Chapter 24 #2
“Yeah, everybody knows.” Stone stood, rolling his shoulders. “Now, if we're done with the relationship counseling, I've got bullets to find.”
“Bullets?” Julia asked.
“The plan is to see if we can find a slug from the exchange with the assassin. If Serenity can get a vision from one of the rounds, it might help us identify him.”
“I see.” Julia paused and then seemed to remember something. “What about the pastries? Did you hear back?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Dino just confirmed. Poison.”
“Oh my gosh.” Julia’s brows dipped. “How could that happen?”
“It was the cherries.” Serenity's eyes lit up.
“Each zeppole had a maraschino cherry on top.
When I picked up the pastry at the office, that's when I got the vision—but I was holding the whole thing, the dough, the filling, everything all at once.” She turned to me, excited. “I never touched just the cherries.”
Her expression shifted, an idea clearly forming. “Wait. Does Dino still have that pastry box?”
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“If the poison's been neutralized or removed, I could touch each cherry individually.
Get more specific readings." She gestured as she explained.
"The killer wouldn't have known which zeppole you'd pick, right?
So logically, they'd all be poisoned. When I touched the whole pastry before, the vision was general—danger, death, all mixed together.
But if I can touch each cherry separately.
.." She paused. "I might be able to see more details.
Maybe even get a clear image of who did this. "
Serenity gave a nervous laugh. "Good thing I don't pick the cherry off first like I do with milkshakes. If I'd eaten that cherry before the vision hit? I'd be dead."
“Okay. Give me a second.” I dialed Dino and he picked up on the second ring.
“You in love with me, Quentin?” he asked. “We just talked a couple minutes ago.”
“I need you to secure that box of zeppole and bring it to the office.”
“You want fries with that order?”
“I’m being serious.”
“Yeah. The lab has it marked as evidence, so it’s in the freezer. I can get it out, but it might be a day.”
“Do your best. It’s important.” He’d hung up before I finished my sentence, but Dino knew I paid well for solid leads and good intel, he’d get us the box as soon as he could.
“All right.” I rubbed my hands together and turned to Stone. “Get out of here and see if you can come up with a slug for Serenity.”
“Got it.” He glanced at Serenity and his brows dipped. “Don’t touch those cherries unless you’ve confirmed with a real medical doctor that the poison doesn’t transmit via touch. Promise me.”
Serenity crossed her chest. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
As Stone walked out, Julia smiled at Serenity. “That’s true love.”
“He is very protective, I’ll admit.” She pointed at me. “He’s that way, too. You’ll see. He takes care of his people.”
“He sure does.” Julia had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she realized what she’d said. She blushed bright red.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Serenity left without looking back.
After she left, I gave Julia a wicked smile. "I had fun last night."
"Who would've thought a Thursday could turn into such an adventure?"
"If anyone had told me last month I'd be—" I shook my head, grinning. "Let's just say you're full of surprises."
"Quentin!" Julia's cheeks flushed. "The door's open."
"Then you'd better shut it, because I'm about to kiss you." I stood, and her gaze dropped briefly before meeting mine again. "Just being near you does crazy things to me."
She crossed to the door, giving me her brightest smile before closing it. "And you make me feel young and reckless."
Two steps and I had her. She turned into my arms and I kissed her like I'd been thinking about it all morning—which I had. My mouth moved to her neck, pressing soft kisses just below her ear. She giggled, the sound vibrating against my lips.
“I could stay here all day.” She rested her forehead against mine. "But I really do have work. Tonight though? We can pick up where we left off."
"Cruel woman." I kissed her once more, quickly. "Fine. Go be productive. I'll drown myself in paperwork and phone calls. Maybe figure out who wants us dead. You know, light Friday tasks.”
“One last kiss.” Julia leaned into me and closed her eyes.
We met halfway. Our hands eagerly explored. Our lips locked and my senses hit overload. I pulled away before we hit a point of no return. “If we don’t stop now, we’d end—”
The phone buzzed.
“Quentin, I have Willow Bend Table on line four. They’re saying you have to personally confirm your reservation tonight—”
“Got it.” I met Julia’s gaze and rolled my eyes. “So much for the surprise.”
“Wait—that place has a six-month waiting list. How did you manage that?”
I gave her a sly smile and pushed the button for line four. “This is Quentin Vanetti.”
“Sir, will you still be joining us tonight?”
“Yes.” I smiled at Julia. This place was famous, and I had to grease a few palms to get a reservation so quickly.
“Very good, sir. I have a table for two and the seating is at eight. Cocktails in the great room begin at seven, sir. We’ll see you tonight, and, sir?”
“Yes.”
“There are several items that need to be ordered ahead, sir. If you’d kindly check our website and fill out the pre-order form or call us in the next hour if you’d like something from that menu, sir.”
“Got it, thank you.” I hung up and whistled. “That restaurant is like a castle.”
“I read an English aristocrat built it in the mid-nineteenth century. And his wife haunts the place.”
“Ludington was his family name. He imported stone from Ireland to build the place. Real crazy rich is the gossip. The story is that the ghosts from Dublin followed the stone to America. Then, his wife died in a mysterious accident.”
“So there’s multiple ghosts?”
“Yes.” I smiled thinking about how legends grew from events that were often grounded in a boring reality.
In the mid-1800s it was common for women to die in childbirth or diseases we don’t think much about today, like smallpox.
“The truth about Mrs. Emily Ludington is lost to history, but the lore is still fun, even for me.”
“You’re a softie inside.”
“That stays between us." I tried for menacing but couldn't quite kill the smile. "My reputation as a ruthless mob boss is at stake here.”
“Mum’s the word.” Julia pretended to turn an invisible key over her lips.
I typed in the restaurant’s web address. “So, for tonight—if we’d like the Wood-Fired Bison Tenderloin with smoked bone marrow butter, or the Chestnut-Crusted Halibut, we have to order ahead. Or the lamb. Also, a few desserts. A molten Valrhona Ganache Cake or the Lemon-Thyme Soufflé.”
Julia scrolled on her phone, looking up after a moment of reading.
“No, I’m good. They have a house specialty, Ricotta Gnocchi, served with braised short ribs.
In Ragù. And the dessert menu is divine.
I’ll pick after dinner, but it looks like the Crostata di Ricotta e Limone has already got my vote. ”
I nodded. “You can take the Italian out of Italy, but good luck getting them to compromise on food.”
“You got that right.” Julia smiled as she headed to the door. “I’ve got a lot to catch up on if I’m going to be on time.”
“Cocktails at seven. Be ready at six-thirty.”
“Yes, boss.”
I watched her walk out, that confident stride reminding me exactly why I couldn't wait for tonight. Dinner was just the beginning.