Do you like to read books that mix several genres?
If you do, then this first chapter of Delayed Death might be something for you. It's the first in a cozy mystery series with a murder (and a solution!) in each book, but the romance spans over all the books and develops with each new instalment.
Here's one review that made me very happy:
"Wow, just wow!
I can't lie, I only read this book because I heard there was a little
romance involved. Yes, I am a sucker for romance.
With this book I was a sucker for the hope of romance, as well as the
family comedy and mystery. I can't explain how much I enjoyed this
combination. The story drew me in and I refused to give up my kindle."
Have fun in Italy!
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/us/ebook/delayed-death-temptation-in-florence-1-1
Beate Boeker
USA Today Bestselling Author
www.happybooks.de
Mischief & Humor from Page 1
Chapter 1
-
"I've never seen
such a sexy bride." Carlina stepped back and looked at her
cousin Emma with a smile. "The gang will faint."
Emma twirled on her
pearly high heels and checked her rear view in the mirror that went
from the ceiling to the floor. Seventeen spotlights illuminated the
white painted bedroom and showed the bride in full splendor. "That's
the least I expect." She wriggled her shapely bottom in the
skintight dress. "The sexiest bride of Florence." Her smile
was triumph made flesh.
Carlina took the veil
and held it up. It felt soft like a cobweb, and a faint trace of
Emma's perfume wafted up to her. Probably Emma had already tried it
on several times, admiring herself in the mirror. "Your new
mother-in-law might have a stroke, though." She smiled at her
cousin with affection.
"Why?" Emma
slipped underneath the veil and adjusted the position with her
fingertips. "Just because it's sexy?"
Carlina glanced at
Emma's legs and swallowed her answer. The late September sunlight
poured into the bedroom and shimmered on Emma's exquisite nylons. Her
legs looked a mile longer today because the wedding dress was short
enough to make everybody wonder why it had cost more than a month's
salary.
Emma didn't notice her
cousin's hesitation. "Can I go like this?"
Carlina nodded.
"You're perfect." The family had been blessed with many
good-looking women, and Emma had inherited the long legs and peachy
skin, but on top of that, she had an energy about her that made her
even more attractive. A faint feeling of melancholy grabbed Carlina.
Emma was getting married. Things would be different now. Why
should they be different? A
voice inside her mocked her thoughts. Emma will continue to
live two floors below you, Lucio has lived here for months, and she
will always remain your little cousin.
Don't become maudlin, just because it's a wedding.
Emma took a deep
breath. "I'm glad I sent mother and the rest of the gang away.
They would have driven me crazy."
Carlina nodded. "I
couldn't agree with you more." She glanced sideways at her
beautiful cousin. "But they were a bit huffed. I was surprised
they obeyed, particularly Benedetta. I expected her to insist. After
all, you're her eldest daughter, the first one to get married, and .
. ."
"It's because I'm
the bride today." Emma opened her arms and threw back her head.
"Today, I'm the star."
Carlina suppressed a
smile. "You're always the star, and I do hope your big day will
be perfect."
"Of course it
will!" Emma laughed. "Think of all the hours of
preparation! I've thought of every detail. Nothing will go wrong."
A shiver ran
through Carlina. I hope the gods don't listen. "Don't
you think the house feels strange with the whole gang gone? It's
never been so quiet."
Before Emma could
reply, a ringing tone came from Carlina's black evening bag lying on
top of the white dresser.
"Oh, no, not
again!" Emma bent forward with one fluid movement and grabbed
Carlina's arm. "Don't answer that. I think your shop assistant
should for once manage without you. She has already called twice. Why
does all of Florence want to buy underwear on my wedding day?"
Carlina gave her a reassuring smile. "It's
the first time I've left Elena all alone at the store, and I said she
could call whenever she has a question." She shook off her
cousin's hand and clicked open the tiny clasp of her handbag. "We
have plenty of time, so don't worry." With a flick of her wrist,
she pulled out her phone and checked the caller ID. "Oh, no."
She closed her eyes as if that would make it go away. "It's
Mama."
"Don't answer it!"
Emma's voice rose. "I know she will spoil my wedding!"
"Nonsense."
Carlina shook her head and laid a calming hand on Emma's arm. Emma
is more nervous than she wants to admit. "I
bet she only forgot something." She pressed the green button.
"Ciao, Mama."
She listened to the
quaking voice on the other end. Her face twisted.
Emma frowned. "What's
up? Why do you look so strange?"
Carlina made a soothing
motion with her hand. Then she said, "All right. Don't worry.
We're almost on our way. Ciao." She pressed the red button,
threw back her head, and exploded into laughter.
Emma circled around
her, too impatient to stand still. Her high heels left tiny imprints
in the creamy carpet. "I didn't understand a word. What does she
want? Why are you laughing?"
Carlina gasped for
breath. "I was right. She forgot something."
"What?" Emma
placed her hands on her hips. Her red mouth pulled down at the
corners.
Carlina took a deep
breath and said with relish, "She forgot grandpa."
Emma's mouth dropped
open. "She forgot grandpa? How can she do that?"
Carlina shook her head.
"I have no clue. It seems he didn't want to join her for the
hairdresser and the manicure this morning, wasn't even dressed yet,
so Mama decided she would leave without him but forgot to tell me."
She started to laugh again. "That's so like Mama."
Emma flattened out an
imaginary crease on her skirt. "She's not normal, that one."
"No one in our
family is normal." Carlina gave her a cheerful smile.
"I don't know why
you look so happy about it." Emma twitched her veil to the side
and glared at her.
"No?"
Carlina's smile deepened. She opened her mouth, but before she could
say something, Emma interrupted her.
"No, don't tell
me. I don't want to know." She looked at the mirror once again.
"When did you say Uncle Ugo would come?"
Carlina checked her
wristwatch. "In twenty minutes."
Emma sighed. "I
wish he could drive to our door."
Carlina grinned. "If
you hadn't insisted on the biggest limo to be rented in the whole of
Italy, he could have done just that. As it is, you will have to walk
the few steps to Via Ghibellina. He said he would wait in the car."
"I still think he
could have tried."
"So do I.”
Carlina made sure her voice sounded ironic. “It must be great fun
to squeeze a limo through a historical street that was created long
before cars were invented. But who would have paid for the scratched
paint on both sides of the limo? You?"
Emma pursed her lips.
"You're not supposed to be nasty to me on the day of my wedding.
Now let's go." She turned on her high heels and sashayed to the
white door. "I just hope grandpa has dressed in the meantime."
"You forgot to
pack your makeup into your handbag." Carlina held up the slim
rectangle in glittering gold. "Why don't you do that, and I'll
go downstairs and get grandpa ready."
Emma pulled her finely
plucked eyebrows together. "I hope grandpa will hurry. What if
he takes one of his sudden ideas into his head and--"
"Don't
worry; all will be fine. I promise." Carlina pushed Emma in the
direction of the bathroom, a modern wonder in black with spotlights
hidden in the floor. "Pack your stuff. I'll take care of
grandpa." She slung her evening bag over her shoulder and left
Emma's apartment to go downstairs. As always, she put one hand on the
polished wooden railing because she loved to feel the smooth surface
and enjoyed the way it led her in soft curves from the top of the
house to the ground floor, passing all the family apartments. Today,
she also used her other hand to gather her long evening dress and
hold it up. The staircase smelled of beeswax. Benedetta
must have polished it yesterday.
Carlina took a deep breath.
The bells of
Santa Croce chimed the full hour. Carlina stopped for an instant on
the landing and listened. How often had she heard the bells chime;
how much their sound was part of her life. She loved this house, her
home. For as long as she could remember, it had been special to her,
first as a child, when she had come with her family during the long
summer vacations, and later, when they had moved to Florence after
the death of her father. A pang went through her. I wish he
could celebrate with us today.
After all these years, the pain had lessened, but from time to time,
the sharp feeling of loss jumped at her without warning.
She pushed the
thought away and forced herself to descend the worn wooden stairs a
bit slower than usual so she wouldn't trip in her high heels. The
rustling of her dark-red dress made her feel festive. I've
never seen Emma so nervous, but maybe that's normal if you're getting
married. I hope she'll be happy with Lucio. He's so . . . fierce
sometimes. Carlina frowned.
But then, Emma isn't a mellow dove either. She'll be fine.
She arrived on the
ground floor, turned to the left, and knocked on the green wooden
door. When she didn't hear a sound, she knocked again, louder this
time. Without waiting for a reply, she took out her key, turned it in
the lock, and pushed the door open. The apartment was stiflingly warm
and smelled of grandfather's peppermint drops. As she went through,
she called out, "Grandpa! It's me, Carlina. Are you ready for
Emma's wedding?"
He wasn't in the
sitting room.
Carlina frowned.
"Now what?" I'm not in the mood to play hide and
seek with a nervous cousin and a disgruntled grandfather.
She opened the door to
the kitchen and froze.
Emma's heels clicked
behind her on the crooked stones that made up the floor in the old
house. "Carlina, is he ready? We have to go."
Carlina stared at her
grandfather, slumped in his chair, with his chin sunk against his
still chest. His eyes were wide open. "He . . . he's not ready."
Her voice spoke all by itself. It sounded devoid of all feeling.
Emma came up. "He
has to hurry. I'm not willing to be late for my own wedding, just
because--" She stopped mid-sentence, grabbed the door frame, and
screamed.
Carlina twisted around
and grabbed her arms. "Shh. It's all right. Don't scream."
Her whole body quivered from shock.
Emma pointed a pearly
painted fingernail at their grandfather. Her hand shook. "He's
dead!" Her shriek reverberated through the old kitchen.
Carlina gulped. "Yes.
He's dead." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry."
A feeling of sorrow and helplessness swamped her.
"Sorry?" Emma
narrowed her eyes. "He has destroyed my wedding!"
"But Emma,"
Carlina laid her hand, suddenly cold, on Emma's arm. "It's not
his fault."
"Not his fault!"
Emma stuck her hands on her hips and stared at her grandfather with
clenched jaws. "I'm not so sure. He always got me into trouble,
always."
Carlina stared at her.
"That's not fair. Of course he was a bit unusual sometimes, but
. . ."
"Unusual?"
Emma rounded on Carlina with such a vicious hiss she took a step
back. "Don't you remember the time our dear grandfather was
supposed to collect me from hospital and didn't show up? He said he
had to worship the sun that day because it had come out for the first
time in weeks. That was the sun-worshiping period. I stood in front
of the hospital for two endless hours, thinking my family had
forgotten me. Don't you remember that?"
Carlina bit her lips. "I do. But please, calm
down now. We have to--"
Emma interrupted her, "And the day we were
supposed to leave on vacation, all together, and he made us jump out
of the train at the last minute because he felt a bad vibe on the
train? That was the vibe-feeling period. Don't you remember that?"
Carlina searched her
cousin's face with worry. Her cousin's violent reaction perturbed
her.
"Do you remember
the bad vibe period?" Emma's voice became louder with each word.
A small smile escaped
Carlina at the memory. "I do. It was the period I liked most."
A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm going to miss him so much."
Emma threw her a look
full of contempt. "And now he dies, minutes before I get
married. It's unbelievable! He was fine this morning, fit enough to
tell me my wedding dress is way too short."
Carlina caught her
breath. "Do you mean . . ." she had to swallow before she
could continue, ". . . something's not right with his death?"
Emma made an impatient
move with her hand. "No, of course I don't mean that. He's
seventy-nine, for heaven's sake. People his age die all the time. I
just wish he hadn't chosen this exact moment!" She stamped her
foot.
"He couldn't help
it." Carlina wiped away the tear. She opened her handbag and
pulled out her phone with a shaking hand. "I have to call Mama."
"No!" Emma
pounced on her and took the phone away.
"But Emma!"
Carlina stared at her, nonplussed.
Her cousin pressed her
lips into one determined line. "He won't destroy my wedding."
She emphasized each word. "I don't accept it."
"But . . . what do
you want to do?" Carlina lifted her hands. "We don't have a
choice. I mean, he--"
"We'll leave him
as he is."
Carlina's mouth dropped
open. "What?"
"It doesn't make a
difference if he dies today or tomorrow." Emma lifted her chin
underneath the veil.
Carlina blinked. "You
make it sound as if it was a matter of choosing."
"But it is."
Emma bent forward and took Carlina by the arms. Her dark eyes
glittered. "Today, his death is inconvenient. Very inconvenient.
Tomorrow, he can die as much as he wants. Tomorrow, I'm on my
honeymoon, far away in Africa, where he can't bother me."
Carlina didn't know if
she should be scandalized or laugh. "But . . ."
"Please, Carlina."
Emma opened her eyes wide. "For him, it doesn't matter one bit.
For me, it makes all the difference in the world."
Carlina felt herself
soften. In a way, Emma was right.
Emma narrowed her eyes
and pressed her point. “Besides, think of Uncle Teo. You know the
doctor told him only last week to avoid any stressful situations
because of his weak heart. He almost forbade him to join the wedding
today, and that's nothing compared to the sudden death of his twin!”
Carlina hesitated. “But
surely . . .”
“If we tell him
now that grandpa died, Uncle Teo might immediately drop dead, too.”
“Oh, God. Do
you really think so?”
“Yes.” Emma
pressed her lips together. “After all, they're identical twins.
Better let Uncle Teo enjoy the party and all the excitement of the
wedding, then get a good night's rest, and tomorrow, you can break it
to him gently.”
Carlina bit her lip in
indecision. “You make it sound so sensible. But everybody expects
grandpa." She shook her head. "They'll ask us why he didn't
come. They'll worry!"
"Nobody will worry." Emma took Carlina's
phone from her cousin's hand, placed it on the kitchen table, and
watched her grandfather out of narrowed eyes. "We'll say the bad
vibe period has come back, and Nico decided it would be unlucky to
join the party. Nobody will think twice about it."
Carlina felt as if she had strayed into an
out-of-body experience, disconnected from reality. She shook her
head, but the feeling didn't go away. "That won't work.
Everybody knows the bad-vibe-period stopped a year ago. Right now, he
has the dangerous past period. Had, I mean." She hugged herself.
Emma shrugged her perfect shoulder beneath the
filmy material of her wedding dress. It shimmered in the soft
sunlight coming from the window. "So grandpa changed his mind."
"He never changed his mind. He never went
back to old periods. I knew him." A lump formed in Carlina's
throat.
"Now he did. Never
too old for surprises, aren't you, Grandpa?" She nudged Nico's
shoulder with an impatient expression on her face and recoiled when
he toppled to the side.
Carlina jumped forward
and steadied him. She had never touched a dead body before. It felt
heavy and warm. Warm?
She swallowed. "Emma?"
Her voice sounded unsteady. "I . . . I think he must have died a
minute ago."
Emma stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because he's
still warm."
Emma recoiled.
"Madonna."
Something smelled
strange. A cloying feeling grabbed Carlina by the throat. "I
can't make him sit up again."
"Then place his
head on the table." Emma took back one step. "My dress--"
Something inside
Carlina cracked. "I don't give a damn about your dress."
She glared at her cousin. "If you want to continue with your
wedding, help me to put him into a decent position. Now."
Emma came closer with
obvious reluctance. Just as she stood in front of the kitchen window,
a man walked past on the street. He whistled when he saw her. Emma
turned her back on him with a hiss and stared at her cousin out of
eyes wide with fear. "I can't turn around," she breathed.
"Is he still there?"
"Who?"
"The guy on the
street!"
Carlina froze. She
shifted her grandfather's weight as best as she could and craned her
neck to look around Emma's slim form. "No."
Emma swallowed. "We
can't leave grandpa here where everybody can see him."
Carlina closed her
eyes. Her grandfather's weight hurt her arms, and the sickening smell
made her gag. "Whatever you want, but come here and help me!"
Emma turned around and closed the white curtain.
"Maybe we should put grandpa to bed," she said. "Then
nobody will find him too early."
"Fine."
Carlina clenched her teeth. "Now take his feet."
"But I . . ."
"Emma."
Carlina knew Emma would recognize the underlying threat in her voice
and obey her elder cousin, just as she had done all those years ago
when they were teenagers. She didn't use that tone often, but it
still worked.
Emma sighed and grabbed
Nico's feet. "My dress will tear. It wasn't made for a workout."
Carlina didn't reply.
Nico had been a small man, and he looked smaller than ever without
his personality to fill the space around him, but he was so heavy,
she started to pant.
"He weighs a ton."
Emma gasped.
"Don't drop him."
Carlina tottered forward on her high heels and kicked open the old
door to the bedroom.
They both heaved a sigh
of relief when they placed him onto his bed. The mattress sagged in
the middle.
"We have to take
off his shirt and pants." Carlina felt sick.
"What? Why?"
Carlina held onto the
brass bed-frame to stop herself from shaking. "How likely is it
that he goes to bed, dressed in his best suit for your wedding?"
Emma glanced at her and
pulled her slim eyebrows together. "Your face is green."
Carlina pressed her
hand to her mouth. "Ugh." She ran to the bathroom.
When she came back
several minutes later, she had to place one hand on the wall to
assure herself that something firm existed.
"I've done it."
Emma tucked a corner of the cotton bedspread behind Nico's shoulder
and straightened. "We can go now." She looked cool and
composed, as if she undressed the dead every day.
"Where did you put
his trousers?"
Emma made a vague move
with her hand. "They're over there."
Carlina willed herself
to leave the support of the wall and crossed the room. "We have
to hang them up. Grandpa was pedantic. He would never have thrown his
best trousers across a chair like this."
Emma sighed. "Maybe
he felt ill already."
"No way."
"Oh, all right."
Emma picked up the trousers and folded them along the crease, then
smoothed them over the back of the wooden chair in the corner.
"I've forgotten my
shawl." Emma left the room without closing the door. "I'll
just run upstairs to get it. And I'll open the curtain in the kitchen
so nobody will wonder. Don't forget your phone. It's still on the
table. Please hurry." Her last words were drowned out by the
clattering of her high heels on the floor.
Carlina folded
Nico's white shirt and placed it next to the trousers. She glanced
one last time around the room, taking care not to look at the
shrunken figure beneath the bedspread, then she closed the bedroom
door behind her. For an instant, she leaned against the door, her hot
brow pressed against the smooth wood. This is the biggest
mistake of your life.
"Carlina? Are you
coming?"
Carlina straightened.
"Sì, sì."
