them."

  "Jeez, I hope not." But I'd wondered that too. Maybe her job was coming between them. My sister had wanted to be a lawyer ever since she was a little girl, and now that her career had finally started to take off, she planned to enjoy it for a while. Marriage and kids could wait—the kid part maybe indefinitely. We were very different in that aspect. It was also the main reason she and her previous boyfriend had broken up—he'd claimed Gianna was too obsessed with her career.

  "When we get back, I think I'll take her out to lunch so that we can have a sisterly chat. I haven't seen much of her lately. By the way, thanks for finishing the cleanup in Allegra's apartment last night."

  "No problem. I'm an expert at getting chocolate stains out of everything. My boys have trained me well."

  The bells on the front door jingled, and Grandma Rosa and Nicoletta walked in. Grandma Rosa carried one small suitcase while Mrs. Gavelli had three.

  Josie scowled. "We're not going away for a month. Only two nights."

  "What you know?" Nicoletta scowled. "I not leave my valuables behind. What if someone break in my house again?"

  Personally, I didn't think Nicoletta had anything in her house that was of much value. She was a bit of a pack rat compared to my neat and orderly grandmother, but I wisely decided to keep my thoughts to myself. There was never any winning with the woman, so why bother? "Actually, the airline only allows you two bags plus your purse, so you'll have to leave one behind."

  She gave me a cynical stare. "How many bags you take?"

  "Only my duffel bag and my purse."

  Nicoletta nodded. "Good. We all set, then. I use your extra one."

  "Oh, fine." I gave in without a fight. Sure, Vegas was one place I'd always wanted to see, but something told me this trip wasn't going to be a laugh a minute.

  Josie removed her apron and cap. "Are we ready to go?"

  The bells sounded again, and my sister came in. She smiled at all of us, but it looked forced. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a ponytail, and again I noticed how pale and thin she was.

  "The airlines always say to be there at least two hours before your plane takes off," Gianna said. "Don't wait till the last minute."

  "You talk to Johnny?" Nicoletta demanded.

  Gianna's smile faded. "Yes, he called me last night. He got in fine."

  "Good." Nicoletta pointed a finger at her. "So I go to his house Sunday night?"

  I noticed how Nicoletta didn't say their house. We all watched Gianna for her reaction.

  She bit into her lower lip. "I'm sure my mother and father won't mind you staying at their home for another night."

  Grandma Rosa frowned. "They have gone away too."

  This was news to me. "Where? They didn't say anything to me about it."

  My grandmother shrugged. "Me neither. They never tell me anything, and I live there. It was all very last minute. They left a note yesterday that said they were leaving town. I imagine they are hunting for someone to buy that pazza book of your father's." She sighed in apparent disgust. "Nutsy cookies, they are."

  "Your papa, he crazy, and not like a fox," Nicoletta agreed. "He want to show me casket in just my size. He trying to put me in the ground before my time."

  Josie's mouth twitched at the corners, but mercifully she said nothing.

  "Come," Grandma Rosa said. "We will go to the van." She gave Gianna a kiss, then drew back to examine her face. "Are you all right, my dear? You do not seem well."

  Gianna glanced over at Nicoletta nervously then slowly nodded her head. "Yes, of course. Just a little tired."

  "You are working too hard." Grandma Rosa patted her cheek. "You need a vacation."

  My sister's cheeks flushed. "Yeah, don't I wish." She touched me lightly on the arm. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone?"

  Josie grabbed her suitcase and opened the door for my grandmother and Nicoletta. "Let's go wait for Sal in my van, girls."

  "I no girl," Nicoletta announced. "And I sit up front, not Sally."

  "Lucky me." Josie's voice dripped with sarcasm. "This trip is already off to an awesome start."

  It was going to be a very long plane ride. In resignation, I turned my attention back to my sister. Gianna was sitting at one of the little tables in front of the window, gripping the tablecloth Grandma Rosa had so lovingly made for me between her slim hands. Something was definitely wrong. I reached down and playfully tugged at her rich chestnut hair, which seemed rather limp today. Although she was still beautiful, something about her appearance triggered alarm in me. "Gi, what's wrong? And don't tell me nothing."

  Gianna's large chocolate brown eyes stared into my own. "There's too much going on in my life lately."

  She was really starting to worry me. "Is it Johnny? Or a case you're working on?" Her very first case as a licensed attorney had occurred about a year ago, and it had been a doozy. Gianna had defended a man accused of racketeering. After his dead body was found inside my shop, the police had turned their suspicions on her.

  "Work is fine. Sure, it's stressful, but I knew to expect t
hat. As for Johnny—yeah, living together has been a bit of a challenge."

  "Did he ask you to marry him?" Johnny had been secretly in love with her for years, since we were kids, but a five-year age difference back then would have made any type of relationship between them inappropriate. While Johnny hadn't hesitated to throw my school books across the street or cajole me to follow him into a darkened garage, he'd always treated Gianna special, worshipping the ground she walked on. He'd bided his time for many years, until she'd broken up with her former boyfriend.

  "Not yet, but I know it's coming." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "And I'm not ready. Sal, I can't believe I'm saying this, but—"

  The horn on Josie's van sounded, and the noise continued, as if the horn were stuck. Startled, we glanced out the window to see Nicoletta riding shotgun to Josie, pressing on the wheel while Josie shouted at her. Nicoletta rolled down the window, pointed at her watch, and mouthed something at me that looked like Move it. Good grief. What had I gotten myself into?

  "You'd better go." Gianna stood and put her arms around my shoulders, enveloping me in a tight hug. "We can talk when you get back. I'll stop over to see you on Monday. Oh, if you happen to talk to Johnny for any reason, please don't mention this conversation to him, okay?"

  "Mention what? I don't even know what's going on!"

  She grinned. "All the better, then. Come on. They're waiting."

  I waved a hand dismissively in the van's direction. "Forget about that. I want to know what's bothering you."

  The horn sounded again. Gianna heaved a long sigh and stared out the window at the offender. "Well, that's part of the problem right there. Look, it can wait a couple of days. Have a safe flight, and try to have a good time. That will be tough with Nicoletta along. I hope Violet has some information that will help."

  "Gi—"

  The horn sounded once again, and Gianna gave me a gentle shove toward the front door. "Sal, you know how much I love your fudgy delight cookies, right?"

  "You're their number-one fan."

  "Well, there aren't enough of them in this world to make me want to change places with you right now."

  * * *

  "For crying out loud," Josie grumbled. "If that old lady kicks my seat one more time, I'm going to let her have it."

  "Shh," I said, although we needn't have worried. Nicoletta had earplugs in, claiming the noise of take-off and landing hurt her ears. She'd already upset everyone else on the plane, including the flight attendants. I suspected they would have cheerfully shoved her body, complete in its black housecoat, out the nearest window if they thought they could get away with it.

  First the coffee had not been hot enough. She'd needed to use the restroom while they'd been serving beverages and complained the entire time how they were blocking her path. The in-house movie was The Notebook. She'd declared it filthy and yelled out loud that she didn't want to watch 39 Shades of Grey. My grandmother, who was sitting in the seat next to Nicoletta, had busied herself with her crocheting and said very little. I suspected it was her attempt to keep calm. I checked my watch. If this plane didn't land soon, I might try to jump out of it.

  "Never again," Josie said, as if echoing my thoughts. Then she looked at me sharply. "Did you take Dramamine? You look kind of green."

  "Really?" I tried to hide the excitement in my voice. "It must be motion sickness." I'd been in such a rush I'd forgotten to take some before we'd left. Josie knew firsthand how motion sickness affected me. Once, as teenagers, we'd been on a boat outing with friends, and the rocking had made me so ill I'd thrown up all over the deck. I didn't mention the possibility again that I was pregnant. I'd already said too much the other day, and Mike should be the first one to hear the official news.

  My thoughts were interrupted by the flight attendant's voice on the loudspeaker. She asked everyone to make sure their seatbelts were fastened and seats upright for our upcoming landing. Hallejuah.

  "I can't believe we're finally here." Josie practically bounced in the seat with excitement. "I've always wanted to go to Vegas. We should see that Michael Jackson tribute show while we're here. And I definitely want to hit the casino. Remember the last time we went on vacation together?"

  My eyebrows lifted. "How could I forget?" About a year and a half ago, Mike had been arrested for the murder of my ex-husband and then disappeared after he'd made bail. Josie and I had been scheduled to participate in a baking competition in Florida, where Colin was living before his death, so it seemed a good way to kill two birds with one stone—no pun intended. The competition had been draining without the added stress of worrying where Mike was every minute of the day. "That wasn't exactly a vacation."

  Her face sobered. "I know. You were going through hell not knowing where Mike was, plus trying to figure out who'd framed him for killing your sleaze of an ex-husband. Oops." She grinned sheepishly. "I almost feel like I should cross myself for saying that because he's dead. Then again, I'm not Catholic."

  "That's all right." Once I'd moved away and married Colin, I'd drifted away from religion. Mike was even worse than me. He'd been too busy trying to survive in a house with a drunken mother and abusive stepfather to give much thought to church. We only went at Christmas, although my parents and grandmother went faithfully most Sundays. My father had even offered to help assist the priest with funerals, but for some reason he'd declined his offer. "I want you to enjoy yourself and play slots to your heart's content. My only goal is to find Violet."

  "Well, we do have an address," Josie pointed out. "Plus, Nicoletta has a picture of her, and we know she works at the MGM Grand Hotel. It shouldn't be that difficult to track her down."

  But did Violet want to be found? "It's so weird. I mean, Allegra leaves her money, but she won't even come for her mother's service. There has to be more to it." This also did not make Violet look good in the eyes of the law. I'd promised to let Brian know when we found her.

  "Why does there have to be more?" Josie wanted to know. "No one liked Allegra, that's for sure, except—" We both turned to look behind us in the space between our seats. Nicoletta was snoring loudly, so we were assured she couldn't hear us.

  "The real mystery appears to be why. Her own children couldn't stand her. The neighbors disliked her. Why kill the woman now, though? She must have been hiding something." A sudden thought occurred to me. "What if she witnessed someone killing another person? Maybe she knew a secret—about one of her own kids? Hey, we know she wasn't exactly Mother of the Year material."

  "My mother would never win any awards either," Josie reminded me. "One of Allegra's kids could have hated her enough to kill her. Especially if there was money at stake."

  Although the thought was appalling, I had to admit there was some truth to it. If we could find out what Allegra had in her possession that someone might want badly enough to murder for, it might lead us straight to her killer.

  CHAPTER NINE

  We found our luggage at the baggage claim and then went to hail a cab. We were lucky enough to flag one down right away, since Nicoletta's hefty bags were proving to be a challenge. The driver, a Hispanic man of about fifty, loaded the luggage into his trunk. Somehow, he made it all fit. Nicoletta sat in the front seat with him while Josie, Grandma Rosa, and I deposited our weary bodies in the back.

  "Destination?" he asked me.

  "The Tropicana Hotel, please," I said.

  "Is that where we're staying?" Josie asked. "I was hoping for the one shaped like the pyramid or even the castle."

  "Those are the Luxor and Excalibur." I wouldn't have minded staying at one of those either. I'd looked at them online and thought their designs were fascinating. Then again, I wasn't paying, so it wasn't my decision.

  "Has to be Tropicana," Nicoletta bellowed. "The owner Italian. He immigrate from Italy when a young man."

  The driver turned his head to stare at her, confusion evident on his face. "A corporation owns that hotel, ma'am. You must be mistaken."

 
"No mistake," she declared. "He drink orange juice all day."

  Josie laughed. "It's not owned by the same people who own the juice company, Tropicana. There's no relation."

  "You wrong. They have same name. Is related," she insisted. She watched the traffic whizzing by. "Too much cars. What this—New York City?"

  "Pretty damn close," the driver said with a grin.

  She wagged a bony finger at him. "Watch your mouth. No cuss."

  The driver cocked one eyebrow at her before the light turned green. "So are you ladies in town to gamble or do some sightseeing?"

  "Sightseeing," I said quickly.

  "Gamble," Josie put in.

  The driver looked in the rearview mirror at my grandmother, sandwiched in between Josie and myself. She merely shrugged. "I just follow the crowd."

  "We here to find someone," Nicoletta announced. "Person who kill my friend."

  Good grief. Did she always have to be so outspoken? "Um, Mrs. Gavelli, you shouldn't exaggerate like that." I gave a nervous little laugh as the driver's gaze met mine in the mirror. "She likes to tell stories."

  "Sure," the cabbie said. "Hey, forget I asked. You know how the saying goes."

  "What saying?" Nicoletta asked.

  He laughed. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

  Nicoletta frowned at him. "I do not understand. We no happening. We only here for visit."

  He rolled his eyes but said nothing further as we pulled up in front of the hotel. Grandma Rosa paid the man as he helped us with our luggage.

  "I'm tired," Josie complained as Grandma Rosa checked us in. "I'm still on Eastern time. For me that means seven o'clock and a dinner."

  "A burger would hit the spot right about now." I was starving and hadn't been impressed with the meager snacks the airline had to offer.

  The Tropicana Hotel was one of the oldest buildings on the Vegas Strip. Located on the northern end, it was not nearly as impressive-looking as some of the other hotels, namely the Paris with its Eiffel Tower ride or the New York-New York and its roller coaster. Even though the décor was older, the place had recently gone through a remodel and seemed clean enough. Plus, it had an enormous casino, which Josie eyed with interest as we got in the elevator and made our way up to the twelfth floor. We had rooms across the hall from each other. Once again, I marveled at my grandmother and her infinite patience. Being Nicoletta's roommate had to be the stuff nightmares were made of.