J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder Read Online Free

there when it happened. So was Lavinia.” Mom set the wine glass and bottle on the table in front of Muffy.
    My aunt is a strong-minded woman with a mouth that would put a truck driver to shame. She also dated mob connected men. A habit we couldn’t seem to break her of. Muffy had a heart of gold where the family was concerned. She glanced at me and then turned to stare at my mother’s tear-streaked face.
    “Don’t even tell me you’re both involved in this unfortunate woman’s death. Good God, can you not stay out of trouble for one minute, Lavinia?”
    “I didn’t do anything,” I said with hands outstretched to ward off the oncoming lecture. “I was an innocent bystander in all this, Auntie.”
    “So, tell me what happened,” Muffy demanded as her jet black eyes became intense and sparkly.
    My mother shared our experience. She managed to keep it together when describing the scene where Iva croaked.
    “Imagine that,” was all Muffy could say as she glanced at the two of us and gulped the remaining liquor from her glass.
    “A policeman arrived, and I think he wanted to arrest me. I’m sure of it. Mrs. Galumpky was very offensive, and if Lavinia hadn’t intervened, I’d have been hauled away in handcuffs.”
    Muffy’s dark eyes peered at me when she turned in my direction.
    “Did you know this cop?”
    “Yeah, it was Nick Pirelli. He patrols that neighborhood. Do you remember him? He lived down the street from us as kids.”
    “I do. His father was an ass and his mother was a timid woman who jumped when his father said so, the bully.” Muffy snickered. “I kicked his ass more than once when we were young.”
    Chuckling at the idea of my short, stout aunt kicking some guy’s butt, I watched my mother begin to relax. Muffy kept the stream of stories up until my mother had restored her sense of humor. Leave it to Muffy to save the day, I thought with relief.
    It wasn’t until my father came through the door that my mother’s nerves became frazzled again. I figured she was about to tell him of Iva’s departure from this world, when Muffy stepped in to the rescue.
    “Gino, how the hell are you?”
    His gruff chuckle met the question and he nodded.
    “I’m fine. What’re you doing here?”
    The question took in all three of us, as did his gaze.
    “I came to visit my sister,” Muffy answered. “Vinnie was already here with Theresa. Where have you been?”
    “To the store for Italian bread.” He held the bag up for our inspection as his eyes lingered on my mother.
    “What’s going on, Theresa?” Dad asked her.
    “Well, dear, there was an incident at the senior center today while Lavinia and I were serving refreshments.”
    He looked at me and mumbled, “I’m sure there was.”
    Here we go . It would take an act of congress to stop the oncoming clash. My father and I tangle over the least thing. He’s sure he’s right while I’m sure he isn’t. He insists that I should mind my own business when I’m certain that I don’t have to. There’s that curiosity thing again.
    “Tell me what happened,” Dad said as he tossed the bread onto the counter.
    After my mother related the story, his face grew stern and he glared at me. Why? I’m not sure, but I was certain the reason would soon be revealed.
    Muffy, quiet for the moment, sipped more wine. I knew she waited for the head butting to commence. When my aunt Lavinia was alive, she never permitted my father to get far in the head butting department. Livvy would usually step in and put a stop to it, though I was capable of handling these affairs with little problem.
    When my mother finished the story, my father said, “Lavinia, you did good to protect your mother this way. I’m glad you were there.”
    I felt my mouth hang open in surprise. My father actually thought I’d done something right for a change. Mark the calendar, notify the newspaper, and contact the television stations. This was a red-letter day.
    “Thanks, Dad. It’s been a