Page 23 of Wedding Cake Carnage
“Geez.” Noah coughs as he maneuvers his way out of his own line of fire. “Yes, Lottie just had a stroke of luck.” He looks to Pierce. “So, is there anything we can do for you?”
“Oh yes,” I’m quick to interject. “Of course, I’ll bake cookies for the funeral.”
Jackie nods. “That’s very kind. It will be small. Her mother passed away years ago and her father is in Europe doing God knows what. She hasn’t talked to him in months and I have no way of getting in touch with him either. It will just be her friends from town and a few from college. Sad in a way. Jana was such a great person. I wish the whole world could have seen how bright her light was.”
There she goes again. Something about the way she’s talking Jana up doesn’t sit well with me. Although in all fairness, Jana was a bright light in an ever-dimming world.
“It sounds like you just adored her,” I say.
“Oh, I did,” Jackie nods frenetically. “In fact, the three of us were very close—not Pierce.” She giggles nervously as she looks his way. “His sister Tracy. She teaches ballroom dance. That’s initially why I had Jana meet her—you know, building up a connection for her new business, but I also knew that Pierce would be at his sister’s studio that day and the rest as they say was fate.” She takes a breath as she loses her gaze to some far-off place.
I offer a peaceable smile. “It sounds like your matchmaking skills were spot-on.” My teeth graze over my lips for a moment. Tracy—Underwood maybe? Whatever her last name is, she’s the next person on my list. “Oh, Tracy?” I rock back on my heels. “Doesn’t she have that dance studio out in Fallbrook?”
“Leeds,” Pierce is quick to correct as if Leeds were the better of the two.
Of course, it’s in Leeds. Leeds is a cesspool of “dance” studios. Why do I get the feeling the ballroom thing is just a clever front for the moves she’s really teaching on the sly?
Noah scratches his chin. “Underwood Ballroom?”
“That’s the one.” Pierce beams with brotherly pride, and I note the slight dimple in his chin. Hey? Didn’t my mother once tell me not to trust a man with a dimple in his chin? It’s silly, I know, but my subconscious secretly drinks down whatever advice Miranda Lemon slings my way.
I shoot Noah a look that saysgood work, detective. It looks like Noah and I make a good crime-fighting duo, after all.
Their food arrives and I give a quick wave. “Well, I guess we’ll see you at the funeral. If you can think of anything else you need, I’ll be right across the street. I hope you’re both taking time off work to try to cope with everything you’re going through.”
“Oh, we are.” Jackie unfurls her napkin and sets it on her lap. “I’m taking off this week and next. I’ll be back shortly after the funeral, but Pierce is leaving town.”
Pierce rolls his eyes at Noah. “I’m not leaving town, detective.” He gives a disapproving yet playful look to Jackie. “Way to make me sound guilty. A buddy of mine has a yacht in Greece. He invited me to head over and we’ll take a nice long trip. I plan on sleeping the entire time. I just can’t imagine my life without her.” His voice breaks. “I’m sorry.”
We wrap it up and say a quick goodbye as Beasty follows us to the front.
“What did you think?” he roars it out with a masculine appeal.
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “But it looks like the detective and I are about to trip the lights fantastic.”
Noah’s chest rumbles with a dark laugh as we head to the front to find the waiting area cleared out.
He leans in. “Let me handle this, Lot.”
Nico, the manager, greets us. He’s tall, sinewy, and looks freshly scrubbed with milky white teeth and a winning smile to show them off. “Noah, Lottie, table for two?”
“Actually…” Noah flashes his badge. “I’m here on official business. I hear you have a delivery made each day to Hollyhock. Is that right?”
Nico inches back and stares at Noah’s badge as if it were the barrel of his gun.
“That’s right. It happens. Last I checked that wasn’t against the law, right?” He gives a nervous laugh.
“Nope.” Noah chuckles right back as he puts his badge away and already Nico seems to be breathing easier. “It’s just not your regular delivery range, is it?”
“We do it now and again. This one’s pretty close to town, so it’s not a big deal. Good tipper, too.”
“I see. Nico, I’m going to be honest with you. I need the address of where you’re making that delivery.”
He lifts his hand and that nervous laugh comes right back. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. We reserve the right to keep our customers’ privacyprivate. It’s simply against company policy for me to share that information with you.” His brows pinch as if he were suddenly angry. “And don’t go following my delivery guys either. We don’t want any trouble. If this person turns out to be a nutcase, I don’t want them coming back and blowing a hole through my front windows.”
“Not a problem.” Noah pats the reception counter. “Have a great rest of the day, Nico.”
I say an abrupt goodbye as Noah and I head out into the over bright day.