It Cannoli Be Murder

by Karoline Barrett

  ###

  “You’re catering Rocco Mastrostefano’s opening of Sweet Hill Winery?” Sean asked me later that night. “Do I want to know how you went from reading about him in the paper to being his caterer?”

  We had just finished my dinner of roast pork, green beans, baked sweet potatoes, and lemon bars. Pete’s Organic Kibble for Beau and Noelle. The pork was for Sean, of course. He could take it home with him and have another meal or two. He hasn’t been able to convince me to come to the dark side, although, like my father, he doesn’t give up trying to tempt me with meat, fowl, and fish.

  I swallowed the last bite of my lemon bar. “He happened to walk into our bakery this morning. Unfortunately, blinded by his good looks, I imagine, Liv told him we could. I promptly told her she had to tell him we don’t do catering. We can just do desserts. And some bread.

  “I have no idea how many people he wants to have, but we aren’t caterers, as you know. He was quite taken with Emily, who was looking all goofy at him, like a lovesick teenager. As if she’d never laid eyes on a man before. It was rather revolting on her part.”

  The corners of Sean's lips turned up slightly as I went on with my soliloquy and had grown into a full-on satisfied smirk by the time I was done. "Like the way you looked at me when I questioned you about Calista's murder?"

  Somehow, I refrained from throwing a lemon bar at him. The man had an ego as big as his appetite. "Noooo, not at all like that."

  He cocked one eyebrow at me. He knew that made my knees weak. “Okay. A little like that, but that's not the point. Is he really part of the Bellafiori crime family?”

  He finished up his own lemon bar and licked his fingers. “Another great dinner. I appreciate it. To answer your question, that’s the rumor.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. His humor is very dry and his delivery of said humor, very straight-faced. “Is there a chart? Like a family tree?”

  “Something like that.”

  “How come Rocco’s never been arrested?” I persisted.

  “He’s covered his tracks well. He’s not stupid by any means.”

  “He’s not going to kill Olivia and me and burn down Bread and Batter if we tell him we can’t cater, is he?” I had a terrifying picture in my mind of the bakery going up in flames in the middle of the night.

  His eyes softened, and his dimples deepened in amusement. “No, babe. I don’t think he’d go that far. As long as your food is edible.”

  I gave him a withering look. “This isn’t a joking matter. I’m serious.”

  He was still amused. “Don’t worry. Besides, you’re women. Even mob families supposedly have an honor code. Don’t touch women or children. Something along those lines.”

  “What about dogs?” I didn’t want him touching a hair on Beau or Noelle.

  “I’m certain no dogs, either,” he assured me, his mouth still twisted with amusement.

  I had a feeling he’d just made up that whole honor code thing, but I took comfort in it nevertheless, choosing to believe that Kendra, Olivia, Beau, Noelle, and I were safe for now. Ignorance is bliss, right? “That’s good to know. Wait! I just thought of something.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” was his hilarious reply.

  “If we do desserts for his grand opening, what about the money he pays us? Will it be money he got from criminal activity? Will we be party to a crime? Does he have a job? I mean a normal, everyday job?”

  “I’m only answering one of your questions. He owns three or four Italian restaurants in New York.”

  “City?”

  “Yep. And one in Buffalo.”

  “Are they legitimate businesses?” I think I already knew the answer to that.

  “All I know is the food is excellent.”

  His casual attitude concerning Rocco worried me. “You’ve eaten at them? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? Why didn’t you arrest him?”

  “No. None of my cases ever involved him. Good Italian food is good Italian food. And I don’t know that he hangs around in his restaurants all that much.”

  I sat back as I considered his words. I had no argument. “I suppose.”

  I put Rocco out of my mind. I’d let Olivia deal with him. I had my mother’s benefit to think about, and I was looking forward to some romantic Sean time late into the evening. We cleaned up together then took Noelle and Beau for their evening stroll. Noelle and Beau were inseparable.

  I wanted to add a third dog, but I hadn’t said anything to Sean yet. He’s mentioned buying a house, so maybe when he found his dream home on Destiny Lake, I’d broach the subject. We held hands with our fingers laced together and didn’t do a lot of talking, which was fine with both of us. The air was sweet with the smell of pine trees and flowers, in other words, a perfect evening. I had no idea how quickly things would change.

  CHAPTER 4

  * * *

  I drove toward the side entrance of Castle Shore Hotel, where Olivia and I had been instructed to park and enter for the Mellon benefit. It’s a good thing my car is small. The concrete lane was barely wide enough for a small car, and avoiding the numerous potholes, and branches from overgrown bushes on the right side was quite the challenge.

  I pulled up to the door and turned off the car. “We’ve been so busy getting ready for this event, Liv, I haven’t had a chance to ask you. Did you ever talk to Rocco and tell him we can’t cater his opening?”

  “I did. Luckily for us, he’s fine with it. He still wants us to do desserts, though. I told him once this event was over we’d meet with him.”

  “Okay, good.” I reached for my door handle. “Thanks for doing that.”

  “Wait,” said Olivia, grabbing my arm. “The thing with him being in the mafia. Should we be worried? Maybe you should ask Sean if we’re breaking any rules.”

  “I thought of that, too. I think we’re fine. I mentioned to him that we were doing it, and he didn’t say we shouldn’t.”

  She didn’t look entirely convinced. “Well, it may get us more business for the bakery. That’s a good thing, right?”

  “A very good thing,” I agreed. “Come on, we’d better get inside.”

  The door we walked up to couldn’t be opened from the outside. I hoped someone would hear us knock. Would it have been so hard to let us come in the front entrance of the hotel? Good grief!

  But before I could knock on the door, it was shoved open with such force that I was almost knocked down. Luckily, I wasn’t carrying a tray of petit fours and cupcakes yet. They would’ve ended up on the ground, or just as bad, all over the front of my shirt.

  I was face-to-face with a woman whose mouth formed an ‘Oh’ of surprise when she saw me, but then she quickly recovered. “Excuse me!” she muttered. She dipped her head, which was encased in a purple and pink paisley scarf, and scurried past me, pushing her super-sized sunglasses up on her nose.

  “Wait! Ma’am! Before you go, can you—” I called out to her.

  But she was already turning the corner at the back of the hotel before I could finish asking her how we should get to the atrium, where the banquet hall the Mellon School for Girls benefit was taking place in was located. She sure was in a hurry. Must have been a rough morning at work.

  I noticed something fall from her person as she turned the corner. “She dropped something!” I called to Olivia as I took off. “Be right back. Hold the door open!”

  I scooped up a keychain from the ground and hurried after her, but when I turned the corner, she was nowhere in sight. Who disappears that fast? Oh well, I’d tried. I tucked the keychain into the pocket of the terrycloth hoodie I had on. I’d turn it in to one of the hotel staff. Maybe they could find the person it belonged to.

  “Did you catch her?” Olivia asked.

  “No.” I leaned over, hands on my knees, and paused to catch my breath. I needed to exercise more, that much was clear. “It’s like she disappeared into thin air.”

  “Strange,” said Olivia. “Oh we
ll. Come on, let’s get our stuff inside.”

  “Hope we can figure out where to go,” I said as I propped the door open with a cinder block that was conveniently sitting next to the door.

  “Me too,” she agreed as she ducked into the car to get one of the dessert trays.

  We found our way with no problem back to the secluded atrium where the benefit was in full swing in one of the two banquet halls. We had just begun arranging the cupcakes and the pastel cheesecake petit fours on the dessert table’s pink paper tablecloth when a piercing high-pitched scream brought the Mellon School for Girls Benefit to an instant halt. A shiver raced through my body, and my heart raced at about twice its normal speed.

  “What the . . .? What is that screaming all about?” Olivia seized my forearm, her nails sinking into my skin.

  “Don’t ask me. I’ve been with you since we arrived.” Reclaiming my arm, I rubbed at the goosebumps on it.

  The band stopped playing, the music coming to an awkward stop mid-song. I watched my parents, and various other people, hurry out of the banquet hall and spill into the atrium.

  The luxurious five-star Castle Shore Hotel is on the far side of Destiny Lake. The benefit looked like a major network awards show with the men in tuxedos and the women in fancy ball gowns. Jewels sparkled in the lights from the crystal chandeliers. It was a fantastic turnout. But now the room buzzed with hushed conversations as people huddled together, afraid to venture out into the atrium. Not that I blamed them. About ten minutes later, my mother, father, and some of the others returned, all looking pale.

  My mother clapped her hands. “Please, can I have everyone’s attention? There’s been a terrible accident in the women’s restroom. The police are on their way.” She nodded to a woman on her right. “This is Thea McNamara. She’s one of the hotel’s managers.

  “She’s asked that we all stay put per the police department’s instructions. If anyone has a pressing need to use a restroom, Thea, or one of the staff, can direct you to an alternate one. I’m afraid we’ll be here for quite a while.”

  People murmured and grumbled amongst themselves and gradually made their way over to the buffet next to our dessert table; their appetites not diminished by whatever grisly accident had occurred. I tried to be cordial as people scooped up dessert, but honestly, how could they eat at a time like this? The band, however, had the good grace to not resume playing.

  “I’m going to go talk to my parents,” I told Olivia. “Will you be all right by yourself?”

  “Of course, go right ahead.” She shooed me away. “I think my heart’s begun pumping again. Let me know what’s going on.”

  “I will.” I made my way over to where my parents were. They’d wandered back out into the atrium and were standing a few feet away from Thea McNamara. “What happened in the restroom? I’m guessing it’s something horribly bad.”

  Tears filled my mother’s eyes as my father pulled her closer. “I can’t believe it. She’s dead!”

  My heart ricocheted against my ribs once again, and my stomach floated up to meet it. My mouth was sandpaper dry. “Who?” I croaked, not sure I wanted to know.

  “Senator Rachael Rydell,” my father replied. “One of the guests found her lying on the floor of the women’s restroom. That was the scream you heard.”

  “What?” I squeaked. “Lying as she fainted, or are we talking another murder?”

  My father held up his index finger to his lips and lowered his voice. “Shhh, it looks like she was shot. Recently I think. The blood looks fresh. But what do I know? The coroner will have to determine the time of death.”

  My thoughts reeled. Another murder? Impossible. Since our last one, our town had been quiet as far as that went. There was enough crime to keep Sean, and the rest of the police department busy, but thankfully, other than the cybercrime issue they were dealing with, nothing major.

  “But none of us heard the shot,” I said.

  “It may have happened earlier. I don’t have any idea,” replied my father. “Or whoever did it used a silencer. I have no knowledge of anything gun related, nor do I want to.”

  I was about to ask more questions, but the police were making their way toward us. I recognized the two Destiny Police Department officers, but their names wouldn’t come. I’m not all that sure I’d be able to come up with my own name right now if someone asked.

  My father and Thea left to take them to the body and I stayed with my mother. “Do you want to sit down?”

  Before she could reply, other board members surrounded her. At least, I assumed that’s who they were.

  “I say we try and go on with the party, Anne. The police will be interviewing everyone anyway, so it’s not like we can leave. What do you think?” This from a woman whose nametag read Lana Pearson.

  “It seems a little macabre to go on, with Rachael dead,” my mother replied, hugging herself. “But, on the other hand, the rest of the alumnae have paid to be here.”

  “I say we make an announcement and go on with the party,” put in a man holding a drink. The way his words slurred slightly, I presumed it wasn’t his first. I wondered what Mellon alumna had been lucky enough to snag this prize.

  A woman with a blonde pixie cut looked him up and down with thinly disguised revulsion. “Well, I think we should go on, Anne. There isn’t anything we can do to help Rachael now. She’s gone.”

  Rubbing her forehead, my mother sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll let people know what’s going on.”

  “Will you be okay?” I asked her.

  She gave me a watery smile. “I hope so. Where’s Melanie? I forgot all about her. Is she even here yet?”

  “I haven’t seen her,” said the woman named Lana. “I wonder where she is? She has to be here somewhere. I’ll go look and see if I can find her.”

  There was nothing for me to do here, so I made my way back to Olivia as my mother and other board members headed toward the band area.

  “What’s going on?” asked Olivia. “You look green. It’s something bad, isn’t it? I can feel it.”

  “Rachael Rydell was murdered.” There was no way to sugar coat it no matter how much I wanted to.

  Olivia’s eyes widened. “What? How? Are you sure? What happened? How awful. Does that mean one of these people here is the killer?”

  “My father said she was shot. I hope no one here’s the killer, then again, who else would it be? I’m having such a hard time wrapping my head around another murder. And yes, I’m sure. Unless she’s faking it, which is pretty much impossible. Never mind ridiculous.” I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. “I’m going to go out in the atrium to see if I can get any more information from the police about what’s going on.”

  “Better do it before Sean gets here if he’s not here already,” she warned, “he’ll shut you right down if he thinks you’re snooping around.”

  “You’re so right. I’ll be back.” I wandered out to the atrium just as my mother had begun explaining the situation to the guests. My cousin, Alex, the newest addition to the Destiny PD— he’d been promoted to detective six months ago—joined the other officers. He didn’t acknowledge my presence. I didn’t take offense since murder takes precedence over familial chit-chat and catching up. Besides, my mind was on Senator Rydell, just like everyone else.

  Not that anyone had asked me, but I didn’t think this had been a heat of the moment murder; it had been planned. Why? By whom? And why here? Was it someone at the benefit? Why had no one found her before now? It didn’t make sense. Rachael didn’t live here, who in Destiny would have reason to kill her? It had to be someone who came for the reunion. I felt my curiosity growing, and my questions multiplied despite the ill feeling still churning about in my belly.

  Sean arrived a couple of minutes later, but I certainly knew better than to talk with him. Right now, I was just another person of interest. It was going to be a very long night. He was in detective mode and he took his job seriously. I should know, having
been on the receiving end of his interrogation when orchard owner Calista Danforth was murdered.

  Besides a new murder to solve, he was also very wrapped up in planning an extensive training seminar the FBI was giving local law enforcement in Destiny, and several neighboring police departments, about cybercrime. Our police department, along with a few neighboring ones, had recently fallen victim to a cybercrime. I wasn’t sure of all the details, but I do know it involved ransomware extortionists, Eastern European cybergangs, and a serious hacking into Destiny’s police department’s computer.