he?
Determined to steer his mind back on track, he punched his ex-partner’s number. Three rings later, she answered.
“Tell me you have something on LaPone.”
“Not yet,” Elsa said. “But we think that he may be running some kind of scam.”
“I figured.” He needed some concrete evidence, though. “What kind of scam?”
“I’ve been looking into his activities, and I tailed him to the country club, where he had drinks with a female.”
“He belongs to a country club?”
“Not exactly. He was a guest. A waiter there said that LaPone frequented the place with several women. Widows.”
Levi drummed his fingers on his thigh. “He’s preying on them.”
“I think so,” Elsa said, “although I don’t have proof. I questioned a couple of the women, but they sang Ray’s praises, said he was charming, kind, and was a good friend.”
Levi made a low sound in his throat. “He’s sleeping with them?”
“None of them admitted it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. They seemed quite infatuated with him.”
So Ray was the cheater, not Izzy. No wonder she’d left him.
“There’s more,” Elsa said. “One of the women commented that he’d saved her financially. Something about an investment he handled for her husband before he died. That investment was going to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.”
Levi silently cursed. “He’s swindling them with some phony deal.” And Izzy had taken some of that dirty money when she’d left.
Did she know what he was up to? Was she an accomplice or a victim of Ray’s scheme?
“I’m trying to find out specifics,” Elsa said. “I’ll keep you posted. What about the wife?”
She was definitely a sex siren. But Elsa didn’t need to hear that his libido was acting up again. She’d warned him about Tammy and he hadn’t listened—a lesson he’d never forget.
He’d been so caught up in believing the web of lies Tammy had spun—that her ex was using her, that he hadn’t realized she was helping the man sell drugs to children.
Elsa had caught on to her, but Tammy had drugged Elsa and nearly killed her. Sure, he’d rescued Elsa at the end and arrested Tammy and her ex, but Elsa had suffered. He had no idea why she was still speaking to him.
“Levi?”
Her voice drew him back to reality. She had survived, and so had he. But not without scars. “I’m working undercover, so it may take time.”
“What kind of cover?” Elsa asked.
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers as he explained about Izzy’s wedding business and the legend of the chapel.
Elsa’s mocking laughter echoed back. “You’re playing the doting fiancé? Oh, my God. I wish I was there to see that.”
“It’s not funny, Elsa. I’d rather face down a serial killer than set foot in that chapel again.”
Another laugh. “So who are you supposed to be marrying, Levi?”
A tense second passed as he braced himself. “You.”
“Me?”
“Your name was the first one I thought of. Besides, it’s not like you two will ever meet. I told her you had an accident and were recovering, so that’s the reason I was planning the wedding.”
“I see.” Elsa’s voice held a note of wariness this time. “You’re pretty bad off if the best you can do for a fiancée is your married partner with three kids.”
“I was desperate,” Levi stammered.
“Obviously so.” Elsa sighed. “So what does that tell you about your life, Levi? That maybe you need to get one?”
“It tells me I need to get back to my detective job. And the only way I can do that is to catch Izzy Sassafras and Ray LaPone and put them behind bars.”
Aunt Dottie greeted Izzy as soon as she stepped back into the shop, her eyes gleaming. “Do we really have our first client?”
Daisy stood at the coffee counter while Caroline stopped arranging a display of sample invitations on a white lace–covered table. One of them had brought the kitten to the shop, and it was so still it looked
Determined to steer his mind back on track, he punched his ex-partner’s number. Three rings later, she answered.
“Tell me you have something on LaPone.”
“Not yet,” Elsa said. “But we think that he may be running some kind of scam.”
“I figured.” He needed some concrete evidence, though. “What kind of scam?”
“I’ve been looking into his activities, and I tailed him to the country club, where he had drinks with a female.”
“He belongs to a country club?”
“Not exactly. He was a guest. A waiter there said that LaPone frequented the place with several women. Widows.”
Levi drummed his fingers on his thigh. “He’s preying on them.”
“I think so,” Elsa said, “although I don’t have proof. I questioned a couple of the women, but they sang Ray’s praises, said he was charming, kind, and was a good friend.”
Levi made a low sound in his throat. “He’s sleeping with them?”
“None of them admitted it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. They seemed quite infatuated with him.”
So Ray was the cheater, not Izzy. No wonder she’d left him.
“There’s more,” Elsa said. “One of the women commented that he’d saved her financially. Something about an investment he handled for her husband before he died. That investment was going to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.”
Levi silently cursed. “He’s swindling them with some phony deal.” And Izzy had taken some of that dirty money when she’d left.
Did she know what he was up to? Was she an accomplice or a victim of Ray’s scheme?
“I’m trying to find out specifics,” Elsa said. “I’ll keep you posted. What about the wife?”
She was definitely a sex siren. But Elsa didn’t need to hear that his libido was acting up again. She’d warned him about Tammy and he hadn’t listened—a lesson he’d never forget.
He’d been so caught up in believing the web of lies Tammy had spun—that her ex was using her, that he hadn’t realized she was helping the man sell drugs to children.
Elsa had caught on to her, but Tammy had drugged Elsa and nearly killed her. Sure, he’d rescued Elsa at the end and arrested Tammy and her ex, but Elsa had suffered. He had no idea why she was still speaking to him.
“Levi?”
Her voice drew him back to reality. She had survived, and so had he. But not without scars. “I’m working undercover, so it may take time.”
“What kind of cover?” Elsa asked.
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers as he explained about Izzy’s wedding business and the legend of the chapel.
Elsa’s mocking laughter echoed back. “You’re playing the doting fiancé? Oh, my God. I wish I was there to see that.”
“It’s not funny, Elsa. I’d rather face down a serial killer than set foot in that chapel again.”
Another laugh. “So who are you supposed to be marrying, Levi?”
A tense second passed as he braced himself. “You.”
“Me?”
“Your name was the first one I thought of. Besides, it’s not like you two will ever meet. I told her you had an accident and were recovering, so that’s the reason I was planning the wedding.”
“I see.” Elsa’s voice held a note of wariness this time. “You’re pretty bad off if the best you can do for a fiancée is your married partner with three kids.”
“I was desperate,” Levi stammered.
“Obviously so.” Elsa sighed. “So what does that tell you about your life, Levi? That maybe you need to get one?”
“It tells me I need to get back to my detective job. And the only way I can do that is to catch Izzy Sassafras and Ray LaPone and put them behind bars.”
Aunt Dottie greeted Izzy as soon as she stepped back into the shop, her eyes gleaming. “Do we really have our first client?”
Daisy stood at the coffee counter while Caroline stopped arranging a display of sample invitations on a white lace–covered table. One of them had brought the kitten to the shop, and it was so still it looked
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