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

by Jennifer Fischetto

  I sit up straight, and Raina's worried expression would be cute if the truth hadn't smacked my personal life. "Let's go back to Warren. He didn't know you were Raina when you were pregnant?"

  She shakes her head. I'm grateful she doesn't insist on knowing if or how I know Julian. I can't deal with that right now.

  "What happened?" I ask.

  "I was ready to start filming my second movie when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't know what to do. I was frantic to make this movie. Everyone kept saying how it would be the next box office hit. I also wanted no one to learn of the pregnancy."

  "Why?"

  "Tessa's father is well-known and somewhat ruthless. He'd sue me for custody and probably win. He and his…family are wealthy."

  I take it he's married and she said family because she didn't want to say wife and have me to think badly of her. But seriously, she's pretending to be her dead sister, how much more horrific can it get?

  I think of Kelly's mother-in-law saying how much Warren wanted kids. She never mentioned if Kelly wanted them too. "You decided to give the baby to Kelly?"

  Raina grabs her glass and drinks more of the water. "She and Warren had been trying with no success. It seemed like a brilliant plan. I could continue my career, she could raise a family, and no one would be wiser. She agreed, and it turned out that she loved acting."

  Bricks start laying in place for me. That was the time she and Michael's closeness began to fade. He was right about there being an affair. He just never imagined his cousins traded places.

  I glance at the letter I laid on the counter when I went for the glass of water. "What changed it all?"

  She stares at her fingers. "I couldn't go on. I missed Tessa too much." She looks into my eyes, and hers are full of tears again. "She's my baby."

  My throat constricts. I can't imagine how hard it must be to leave your child for a couple of years. She must've been heartbroken.

  "I didn't realize it would bother me so much. I convinced myself I could be around her as Aunt Raina when I came to visit and have my career too. That she'd be better off living here with two parents and an extended family than being tossed around in a custody battle that I couldn't afford to even try to win. I didn't take into consideration that I'd fall in love with her while pregnant. By the time I had her, I felt obligated to leave because that's what Kelly and I agreed upon. I thought it's what Kelly wanted."

  "She didn't?"

  "When I arrived for the bridal shower, I pulled her aside by the front door, and I told her I was here not only for Aunt Wilma but because I wanted Tessa back too. She didn't bat an eye. She said we'd discuss it later. When everyone left, I confronted her, and she said she loved Tessa and she didn't want to give her up, but she hated her life. She felt stuck, and maybe this was her way out."

  I think back to the ghost who I thought was Raina. She said, "Tell her I'm sorry." Was she talking about her sister or niece? I'll never know.

  "That's it?" I ask.

  "We were interrupted, and we never got to discuss it again. I went to the motel and ran into Van. We argued. I packed my stuff into the rental and came back here. I figured I'd stay here until Kelly and I straightened everything out. I knew my reputation would be ruined, but I didn't want it to affect Kelly or Tessa."

  She takes a deep breath and finishes her water. "There was also the possibility that we'd trade places again, but this time for good."

  Goose bumps break out onto my arms. It dawns on me that just because Raina seems upset and innocent doesn't mean she didn't push her sister in a passionate rage, ultimately causing her death. And if that's the case, she won't want me leaving here to blab to all.

  I glance around my immediate area. Napkins, a bowl with bananas, and a glass of water. Where is a good weapon when you need one?

  "When I came inside, Kelly was already dead. Her head was on the fireplace. She must have tripped and fell and hit it."

  "Where was the coffee table?"

  "What?"

  I repeat my question and study her face hard, looking for any tells or guilty flashes across her eyes.

  "The coffee table was here during the shower but not the night I found her. What happened to it?"

  "The glass was shattered and one of the legs busted, so we removed it."

  There's that 'we' word again.

  "This happened after the shower? I found her Sunday evening. What happened in between?"

  "After I found her, I called my lawyer. He arranged for that guy, Julian Reed, to come and help me. He cleaned up the table while I bleached my sister's hair."

  "Whose idea was it to trade places this time?"

  "Mine. I knew instantly. It was the best solution."

  For her maybe, but it's also crazy and cruel. What about the people who loved Kelly? Her husband, mother-in-law, Wilma, and even Michael. And what about Tessa? Despite her DNA, Kelly raised that little girl. They bonded.

  Oh, wait. That's why the toddler seemed unsettled whenever she was around her so-called mother. She wasn't picking up on her mother's grief. She picked up on the little fact that Mommy wasn't Mommy.

  "By time we were done, it was late in the night. I left to establish an alibi and went in search of Warren, but I couldn't find him at the restaurant. I sent him a text, and we met at a diner. I was afraid to come back here. I was distraught and not sure if I'd made the right choice. He and I spent the night at a hotel."

  Did they sleep together?

  She must notice the crinkle of my top lip because she quickly says, "We didn't sleep together. We never have, not even while I was living here as Kelly. He didn't want to 'hurt the baby,' and I pretended to always have a headache just in case."

  I nod, not sure what to believe.

  "I know this looks like I didn't love my sister. That I was cold-hearted and selfish. I am totally aware of this, but that's not true. I loved Kelly dearly. She was my twin."

  I don't say a word. What can I say? Raina is either a skillful manipulator and this is the longest, most well-construed lie ever, or she's in some major form of denial and about to crack at any moment. Of course, there's also the possibility that she's simply deranged. Either way, I'm no longer her biggest fan.

  "You two woke up, had brunch, picked up your daughter, and did what? I didn't find her until evening."

  "I don't know what Warren did. He was gone when I woke up that morning. I figured he had some errands and would meet me back here. I waited and waited for a call from him to tell me my sister was dead. I assumed he'd find her."

  But he didn't.

  "I couldn't come back here until the police had taken her away, so I wandered around. I got the tattoo, went to a bookstore, got a burger and ate it in Kelly's car. My cell finally rang, and it was Kelly's mother-in-law wondering when we were coming to get Tessa. I went there thinking I could waste time talking to her. When the call came in, it was from the police."

  "Where was Warren all of this time?"

  She shrugs. "I don't know. He never said. He was evasive."

  "That's not a good sign," I say out loud.

  Raina's eyes grow large. She's looking past me, into the living room.

  I turn abruptly, almost slipping off the chair, and stare at the end of a gun held by Warren.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  "You couldn't keep your nose out of it, could you?" Warren asks. His eyes are wild, but he's staring hard at me. His hair looks just as crazed. It's standing up in the front, as if he's yanked on it one too many times, but his hand is super steady. I guess that's not a bad thing. Hopefully that means it won't go off by accident.

  "No, you had to sneak in my office and all the visits here, with my mother, and her cousin Michael. Oh yes, I knew about them all. I've been watching you. All of you." He glares at Raina.

  She starts to stand, disbelief all over her face. "Warren, what you doing? Why do you have the gun?"

  "Because Warren killed your sister," I say. It's perhaps not the wisest comment I've ever m
ade, but it makes perfect sense. I mean really, why else would he be flashing that at us? "Why did you do it? Was it on purpose?"

  This is the part where he confesses his soul before shooting us dead.

  "It wasn't on purpose. I loved my wife. She fell."

  Despite the gun, I believe he's telling the truth, which means the autopsy report is accurate. And all of this over a fall.

  "We were arguing over our daughter, and she stepped back and fell over the coffee table."

  I don't quite believe that. Yes, maybe she fell, and he didn't push her. Maybe. But there's no way she carefully stepped back, tripped, and broke the coffee table on the way down. Kelly was Raina's size. They couldn't be bigger than a size six—eight tops.

  It doesn't matter though. I'm certainly not telling him he's wrong, not while that gun is pointed at me. I may be suspicious and curious and sometimes even reckless, but I'm not downright stupid.

  Raina takes a couple of steps toward him. She's obviously not afraid of his weapon. "Why were you arguing about Tessa?"

  "She admitted the truth. That you were her mother and I was not her father. I couldn't believe it. At first I thought she was telling me she had an affair, but when she told me she did the movie and it was you that was here with me all the time, it simply made sense. Those seven months with you were the happiest time I had during my marriage."

  Ouch.

  I stand and take my chances by Raina. I'm not directly beside her because that would be suicidal, but I'm a couple of feet behind her. "Then why the gun now? If it was an accident, the police will understand."

  His brows become one long caterpillar across his forehead. "This has nothing to do with the police. I am innocent. I have no intention of losing my daughter."

  Raina and I exchange glances. This can't be good.

  Aunt Stella and Freezer Dude float into the room. They have terrific timing, but where the heck have they been?

  They float over to Warren and size him up. Warren shivers, but he doesn't seem to care that the temp dropped a bunch of degrees.

  Freezer Dude squats to gun height and stares at the thing. What is he doing? He then stands back up and hovers his hands over Warren's. Nothing seems to happen at first, but then the gun begins to tremble.

  Warren stares hard at his hand. He has no idea what's going on.

  Raina starts pleading with Warren to put down the weapon. She has no idea that there's a power struggle going on right now.

  He's not paying her any attention. He's too busy with his trembling hand. The muscles in his arm tighten. He must be using all of his might to hold onto the thing.

  Freezer Dude's jaw clenches, and Aunt Stella looks at her boyfriend with worry on her face.

  I can't leave this up to them. Yes, they're helpful, but they're dead. If a bullet accidentally hits them, they won't get hurt. Raina and I, on the other hand, won't look cute with holes in our bodies.

  While Raina continues to plead with Warren and Freezer Dude is doing his gun-wrestle thing, I decide the napkins aren't my first weapon of choice, so I gently pick up the bowl of bananas. I place the fruit on the table and grab the edge of the bowl in my grip.

  I step closer to Raina. I consider going around the other side of the table, but I don't want him watching me. There's a slight chance I can make it out the back door, which is behind me, but he may fire at Raina, and I don't want to be responsible for that. I don't want Tessa to lose two mothers.

  Freezer Dude still struggles, and I guess Aunt Stella decides to help because she's blowing in Warren's ear. It would be funny if I wasn't sweating and freaking out that I may not see tomorrow.

  Warren uses his free hand to swat at the breeze. His hand goes through Aunt Stella's face. She looks annoyed but keeps at it. She's trying to distract Warren enough so Freezer Dude can get the gun away from him. Smart woman. But it won't be long before both of them become too drained to continue. I need to act fast.

  With Warren's attention on his hand, I nudge Raina over a few steps with my hip. She glances my way but doesn't stop begging. She's going to be parched by time this ends.

  Freezer Dude groans and drops his grip. "Sorry," he whispers.

  Aunt Stella glances at me with panic on her face.

  I wiggle the bowl, drawing her attention to it.

  She nods and ducks.

  I race forward, lift my arm above my head, and aim at Warren's head.

  He looks up in surprise.

  Oh God, please don't shoot me.

  The bowl is thicker than it looks because it stays intact when I make contact with his skull.

  Crunching sounds, and Warren falls to his knees.

  Raina screams. The same sound from her Bloody Mary movie.

  I kick the gun from Warren's grip and watch it slide into the living room to the area rug, not far from the new coffee table. Irony much?

  Aunt Stella cheers and rushes to Freezer Dude.

  The front door swings open, and Julian runs inside. He too is holding a gun. He takes in the scene and asks, "Are you two alright?"

  I flop into one of the kitchen table chairs and set the bowl beside me. "Dude, you're too late."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  It's two days later, and I'm standing in the living room with Ma, Pop, Aunt Angela, Aunt Stella, and Freezer Dude. Aunt Angela is leaving to go home to Uncle Franco. I have no idea what she's decided about her marriage. I never found out what was suddenly wrong that she drove all this way to get away from. I assume she's over it and everything will go back to normal, but maybe she'll go home and ask for a divorce or counseling or set up separate bedrooms. Stranger things have happened.

  Aunt Stella and Freezer Dude have decided they do not want to move on to the afterlife. They are headed to Connecticut with Aunt Angela. I'm not sure why they want to be there rather than staying here on Long Island. I'm sad that I'm losing them, especially her. But I'm selfishly glad they're sticking around on this side of life.

  She floats over to me and leans close as if to give me a hug. "You know how to reach me if you need anything."

  Last night we officially said our good-byes, and the deal is that if I get in trouble or need help I only have to think of either of them, and they'll float over. Freezer Dude agreed to this, so I know Aunt Stella has been a good influence on him.

  I nod and smile. "I know. Don't worry. I'll try not to get myself killed."

  Ma and Pop look my way and frown.

  Aunt Stella cackles. Believe it or not, I'll miss that sound. "Now you and I both know that's a lie. Not only do you love helping us ghosts move on, but there's a thrill for you with this detective work. You're good at it. You should find a way to get paid for it."

  "I like doing events." At least I think I will. I've only done two so far.

  "Fine, but keep your options open, and don't let anyone…" She points to Ma. "…try to convince you to do something or not do something you don't want."

  I nod my head up and down several times. She has nothing to worry about. I have a strong will, and I've learned from her mistakes. "I'll miss you. Please come and visit and not only when Aunt Angela does. And yes, Freezer Dude…um, Mitchell is welcome too."

  She smiles and floats back to her man.

  As they climb into the back of Aunt Angela's car, my throat tightens. I'm really going to miss them.

  * * *

  That afternoon, after Ma, Pop, and I scarf down some cheesecake, I head home and find Julian waiting for me. We talked briefly after he busted in the Monroe house and held Warren at gunpoint as we waited for the cops.

  Warren admitted that he overheard Raina and me talking about when she found Kelly's body and decided to make the switch. Warren knew he wasn't going to be able to keep Tessa. He may have been able to convince Raina to continue playing the role of Kelly, but there was no reason for me to keep quiet. He felt the only reassurance he had was if I was six feet under.

  Why is murder always the first choice for bad guys? What happened to a calm
, rational conversation? Is that too much to ask?

  Julian has kept in touch with me these last two days, but none of our conversations included the serious and long talk we need to have.

  "I don't mean to show up unannounced," he says.

  We decide to stay downstairs and chat in his truck. I'm not sure if he's in a rush or doesn't trust himself enough to be alone with me. That's usually my reasoning.

  "I called your cell, but you didn't answer, and I worried."

  "I was at Ma and Pop's saying good-bye to both of my aunts and Freezer Dude."

  "Back to Connecticut?"

  "Yeah, they felt it best."

  There's a brief moment of silence while he turns up the heat and adjusts one of the vents to blow toward me.

  When he's done, he leans back in his seat. "I guess I should begin. Raina told me she told you everything. She assumed we work together, that you're an investigator too."

  I can't help but smile. "I guess I ask a lot of questions."

  He's wise not to agree. He does, however, offer a small grin.

  "I'm sorry you had to find out that way. Or at all."

  "Is that what you think? That I hadn't suspected all along? I knew, on some level, that first night we discussed Raina being dead."

  He looks off and doesn't respond.

  I don't know what to say either. Having my suspicions confirmed hasn't helped. I'm still annoyed that he knew the truth about Raina all along. And I'm hurt that he lied to me. Yeah, I intellectually understand that it's his job, and he only omitted the truth, but it feels like a lie.

  I tell him this.

  He hangs his head for a moment and then says, "You never mentioned your ex."

  "A kindergarten spouse isn't an ex."

  "Still."

  "I don't want to argue about Michael. It's a moot point. He doesn't even live on the island."