CHAPTER TEN

 

"I just talked to Lena Coletti," Brian said over the phone to me the next morning.

"Who?" I asked, momentarily confused. My brain was in a state of disarray these days. I'd tossed and turned all night after reading the message intended for me on my father's blog. The first thing this morning, I phoned Brian's partner, Adam. Less than ten minutes later, Brian had called me himself.

Brian cleared his throat. "The owner of Mama Lena's Restaurant. Sally, she said there wasn't any male staff working at the restaurant the day of your shower. Even her two chefs are female. She has one full-time employee in his fifties and a couple of part-timers barely out of their teens. Neither one matched the description you gave. Plus they weren't scheduled to work that day."

A chill the size of New York spread through my body. "I saw him with my own eyes. Josie and Gianna saw him too. We're not making this up."

"I didn't say that you were," Brian said quietly. "There might be another explanation."

His intended meaning hit me like a brick wall, and I sucked in some air. "Oh my God. He was only there because of me, wasn't he?"

Brian paused. "It's very possible he knew you were going to be there. From what you've already told me, it sounds like your mother broadcasted every last detail to the world. He might have even called the restaurant himself to confirm the day and time of the event. The way the place is laid out, he could have slipped into the private dining room from the parking lot unnoticed. Lena said they unlock the doors about an hour before the place opens. He may have put the package on the table before anyone else got there and was hiding out or pretending to be a patron in the restaurant. Lena said that whenever there's an event, the kitchen turns into a madhouse, so he could have gone unnoticed. From the sound of things, he managed to blend right in. I talked with a few other employees who worked that day, and no one recalled seeing him."

I clutched the phone tightly between my hands. "Brian, this isn't exactly making me feel any better."

"Sally, I'm sorry this is happening to you, but I have to ask. Are you still planning to go through with your original plans and the reception at the country club? Because frankly, I don't think it's a good idea."

I placed more chocolate chip cookies in the display case. "Mike and I told my mother last night that we wanted her to cancel the reservation. My grandmother was going to remind her again this morning. We've made an appointment to get married at city hall instead."

Brian coughed into the phone. "There's no proof that this so-called waiter is involved, but we are circulating your description of him around. Who knows? He could have been planning to kill you at the shower, looking for a precise moment. This sounds awful and terrifying, but you have to face the facts here. It might be the only thing that keeps you alive until your wedding day. Afterward you and Mike will be thousands of miles away and hopefully out of this lunatic's path."

I'd never realized before how terrifying it was to live in constant fear. I was standing in the middle of the front room of my bakery, at a respectable distance from the window. I could see Ralph's sedan parked directly across the street. He had the windows down about halfway, and another man was sitting shotgun with him. Mike had called him last night when we got home and instructed that I was not to be left alone for a second. He'd wanted to stay with me himself today, but I'd urged him to finish his job. One babysitter was more than enough. Besides, Mike seemed to agree that Ralph was better qualified than he was to protect me in this particular instance. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit it, but I knew the way his mind operated.

The entire ordeal was similar to being under water. Every time I tried to fight my way to the surface, someone pushed me back underneath, and I struggled to breathe again.

Josie was in the back room making a cake—my wedding cake, that is. She was humming away, but I knew she was anxious too. Everyone was. Perhaps what had really terrified me last night was the look in my father's eyes. Life—and death for that matter—had always been a carefree topic for him. When he had told me about the post, his expression had been frightened. That wasn't something I had enjoyed seeing.

Four days to go until our wedding. Mike had already decided that if this lunatic was not caught by the end of our honeymoon, we would not be returning to Colwestern. I didn't even want to think about that possibility.

It was as if Brian had read my mind. "Maybe you and Mike should take off early before the wedding and elope. Like, say, tonight."

I inserted a K-Cup into my Keurig to fix my third cup of coffee this morning and reached into my purse under the counter for an aspirin. My breakfast of choice lately. "We discussed it last night. He's got Ralph giving me 24-hour-a-day surveillance. This has to be costing a fortune, and he refuses to tell me how much."

Brian's voice was gruff. "Sally, he loves you. Cost isn't important when it comes to protecting someone you care about."

Raindrops had started to sprinkle onto the ground outside in the form of a delicate summer shower. As I stared out at the sight, my own floodgates opened as well. I hoped the pending storm that had been predicted might keep people from coming to the shop because I wasn't feeling very social today.

"Can you think of anyone else who might have it in for you?" Brian asked.

"You already confirmed that everyone I've been involved with before is still behind bars," I said. "There's really no one—"

I stopped in midsentence as my eyes fell upon the framed award certificate with a giant cookie emblem in the corner of it proudly displayed on the wall of my bakery. Last January, Josie and I had competed in the reality baking show Cookie Crusades. We'd claimed first prize along with a check for $20,000. It had been a depressing and anxious time in my life as Mike had just been arrested for the murder of Colin. A woman we'd hired to help in the bakery had stolen one of our recipes for the contest. She had also blamed me for an accident that concerned my ex but had nothing to do with me.

"Mitzi." I knew there was someone I had forgotten about.

"Mitzi," Brian repeated. "Wait a second. Isn't that the woman who worked in the bakery? The one whose fiancé was killed by the drunk driver Colin let walk out of his bar?"

My heart started to hammer against the wall of my chest as the unpleasantness of that entire situation hit me with full force. Colin had been working as a bartender in Florida after I'd left him and failed to cut a patron off one night. The inebriated man had gotten into his car and then proceeded to plow it into the side of a car Mitzi and her fiancé were in. Mitzi's fiancé had been killed. The driver got off with a ridiculously light sentence, and through the fancy footwork of an attorney, Colin had never served any time.

"Yes," I said finally. "The same exact one."

"But the accident had nothing to do with you," Brian protested.

I shut my eyes for a moment. "Well, that didn't matter to her. She said that Colin had destroyed her life, and she wanted to ruin me because of it."

"What was her last name again?" Brian asked. "I'll run a check on her."

My mind was drawing a blank. "Jos," I called into the back room. "What was Mitzi's last name?"

Josie stared up at me in confusion. She was getting ready to place the cake pans in the oven. "The wacko who worked for us for one day and stole my recipe? Graber."

I managed to contain my smile. When it came to anything cooking related, Josie never forgot a single detail. "Graber."

"All right. I'll look into it. In the meantime don't go anywhere alone, and keep Ralph close by."

I glanced out the window again. "I don't think he's going anywhere. Mike's hoping to finish his job sometime tomorrow, so we might take off right after that. I might not need Ralph's services after today."

"He's trained to provide quality protection," Brian said. "Mike isn't. Please don't take any unnecessary risks, Sally."

I disconnected and walked into the back room where Josie was placing dirty mixing bowls and utensils in the sink. She looked up expectantly. "Does Brian think that fruitcake is involved?"

I shrugged. "We're trying to consider all options."

The bells on the door sounded, and I jumped about ten feet in the air. Josie reached out a hand to steady me. "Sal. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm here."

I blew out a breath. "I don't like being afraid."

"There's nothing to be afraid of." She glanced past me, and I saw her body go rigid. "Okay, maybe I spoke too soon."

I turned around to see Ally Tetrault standing near the front window watching us and looking very uncomfortable. It was enough to make me want to face a firing squad instead. Almost. She smiled tentatively as we came through the doorway leading to the front room.

"Hi, Ally," I greeted her. "Can we get you something?"

She cut her eyes from me to Josie and swallowed nervously. "I was wondering if we could have a little talk, Sally. Just the two of us."

Great. "Of course. Why don't you sit down?" I turned to Josie. "You can go back to what you were doing."

Josie gave Ally a look that would freeze the sun. "Are you sure, Sal?"

I nodded. "Ralph's out front. I'm fine."

Ally sat down by the window and ran her hands nervously over the white tablecloth. She was tall and slender with short auburn hair the same shade as Josie's and striking gray eyes that now regarded me with suspicion. "Who's Ralph?"

"My bodyguard."

Ally's mouth opened in surprise. "Your what?"

I folded my hands on the table. "Didn't Brian tell you we think someone is trying to kill me?"

She gave a slight shrug. "He might have mentioned it. I guess I thought that you were all overreacting a bit."

I shook my head. "Afraid not. We think the bullet that killed the woman at the bakery the other day was meant for me. And now someone's sending me threatening messages through my father's blog and other means too."

She stared at me with a veiled look that I tried to make out and failed. Doubt? Dislike? Perhaps some warped sense of satisfaction to see me suffer? I didn't think the last one was possible, but then again, this wasn't the same Ally I had known in high school.

Ally was a nurse. Her lifetime was devoted to helping people, not putting them through pain. Perhaps I was an exception to the rule.

She gave me a tight smile. "I'd like to ask you something personal, if you don't mind."

I had a sense of what was coming and braced myself. "Go ahead."

"Were you and Brian ever involved at any point? You know…" She broke off. "Involved."

Oh brother. "You mean together?"

Her face flushed, and she nodded.

I shook my head. "Nothing ever happened between the two of us." Sure, I'd kissed him a couple of times, but jeez, did she really need to know every sordid detail?

She reached out and grabbed my hand in a tight grip. "I'm in love with him, Sal. Please don't screw this up for me."

What was with this woman? Ally had always seemed so self-confident and together, but now she was unraveling right before my eyes. I didn't want to say anything since it was none of my business but thought I knew Brian well enough to surmise he wouldn't like the idea of a woman clinging to him. Yes, he had indicated to me that he was crazy about her. But if she wasn't careful, she might drive him away.

I didn't want anything to do with this mess. For crying out loud, I had my own problems to deal with.

"Ally," I spoke gently. "I have only loved one man my entire life. After many years of being apart over a stupid misunderstanding and going through a horrible relationship with someone else, I'm finally marrying him on Saturday. No offense, but I have no interest in anyone else's love life, and that includes Brian's. You have my word that I'm not trying to screw anything up. I'm actually very happy for the both of you."

She glanced at me doubtfully, and I had a sudden urge to shake her. Why did she still think I was lying?

Ally twisted a tissue between her hands. "I appreciate your honesty. I don't want you to think I'm some clingy type that can't live without a man because nothing could be further from the truth."

Although sorely tempted, I didn't comment because that's exactly what I was thinking. "My opinion doesn't matter here."

"My ex-boyfriend did quite a number on me," she continued. "He stole money, cheated on me, and was more than happy to let me support him for over a year. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

I had a strong urge to ask her if his name was Colin. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

"I've finally met a great guy, and I want to make this last." Her face flushed. "I'd love it if we could get married someday."

I reached out to pat her hand. "I hope everything works out."

She stood, hoisted her purse over her shoulder, and gave me a limp smile. "It will. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention our conversation to Brian either."

I nodded in understanding. "It's already forgotten."

"Thanks, Sal," Ally smiled. "It feels good to finally take control of my life. Brian and I will work everything out. I'm sure of it."

She gleefully pushed open the front door to the bakery, and I watched as she floated across the street to her vehicle. I went into the back room where Josie was standing hands on hips, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I heard every word. Oh yeah, and I'm sure Brian's all set to get married after only dating her for two weeks. Another woman I'd nominate for Desperate Chick of the Year award." Josie snickered. "She never seemed that needy in high school."

I groped around in my purse for an aspirin then remembered I'd just taken one. "I feel kind of sorry for her. When a man uses you like that, it can change you forever. It's been tough to get over Colin's treatment of me, so my heart goes out to her. I only hope she doesn't let it end up ruining things between them."

Josie raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh, please. She's nuts. You should tell Brian about this. He'll start running for Canada."

"No!" I said sharply. "I promised I wouldn't. Don't go stirring up any trouble, Jos. Maybe they will end up getting married someday. Brian's going to make some lucky girl a wonderful husband."

"You're too nice for your own good," Josie remarked. "A woman who's that desperate for a man will do anything to keep him. Trust me, I've seen her type before. Watch out for Ally."

The front door opened, and Josie peered around the corner. "Please tell me that's not her again."

We were both surprised to see Mickey standing in the center of the room. He didn't approach us but waited patiently for Josie and me to come to him instead. He was dressed in jeans and a windbreaker and carried a plastic bag in his right hand. Josie followed me into the front room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel as she walked along.

I smiled at the teenager. "Hi, Mickey. I don't think you were scheduled to work today."

Mickey's face flushed, and he stared down at the floor. "No, Miss Muccio. I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd stop to see if you had anything for me to do."

Poor kid. Maybe he really needed the money. "Well, we're kind of slow today, probably because of the rain and thunderstorms they're predicting for later. How about a dozen chocolate chip cookies to take home with you?"

He nodded without looking up. "Sure."

I went to the display case and scooped the cookies into one of our little pink boxes for him. Mickey accepted it with another nod and addressed the floor again. "Thanks. Do you mind if I eat some here?"

"Of course not," I said. "Josie and I will be in the back room if you need anything else. We've got some cleaning to do. See you tomorrow?"

Mickey lifted his head, glanced at me, and then nodded. He quickly lowered his head again when he slid into a seat by the window. I turned my back on him as I left the room yet could still feel his eyes on me. I shook off the slightly creepy sensation and grabbed a broom from the corner to start sweeping the floor.

"Sally's got a boyfriend," Josie whispered in a singsong tone.

"Cut it out," I hissed back at her. "Don't you remember what it was like to be that age? Vulnerable and shy? Oh wait, you were never shy."

She chortled. "Sure, I remember. Let's see, you'd broken up with the love of your life over something really stupid, and I'd just gotten knocked up by Rob. My parents were ready to strangle me and him. So yeah, maybe I don't totally get what he's going through."

"You never quit." The bells jingled, and I peered out the doorway in time to see Mickey scuffling across the road toward his beat-up Ford Escort. I checked the table, but he'd left it clean, except for a long-stemmed red rose placed strategically in the center. I picked up the flower and waved it at Josie.

"Aw," she crooned. "Isn't that sweet. It's too late for the prom this year though. Maybe he'll ask you to homecoming in the fall."

"Cut it out." Seeing the rose made me remember the server from my shower the other day, and I gave an involuntary shiver. Okay, maybe Mickey was a little weird, but he wasn't killer material. "Since this place is dead, what do you think about a field trip?"

She glanced up at me suspiciously. "What sort of field trip?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could do a little investigating. What if we went over to the apartment complex across the street from DeAngelo's Bakery to see if anyone might know the so-called waiter? I can give them a pretty good description. What if he lives there?"

"Hasn't Brian already checked that angle out?" Josie asked.

"Maybe, but I can't just sit here and continue to do nothing."

Josie narrowed her eyes. "If Mike finds out his fiancée has been running around town looking for a possible killer—her own killer, in fact—he's not going to be happy. Plus, what about Mr. Magnum, P.I. out front? He won't let you go anywhere without him."

"Jos, I'm aware of this, and it's fine. We'll tell him we're going to see a friend."

She let out a bark of laughter. "Oh right. He's going to rat you out to Mike for sure."

No doubt. I reached under the counter for our Be Back Soon sign to put in the front window. "That's something I'll worry about later. I'm tired of being afraid."

She stared at me for a long moment. "All right. But what if we happen to find the killer? Then what?"

That was something I hadn't thought about and in all honesty wasn't sure I wanted to.