Murder Sliced to Perfection Read online

  A knife.

  Jennie ran a hand along the wall, found a switch, and turned it on. The sudden shock of fluorescent revealed Brian Fitzgerald. His nostrils flared. Eyes large and bloodshot, he jolted and quickly ran to the swinging door leading out, where he stopped and flipped off another light switch. Again, the kitchen was consumed by darkness.

  Gia was knocked by what felt like a freight train to the ground. Her shoulder connected hard with the checkered floor. Above, she heard grunts of pain and another body falling hard. Was that Jennie? Where was she? She called out to her, rolling and crawling toward the direction of the back exit.

  She had just reached the threshold when her hair was roughly pulled. She screamed, clawing at the hands clutching her hair. She was dragged back into the building. Her shoulder screamed. Her scalp felt like it was on fire.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Brian swore. He shoved her against a wall, his face close to hers, his hand still clutching a fistful of hair. “I’ll make this quick.” He pointed the tip of the knife at her nose.

  Gia tried to pull away. He was going to kill her. What could she do?

  “Did you make it quick for Gordy?” Her voice was hoarse. Brian visibly flinched.

  “I-I-. That was an accident.” He looked saddened. Or was he faking? Anger bloomed in Gia’s chest.

  “How? You cold-heartedly stabbed your own brother—”

  “He should have done what he was supposed to do!” Brian yanked hard.

  Gia cried out again.

  “I’ve worked my butt off my whole life and all he’s done is make sandwiches,” he spat. “Why does he deserve our dear mother’s fortune? And not I?”

  Gia tried pushing and pulling away again, whimpering when his nails dug into her roots.

  “But it’s okay.” Brian smiled sickly. “They both got what was coming. As did your friend.” His sour breath in her face, he gestured to the body lying limp on the floor. In the open doorway the moonlight showed Brad’s blonde hair. He didn’t move. Gia’s body shook violently, growing cold. “Now I’m going to do the same to you.” Brian raised the large knife. With no time to think, Gia just reacted. She twisted her head and bit his wrist. Then quickly followed it by kneeing his groin. Brian howled in pain, bending over and clutching himself.

  The knife clattered to the ground. Gia whipped through the swinging door as Brian screamed after her. He sounded close. She wasn’t going to make it to the front entrance. She dropped behind the deli counter, pressing herself close. A barely audible muffled pop made Gia wince.

  Her breathing was coming out quick and uneven. She slapped a hand over mouth. Her rapid heartbeat rang in her ears. She strained her ears to hear Brian’s movements. Nothing.

  Complete silence.

  Then...

  “Gia!” Jennie shouted. She slowly got up from her position and saw her best friend. She looked pale but was able to run around the counter and help her up.

  Brian was nowhere in sight.

  He must have escaped.

  “What happened?” Jennie grabbed her forearms, eyes wild. “Are you okay?”

  “I thought you were dead!” Gia held on to her.

  Obviously, Brian hadn’t succeeded. Nevertheless, it scared her to the bone.

  “The bastard just clocked me. It’s gonna take a lot more to bring me down.” Jennie said, rubbing the back of her head. They hugged tightly. “Kudos to you,” Gia’s cousin grinned. “You may be small, but you can sure hold your own.”

  “Huh?” Gia was at a loss.

  Jennie shot her thumb toward the kitchen doorway. “Brian. He’s on the ground. Knocked out,” she said. All Gia did was knee him. Was it that hard to make him pass out? She and Jennie quietly made their way back through the swinging door, stopping short.

  Brian lay, slumped on his side, on the floor. Gia stepped forward, peering closer. Was it possible for a person to be knocked out and still have their eyes wide open?

  She thought not.

  A single line of crimson slid down his face from the hole in the center of his forehead.

  Brian was dead.

  “Holy crap. I-I hadn’t noticed,” Jennie stammered. “I just assumed he was down because you managed to hit him. Gia...”

  “I-I didn’t do this...” Gia’s voice was barely audible. “He’s been shot. I don’t have a gun.”

  Jennie pulled her away, back to the front of the deli. “We need to call the police.” She stared down at her cell phone. “What do we say when they get here?” Jennie bent close to Gia. “Sweetie, you can tell me if—”

  “I didn’t do that,” Gia argued, pointing to the direction of what was left of Brian. “I don’t have a gun!”

  Jennie held her again.

  “Okay, all right. I believe you.” He rubbed circles between her shoulder blades, then stepped away and dialed Detective Evans.

  “He’s on his way.” Brad led her to the front door. He turned the lock, and they sat huddled on the curb, waiting for police. They called Tony. The conversation consisted of Jennie holding the phone away from her ear. Tony’s loud and enraged shouting carried to Gia. Soon, red and blue lights lit the dark sky. Police cars and a large black truck screeched in front of the deli.

  Tony bolted out of his truck, barreling toward Gia. He scooped her up, pressing his face in her neck. “You’re headed straight for my closet,” he said. Gia laughed, wincing when Tony touched her bruised shoulder.

  “You’re hurt?” He cupped her cheek before kissing it. Brad stepped forward.

  “I’m hurt too. Do I get a kiss?”

  12

  Turns out Gia and Jennie had just interrupted Brian returning Danny’s name-carved knife, which Brian had used to kill his brother—and which was soon to be used on Gia. She relayed to Detective Evans Brian’s confessing to murdering Gordy, the motive being what she had already suspected.

  As for the bullet that ended Brian’s life...

  Detective Evans questioned Gia and Jennie for hours. They had nothing to say regarding Brian’s mysterious gunshot wound. Because there was nothing to say. Neither had carried a gun. Neither saw or heard a gun being fired. Except for the strange muffled popping sound. This troubled Evans. He had forensics comb through the whole deli. Nothing was found. The bullet hadn’t passed through any walls or windows. Just flying in the open back door and embedding itself in Brian’s head.

  They concluded that an anonymous good Samaritan heard Gia’s screams, stepped in, and shot Brian. It would take a few days to determine where the bullet had come from. Detective Evans stated, if the person hadn’t stepped forward to begin with, then it was likely the bullet belonged to an unregistered weapon.

  That didn’t stop Gia from giving a silent thanks to her nameless hero.

  When hearing of what went down at the deli, Leroy encouraged his friend, a nurse from Healthy Beginnings, to finally step forward and come clean to being paid by Brian to overdose Martha Fitzgerald with a lethal amount of sleeping pills.

  Healthy Beginnings immediately shut down. Their residents moved to a friendlier living environment in JewelCove. Greenville police were now working with West Emily agents in investigating Healthy Beginning’s past accusations of foul play. Gia got wind of her twin brothers aiding the case by digging up hidden computer documents that might reveal any criminal wrong-doing. Gia was relieved her tussle with a killer wasn’t passed along to them, and which would’ve required her mom to show up on her welcome mat.

  <<<>>>

  “Where are your bowls?” Tony asked, opening and slamming cabinets in her tiny kitchen. He looked gigantic in the small space.

  “Down below.” She pointed. “I’m short. I need them where I can easily reach.”

  It was Monday again. Tony had insisted she take the whole day off. But nothing could stop Gia from serving up Greenville tasty dishes. Not even a sore shoulder or missing spots of hair. Though witnessing Tony becoming more and more frustrated, she eventually caved, and accepted a lunch break at h
er apartment. But if he had just said he was making creamy chicken enchilada soup—laced with boneless chicken breast pieces, black beans, corn, tortilla strips and chunks of tomato—in the first place, then there wouldn’t have been any arguments.

  Jade was also here to keep Petey company. When Gia returned home that night from giving her statement at the station, she realized she’d forgotten to turn off the TV, and saw a marathon of jaguar documentaries was on.

  Her slippers were demolished.

  “Careful. It’s hot.” Tony handed her a bowl. With one for himself, he settled next to her on the couch. “Actually, hand it over.” He took her bowl back and it set it on the coffee table, along with his.

  Gia pouted, gazing longingly at the creamy soup. Tony held her hands, turning to face her. He swallowed a few times. Opening and closing his mouth. Gia furrowed her brow. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He nodded, exhaling. “Since coming to Greenville and taking over my uncle’s bistro, I thought I was entering a new realm I knew I could handle,” he chuckled. “I had no clue my new beginning would start with you. And I have to admit, I’m pretty damn grateful it did.” Gia glanced down at their entwined fingers.

  “I care about you...deeply.” His voice was husky. Gia’s eyes jumped up to meet his. “In a way that I can’t go on as just looking at us being friends,” he said quietly. Gia felt her cheeks and neck warm. Was this what he’d meant the other night? He wanted more?

  Gia’s breath hitched. She wanted more.

  “G, what I’m trying to say—”

  She grabbed his face and crushed her lips to his.

  Jade and Petey barked happily. Tony’s arms wrapped around her. Petey tugged on Tony’s pant leg, while Jade hopped onto the couch and pressed her warm nose into Gia’s ear.

  “Amazing,” Tony said against her mouth. She smiled and nodded. They sat smiling like a couple of drunken sailors, gazing at one another. Tony softly kissed her nose, cheek, neck...

  Her stomach growled.

  “I know what that means,” Tony laughed, handing back her bowl. He cursed. “I forgot spoons.”

  “I’ll get them.” She couldn’t contain her smile. Or the excitement that surged through her veins. She opened the skinny drawer containing the silverware.

  “Uhh, G?” Tony called, sounding alarmed. She rushed back into the living room. Petey sat between where she stood and Tony sat. He yipped, wagging hischubby tail. Practically grinning.

  “Petey just coughed this up on my shoe.” In the middle of Tony’s palm, he held a damp lump of mush. It was the missing lady bug.

  “PETEY!”

  Later that evening, before washing up for bed, Gia reluctantly got off the phone with Tony—reassuring him that she had enough painkiller pills for her shoulder, and agreeing to make plans to have an early breakfast at Sweeney’s café before work.

  She sat on her bed, laptop in hand, she began checking her e-mails. Petey snored beside her.

  (1) New Message

  It was from the food magazine, Forks & Knives—the monthly newsletter she’d subscribed to a while back.

  Submissions Needed!

  We’re looking for new aspiring writers and photographers to be a part of the Forks & Knives magazine family!

  What we need:

  Enter your name and address in the form below

  Attach any past works you want us to look at.

  (Photos may also be included)

  Hit that submit button and you’re done! Submissions close exactly ONE week from when this e-mail is sent.

  If we like what we see, we’ll contact those who’ve tickled our tastes buds in the next TWO weeks.

  Good luck and stay hungry!

  Petey awoke and licked Gia’s hand that hovered over the keyboard. Her eyes glued to the screen. A moment like this was what she was waiting for. A chance for her dream to become reality.

  “Put on the coffee, bud. We’ve got work to do.”

  Epilogue

  Mike Santino sucked in a deep drag of his cigar,

  exhaling in the direction of his trusted aid and longtime friend, Vinny Larkins.

  “Did anyone see you?” Mike asked.

  Vinny snorted. Only he was allowed to get away with doing that in front of Mike. Anyone one else would end up losing his thumbs.

  “Course not,” Vinny leaned back in his chair, propping a leg over his knee. “I used a silencer,” he said.

  Mike nodded, crushing the cigar in a crystal ash tray. “It was damn lucky you sent me out to check on your son that night,” Vinny went on. Several times a week, Vinny—specifically Vinny, since Mike trusted him the most—rode through Greenville and checked that all was well with Tony. Vinny had been on his way out, driving past Danny’s Deli, when he heard a scream. It was of the utmost importance that he remained unseen and not reveal himself—no matter if it involved anyone being in danger. But in this case, Vinny had to step in when he saw the short brunette whom Mike had mentioned before being dragged by a man holding a knife.

  In the shadows in the back alley, Vinny attached the sound-suppressing device to his own firearm.

  Standing in the darkened back doorway, he waited for the man who cried like a damn baby—holding his jewels—to be still enough.

  Vinny then pointed and fired.

  The short brunette? Gia Rizzo.

  Vinny only knew she was a close friend to his boss’s son and was under Santino’s protection.

  Vinny hesitated before saying, “I understand Ms. Rizzo is valuable to your son.” He cleared his throat. “But what is she to you, sir?”

  Mike rubbed his chin, watching Vinny closely, thinking it was time to explain.

  “She’s the key.”

  The end.

  Read on for a special note from the authors and a link to the next in the Curvy Soul Mysteries series.

  Special Note From The Authors

  Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this mystery, we’d be delighted if you’d review it. Positive reviews help us gain advertising and exposure, thus allowing us to continue our mystery series.

  Warmest regards,

  Zoey and Claire Kane

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