The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss (12 page)

The eggs went into the hot pan, where butter melted, mingling with olive oil. “Is it my imagination or are her food combinations getting more peculiar by the day? It’s like she doesn’t understand basic concepts of what works together.”

“It’s because she doesn’t eat. Have you ever seen her really eat anything? I haven’t. All she does is nibble to see how it tastes.” Nina scowled. “No wonder she’s so thin.”

“Maybe she should stick to decorating. How can you cook if you don’t eat the food?”

“We have to rescue Mars. He’ll pitch himself out the window if he’s stuck there for too long.”

I poured hot water into the French press. “I guess it would be kind to take the food over while it’s still warm.”

Nina drummed her fingertips on the counter. “What are you going to tell Natasha when she answers the door?”

“I guess we’ll just have to pretend we want to see Mars and say we brought him something.” I packed the eggs in a container that came with a warming sleeve. Toast, creamy butter, and a small dish of the boysenberry jam I knew Mars loved went into the tote bag on top of it. Nina added a tall, insulated mug of coffee.

“Really? I’m sure Natasha makes coffee.”

Nina shot me a doubtful look. “Probably with ginger and chili peppers in it.”

We added a covered bowl of fruit salad and an aluminum foil packet of crisp, warm bacon.

“That ought to do it.” I attached Daisy’s leash to her collar, and we set off for Mars’s house, across the street and a few doors down.

Daisy whined and gazed upward when we reached the front door.

“
Psst
. Sophie! Up here.”

I looked up just in time to dodge an athletic bag tied to a silver-gray sheet. Mars leaned out the window, holding the other end. “Quick. Take the dish out and put the food in it.”

“The dish?” I grabbed the bag and sure enough, it contained paper napkins wrapped around something. I swapped it for the tote bag we brought and not a minute too soon.

Dear Natasha,

In my family it’s traditional to make a Christmas gift for everyone. I would like to give chocolates this year. How do I make my own chocolates?

—Thinking Ahead in Choconut, Pennsylvania

Dear Thinking Ahead,

What a lovely gesture. Order chocolate beans from South America. Roast them, then crush them to take out the nibs. Mill the nibs to make cocoa liquor. Add sugar, milk, and cocoa butter. Temper the chocolate and pour into molds. Fill the hardened molds with your favorite ganache, fruit, or nut center. Seal the sides together, place in a handmade box, and tie with a special ribbon.

—Natasha

Mars was still pulling the sheet up when Natasha opened the front door.

“I thought I heard someone out here. I hope you came to visit Mars. He’s so crabby. And such a baby.”

“Maybe that’s normal under the circumstances,” I said.

“I’m a little concerned, to tell the truth. He has no appetite!”

Uh-oh, she was going to be looking for that dish. Maybe I could bring it back a little later.

“And I’m not going to get a thing done with him home all the time.”

“You look terrific,” said Nina.

Natasha’s hair was perfect, as always. She had changed her hairstyle, though. Long bangs touched her eyelashes. Her almost-black hair was cut in a sleek new look, barely brushing her shoulders. She wore a tight dress that showed off her figure, and her makeup was perfect.

“Why, thank you. I’m in love with the new colors. This dress is toasted glacier.”

It looked like dusty taupe to me. “Very nice. What happened to robin’s-egg blue?”

“I know you don’t care how you look but I have to keep up, well, really
ahead of
the times. Set the trends, you know. Much as I loved it, robin’s-egg blue is just passé.” Natasha frowned. “Is it raining?”

I looked at the sky. Not a single cloud. The sun shone. A beautiful summer day.

Natasha twitched. “There it is again. Another raindrop.”

Nina shot me a worried look.

“I don’t think so, Na—”

At that moment, water poured down on her head, leaving trails of mascara and gullies in her foundation.

Natasha screamed and jumped back but it didn’t help. More water drizzled from the ceiling.

I reached for her hands and pulled her outside.

We heard a thump above us, no doubt Mars’s cast hitting the floor.

Mars looked down at us from the bedroom window. “What’s going on down there?”

“You have a leak,” I shouted.

“It must be coming from the bathroom you were working on, Natasha. Turn off the water.”

“I’ll be right up,” she said.

“Not up here. The whole house water turnoff valve in the basement.”

Natasha faced me. “What does it look like?”

Mars heard her question. “For Pete’s sake. Sophie, there’s a flashlight in my office. It’s on the back wall near the water heater.”

I handed Daisy’s leash to Nina. Ducking my head, I dashed through the water and down the stairs. Bad news for Natasha and Mars. The water was already spilling down the steps. I grabbed the flashlight in Mars’s home office and ventured into the back of the basement. I found the valve right away. Someone, presumably Mars, had hung a sign on it to identify it. It stuck at first but finally cooperated.

Grasping the handrail so I wouldn’t slip on the wet steps, I made my way back up. Droplets still spilled from the second-floor ceiling.

Mars was making his way downstairs with Nina’s help. It amused me to no end that he carried the bag containing food. He paused in front of Natasha. “I’ll be at Sophie’s.”

“But, Mars . . .” Natasha pleaded as he continued past her.

He didn’t yell. He didn’t scold. He didn’t even make a fuss. He simply hobbled out on his crutches.

I truly did feel for Natasha. She seldom looked disheveled. Her new toasted glacier dress probably
was
toast. And worst of all, she had no running water in the house. A drywall seam in the ceiling had broken loose above her. The hardwood floor at her feet needed immediate mopping, and her toasted glacier high heels were ruined.

With Nina’s help, Mars had already reached the sidewalk. Daisy and Truffles led the way, walking with great patience while Mars hobbled along.

I wanted so much to leave Natasha to her mess and go eat my breakfast. But sometimes you have to do what’s right. “Where’s the mop?”

“In the kitchen. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to fix my face and hair.”

“Natasha Earlene Smith, you go get old towels and help me clean up this mess. Then you will call the plumber and only then will you worry about your appearance. Do you understand me?”

I guess no one had called Natasha by her full name in years. In a totally uncharacteristic moment, she actually complied with my instructions. I mopped while she spread out towels and pots to catch lingering drips. When we finished with the floors and the stairs, she actually thanked me.

“You’re my only true friend, Sophie. Even Mars abandons me in times of trouble.”

“He has a broken leg. It’s not like he can get down on his hands and knees to help.”

“I can’t believe I broke his leg.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have tackled that bathroom job on your own.”

“Oh sure. It’s definitely a do-it-yourself project. But I do need to make it up to him.”

“Uh, Natasha, maybe you could skip the chocolate project.”

“He told you about that? I can’t believe it. I confided in strictest confidence. Well, now I suppose you’ll steal my idea.”

“I think you’re quite safe there.” How could I subtly steer her away from food? “You’re much better at decorating anyway.” A bald-faced lie since I wasn’t a fan of her décor ideas. However, everyone had different tastes, and her TV show
was
popular, so some people loved her style.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes. Stay away from plumbing and electrical projects, though. Maybe your assistant could handle those. You could be the one in charge, telling him where to put things.”

She pouted. “But the Meranos and Arnaud Turnèbe made so much money with their chocolate businesses.”

“It took the Meranos three generations, and it didn’t end well for Arnaud.”

She shoved wet hair off of her forehead, and for the first time, I saw gray in her hair. “Don’t be silly. No one would kill me.”

I wasn’t so sure. After reminding her to phone the plumber, I headed home.

Mars rested comfortably in a chair by the fireplace, his foot up on an ottoman. Daisy at his side, he sipped coffee while Nina poured herself another cup.

“We saved you some eggs,” she said.

“Thanks, but I’m running behind. I think I’d better shower and check in with the winners before I eat.” I ran up the stairs and made quick work of showering and dressing in a pink sheath and flat black sandals.

I left Nina and Mars to their own devices, walked over to the hotel, and made sure the winners were boarding the bus for their daylong tour of the Amore manufacturing facility located outside the beltway.

When the bus pulled away, I returned home. Nina had set a place for me at the table, complete with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. A bowl of fruit salad nestled next to it. I gratefully slid into the banquette and gulped coffee. She had thoughtfully fixed it exactly how I liked it. “Thanks, Nina!”

“I can’t believe that you helped Natasha.”

I let her comment slide. Someone had to help her. I dug into the eggs Nina had warmed.

“I hope you don’t mind if I stay over,” said Mars.

“After finding Mochie outside”—Nina met my gaze
straight on—“I think it would be best if you had someone with you.”

I looked to Mars. “Did you ask Natasha if she was here?”

He nodded. “It wasn’t her. I believe her, too. She couldn’t have done so much damage to our bathrooms if she was putzing around over here.”

A shiver skittered down my back as I imagined someone entering my house while I was gone. It was really the only explanation. Mochie wasn’t prone to running out the door.

“Does anyone else have keys?” asked Nina.

“Bernie and my parents. Maybe Mochie escaped through an open window or something.” I knew it wasn’t true. The air-conditioning was on, and all the windows were closed and locked. “Maybe it would be good to have someone in the house when I’m out during the day.”

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to sleep down here on the pullout sofa. I really hated being upstairs all by myself at home. I dislike not being in the middle of things.”

“Okay, but don’t forget that there’s no shower or bath downstairs.”

Mars pointed at his cast. “It’s not like I’m going to be showering for the next few days. I can clean up in the powder room. I’ll call Nat and ask her to bring over some clothes and my laptop.”

Nina helped me tidy up, and I invited her to dinner. “It will almost be a party. I’d better be off to the store as soon as I get Mars settled.”

I made up the pullout sofa in the small family room between the kitchen and the sunroom. I fluffed huge, square pillows stuffed with down against the back of the sofa and provided a couple for his leg. Throws and blankets were within easy reach. I laid the remote for the TV on the bed along with the landline phone, added some books and the newspaper, and set a carafe of coffee and a bottle of water on the side table. It wasn’t perfect, but I figured he ought to stretch a little bit anyway.

Mochie opened one eye when I said I was going to the market. He gave me the distinct impression that I had disturbed his nap.

Nina wanted to walk Truffles for a little socialization, so we took Daisy along, too.

My insulated tote bag on wheels in hand, I locked the door, and we ventured into the summer heat. Three blocks away, I began to rue my decision to walk. Driving to the bigger grocery store out on Duke Street might have been wiser.

But then we spotted Coco stepping out of the Honeysuckle Bed-and-Breakfast. She glanced around furtively.

Instinct forced us to back up and hide behind a tree. A futile effort with two dogs and a cooler in tow. When I peered around the tree, Coco’s back was to us as she hurried along the sidewalk on the other side of the street. I didn’t think she had noticed us.

Following someone in Old Town wasn’t easy. We darted from one tree to another. Coco never looked back, though.

“What do you suppose she’s doing at the Honeysuckle B and B?” asked Nina.

“This is the second time I’ve seen her there.”

“She could have a friend staying there.”

“I don’t know. I feel like she’s up to something. Did you see the way she looked around? Oh, rats. She turned the corner. We’ll lose her.”

We hurried in the same direction Coco had been headed, turned the corner, and walked by the large plate glass windows that fronted the gourmet grocery store.

Nina stopped abruptly and seized my arm. “There she is!”

I peered through the glass just in time to see Coco’s back as she walked along an aisle inside the store. I burst out laughing. “How very suspicious of her to go to the store.”

“Don’t they have tons of food left over from the chocolate tasting?”

“They’re probably a little burned out on chocolate, don’t you think? Maybe she’s picking up fruit or meat.”

“Man, but it’s hot. I’ll grab one of the outdoor tables if you’ll bring some water for Truffles and Daisy and an iced coffee for me.”

“Deal.” I left my tote outside and entered the store, where I bought two puppy waters and three iced mocha lattes in the hope of luring Coco outside so I could ask her a few questions. I stashed them neatly in a box so they wouldn’t spill, and sidled up next to Coco, who studied the prepared foods.

“The mango and shrimp salad looks terrific,” I said.

Coco looked at me and smiled—except it wasn’t Coco!

“I’m so sorry. I thought you were Coco.”

“No problem. I get that a lot.” She moved on.

How could she look so much like Coco? They even wore their hair in similar bobs. I watched her as she shopped. And then she turned her head just so and it clicked. I hurried over to her. “You’re the girl in the picture!”

She flashed me an odd look. “Picture?”

“In Joe Merano’s bedroom. It’s a school picture. You were about twelve or so. You wore your hair straight and long and were wearing a white blouse. Who are you?” All sorts of crazy thoughts about an illegitimate daughter ran through my head.

She took a step back. “Who are
you
?”

“Sophie Winston. Joe hired me to set up some events for him.”

“You’ve seen him? You know where he is?”

I didn’t have the first clue how to handle this woman. All I knew was that I didn’t want her to run away. “Could I interest you in an iced mocha latte? I bought an extra one.”