The next morning, Dylan drove to our favorite deli for fresh bagels, cream cheese, and lox. We had a leisurely breakfast, read the Sunday papers, then went to the gym. Later, back at the cottage, I made us a light lunch. Then Dylan went home to his manor house, as I thought of it, to do some work, and I baked a blueberry cobbler for that evening’s barbecue, then watched an old movie on TV with Smoky Joe asleep on my lap. Suddenly it was five o’clock and Dylan and I were on our way to Angela and Steve’s.
Angela showed me their new décor purchases while the guys, beers in hand, were out on the patio, supposedly to start up the grill.
In the kitchen we sipped our beers as Angela removed a platter of cold appetizers from the fridge and placed it on a tray.
“Looks like married life agrees with you,” I said.
“It does, though I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that someone in my own family may have poisoned Aiden. Good thing I have Steve.” She shot me a lopsided grin. “Sometimes I get this happy feeling in the middle of the day just knowing I’ll be with him after work. He listens to me when I’m happy, when I’m sad. We’re there for each other.” Angela exhaled loudly. “Now I can step back from all the craziness in my family and not react—at least not the way I used to.”
“Has something new developed?”
Angela removed a tray of pigs in a blanket from the oven and began placing them on a platter. “After the service, Steve and I were having dinner at my parents’ when Aunt Marie called, begging us to come over to her and Uncle Vinnie’s house for dessert. She insisted that Donna needed our support. Steve and I didn’t want to go, but Mom pleaded so off we went like good soldiers.”
She made a scoffing sound. “There we were—my parents, Steve, and I—sitting around my aunt and uncle’s living room. Tommy was smart. He didn’t bother to show up. You know what? Neither did Donna. So much for supporting her. Aunt Marie disappeared, probably to call and convince her to come over, because Donna arrived with the kids a few minutes later.
“Then Uncle Dominic and Roxy came by. I can’t imagine what my aunt was thinking, inviting them over after the drama queen’s performance at the memorial. Or why Roxy agreed to go.”
“That must have been something.”
Angela rolled her eyes. “Like straight out of a movie. Donna went right for the jugular. She punched Roxy in the stomach, then before Roxy could react, butted her head into Roxy’s chin. Roxy recovered and grabbed Donna’s hair and let loose with her fist.”
I stared at her. “No!”
“Yes. At which point, Steve and my father came to life and separated the two contenders. Good thing the kids were in the kitchen with their nonna at the time.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Then what happened?”
“They were forced to sit on opposite sides of the room, but that didn’t stop them from hurling insults at each other. They each accused the other of murdering Aiden. At one point, Roxy said she’d only come there to tell her side of the story, but now it was too late for that. Finally, Uncle Dominic apologized and he and Roxy left.”
“Wow.”
“Steve and I took off after that.” Angela pointed to two platters of appetizers. “Grab one and let’s go outside and join the guys.”
The heavenly aroma of barbecue greeted us as soon as we stepped onto the small patio off the kitchen. Dylan and Steve were deep in conversation about baseball as Steve deftly turned spareribs and kebabs with a long fork, then lowered the gas and closed the lid. Their eyes lit up when they saw the appetizers. They scarfed down several, then Angela and I placed the half-empty platters on the card table nearby.
“I borrowed the table and folding chairs from my parents,” Angela explained. “We’re buying outdoor furniture next weekend.”
Angela and I sat down at the table, which was already set with paper plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery. Dylan and Steve joined us a minute later.
“I was filling Carrie in on my family saga,” Angela said as we continued to munch on the appetizers. She gave Dylan a quick summary of what had taken place at Donna’s parents’ house Friday evening.
“And Tommy’s making our lives miserable, complaining about being a suspect just because he got annoyed at Aiden for reneging on his promise.”
“At least he’s gone most of the day, trying to talk everyone he knows into backing his movie,” Steve said.
“I wish Tommy would go home,” Angela said. “I can’t relax when he’s around.”
Steve leaned over to kiss her cheek, then speared a shrimp with a toothpick.
“Roxy sounds like a loose cannon,” Dylan said. “And I don’t understand her relationship with her ex-husband. Carrie said Miles drove her home from the memorial service on Friday.”
“We get the definite feeling he wants to get back together with Roxy,” Angela said.
“Speak for yourself, my angel,” Steve said. “Miles is a player. He’ll always be a player. But he feels responsible for Roxy going off the rails, so he pretends to be a good guy.”
Angela glared at her husband. “For your information, Donna said Aiden told her that Miles loves Roxy and wants to marry her again. He never wanted the divorce in the first place.”
Steve made a scoffing sound. “Roxy’s drinking again and acting crazy. She’s not capable of being in a relationship.”
Dylan and I exchanged glances. I made a big show of sniffing the air. “I think our dinner is ready. Angela, should we bring out the side dishes?”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“Hon, I’ll need a platter for the meat,” Steve said.
Angela and I each picked up the now empty appetizer platters and headed for the kitchen.
“Men. They’re so cynical,” Angela said as she scooped rice pilaf onto a dish from the pot warming on the stove.
I removed the salad from the fridge, along with the potato salad, coleslaw and a few cold bottles of beer, and placed them on a platter. “I can’t see how Roxy could trust Miles after his bad behavior.”
“He’s really a good guy,” Angela said as she got a large platter down from the cabinet above the oven. “I think she’d get out of her funk if she could see her way to forgive him.”
“Still, what assurance can he give her that he won’t go wandering again?” I asked.
Angela didn’t answer. I think she was too bedazzled by the wonders of marriage to consider how despondent Roxy was feeling. She had given her heart, her husband had deceived her, and her world fell apart. Being in love made you vulnerable.
Minutes later we were too busy to speak as we devoured the wonderful meal that Angela and Steve had prepared. But not too busy, I noticed, to keep Angela and Steve from exchanging glances. I finally sat back and let out a deep sigh. “I believe this was one of the very best meals I’ve ever eaten,” I said.
“Me too,” Dylan said.
Our hosts beamed at each other and clinked their now empty beer glasses. “Success,” they said in unison.
“I hope you left room for dessert,” Angela said.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“We’ll see about that,” Angela said.
I helped her clear the table, which was easy enough as we threw our paper plates into a big black plastic bag. We carried the leftovers into the kitchen while Steve took care of the gas grill.
Angela started the coffee, then took a large white cake box from the fridge, which I promptly opened. “Miniature Italian pastries!”
She winked. “If you don’t mind, I’ll save your cobbler for later.”
The doorbell rang. Angela went to answer the door and returned to the kitchen followed by Frankie, Donna’s sister. Frankie plunked down a bakery box full of cookies.
“What a pleasant surprise,” I said as we hugged.
“Ange said you guys were coming for dinner so I thought I’d stop by.”
Angela got out another platter—she seemed to have an unending supply of them—on which she set out several kinds of cookie. Frankie reached for one of the mini-pastries and devoured it in two bites. “Yummy.”
We placed the desserts on trays, and when the coffee was ready, carried everything outside. Steve and Dylan greeted Frankie with hugs, then we settled down to eat.
“Anything new regarding Aiden’s case?” Angela asked her cousin when we’d all had our sugar fix.
“Lieutenant Mathers questioned Donna again this afternoon.” Frankie glanced at her watch. “I better get going. Donna asked me to be back at her house at seven. I’m babysitting the kids.”
“Why?” Angela asked. “Where’s she going?”
For a minute it looked like Frankie wasn’t going to answer. Then she said, “She’s meeting Miles somewhere.”
“Miles!” I exclaimed.
“It isn’t a date!” Frankie sounded flustered. “Miles loves Roxy.”
“How do you know that?” Dylan asked.
“He told Donna. It’s one of the reasons he wants to talk to my sister—to discuss what she thinks he should do to win Roxy back.”
Steve scoffed. “That’s a good ploy if I ever heard one. It’s Miles’s way of making Donna think he’s caring and what a great guy he is. Then he’ll make his move—on Donna!”
“That’s not the case at all!” Frankie said, her dark eyes flashing. “Miles was an idiot for running around on Roxy. He never expected her to throw him out. And now he sees what a mess she is. And it’s all his fault.”
Partly, anyway. “Does Miles have another reason to talk to Donna?” I asked
“Yes.” Frankie reached for another mini-pastry. After she’d bitten into it, chewed, and swallowed, she said, “According to Miles, Aiden was concerned about the office finances.”
“Did he go into specifics?” Dylan asked. He was probably remembering that Aiden had wanted to talk to him after the wedding.
“No,” Frankie said. “Miles told Donna he was planning to mention it to Lieutenant Mathers. But then he was questioned as if he were a suspect. After that, Miles figured that telling the police there were problems at the office would only be viewed as his way of pointing the investigation away from him.”
“Miles was Aiden’s best friend,” Angela said. “Why would John Mathers think Miles had a motive to poison him?”
“Because suddenly Roxy was in love with Aiden, and many people thought they had something going,” Steve said.
Angela threw up her hands. “What a mess!”
Frankie nodded. “I wonder if they’ll ever find out who murdered my brother-in-law.”
Frankie left a few minutes later and Dylan and I followed shortly after. Angela and Steve walked us to our car.
“We had a terrific time,” I told Angela as I hugged her good night. Then I couldn’t help whispering, “Marriage agrees with you. I’m so happy for you.”
My BFF glanced at our two guys deep in conversation. “Try it, you’ll like it,” she whispered with a wink.
I drew back as if from a roaring fire. “Don’t forget—tomorrow evening we’re going to Donna’s to look at Aiden’s computer and papers.”
“She said eight o’clock was good. I’ll call to remind her we’re coming,” Angela said.
A minute later Dylan and I were starting for home.
“Well, that was fun,” he said as we exited the condo complex.
I yawned. “It was. And now I’m ready for bed.”
Dylan turned to me. “Want me to stay over?”
“Of course.”
“Then I will.”
I reached over and squeezed his hand. That makes three nights in a row.
“I like spending the whole weekend with you,” Dylan said.
“Me too.”
“Then let’s do that from now on.”
“Okay.”
We didn’t say much the rest of the trip. We didn’t need to.