the door earlier.
With a half baked nod, I walked to the door with him.
He turned and warm hands slid up my arms.
"You sure you'll be okay here with Little Miss Dynamite?” he asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, I think we're safe for the night. Besides, I know you'll call the locals or have someone from the barracks keep an eye on us, won't you?"
"Mm hmm, I will.” His lips brushed mine before he left the hallway.
I knew he waited to hear the bolt slide into place and I obliged. A sound of satisfaction rumbled through the door. I smiled, turned back into the apartment and locked that door, too.
At the counter, Lola set out several plates of snacks and a bottle of wine. If nothing else, I could use the wine.
"He's a good looker. Man, you're reeling them in, aren't you?” Her laughter bubbled over while she stared at me.
"Oh yeah, I'm just a wicked woman. The problem is that I'm not sure what's going on with my life at this juncture. I've figured out that Aunt Livvy was into something that probably wasn't legal, though. Three bags of jewels in a couple of days are more than enough, wouldn't you say? And who wants them back?” Frustration filtered through my voice. “Where did they come from in the first place?"
Dark eyes glittered in concern as they rested on me before she poured the wine. I gulped the first mouthful and sat back, deep in thought.
Daring to interrupt my reverie, Lola opened her mouth and started to talk. I hadn't caught the first few words until she mentioned the shop in Providence. Conclavia Inspirata , the gift shop Livvy had left me, had flown out of my mind when these other incidents had started.
With a hand in a stop motion, I beckoned her to back up and repeat her words.
"Begin again, Lola, I didn't get what you said."
"I said, maybe we should look at whatever Livvy had a serious interest in. Conclavia was her most beloved business. We know she spent most of her time there when she wasn't in New York, right?"
"Right, but she had two other businesses as well. There was Fleur De Le in Wickford and also Bella Clava in Newport. Let's start with Wickford first and then move on to Newport. It will be hell with the traffic since the tourist season is upon us, but we can always pretend to shop. You know the words from the first note start with the same letters as Conclavia Inspirata begins."
"Really? Do you think there might be a connection? And who says we're pretending to shop? I adore Newport and Wickford. When do you want to go? I have to make arrangements for Gerry to handle the deliveries for Salt & Pepper, but then I'm free."
Guilt tightened my chest. I'd asked Lola to stay here tonight when she'd worked all day and had only just closed the deli after cleanup. I hesitated to ask her to sleuth with me.
"It's ridiculous for you to go with me. I know how busy you are right now."
Her eyes rounded like saucers, she gasped. Her slight frame pulled up to full height as she stood with her hands on her hips.
"Don't think for one minute you'll get to investigate without me. No way, I'm going and there's nothing you can say that will stop me. Would Cagney go without Lacey, huh? Tell me that."
A bubble of laughter rippled from my throat as I watched her. “Okay, okay. We can go tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to the funeral home in the morning for my mother. Then I'll come back here and we'll head for Wickford. Does that work for you?"
"Sure, what's at the funeral home? Nobody died, right?"
Nardolillo's Funeral Home was in Cranston, not far from my parents’ house. Everyone in the family used Nardolillo's when there was a death in our family and we were all on a first name basis. The Nardolillo family ran the business and was successful at it.
"I promised Mom that I'd pick up Livvy's death certificates. She has to deal with the insurance companies and burial costs. It won't take me long, honest."
With a nod of her head, Lola rifled the cabinet drawer. Pulling a pad of paper from within, she
With a half baked nod, I walked to the door with him.
He turned and warm hands slid up my arms.
"You sure you'll be okay here with Little Miss Dynamite?” he asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, I think we're safe for the night. Besides, I know you'll call the locals or have someone from the barracks keep an eye on us, won't you?"
"Mm hmm, I will.” His lips brushed mine before he left the hallway.
I knew he waited to hear the bolt slide into place and I obliged. A sound of satisfaction rumbled through the door. I smiled, turned back into the apartment and locked that door, too.
At the counter, Lola set out several plates of snacks and a bottle of wine. If nothing else, I could use the wine.
"He's a good looker. Man, you're reeling them in, aren't you?” Her laughter bubbled over while she stared at me.
"Oh yeah, I'm just a wicked woman. The problem is that I'm not sure what's going on with my life at this juncture. I've figured out that Aunt Livvy was into something that probably wasn't legal, though. Three bags of jewels in a couple of days are more than enough, wouldn't you say? And who wants them back?” Frustration filtered through my voice. “Where did they come from in the first place?"
Dark eyes glittered in concern as they rested on me before she poured the wine. I gulped the first mouthful and sat back, deep in thought.
Daring to interrupt my reverie, Lola opened her mouth and started to talk. I hadn't caught the first few words until she mentioned the shop in Providence. Conclavia Inspirata , the gift shop Livvy had left me, had flown out of my mind when these other incidents had started.
With a hand in a stop motion, I beckoned her to back up and repeat her words.
"Begin again, Lola, I didn't get what you said."
"I said, maybe we should look at whatever Livvy had a serious interest in. Conclavia was her most beloved business. We know she spent most of her time there when she wasn't in New York, right?"
"Right, but she had two other businesses as well. There was Fleur De Le in Wickford and also Bella Clava in Newport. Let's start with Wickford first and then move on to Newport. It will be hell with the traffic since the tourist season is upon us, but we can always pretend to shop. You know the words from the first note start with the same letters as Conclavia Inspirata begins."
"Really? Do you think there might be a connection? And who says we're pretending to shop? I adore Newport and Wickford. When do you want to go? I have to make arrangements for Gerry to handle the deliveries for Salt & Pepper, but then I'm free."
Guilt tightened my chest. I'd asked Lola to stay here tonight when she'd worked all day and had only just closed the deli after cleanup. I hesitated to ask her to sleuth with me.
"It's ridiculous for you to go with me. I know how busy you are right now."
Her eyes rounded like saucers, she gasped. Her slight frame pulled up to full height as she stood with her hands on her hips.
"Don't think for one minute you'll get to investigate without me. No way, I'm going and there's nothing you can say that will stop me. Would Cagney go without Lacey, huh? Tell me that."
A bubble of laughter rippled from my throat as I watched her. “Okay, okay. We can go tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to the funeral home in the morning for my mother. Then I'll come back here and we'll head for Wickford. Does that work for you?"
"Sure, what's at the funeral home? Nobody died, right?"
Nardolillo's Funeral Home was in Cranston, not far from my parents’ house. Everyone in the family used Nardolillo's when there was a death in our family and we were all on a first name basis. The Nardolillo family ran the business and was successful at it.
"I promised Mom that I'd pick up Livvy's death certificates. She has to deal with the insurance companies and burial costs. It won't take me long, honest."
With a nod of her head, Lola rifled the cabinet drawer. Pulling a pad of paper from within, she
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