The morning sun shone with a fresh light. It looked to Nell like the murder case was just about complete and she would soon have her old life back. How she longed to think only of food reviewing and blogging and not murder weapons and being slain.
No stress. How comforting would that be?
Nell drank coffee, read the paper, and walked the boys. She was almost giddy. She knew the detective would find Hanson guilty. Soon everything would be back to normal. It was a wonderful feeling!
The jarring tone of the phone interrupted her happy dance. She checked the Caller ID, just to be safe.
“Hello, Benita,” Nell greeted her warmly.
“Hi. Nell, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I want to share something with you and see what you think.” Benita talked fast and Nell wondered why she was so nervous.
“Of course. Go ahead.”
“You know Ben Huffman, one of the two guys in my group that I don’t know very well?” Benita asked breathlessly.
“From Madison, right?”
“Correct. Well, he has started to act odd, making me feel uncomfortable.”
“Tell me how, Benita.” Nell was even more curious now what the situation could be and admittedly pleased that Benita was confiding in her.
“He is hanging around me all the time. And calls me on the phone for no reason. When my friends get together, Ben always maneuvers the situation to be alone with me. He has shown up here at the bar around closing time and wants to take me home. I’ve been making excuses, but I don’t like it. He is acting so weird. Do you think he could be Northwoodsman?” Benita’s voice had taken on a higher pitch and she sounded on edge.
“Actually, Benita, I think we have a pretty good handle on the identity of Northwoodsman. You’re dealing with someone who has a crush on you,” Nell replied lightly, relieved that was all it was. “I’m sure you’ve dealt with that before.”
“No. Not like this. I’m freaked out. But if you know who Northwoodsman is, then Ben is probably harmless,” Benita answered with relief. “Who is he—Northwoodsman, I mean?”
“It’s not official, but I think it is Jim Hanson, the guy who sells jams and jellies. Your dad knows who he is and said he stopped at your place.”
“I remember. Dad just asked me about him. When I talked to the guy, he was real flirty, and a creep, but I didn’t think of him as a killer. I have goosebumps crawling up my arm just knowing I’ve met him. There was definitely something about that man that I didn’t like. It was weird.
Nell could feel Benita’s dislike for him over the phone. That only went to reinforce her belief that Hanson was the murderer.
“I gave the detective his name and some info about him, so we’ll see what happens.”
“I’ll be so happy for you, Nell, if this is finally over.” Benita sounded relieved for both of them.
“Thanks. I feel like a new woman,” Nell practically sang.
“I hope the new woman still likes my dad.” Nell could almost picture Benita smiling.
“I hope your dad still likes the new woman.”
They chuckled and Nell cautioned Benita to be careful around Ben.
Benita’s comment put Nell in an even better mood. Things were going well. Now she just hoped she would hear Jim Hanson had been arrested. That would put the icing on the cake. Mmmmm, cake.
Thinking about food, it was high time Nell made another restaurant visit. Even though she wasn’t blogging yet, she’d like to have several reviews ready to go when she knew it was safe for her to start up again.
Red Stiletto’s interest in a good Mexican restaurant north of Green Bay sent her on a quest. She’d see what she could do to accommodate her. Nell remembered she tried a spot in Cecil that was quite tasty. She went in the office in search of her notes.
Here it is, she thought. The Whole Enchilada. Reading over the notes of the visit to the Mexican place, her previous experience came back to her. She had ordered chicken fajitas and they were very good. She needed to return, order something else, and then write the review.
Nell got ready and left, just in time so she could eat lunch there. Then maybe, just maybe, she’d have some leftovers for supper.
The drive to Cecil took about forty minutes. The time just flew. Nell’s spirits were high.
Cecil was a small village, but close enough to Shawano that The Whole Enchilada had a thriving business. There were quite a number of cars in the parking lot. The outside of the restaurant was clean, and as she opened the door and stepped in, she saw the inside was welcoming as well.
The hostess smiled at her and asked, “Party of one?”
“Yes.” Not much of a party.
Nell was directed to a small table right by the kitchen. She looked around and noticed there were several other tables available. “Could I possibly have a table away from the kitchen, please?”
“Certainly.” Good job accommodating the customer.
“Thanks.”
They headed to a different table in a better location. Nell was given a menu and had to chuckle as the menu boasted ‘Best margaritas in town!’ It was possible they offered the only margaritas in town. But she was still interested in tasting theirs. Margaritas were one of those drinks that could be delicious, but Nell had been disappointed many times. Today’s problem was that she was too far from home to drink alcohol.
Nell decided to see how the waitress would handle an unusual request. When the waitress returned with warm chips and salsa, Nell asked, “Is there any way that I could have a small sample of your famous margarita? I’m driving and don’t want to drink a whole cocktail.”
“Just let me talk to the bartender.” She turned and headed toward the bar. As Nell was waiting for the answer, she sampled the chips and salsa, and looked over the menu. There were lots of dishes she’d like to try. I love my job!
She narrowed down her choices. Either a smothered burrito (served with rice and black beans) or one of the combinations with two soft shelled tacos and an enchilada (with either rice or black beans).
The salsa was good, but not as spicy as she liked. Nell knew places offered mild salsa because they were serving the masses, but she’d like a different salsa if they had it. Sometimes she liked to ask for extras to see how willing the staff would be to make their customers happy.
The waitress appeared and set down a filled shot glass. “Here is your margarita. It‘s only enough for a taste, but it’s on the house. Are you ready to order?”
“Thanks so much for the drink. I’m still deciding on the food. Would you by chance have any salsa with a little more kick?”
“We do. I’ll bring you some right away.”
Good answer. The waitress went back to the kitchen and returned with more salsa.
“Again, thank you. I just want to relax a bit and then I’ll order. Give me five minutes.”
“Take your time. Just give me a nod when you’re ready.” The waitress smiled and left.
The rim of Nell’s shot glass was lined with salt, just as it should be. That was so cute. She was almost afraid to try it as she’d had bad luck so often. She took a tiny sip. Not this time, though. Yum. They no doubt do serve the best margaritas in Cecil. She tried the spicier salsa. Oh, yes. That had some bite. Excellent.
After munching on chips and finishing the margarita with her second sip, Nell caught the eye of the waitress, who came right over. “The salsa is perfect, just the right degree of heat. Thanks. Also this is a great margarita. Now I just need to come back when someone else is driving.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” she laughed. “Are you ready to order?”
“Yes. I’ve decided on the combo of two soft shelled tacos, one with chicken and one with shredded beef, and a chicken enchilada. Also could I get the black beans for the side?”
“Yes, of course. Excellent choice.”
Nell always liked it when the waitress commented that she made a good choice. She only wondered if they told everyone that.
She now had time to take a better look at the restaurant as she continued to enjoy the crunchy chips. The restaurant was filled with sombreros, piñatas, and maracas all in bright colors. Exotic paper flowers were clustered in each corner of the dining room in what was almost an elegant look. Some may think it was a bit gaudy, but Nell was pleased with the décor of the establishment.
The waitstaff looked busy, customers seemed well-satisfied, and the aroma of plates of food going past her was intoxicating. From her perspective it appeared that The Whole Enchilada had it all. As long as the food was good, this review would be easy to write.
The waitress arrived with a steaming platter of food in minutes. Nell instantly asked for a doggie bag as that would be a reminder not to eat it all. There was no way she should eat the whole portion. Could she? Possibly. Should she? Absolutely not.
She took a bite of the chicken taco first. Lots of chicken with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. She noticed on one side of her platter was a section that had fresh cilantro. How thoughtful! Not everyone liked cilantro and to have some offered on the plate was a delight. Nice touch.
The beef taco was yummy, too. Nell always chose the shredded beef over the ground beef, although some people liked the ground beef more. It was appreciated when a choice was offered. She tasted the black beans which were her favorite kind of bean, so she thought she’d like them. And she did. Nell had a few bites of the chicken enchilada, too. Each item of her combo filled the bill nicely. The only complaint was that none of it was as spicy as she liked, but she added the spicy salsa and it turned out perfect. Nell foresaw a true nosh.
She ate half of her meal and packed up the rest. She paid her bill and gave a healthy tip to the waitress, who had been pleasant and accommodated her requests. She left the restaurant satisfied and happy with The Whole Enchilada and her life in general.
As Nell was appreciating the scenery on her drive home, a disturbing thought entered her brain. Could Northwoodsman somehow poison her food? She had never posted on her blog where she was going to review, so he wouldn’t be able to get in ahead of her and make trouble in the kitchen. He could follow her, though. Nell had been concerned about that when she went shopping in Green Bay. But she wasn’t going to let this new thought bring her down. The police knew all about Jim Hanson and that murdering rat bastard would soon be occupying a tiny prison cell. Yes!!!