4 Cupids Curse by Kathi Daley Page A

him. “I decided to have the talk with Barbie tonight.”
    “You broke up with her?”
    “I did.” Levi took a swig of his beer.
    “How did she take it?”
    Levi frowned. “Not well. And when I say not well , what I mean is that she turned into a total lunatic who started crying and throwing things at me.”
    “Oh no.” I laughed. I knew laughter was an inappropriate response , given the circumstances, but I couldn’t help it.
    Levi started laughing in return. “At least I broke the news to her at her apartment and not mine , so it was her stuff that was damaged.”
    “Sounds like that was a smart move.”
    “I really didn’t expect her to get quite so upset .” Levi shook his head. “She’s such a flirt, the way she comes on to every guy she sees. I figured when I told her I wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, she’d blow if off and go find some other guy to shack up with.”
    “Maybe she really cared about you ,” I suggested.
    “I don’t think it’s that. If I had to guess , I’d be willing to bet that no guy has ever broken up with her before.”
    “Really? Never?”
    “You’ve seen her.”
    Levi had a point. Barbie was the spitting image of every guy ’s fantasy. Big top, shapely bottom, tiny middle, long blond hair, blue eyes, and a killer smile.
    “I get your point. Still , I think it was the right thing to do.”
    “Yeah, me too ,” Levi agreed. “So what’s going on in Zoeland?”
    “Why do you think something is going on?”
    “Because you called me at nine o’clock on a weeknight and insisted that we go for a drink, even though I just saw you this morning and you didn’t say a word about getting together.”
    Levi always ha s been pretty perceptive.
    “Well , for starters, I’m pretty sure my dad is dating a murdering witch and no one but me seems overly concerned about it. Add to that the fact that I’m also sure Zak is having a steamy affair with some skank who he’s hiding in his house. It really wasn’t my best day. I guess I just needed a friend’s shoulder to cry on.”
    “ Zak isn’t having an affair,” Levi said with certainty.
    “How do you know?”
    “Because I know Zak. He adores the ground you walk on. Trust me: the guy is totally in love with you. I don’t know what’s going on to make you suspect him of an affair, but I can assure you you’re dead wrong.”
    “And Mommystein?”
    “I doubt she’s a killer , but I wouldn’t be a friend if I didn’t at least ask why you think she is.”
    I explained about the man from Rosie’s and the case of mistaken identity. Then I explained how Blythe got uncomfortable when he came over to the table, and how she left shortly after. And I explained about his out-of-style shirt and the brass button I’d found in the bear cage. I was certain Blythe had known the man in the café, and I was equally sure the man was the stranger Pack Rat had seen at the Zoo. The same stranger, I was convinced, who had killed poor, innocent Trent. If the man had killed Trent and Blythe had lied about knowing him, the only conclusion was that Blythe was somehow in on the whole thing.
    “And then . . .” I was saying as my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. It was Pappy.
    “Did you talk to him?” I jumped right in as soon as I answered .
    “I did.”
    “And?”
    “I t seems Salinger traced the button back to a man by the name of Anthony Martucci.”
    “They can use a button to identify the person who wore it?”
    “Sort of. I guess once you brought the button in, Salinger rechecked the fingerprints that were found. He ran them again, and they matched Martucci’s. I forwarded you a photo of the man I got from your dad.”
    “My dad ha d a photo of him?”
    “Salinger showed up at his door a while ago with the photo. I scanned it and e -mailed it to you.”
    “Okay, hang on.”
    I checked my e-mail and gasped. When I got back onto the phone, I said, “That’s him. That’s definitely the man in