A Season for Killing Blondes (24 page)

“One of my friends is a florist, and she often handles special deliveries,” Grace explained.

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but I need to ask the question again,” Carlo said. “What makes you so sure they will show up?”

Grace shrugged. “Curiosity and guilt are great motivators. I won’t be alone in that alleyway.”

“All right, so they show up.” Carlo spread his hands. “What then?”

“I’ll share several entries,” Grace said. “There will be some kind of reaction, and then I’ll force a confession.”

“Just like that!” Carlo snapped his fingers. “Grace, it may not happen that way? Are you prepared for angry words…or worse?”

“That’s where Gilda comes in. I plan to wire myself, and she will be able to listen in on the conversation. If things get heated, she can call you.”

“Where is Gilda supposed to be while all of this is happening?” Carlo asked.

Grace waved her hand around the office. “She could hide out in here.”

“Too dangerous!” Carlo shouted. “I won’t allow it.”

“I have to agree with Carlo,” I said. “This is too far-fetched. I don’t even know the names of these people, and I’m worried.”

“What do you know about wires?” Carlo asked.

“Melly Grace showed me how it’s done. When I visited her, I watched as she wired herself before meeting with one of her clients. She gave me a wiring kit, and I have tested it several times. I used it last night at the party.”

“You were wired last night?” I thought back and remembered how demure Grace had looked in a high-collared and long-sleeved blouse with black dress pants.

“I fooled all of you, didn’t I?”

Carlo stroked his chin while maintaining eye contact with Grace. “I’m still uneasy about all of this, but my gut feeling is telling me that you might be able to pull this off if you do exactly what I tell you.”

“I’m listening.” Grace gave him her full attention.

“I’ll wire you myself and give you a test run tomorrow. On Thursday, I’ll get one of the officers to drive Gilda and me to the alleyway in an unmarked van. He’ll be dressed in undercover clothes, and after dropping us off, he’ll walk toward the plaza. Anyone watching won’t think anything of it. There’s at least one vehicle parked illegally in that alleyway each day.” He turned to face me. “Gilda and I will be stationed in that van while you confront the murderer. We’ll be able to listen to the conversation, and act immediately if there is a problem. I’ll be armed, and I’ll make sure that there are several police cars nearby.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Grace clapped in excitement. “Let’s do it!”

“Grace, this is serious,” Carlo said, eyeing her with concern. “You know what these people are capable of.”

“It’s the only way, Carlo.” Her lovely face grew tight with concern. “I can’t expose my mother to any more of this senseless violence.”

His dark brows drew together in a suspicious frown. “Why do you think Jenny Marie is in danger?”

“Because the murderer doesn’t know how much she knows.”

“What does she know?” Carlo asked.

Grace shook her head. “She’s vague and changes the subject every time I bring it up.”

“I’m still not convinced this will work, but I am willing to give it a try.” My heart beat wildly, and I doubted that I would be able to sleep until Thursday.

“Fine.” Carlo nodded in Grace’s direction. “Come to the station tomorrow. It’s Sunday, and it’ll be quiet. I want to see how well you handle the wire, and we’ll go over some of the other details.” He turned to me. “I imagine you’ll be working on Thursday. Leave around five-fifteen and drive over to the Canadian Tire Plaza. I’ll be waiting there in a dark blue van at the far end, near the bank. Make sure your receptionist and anyone else working here leaves early. And don’t tell anyone else about this plan.”

My eyes welled with tears. “My family and friends think I have moved on.”

“But you’re still inwardly obsessing,” Carlo spoke softly.

“I can’t get those four women out of my mind,” I said. “Those murders were senseless and did not have to happen. We owe it to their memory to bring the murderer to justice.”

“And we will do that on Thursday.” Grace clapped her hands. “I can feel it.”

Chapter 28

After Carlo and Grace left, I couldn’t focus on my paperwork and didn’t know how I would get through the next five days. I had to keep busy and be out and about as much as possible.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by incessant banging at the front window. I glanced at my watch. Not even ten o’clock. Who would be clamoring for career advice at this hour on a Saturday morning? As I approached the front office, I caught glimpses of four worried and tired faces at the window. Aunt Amelia, Uncle Paolo, Rosa Geraldi and Maria Rossi peered into the office while continuing to bang at the window.

I laughed as I let them in. “Is someone in desperate need of career advice?”

Aunt Amelia made the sign of the cross as she entered. “We were across the street at the grocery store, and we saw the dead woman coming out of the alleyway.”

“The first dead one,” Maria said. “The pretty one from Sudbury.”

“I’d know Carrie Ann anywhere,” Rosa spoke confidently. “I used to alter her clothes.”

“I saw her too.” Uncle Paolo nodded toward the back door. “We should call Detective Fantin right away. Have him check out that back alley.”

I held back a smile. Imagine calling Carlo and asking him to investigate Carrie Ann’s reappearance. That would be an even more memorable telephone message than the one I had left this morning. “That was Grace Robinson, her niece, Jenny Marie’s daughter,” I explained to Aunt Amelia. “She was at Sofia’s party last night. Remember the pretty young woman who talked to you and Uncle Paolo?”

Aunt Amelia groaned. “There were so many strange people there last night, I couldn’t keep track. I had such a headache, and I worried there wouldn’t be enough gnocchi for everyone.”

“I don’t know why you worry so much about food,” Uncle Paolo said. “Sofia is the best cook around.”

“I could have sworn that was Carrie Ann,” Rosa said. “It’s remarkable how much the niece resembles her. Even more than she resembles her own mother.”

“I’m so glad we cleared that up,” Maria said. “We were so worried that you might have another murder on your hands.”

“Don’t even think it!” Aunt Amelia made another sign of the cross and mumbled a Hail Mary. Her eyes traveled around the room. “Remember how beautiful this office looked before…?”

Maria sighed. “Those delicious stuffed figs and amaretto cookies. It’s too bad more people didn’t get to see it.”

“What a disaster!” Uncle Paolo said. “All that food and drink ordered. We had to give most of it away.”

I did not want to continue this trip down Bad Memory Lane. “We’ll have another one.”

“It wouldn’t be the same.” Aunt Amelia frowned in disapproval. “And it’s too soon after the murders.”

“I agree with Amelia,” Maria said. “It would be bad for business and could work against you.”

“We could do a Christmas open house.” If all went well with Grace’s plan, the murders would be solved in less than a week’s time. “Maybe plan a party with Santa or the Befana for needy children. We could order from the Sicilian bakery again and have a totally different decorating scheme. Let’s have it on a Saturday or Sunday.” I spoke directly to Maria. “Do you think Belinda could handle the extra work?”

“Of course she can,” Maria said. “She loves to plan parties. And I would help.”

“We’ll all help.” Aunt Amelia sighed. “But don’t expect too much help from Sofia. She’s got her hands full dealing with Roberto.”

“I don’t understand that daughter of yours,” Maria said. “She got rid of one loser, and then she found herself an even bigger loser.”

“Why does she do this to herself?” Rosa asked.

“The money is making her very attractive to Mr. Ongaro,” Uncle Paolo said. “He usually goes for the young ones who can’t cook, and who let his mother take over all the time.”

“That woman never smiles.” Aunt Amelia shivered. “She refused to attend last night’s party.” She noted the shocked expressions on our faces and continued, “
La signora
needed more time to recover from her dental appointment of two days ago.”

“You don’t know what she had done,” I said. “Some of those procedures can leave you with bleeding and sensitive gums for a few days.”

Aunt Amelia put up one finger. “She had one small filling, that’s all. She just didn’t want to give Sofia any satisfaction last night. She’s a bitter old woman who wants Roberto all for herself.”

“Is Sofia planning to marry this man?” Maria asked.

“Roberto held on to her pretty tight last night,” Uncle Paolo said. “He talked to everyone about getting into politics and having Sofia help with his campaign.”

“She’s good at that kind of thing,” Rosa said.

“It’s too much for her.” Aunt Amelia’s eyes darkened. “I can tell she’s tired all the time. Why does she need to worry about pleasing someone like him anyway?”

I didn’t want to get into a discussion about the merits of Mr. Right Now. But I did agree that Sofia was burning herself out.

Before leaving, Maria and Rosa promised to help with the Christmas open house. As they went out the door, they started to talk about some of the desserts they would bake. My relatives waited until they were out of earshot.

“We’re worried about Sofia,” Aunt Amelia said. “You need to talk to her about Roberto.”

“He’s another Andrew,” Uncle Paolo said. “I saw it last night.”

“He praised her all night,” I said. “Andrew never did that.”

“He did at the beginning of their marriage,” Aunt Amelia said. “Remember how he used to brag about her cooking and compare it to his mother’s? You know how competitive Sofia can be. She has to be the best, and she knocked herself out to please him.”

“I’m worried about the money.” Paolo lowered his voice. “He has three ex-wives, and I heard he had to borrow money from his mother after paying off the last one.”

“Last night, I heard him talking about boats and cottages with some of the other guests.”

Aunt Amelia’s eyes welled with tears. “He’ll go through her money in no time.”

“What does Sofia say about all of this?” I knew how she had reacted to my comments. I wondered if she spoke that abruptly with her parents.

“She refuses to listen to any criticism of him.” Paolo shook his head in defeat.

I decided to enlighten them about Sofia’s plans. “She’s flattered by his attention. It’s normal to feel that way after a divorce. It’s just a fling.”

“Why would she ruin her reputation for someone like that?” Tears pooled in the corners of Uncle Paolo’s eyes.

Aunt Amelia managed a weak smile. “I know it doesn’t sound very good, but I’m glad she doesn’t plan to marry Roberto.” She turned to her husband. “We’ll just go along with anything they do, and try not to get too upset.”

“You…not get upset,” Uncle Paolo eyes widened. “Amelia, you’ve been having migraines since you found out about Roberto.”

“I don’t want that man as a son-in-law,” Aunt Amelia said. “Last night, I thought about our wonderful grandsons and all the holidays. I couldn’t bear to see Roberto and his mother at Sofia’s house on all those festive occasions. But if it’s just a fling, I can deal with it.” She spoke directly to me. “How long do these flings last?” Aunt Amelia had assumed that I was an expert in this area.

“Not too long. They fizzle out in a few months, maybe a year.” I thought back to my own forgettable flings, but I wasn’t about to share that information with my relatives.

“If it’s just a couple of holidays with Roberto and his mother, I can bear it.” Aunt Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll make sure there’s a crowd, like last night.”

Uncle Paolo made a face. “I thought last night was too much for you.”

“Do I have to repeat myself?” Aunt Amelia raised her voice. “It’s only temporary. Once she gets him out of her system, we won’t have to deal with him again. And if Sofia invites a lot of people, there are distractions. I won’t have to talk to his mother all night. That is, if she ever decides to come.”

“We need to get home and put the groceries away.” Uncle Paolo nodded toward the back door. “Do you want me to check the alleyway before I leave?”

I remembered that Carlo had also used the back entrance. He might still be around surveying the area and planning for Wednesday. I couldn’t afford to take any chances and further alert my relatives. “It’s over. Past history. No more murders.”

“The dead woman didn’t come back,” Aunt Amelia said. “There’s no point looking for any more trouble.”

Chapter 29

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I meticulously planned each day and made sure I had no time to think about Wednesday. I surprised—maybe even shocked my mother—when I decided to spend Sunday cooking and baking with her. Adele and Laura must have wondered why I planned outings for three consecutive week nights.

On Wednesday, I faced a day jam-packed with appointments, and I even forgot to eat lunch. I sent Belinda home early and finished up some paperwork. At five-thirty, I drove to the Canadian Tire plaza.

By ten to six, I found myself safely and comfortably seated in the back of an unmarked police van with Carlo Fantin as my sole companion. The van was spotless, and well-equipped with a large rectangular cooler filled with a variety of cold drinks, fruit, buns, cheese, and cold cuts. We were parked about three hundred feet from the back entrance to my office. Carlo had set up his laptop on a few boxes. One of the other officers had set up a security camera at a high angle, just outside the office. In addition to hearing the conversation, we would also be able to see everything going on. Everything was in place as we awaited Grace’s arrival.

Carlo smiled at me. “Technically, this could qualify as our first date. We are alone in the back of a van, and we are eating. What do you think, Gilda?”

“It’s not what I had in mind when you suggested dinner, but I must say this food looks delicious.” I made myself a sandwich and started eating.

Carlo pointed to the laptop. “Grace has arrived.” We watched as she unfolded a director’s chair and sat down.