Cannoli Cafe Mystery Series Boxed Set

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5

The morning after the murder, Nicole woke up early when the sun was just peeking through her backyard. Rubbing her eyes, she thought to herself about how it was the worst night she ever had. All she did was toss and turn, thinking about poor Aunt Lucia, knives, and murderers.

Woof, woof , woof!

“Good morning, Ringo. I need coffee, and I'm sure you want to go out!” Nicole put on her pale-pink robe and slippers and made her way to the kitchen with Ringo. Her house, a comfortable, three-bedroom ranch, had a great layout, one of the main selling points for Nicole. Having access to everything on the main floor was something she really appreciated, especially since she did have a tendency to spend lots of time in the kitchen and drink coffee, a habit she developed from working in the chemical plant.

“Here you go!” She opened the kitchen door so he could run around the big backyard. She also set up his water and food bowls.

Now it's my turn, she thought. A self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, she loved trying different varieties, which was a trait that aligned with her new business venture. She put the kettle on, moved her French Press to the counter, and took her coffee grinder out of the cabinet. She then looked through her coffee bean selection and decided to try an Ethiopian bean that had been rated highly on a website she followed.

While she waited for the kettle to boil, she went around the corner to check on Lia. On the door she saw a taped note: Got an early start at my office so that we can meet for lunch. See you at noon at Lucia’s Trattoria.

Lia had signed the note with a heart and the letter L. Nicole smiled to herself and was glad her friend was there for her when she needed the support.

After returning to the kitchen and using her French Press, she sat at the kitchen table and looked at the notes from the previous night. She wondered how anyone could go so far as to take someone’s life. Not feeling terribly hungry, she decided to eat a hard-boiled egg that was already in the fridge from the previous day. Then, her cell phone rang, but she didn’t recognize the number.

She answered.

“Hello, Nicole?” asked the voice.

“Yes, may I ask who’s calling?” She was especially nervous after everything that had transpired the night before.

“Nicole, it’s Dean. How are you this morning?”

Feeling surprised that he had her cell number, she replied, “I didn’t expect it to be you, but I suppose it makes sense that a good PI could get my number!”

Dean chuckled at Nicole’s remark, probably one of the first times she heard him sound at ease in a long time. “Actually, Lia gave it to me. I saw her office light was on at 6 a.m. today. I was a little disappointed she wasn’t still at your house, though. I’m worried about your safety.”

“I appreciate your concern, Dean, but there’s nothing to worry about. No one was murdered in my family, and Aunt Lucia is in the hospital because of her reaction to what happened.” Lia held the phone between her shoulder and face while she microwaved her coffee mug. She often needed to warm her coffee if she drank it too slowly.

“I don’t want to rule out that your aunt might have been targeted. Maybe Frank was the unintended victim. Besides, if she saw anything she would be a target, so I talked with my contact at the police station and they are keeping an officer posted outside her hospital room just in case.”

Touched that Dean was thinking about her safety and her aunt’s, Nicole hesitated.

“Lia said you’re visiting Aunt Lucia this morning. May I join you?” he asked.

Nicole stammered for a second, realizing that Dean may be involved in her life a bit more during this trying period, no thanks to Lia’s influence. “S-u-u-re. I’m going to the cafe in about an hour to check on things. Meet me there?”

“See you then. Bye now.”

Nicole got up from the table and opened the back door. She needed to get ready for her very important day. “Ringo!”