Page 30 of The White Picket Fence

“And Mr. Lombardi and Mrs. Fadil?” Tino asked. “Why didn’t they have your address if they delivered to you?”

“They did, but not under my name. I told them the same thing, that I’d had trouble with my ex and didn’t want to be tracked. Whenever I’d place an order, they’d use ‘Jane Smith’ and I’d pay with cash. They were so kind to me. They can’t have been killed because of me.” Her voice cracked. “They can’t.”

“This is not your fault,” Tino whispered fiercely.

“He’s right,” Vito said. “Not your fault at all. So, once again, if we assume that these cases are connected and that he made the connection to Lombardi’s because you brought pizza to your aunt, that means that he was watching your aunt’s house. How did he make the connection between you and your aunt?”

“I don’t know,” Charlotte said helplessly. “We don’t have the same last name, and I didn’t tell anyone where I was moving when I left Memphis.”

“Your moving company would have known,” Sophie said.

“No, because I moved myself. I only brought a few things with me. Just boxes of documents and records. A few photos. I drove from Memphis to Philly by way of Atlanta. I took the long way, reviewing restaurants along the way.”

“And the man who attacked you in Memphis?” Sophie asked. “Are you sure he’s still in prison?”

“He’s dead,” Vito said.

Sophie frowned. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Vito frowned back. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“He was killed in the exercise yard in the prison two weeks ago,” Tino said. “Nick Lawrence is waiting for more information. The prison is investigating.”

“So this is someone new. Seems like the options are—” Sophie held up her fingers as she counted. “One—another restaurant owner got angry and managed to find out where you moved to, but that still leaves the question of how they connected your aunt to you. Two—could your ex be retaliating for any reason? Or three—this new guy is completely random and unrelated to your job or past.”

Charlotte shook her head. “It’s not my ex. He just wanted me out of his life, and we didn’t have contact after the divorce, not until I was in the hospital. He came to see me, brought me flowers, then told me that he’d told me so, that my reviews would end up getting me in trouble. That I should have listened to him.”

“What a dick,” Sophie muttered.

Charlotte laughed, a slightly hysterical sound. “He is. I don’t think another restaurant owner would be mad at me, at least not based on my recent reviews. I’ve made sure they were all positive. If a review was too scathing, I set the review aside in a special folder. I’m...” She sighed. “I’m too afraid to publish anything negative right now. Maybe forever. Which means I probably won’t be successful when people get tired of A-plus reviews.”

“I’m sorry,” Sophie said softly. “I hate that some asshole has made you afraid.”

Charlotte managed a small smile. “Thank you.” She turned to Vito. “So what’s next?”

“We canvass your street again, take another look at security cameras. Dig deeper. Someone had to have seen something. As for you, be careful. If someone wants to follow you, they might guess that you’ll be at the hospital. They could wait for you there.”

Tino’s gut churned. That someone could even have followed Charlotte last night... He was so glad he’d slept on her doorstep. He stood and went to give Sophie a kiss on the cheek. “You keep being a good girl. My new nephew needs to cook a little more.”

Sophie smiled at him. “I will.” She glanced at Charlotte, then whispered. “Keep her safe?”

“I will,” he whispered back.

He waited until he and Charlotte were back in his car before turning to her. “I don’t want you to stay in your apartment. Not alone.”

She looked out the window. “Are you offering to stay with me?”

“No, I’m asking you to come and stay with me.”

She shook her head. “You’re all the way out in Mount Airy. I need to be closer to the hospital in case Dottie needs me.” She bit at her lip. “I don’t want to be stupid, Tino. I’ll get a hotel room close to the hospital. I’ll get one with good security. You don’t have to feel responsible for me.”

“I don’t feel responsible for you.” Which was a total lie. “Dammit, Charlotte, you need to lie low for a while. Let me help you. Pick a hotel, and I’ll take you to your place to pack a bag. I can get a cot brought in or something. But I don’t want you to be alone.”

She was quiet for a long moment, then surprised him by nodding. “All right. Thank you. I don’t want me to be alone, either.”

He reached over and gripped her chin lightly, tugging until she faced him. She was crying again, and it made his own eyes sting. “Friends don’t let friends be alone.”

CHAPTER5

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