Viva Mama Rossi

Chapter 1 – The Morning After

Chapter 1 – The Morning AfterSunday Morning, October 12th, 2014

“Good morning beautiful.”

Dana stretched on the bed next to me but then she pulled a pillow that had strayed down between us up and half way across her face. “Turn off the sun,” she groaned. “I’m not ready to get up.”

“We don’t really have a choice, babe. We have house guests, a mess to clean up at the farm and, well, there’s the matter of a murder investigation I need to gear back up on.”

Dana flung the pillow toward her feet and sat up on one elbow to look at me but then she dropped her head and ran a hand through her long hair. “That really happened, didn’t it? I didn’t dream it?”

“Yes, it really happened. Now I have to figure out what to do about it.”

Dana looked worried, “Mel...our...our honeymoon...”

I knew what she was thinking because I felt the same. We’ve had a tough go of it these past couple of months, I thought to myself.

I looked at my wife, “I’ll figure something out babe. We’ll leave today, I promise.” I just couldn’t disappoint her. She needs the time away. We both do.

I showered quickly and then tiptoed into the living room. Nevil Harper Jr. was curled up in a ball in a sleeping bag on the floor. He was sound asleep. Chloe Rossi’s giant Chihuahua, Lady, was curled up in the middle of the camp cot Chloe had slept on for the night but she wasn’t in the room. I scratched my head and wandered toward the kitchen of our newly acquired home.

I found Dana’s mom there measuring coffee out of a can she must have spirited away from the wedding reception we’d shared with my twin and her new husband Lance yesterday and transferring it to a new looking coffee maker that I didn’t even know we had.

“Good morning Mel. I hope you don’t mind; I opened one of our wedding gifts to you and Dana. I just can’t get the day started without coffee.”

“Oh, um, no problem.” I nodded. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’m not a coffee fan myself. I got a glass of water instead and took a gulp just as she spoke again.

“That boy slept like the dead last night.”

Trying not to spew water everywhere, I thought to myself, you don’t know the half of it!

“What’s his real story?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, come on. Last night you told me he had family troubles and he needed a place to stay for the night. I know there’s more to it than that.”

“A little more. He’s a, uh, witness to a case I’m working on.”

She raised her eyebrows, “He’s not in any danger is he?”

“No, and he’s not a danger either, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

I don’t suppose you can tell me anything else?”

“No ma’am. Sorry.”

“You’re just like my boy Vince! You cops are all alike, I swear. I’m an old woman!” She elbowed me gently, “Don’t you know I need a little bit of excitement in my life?”

“You’re hardly old Mrs. Rossi.”

“Mel, please, calling me ‘Mrs. Rossi’. That makes me feel even older. Just call me Chloe or call me mama like everyone else does.”

I just smiled and turned to dig in the fridge.

“Are you hungry? I can make you some breakfast, if you like?”

“No need to,” I waved a hand toward the gaping open appliance. “We have all of these leftovers from the reception and there’s a ton more out at the farm. We’ll be gone all week so we really should eat up some of this stuff and haul the rest back out there. I don’t know what we were thinking.”

“About what?” Dana loped into the room, fresh from her own shower.

Chloe spoke before I had a chance to answer her myself, “Forget those leftovers. I promised your mom I’d stay the night and be out there to help clean up today. I’ll take those back out to her myself. As for you two, you’re just to be on your way after I send you off fat and happy with my homemade beef stroganoff.”

“Ooooh,” was Dana’s only response.

Chloe smiled at her daughter, it’s been a long time hasn’t it?”

“Yes mama, it has.”

I grabbed an oversized bowl of fruit salad and spooned some into another bowl. “I can live with that but if we really are going to get on the road this afternoon, I have to figure out what to do with my charge that’s still in there sleeping and get my guys back geared back up on the investigation.”

Dana simply nodded. I headed upstairs to where we’d decided to set up my office.

Our house was mostly unfurnished. We’d moved my bedroom suite and the desk and chair from my den over from the house I’d shared with Kris and her children when we took possession of our this one right next door and Dana had gone out and bought what kitchen and comfort items we needed to get by on for a week. We’d spent the week since we took possession of the home focusing on preparing for my twin’s wedding rather than on furnishing and decorating the house. Dana was looking forward to jumping into that with a vengeance when we returned from our honeymoon.

###

Mama Rossi

“I didn’t see sour cream in your dairy case. Do you have any?”

“Yes ma’am, in the back. I’ll get you some; big or small?”

“Two large, please. I need one for stroganoff.”

The man moved toward the back of the store while a woman took her time to ring up my other purchases. When she finished, she eyed me up and down with open curiosity.

“You know I’m not from around here but you think you’ve seen me before, don’t you?”

The storekeeper seemed taken aback, “Are you some kind of mind reader?”

“No dear, it’s written all over your face.” I smiled, “I’m Chloe Rossi. I’m pretty sure we met briefly yesterday at the wedding for Kris and Lance.”

“Oh, that’s it!” Recognition dawned on her face, “I’m Sheila Ford. You must be a friend or family to Lance Miller then?”

“No, no. I said ‘Rossi’. Dana Rossi is my daughter. She married Kris Crane’s...well, Miller’s sister, that wonderful peach of a girl, Mel.”

“Ohhhh. Now I remember.” The slight tint of a blush dusted Sheila’s cheeks. Words spilled out in a rush, “We all just love Mel around here. She’s the Sheriff you know. Well, of course you know. You’d know that...”

I reached out a hand and patted her arm gently, “Relax. I’m aware their relationship is more than a little unconventional for most folks around here. Really though, those two are so in love, who could ever deny them that? They only have eyes for each other.”

“Yes, of course.” Shelia leaned out over the counter and peered down the main aisle of her two aisle store. “Just where is Terry? I swear that man will be late to his own funeral! How long could it possibly take to fetch two containers of sour cream?” She stepped from behind the counter and marched off down the aisle toward the storeroom. She swung open the double hinged door and bellowed out Terry’s name.

I started digging in my purse for my wallet and, preoccupied, startled at the unexpected yell. I turned in time to see Sheila step through the door into the back area. As it swung closed again behind I heard her exclaim, “This is a fine mess you’ve made!”

Moments later, she emerged alone with the two requested containers.

“My apologies. Terry seems to have wandered off. There’s a slimy mess back there where he must have dropped two of these and he’s gone, probably in search of the mop while forgetting all about you waiting.”

###

Mel

Once I settled in to work, I was thankful Dana had the cable company come out as soon as we took possession of the house. We hadn’t purchased our own televisions yet, but we did have digital phone service and internet in the God forsaken no man’s land that we lived in where, even on a good day, cell service was spotty.

After booting up my laptop and scanning through my email quickly, I spent the rest of the morning on and off the phone and computer trying to coordinate a renewed investigation into the death of Olivia Stiers based on Nevil Harper Junior’s statements to me during the reception. Shane Harding, my only detective right now, was on his way over to pick Junior up and take him into the station for a formal interview and a sworn statement. He’d handle the investigation from there, until I returned.

Nevil Junior wasn’t a danger to anyone; I really felt that in my gut. I just couldn’t lock the kid up but he couldn’t go home either if he really did suspect his own father of the murder of his girlfriend.

After spending a few minutes thinking about what would work best for the 18 year old that had grown up far too fast the past couple of months, I dialed the Zanesville Toyota dealership where he’d been working before he disappeared. The service department was closed and the service manager wasn’t in on a Sunday, but I was convincing enough with my urgent and authoritative tone to work an emergency number for him out of the woman at the front desk.

He answered his phone with a question in his voice, “Eric Graham?”

“Mr. Graham, Sheriff Crane. My apologies for disturbing you on a Sunday.”

“No problem; what can I do for you Sheriff?”

“You had a mechanic working for you until a couple of months or so ago, Nevil Harper Jr.”

“Yes. Great mechanic, for such a young one. We’ve missed him with the foreign stuff. Heard he got himself into some trouble though.”

“He’s not in any trouble himself Mr. Graham. Please understand, I can’t go into any of the details but Nevil may have information about a case I’m working on. My department is working with him on that.”

“Do you think I know anything about what he’s talking to you about?”

“No sir, not at all. The reason I actually called is, well, I need to find a place for him to stay for a little while and, well, maybe...”

He interrupted me, “And maybe get his job back?”

“He’s a good kid. He needs a hand right now and he needs money.”

“I know he’s a good kid; a good kid and a damn fine mechanic. Tell you what, why don’t you bring him over here?” He rattled off the address. “I like the boy and we have plenty of room. If he wants to stay for a few days or for a while, we can work something out and I can always use his hands back at the dealership.”

###

Mama Rossi

1:00 PM Sunday Afternoon

I waved at Mel and Dana as I pulled out of their driveway. Little Lady and I were headed out to the farm to help with what was left of the after party clean-up. They were packing up Dana’s car for their trip to Tennessee.

I’d told the girls I’d be back for my bag later and that I’d make sure everything was locked up for them before I headed home. I really had no intention of going home this week but they didn’t need to know that.

The farm was on higher ground than the house in the village. My cell actually got reception there so, as soon as I was stopped in the driveway, I called my husband to fill him in.

“Marco, it’s me. Did you get in all right last night?”

“Yeah, no problems. It’s only a two hour drive. You on your way?”

“No dear. I told you, I was going to stay out here and help out today. The girls just pulled out a few minutes ago. I’m back out at the farm now.”

“So you’ll be home sometime tonight then?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What are you up to?” His tone was accusing.

“Nothing like what you’re thinking. They just moved into that house is all and it needs a lot of work...you know, cleaning and dusting and sorting and putting away; that sort of thing. I think I’m going to stay and do all of that and surprise them when they come home next weekend.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“How could they possibly object to a helping hand?”