"That's really nice of you," I said, "but Josie and I will be fine."
My mother waved a hand dismissively. "We want to be there to lend our support. We're so proud of you both! And I even looked at Cookie Crusades' website. You're allowed to have two guests in the audience. Isn't that fabulous?"
"Um, I have to go change." I turned to walk up the wooden staircase, my legs similar to heavy blocks of cement. I loved my mother and father dearly, but this was not good news to hear. The last time my parents came to an important event of mine, it had been my wedding. My father had made a speech to the room about how no man would ever be good enough for me, gotten drunk, and passed out in the wedding cake before we had a chance to cut it. I should have known then that the marriage was doomed.
I changed into black slacks, low-heeled leather boots, and a black-and-white striped sweater. I had just finished styling my hair in the bathroom when I heard my front door open. I went out into the hallway and saw Grandma Rosa standing in my tiny kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell me about this last night?" I asked.
"You were upset about Mike, and I did not want to add to your misery." Grandma Rosa walked over to me. "It will not be so bad."
We looked at each other, sighed, and then laughed.
She kissed the top of my head. "Cara mia, if you can get through tonight, you can get through anything. You, like Mike, are a survivor."
I hugged her. "I'll be okay. As long as I have you."
The parking lot of Hainer's Funeral Parlor was packed, but we found a couple of spots on an adjacent side street. Grandma Rosa had ridden with Josie and me while Gianna had accompanied my parents.
Josie stopped her minivan in front of the entrance to the funeral home so that Grandma Rosa didn't have to walk far. She motioned to me. "You go with her. I'll catch up."
I knew better than to argue with my best friend, but I would have been happy to wait for her. All night if need be.
Grandma Rosa patted my arm. "Do not worry, dearest heart. I will protect you."
Although it was dark, the outside of the funeral home was flooded with enough lighting that mourners could see the gray, one-level brick building and salted sidewalks clearly. A couple of people stood on the large front porch talking while another man smoked a cigarette in the adjoining parking lot.
I glanced at my watch—5:45. The drive should have only been half an hour but had turned into forty-five minutes when we were stuck in a traffic accident on the thruway.
I held on to Grandma's hand tightly as we ascended the two stairs to the porch, and the front door opened. A man of about sixty in a gray suit nodded to us and stood aside to allow us entrance. When we stopped inside the door to sign our names in the guest book, I peered into the viewing room.
There were a couple of people in line waiting to speak to my former mother-in-law, who was flanked by Kyle on one side and Krista on the other. Several mourners were seated in the five rows of chairs placed in front of the casket. Before we entered the room, I stopped to examine the collage of pictures on the easel just outside the main doors.
The center photo, a large eight by ten, was Colin's high school graduation picture. He looked handsome and carefree while his large brown eyes shone with a glint of mischief.
Several of the pictures, much to my chagrin, included me. There was a photo of us in formal wear at a friend's wedding from early on in our marriage. Another one had been taken at the christening of our niece. We'd been asked to serve as her godparents. And, of course, there were wedding pictures.
No matter what happened, I would always remember the day well, but the pictures now served as a painful reminder. It had been a happy occasion at the time for me, followed by a wonderful night of passion in the hotel suite. But it hadn't taken long for things to go downhill, especially when I'd discovered Colin was fine with me supporting the both of us on my meager salary.
I had guessed there'd be at least one picture of our wedding, but I hadn't counted on seven. My stomach muscles constricted as I viewed them, and then my hands started to shake as I grabbed the piece of cardboard that surrounded the photos.
Grandma Rosa gently pried my fingers loose and held them between her hands. "It is time to go in."
"I want to go home," I said in my best little girl voice.
She patted my cheek. "Never fear, cara mia. I will not leave your side."
We walked into the room holding hands, and someone gasped. All eyes turned in my direction. People were nudging each other and whispering. Heat rose through my face. I couldn't actually hear what people were saying, but I knew. Did you hear the latest about Sally Muccio? The cop who wanted to date her came to arrest her boyfriend for the murder of her ex-husband. But Colin's not really her ex-husband. Yeah, turns out they were still married. What a tramp.
Grandma Rosa and I stopped in front of the casket and positioned ourselves on the kneeler. Although I had my back to the crowd, I was positive every set of eyes in the room was on me. The silence was so deafening that you could have heard a pin drop. I stared at Colin's face and whimpered. Grandma Rosa said nothing as she held tightly to my hand.
Colin looked so much better than he had the other day. The rage had disappeared from his face and had been replaced by a peaceful, sedate expression. For a moment I thought it must be a mistake—he's only sleeping. Colin wore a dark-blue suit, the same one he used to wear for job interviews. Back when he'd actually cared about having a job.
So many thoughts ran through my head that I found myself confused and disoriented by the rush of feelings I was experiencing. We had dated for five years and been married for another five before the divorce papers came through. Although I'd once loved him, I couldn't shed any tears now. I was sorry he was dead and tried to remember the good times we had shared, although, looking back, there weren't as many as I'd originally thought. Signs from the very beginning indicated our relationship might not survive—signs I'd chosen to ignore. It wasn't until I found him in bed with another woman that I'd experienced the necessary wake-up call.
I reached out and touched his hand, which was ice cold. The room was still silent behind me, and I sensed people were waiting to see if I would do something else. Maybe kiss him? No. I wasn't going to put on a show for them. The love between us had died a long time ago. Well, at least mine had. I wasn't so sure now that Colin had ever reciprocated my feelings. I pushed a strand of hair off his face, got to my feet, and stared down at him.
"Rest in peace," I whispered. "I will find out who did this to you."
I walked over to my ex-in-laws. Kyle nodded to me but made no effort to hug or touch me. He shook hands with Grandma Rosa and with Josie, who was now behind us, accompanied by my parents and Gianna.
Elizabeth Brown had aged considerably since I'd last seen her almost two years ago. She appeared even older than my grandmother. Her salt-and-pepper hair was short and a mass of tangled curls. The effect would have been cute if her face had been devoid of wrinkles and actually had some color to it. Dark eyes, like Colin's, were surrounded by heavy shadows and regarded me with irritation.
"How n-nice of you to show up, Sh-ally," she said, speech slightly slurred. "Why didn't you wait a l-little longer?"
Krista put a hand on her mother's shoulder. She was almost as tall as Kyle and slim to the point of borderline anorexic. Her light-brown hair fell below her shoulders, and there were visible bags underneath her dark eyes as well. "Hey, Mom. I think it was pretty nice of Sally to come. She didn't have to."
Elizabeth sniffed but nodded politely as my grandmother extended her hand. "Perhaps you were off screwing around with the man who shot my boy."
I bit into my lower lip. "I'm very sorry about Colin, Elizabeth."
"Now wait just a minute." My mother stepped between Elizabeth and me. I took in her outfit for the first time and thought I might pass out. She was dressed in a low-cut, strapless, tight black dress decorated with sequins. Perhaps she had thought we were attending a cocktail party? One
never knew what my mother was thinking. All I wanted right now was to get out of here.
My mother spoke quietly. "Sally is not to blame for this. As a matter of fact, you should be apologizing to her. They were no longer married thanks to your son's indiscretions. It was tasteless to print her name in the obituary like that."
An audible murmur filled the room.
"You tell them, baby," Dad agreed. "And look at this coffin you've got him in, for crying out loud. Cheap, worthless pine. What a disgrace."
There was a gasp from the crowd.
I shut my eyes tight for a moment and wished this was all a bad dream. "Dad, please. You promised to behave."
Elizabeth looked at my father through slitted eyes. "Well, pa-perhaps if your daughter hadn't pissed away all the money I sent them the last few years, I could have bought my s-son something more f-fitting."
I stared at her in amazement. What was she talking about?
Elizabeth took an unsteady step toward me, and I winced. The stench of liquor coming from her mouth was overpowering. She might have been grieving, but it was now apparent that wasn't the total reason for her unsteadiness. Elizabeth was certifiably drunk.
"I warned m-my boy never to marry this tramp."
My mother, Gianna, and Josie all gasped simultaneously. I started to say something but then felt my grandmother's hand on my shoulder.
"That is enough," she said. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. The boy is dead, and another innocent boy has been accused of his murder. You should be trying to find out who did this instead of fighting amongst yourselves."
"Rosa's right." Krista gripped her mother by the arm, probably afraid she might lunge at me, then gestured toward an older woman in the corner. Elizabeth's sister came forward after shooting several daggers at my family and me. "Aunt Susan, please take care of Mom for a minute. I need to speak with Sally alone."
"Not so fast," Kyle growled. "I need to talk to you first, sis."
"Fine. Whatever." Krista addressed me, "If you go back out to the entranceway, you'll see a hallway on the right with restrooms and another door marked Private. Kyle and I will be in there. Just give us five minutes."
I nodded as she followed Kyle to a door behind a display of flowers that was also marked Private.
There was no way I was waiting in the viewing room for them. I'd take Krista's suggestion and stay out in the hallway. I turned to make my way out of the room with my family surrounding me on both sides. Josie led the way while Grandma Rosa held one of my hands and Gianna held the other. My mother and father brought up the rear. Those milling in between the rows moved to let us pass.
"She's got a nerve," I heard one old lady say to another.
"Yeah. Trying to let everyone think she's so pure just because she's got the same name as a Peanuts character," the other woman grunted. "Charles Schultz must be rolling over in his grave."
"Ain't it the truth," the first woman said. "Pretending to be divorced and shacking up with the guy who murdered her husband. If Colin left her anything, I hope his family contests the will."
Josie whirled around in a fit of anger. "They were divorced, okay? And Sally has the papers to prove it. So back off."
"Stop it," I whispered. "There's been enough of a scene already."
We made our way out of the room and back to the entranceway which was deserted, except for the employee by the front door and a young couple signing the guest book.
"Let's get the heck out of here," my mother said to my father.
He snorted. "Well, I did want to talk to the owner and advise him that their setup is all wrong. Maybe—"
"Domenic," my mother interrupted. "You know I always indulge your hobbies, but I think we should go. Plus, we need to get up early." She giggled and leaned over to kiss me. "We'll see you in sunny Florida, honey. Don't forget to pack your bikini."
Bikinis and sunshine were the last things on my mind right now. All I wanted to do was talk to Krista and then get as far away as possible from the savages here who might soon be demanding my head on a platter.
Gianna embraced me. "Do you mind if I leave with them? I can't stand being here any longer. I was about ready to tell your former mother-in-law where she could go."
Josie leaned over to hug her. "My sentiments exactly. You go. I'll take Sal home."
Grandma Rosa gave Josie a peck on the cheek and reached over to envelop me in a warm hug. "Do not let these people bring you down. You know the truth, and that is all that matters."
I wiped away a tear. "I'll try to remember that."
She patted my hand. "It is good for you to go away tomorrow. There is too much ugliness and hate here. When Mike comes home, I will take care of him, cara mia. You can count on that."
CHAPTER EIGHT
After my family departed, Josie went to use the ladies room, and I was left standing in the hallway by myself when the front door opened and Luke appeared. He signed the register then glanced in my direction and smiled as he walked over to where I leaned against the wall for support.
"Hey, Sally." He stuffed his gloves into his overcoat pocket. "How are you?"
I wiggled my hand back and forth. "I've been better."
"I can imagine." His eyes were thoughtful. "They really gave it to you, huh?"
I sighed. "Let's just say I didn't get the warmest of welcomes."
Luke rested a hand against the wall, and I studied him for a moment. He was dressed in a black suit, his hazel eyes regarding me with warmth underneath long, thick lashes that any woman would kill for. I didn't know him well. Once in a while, he'd come back to the apartment to have a beer with Colin if they worked the same bartending shift or sometimes drop by on a Sunday to watch sporting events. If I'd been home, we'd make small talk, but that was pretty much the extent of our relationship.
Colin had said Luke was a good guy you could always count on if you were in a jam. He'd once mentioned that Luke had a girlfriend, but I'd never met her and didn't even know her name. After I'd left Florida, Luke had sent a card to my parents' house telling me how sorry he was to hear about the divorce and that Colin didn't deserve me.
"How are you?" I asked. "When are you going back to Florida?"
"Probably this weekend. I've got two weeks off, so there's really no rush." He pursed his lips together. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend. How's he handling all this?"
A knot formed in the bottom of my stomach. I hated lying to people. "About as well as could be expected."
Luke frowned. "He didn't strike me as the type of guy who would kill someone. Colin once told me…" He stopped.
"Told you what?"
His cheeks reddened. "One time we were having a couple of beers at your apartment. I think you were working. I said something to him like he shouldn't be treating you like crap. That he should be out looking for a real job instead of having you support him. That really pissed me off."
"And?" I prodded.
Luke frowned. "He laughed and said it wasn't a big deal. Said you deserved to work like a dog after what you'd done to him. And I asked him what you'd done. He said you were still in love with your ex-boyfriend. That after all these years, you'd never stopped carrying a torch for him." He paused. "Colin said you were getting exactly what you deserved."
The words blew me away. Colin had never once indicated that he suspected I still had feelings for Mike. I found myself wondering if I'd done something to lead him to that belief. Maybe I'd talked in my sleep one night? I'd never know the answer now.
I narrowed my eyes at Luke. "Even if I did still have feelings for him, I never acted on them. I consider marriage to be sacred. Unlike other people."
"I feel the same way. Believe me." His face was somber. "I didn't know Colin was cheating on you until after you'd left him. He didn't deserve you."
"Thank you." I was touched and pleased by his statement. "I stopped loving him a long time ago, but I am sorry he's dead. No one deserves to die like that. And now I think someone's trying to frame Mik
e for his murder."
Luke's eyes grew wide. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
I shook my head. "None whatsoever. What about you?"
He sighed. "No, but I can tell you a lot of people wanted Colin to disappear forever."
I braced myself. "Was he involved in drugs?"
Luke snickered. "What wasn't Colin involved in? After you left him and he lost the apartment, I let him move in and sleep on my couch for a while. Rent free. I thought I was helping him, but it only made things worse."
I folded my arms across my stomach. "Didn't go so well, huh?"
"It was a disaster. I'd come home every day from work and find him with a new girl. In my bed, too. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I finally threw him out."
The bile rose in my throat, and I turned away for a minute, fearful I might be sick. I'd caught Colin cheating on me while we were married but had assumed at the time that she was the only one. Now I was starting to wonder how many women he might have been with while we were still together.
Luke touched my arm. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. For what it's worth, I thought you were the best thing that ever happened to him. I can't believe he threw you away without a second thought." He glanced toward the receiving room "I really should get in there and pay my respects. Are you available for lunch tomorrow after the funeral so that we can talk further?"
I shook my head. "I'm leaving for Florida first thing in the morning."
His face was startled. "Why are you going there? Are you looking into Colin's death?"
"Josie and I are in a baking competition. We won't be back until late Friday afternoon." I paused. "But if you have any ideas of who might have wanted Colin dead, I'd appreciate if you shared them with me. No way is Mike going to take the blame for this."
"Did someone mention me?" Josie came up behind us and slung a protective arm around my shoulders. "Is this another one of Colin's fabulous relatives?"
Luke held out his hand to her. "Hi, Josie. Luke Zibro. I saw you at the bar the other night. We went to high school together. Remember?"
Josie blinked twice. "Wow. I hardly recognized you. Nice to see you."
Baked to Death (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 2) Page 9
