Page 24 of Craving Vengeance
Chapter Ten
Spinelli held his handout. Shannon dropped her car keys into it. He opened the passenger door to her vehicle, and she slid in. He climbed in on the driver’s side.
He’d hardly shut the door before she began questioning him. “What was Uncle Bernie talking about? Are you undercover?”
Spinelli started the car and flipped on the heater. He wasn’t sure why he turned it on, the heat emitting from his pores was surely enough to heat the car. He cleared his throat and expelled a breath. “I think Bernie was probably referring to the cupids that were murdered today. It was all over the news. Didn’t you hear about it?” he asked trying to keep it light.
“When would I have had time to watch the news? I worked all day then I went to the church to help with the fundraiser, and I’ve been making deliveries until now,” Shannon snapped.
“So, you worked all day?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t leave your office at all during the day?” Spinelli questioned before considering the consequences.
Shannon’s eyes watered and her lips quivered. Did she know why he was questioning her? It certainly didn’t look good that she knew one of the dead cupids and that he had seen them leaving the government building together just hours before the body was found. That coupled with the fact that Bethany put his time of death at around 2:00 p.m. didn’t help matters either.
Spinelli thought about their first victim who’d been found at 3:45 a.m. Bethany had placed his time of death at shortly after midnight. Could Shannon have had anything to do with the death of Mike Carter? Spinelli’s chest tightened. He had arrived home at about that same time, midnight, to find Shannon sleeping in his bed. He hadn’t been surprised to find her there since they’d spent nearly every night together since they’d started dating. He’d gotten home so late because he, Walker, and Marsh were held up at the precinct closing a case. He wondered what time she’d arrived at his house. He hadn’t given it any consideration earlier, but a shadow of doubt now hovered over him. Exactly what time did she arrive at his house? Where was she prior to that?
A vision of Tony Rosso’s dead body surfaced in Spinelli’s head. Tony had been found at 8:00 a.m. Bethany estimated his time of death at about 4:00 a.m.Hah! Shannon was in my bed at 4:00 a.m.!He could verify she’d been in his bed since at least midnight. There was no way she had anything to do with Rosso’s death. Spinelli’s mind spun.What in the hell am I thinking? Get it together. This is Shannon. Sweet, innocent Shannon. Good God, how am I going to tell her Joshua Meyers is dead? Was he really her fiancé?Shannon’s nostrils flared. “Nick, why are you grilling me? Why are you really here? And why were you such a jerk to me earlier today?”
He stared into her furious eyes, debating his response. He glanced into the backseat to find the flowers and candy they’d yet to deliver. She’d never be able to finish the deliveries if he told her now of the death of Joshua Meyers or if he confronted her about witnessing their kiss.
“Fine. Do what you always do. Clam up. If we don’t talk about it, it will just go away, and you won’t have to deal with it,” Shannon snapped as she shifted her body and stared out the front windshield. She clicked on her seat belt and crossed her arms over her chest.
Spinelli grabbed the clipboard where he’d fastened the paper containing the additional addresses Sister Pat had given him. The next delivery was several blocks away at another restaurant. He hoped there wouldn’t be as many patrons in this restaurant as there were in Billy’s BBQ. He was so embarrassed singing in front of all of them. He wasn’t in the mood for singing love songs when this whole escapade started, let alone now.
He parked in the parking lot next to the restaurant and had hardly cut the engine before Shannon bolted from the car. Spinelli grabbed the flowers and chocolates from the backseat and in a couple of quick steps was on her heels. She stepped up to the hostess station and asked for Naomi. Her tone was soft and sweet, far different from the last time she’d spoken.
He went through his routine. He’d never get used to this. Only one more to go then he could get on with dealing with Shannon and Dr. Joshua Meyers.
They climbed back into the car. Shannon’s smile had disappeared along with the warmness in her eyes. Spinelli grabbed the clipboard from between the seats. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
Shannon’s cold eyes cut to him. “What’s so funny?” she asked in a tone sharper than a samurai sword.
Spinelli’s throat constricted choking off his chuckle.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “The next stop is at Madam Layla’s Lingerie Shop.”
Shannon shook her head and shifted her eyes forward.
Spinelli pressed the accelerator to the floor. He wanted to get this over with.
He parked on the street in front of the store. Through the plate glass window, he could see several customers milling about. Both men and women shuffled through the racks of lingerie. Last minute shoppers, he supposed.
Shannon opened the door and sprang out like a jack-in-the-box on speed. Evidently, she wanted to get this over with as well.
He followed her into the shop and zoned in on the older woman behind the counter. He assumed her to be Madam Layla.
He figured her to be in her early sixties. She stepped around the counter to help a young gentleman with his lingerie choice. Her leopard patterned leggings and matching five-inch spike heels caught his attention. She looked like an ex-Las Vegas dancer with her long thin frame, tall flowing hair, and heavily painted face. Her tight black sweater clung to her large breasts and small waist.
When she finished ringing up the young man’s purchase, they approached her. She raked over Spinelli, not just once, but twice. “What can I do for you?” she asked, keeping her gaze fixed firmly on him as if Shannon weren’t even there.
Shannon cleared her throat drawing Madam Layla’s attention. “We’ve been sent here by Harold.”
The woman let out a girlish giggle. “That sweet man. Will he ever give up?” she asked as her eyes floated back to Spinelli.
He handed the bouquet of roses to her. She leaned over the counter and took them from him as she eyed the entire length of him. He broke into what had become his routine. He wasn’t even nervous this time, of course, the store wasn’t nearly as occupied as the restaurants and bar had been.
