Cupcakes, Butterflies & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries Book 3)

by Jennifer Fischetto

  Luckily, the main dining area is almost full, so I have an excuse for wandering over to the noisy area with the kids and their parents. Okay, it's barely an excuse. Who would choose to eat surrounded by children's screams if they didn't also have a child?

  I step inside the enclosed section and spot the mother-in-law pouring juice into a sippy cup for Tessa. I walk over.

  "Hi, I thought I recognized you."

  They both look up. Tessa gives me a toothy grin while stuffing a French fry in her mouth, and Judith frowns at me. It takes her a moment, but then recognition filters through. "Oh, yes, hello. How are you?"

  "I'm good. Thanks. I came in for a guilty pleasure, and it's so busy. Then I saw the two of you. Would you mind if I joined you?"

  "Oh no, not at all." She pushes her Big Mac over so I have room.

  I grab an empty chair at the next table and pull it over.

  "How are you all doing?" I ask and sip my coffee.

  "The same, I believe. It's hard to tell."

  "Oh?"

  "Kelly and I aren't close anymore. She no longer confides in me."

  "Anymore? So you were close?" I have no shame that I'm pumping her for information. She started by saying more than the standard "fine."

  "Yes, when she and Warren were first married. I wouldn't say we were super close, but we tried to form a solid relationship."

  "What changed?"

  "I'm not quite sure. We were distant for many years. I assumed it had to do with the infertility scares."

  Now this is exactly what I need. "Oh?"

  "Yes, they tried to have kids for years. Warren loves children. And then luckily we got this little angel."

  The angel's cheeks are covered in ketchup. I wiggle my chair closer to Judith.

  "And we were quite close during Kelly's pregnancy. In fact, that's probably the closest we've ever been."

  How incredibly telling, especially if I'm right and Kelly was actually Raina.

  She grins. "She said she reminded me of her mother. So sweet."

  "And after Tessa was born?"

  "Well, I assumed the stress of an infant is what pulled us apart again. I don't know. I don't mean to sound ungrateful. She's a dear girl. She loves my son, gave me a beautiful granddaughter, and she lets me see her whenever I want."

  So Kelly was never close to her, but Raina was. It all sounds kinda sad.

  "Tessa and I go to the park every day, weather permitting. And on days like today, we come here. She likes it."

  "Grandmother and granddaughter time. That's sweet. Plus, you babysit, like that night poor Raina died. I keep thinking about that and how great it is that you had Tessa. That's the last thing a child needs to witness. Even at her age."

  "Oh yes, I completely agree. I thank God daily."

  "How did you hear about what happened?"

  "The next day when Kelly came by to pick Tessa up. I was worried since she was late. Now I understand why."

  "Late?"

  "Yes, they always come get her first thing in the morning. They like to take her to brunch. She's such a good baby around food."

  Tessa takes after me. Well, she would if you could take after a non-blood relative.

  "And this time was different?"

  "Yes. Only Kelly came and not until after lunchtime. I tried calling and calling, and no one answered their cells. Now I know it's because they were dealing with the police and everything. So awful."

  "Did you know Raina well?"

  She shakes her head. "No, unfortunately I didn't. She seemed like a nice girl though. I wish I had the chance to spend time with her."

  Oh, you did. You just didn't know it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  When I leave McDonald's, I head back to Kelly's. According to Judith, she and Tessa are going to her house after their meal, and Warren's picking the child up on his way home from work. That gives me a few hours of Kelly alone in the house. At least, I think she's in there. The driveway is empty, but it was earlier too. Her car is probably in the garage. Unless she left. I can't tell. It's daylight, and I can't see movement through the windows from across the street. I could knock, but I'm running out of excuses to be here, and if she and her mother-in-law compare notes, it won't look like running into them is a coincidence.

  I glance to my cell. The green light is flashing, meaning I have a notification for something. I check it and see a missed call from Julian. My stomach knots. He must've called when I was in McDonald's. With the screaming kids, I guess I didn't hear the phone vibrate.

  There's a message. I click on it.

  "Hi, it's me. Where are you? We need to talk. Give me a call when you get this."

  Then he hangs up, no good-bye.

  I pull the phone away from my face and frown at it. That sounds ominous. I dial him back, but it goes straight to voicemail. "Hey, it's me. I got your message. Is something wrong? I'm…"

  I glance at the house. Should I tell him where I am? Oh, what the heck. I'm tired of playing this game. "I'm busy sleuthing at the moment figuring out how to get the info I need from Kelly. If I don't answer when you call back, I may be in jail for breaking and entering."

  I add in a chuckle so he doesn't completely freak out when it gets it, but I don't say I'm kidding.

  "Are we doing this now?"

  I gasp and jump at Aunt Stella's voice. She appears in my backseat.

  "Yes, we're doing this," I say and take a deep breath.

  Aunt Stella hoots and hollers. "Okay, give me a few. I'll look around."

  Before I can say another syllable, she pops off.

  I wait and fidget, but luckily, she returns quickly. "There's expensive-looking luggage in the guest bedroom closet."

  Bingo.

  "And where's Kelly?"

  "In the kitchen."

  I stare at the house, remembering the floor plan. "If I'm able to sneak in the front door, she'll likely hear me. Assuming it's unlocked. After last week, it'll probably not be."

  "I'll unlock it and then cause a commotion."

  I didn't think of that. Why didn't I? It's so simple.

  "How will I know it's time to come in?" I ask.

  She thinks for a second and then says, "Be right back," before disappearing.

  What is she up to now?

  A couple of minutes later, she returns with Freezer Dude. "This is a two-ghost job," she says with a wink.

  They leave my car and glide to the house.

  What on earth am I going to do when they move on? Whether they move on to the other side or return to Connecticut or decide to live with his daughter, unbeknownst to her, I'm almost certain they won't hang around South Shore Beach.

  A minute later, Aunt Stella peeks her head out the front door while the door is shut. So freaky. She pushes an arm through too and waves me over.

  I scramble out of the car and leave my purse behind but grab my cell and keys. I think of Julian and silence my phone completely before slipping it and the keys into my coat pocket. I hurry across the street and up to Kelly's door. I slowly turn the knob. It turns. I take a deep breath and push the door open.

  A commotion is going on at the back of the house. Motors run with high-pitched whirls. It sounds like an appliance tsunami.

  Aunt Stella is on the stairs, waving me up.

  I click the door shut behind me and quickly tiptoe to the stairs. Despite all the ruckus, I don't need Kelly spotting me from the kitchen.

  When Aunt Stella and I reach the top landing, I whisper, "What's he doing down there?"

  "Turning on the toaster, microwave, food processor." She giggles and wiggles her brows. "He's good with electronics."

  That sounds dirty, and I do not want to know if she meant it that way.

  She points me in the direction of the spare room, and I escape inside, shutting the door behind me.

  A full-sized bed takes up the middle of the room. It's covered in a white, red, and green floral quilt. An antique white dresser sits across from it, a couple of mat
ching bedside tables surround it, and there's a narrow, cream-colored armchair in the far right corner. The closet has accordion doors with wooden slats, and it's on the same wall as the door.

  I open the closet door and see the three pieces of navy luggage on the floor. The pieces are open, suggesting Raina was living out of them instead of hanging items up and folding them in the drawers. I did that the first two weeks I lived in Connecticut. I don't know why I didn't hang my clothes up. Maybe because in my heart, I wasn't ready to commit to a new state, a new home, and being away from my immediate family.

  I start at the smallest bag, which holds her toiletries and makeup. She had quite the collection of fake eyelashes. And her lipstick selections are gorgeous. A lot of pinks and nudes in all variations from sheer to dark. She owned three tubes of deodorant, whitening strips, pore strips, and a pair of disposable gloves. The kind used when dying your hair, but there are no dye boxes. Actually, Raina was blonde and Kelly light brown. Raina probably bleached her naturally darker locks.

  A yelp sounds from the distance, which makes me flinch. That has to be Kelly.

  Freezer Dude appears in the room and looks drained. He lies on the bed, and Aunt Stella cuddles up beside him, with her head and one hand on his chest. They really love one another. If Aunt Angela hadn't been having issues with Uncle Franco…

  Wait, Aunt Stella said she had a feeling she needed to be here. She probably had some sort of telepathic connection to Freezer Dude, or maybe it's just their love. They're getting their second chance. So are Wilma and Fred. Aww, how sweet.

  Okay, Gianna, focus. You can't be here all evening.

  I turn back to my snooping and dig through the two bags of clothes. Well, one and a half is full of clothes. Half of one of those bags is stuffed with shoes too. She had quite the collection of high-heeled boots.

  Nestled between a pair of dark jeans and a red sweater is a white envelope.

  It's not sealed and addressed to Kelly from Raina, but there's no stamp. It wasn't sent. I shut my eyes, say a forgiveness prayer, and pull out the letter.

  Dear Kelly,

  I'm sitting here in my apartment and can't think of the best way to say this. I want to call you, want to discuss this face-to-face, but Aunt Wilma's wedding is a few months from now, and I can't wait. Maybe I'll send this. Maybe I won't. All I know is that while I sit here, listening to the night traffic outside, I need to be honest. I can't do this anymore. This business is harsh, and I'm no longer sure why I'm here. I had fun, but I can't stop thinking of home.

  Especially my daughter. I want her back, Kelly. I am Tessa's mother, and she should be with me.

  Crap, I was right.

  I flip the page over. The letter stops like that. Why didn't she finish it? Probably because she knew she wouldn't send it, but then why bring it with her?

  I should find peace in knowing that part of the mystery is solved, but I don't. Raina's dead, and she never got to be with her daughter. That's incredibly sad. And Tessa will never know her biological mom. That may not be a bad thing if she doesn't learn the truth. There are plenty of adopted kids who don't meet their biological parents. That's not the sad part. It's the lies.

  Suddenly the door swings open, and Kelly stands there, eyes wide and terrified.

  I flinch, as do Aunt Stella and Freezer Dude.

  "What are you doing here? How'd you get in?" Kelly asks.

  I glance down at the letter in my hand. "Um."

  She stares at the letter, and her eyes widen. It's a quick reaction. She turns on her heel. "I'm calling the cops."

  I jump up and run after her. My mind's spinning with the fear of getting arrested. It would serve me right. But what if Kelly killed her sister to keep the news of Tessa's birth a secret? Because she didn't want to give up the little girl?

  As I reach the bottom step, I shout, "Yes, please call the cops. That way I can tell them that you killed your sister."

  She stops short and stands still. I can practically feel her fear run through her veins.

  I realize I'm once again confronting a killer without a weapon or regard to my safety. Ma would ring my neck if she knew. I take a step back to put more distance between us.

  Her shoulders tremble, and I'm suddenly terrified she'll whip around, evil in her eyes, and lunge at me. I could call for Aunt Stella and Freezer Dude. They'd be down here quicker than dialing 9-1-1.

  But Kelly turns, and she isn't grinning like the Joker. Tears are falling down the sides of her face. The tip of her nose is pink, and her face is scrunched up in an ugly cry.

  Oh my goodness, what's wrong with her? I don't expect this. Is she so overcome with guilt that she's going to confess?

  "It's true. How could you do that to your sister? How could you kill Raina?"

  She opens her mouth and chokes out the words, "I am Raina."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  I'm dumbstruck. Clearly I didn't hear her correctly. "Huh?"

  "I didn't kill my sister. I swear." The words come out rushed and accompanied by heavy sobs.

  "You're Raina?"

  She nods.

  I step forward and grab her right arm and twist it so I'm staring at the butterfly tattoo on her wrist. It's dark black. It's new. "You just had this done?"

  "Tude. A tattoo parlor in Garden City."

  The receipt in her purse. I hadn't recognized the name because I've never been there. Why didn't I Google it? I'm failing as a sleuth.

  I take a calming breath to steady my nerves. I'm relieved I'm not staring at a crazed psychopath and stunned I'm actually touching Raina Stone. "Start at the beginning and explain it all to me."

  Her sobs are uncontrollable.

  I grab her shoulders, turn her around, and sling one of my arms over her tightly to lead her away. "Come on."

  We walk into the kitchen. I sit her at the table and get her a glass of water from the tap. I set it in her hands and sit beside her. "Drink slowly."

  Kel…Rain…oh my goodness, I can't believe this is Raina.

  She sips the water, and I watch it slosh up the sides of the glass. When she's had enough, she sets it on the table. Her hands are noticeably steadier.

  "I don't know why I blurted that out." She reaches for a napkin from the holder in the center and blows her nose.

  "Probably because you needed to confess and get it off your chest."

  "But I don't even know you."

  "It's better that we're not close. Strangers are less likely to judge." I hope I sound as sincere as I feel. "If it's any consolation, I'm your biggest fan."

  That makes her laugh.

  I want to smack myself. How could I put two-and-two together and figure out that Kelly took Raina's place during her second film and not consider a similar situation was happening now?

  "So Van. He was right that you were different. He didn't know that Kelly took your place for your second film while you came here to have Tessa."

  She nods. "I didn't tell Kelly that he and I occasionally hooked up. I was ashamed and rightfully so. He turned out to be a thief. I can't prove it yet, but I think he was stealing from me."

  This doesn't surprise me.

  "How do you know? Did Michael say something that gave me away?"

  "Does Michael know?"

  Her brows burrow. "No. I never said anything, but he's smart, and I thought maybe he figured it out and told you."

  "If he knows the truth, he hasn't mentioned it. I felt like there was something more going on than just Raina falling and hitting her head. I couldn't let it go. Then I noticed the makeup they put on Kelly's wrist to cover up the tattoo in your second movie."

  "You're pretty clever."

  Under circumstances where I don't have a thousand questions, I would revel in that compliment.

  "First question of many. Didn't the makeup artists notice the tattoo on Kelly's wrist?"

  "I'm sure, but they had no reason to question it. I'm not that famous. They probably didn't know me. Besides, who's to say I didn't j
ust have it done. They were different artists for my next movie."

  Makes sense. I guess I expected Hollywood to be a smaller community. Silly me.

  I point to her wrist. "You had this done after you found Kelly?"

  She nods while rubbing the ink with her thumb. "The next morning. I darkened my hair, cut it, and found the tattoo parlor out of town."

  That's why she was late picking up Tessa at her mother-in-law's.

  Hair. "You bleached Kelly's to make her look like you? How did you make it longer? And what about her tat?"

  The night I found Raina, I thought I smelled ammonia because someone cleaned the house not because of her hair.

  "I hoped the tattoo wouldn't be an issue. I gave the funeral home several chunky bracelets for her to wear during the services so none of our relatives would see it. We put extensions in her hair. I figured the coroner won't know if Raina normally wore them or not, and yes, we bleached it."

  Her assumptions were correct. No one was the wiser, or I would've heard about it. Everyone thought I was just obsessed. I thought that, and I was, but I knew. I want to be happy, but I'm not done connecting the dots yet.

  "You said 'we.' You mean you and Warren?"

  She widens her eyes. "Oh no. He doesn't know the truth, and I don't want him to. He was kind and good to me when I was pregnant and traded places with Kelly. I figure we can go back to that and he never has to know I'm not the woman he married. You won't say anything, right? Not to Warren, Aunt Wilma, and especially Michael."

  Oh goodness. My head is spinning. One thing at a time though. I start with the part that may affect me.

  "Who is 'we' then?"

  She takes another sip of water. "Me and a guy my lawyer sent to help."

  Crap. Tunnel vision begins, and my peripheral vision gets fuzzy.

  "What's this guy's name?"

  Her thinly waxed brows draw together. "Why?"

  "Is it Julian Reed?"

  Her frown deepens. "Yes, how do you know that? Do you know him?"

  Nausea swirls in my belly, and I lean forward until my head is as close to between my knees as I can get it. I'm going to be sick. I don't know why though. I knew he was hiding something. If it wasn't for his shady reaction that first night in my apartment, I probably wouldn't have come this far. I would've accepted Raina's accident, sulked, been sad, and moved on.