Iced to Death by Peg Cochran Page B

Gigi knew she would have the place to herself.
    Reg raced ahead of her as Gigi headed toward the front door. She picked up the spill of mail that was fanned out across the wood floor of the foyer and stacked it on the kitchen table. She’d go through it later.
    Gigi hadn’t heard from Mertz yet. Most likely his meeting would run late, and he wouldn’t be stopping by. She sort of hoped that would be the case. As much as she wanted to see him again and mend the rift that had opened between them, she wasn’t anxious to bring up the subject of Declan’s possible guilt in Bradley’s murder.
    Gigi made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the sofa with a book. A sense of peace settled over her as she listened to the blissful silence broken only by the occasional exhale from Reg, who had staked out a spot at her feet.
    Gigi was enjoying her book, but soon her eyes grew heavy. There was no harm in closing them for a few minutes, she thought. She stretched out on the sofa, displacing Reg, who retreated to the furthest end, and pulled up the throw she had tossed over the arm of the couch. When she woke two hours later, she was cold and cramped. The clock read nine o’clock. Mertz was certainly not going to be stopping by at this hour, so she might as well change into her pajamas, make some cheese toast for her dinner—she wasn’t particularly hungry—and have an early night.
    Gigi slipped into her favorite pajamas—the ones with the reindeer on them that her mother had given her when she was a senior in college. The hems were ragged and the pattern was nearly worn off in spots, but they were soft and comfortable.
    She was heating water in the kettle when the doorbell rang.
    Note to self, Gigi thought as she flung open the front door. Always, always, peek through the window before opening the door.
    Mertz stood on her front steps, his collar turned up around his ears, and his hands stuffed into his pockets. Snow was falling, and flakes were melting in his hair.
    “Oh,” was all Gigi was able to muster.
    He glanced at her reindeer pajamas and a smile briefly crossed his face.
    Gigi held the door wider. “Come . . . come in,” she stammered. She could already feel her face flushing crimson. Why, oh why, hadn’t she left her jeans and sweatshirt on?
    “I hope I’m not too late. The meeting was positively interminable.”
    Other than a fleeting smile, Mertz didn’t seem to mind Gigi’s unconventional attire or even notice it much. Gigi really liked that about him. Ted had been hypercritical of everything she wore, how she did her hair, what perfume she chose, even going so far as to tell her what shoes to put with her outfit. It was a relief to be with a man who accepted her the way she was.
    “Come on in. Please.”
    Mertz followed her into the living room, where he stood awkwardly, not even unbuttoning his coat.
    “Let me take your coat.”
    “I wasn’t going to stop, considering the hour,” Mertz blurted out. “But as I was driving along, all of a sudden your voice came on the radio.” He smiled. “I almost hit the light post outside of the Silver Lining.”
    That makes two of us,
Gigi thought.
    Mertz took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about Friday night. I guess I was . . .” The words stuck in his throat. “. . . jealous of Declan.”
    Gigi noticed that the tips of his ears were bright red.
    She shrugged. “That’s okay.” She fiddled with the loose button on her pajama top.
    Mertz reached into his coat pocket and handed something to Gigi. “Here, this is for you. I know Valentine’s Day isn’t until next week, but . . .” He trailed off, his whole face turning almost as red as Gigi’s had earlier.
    “Oh . . . my . . .” Gigi didn’t know what to say. She accepted the gaily wrapped box and stood looking at it.
    “Go ahead. Open it.”
    Gigi moved over toward the sofa and perched on the edge. Mertz joined her, watching eagerly as she undid the white ribbon and tore off the glossy red