The trade off, of course, was they wouldn’t have spent all these pleasant years in Cooper’s Corners. The diner had begun with the two men doing the cooking and their wives waiting tables. As Joe and Rosa’s two girls grew older, they helped out in the diner as well.
Lisa and her younger sister, Rosetta, had both been born there in the little community and had been brought into the world by young Doctor Wayland.
Luigi and Theresa’s children, three boys, Marco, Carlo and Luigi Junior, were also born there and continued to live in Cooper’s Corners.
The boys all had good jobs. Carlo sold new and used cars in Newport and his brother Luigi Junior had an insurance agency in the Capital. Only Marco had followed in his father’s footsteps in the building trade and did building and home repairs in the area.
In spite of working elsewhere, the two older boys still lived in Cooper’s Corners with their wives. Luigi Junior lived at home with his parents and was currently house sitting.
Nowadays, the four senior Bartolinis wintered together in Sarasota, Florida, whilst Lisa and her sister, Rosetta, ran the diner. Apart from the diehard locals and winter sportspeople, there was less than a quarter of the business for the diner in the wintertime.
At the moment, Rosetta was away for a week as well, attending a computer course at Johnson State College. Normally, Kathie Parker, a long time friend of Lisa’s, would help out in the diner if Rosetta was away, which was quite likely to be often.
Because Rosetta had to ld her family quite bluntly she had no intention of slinging hash for the rest of her life, which was why she was taking the computer course.
During the blizzard, and with Rosetta away, Kathie had been unable to get out to the diner by road. Lisa had told her not to w orry about it. She would be okay on her own because no one was stopping for food anyway. But Kathie had called Pam Tomaso, who only lived about a half a mile away from the diner. Pam had come right out and had arrived in time to see the mystery car thief. She hadn’t bothered to call ahead to Lisa, because she knew, if she had, Lisa would have just told her to stay home.
Lisa hoped Carl Berger would drop by. She’d had a crush on Carl since they were both in school together. They’d even dated for a brief period when they were at the University of Vermont together. Without either of them knowing why, they’d just drifted apart after University and had gone their own separate ways for several more years.
Now, both of them were in their early forties, both unmarried and both of them back in Cooper’s Corners. They wer e always friendly to each other but Lisa often wished Carl would make the first move. She knew she’d be most receptive this time if he did, and if he didn’t, then she’d just have to make a move of her own, wouldn’t sh e ?
Chapter Fourteen
Iona Cackett was the next person to find one, a body, another murder victim. Well, she didn’t exactly find it. She tripped over it!
She’ d just driven home from the Friday evening Bingo in the Holy Cross Church basement and was feeling very pleased with herself. It only takes one card to win, she always said to anyone who’d listen, and she only ever bought one card.
Tonight though, her one card had paid off big for her, and she’d won three times with it, including the Jackpot! This has got to be my lucky night, she’d thought.
That was until she’ d arrived home, at least, and had driven her old car into her garage. She walked over to her house along her unlighted pathway. It was unlighted because Iona didn’t believe in wasting money on lights when she wasn’t home to use them.
When she tripped over something on the pathway in the dark, she fell flat on her face in the snow. Her Bingo bag flew out of her hand, spilling dabbers and her numerous good luck charms all over the pathway and surrounding snow.
Iona said a
Lisa and her younger sister, Rosetta, had both been born there in the little community and had been brought into the world by young Doctor Wayland.
Luigi and Theresa’s children, three boys, Marco, Carlo and Luigi Junior, were also born there and continued to live in Cooper’s Corners.
The boys all had good jobs. Carlo sold new and used cars in Newport and his brother Luigi Junior had an insurance agency in the Capital. Only Marco had followed in his father’s footsteps in the building trade and did building and home repairs in the area.
In spite of working elsewhere, the two older boys still lived in Cooper’s Corners with their wives. Luigi Junior lived at home with his parents and was currently house sitting.
Nowadays, the four senior Bartolinis wintered together in Sarasota, Florida, whilst Lisa and her sister, Rosetta, ran the diner. Apart from the diehard locals and winter sportspeople, there was less than a quarter of the business for the diner in the wintertime.
At the moment, Rosetta was away for a week as well, attending a computer course at Johnson State College. Normally, Kathie Parker, a long time friend of Lisa’s, would help out in the diner if Rosetta was away, which was quite likely to be often.
Because Rosetta had to ld her family quite bluntly she had no intention of slinging hash for the rest of her life, which was why she was taking the computer course.
During the blizzard, and with Rosetta away, Kathie had been unable to get out to the diner by road. Lisa had told her not to w orry about it. She would be okay on her own because no one was stopping for food anyway. But Kathie had called Pam Tomaso, who only lived about a half a mile away from the diner. Pam had come right out and had arrived in time to see the mystery car thief. She hadn’t bothered to call ahead to Lisa, because she knew, if she had, Lisa would have just told her to stay home.
Lisa hoped Carl Berger would drop by. She’d had a crush on Carl since they were both in school together. They’d even dated for a brief period when they were at the University of Vermont together. Without either of them knowing why, they’d just drifted apart after University and had gone their own separate ways for several more years.
Now, both of them were in their early forties, both unmarried and both of them back in Cooper’s Corners. They wer e always friendly to each other but Lisa often wished Carl would make the first move. She knew she’d be most receptive this time if he did, and if he didn’t, then she’d just have to make a move of her own, wouldn’t sh e ?
Chapter Fourteen
Iona Cackett was the next person to find one, a body, another murder victim. Well, she didn’t exactly find it. She tripped over it!
She’ d just driven home from the Friday evening Bingo in the Holy Cross Church basement and was feeling very pleased with herself. It only takes one card to win, she always said to anyone who’d listen, and she only ever bought one card.
Tonight though, her one card had paid off big for her, and she’d won three times with it, including the Jackpot! This has got to be my lucky night, she’d thought.
That was until she’ d arrived home, at least, and had driven her old car into her garage. She walked over to her house along her unlighted pathway. It was unlighted because Iona didn’t believe in wasting money on lights when she wasn’t home to use them.
When she tripped over something on the pathway in the dark, she fell flat on her face in the snow. Her Bingo bag flew out of her hand, spilling dabbers and her numerous good luck charms all over the pathway and surrounding snow.
Iona said a
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