Read Online J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder by J.M Griffin - Free Book Online Page B

do my utmost to see that you both get a fair trial.”
    “Fair trial, my ass,” I snapped with a snort. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions, Mr. Casali. There won’t be a trial, so if that’s where you think this is headed, then you’re quite mistaken. So far, there’s no hard evidence to link either of us to the death of this woman.” I turned to my father. “You didn’t give this idiot any money, did you?”
    “The evidence is circumstantial, I admit,” Casali remarked, as his sleazy eyes roamed my upper torso once again. “We do need to be prepared for the worst, though.”
    “Yeah, right,” I snarked.
    My father stared at me for a moment. The signs of a head butting session covered his face. In a second or two, we would enter the ring, and only God knew who the victor would be.
    “Dad, you can’t think for one moment that we’ll end up in court?”
    My father swore in Italian and then said in English, “I’ve engaged Mr. Casali as a precaution, Lavinia. I know you’re about to begin your own investigation. You’ll undoubtedly prove you and your mother’s innocence. There’s no question in my mind.” He heaved an exasperated sigh, his hands waving as he spoke.
    “ Poi dare la porta a questo scatto, Dad ,” I retorted in Italian. “ Spreca il suo temp, lei non puo` dire? ” It made sense to me to tell my father to get rid of the jerk and realize he was wasting our time.
    “I’ll think about it, but I want you to investigate the allegations first. Lasciamo non `e frettolos, l’eh? ”
    “ Bene, Dad.” I agreed not to be hasty as my glance strayed to Mr. Casali. I stretched my hand out to shake his extended one.
    “It was good to meet you, Mr. Casali. We’ll be in touch.”
    “Thank you, Ms. Esposito. It was a pleasure to meet you, as well. Maybe we could discuss the case over dinner sometime?” He smirked as he said it.
    “I doubt it,” I answered and walked away from the slime ball to check out the kettle on the stove. In a few seconds, I heard the door close behind the smarmy sleazebag.
    “Lavinia, your manners get worse and worse with each passing day,” my father said. “You spend too much time in the company of cops. I’ve warned you of this before. They have been a bad influence on you.”
    The heavy soup ladle next to the kettle rested in a stainless steel spoon bed. Lifting it, I stirred the chicken soup, and leaned in to inhale the marvelous, mouth-watering aroma of it. My taste buds stood at attention. I turned to my father with a wide smile.
    “Can I have some soup to take home?” Ignoring the cop comment, I waited for him to agree to my request.
    “Yes, you can. I’ll get a container for you, just wait a minute.” He rummaged under the counter for a large glass jar.
    As he filled the jar with soup, I turned to my mother and recapped my conversation with Gianna and Angela. When I mentioned that she might take on some of the chores at the shop, her face glowed with pleasure. She rose from the chair to hug me, planting a kiss on my cheek.
    “Dear, I know you’re looking out for me. I really appreciate it. Don’t feel as though you have to offer me a job, though. I’ll be fine.” Mom smiled. “After all, I am the Bake Sale Queen and there’s another bake sale scheduled for this Saturday at the center, to benefit the residents. I promised to make enough money for them to attend bingo at the Casino.”
    “That’s wonderful, but frankly, I could use the help at the shop. The girls are working seven days a week and they’re exhausted. You don’t have to go in every day, but it would be nice if you could go in a couple of days a week to help them out and do the accounts. You know I’m math challenged. I have difficulty balancing my own checkbook, let alone the store’s books.” I smiled and grasped her hand. “Please say you’ll help me out with this. I promise to help with your bake sale.”
    Her face lit up like the living room Christmas tree. I