Chapter 19
The morning rush over, Angel filled the cases again with the more decorative cupcakes. It had been Marcia who encouraged her to add muffins to her menu, therefore drawing a breakfast crowd. The result had Angel getting up much earlier to bake and open the shop by seven a.m., but the financial rewards had been excellent. Even though her present location was not great, a lot of customers discovered her treats were just what they wanted as they headed to work.
It seemed with the impending storm, more customers were flocking in to grab their muffins and cupcakes to have in case they were snowed in for a couple of days.
She looked up as a few more customers came in and she welcomed them. Her eyes landed on the last woman entering and she blinked in recognition. Claire. Monty’s former…something. Turning her attention back to the first customers up, she assisted them before they made their way to the cashier. Glancing over at the counter, she plastered on her best ACH smile.
“Hello. Claire, I believe? Welcome to Angel’s Cupcake Heaven. What can I get for you?”
She watched as Claire’s gaze searched the glass case, the shelves filled with the healthy muffins and delectable cupcakes already on display. Claire had taken off her overcoat and had it laying across her arms, exposing her thin frame covered in designer silk.
“I don’t usually eat anything for breakfast other than a piece of whole-wheat toast,” Claire said, her eyes riveted to the case. “But I decided to bring in treats to my office today. To celebrate my promotion,” she added.
“Well, why don’t I pack an assortment for you and then your office will have choices?”
Claire looked up, surprise in her eyes as she stared at Angel. “That would be lovely.”
Monty happened to take that moment to step from the kitchen where he had come from the apartment above by way of the back stairs. Still tightening his tie, he called out, “Hey babe, I’m on my way. Make sure to let us know if you’re going anywhere today.” He grabbed Angel from behind, no longer inhibited from public displays of affection. Leaning around to kiss her lips quickly, he let his hand slide to her delectable ass, making sure none of the customers could see the gesture.
Lifting his eyes, his gaze landed on Claire. Straightening stiffly, he looked at her with a mixture of irritation and curiosity. “Claire,” he stated. “I didn’t know you shopped here.”
Claire’s surprise at seeing Monty so naturally at home in the bakery, as well as his arms around Angel, had her uncharacteristically stunned. So much so, she stood, silent with her mouth open, for a few long seconds. Blinking, she said, “Monty? How nice to see you.” Her eyes darted back and forth between the two, as she replied, “I’m here to pick up treats for my office. As you know, I don’t add extra calories to my diet.” Her eyes skimmed down Angel’s frame, landing on Monty’s hand resting possessively on her hip. “The extra pounds would be so unattractive. Of course,” she laughed, “some women don’t care about such things.”
If she thought Angel would be intimidated, she was wrong. Laughing the throaty laugh Monty loved, Angel said, “Thank goodness or I’d be out of business. Here’s your box. You may pay at the register and I hope you have a lovely day.” With that, she handed the white box, tied with pink, purple, and teal ribbon, to Claire before turning back to Monty.
He nodded stiffly to Claire before walking back into the kitchen with Angel. She wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing the underside of his jaw.
“Mmm. Are you sure you have to work today?” she purred, now licking his neck.
He felt his knees almost buckle and grinned at the top of her head. Kissing each colored stripe, he then pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered. Seeing the unspoken question in her eyes, he added, “For putting Claire in her place…in such a classy way.”
Laughing, Angel said, “She doesn’t bother me.” Lifting her arms from his waist so she could cup his cheeks, she said, “Honey, if you wanted her, you would be with her and not me. Since you’re with me, then I assume you either like my tits and ass…or you just like waking up over a bakery that always smells great! Either way, I win!”
Laughing with her, he leaned down to kiss her pink, glossy lips. “You’re right. I love being with a woman who bakes such incredible treats, whose place always smells good, who kisses like nobody’s business, whose tits and ass are unrivaled…and who rides around in a hot pink VW convertible.”
Offering another quick kiss, she turned him around and gave a slight push toward the door. “Go! I’ve got to get to baking!”
With a final wink tossed over his shoulder, he walked out of the bakery toward his SUV. Nodding toward Chad parked outside, he stepped to the driver’s door. His thoughts on the woman inside, he was surprised when Claire stepped up next to him. Her face was pinched as she looked at him.
“I don’t understand, Monty. She’s not your type.”
He cocked his head to the side, staring at the woman looking like the perfectly coiffed professional—everything he used to think was for him. And suddenly Felicity’s words came slamming into his memory. Last Christmas she said she would be glad when he finally met a real woman. Someone who made him feel. Someone who made him live. When he tried to protest, she accused him of subconsciously dating women that would meet their parent’s approval. And it was safe because he would never let one of those women get too close. He remembered as Felicity stooped to pick up one of her children and at that moment, she turned back to him with a smile, saying, “When you meet the woman that’s right for you, I’ll bet anything she’s not like the women you’ve been with.”
At that memory, his gaze shifted from Claire’s face to the storefront behind her shoulder. The one with the huge pink, purple, and teal swirling letters declaring Angel’s place. Felicity, you were right. Feeling more alive than ever, he looked back at Claire. “I know you weren’t that into me, Claire, so I know you’re not jealous. What’s the real reason behind this visit?”
Claire’s head snapped back as her lips pursed. “You’re right, Monty. I’m not jealous of her,” she bit out, glancing over her shoulder. “At first, I wondered if it was some kind of latent rebellion on your part. It’s embarrassing to have been thrown over for a shopkeeper.”
“Shopkeeper? You’re serious? Jesus, Claire, you want to know what’s crazy? I dated women like you for several years—women easy to keep at arm’s length because I wanted nothing more. I’ve just now discovered how fuckin’ great it is to be with someone real. Someone who makes me laugh. Someone who accepts me for me.” He leaned over her slightly, using his height for emphasis. “So if you’re embarrassed to have been thrown over for someone so incredibly amazing…then you need to get the fuck over yourself.”
With those parting words, he hopped into his SUV and drove down the street leaving Claire standing on the sidewalk, her ACH decorated box in her hand. And grinned all the way to Jack’s.
*
Bart walked in early, his hair already standing on end from running his hand through it, and handed the special thumb drives to Luke, who was already on his second cup of strong coffee. “You’re gonna get an ulcer slamming down that strong stuff the way you do.”
Luke just grinned as his fingers tapped on the desk. Taking the drives, he tucked them away securely. “I’ve already been going through the data of CFG, but it’s taking a long time. I’ll go over it when everyone gets here.”
About fifteen minutes later, the Saints gathered to look over the updated intel. Blaise reported on his visit with the Senator. “Put cousin Carlton on your list to check out. He’s definitely shady and looking to move into a more supportive role with the Senator. His tie-in with CFG as Scott’s best friend also makes him a suspect…at least for Marcia.”
Jack and Chad sent their interview notes on Bill Bradley to the other’s tablets. “He had motive, opportunity, and means…at least for Betty’s death. And he’s shittin’ bricks knowing her meds are at an FBI lab. I’ve already contacted Mitch and the FBI will be detaining him until they have a chance to get the results so that he doesn’t fly.”
Marc leaned his seat back, stretching his long legs out in from of him, and added, “And we know Geoffrey Daly had the means, motive, and opportunity for Theresa Constantine’s death.”
“So are we looking at three, entirely independent murders?” Monty growled. “I know we’ve considered this, but it’s too fuckin’ neat.” Something hovered in the back of his mind, but he could not pull his thoughts together. “My mind’s firing all over the place,” he complained. Turning to Luke, he asked, “Did you make the coffee this morning?”
Luke’s grin was his answer.
“Fuck! How do you operate with this much caffeine in your system,” Monty complained as he walked over to the sink, dumping his cup. Whatever thought flew through his mind quickly disappeared, much to his irritation. Sitting back down, he said, “There’s a tie in here somewhere and it’s got to be CFG.”
Bart looked up and said, “Cam and I did a thorough search of the offices last night. We got their computer drives copied for Luke and Jude to pour over. Other than that, there was almost nothing. The offices were clean, almost sterile. We did not find any paper trail that would offer us any more information.”
Monty added, “I don’t get a good feeling about Scott, but I don’t see him masterminding anything. He’s made it back to the top at the office because of Marcia’s death, but I don’t see him being able to plot and plan what it would have taken to make this happen.”
“Does that mean you’re leaning toward Carlton?” Jack asked.
“Right now, I’m not leaning toward anyone, but neither am I ruling anyone out.”
Blaise asked, “If the three murders are linked, where do Bill and Geoffrey fit in?”
Monty heaved a sigh as he ran his hand over his trimmed beard. “I don’t know. I don’t believe either of them could have arranged all of this,” he indicated with a sweep of his hand toward the large board in the room, filled with pictures, connecting lines, and data. “But maybe, just maybe they were there just to do a part of an overall plan.”
The attention of the group landed squarely on him. He continued, “It would take someone with money, the ability to plan in great detail, and motive. But what the motive is for all three deaths is beyond me at this point.” Leaning back in frustration, he eyed the rest of the group. “Suggestions, anyone?”
The Saints continued to process the cases, but in the absence of new information, the meeting concluded, and new assignments were handed out. Jack said, “This is still our top priority, so Luke and Jude will stay on the computer end of it while Monty will continue lead. There are a few new contracts that have come in for security and investigation. You’ll find new assignments on your tablets. I don’t expect any of those to be too taxing, so you’ll still assist with this case as needed.”
As everyone stood to leave, Jack reminded, “Stay safe out there. Until I can plow the driveway, I won’t call another meeting here. According to the weather forecast that will be at least two days.”
With goodbyes and good lucks all around, the Saints headed out. Monty watched as the single men left, making plans to meet at Chuck’s Bar and Grille as soon as they could get their SUVs there. He noted the Saints with women were hustling out, ready to be snowed in for a day or so with the ones they loved. He stood on Jack’s front porch for a moment, breathing the cold mountain air deeply. His thoughts moved to Angel and of this morning’s confrontation with Claire.
Felicity once accused him of dating women that their parents would approve of as though that would soften the blow to them that his career was not what they wanted. He thought her accusation was completely wrong. Now he knew she had been exactly right. Now, with Angel in his arms, he realized what he had been missing all those years…living.
With a smile on his face, he jumped into his SUV and followed his friends down Jack’s driveway, anticipating being snowbound with the woman he loved.