Murder Slightly Scrambled Read online

  Murder Slightly Scrambled

  Zoey and Claire Kane

  Murder Slightly Scrambled

  Curvy Soul Mysteries – Book 4

  Zoey and Claire Kane

  Buttered and Scrambled with Murder

  Copyright © 2018 Breezy Reads

  No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Molly Burton with coverworks.wordpress.com

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  About the Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  RECIPES

  About the Book

  Gia and Tony are back for another savory mystery! This time, with a stack of pancakes on the side. Since having their relationship outed—much to

  Gia's dislike—the couple has been summoned by Mama Rizzo to the family's breakfast diner for a Sunday morning brunch.

  A mouthwatering spread is expected from Gia's culinary-genius parents, but serve up a rebellious older brother, a furry bacon thief, and a wealthy businessman bludgeoned to death, makes for a very unappetizing event.

  Gia soon learns that before the wealthy stranger's demise, his plans of rebuilding the town into a flashy money-grabbing hotspot would've affected the town's hardworking locals. Which leaves quite the list of suspects of who may have wanted him dead.

  Unfortunately, Gia's parents are on the police's radar for the crime.

  Backed by an army of Rizzo brothers, she, Tony, and best friend Jennie set out to uncover the truth in the beachy town of JewelCove, where a killer lurks deeper in the shadows than French toast sticks do in a bowl of maple syrup...

  1

  “For heaven’s sake! These stupid windows are locked!” Jennie cried from the backseat of Tony’s truck. “Will someone please open them?!”

  Sitting in the passenger seat, Gia snickered.

  “This isn’t a laughing matter,” Jennie snapped. “Your dog is back here tootin’ up a storm, and I don’t think I’ll last the rest of the ride.”

  Gia exchanged a knowing look with her boyfriend, Tony. They both had been dog parents for years and were accustomed to the many pleasantries of owning a four-legged friend. One of them was being on the wrong end of Saturday’s free sausage treat fest at Greenville’s pet store.

  Unfortunately, Jennie, Gia’s cousin and best friend, was sharing the aftermath of the too-many heavenly dog treats with Petey, the corgi.

  “Do you people have no mercy?!”

  Gia ended Jennie’s suffering by hitting the button to open the backseat windows, through which her cousin practically shoved half her body through. If drivers didn’t know any better, they’d say they saw a golden retriever trying to make a desperate escape from the confines of a black truck. Shiny gold locks of hair flapping and a tongue panting for fresh air, Jennie most certainly fit the part.

  “Why can’t you feed your dog normal food that’s compatible with his digestive system?” Jennie asked once she was firmly seated.

  “It’s not just that. Petey is also excited too.” Gia turned in her seat to smile at her poofy pooch. His chocolate-colored eyes sparkled, and his tongue rolled out, creating his I’m-So-Excited-That-I-Can’t-Contain-Myself grin. “He knows where we’re headed.”

  An obvious clue: the lightly chilled breeze that carried the smell of sea salt.

  They were headed to JewelCove, the birthplace of everyone in the car. Over the past few months, Gia had fallen hard for Greenville, but her heart always had a steady stream of yearning for the crawfish-eating town. As for Petey’s excitement, he knew exactly what was to follow after crossing the short bridge into the Cove. Hugs and face-mushing kisses from a short, voluptuous older woman who loved to spoil him with bacon bits.

  Sherry Rizzo. Gia’s mom.

  Crap. I’m sweating already. Gia clutched her seat belt with one hand and the other twisted the material of her off-the-shoulder blouse across her stomach. I need air, she thought, fanning her face. Then she remembered all of the windows are already down.

  “For someone who grew up by the water, you look a little seasick,” Tony said huskily. “I thought you’d be excited too.”

  Gia wanted to flick the smirk off his handsome face. “Well, you don’t hear me cracking fireworks out of my butt,” she pointed out. “And why aren’t you attempting to make a U-turn?”

  “G, we’re just having brunch with your parents.”

  Brunch... with... my parents... She shuddered. “I was hoping to have a little more... uninterrupted time together before they started harping on us. I could kill Reese a dozen times again for purposely spilling the beans.”

  Yeah, she was being dramatic. Who wouldn’t? Her younger brother, Reese, confessed to outing her and Tony’s new relationship to her mom. Gia was David and Sherry Rizzo’s only daughter amongst four bachelor-labeled brothers.

  In typical Sherry fashion, she summoned Gia and Tony for a mid-morning brunch at the family’s breakfast diner, Sunny Side Up. For those who didn’t carry the Rizzo gene, they would see the get together as a mild celebration for the new couple.

  Gia, drenched in R-I-Z-Z-O, knew this was really an interrogation. Wedding-bell loaded questions. Dates of when her mom should be booking JewelCove’s reception hall. And the ever-repentant rehash of her mom’s dream of becoming a grandmother before her hips were replaced by titanium.

  “They were bound to find out about us eventually.” Tony shrugged.

  Oh how Gia longed to gain his nonchalant composure. “Yeah, but I planned on that happening when scientists eventually discovered another planet for humans to live on and me securing a spot on the next shuttle.” She nervously twisted strands of her brown hair.

  Jennie’s head suddenly appeared beside Gia’s elbow. “Sweetie, it’s not like they’re meeting a total stranger. Your parents already know and love Tony,” she said. A smug Tony nodded in agreement. “Although, if things go chaotic—which I’m totally counting on, since, hello, it involves the Rizzos—I’m here to help.” Jennie flashed a heroic smile.

  Gia palmed her pretty face and shoved her back. “Oh, please. You’re just here to eat my mom’s pancakes.”

  “That is also true.”

  Gia sighed and welcomed Tony’s warm hand that captured hers, squeezing it in reassurance.

  Moments later, they cruised over the bridge that carried folks above the rich ocean, then passed the ancient faded sign reading: Welcome to JewelCove! Your desired seafood haven!

  She watched familiar storefronts pass by. One included a multi-generation-owned wooden shack bait and tackle shop. She and her brothers used to peek through the front glass to see the live lobsters that were kept in an aquarium.

  The streets barely held more than ten cars at a time since every necessity was in walking distance of neighborhoods.

  Tony stopped at an empty intersection, then turned left down JewelCove’s main avenue. On Gia’s right, the 2.5-mile length boardwalk ran parallel with the street, shops, and wide range of seafood restauran
ts. Toasty white sand met the wooden planks, then led out to the dark blue water. Seagulls screeched and glided high amongst the clouds. The soft sound of waves lapping the wet sand beckoned Gia to dip her toes in. The slightly chilly temperature delayed beach-goers looking to tan. However, it didn’t prevent fishermen from sailing away to make the many catches of the day. In the distance, Gia spotted the sails of small boats dotting the water’s surface. Behind her seat, Jennie held Petey in her lap, both in a relaxed stupor as they gazed at the sea.

  Tony hooked another left and the blue roof that contained the words Sunny Side Up—All Day & Night Breakfast Diner loomed ahead. Despite the craziness that harbored inside, Gia was proud of what her parents accomplished with the diner. Mom and Dad bought the cozy joint right after they married thirty years ago. It was the only diner in JewelCove that served various breakfast dishes 24/7. Local food critics, and those from afar, praised the sweet and savory meals—that Gia was no stranger to, having been raised in a French toast-scented household.

  David and Sherry were culinary wizards who inspired her to cook and create her food blog. Good Eatin’ For the Curvy Soul informed the world that good food was everywhere, just like the kind her parents served up every day.

  All you have to do is look.

  Tony shifted the truck into park. Everyone filed out. Gia was stretching her arms—procrastinating, no less—when a limo slowly drove by. The rear window was down. Gia could clearly see inside: it was an older gentleman with polished gray hair and suit-clad broad shoulders. He glared at the diner, then shifted his hard gaze on her. An eerie feeling coated her spine.

  “G?” Tony touched her shoulder, making her jump. “You okay?” He frowned.

  “Um.” She stole another glimpse at the limo. It briefly stopped at a crosswalk before disappearing around the corner. “Yeah,” she shook herself. Strange.

  Petey’s nose led the way inside the diner, as Gia, Jennie, and Tony trailed after him. Sunny Side Up had floor-to-wall windows that introduced customers to the balmy sun as they enjoyed fluffy pancakes. Red-cushioned booths lined the walls and black-top metal tables occupied the middle. A long silver counter with red stools was built in front of the kitchen, which was visible through a rectangular serving hatch. There, she spotted her oldest brother, Rob, at the grill.

  The smell of sage sausage and bacon drifted through the hatch and out into the restaurant.

  JewelCove patrons ate and loitered by neighbors’ booths, walking soundlessly on the carpeted floor. Some stopped to wave at Petey, who wobbled in like he owned the place. Set up at the far end of the small diner was a long table with a booth of equal length on one side and chairs on the other, which had seating for twelve. One spot was currently taken.

  Gia’s dad looked up from the newspaper he was reading, a smile spreading wide at the sight of her. He had the best smile. It lit up his whisky-hued eyes, crinkling their corners. Standing over six feet—he hadn’t passed a single inch down to Gia—and as wide as a grizzly bear, her dad had the heart of a koala. His cropped brown hair was thinning, and large hands were calloused, proving he had battled with many spatulas.

  “Tater Tot!” he bellowed.

  Gia inwardly cringed. She had forgotten about the nickname. From the chuckles that escaped Jennie, and surprisingly Tony, they weren’t going to let her ever forget again. She shot a glare over a shoulder before hugging her dad. She inhaled his scent that reminded her of home.

  Aftershave, cheap cologne, and turkey bacon.

  Next, her dad extended an arm toward Jennie, who accepted it in an enthusiastic hug. “It’s good to see you, Uncle David,” she said.

  “You too,” Dad gave a hearty laugh. “How’s your mom and dad?” her dad inquired, referring to Jennie’s parents. Even though his wife, Sherry, would know all the gossip.

  “Pretty great. Dad started construction on the second hotel. The opening should be next spring.”

  The Petersons were filthy rich and owned cruise lines and a five-star, fifty-floor hotel on a resort off the coast of JewelCove. Jennie pursued an acting career in the city of West Emily but ended up getting small parts in onstage plays. After a few years of that, Jennie ditched the lack of camera-using productions and moved to Greenville, where she works waitressing jobs while holding out for her big break.

  That made Gia think of her supervisor at In the Box bistro, Julian, a petite man with hair like a cartoon pony, who also seeks after the spotlight. Lucky for him, the senior art class was recently desperate, looking for a nude model.

  Unlucky for everyone else, Julian’s shameless stripping down inspired seventy-year-old Ms. Robinson to skinny dip in the town lake.

  Back in the present, Gia stepped aside for her dad to greet Tony.

  "It's been a while," Dad stated, extending his hand to shake.

  It was met with a firm grip. “It has, sir.” Tony nodded. Ten years to be exact, he

  thought. Unlike G—he was the only one who could call her that—he refrained from taking in the town’s scenery during the whole ride to the quaint diner. In fact, he was trying his hardest to remain numb, not allowing any sort of effect to take hold.

  A decade has passed. I’ve moved on, he told himself. My future doesn’t lie here... Gia snaked her arm around his waist, providing the warm crutch he needed. It lay with her.

  “We have some catching up to do then,” the older man said. “Once Sherry—”

  “THERE’S MY GIA! ROB! PUT DOWN THE SAUSAGE AND COME SAY HI TO YOUR SISTER!”

  Gia gulped before turning around to face a wave of high-energy, soul-piercing green eyes and big curls. She inherited those big curls, her mom’s short height and ample attributes. She also hoped to look just as beautiful as her mom did—who was pushing fifty this year. Her mom wore a lavender-flowered, sleeveless sundress, dark green flats, and an apron with the words “Watch It! These Buns Are Hot!” written in bright pink.

  She mushed Gia into a face-in, bosom-smothering hug, peppering her with kisses. Gia wildly flailed her arms. Her mom stepped back to take her chin in a firm grip and moved it side to side.

  Not this again. Gia spread her arms out as if she was going through security at the airport. Which wasn’t far from the truth.

  Her mom circled around before stepping in front once more, then she peeled back Gia’s eyelid.

  “Mom, must we do this every time we see each other?” Especially in public with dozens of people watching? She pulled away to peek over her shoulder and saw Jennie silently laughing from behind her hand, and Tony’s body vibrating as he stared intently at a menu. Obviously, he was doing his best to not combust too. Jerks.

  “Can’t I just check to see if my daughter is looking all right?” Mom continued the inspection by pinching Gia’s waist.

  “Ow!”

  “There’s not enough fat here.” Mom frowned. “Are you on a diet?” The dreaded hands on hips came into play. “Because I’ll have you know Franny’s daughter, Phyllis, recently went to the hospital for skipping out on meals. The lack of food made her drop like a sack of potatoes and turn purple.”

  Dad rolled his eyes until Gia was sure he could see his brain. Hmm, so that’s where I get it from.

  “Sherry, sweetheart, for the last time,” he said with such control, “Phyllis went to the hospital because she had an allergic reaction to a peanut.”

  “Who can confirm that?” Sherry arched a perfectly shaped brow.

  “Franny can! She told me herself!”

  "Well, it's ridiculous that her daughter is that thin. Give her a ham and fried egg melt every day for a whole month, and I guarantee her body will be strong enough to handle any ol' nut."

  Dad dropped his head in defeat.

  Out of Gia’s peripheral vision, Rob came to stand on her left. “Hey squirt,” he said, grinning down at her. She returned the grin with a slight shake of her head.

  At the age of twenty-nine, Rob was tall, handsome, and manned the grill of the diner. He was the homebody of all the sibli
ngs, never venturing out past a five-mile radius from the area they grew up in. He inhabited a cabin he built ten minutes from the diner and fished during his free time. Much to their mom’s dismay, he was single too. Gia pegged him as the quiet, mysterious brother whose independence was important to him. He had the usual Rizzo stubbornness gene but was the mellow one in the family. She never witnessed his bad side, and suspected that if revealed the Earth would split and hot lava would spew.

  Yeah, a bit much, but usually the quiet ones were the most dangerous.

  She and Rob watched their mom exchange a wiggle hug with Jennie, sneak a piece of meat from her apron pocket to give to Petey, then move on to squeeze Tony as if he were her own and pat his cheek. A warm smile that glittered in his eyes split across his face. Calm washed over Gia. A thick cloud of wariness she’d been holding was finally released.

  She, shockingly, hadn’t been holding her breath over her mom. It was Tony she was watching closely, given that it had been years since he stepped foot in JewelCove. But David and Sherry Rizzo were the pure essences of what loving parents should be—bat-crap crazy. He was robbed of experiencing that when his mother had been murdered by his father. Gia was worried that the horror would be on constant replay being in the presence of the ones who had lived next door to him during the darkest moment of his life.

  Over Mom’s head, Tony winked at Gia, making her knees buckle and reassuring her that everything was fine.

  “All right.” Mom clapped her hands twice. “We’ll have plenty of time to catch up and discuss a few certain things.” To Gia, she gave a pointed look that read: I sincerely hope you’re not on a diet so you can fill out my old wedding gown. “Take a seat. The food is ready to be brought out.”

  No one hesitated to grab a chair. Gia scooted in with Tony on the booth side, their thighs pressed together, though neither made a move to create space. Jennie came in next. Gia caught a glimpse of Petey’s furry butt following her dad into the kitchen.