ready to share. Everyone realized that she needed some time to process it all.
Adam pulled into Lily’s driveway, walked around the car, opened the door for her and offered her his hand.
Lily looked up at Adam. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Sorry? For what?”
“I thought it was you all along. I didn’t trust you.”
Adam smiled. “That’s what I wanted. Come on, I’ll explain some things to you.”
They settled comfortably in the sunshine on Lily’s deck. Iris and Daisy brought out a tray with sandwiches, ice d tea and some dog bones. Iris looked at her daughter. “It’s a good thing you have that stubborn streak and never give up until the job is done.”
Lily smiled at her mother. “I wonder where that came from.”
They laughed and Lily grabbed a sandwich, devouring it as if she hadn’t eaten in days. The food refueled her and she washed it all down with the ice cold tea. “Ah, that’s just what I needed.”
Ryan joined them on the deck and handed a bag to Lily from the Sunflower Café. “Jennifer heard you had an adventure and asked me to bring this to you. She said it’s your favorite.”
Lily peeked in the bag. A big smile grew on her face. “Cannolis? This is my lucky day.”
Ryan shook his head. “If you call this a lucky day, what’s an unlucky day for you?”
Lily chuckled. “Good point. It went from bad to worse to fantastic now with all of you here with me.”
Rosie woofed her agreement to that. Or else, she was telling Lily to hurry up and give her one of those dog bones.
Ryan found a chair. “Are you ready to tell us what happened?”
“Definitely.” Lily filled them in on Vinnie’s bizarre talking, driving and the confessions he told her.
“How did Rosie manage to take him down?”
Lily looked at her awesome dog. “That’s the best part. That’s when the bad started to turn around for me. Vinnie didn’t know Rosie was in the back seat of my car. When he opened the door to plant the rose petals and the EpiPen inside, Rosie charged him like a speeding bullet. Vinnie didn’t know what hit him and since Rosie had him by his neck, there wasn’t much he could do to fight her off without getting his jugular chopped in two.” She took a big bite of her second cannoli, licking the cream from her lips. “How did Adam know to come?”
Iris couldn’t wait any longer to share that part of the story. “Vinnie was with Joanne when you called her and he told her what to say to you. As soon as he left, Joanne called Adam. She didn’t want to see Vinnie ruin anyone else’s life. And the best part is that Lana will be able to get released now.”
Adam looked at Lily. “So, are we friends now?”
Lily nodded.
“Good.” Adam glanced at Daisy and winked. “I didn’t want you to try to get between me and your sister.”
“Don’t worry about that. ” Lily smiled at Daisy, then looked back at Adam. “You never finished your part of the story.”
Adam settled back comfortably. “I’ve been watching Vinnie for quite some time, trying to catch him up to his dirty tricks. I suspected he planted the drugs in Lana’s backpack and I knew he was after Carla. She wasn’t interested in that old fool but he couldn’t accept it. When she turned up dead, I was sure it was Vinnie. He never let anyone get the best of him, but I couldn’t find anything to pin the murder on him until that last search I did. He must have used the bathroom in her motel room and some hairs were found there. Sloppy of him. I was worried about you, Lily. When you beat him in that shooting competition, I was sure he would figure out some way to get even. Daisy told me you were going to talk to Joanne so I was heading that way anyway, but when Joanne called, I brought Iris and Daisy along too. We didn’t know what we would find.”
Lily leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head. “I had it all under control.”
Iris raised her eyebrow. “If you say so.”
Lily’s Potato Salad and
Adam pulled into Lily’s driveway, walked around the car, opened the door for her and offered her his hand.
Lily looked up at Adam. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Sorry? For what?”
“I thought it was you all along. I didn’t trust you.”
Adam smiled. “That’s what I wanted. Come on, I’ll explain some things to you.”
They settled comfortably in the sunshine on Lily’s deck. Iris and Daisy brought out a tray with sandwiches, ice d tea and some dog bones. Iris looked at her daughter. “It’s a good thing you have that stubborn streak and never give up until the job is done.”
Lily smiled at her mother. “I wonder where that came from.”
They laughed and Lily grabbed a sandwich, devouring it as if she hadn’t eaten in days. The food refueled her and she washed it all down with the ice cold tea. “Ah, that’s just what I needed.”
Ryan joined them on the deck and handed a bag to Lily from the Sunflower Café. “Jennifer heard you had an adventure and asked me to bring this to you. She said it’s your favorite.”
Lily peeked in the bag. A big smile grew on her face. “Cannolis? This is my lucky day.”
Ryan shook his head. “If you call this a lucky day, what’s an unlucky day for you?”
Lily chuckled. “Good point. It went from bad to worse to fantastic now with all of you here with me.”
Rosie woofed her agreement to that. Or else, she was telling Lily to hurry up and give her one of those dog bones.
Ryan found a chair. “Are you ready to tell us what happened?”
“Definitely.” Lily filled them in on Vinnie’s bizarre talking, driving and the confessions he told her.
“How did Rosie manage to take him down?”
Lily looked at her awesome dog. “That’s the best part. That’s when the bad started to turn around for me. Vinnie didn’t know Rosie was in the back seat of my car. When he opened the door to plant the rose petals and the EpiPen inside, Rosie charged him like a speeding bullet. Vinnie didn’t know what hit him and since Rosie had him by his neck, there wasn’t much he could do to fight her off without getting his jugular chopped in two.” She took a big bite of her second cannoli, licking the cream from her lips. “How did Adam know to come?”
Iris couldn’t wait any longer to share that part of the story. “Vinnie was with Joanne when you called her and he told her what to say to you. As soon as he left, Joanne called Adam. She didn’t want to see Vinnie ruin anyone else’s life. And the best part is that Lana will be able to get released now.”
Adam looked at Lily. “So, are we friends now?”
Lily nodded.
“Good.” Adam glanced at Daisy and winked. “I didn’t want you to try to get between me and your sister.”
“Don’t worry about that. ” Lily smiled at Daisy, then looked back at Adam. “You never finished your part of the story.”
Adam settled back comfortably. “I’ve been watching Vinnie for quite some time, trying to catch him up to his dirty tricks. I suspected he planted the drugs in Lana’s backpack and I knew he was after Carla. She wasn’t interested in that old fool but he couldn’t accept it. When she turned up dead, I was sure it was Vinnie. He never let anyone get the best of him, but I couldn’t find anything to pin the murder on him until that last search I did. He must have used the bathroom in her motel room and some hairs were found there. Sloppy of him. I was worried about you, Lily. When you beat him in that shooting competition, I was sure he would figure out some way to get even. Daisy told me you were going to talk to Joanne so I was heading that way anyway, but when Joanne called, I brought Iris and Daisy along too. We didn’t know what we would find.”
Lily leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head. “I had it all under control.”
Iris raised her eyebrow. “If you say so.”
Lily’s Potato Salad and
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