Life is Better Brunette

by Diane Bator

  "No problem." Razi took her arm and led her to the couch.

  "Did you eat dinner yet?" Gilda asked, sitting on a nearby chair.

  "No." Marion sighed. "I thought about it, but every time I thought about what I'd like to eat, nothing sounded good."

  Razi smiled. "I know something you would enjoy."

  Marion met Gilda's gaze and cracked a small smile. "If only I had the strength."

  "Should I leave?" Gilda asked.

  When Razi raised his eyebrows, she laughed.

  "What did you have in mind, Razi?"

  He winked. "Leave that to me. I will cook something that will give our friend Marion her strength back. Would you like to join us as well, Gilda?"

  Marion shot her a warning glance.

  "No. That's fine." Gilda stood and didn't bother to hide her smile. "I'd better go home. Mick and I have a date tonight." She didn't want to worry Marion any more than she had to.

  Razi lunged for the door. "I will walk you there. I need to pick up a few ingredients."

  They were silent for the few blocks to Gilda's house.

  Once Gilda opened her front gate, she waved her fingers then walked up her sidewalk. She unlocked the door before she glanced back. "Thanks for walking me home, Raz. I'll see you tomorrow."

  He climbed the stairs behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure whatever has come up, Sensei Mick will explain when he gets here. I am sure he feels bad about not being here for your date."

  "You know you're not helping, right?" She scowled.

  "I am sorry." Razi backed away. "I am not very good at this sort of thing. Maybe you should call Sensei Mick and set things straight. I need to go make Marion a nice, healing dinner. Tomorrow she will feel much better."

  "I'm sure she will. Thanks." Gilda nodded and closed the door.

  She called then texted Mick's cell phone but still got no reply. Rather than get upset, she headed to the kitchen to rummage for dinner and a glass of something stronger than water to take the edge off her quickly declining mood.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket half an hour later. Mick. She let his first call go to voice mail while she poured a glass of wine. When he called a second time, she answered. "Where are you?"

  "Hey, babe, Gary and I are on our way back to town now. I'll drop him off at his car then pick up dinner. Is it okay if you and I just hang out at your place tonight?"

  "Sure." She hesitated. "How did your meeting go?"

  Mick snorted. "Not worth the gas money, but I do have some news for you. I'll fill you in when I get there."

  Twenty minutes later, someone rang her doorbell. Gilda opened the door, her heart racing at the sight of Mick, who flashed a large smile despite looking haggard and unshaven.

  "Hey, babe." He stepped inside to hug her with one arm while he held a large paper bag against his body with his other arm. "Sorry I didn't call earlier. Things got a little messy with Gary's so-called investor."

  She took the bag. "How could a meeting with an investor get messy?"

  He kissed her then ran a hand through his hair. "Fabio and Thayer came in and arrested him. After that we were stuck in an interrogation room at the police station until I called."

  "You were where?" Gilda's stomach did half a barrel roll as she stared at him. No wonder he hadn't called her back. "Just because you met with some potential investor?"

  "Well, that's how it started off, anyway." He indicated the bottle of wine on the table and her half-empty glass next to it. "Can we get some food first? I'm starving, and I could really use a couple glasses of wine."

  "Yeah, sure." She led the way to her small kitchen and set the bag on the counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen. "So who did you meet with that was so important to the police?"

  Mick remained tight-lipped until he'd filled a plate with over-sauced takeout Chinese food and a large glass of wine. While Gilda filled her plate, he lit the cluster of three candles she kept on the table and dimmed the lights.

  She sat across the table from him and sipped her wine before she met his gaze.

  "I missed you." He reached for her hand and smiled.

  Her tension melted as her face warmed. "I missed you too. I'm sure you heard it's been an eventful few days around here."

  He nodded. "Which is exactly why Gary and I had the pleasure of accompanying the police to their lair."

  Gilda's back stiffened and she tilted her head slightly. "Excuse me?"

  "We were meeting with Adam Vines."

  "Isn't he one of Gary's henchmen?"

  "Business associates." Mick corrected her. "Apparently his father, Malcolm, was involved in a kidnapping case that ended here about twenty years ago, and Gary helped him take care of things."

  "Robert Sullivan." The hairs rose on the back of her neck. "The guy kidnapped his daughter and was caught in the lobby of the tattoo shop on Armadillo Street."

  Mick smirked as he raised his glass. "I see you've done your homework."

  "How can you be so glib about all of this?" Gilda winced. "When Fabio told me about Miss Claudia's autopsy and her real identity, I was intrigued."

  He frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Miss Claudia was really Robert Sullivan." She paused. "The kidnapper."

  Mick dropped his fork on the floor, his jaw suddenly slack so his mouth hung open. "What did you just say?"

  Gilda bit her lip. "I take it neither Fabio nor Gary mentioned that tidbit to you."

  "Nope." He guzzled half his glass of wine.

  She poked at an egg roll. "So what does Adam Vines have to do with anything, besides being related to Randy and Malcolm?"

  "He was Sullivan's brother-in-law," Mick said. "His father used to own the building where Miss Claudia had her fabric shop."

  Then a thought hit her. Sullivan's wife's maiden name was Vines. Gilda shivered. That was the local connection. "But if Sullivan kidnapped his daughter, why bring her here to his in-laws?"

  "To get her away from his ex? Why else do people kidnap their own children?" Mick speared a piece of broccoli. "He must have had his reasons. You said they caught him. I'm sure they got her back unharmed and Sullivan went to jail."

  "They arrested him, brought him back to L.A., then he got out on bail. He faked his death and became Miss Claudia." She gazed into the candlelight and frowned. "I never saw anything more about Laurel after Sullivan was caught."

  Mick flinched. "Laurel? Was that his daughter's name?"

  Gilda nodded. "I'm sure the articles said she was returned safely to her family, but—"

  "Before you go running off for the nearest computer, can we relax and sit through one dinner together?" He reached for her hand. "It's been a while since we've been able to catch up."

  "Yeah. You're right." She gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll worry about all that tomorrow."

  He met her gaze. "Or just let Fabio and Thayer deal with things."

  "Or that."

  "Don't look so disappointed." Mick chuckled then studied her for several moments. "Eat up. I have a great idea for dessert."

  "Oh yeah?" She raised her eyebrows. "And what might that be?"

  He winked and picked up his egg roll. "You'll see."

  Since the only thing he'd brought to her house was dinner, she was at a loss for clues.

  They finished eating and washed the dishes, and then Mick entwined the fingers of his right hand with her left and led her out of the kitchen. "Time for dessert."

  Rather than take her to the bedroom as she half-expected, he led her to the front door.

  "Um. Where are we going?" she asked.

  He released her hand to drape his arm across her shoulders. "For a stroll. I know a place that sells the most decadent cheesecake and a great cup of coffee."

  Gilda shook her head. "You do know having coffee this late will keep me up all night."

  "I'm counting on that." He leaned into her a little more. "But first, I need to take your mind off murders, kidnappings, and dark family
secrets."

  Dark family secrets? Gilda tried not to let her intrigue show, yet her mind whirled around the Vines family, Sullivan, and his daughter. "Okay. So where are we going then?"

  Mick looked smug. "A little place Gary and I met at a couple times. I figured a little music over a nice dessert might improve the mood tonight."

  "Sounds good so far." Gilda smiled, then cringed when Mick steered her onto Armadillo Street. She'd never been there after dark before. It was one of the few streets she'd avoided at night, just on principle.

  As they turned the corner, she froze. The trees along the street were lit with soft, white lights. From the bars and deli came the mixed strains of jazz, rock, and reggae music. People strolled from shop to shop to window-shop, while some paused to dance in the street as if the night were an impromptu street fair.

  Mick reached over to close her gaping mouth. "I take it you've never been down here at night before."

  "No, it's incredible."

  "The sad thing is this is just the sort of thing Miss Claudia was trying to get rid of."

  Gilda blew out a sigh. "I never knew."

  He nudged her. "Yeah, well, you're more of a homebody than some of us. You never had a reason to come here before."

  When she spied Randy up the sidewalk, she started to giggle. "I never even told you what I did the other day."

  Gilda lifted her foot onto the nearest bench to show him her tattoo. "What do you think?"

  Mick lit his phone screen to take a closer look. He whistled then took a picture. "I think it's too bad you didn't show me this before. We wouldn't have left your house."

  "But then we wouldn't be going for cheesecake." She put her arms around his neck and laced her fingers behind his head.

  He kissed her. "Nope, just breakfast in the morning."

  "It's not too late. I could live with that." She rubbed the tip of her nose against his.

  Mick winked. "Yeah, but we're here now, so let's go get that cheesecake. We've got all night to have a little fun."

  Her mouth dropped open. "I'm offering you a night of passion, and all you want is cheesecake?"

  "No, that's not all I want."

  He led her into the place she'd been so sure was a biker bar. Instead, it turned out to be a little jazz club with waitresses who wore short black skirts and pinstripe button-up shirts with narrow black ties. They sat at a small corner table and each ordered a different flavor of cheesecake, along with cups of café Americano.

  For the first time in days, Gilda allowed herself to relax and enjoy the night. She sat back and glanced around the room, glad to see she didn't know anyone else in the room but Mick.

  Until she spotted Randy, the tattoo artist whose face appeared several shades darker than normal and his veins stuck out of his neck way more than she'd ever thought could be healthy. She craned her neck to see whom Randy was sitting with, but the other person had his back to her. All she could see was the man's dark, slicked-back hair as his left hand waved through the air while he talked.

  "Hey, there's Randy," Mick said.

  Gilda flinched. "Yeah, he's the guy who did my tattoo. Do you have any idea who he's sitting with? They don't look very happy about something."

  Mick leaned forward to look around her then frowned. "Yeah. I know him."

  "Who is he?"

  "Adam Vines." His jaw tightened. "Randy's brother."

  Gilda tensed. "I thought they arrested him?"

  "I thought so too. They must have just questioned him and let him go. Either way, I'm not going to let him invest in the school." Mick placed one hand on her cheek and turned her to face him. "And no, I'm not going to introduce you either."

  She let out a sigh. "Am I that obvious?"

  He leaned over and kissed her soft and slow. "Am I?"

  "Yup." Gilda's heart raced. "I think we're done here."

  The Vines family and Miss Claudia's deep, dark secrets could wait until morning.

  She hoped.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  While Mick snored, Gilda slipped on the shorts and tank top she normally slept in during the summer. She wrapped a thick sweater around her torso and wandered out to the backyard with a steaming cup of coffee and flavored creamer to listen to the falling rain. She sat on the porch, keeping her toes back from the line that separated wet wood from dry.

  After she and Mick had become physically reacquainted, Gilda had one nightmare after another about Randy, Adam Vines, Robert Sullivan, and Miss Claudia. Her hands were still shaking. Served her right for drinking coffee so late.

  Nothing seemed easy or straightforward. Nothing but the strong urge to sip hot coffee in the rain and plan a life far away from Sandstone Cove and all the crazy things she kept getting into. She could put her house up for sale and move to Erie to be closer to her mom. Of course, that would mean running away and leaving Mick, Marion, the Phoenix, and her cozy little house.

  Not that she and her mom had never gotten along, just not as well as she had with her dad. After her dad's death, her mom became withdrawn and could no longer deal with the pitying looks from her friends and neighbors. She moved to Erie a few months later to start a new life and made Gilda feel guilty for rarely visiting.

  Gilda shivered and thought back to the jazz club where she and Mick ate cheesecake a mere eight hours earlier. The music and food were divine. As for the company, Mick had never been more attentive or charming.

  Until she'd seen Randy arguing with Adam Vines, which normally wouldn't have bothered her, except both Randy and Adam were also Robert Sullivan's brothers-in-law. Had they suspected Miss Claudia was actually their sister's husband, or had they known the truth all along? If anyone had good reason to kill Miss Claudia, Randy and Adam both now topped her mental list.

  Gilda sipped her coffee and wiggled her toes across the line on the wood into the rain. A sudden chill raced up her legs. As much as she wanted to spend a lot more time with Mick, she needed to get rid of him then get to the library as soon as it opened. There must be a way to connect all the sporadic dots that kept popping up.

  Going back to see Randy wouldn't be a good idea, not until she learned more about him and Adam. Gary would be able to help her with that since he was the one who'd connected Mick with Adam to discuss investing in the Phoenix school.

  First, she needed to learn more about Miss Claudia and find a way to search her apartment above the fabric store.

  When Gilda went back inside the house, she was surprised to see Mick already out of bed and pouring a cup of coffee. "Good morning, handsome."

  When he didn't look up, she sighed. It would still take her a while to get used to his sudden hearing loss. She waved a hand as Mick turned her way.

  "Hey, good morning, babe." He set his coffee cup down then came around the counter and caught her in a hug. "You're up early. I guess I didn't do such a good job of wearing you out. Do I get a do-over?"

  "Anytime." She melted into his arms, careful to make sure he could read her lips. "I guess you were already tired by the time we got back, so I'll let it go this time."

  Mick chuckled. "Lucky me. So, what's going on today?"

  "Kane and Razi are teaching a self-defense course."

  "Ah, right." He took his phone out of his pocket and set it near his coffee cup. "Kane's already texted me six times to make sure I'll be there."

  "Which means you'll have to leave soon." She traced a small scar on his jaw with one finger. "I suppose I'll just have to find some other way to amuse myself."

  "Hopefully a way to stay out of trouble so Fabio and Thayer don't get mad at you," he teased.

  Gilda shrugged as her face warmed. "Actually, I was thinking of getting dressed to go for a run this morning. Do you want to join me?"

  "No time." He made a trail of light kisses down her neck. "I would prefer a different sort of workout, though."

  She giggled. "I like the way you think."

  When Mick's phone vibrated, he made a face then checked the message. "Oh, that'
s great. Kane has impeccable timing, doesn't he? I'd better go see what he wants before he drives me crazy. Why don't you go for a run and meet me for coffee before the lunch hour class?"

  "Sure." Her mind whirled. If she skipped going for a run, she'd have more time to stop by the library to do a little research. "That sounds good. After my run, I'll come home and shower then meet you at the school."

  "Yeah, well, just don't start running and keep on going." Mick kissed her. "I wouldn't want you to leave home for good, not when we still have so much catching up to do."

  She nestled against his chest. "I promise I won't go far."

  Once Mick finished his coffee, he headed to the school.

  Gilda pulled on some clothes and went for her run, hoping to burn off some of the negative energy accumulating in the pit of her stomach. If she cut her run a couple miles short, she'd have enough time to dig through the archives before she met him for coffee.

  As she neared the karate school, she glanced toward Ponderer's Point. A familiar figure sat on the large boulder just below the lighthouse. A familiar figure who had his finger on the pulse of Sandstone Cove. Literally. She glanced toward the school then headed toward the lighthouse and Doc.

  "Hey," Gilda called from several feet away as she slowed to catch her breath. "You look deep in thought."

  Doc smiled around the pipe clenched in his teeth. "No deeper than usual, my dear."

  Gilda hopped onto the large boulder, keeping her hands on the sun-warmed rock for support. Being around Doc always reminded her of hanging out with her dad. Doc and her father, a former cop, shared pouches of various types of tobacco out on their front porch back when she was a little girl. Before her father was shot and killed in the line of duty and Doc became one of his pallbearers.

  "I knew you'd come to find me sooner or later." Doc puffed on his cherrywood pipe, the sweet scent of tobacco wafting around them.

  She raised her eyebrows. "You did? Why's that?"

  "Because you found a body and probably think the medical examiner and I discussed the case at length at Fabio's request." He took a long draw off his pipe.