CRUMBLED TO PIECES

by BRUNS, CATHERINE

  My brain started to work overtime. "So anyone in the office could have taken those keys."

  "If they knew they were there, yes," Brian agreed.

  It had to have been the senator. He must have returned to town, taken the car, and run Allegra down. "So maybe he never went to New York City that day? Or he returned and then went back?"

  "Ambrose was definitely in New York City, but it is possible he left a day later. We haven't been able to find any eyewitnesses who saw him the day Allegra was hit. There were no plane records either, although he could have taken the train."

  "He must have pretended to go but actually left a day later," I mused, "or right after he ran Allegra down."

  Brian's tone became terse. "By the way, Little Miss Snoop. We went to Martin's office to have a chat with him, but his secretary said he left abruptly. Coincidentally, it was right after two attractive females—a brunette and a redhead—stopped by to see him, unannounced. He told his secretary he was ill and had to go home."

  Crap. I was busted.

  Brian breathed so noisily on the other end of the line that I was afraid he might hyperventilate. "You don't happen to know who his visitors were, do you, Sally?"

  There was no point in even attempting to lie to him. "Oh, fine. It was Josie and me."

  Brian cursed in a loud voice—something he didn't usually do—and the word made me cringe. "What's the matter with you, Sally! You guys could have screwed everything up."

  "Look, I'm sorry. Lena was at the bakery this afternoon when you dropped me off. She was ordering a cake for Martin's birthday and asked about our trip to Vegas. One thing kind of led to another. She was furious when I told her about the pictures, and now she wants them. I don't know if or what she told Martin, but he seemed to know exactly what had happened when we got to his office."

  "Why would she do that?" Brian asked, sounding puzzled. "It doesn't make sense."

  "No idea. I suppose Allegra could have told him, too. My parents saw them arguing shortly before she died. That entire family sounds pretty messed up if you ask me. Maybe Lena doesn't care about the cheating part and is afraid Martin will leave her high and dry. Or she could be desperately in love with him."

  Brian snickered. "Or just desperate, from the sound of things. Look, we're going to put an APB out on him and bring him into the station for questioning. Please stay out of trouble now, okay? This is a powerful man we're talking about, and powerful can also mean dangerous. Which leads me to something else."

  Uh-oh. I knew what was coming. "What's that?"

  "I know there's a photo missing. How stupid do you think I am? You have at least one in your possession, and that's tampering with police evidence, Sally. I should throw you in jail."

  I sucked in a deep breath. Yes, I'd known Brian would be mad, and no, I certainly didn't think he was stupid. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I haven't been thinking very rationally the past couple of days. Believe me, I'd like nothing better than to disengage myself from this whole mess. I promised my grandmother I'd help, but to be honest, I almost wish I'd never agreed. You can stop by my house if you want the picture, or I'm happy to bring it to you."

  There was silence for several seconds. "I'm sorry. Who are you, and what have you done with Sally Donovan?"

  In spite of everything, I laughed. "It wasn't my intention to make things more difficult for you, honest. I promise to take a step back."

  "Well, I'd appreciate that. For my part, I promise to keep you updated on anything we might find out. Now go home and do something that's not related to snooping. Make cookies, play with the dog, watch a chick flick, whatever. You're wearing me out." He clicked off before I could say another word.

  As I started to put the car back into drive, my phone pinged with an incoming text. Puzzled, I stared down at it, not comprehending the words at first. It was from a private number with no name attached, and there were only four words on the screen.

  Your granny needs you.

  Another message instantly appeared on the screen, and my insides filled with dread as I read it.

  Come to the bakery and bring the pictures. Make sure you're alone. If you call the police or anyone else, I'll kill your grandmother.

  My entire body started to shake. No, this couldn't be. It's just a hoax—some type of sick joke. Grandma Rosa's safe at home—oh, dear Lord. She was going to the bakery to wait for Mrs. Hershey. In desperation, I fumbled with the phone and started typing my parents' number in by hand. As I pressed the digits, my phone pinged with another incoming text.

  Enter through the alley. You'll be searched, and if I find weapons or your phone, both of you will die. You can watch me kill her first. Follow directions, and I'll let Granny go upon your arrival.

  I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Sweat trickled down the small of my back. Breathing heavily, I continued to stare at the text, unsure what to do next.

  Another message popped up. Are you there? Do you understand? Type back Y, or we will have a problem.

  Before I could follow through, my phone pinged again. Damn it! This person was torturing me and most likely enjoying it too.

  This time there was no message. A lone picture was attached of a woman lying on her side on a floor that I recognized as the blue vinyl tile of my bakery. The woman's eyes were closed, as if she was sleeping. It was definitely my grandmother.

  A sob escaped from my throat. No, no, no! This can't be happening. Dear God, please let her be all right.

  At that moment I realized who was responsible for hurting my grandmother and had also killed Allegra. I wasn't positive about the motive yet, although I had a good idea. But I was convinced I knew the identity of the killer.

  With shaking fingers, I typed and then had to retype my message. Y. Please don't hurt her. I'll do whatever you say.

  I pressed Send, and the response came back within seconds.

  You have ten minutes to get here.

  I was just around the corner from Josie's street and didn't see how I could make it by then. My heart pounded as I typed another message. It will take me closer to fifteen.

  Ten minutes or she dies. You'd better drive fast.

  Cold, stark fear flooded my body. Sadly, there were no choices for me. Sure, I could call Mike or Brian, but there was no way I would compromise my grandmother's safety.

  I no longer cared about the lousy photographs. Yes, I was sorry that Allegra had died because of them, but this was my grandmother we were talking about. I loved this woman more than life itself. She had done so much for me in my thirty years on this earth. If she lost her life because of me, I'd never forgive myself, and it would haunt me for the rest of mine.

  I couldn't even remember the drive or how fast I went. Several drivers honked at me, and there were flashes of red on a few traffic lights, but I didn't lessen my speed. The journey seemed to have no end.

  What would I do if a cop chased me? Suppose they followed me to the bakery and the psycho inside killed Grandma Rosa before I arrived? There was a chance that neither one of us would make it out of this alive, but I had to do what I could to save her.

  I drove into the alley behind the bakery and shut the engine off. My legs shook like Jell-O as I got out of the car. With trepidation I started to move forward, knowing without a doubt that the monster was watching me from behind the door. It was open a small crack. I'd left my phone, purse, and all keys, except the one to the bakery, in the car as instructed. There was nothing on me that I could use to defend myself. Hot tears stung the back of my eyes, and with frustration, I wiped them away. This wouldn't do. I'd stared death in the face before, but it might beat me this time. As long as Grandma Rosa was okay, that was all that mattered.

  As I approached the door, I spotted the barrel of a revolver poking out from the other side and someone said, "Hands in the air."

  My earlier suspicion was confirmed when I heard the voice. Having no choice, I obeyed the command. The senator's powerful empire might crumble around him if
the pictures got out, but there was someone else who had just as much, if not more, to lose.

  The door opened farther, allowing me entrance. As soon as I had stepped into the kitchen area, it shut and locked behind me. I turned to stare into the face of Allegra's killer. "Don't do this," I begged.

  There was no answer as Grandma's captor patted me down with one hand while the other was wrapped around the revolver, pointed strategically at my head.

  "Please," I whispered, "let my grandmother go, Lena."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Grandma Rosa lay on the floor, motionless. She was pale and lifeless, and I feared the worst.

  "What did you do to her?" I screamed and rushed to my grandmother's side. Thankfully she was breathing, but it was faint and sporadic. I dropped to my knees besides her and shook her gently. "Grandma, please wake up." Then I noticed the bloody bump on the back of her head and brought a hand to my mouth in horror. Something inside me snapped when I turned to face Lena. "What kind of a person hits an elderly woman?"

  "Relax, she's fine," Lean scoffed. "I'd been casing the joint, waiting for you to come back so that I could make you talk. Imagine my surprise when Granny showed up instead. After a woman walked out with a large tray of cookies, I said to myself, hey, this is even better. Now I can use Granny as bait to lure Sally here. So I left my car down the street and snuck into the alley where hers was parked. When she came out the door and tried to lock it, I let her have it. She never saw me, which was even better."

  "Monster," I spat out. "If you weren't holding that gun, I'd claw your eyes out."

  "Ooh, scary stuff there," she laughed. "She'll wake up in a little while, but by then I'll be gone, and you'll be—oops! Dead. You just sacrificed your life for your granny's. What a noble, selfless thing to do. I mean, you've got your entire life to look forward to while she's got what—a handful of years left?" Lena shook her head in disbelief. "Damn. You certainly didn't come from my family."

  I placed a protective hand on Grandma Rosa's shoulder. "That's what happens when you truly love someone. You care more about their happiness than your own. But I suspect you don't know anything about that."

  "Careful," she warned, "you don't want to get on my bad side today."

  She actually had a good side? "My grandmother doesn't have a mean bone in her body. How could you do such a thing?"

  She waved a hand as if bored with me already. "Never mind. Where are the pictures?"

  Despite how worried I'd been on the drive about my grandmother, I'd tried to concoct a plan that would at least insure her safety. I knew my life was already hanging by a fingernail but wasn't taking any chances with hers. "They're out in the car, but I'm not giving them to you while my grandmother's still at risk."

  "Give me those pictures now," she hissed through clenched teeth.

  I held up a hand. "Let me finish. You let me lock my grandmother inside the bakery, and I'll leave the key on the table so you can't get back in. When we're in the car, I'll give you the envelope, and then you can do whatever"—I swallowed hard—"whatever you have to with me."

  She shot me an irritated look. "I told you that I won't hurt her."

  "You already have. And sorry to say, but I don't exactly believe in promises that killers make."

  "Oh, fine," Lena huffed, "but if you're bluffing or try anything stupid, you're going to be very sorry."

  As she pushed me toward the back door, I was already sorry. Sorry that I had gotten my grandmother and me mixed up into this mess. Unfortunately, it was too late now. Lena was going to shoot me and dump my body somewhere, and there still might not be any way to pin the two murders on her. If Grandma Rosa hadn't seen her approach, there was no way anyone could be positive Lena was at fault. Perhaps Martin would take the blame, unless Brian managed to put it all together like I had. At least then I wouldn't have died in vain.

  After scanning the alley in both directions, Lena forced me into my car from the passenger side. "Move over. You're driving." She pushed me into the seat and got in next to me, pointing the gun at my head. "Hand over the pictures now. If you don't have them, I swear to God I'll put a bullet through your head."

  In an effort to stay calm, I slowly pulled down the visor and handed her the envelope inside. She kept the gun pointed at me as she opened it with her other hand. Then she muttered a four-letter expletive. "Where are the rest?"

  "The police have them."

  "They what!" Lena's eyeballs bulged as she screeched. "What the hell have you done?"

  "Allegra had them in a safe deposit box. I found the key, and the police had to go with me to open it. They confiscated the rest."

  She swore again. "I don't believe this. You lied to me!"

  How ironic. A killer was upset at me for lying. "I didn't lie to you. I said I had pictures, but I didn't tell you how many."

  "Turn left!" she screamed. "I have to think about what to do next. You've ruined everything! Okay, we'll go to my house. No one's there. You're going to help me figure out how to get the rest of the photos back. I'll hide your car in the garage for now. Maybe I'll tie you up and smack you around for pulling such a dumb stunt."

  Gee, my idea of a good time. "You stole the keys to Richard's car so you could run Allegra down."

  "Hey, I got it fixed while he was on his honeymoon," she said, sounding slightly defensive. "I know a great mechanic outside of town who never asks questions. No one was ever the wiser. Turn right here."

  I had more questions, and if they weren't asked now, I might never know what had transpired. "What was Allegra planning to do with the pictures?"

  Lena shrugged. "Probably nothing. She just didn't want to take a chance they'd leak out. The battle-axe thought I'd keep paying her money—a win-win situation for her. But Auntie's greed got the best of her. God, I hate people who just take and take, you know?"

  I rolled my eyes at this one. "Totally."

  A smile formed at the corners of her mouth. "Aunt Allegra needed to know that things don't always work out the way you plan. Not in my book anyhow. I realized after a while that she never intended to give the pictures back to me. I was a fool—handing out money to her with no return. And if I stopped paying, what did she care? She had her dough, she had the photos. But I needed those pictures—for leverage."

  "Leverage for what?" I asked.

  She scowled at me. "Do I look stupid? Everyone thinks Martin is some squeaky-clean politician. Well, let me tell you, that's a joke. He started cheating on me right after our wedding. Maybe your marriage is based on love and trust, but I know better. After his last election there were rumors going around the law firm that he was into prostitutes, and if he wasn't careful, it might hurt his chances of becoming reelected. He needed a wife to make his image look better."

  Lena paused for breath. "I was an intern at his firm, and we hooked up one night. Man, I was dumb enough back then to think that I was in love with him. I used to get so turned on by him. I mean, the man reeked of charisma and power, you know?" Lena breathed in deeply, as if she could actually smell the traits. "Soon afterward, he proposed marriage, and we concocted this story that he was my mentor, blah blah, and that was how we'd fallen deeply and passionately in love."

  Lena smiled—almost sadly I thought. The gun was positioned inches from my head as I swallowed back a lump of panic in my throat. "He told me the marriage would be no strings attached and mandated I sign a prenup," she said. "In return, he'd help me pass the bar and give me a job at his firm. A nice offer, but it wasn't enough for me. I wanted—no, I needed more. Martin's lifestyle is so much better than mine ever was. My parents didn't have two nickels to rub together. So I thought I could live with the cheating. When I found out about Violet though, I saw an opportunity to get more."

  "Was Violet in love with him?"

  She shook her head. "If you ask me, Violet moved to Vegas to get away from him. When Martin wants something, he gets annoying and ridiculous, like a baby crying for the moon. He had friends in town last year
who run an escort service in Vegas. One of them slipped Violet a card, and Martin was furious about it. I think Violet liked the idea of getting under his skin because he was smothering her. She told Martin that their fling was over, but he still wouldn't accept it."

  "He told you all this?" I couldn't fathom a married couple talking about the husband's affair, especially with his wife's cousin.

  "Not everything. What I didn't know I figured out. Plus I always checked his cell phone after he went to bed. For such a smart guy, he could be pretty stupid about leaving it on. He'd been begging her for months to come for a visit and even sent her a first-class ticket. Imagine his surprise when she finally accepted his offer then returned all the jewelry he'd given her during their affair." Lena's nostrils flared. "There was even a bracelet that he'd originally bought for me! Martin's such a piece of crap. Take a right here."

  My mind was desperately searching for a way to get away from her. Crash the car? Try to grab the gun? If Lena got me inside her house, it would be all over. Think, Sal. Think.

  She giggled. "When I found out that Violet was coming to see Martin, I thought it would be the perfect day to rid the world of Auntie. Anna already had told me that she and Enzo were coming into town to see their mother's shop. So if I could manage to mow her down, there were so many other potential idiots—ahem, I mean people—to pin it on. Sure, the cops in this town move slow, but I knew they'd eventually figure out that Violet was in town the same day."

  "Who took the pictures?" Maybe her arm would get tired of holding the gun and she'd let it waver. Somehow, I needed to distract her.

  "I hired a private detective to start following Martin around about a year ago," Lena explained. "I knew pictures would come in handy at some point, and sure enough, it didn't take long for Roger to snap them. Then out of the blue, Martin announced to me that after he got reelected, we would agree to divorce amicably. I said yes—if he gave me a partnership in the firm. He said 'no way in hell.' So that was when I broke the news and told him I was ready to go public with the pictures and his affairs, specifically the one with my cousin. Martin had no choice but to agree to my demands. After he put it all in writing and won the election, he could tell everyone that I was the cheater for all I cared."