seemed he was speaking to a man by the name of Bruno. I didn’t hear everything that was said, but Trent was upset that this Bruno had talked to someone named Giovanni. He seemed really upset. Madder than I’ve ever seen him.”
“Do you have any idea who Bruno or Giovanni were?”
“None at all. I didn’t want to admit I’d overheard , so I didn’t ask.”
“Can you remember anything else?”
Mary tapped her lip with her forefinger. “This is going to sound odd, but Trent seemed to be afraid of this Giovanni, but he also had a tone that indicated respect.”
“Respect? Like perhaps a cruel father figure?”
“Maybe.”
“Did you hear anything else?”
Mary shook her head. “I felt bad for listening, so I moved on down the hall.”
“Old Man Johnson mentioned someone Trent referred to as Reenie. Does that ring a bell?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“Did Trent ever mention any siblings or other family members to you?”
Mary thought about it. “I can’t say that he did. I got the idea that his childhood was painful. I don’t know this for certain , but I think he was brought up in a family situation grounded in neglect and possibly abuse. He was always really good with my kids, but he seemed uncomfortable around them. He usually planned to stop by when the kids were at school, but he knew I was desperate to have the plumbing fixed. He told me he planned to go out of town for a while, so it seems he spent what turned out to be the last weekend of his life finishing my plumbing upgrade before he was to leave.”
“Did he say where he planned to go?”
“No, just that something had come up and he had to go away for a while. After he was done here, he said he had a job to finish up for you, but I got the feeling he planned to leave right after that. I guess he won’t be taking that trip now.” Mary wiped a tear from her cheek. “Who would do something like this?”
“I don’t know , but I plan to find out.”
By the time I left Mary’s, the snow was back and I decided it might be a good idea to stop by the market to pick up some canned goods and other supplies, as Ernie had suggested when I was there on Sunday. Luckily, the soup was still on sale for a dollar a can. I threw some refrigerator biscuits into my basket as well. After stocking up on several other nonperishables, I headed toward the produce aisle, and then the dairy case. “So what do you think?” I asked Charlie. “Chocolate or vanilla?”
“More ice cream?” Ernie asked as he walked up behind us.
“More? This is the first I’ve bought since Christmas. I used up the last of the vanilla I had the other night with the brownies.”
“Oh , I just figured the four half gallons Zak bought a while back were for you. I’ve never known him to buy much ice cream until a month or so ago, and I’d heard—” Ernie stopped in midsentence and actually blushed.
“ The ice cream wasn’t for me. He has a guest staying at his house. I suppose it could have been for the guest.”
“Yes, well , I’m sure that’s it. Is there anything I can help you with? I got in some fresh strawberries I haven’t even put out yet. They’d go nicely with that ice cream. I’d be happy to throw in a basket.”
“Strawberries sound good.”
I glanced at Charlie with a look that said, See, I told you Zak was up to no good . Ernie was right; Zak wasn’t a fan of ice cream. If he’d bought four cartons, it had to be for his guest . . . a guest, I believed this proved, who was of the female persuasion.
“It’s going to be close to impossible to track down this Giovanni if you don’t have his last name,” Ellie pointed out later that evening as we shared a pitcher of beer with Levi at Mulligan’s. Levi had ordered chicken wings and French fries, while Ellie and I shared a salad and a baked potato casserole.
“I know .” I set my beer aside and reached for one of Levi’s fries. “I’m beginning to think Trent was involved in
“Do you have any idea who Bruno or Giovanni were?”
“None at all. I didn’t want to admit I’d overheard , so I didn’t ask.”
“Can you remember anything else?”
Mary tapped her lip with her forefinger. “This is going to sound odd, but Trent seemed to be afraid of this Giovanni, but he also had a tone that indicated respect.”
“Respect? Like perhaps a cruel father figure?”
“Maybe.”
“Did you hear anything else?”
Mary shook her head. “I felt bad for listening, so I moved on down the hall.”
“Old Man Johnson mentioned someone Trent referred to as Reenie. Does that ring a bell?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“Did Trent ever mention any siblings or other family members to you?”
Mary thought about it. “I can’t say that he did. I got the idea that his childhood was painful. I don’t know this for certain , but I think he was brought up in a family situation grounded in neglect and possibly abuse. He was always really good with my kids, but he seemed uncomfortable around them. He usually planned to stop by when the kids were at school, but he knew I was desperate to have the plumbing fixed. He told me he planned to go out of town for a while, so it seems he spent what turned out to be the last weekend of his life finishing my plumbing upgrade before he was to leave.”
“Did he say where he planned to go?”
“No, just that something had come up and he had to go away for a while. After he was done here, he said he had a job to finish up for you, but I got the feeling he planned to leave right after that. I guess he won’t be taking that trip now.” Mary wiped a tear from her cheek. “Who would do something like this?”
“I don’t know , but I plan to find out.”
By the time I left Mary’s, the snow was back and I decided it might be a good idea to stop by the market to pick up some canned goods and other supplies, as Ernie had suggested when I was there on Sunday. Luckily, the soup was still on sale for a dollar a can. I threw some refrigerator biscuits into my basket as well. After stocking up on several other nonperishables, I headed toward the produce aisle, and then the dairy case. “So what do you think?” I asked Charlie. “Chocolate or vanilla?”
“More ice cream?” Ernie asked as he walked up behind us.
“More? This is the first I’ve bought since Christmas. I used up the last of the vanilla I had the other night with the brownies.”
“Oh , I just figured the four half gallons Zak bought a while back were for you. I’ve never known him to buy much ice cream until a month or so ago, and I’d heard—” Ernie stopped in midsentence and actually blushed.
“ The ice cream wasn’t for me. He has a guest staying at his house. I suppose it could have been for the guest.”
“Yes, well , I’m sure that’s it. Is there anything I can help you with? I got in some fresh strawberries I haven’t even put out yet. They’d go nicely with that ice cream. I’d be happy to throw in a basket.”
“Strawberries sound good.”
I glanced at Charlie with a look that said, See, I told you Zak was up to no good . Ernie was right; Zak wasn’t a fan of ice cream. If he’d bought four cartons, it had to be for his guest . . . a guest, I believed this proved, who was of the female persuasion.
“It’s going to be close to impossible to track down this Giovanni if you don’t have his last name,” Ellie pointed out later that evening as we shared a pitcher of beer with Levi at Mulligan’s. Levi had ordered chicken wings and French fries, while Ellie and I shared a salad and a baked potato casserole.
“I know .” I set my beer aside and reached for one of Levi’s fries. “I’m beginning to think Trent was involved in
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