Wrestling the Kraken

Stavo

 Stavo

Stavo and Barbara left the movie theater with her arm linked around his elbow. They walked down the street for a while, before heading to dinner.

"I love horror movies!" Barbara shrieked with glee.

Stavo laughed. "Is that right? I mean how would you know? You tucked your face under my arm the entire time." He teased.

"I know! That's how you know it's good." Her smile was a beam, showing off all her teeth, and quite possibly taking up a full half of her face.

"Eh, good to know." He said, his face agreeing with her comment.

They passed by a peddler parked on the sidewalk selling flowers. Walking up to the man, Stavo purchased one. Folding his wallet back up, he turned to Barbara. "Choose one."

She hesitated, but with a big smile across her face.

"Go on. Whichever one you like." He said.

Beaming with joy, she walked closer and looked at her choices. "This one."

Her choice, a single red rose.

"Good choice." The peddler said. They thanked the man and continued walking.

"You're not freaked out by those?" Stavo asked, a bit confused by her choice.

Scrunching her nose at him, she was equally confused by his question. "Why would I be?"

"You know, cause of those Rose Murders and you working for the circus. I figure the thought might creep you out. Then again, you are someone who just admitted to loving horror movies."

"I do!" She squealed. "I guess I chose it, because I'm always ordering them for Dante and never get one myself. I mean... I don't order it for him, just on behalf of him."

"Hold on a minute." Stavo stopped and touched her elbow.

Noticing his hand, she turned to face him, bewildered.

"You order flowers for Dante. Roses?" He asked.

"Yeah, in every city we go he likes to send Vivanne a bouquet of red roses, though she thinks they're from Mr. Rossini." She laughed.

"What happens to the flowers, after they get sent to Vivianne?" Stavo asked, turning serious.

Barbara sensed the change and didn't like where the conversation was going. "Hey, what is this? An interrogation?"

"Come on, Barbara. I need to know. Do the flowers stay with Vivianne or do any go missing?" Stavo pressed.

"I thought this was a date? There's been plenty of cops poking around the circus over the years. The Rossinis are good people and I know they didn't do any of what you're thinking."

"You don't know what I'm thinking." Stavo replied, annoyed.

"I know enough!" She threw the rose at him and stormed off on her own.

Stavo stood watching her leave, thinking. He could take her down to the station and have her continue the conversation there, but she had said enough. Stavo had been checking out all the florists in town, but no one had any orders around the time of the murders. Now he knew, one reason for this could be due to the fact that the roses were already in their possession. A ready supply when they needed it. The purchase dates wouldn't match the incidents.

"Stavo?" He turned, snapping out of his thoughts, to see Angela Decker closing the door to a taxi. "Is everything alright? That seemed pretty rough." She walked closer, crossing her arms to keep warm. The evening had brought a slight chill.

"Oh, you saw that huh? He rubbed the back of his neck.

She nodded. "Yeah... girlfriend?"

Stavo picked up the rose from the ground. "Nah, first and most likely last date." He gave the rose to an elderly woman walking by. She smiled at the gesture and walked off, smelling the rose.

"That was sweet." Angela said.

"What do you mean? She's next Saturday night." Stavo teased.

Angela nudged him in the shoulder.

"Hey, uh, if you're hungry, my dinner plans just freed up. I know this great place not too far from here."

"Oh yeah, where?" She asked, daring him.

"It's this great Italian place. I eat there like every night. It's called my place." Stavo gave a sly grin.

"Is that right?" Angela replied.

"Yeah, I mean I can whip up some pasta. We can share a dish like those cats from the cartoon."

"I love that movie!" Angela grinned. Giving him a once over, she came to a decision. "I'll tell you what. You make that pasta, but make it two plates and you have a deal."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I can work with that."

"You sure you won't mind the smell of dead bodies as we eat." Angela teased.

Stavo blushed, not knowing what to say.

"I'm kidding. Let me just return these. I don't want to get an overage charge." Angela walked up to the Fox Hollow Main Library, a four story building, and placed her books into the after hours slot. Turning to Stavo, she smiled and said, "Lead the way."

He offered his arm and they walked to his apartment.