Read Online Murder Under the Italian Moon by Maria Grazia Swan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maria Grazia Swan
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go take a look at the car, and we'll call the authorities. We can make a phone report of the car swap. And let's put her cell back in the glove compartment of the Ferrari. It's not our phone." We headed toward the door and I noticed Flash under the couch, watching us with a look of annoyance.
The underground common garage was always dark. Today wasn't any different. The white Ferrari created a bright spot. Kyle unlocked the driver's side and examined the glove compartment. I couldn't get myself to touch the damn thing.
"Anything?"
He wasn't listening. His eyes focused somewhere behind me, his whole expression morphing. I could swear even the color of his pupils grew darker.
I turned around.
Audrey, the next-door neighbor, breezed toward us. Where did she come from? It didn't seem to matter to Kyle. In his hurry to get out of the car I heard him hit his head on the metal doorframe. He didn't let out a sound. His face had the idiotic grin of a prime candidate for a broken heart.
She wore a dress made of a gauzy fabric, not short or fitted. The dress moved with her, fluttered around her lithe body, quivered with her every step. She carried some plastic grocery bags, her little brother tagging behind her, licking a lollipop.
"Hi!" My son offered her his hand. "Kyle York."
"Audrey Bernard." She smiled, bending a little forward to show that her arms were full of groceries.
He smiled back, and I felt invisible. I wasn't invisible to David. The kid flashed me a big grin. The contrast of his lips, bright red from the lollipop, against the pallor of his complexion somehow looked ghoulish. He noticed the Ferrari.
"Awesome!"
"You like it?" Kyle clicked something on the keys he held in his hand. The trunk opened, spooking David. The three of them laughed like old friends.
David craned his neck. "What's this?"
I looked. The plush carpeting covering the storage compartment of the trunk was ripped off on both sides.
I gawked at the sight. "What happened?"
"Thieves," Kyle concluded. "Tom's stereo equipment was stolen. That's why I got such a hot deal."
"Can I help you carry something?" Kyle glanced at Audrey.
She zapped him another smile and handed him one of the grocery bags. With David trotting behind them they walked toward Audrey's place, leaving me alone by the nefarious Ferrari. I assumed Kyle locked the car with his remote, as I walked back to my home alone and more confused than before.
Maybe Larry could—forget Larry. Wait a minute, Mrs. Snoopy told me that Devin was headed to my house. That was a long time ago, and by my personal clock it was an eternity. Did he change his mind?
Flash jumped on my lap, and I turned on the local news channel. They mentioned the house fire, and the fact that luckily there weren't any victims. No mention of foul play and no mention of Ruby missing either. Something wasn't right. How come no one seemed to be looking for Ruby? Larry never asked me if I knew where she was. Was she only hiding from me? Why? Hiding in plain sight? She was in Palm Springs three days ago and the Porsche was in my garage the night before. If Kyle hadn't been driving it, Ruby must have been here. So, where was she now? She couldn't hide in the ashes of her house. Kyle asked me about the possibility of Ruby using drugs. I said no without hesitation. What made me such an expert? Ruby had these peculiar…episodes, had had them for four years—ever since Nick's death. Forgetting a whole day of her life. Buying things and then claiming someone else did it.
Six months before my recent trip to Florence, Ruby popped in, and I had to listen to her banking snafu.
"Lella , I'm losing it ." She shouted the last words, and her eyes had a feverish glow.
"What happened?" I rolled my eyes, unruffled by her sense of melodrama.
"I bounced a check, damn it." She clutched her glass of Chardonnay like a life preserver, her knuckles turning white.
"So? Is that all?" I laughed. "What's the big deal? Maybe Tom wrote a check
The underground common garage was always dark. Today wasn't any different. The white Ferrari created a bright spot. Kyle unlocked the driver's side and examined the glove compartment. I couldn't get myself to touch the damn thing.
"Anything?"
He wasn't listening. His eyes focused somewhere behind me, his whole expression morphing. I could swear even the color of his pupils grew darker.
I turned around.
Audrey, the next-door neighbor, breezed toward us. Where did she come from? It didn't seem to matter to Kyle. In his hurry to get out of the car I heard him hit his head on the metal doorframe. He didn't let out a sound. His face had the idiotic grin of a prime candidate for a broken heart.
She wore a dress made of a gauzy fabric, not short or fitted. The dress moved with her, fluttered around her lithe body, quivered with her every step. She carried some plastic grocery bags, her little brother tagging behind her, licking a lollipop.
"Hi!" My son offered her his hand. "Kyle York."
"Audrey Bernard." She smiled, bending a little forward to show that her arms were full of groceries.
He smiled back, and I felt invisible. I wasn't invisible to David. The kid flashed me a big grin. The contrast of his lips, bright red from the lollipop, against the pallor of his complexion somehow looked ghoulish. He noticed the Ferrari.
"Awesome!"
"You like it?" Kyle clicked something on the keys he held in his hand. The trunk opened, spooking David. The three of them laughed like old friends.
David craned his neck. "What's this?"
I looked. The plush carpeting covering the storage compartment of the trunk was ripped off on both sides.
I gawked at the sight. "What happened?"
"Thieves," Kyle concluded. "Tom's stereo equipment was stolen. That's why I got such a hot deal."
"Can I help you carry something?" Kyle glanced at Audrey.
She zapped him another smile and handed him one of the grocery bags. With David trotting behind them they walked toward Audrey's place, leaving me alone by the nefarious Ferrari. I assumed Kyle locked the car with his remote, as I walked back to my home alone and more confused than before.
Maybe Larry could—forget Larry. Wait a minute, Mrs. Snoopy told me that Devin was headed to my house. That was a long time ago, and by my personal clock it was an eternity. Did he change his mind?
Flash jumped on my lap, and I turned on the local news channel. They mentioned the house fire, and the fact that luckily there weren't any victims. No mention of foul play and no mention of Ruby missing either. Something wasn't right. How come no one seemed to be looking for Ruby? Larry never asked me if I knew where she was. Was she only hiding from me? Why? Hiding in plain sight? She was in Palm Springs three days ago and the Porsche was in my garage the night before. If Kyle hadn't been driving it, Ruby must have been here. So, where was she now? She couldn't hide in the ashes of her house. Kyle asked me about the possibility of Ruby using drugs. I said no without hesitation. What made me such an expert? Ruby had these peculiar…episodes, had had them for four years—ever since Nick's death. Forgetting a whole day of her life. Buying things and then claiming someone else did it.
Six months before my recent trip to Florence, Ruby popped in, and I had to listen to her banking snafu.
"Lella , I'm losing it ." She shouted the last words, and her eyes had a feverish glow.
"What happened?" I rolled my eyes, unruffled by her sense of melodrama.
"I bounced a check, damn it." She clutched her glass of Chardonnay like a life preserver, her knuckles turning white.
"So? Is that all?" I laughed. "What's the big deal? Maybe Tom wrote a check
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