Chapter Twelve
Caprice had been keeping tabs on Dulcina and her new adoptee through text messages. But she wanted to see for herself how Halo was faring. She knew Dulcina was a kind, gentle person. But not everyone was a cat person. Maybe she’d thought more about the responsibility of caring for a cat with kittens and had changed her mind.
On Monday morning while Lady played with her kibble release toy and Sophia and Mirabelle napped, Caprice crossed the street to Dulcina’s house. After she rang the bell, it took her neighbor a few minutes to come to the door. Caprice was almost ready to text her to see if she was home when Dulcina opened it. She looked a bit harried. Instead of her hair being tied back, it was loose around her face and a bit flyaway.
“I was in the closet upstairs looking for old towels,” she explained. “They’re fine for Halo but not for the kittens. I think receiving blankets would be better, from what I’ve read on the Internet. Their little claws won’t get caught in them.”
Caprice had to smile as Dulcina motioned her inside. “So you’re going to visit the baby store?”
“No, I found a good deal online. They’ll be here in two days. I’ll have everything washed up and ready. I have one of those storage bins. I’m going to line it with newspaper and put the receiving blankets on top.”
Caprice followed Dulcina into her sunroom, where Halo was sitting on a new condo in front of the window. “How’s she doing?”
“This morning she let me pet her. She didn’t back away from my hand.”
“That’s a good sign. Is she eating for you?”
“She gobbles everything down like she hasn’t eaten for months.”
“Marcus said she was malnourished. She might eat like that the whole way through her pregnancy and while she’s nursing. Are you still willing to do all of this?”
“Yes, I am. I downloaded a book about cats having kittens, and I’ve watched a few videos. I know there’s a possibility that things can go wrong. If for some reason she’s not a good mother, I might have to hand-feed the kittens every two hours. But, Caprice, it feels so good to be giving time to nurturing this little being. Do you know what I mean?”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Slowly approaching the condo, Caprice said, “Hi there, Halo. Do you like it here?”
The purring cat gave her a slanted-eye look that wasn’t either cautious or accepting. It was quite serene, really.
“That first night I wasn’t too sure how she’d be in here,” Dulcina explained. “She went from window to window and looked like she wanted to go back out. She meowed. But I just talked to her softly and kept showing her the litter box. I closed the blinds and stayed in here with her and read. Finally she just sat too and then fell asleep. She looked exhausted.”
“The trauma of being captured and taken to the vet could have exhausted her. But you have to remember, being outside, she was never safe where she slept. She probably always slept with one eye open. Feral or stray cats have to be vigilant constantly. Are you going to keep her in here?”
“Just for today yet. The flea treatment should have done its thing by now, according to the pamphlets the vet gave you. I’ll wash up the sunroom really well and then let her explore. I’ll watch to see her favorite places and then put a bin nearby. Maybe I’ll put one in two different places.”
“She might like someplace darker than the sunroom to have her babies.”
“That’s what I read. I’m thinking in the kitchen. I can move the chair away from my little desk nook and put the bin under there. She should feel safe.”
“It sounds as if you have all the bases covered.” Caprice walked closer to Halo and then stretched out her hand, very slowly. The cat eyed her warily but didn’t jump or move away. She sniffed a few times, then folded her paws underneath her.
“You’re a beautiful girl,” Caprice said to her. “After good food and loving, you’ll make a great companion.”
“I talked to Rod last night and told him about her.”
“And?” Caprice prompted.
“And he told his girls right while we were on the phone. Vanna even got on the phone to ask me about her. She’s the younger one.”
“So kittens could be a bonding experience with them too.”
“I can hope. Nothing else has been. The concert on Sunday might be, but I won’t know how they’re going to react until we’re there. On the other hand, who can resist kittens?”
Caprice laughed. “Lots of people can.”
“I still have so much to learn. From what I read, I shouldn’t handle them if I don’t have to for two weeks, except to weigh them and that kind of thing. And I don’t think I’d let anybody else touch them for a month, especially not anyone who hasn’t been around animals.”
“That sounds about right.”
“I am nervous about being a midwife, though.”
“You don’t have to do it on your own. I can give you Marcus’s number. And you can call me if you need me. I’ve never delivered kittens, but I’ve helped to deliver pups.”
That brought back bittersweet memories. She and Grant . . . delivering Lady’s litter. Caprice had found Lady’s mom in her mother’s tomato garden. She’d named her Shasta because she was the color of Caprice’s daisies. When Caprice had found her owners, however, she learned that Shasta’s real name was Honey.
“I thought of asking around to see if anyone wanted a kitten,” Dulcina said, studying Halo. “But I don’t want to be superstitious about this. I’m just going to wait until they’re born. Then I’ll go from there. I know for sure I want to keep one of them with Halo.”
For Halo’s sake, as well as Dulcina’s, Caprice hoped all went well. Dulcina was definitely invested in the process.
Caprice lowered herself into one of the lawn chairs Dulcina had arranged in the sunroom. The blue-and-green-flowered cushion was comfortable.
Dulcina sat in the chair beside her. “Would you like coffee? Vanilla hazelnut.”
Caprice laughed. “You’ve convinced me.”
Dulcina was already on her feet. “You just stay there and commune with Halo. I’ll get us some.”
About five minutes later, Dulcina returned with two mugs. She handed one to Caprice. “I hope it’s right. A dab of sugar and a couple of teaspoons of milk.”
“You’ve got it.”
After Dulcina was seated, Caprice asked, “Are you going to the raspberry festival?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m going to stay close to home for the next month, except for short errands . . . and the concert. I want to make sure Halo is okay.”
“How about Rod?”
“I don’t see him that often as it is. It’s rare that the girls don’t have to be run here, there, and everywhere on a weekend. He doesn’t like me to be too involved in that, or else the girls don’t want me to be involved. I’m not sure which it is.”
“They play soccer, right?”
“They do.”
“Maybe he feels it would be boring for you to sit at their games. Have you told him you want to go?”
“Not really. I didn’t want to push in where I wasn’t wanted.”
“If you don’t ask or push, he might not know you’re interested in the girls’ welfare as well as his.”
“That’s a thought.” She paused, looked at Halo and then out the window at the sunny end-of-June day. “Even though he’s been divorced for a long time, I don’t know if he’s ready for a relationship.”
“I can relate to that,” Caprice said before she thought better of it.
“But you’re dating Grant now. Aren’t you two becoming more serious?”
“I thought we were. But his ex-wife’s coming to town and he’s going to see her. He feels as if he has to.”
“And you’re worried he’s not ending anything.”
“Something like that. There’s this wall up between us now. And until she comes and goes, I can’t see either of us jumping over it.”
“Don’t be out of touch with him,” Dulcina counseled. “You need to stay connected.”
“But that hurts when I don’t know what he wants,” Caprice admitted to Dulcina and herself.
“Maybe you could text him ‘Thinking of you’ or something like that.”
“With a little heart?” Caprice almost joked.
“Don’t get too flowery about it. But just let him know you want it to work.”
“Are you doing that with Rod?” Caprice asked slyly. “Does he know you want to get close to his girls? Not just because you want to date him, but because you want to mother them?”
“I don’t know if they want to be mothered.”
“Everyone wants to be mothered whether they’ll admit it or not,” Caprice suggested.
“A lot will depend on their going to the concert and their reaction to it.”
“Don’t put any expectations on it, or you won’t have fun yourself. If they see you and Rod having fun, that can make a difference too. Surely they want their dad to be happy.”
“Are girls that age that unselfish?”
“If he’s raised them to care about others, they might be.”
Halo suddenly rose, stretched, then studied the two of them.
“She has such long legs,” Caprice said.
“If you watch how she sits there,” Dulcina noted, “you can see that she’s crooked. That one back leg folds up higher than the other one. And when she walks, there’s a slight limp there.”
“She’s a lucky kitty to have survived some kind of accident. The wonderful thing is that she’s not wild or nasty. Even at the clinic, she let Marcus examine her and didn’t put up a fuss. There’s a resignation about her. Or maybe it’s just serenity. I don’t know.”
Halo jumped down off the condo and went to a bowl that held a few kitten crunchies. She gobbled them up quickly as if someone might take them if she didn’t.
“She hasn’t sat on the chairs yet,” Dulcina observed. “It’s as if she’s just used to the ground, and maybe trees. I guess that’s why she likes the condo.”
Halo made a turn around the room, stopped at the door leading into the kitchen and living room, then went to sit on the rug that Dulcina had laid in front of the French door.
“Have you found out anything more about who might have killed Drew Pierson?”
“I met a couple of his friends at the funeral reception. And his sister seems to already be numbering her grandmother’s possessions for when she inherits.” Caprice shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said that. You didn’t hear me say that.”
Dulcina laughed. “If it’s true, then maybe she has a motive. What kind of person is she?”
“I’m not exactly sure. She seemed volatile. On the other hand, inviting an antiques dealer to the funeral reception is calculating.”
“And Drew’s friends?”
“From what I could tell after spending just a few minutes with them, Bronson Chronister seems like an interesting guy. He comes from money. His father made Happy Camper RV Center into a huge success. Bronson’s taken over now.”
“Camping,” Dulcina said with disgust. “Not something I want to contemplate.”
“From what Bronson says, the newest campers have every convenience. It’s not the camping in a tent experience. It’s more like staying in your own hotel room on wheels and seeing the surrounding sights experience.”
“I wonder if Rod has ever thought about doing that with his daughters. Do you think you can rent them?” Dulcina asked.
“You want to be cooped up with Rod, a teen, and a preteen for a weekend?” Caprice returned.
“That does sound pretty unsettling. And once the kittens are born, they’ll probably need me twenty-four hours a day.”
Caprice wondered if Dulcina wasn’t using the idea of Halo and her kittens to give herself an out with Rod in case things didn’t work out. Could they be an excuse for her not to get more involved? Maybe she wasn’t any more ready than he was.
“If I’m prying, just tell me to butt out. But you never talk about your first marriage.” Caprice knew Dulcina had been a young widow but not the details of what had happened.
“It was a wonderful marriage,” Dulcina assured Caprice. “And I don’t say that looking back with rose-colored glasses. Johnny was perfect for me, and I seemed perfect for him. Once we met in high school, we knew we were going to be together forever. But I learned the hard way that forever is for fairy tales. An icy road and a drunk driver coming at him . . . he didn’t have a chance for forever . . . and neither did I.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I try not to think about it anymore,” Dulcina said with a sudden catch in her voice. “I still miss him so much. And the truth is, I don’t think I’ll ever find anything like that relationship again. We were soul mates. How do you have a second act to that?”
“I guess you start by deciding if you want a second act. Do you?”
“I think I do. Being alone sucks after awhile. I’m not afraid to be alone but, on the other hand, I don’t want to settle for less than I had.” She sighed. “If you play armchair psychologist with me, you’ll have a field day. You’d say I’m not pushing things with Rod because I might not want to.”
Dulcina didn’t need her to play psychologist. She’d already come to important realizations on her own. “Right now, I’m not the one to give any advice.”
“Maybe I should help you solve a murder instead of worrying about my relationship woes.”
“I have a feeling when those kittens arrive, you won’t have much time for anything else.”
“I see that as a good thing,” Dulcina decided. “If I lower my expectations with Rod and concentrate on the kittens, maybe karma will take care of itself.”
That was the thing with karma. The universe was made up of actions and reactions. Every action caused a reaction. So if you did nothing, were there no reactions?
Either the murder or worrying about Grant was getting to her. “I have a feeling I’m going to be over here watching those kittens a lot. Then both of us can forget about everything else.”
Was that possible?
In about a month she’d find out.
* * *
Raspberries were definitely in the air on Saturday. Grocery Fresh had commandeered the town park for their festival. Their stand with quart boxes of raspberries sent the sweet aroma into the whole area, or so it seemed.
Caprice held Lady’s leash loosely as she watched everyone with interest. Lady trotted along beside her, nosing the ground around the food and craft stands.
Caprice, Bella, and Nana submitted their desserts to a tent for judging in the late afternoon. Bella’s raspberry trifle, Caprice’s raspberry bread, and Nana’s raspberry shortcake were given numbers. The judges would have no idea who had prepared the desserts. Winners would be announced right before the chicken barbecue stand began serving dinners.
As they were leaving the tent, Nikki ran up to them. “Sorry I’m late. I was doing cold calls, trying to line up more clients.”
“Did any pan out?” Caprice asked.
“One out of twenty,” Nikki admitted.
Bella patted her shoulder. “Ace Richland’s concert tomorrow might be good for all of us. Joe and I badly need a date night. And you need to forget about work and Drew Pierson’s murder.” She checked her watch. “I’m going to meet Joe at the playground so I can watch Benny while he and the kids can have a little fun,” Bella told her. “I’ll catch up to you later.” She waved to them and headed off toward the swings.
Nana squeezed Nikki’s hand. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Caprice and I are going to do a little sleuthing.”
Nana narrowed her eyes at them. “Nothing that will catch too much attention, I hope.”
“Caprice always attracts attention,” Nikki teased. “Look at her outfit.”
Juan had said the same thing! Was she that conspicuous? Today she’d worn a flowing, beaded paisley Bohemian-style top over white clamdiggers reminiscent of the fifties. She’d left her jeweled flip-flops at home and chosen a pair of white leather sandals instead. This was a fairly conservative outfit for her.
“You can see the lime green and fuchsia in that top coming and going,” Nana continued to joke.
“You’re all taking lessons from Bella, and I don’t like it,” Caprice complained.
Nana gave her a hug. “You know we’re just teasing. We love the way you dress. I suppose you’re just going to mingle and ask questions, and that’s fine. Nobody has to know you’re doing the detectives’ work.”
“We’re not doing the detectives’ work,” Nikki protested. “I’m sure Brett is doing a fine job on his own.”
Nana eyed Nikki thoughtfully. “Brett, is it?”
Nikki blushed. “We’re not on a first name basis, but I wouldn’t mind if we would be. The title Detective Carstead just seems so formal.”
Caprice dropped to a crouch to give Lady attention. The pup looked up at her adoringly. “Murder investigations are always formal.”
Nana gave Nikki a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you about this Detective Carstead when you’re no longer on his list of persons of interest to be questioned. I’m meeting Darla Watson over at her knitting stand. She makes these adorable little hats for babies. She’s going to show me how. See you in a while.”
Straightening up, Caprice watched Nana walk toward the knitters’ stand. “Where do you want to start?” Caprice asked Nikki after Nana had strolled away.
“Let’s just make the rounds. If we see anybody we know, we’ll stop and chat. The murder will probably crop up.”
They meandered from one stand to another slowly, appreciating the hanging baskets filled with geraniums, the craft stand with raspberry-patterned runners for tables, and another with shawls that had embroidered raspberries dotting the wool.
Caprice thought she recognized someone trying on a shawl. When the brunette with the pageboy turned around, Caprice smiled. “Hey, Helen. I haven’t seen you for a while.” Helen Parcelli had been in her high school class.
Helen twirled in the shawl and asked Caprice, “What do you think?”
“I think it’s pretty and would keep you warm on a cool night. How are you doing?” The last she’d heard, Helen was in charge of advertising at the Kismet Crier.
“My hours were cut again. I only want to work part-time because of the kids, but pretty soon I’m going to have to look for something else. Eight hours a week just isn’t enough.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nikki said. “Could you get a job on the York newspaper?”
“It’s possible. But my salary isn’t that great, and I’m beginning to think maybe I’d like to try something else.”
“What kind of something else?” Caprice asked.
Lady nosed around Helen’s shoes and Helen dropped down to pet her. “Hey, girl.” Then she gave her attention back to Caprice. “Maybe marketing. It’s a whole new world out there now, incorporating social media into advertising. I was thinking of becoming a social media consultant for businesses. It’s not just celebrities who need them anymore.”
“That’s an interesting concept,” Caprice responded, meaning it. “Nikki and I are trying to grow her business, and we’ve tapped into the social media world. But it’s rough getting a foothold.”
“You have to know the right outlets to push the word out. Do you want me to try to secure a couple of well-placed ads for your catering business?” Helen asked Nikki.
“I don’t have much of a budget,” Nikki warned her.
“Let me see what I can find out.” After Helen and Nikki exchanged numbers, Helen studied the shawl again that she’d thrown around her shoulders. “This might be nice topping a sundress for the reunion. Are you going?” she asked Caprice.
“I’m on the development committee, so yes, I’ll be there.” Originally she’d expected the reunion to be a happy occasion, that she’d take Grant as her guest. But now, Grant might not be accompanying her.
“You know the gossip will be all over the reunion about Drew Pierson,” Helen said. “Isn’t it just awful? Killed in his grandmother’s house.”
“It is terrible,” Caprice agreed. “Did you know him?”
“He went to school with my sister. She had a crush on his friend Bronson Chronister, but he only dated girls who came from well-to-do families like his own.”
“I understand Bronson is successful in his own right now,” Caprice prompted, hoping to learn more.
“That’s true,” Helen admitted. “He’s on several boards including the hospital in York, the school board in Kismet, and Kismet’s new Chamber of Commerce tourism board. He thinks his business influence can pull businesses into the area.”
“He did expand his RV centers,” Nikki said. “And think about his client base. They come from far and wide, and they go far and wide.”
“Each one of those customers could be a voter,” Helen explained. “I heard he might be stepping into politics soon. Since he’s a bachelor, my sister still has her eye on him. She even got a part-time job at the pro shop at the Country Squire Golf and Recreation Club hoping to chat him up. He plays a lot of tennis.”
Caprice’s mind started spinning. She knew Bronson had invited her to Happy Camper to tour the property and the recreational vehicles, but she’d really like a conversation on turf other than his. Maybe it was time she used her own contacts. Roz had a membership at Country Squire. They could both play tennis if Caprice went as her guest.
“Would you vote for Bronson?” Caprice asked Helen.
“I might. He has a lot going for him. He’s intelligent, he has connections, and he’s traveled around the world. With family money backing him, he could be good.” Helen turned to Caprice. “Since you’re on the development committee, is this going to be a dressy reunion? It’s at the high school, so I kinda figured it wouldn’t be.”
“If you want to go glitzy, you’re free to go glitzy. We’re old enough to be and dress the way we want to, don’t you think? We haven’t defined a wardrobe code. Nikki’s catering it, so the food will be exceptional. One of the guys is springing for bottles of champagne, and someone else’s family owns a winery, so he’s bringing wine. We have a DJ who can play anything from the forties to now. I am hoping the guys wear suits, and I’ll push that if anybody asks.”
“That sundress I mentioned might be just right,” Helen said thoughtfully. “It has a cute sequined top. I can sparkle that night.”
They all laughed. After a few more exchanged pleasantries and talk about the July Fourth fireworks over the reservoir that night, Helen took the shawl she’d thrown over her shoulders to the cashier and paid for it.
After she walked away, Caprice turned to her sister. “So Bronson wants to run for something.”
Nikki shrugged. “He probably has aspirations that will take him beyond Kismet.”
As Caprice glanced toward the judging tent, she suddenly froze. Something odd must have shone in her expression, because Nikki grabbed her elbow. “What’s wrong?”
“Look,” Caprice said morosely.
Her sister looked in the same direction. Grant stood at one of the baked goods stands holding Patches’s leash . . . and next to him was a very attractive blonde.
“Do you think that’s his ex?” Nikki asked with compassion in her voice.
“I don’t know who else it would be.”
Caprice took a step forward to get a better look.
As she did, both Grant and the woman turned around and headed in their direction.
Caprice wanted to duck behind one of the stands, or at least behind Nikki. But that would be a coward’s way out.
Nikki leaned close to her and said, “They’re just walking beside each other, not arm in arm, or holding hands, or anything like that.”
What Nikki said was true, but Caprice could see how their elbows brushed, and the body language said they’d done this before. There was a certain familiarity there that exes have. As she watched them come nearer, she saw her dreams going up in smoke. To think, only two weeks before, she’d been contemplating scouting vintage wedding gowns online.
Scanning the area in front of him with Patches nosing ahead, Grant suddenly spied her.
Patches spotted Lady and pulled on his leash. Lady, recognizing her doggie friend, did the same. Caprice had no choice but to walk forward and let the two dogs meet.
Could any situation be more awkward?
Grant crouched down with Lady and Patches, maybe to calm them a bit. Caprice felt she needed to be calmed too, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Caprice noticed the look Naomi gave the dogs. It wasn’t an I-want-to-pet-them-too look. It was an I-wish-they-weren’t-here look. Possibly she wasn’t an animal lover.
After Grant rose to his feet, he said to Naomi, “These are the De Luca sisters. Caprice and Nikki, this is my ex-wife, Naomi. She just flew in today. I thought the Raspberry Festival was a good way to introduce her to Kismet.”
The De Luca sisters? That was how he was going to introduce her? Of course, what could he say? “I’ve been dating Caprice, but now you’ve interrupted our relationship. Caprice was getting serious about me, but I don’t know what I’m feeling about her.”
She told herself to get a grip. This was awkward for everybody, because she had the feeling that Naomi did know who she was from the look and assessment the blonde gave her. From Naomi’s well-tailored slacks and her fashion-forward blouse, Caprice suspected she didn’t appreciate Bohemian chic.
Trying to be polite as well as civil, Caprice forced herself to make conversation. “How do you like the raspberry desserts?”
Nikki gave her a can-you-think-of-anything-lamer? look. Oh well.
Naomi sent her a practiced smile. “Those dessert stands are a dieter’s nightmare.”
Grant interjected, “But the raspberries look really luscious, don’t you think?”
All Caprice could think of was sharing a bowl of fresh raspberries topped with whipped cream with him. This wasn’t going well.
“Bella, Joe, and the kids are over at the swings,” she mentioned. “I’m sure they’d love to see Patches. I’m going to take Lady over there in a little while, after the dessert judging announcements.”
“Did you enter?” His attention was all on Caprice, and she could feel his regret and longing.
“I did, but so did Nana and Bella, and about thirty other people.”
Patches and Lady somehow got tangled around Naomi’s legs. She did a little two-step to extricate herself and frowned. “They must be quite rambunctious when they’re together.”
Grant answered before Caprice could. “After their first burst of excitement, they get along really well and calm each other down. But neither of them is crazy about football. They snooze when it’s on.”
Caprice knew he was trying to stay connected to her by referring to the time when he pup-sat Lady with Patches and they’d joked about what TV show they should be watching.
But Naomi had her own ammunition. “Seems to me you used to snooze through football too.”
Oh, yes, get that history in, Caprice thought.
Nikki’s shoulder bumped Caprice’s. “Everyone’s gathering over at the dessert judging tent. We’d better get over there in case you won.”
Caprice saw the expression on Grant’s face. He looked as if he wanted to stop her from leaving. Yet there was no point in her staying.
“Have a good time at the festival,” she told the couple. Then she patted her hip and called to Lady to follow her. But Lady was reluctant to leave Patches.
Caprice took a treat from her fanny pack and patted her hip again. When Lady went to her, she gave her the treat.
Before she could move away, Grant said, “Good luck. I hope your dessert wins.”
Caprice threw a “thank you” his way and a “nice to have met you” over her shoulder to Naomi. Then she hurried off with Lady to find out if she’d won the dessert competition.
But she couldn’t help taking a last glance over her shoulder to see Naomi and Grant walking away. She already felt as if she’d lost him.
“She doesn’t like dogs.” Nikki sounded sure of that as they approached the dessert tent.
“She just didn’t want to get those pretty slacks slobbered on.”
“Me-ow,” Nikki said, giving her a you’re-not-usually-catty look.
Caprice shook her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“True love.”
“It can’t be true if he’s looking in another direction.”
“He’s looking back. That doesn’t mean he can’t look forward again.”
Out of nowhere, Caprice heard a beeping. Her phone didn’t beep.
Nikki slipped hers from her pocket. She said, “I recognize this name. She inquired about my services. I should take this.”
Caprice gave her a nod and went toward the tables where the judges and onlookers were gathered. The judges, however, weren’t ready to announce. Caprice dropped to the ground giving attention to Lady until Nikki came back, a worried expression on her face.
Before Caprice could ask, she said, “I have a decision to make.”
“It doesn’t sound like one you want to make.”
“The call was from Trudi Swenson. She wants me to cater her wedding reception.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Drew was supposed to cater it. Her wedding is Tuesday evening and she can’t find anyone else. I had even met with them, and they decided to go with Drew instead.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’d call her back. She was in tears, Caprice. If I don’t cater it, she’s going to have to cancel her reception. But if I do it, how’s that going to look to the police?”
“You can’t live your life worried about what the police are going to think. You also have to make an income. On the other hand, if the powers that be need just one little excuse to go after you, I don’t know if that could give it to them. Why don’t you call Vince and ask his opinion.”
“I don’t want someone else making decisions for me.”
“This could be an important one, Nik.”
“Instead of thinking about the police or consulting Vince, I’m just going to put myself in her shoes. Her wedding is a few days away and she can’t find a caterer. What would I want someone to do for me?”
“And the answer is?” Caprice knew what Nikki was going to say.
“I’m going to cater it, and I’ll deal with the fallout later.”
That fallout could be a murder charge that Nikki wasn’t ready for.
Someone tapped on the microphone at the head of the tent, and Caprice heard a man’s booming voice say, “We have the results. We’re ready to disclose the winners of this year’s Grocery Fresh Raspberry Festival.”
The manager of the store, Irving Bradford, was doing the announcing. Caprice could see he was enthusiastic about what he did and how he did it. That’s why Grocery Fresh was one of her favorite places to shop.
There was a round of applause, and Irving raised his hand. “Here we go. In third place, for a twenty-five dollar gift certificate from Grocery Fresh, the winner is Caprice De Luca’s raspberry bread.”
Nikki gave her a hug and Nana waved from across the tent.
“In second place, for a fifty-dollar Grocery Fresh certificate, the winner is Teresa Arcuri with her raspberry rhubarb cobbler.”
Caprice knew Teresa. She’d redecorated her living room and dining room not so long ago. She was her mom’s age and took baking as seriously as anyone in the De Luca family.
“And for our grand prize, a one hundred dollar Grocery Fresh gift certificate, the winner of this year’s dessert raspberry competition is Celia De Luca with her raspberry shortcake. I’ve got to tell you, Celia, there isn’t much of it left. The judges gobbled it all.”
Everyone laughed, and Caprice and Nikki rushed to Nana to give her a hug. At least something good had come from today.
Then Caprice remembered talking to Helen and learning about Bronson’s tennis matches. As soon as she found a quiet spot, she’d call Roz and see if her friend could pull a few strings to reserve a court next to his.
She couldn’t do anything about Grant and his ex-wife, but she could solve Drew’s murder. It was time she put more effort into that endeavor.