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DANA MADE HER WAY TO the main doors of the Mercer mansion after being buzzed in through the security gates.
Steve answered the door, to Dana’s surprise.
“Steve?”
“Dana.”
The icy tension was cold enough to freeze coffee.
“And what brings you here today?” he asked casually as he let her inside. He led Dana into the study.
“The fact that you tried to kill Carlos.”
“Oh, please.”
“You went back to the scene of the crime.”
“So what?”
Just then Gigi came into the study with her flowing silk dressing gown. She had a cup of brandy in her hand.
“Hello, Gigi,” Dana said politely.
“Dana, what are you doing here? Why are you harassing my...”
“Your boyfriend?” Dana arched her brow.
The look of guilt spread across Gigi’s face. “Steve, honey, please leave us alone. I’m just going to have a word with Dana.”
“Sure thing,” he said and kissed Gigi’s cheek.
“You know I’m really surprised at you, Gigi,” Dana said softly after Steve left them alone in the grand study closing the sliding double doors behind him.
Dana had the trace of disappointment in her voice.
“What are you talking about?” Gigi snapped.
“You murdering your own fiancé and trying to pin the blame on us, well, on Terry. When one of us at the Cozy Cupcakes is accused of a crime, we’re all involved because we are family.”
Gigi rolled her eyes. “Really now?”
“Yes, really. But the concept of family is really hard for you, isn’t it?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. And I did not murder my fiancé. I loved him. Why would I do that? You’re wrong this time, Dana.”
“I don’t think so. Here’s where you slipped up, Gigi. First, the lyrics to your song I’m Nobody’s Slave gave you away—you always needed to take control at any cost. You were left alone as a child. Your father travelled all over the world. You weren’t treated very nicely by your nannies. They used to bully you.”
Gigi’s eyes misted slightly. “So what?”
“The lyrics to I’m Nobody’s Slave was your lifelong motto.”
“So? That doesn’t make me a killer.”
“Yes, it does. Because the people who bullied and tried to control you in your life were removed quickly. I looked up some information online. You had all your nannies fired eventually. Then you met Thomas when you were younger and years later you dated him but then he tried to control you, too. You dumped him fast and got yourself engaged to Steve.”
“So what?”
Dana swallowed hard. This was difficult for her. “You really did like Steve, didn’t you?”
“N-not really.”
“I think you did. Detective Troy was looking into a hit and run case near your home. Your ex-fiancé, the other ex fiancé, Thomas Cicaro admitted you were great at everything. Being a stunt double, singing, songwriting, acting...everything except you’re a lousy driver who should have had your license revoked—his words not mine. It was you driving that rental van from your father’s company and Carlos was in the van with you when you ran over that lawyer. Carlos witnessed the accident and had been blackmailing you into marriage and told you to call it off with Steve and marry him instead or he’d go to the police. He was making you his slave.”
An uncomfortable silence lingered between them for a moment.
“That little creep,” Gigi said slowly. “I despised him. I told him not to say anything. But then he told me that we needed to be together to keep our little—secret.”
“But you really wanted to stay with Steve. So you killed Carlos. For two reasons, you never loved him and most importantly, he had that homicide hanging over you like an ax waiting to drop.”
“How did you figure it out? I was with you at the time!”
“When Bea said all these actors taking their onstage life offstage, it clicked. You worked as an actress who did your own stunts. You had access to stunt equipment. I saw that action flick you did.”
“That’s how you figured it out?” Her arms were folded tightly across her chest. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Not just that. My cousin and I were going over one of my mystery riddles blog about the blind guy who had the advantage over all the other suspects in the dark when the power cut.”
“Oh, that riddle? But what’s that got to do with me?”
“You had the advantage of working as your own stunt woman on the sets of your movies. You had the whole knife situation set up from the get go. You had that long flowing black coat to hide the weapon at the right time. And then when I went back to the scene of the crime, Steve, I’m sure it was him, locked us in the dressing room so that he could remove the incriminating evidence. He’d suspected what you’ve done and knew something was strange about Carlos’s murder. Nobody had access to the dressing room area. You had told security not to come back there. So you placed the sensor on the ground next to your dressing room so that Carlos would step on it and activate the knife behind the fake wall opposite your dressing room. That was when you discreetly encouraged him to put your Valentine’s cupcake in your dressing room. And of course, your alibi would be Katie and me. We were speaking to you when the knife shot out of the opening in the fake wall.”
“What?” Gigi fumed. “You make no sense, Dana Sweet!” Her tone was sharp and emphatic.
“The knife was set up behind the stage on the wall and triggered by a sensor, like the ones used in the movies. You needed an excuse to send Carlos back there and you did. When he went, he was knifed immediately in the back. I thought it was odd that a scream came from behind the stage but you had taken off running even before then. Just seconds before the scream. You heard Carlos drop to the ground. But you didn’t count on Terry showing up to see him and seeing that there was no other suspect. Terry’s statement clued me in when she said, she saw him lying on the ground with a knife in his back. But not the one she was holding. The policed assumed she was lying and that she had somehow managed to clean the knife. But there was no sign of a dirty blood-stained cloth backstage that could have cleaned the knife off—anywhere. It just didn’t add up in my books, Gigi. Unfortunately for you, I’m a little OCD with details and observations.”
Gigi looked uncomfortable and swallowed hard.
“Terry had triggered the second sensor when she walked in through the side. That’s when she picked up the knife on the floor. But that wasn’t the one that did it. You rigged it so that if one knife didn’t work, the other would. And of course, you would pick up the evidence. It was you who requested no security at the back for privacy reasons which made no sense.”
Gigi was silent.
"The back door remained closed and no way could anyone have gotten out quick enough,” Dana continued. “After her screams, you rushed back first and quickly removed the evidence as you leaned over him and shoved it into your very long thick coat. I noticed it was open when you first approached me but closed after you got up from hovering over his body. You just didn’t count on an eyewitness who saw the knife in Carlos’s back.”
“That little nobody. Why did she have to be there?” Gigi then picked up a sharp letter opener from the counter. “You know it’s a pity that nobody is here to hear your little story, Dana. I’m afraid you’re going to have to give my regards to your dead grandmother—in person.”
“Freeze! Stay right there, Gigi!” Detective Troy’s powerful voice came bursting through as he rushed through the door with a few cops.
Dana let out a breath she didn’t know she was even holding until now. Her heart thumped like mad in her chest.
An officer read Gigi’s rights after arresting her for the murder of Carlos and for the vehicular homicide of Stan, the lawyer. Gigi held her head up high as she was being taken out in cuffs. “My daddy never likes to lose. I’ll have the best lawyer money can buy.”
Dana shook her head. “No remorse for what she’s done.”
“You okay, Dana?” Detective Troy inched closer to Dana, concern written all over his face.
“Yes. I’ll be fine, Troy.”
“Look, I’m really sorry I didn’t believe you beforehand.”
“Well, what matters is that you believed me enough to back me up here. I really appreciate that Troy. Thank you.”
“No, Dana. Thank you, once again. You’re really something you know?” Detective Troy’s voice softened.
“I am?” Tingles erupted inside her belly.
“Yes. And why does that surprise you?”
“Oh, nothing.” She felt giddy inside whenever he whispered sweet compliments to her but didn’t want to admit that to Detective Troy.
Dana then swallowed.
“You really sure you don’t want to join us on the force?”
“No. I think I’ll just continue with Grandma Rae’s Cozy Cupcakes Café and write mystery riddles for my blog in my spare time. That seems to suit me just fine. Besides, if I don’t see another murder offline—-I’ll be happy as a lamb.”
He grinned. Whenever he gave his boyish grin, a dimple surfaced on his cheek and he looked positively adorable. Irresistible. But Dana had to contain herself.
“I’m going to go down to the station and fill out my report.” He hesitated for a moment and ran his fingers through his dark mousy hair. The scent of his cologne was sweet and calming as it wafted to her nose. He sported a five o’clock shadow that gave him a sexy bad boy look, yet there was kindness that shone in his beautiful blue eyes.
“I just wanted to know if...you’d be interested in going out later. I finish at five.”
“Later? Are you um...asking me out on a date?”
“Well, it’s Valentine’s and we both had to get involved with this murder. I think it would be nice to end off the week going to a nice dinner or a club in the city.”
Dana’s heart leaped in her throat. “Um. Okay. Sounds great.”
“Good. Pick you up at eight?”
“Sounds, good. See you later.” Her heart fluttered in her chest. Would this be a real date?
He smiled and brushed his hand on her arm and butterflies let loose in her tummy. Warmth crept around her.
Okay, so she would definitely see him later. And this time it looked as if things could get more...interesting between them.