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“I don’t believe this,” Jacques muttered as his convertible flew down the highway. “If that Carmine is anything like his brother, I wouldn’t put murder past him.”
“He might not be like Tony at all,” I pointed out.
Jacques snorted. “Oh please, darling. From what I’ve heard about that family, they all have a skeleton or two in their closets. Their father was rumored to be associated with the mob. Tony himself was once arrested for dealing drugs.”
“What? I never knew that.”
“Hmm.” Jacques narrowed his eyes at the road. “It was before you were an agent, even before Tony himself entered the business. Because of whom his father was, he basically got off with a slap on the wrist. Now, I’m not saying that people can’t change or that Carmine is guilty because his family has mob ties. Still, I wouldn’t underestimate any of them. The Romanos are a powerful family.”
“You’ve never told me exactly what Tony had done to you in the past,” I said.
Jacques was silent for several seconds. “There was this one time when we were both at a real estate conference in Syracuse. He was with a couple of his agents at a bar. My manager and I were at one of the tables having a discussion, and he started making fun of me and the fact that I was gay. He had everyone in the place laughing at me.”
I was horrified. “What did you do?”
“What I really wanted to do was punch him in the face,” Jacques admitted, “and to be honest, I think that’s what he wanted too. Instead, I got up and left.”
He kept his eyes fixed on the road, but I could see the pain in them that he always tried to hide. Jacques had not had an easy life, and his parents had disowned him after he had come out to them. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” he admitted.
I laid my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry that you had to deal with that. My guess is that Tony’s jealous of you and your success.”
Jacques gave me a wry smile. “Maybe I should take it as a compliment. He wants to take business away from me so there’s more for him.”
“The market is doing great right now. There’s plenty of listings for everyone,” I said scornfully. “He’s a greedy homophobic jerk.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Carmine works in real estate law as well as criminal law in an attempt to help his brother deceive people,” Jacques mused thoughtfully. “I’m also surmising that if Carmine is at the wake tomorrow, Tony will be too.”
“If it bothers you, I can go alone,” I said.
Jacques laughed. “Nonsense. I wouldn’t dream of letting you go by yourself. He can’t hurt me anymore. Now, getting back to Kevin. I can’t believe that he would change his life insurance policy and make Katie the beneficiary instead of Pam, or at least his kids.”
"It sounds like Katie asked him to, and he obviously would do anything that she wanted.” Anger bubbled near the surface for me. Pam had gotten a raw deal.
“I’m sorry the guy is dead,” Jacques said matter-of-factly, “but to leave his family high and dry like that is terrible. Every one of the Hiltons had reason enough to do away with him. Katie too, for that matter.”
“Agreed. For what it’s worth, though, I don’t believe Katie loved him. She was putting on an act for us. It’s so obvious that she was more interested in his money.”
“She could have killed him,” Jacques said thoughtfully. “But she’d have to be smart enough to figure out a scheme, and I’m not sure she qualifies.”
I had to laugh. “I don’t think Katie is as dumb as she made herself out to be. She wasn’t going to tell us about the money Carmine owes Kevin until we pretended to know all about it.”
“All right, so, what’s next?” Jacques asked.
“I don’t want to be involved anymore,” I said. “I’ll let Pam know I talked to Katie, but that’s it.”
Jacques looked disappointed. “Darling, you can’t walk away now! You’re still selling the house for Pam.”
“I’ll go to the memorial service tomorrow to pay my respects, but that’s all.”
He snorted. “Darling, it’s not that simple. Trouble always seems to find you. Not that it’s your fault. Some people are destined for disaster.”
I blew out a breath. “Gee, that makes me feel better. Thanks for driving, and for the macchiato. I need to do grocery shopping before I pick up Grace, so I’d better get going.”
Jacques’ eyes turned a brilliant emerald color, like they always did when he became excited about something. “What time should I pick you up for the service tomorrow?” he asked.
“How about twelve thirty? Let’s plan to get in and out fast.”
“Sounds good,” Jacques nodded in agreement. “We’ll pay our respects and then hit the road.”
I couldn’t resist singing, “Hit the road, Jacques, and don’t you come back, no more, no more—”
Jacques raised his hand in a stop motion. “Darling, please. Your singing leaves a lot to be desired.”
“Yeah, I’ve been told that before.”
“Cin, you do realize who else will most likely be there,” Jacques said.
A chill ran down my spine. “Yes. Kevin’s killer.”
***
The next day was Saturday, and Greg and I enjoyed the rare luxury of sleeping in until eight o’clock when Grace jumped into our bed. Greg offered to go down and get her breakfast, so I happily dozed for another hour until the twins barged into the bedroom and demanded pancakes.
By the time pancakes, sausages, and a large quantify of coffee was on the table, it was ten o’clock. “Jacques is picking me up at twelve thirty,” I reminded Greg. “We’ll only be gone a couple of hours.”
Greg reached for the maple syrup jug. “That’s all right. I’m planning to mow the lawn this afternoon. And then maybe watch some of the ball game.”
“Let the lawn go until tomorrow,” I suggested. “You deserve a day to relax.”
“It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” He accepted another cup of coffee from me and rewarded me with a kiss on the lips.
“Gross,” Seth muttered.
Grace took a sip of her milk. “Can Darcy play Barbies with me when she gets back?”
Confused, Greg and I both stared at her. “When she gets back from where?” I asked.
Darcy had gone to a movie with some friends last night. I’d woken up at about one o’clock in the morning to use the bathroom and looked in on all the kids out of habit. She’d been sound asleep in Grace’s room. She liked to sleep in, and I hadn’t expected to see her downstairs until noon.
“She went shopping,” Grace volunteered. “And then Grandma was gonna take her out for breakfast. She said Darcy needed special treatment. What’s that mean?”
“It means that you and Darcy are girls, so you get everything,” Seth scowled.
“Yeah,” Stevie agreed. “Darcy thinks she’s a queen, and you’re the baby, so everybody spoils you.”
Grace’s lower lip trembled. “I’m not a baby!”
“Girls think they’re so smart. I bet you can’t do this.” Stevie put his thumb in front of Grace and then proceeded to bend it backwards, beyond the normal range. He’d been able to do it for as long as I could remember, much to my chagrin. Grace immediately began screaming and, in an effort to get away from her brother, knocked her tumbler of milk off the table.
“Get the mop!” I told Stevie sternly.
Grace hid her face in Greg’s chest. “Daddy, Stevie broke his thumb! Fix it!” she sobbed.
“You just got yourself grounded for that stunt, mister,” Greg said.
“See? All girls get away with murder,” Stevie told his twin as he began to mop up the mess.
Normally I might have laughed, but after the week I’d had, I wasn’t in the mood. “When you get done mopping, take the dogs outside and give them fresh water. Seth, it’s your turn to vacuum today.”
They both grumbled but did as they were told. After they’d left the room, Grace settled herself on Greg’s lap while he finished his coffee. “When do I get to do fun things with Grandma?” she asked.
“When you’re a little older,” Greg said. He put her down on the floor. “Go on upstairs and make your bed and get dressed. You’ve got to help me keep your brothers in line today while Mommy goes out.”
“Yes, I will!” Grace grinned happily and ran out of the room.
Greg turned to me. “She couldn’t even let us know they were going out?”
“That’s college kids for you,” I sighed.
He grimaced. “I was talking about my mother.”
Helen York was a touchy subject for me, and as much as I would have loved to bash her, I didn’t think that would be fair to Greg. Helen thought that the sun rose and set on her grandchildren. I was a different matter though.
My mother-in-law and I hadn’t gotten along from day one. By now, I was used to her sarcastic comments and constant disapproval. Since I’d lost my own mother before Greg and I started dating, I’d had high hopes for a close relationship with his mom. It wasn’t long before I learned that would never come to fruition. The theory had flown out the window when I’d met Helen. To further prove her dislike for me, she’d decided to wear black to our wedding. At first, I’d had a difficult time standing up to her, but after a few years I’d found my permanent footing.
“I’m sure Darcy’s having a grand time telling her about how unfair we are.” I hated the thought that Helen was privy to our private discussions. She might be family, but she always took the kids side over ours and loved to interfere.
Greg sighed. “Yeah, mom loves to pour on the sympathy.”
I stacked the plates into the dishwasher. “Darcy is just as guilty though.”
Greg took a sponge and wiped off the table. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Darcy uses her grandmother to buy her clothes or things for the dorm. And I know that she slips her a check once in a while and asks Darcy not to tell us. At the same time, Helen uses her to gain information about us. They’re manipulating each other.”
Greg shook his head. “She does mean well, Cin. She just always goes about it the wrong way.”
“No argument there,” I said.
Greg placed his arms around my waist and kissed me. “When they get home, I’m going to sit my mother down and have a little talk with her. She needs to respect our boundaries.”
It was a lovely intention, but we’d been through this before. Nothing was going to cause Helen to change at this stage of her life. In a way it made me feel sad for her, because all she was doing was alienating her son further.
I kissed Greg again and then playfully flicked him with the dish towel. “And that’s why I love you.”
“Is that the only reason?” he asked teasingly, but I blew him a kiss and ran up the stairs to get ready. After I showered and washed my hair, I dressed in a gray pantsuit that was suitable for a memorial service. I did some light housework and before I knew it, Jacques’ familiar horn blared from outside.
Apparently, Grace recognized the horn as well, for she ran to the living room window. She started jumping up and down with excitement when she saw the red convertible. “It’s Uncle Jacques!” she shrieked. “Did he bring me anything? Is Bolin with him?”
Greg and I both laughed. All of our kids adored Jacques, who was another bone of contention between my mother-in-law and me. She didn’t approve of Jacques’ lifestyle and had told me so several times. Jacques and Ed were used to her judgmental comments but still tried to avoid the house if they knew that she was here.
“Bolin’s gone to the restaurant with Uncle Ed today,” I told Grace. “And Uncle Jacques is here to pick me up.”
Grace stared at me curiously. “Where are you going? Can I go too?”
“Not this time, baby. We have to go visit—um, a friend.”
“Why?” Her big blue eyes watched me with interest. “Is your friend sick?”
Yes. Kevin Hilton was permanently sick with no hope of recovery. “I guess you could say that.”
“Come on, sweetheart.” Greg picked her up in his arms. “You can help me in the yard today. Won’t that be fun?”
“Will you play Barbies with me?” Grace asked him. “You can be Ken.”
Greg pretended to be insulted. “But I thought I got to be Barbie this time. That’s no fair.”
She giggled as Greg tickled her, and I gave her a kiss. “See you soon.”
“I love you, Mommy!” Grace called out.
As I got into the convertible, I thought about how much joy Grace had brought us in the last four years. She was living proof that everything happened for a reason, and I couldn’t imagine our lives without her.
“Oh my,” Jacques said as I fastened my seat belt. “Why so pensive?”
“I was wondering why kids have to grow up,” I sighed. “They’re so uncomplicated when they’re little.”
Jacques’ mouth ticked up at the corners. “So, they can argue with their parents, of course. Take Bolin, for instance. He’s only thirteen and already knows everything.”
“Welcome to my world,” I said dryly. “My mother-in-law took Darcy shopping this morning and didn’t even bother to tell Greg or me first.”
He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Well, let’s face it, darling. Your mother-in-law lives for the sole purpose of making your life as miserable as possible. She’s still hopeful that she can ruin your marriage.”
“What a lovely thing to say,” I teased.
“She certainly has the perfect name,” Jacques murmured. “We all know where she’s going when she dies.”
“That’s terrible!”
He grinned wickedly. “Maybe, but oh so true.”
Jacques pulled his car into the parking lot adjacent to the Light the Way Funeral Home. All of the spaces were occupied, and there was already a line of people out front that stretched across the lawn.
“Well, shoot,” Jacques said. “We should have gotten here earlier.”
“That’s all right. It will give us more time to people watch,” I observed.
“Spoken like a true detective,” Jacques laughed. “Oh, look, I can grab that space!”
A van was pulling out of a parking spot, and Jacques put on his signal. Before he could pull into the spot, a Mercedes snuck in from the other side and beat him to it.
Jacques cursed under his breath. “What a jerk! He saw me waiting for that spot.”
We circled the parking lot again, and by the time we returned to the now occupied space, a man and woman were alighting from the car. I recognized the woman immediately and sucked in some air. It was Tricia Hudson.
“What is she doing here?” I demanded. “And don’t tell me it’s to pay her respects. She’s trying to get the listing—I’d bet on it.” It sounded exactly like something sneaky that Tricia would do.”
“Oh, dear Lord.” Jacques wiped at the sweat gathering on his forehead.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He pointed at the man. “Don’t you know who that is?”
I squinted. “He looks familiar.”
“It’s Tony Romano,” Jacques said in a tight voice. “I guess we’re in time to catch the fun.”