Death of the Family Recipe (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery Book 3) (8 page)

"Maybe."

"I could do fifty push-ups with you on my back."

I laughed. "Just fifty? Lightweight."

He lowered his voice to a sexy growl. "Okay, a hundred." His lips brushed mine. "My pack weighed more than you do."

"My pie carrier weighs more than I do."

He pulled me into his lap. "I could carry you and the pack up those stairs, without working up a sweat."

I climbed out of his lap. "Okay Tarzan, you win."

His nostrils flared, and he grunted. "Damn straight, I win." He snagged a carton of beef broccoli. "More food."

I picked up my plate and nibbled some more. "I met an old friend of yours today."

Ted kept eating and said, "Who?"

"She’s very tall and very blonde."

Ted’s jaw tightened. "Where?"

"At the vintage shop where I found my wedding dress." I slid a quick look at him. "Seems she’s back in town and anxious to talk old times."

Ted chewed his food slowly then swallowed. His sigh more like a grunt. "Stay away from her, she’s bad news."

I frowned at him. "I’d be happy to, but I think she has other plans."

Ted set his food on the coffee table. "Don’t be a smart ass Scotti, you know what I mean."

I squinted at him. "You already knew, didn’t you?"

Ted scowled and propped his big feet on the coffee table. "She came by the shop."

My stomach clenched like a fist. "And?"

He shook his head dismissively. "I wasn’t there."

I threw up my hands. "Great, she’ll just come back."

He snapped. "Why are you pissed at me? I didn’t ask her to come."

I glared at him. "Because you didn’t tell me."

"I didn’t want you to get worked up."

I rubbed my face with both hands. "Being ambushed by her was a better idea?"

Ted reached for me. "I didn’t know she’d do that."

I backed away from him. "Of course you did. After five minutes, I could see what she’d do."

Ted threw up his hands and groaned. "And this is why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d go ballistic." I crossed my arms over my chest but said nothing. He scooted next to me and said, "Scotti look at me." I sighed then looked at him. "You’ve got nothing to be jealous of because I love you. She means nothing to me. Less than nothing. I swear."

I shook my head. "She’s so beautiful."

He sneered. "She’s a black-hearted bitch."

I made a face. "A beautiful black-hearted bitch."

He cupped my chin. "She won’t bother you again, I’ll make sure of it."

I wanted to believe him, but I didn’t. "How? You do understand that she came back for you and doesn’t care who she has to plow through to get to you."

Ted pulled me into his arms and held me. "It doesn’t matter what she wants. I want you, not her." He brushed away my tears. "Don’t play into her hands — it’s what she wants." He tipped up my chin and kissed me. "She can’t come between unless we let her. Right?"

I nodded. "Right. You’re right." I gave him a worried look. "But she’s either following me or Melinda. I know she didn’t just happen to walk into the same shop."

Ted laughed. "If she’s following Mom, she’s in for a world of hurt."

I chuckled. "True, Melinda can be scary when she puts her mind to it." I lay my head on his shoulder. "Please don’t let Ingrid ruin our wedding."

He stroked my back. "Don’t worry, I’ll fix it."

I raised my head. "And if you see her again, you’ll tell me? No secrets? Even if you think it’ll upset me — you’ll tell me? Promise?"

Ted pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay, but you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"That no matter what Ingrid says or does, don’t believe it. I’m not exaggerating when I say she can be very convincing."

I nodded and put my head on his shoulder. Eloping was sounding better and better.

Monday afternoon I drove up to Pasadena to meet with Joe and Dan Parker at his office. Mopping my brow, I stepped into the cool office and let out a long sigh. "So this is where all the cool people are hanging out."

Dan’s office manager, Peggy Rizzardini, jumped up from her desk and grinned. "Scotti!" She hugged me. "Yeah, it’s a real scorcher out there, huh?" Her eyes drifted to my ring finger and she whistled. "Wow, that’s some ring." I offered her my hand to get a closer look. "When’s the wedding?"

I fanned myself with my hand. "Three weeks, if you can believe that." She gawked, but before she could ask why we were getting married so quickly I said, "Your invitation is in the mail and would you like to be a bridesmaid?"

Peggy’s green eyes sparkled. "Are you kidding? I’d be thrilled."

I swiped sweat from my forehead. "I’m sure you’ve got a million questions, but let’s talk after the meeting." I jerked my thumb at Dan’s office. "How do you like working for Dan?"

Peggy’s eyelashes fluttered and her cheeks flushed. "It’s great — he’s a good boss and a good man."

I squinted at her. "A good man, huh?"

She rolled her eyes and flapped a hand at me. "Better not keep them waiting."

My sneakers squeaked against the hardwood floors as I walked to Dan’s door. I smiled once more at Peggy. "We’ll talk wedding stuff later, yeah?"

She nodded, then I went inside.

Dan sat at his big driftwood desk which was a good fit for him — he topped out at about six-five and filled any room with his presence. His salt and pepper hair and lively gray eyes softened his square face and made him seem approachable. "Hey counselor."

Dan smiled and exposed his straight white teeth. "Afternoon Scotti. You’re looking fit as a fiddle."

Joe sat in a tufted leather visitor chair in front of the desk. "Have a seat Miss Scotti, we were just talking about y’all."

I took the chair next to Joe and waited.

Dan rested his big arms on the desk. "I hear congratulations are in order. Getting hitched and having a baby? That’s something."

I gave Joe the eye because he wasn't supposed to be blabbing baby news, but I smiled at Dan. "Yeah it sure is something, isn’t it?" We chatted about my upcoming wedding and motherhood. Dan dispensed some sage advice and teased Joe about being the father of the bride. I sighed and looked from one to the other. "Okay, enough small talk. What’s up?"

"You’ve had time to digest the Atkinson file?"

I nodded. "Yes I’ve read it."

"And?"

Though both men smiled at me, I got that itchy cornered feeling that made me twitch. "And I’m wondering why my opinion is so important to you. And why you didn’t give me all the evidence to look over." I raised my brows. "Even I know one file is just the tip of the iceberg."

Dan steepled his fingers. "True enough." He swept an arm toward a stack of banker boxes in the corner of the room. "And you’re welcome to see anything you like. Did you want to see more before we discuss your thoughts?"

I stretched out my legs and wagged my feet. "Maybe I should at some point, but what I’m asking is why you want my thoughts in the first place."

Dan and Joe exchanged a subtle look, then Dan leveled a gaze at me. "Let’s just say I’m looking for the female perspective."

I pointed to the door. "You have Peggy right outside that door. Surely she’s far more familiar with the case files than I am."

Joe threw up his arms. "Oh for pity’s sake woman, would you just tell the man what he wants to know?"

I sighed and shrugged. "I’m less convinced of his guilt than I was before I read the file. His explanations are plausible. There aren’t any eye witnesses. Or anyone who can testify to prior violence. They haven’t found the baby’s body. So yeah, there’s definitely some doubt there." Joe and Dan exchanged a pleased look. I cleared my throat. "On the other hand, statistically, murders like these are usually committed by a spouse or lover." The men lost their pleased looks. "The way she was killed is very personal, so I believe Devereaux knew her killer. And there don’t appear to be any other suspects."

Dan tapped a finger on his shiny desktop. "Would you convict?"

I shrugged. "Without knowing the prosecution’s strategy and yours, I couldn’t answer that question. It’s definitely not open and shut one way or the other." I shifted in my chair trying to un-wedgie my shorts. "You’d have to put me in the undecided column."

Dan chuckled and went back to looking pleased. "So you could be swayed?"

I hunched a shoulder. "Hard to say. If your evidence was compelling and your alternate theory of the case was convincing, possibly." I looked at Joe. "I assume you two have a few tricks up your sleeve."

Dan sat back in his chair and laced his fingers in front of him. "Anything that bothers you? One way or the other?"

I nodded. "A couple things. There were two wooden buttons found — one at the crime scene and one in Atkinson’s car, but they don’t match the clothing evidence, and there aren’t any notes about them. Don’t know why, but it sticks in my head. But the big thing is that the baby hasn’t been found. If the cops are right and Atkinson is the killer, he had about two hours to kill Devereaux, remove and get rid of the baby, set up an alibi and report the killing." I shook my head. "That’s a lot to pull off in a couple hours. He didn’t have time to drive any distance to dispose of a body. If he’d dumped it nearby, then the cops should’ve found it by now. Why haven’t they?"

Dan nodded. "Why indeed?"

The overly cool room had dried my sweat into a sticky film on my skin, and I wanted to get out of there, so I could go home and shower. I sat up and inched to the edge of my seat. "Also, it’s all so clean. No signs of a struggle, no skin or tissue under the victim’s fingernails, no scratches on Atkinson. If it was a crime of passion the scene should be messier. So, if the D.A.’s is thinking they’ll sell that to a jury, I don’t think it’ll fly. Except for the body and the blood, nothing is disturbed. Whoever did it, had a cool head the whole time. Which makes me think the killer planned it."

Dan looked more pleased by the second, and I held up a hand. "But don’t start gloating — nothing points to any other suspects either. Atkinson is a computer engineer. He’s probably so organized he color codes his underwear drawer. He’d have the kind of mind that could plan and execute the murder." I shrugged. "The only conclusion that I can draw is that it wasn’t a crime committed in the heat of the moment. It was planned and premeditated, in my opinion." I clucked my tongue. "Whether or not that’s good for your client, is for you to decide."

Dan leaned an elbow on the desk and rested his chin on his hand. "Just because the police have been derelict in their duties and haven’t bothered to look for other suspects doesn’t mean there aren’t any."

Surprised, I turned to Joe. "Zelda and Eric are looking for suspects?"

Joe scoffed. "Hell, no. I got them doing some canvas interviews is all."

I turned back to Dan. "Then who? There was nothing that pointed to another suspect in that file you gave me."

Dan flapped a hand. "Anything else bother you, Scotti?"

I hunched a shoulder. "I don’t think the baby is dead — they’d have found it by now if it were." I looked at each of them. "And if I were investigating this case that’s what I’d be looking for — the baby. Because whoever has that baby will lead you to the killer."

Dan raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think might have the baby?

I snorted. "Damned if I know. Atkinson’s partner? His family? Some crazy person who wants a baby?"

Dan leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin. "Not the biological father?"

I frowned and thought about that for a minute. "There was nothing in the file about who he was — just a first name. According to your client, he was a one-night stand that Tina had. My guess is that the D.A. agrees, or they’d be turning the town upside down to find him." I shrugged. "Even if Devereaux lied and he was still involved with her, it doesn’t get your client off the hook. It could just provide another motive for the murder — jealousy." I sucked in my lips. "So maybe you should hope they don’t find him."

Dan leaned forward and put both elbows on his desk. "I’d like you to meet with Spencer. Not alone, mind you, Joe’d be there with you. How about it?"

I shuddered and shook my head. "I don’t know if I could handle that Dan." I frowned. "And what would be the point, anyway?"

"Because I want him to. He might surprise you."

I snorted. "You think he could sway me?"

Dan shrugged his broad shoulders. "Maybe."

I smirked. "Really? Are you planning to put him on the stand?"

Dan tapped his lips with a finger. "Haven’t decided on that one yet."

I shrugged. "Then Atkinson’s charm is irrelevant."

Dan dazzled me with another smile. "I’d still appreciate it mightily if you’d consider it."

Dan was a hard man to say no, to. I pursed my lips. "I’ll think about it."

<<>>

I stopped at Ted’s shop, hoping we could share a quick dinner before he went home to work on the kitchen. When I arrived at his office door, his office manager Kathy, had her keys in her hand and her bag slung over her shoulder. "Hi Kath, is he in?"