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“I can’t believe you didn’t call me as soon as you found it,” Maddy said when we talked later that night. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that I have to hear news like this from one of your other employees? Is that all I am to you, Eleanor, someone who just happens to work for you at the Slice?”
“Take it easy, Maddy. It wasn’t that big a deal.” She was upset about the red encrusted menu I’d found on my car, or more importantly, the fact that I hadn’t called her immediately to tell her about it. I’d just about gotten ready for bed when the telephone rang. I thought about not answering it, but if I did that, I knew it might be something I regretted later. There was just something about a ringing telephone that I couldn’t ignore.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your date, and there was nothing either one of us could do about it,” I added.
“Listen to me, sister of mine, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, you and I are going to have some serious words. Am I making myself clear?”
“I said I was sorry.”
“Okay, we’re fine then.”
That didn’t end it as far as I was concerned, though. “Just out of curiosity, how did you find out what happened so fast? It had to be Greg or Josh. Which one told you? It was Josh, wasn’t it?”
Maddy paused, then she said, “I never reveal my sources, you know that.”
“That’s not good enough this time. Tell me.”
She knew I wasn’t about to give up, so she finally admitted, “There was a call on my answering machine when I got home. He was worried about you.”
“So it was Josh.”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
“No, Maddy, you didn’t.”
“Fine, you’re right. It was Josh. There, I said it. Are you happy now?”
“I’m nowhere near happy, and you know it,” I said. “I wish everyone would give me a little credit. I can handle whatever comes my way.”
“Yeah, it’s tough having people care about you. Don’t you just hate it?” After a brief pause, she asked, “What did Kevin say about the menu?”
“He thought it was a gag, some kind of sick practical joke,” I admitted. “Who knows? Maybe he’s right.”
“Don’t talk that way. We got to somebody today. That was a warning; don’t kid yourself into believing otherwise.”
“You might be right,” I said. “But who did we spook?”
“I don’t know, but I think it’s time to crank up the heat.”
I yawned into the phone. “Can’t it wait until morning? I’m whipped.”
“Funny, I’m just getting started.”
I’d neglected to tell her about Steve’s odd visit. I’d bring her up to speed on that in the morning.
Unless she somehow heard about it before I could tell her.
On second thought, I knew how she would react, and I wasn’t about to make that mistake again. “Joe’s brother was just here.”
“What did he want?”
I took a deep breath, then said, “He had a box he wanted me to hide for him, and I said no. Before you can chew me out about it, I didn’t like the way he was acting when he asked. There was something that just felt wrong about the whole thing.”
“Then you did the right thing,” Maddy said.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you actually agreeing with me?”
“You have to trust your gut, Eleanor. If it felt wrong, it probably was.” There was a moment’s hesitation, then she added, “I can’t help wondering what was in the box, though.”
“That makes two of us.” A thought suddenly occurred to me. “Hang on a second. How did Josh find out about that note so fast, and when he did, why did he call you?”
Maddy reluctantly admitted, “I asked him to. Now, before you explode, Josh and I have had an agreement since he first started working at the Slice. If your name ever comes up in conversation around his house, he’s supposed to call me, no matter what time of day or night it is. Don’t blame him. I practically had to make him swear a blood oath to get him to do it. I know you’re a grown woman, Eleanor, but I worry about you sometimes.”
“Part of me wants to tell you that it’s sweet, but the other part wants to strangle you the next time I see you.”
“I’d listen to the first part if I were you,” she said with a laugh.
A sudden thought occurred to me. “Is Bob still there?”
“Don’t worry, he’s in the other room. I’ve seen this movie a dozen times.”
“Then why watch it again?”
“Maybe there are advantages to watching a movie I know by heart with a handsome man, have you ever considered that possibility?”
“No, but now that I have, I can’t get the image out of my head.”
“Good night, Eleanor. Sleep tight.”
“Good night, Maddy.”
“One thing,” she said before we hung up. “I meant what I said about Josh. I’d rather he didn’t know you found out about our agreement.”
“Okay, what can it hurt?” I said. I was just too tired to argue about it at the moment. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do tonight.”
She laughed heartily. “Now why would I limit myself like that?”
I could still hear the echoes of her laughter even after we hung up. It was good to be so close to my sister, and not just geographically. She had a way of buoying my spirits that no one else did.
Well, one other person could, but he was gone, and I was finally starting to realize in my heart of hearts that he was never coming back.
The next morning, it was beautiful when I left the house for the pizzeria. It was hard to believe that I’d felt so threatened the night before. The world somehow looked like a safer place to me in the light of day. I hadn’t heard from Maddy, but that wasn’t all that unusual, especially since she’d had company the night before.
I parked in my normal spot, despite what had happened. As I got out of the Subaru, I could see traces of red paint on the asphalt, and I wondered how long it would be before the rain washed it away. If nothing else, I could keep dumping buckets of water from the pizzeria on it until it was gone. That was one reminder I didn’t need to see every day.
The pathway between the buildings was particularly lovely, and I found myself wanting to linger a little on the bench and enjoy the autumn theme, but I had dough to make this morning if I was going to be able to serve anyone pizza by the time we opened for business.
As I approached the front door, I could see a piece of paper tucked into the handle.
I wondered briefly if I should I call Kevin Hurley before I read it. Maybe it had something to do with Hank’s murder.
But maybe it didn’t.
At least I could be careful when I read it. Grasping it by one edge, I tugged it free, and then carefully unfolded it.
It was from Paul, our near neighbor and just about the best friend I had on the promenade of shops.
It said, “Eleanor, come by before you open. We need to talk. Paul.”
Brief, and to the point.
But it sure didn’t sound like good news.
At least I hadn’t called Kevin first. It would be more than a little unpleasant having to explain the false alarm to him.
I tucked the note into my purse and walked over to the bakery. Wonderful smells emanated from the building before I even opened the door, and I wondered sometimes if Paul had a fan set up somewhere inside to shoot the enticing aromas to unsuspecting passersby to lure them inside.
If I ever found out that he’d done just that, I would be the first in line to tell him that he was brilliant.
I walked inside, and stared openly at the display of donuts, éclairs, long johns, and cupcakes for sale. The next section was equally appealing, with hard crusted breads in all shapes and sizes. Finally, there was an entire case filled with muffins, and most important of all, a variety of flavors most bakeries only dreamed about.
“I’ll be right with you,” Paul called out from the kitchen.
“It’s just me,” I said. “Take your time. I got your note.”
Paul was tall and slim, somewhere in his mid-twenties, and a very nice-looking young man. He’d finally shaved the goatee he’d worn and had his hair trimmed neater than I’d ever seen it. It was hard to believe that the man who could bake so many wonderful things had once graduated law school at the top of his class. I for one was glad he’d returned to his first love and opened his bakery instead of practicing law.
“Thanks for coming by,” he said as he walked out. “Can I get you some coffee? How about a donut? They’re fresh, and I’ve got a new orange zest donut I’d love to get your opinion on. I’m not sure if it’s ready for prime time yet.”
“Well, if it will help you out, how can I say no?” I said with a grin.
He smiled at me as he reached down for a donut. “Be honest with me, even if you hate it. I’m depending on your candor.”
“If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s my donut integrity.”
I took a bite, and my mouth immediately filled with flavor. It was almost as if I could taste orange blossoms in it. I’d been expecting a heavier tang, but this was a tribute to subtlety and nuance that I couldn’t touch in my pizzeria.
“It’s so good,” I said as I gobbled the rest of it down. “The flavor sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?”
“Is it too mild? Folks seem to like flavors that overwhelm them these days.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t change the flavor, but I think it needs a different name.”
“You don’t like Orange Explosion?” he asked.
“No, to be honest with you, it’s a little bit misleading. My first bite reminded me more of the gentler smell of an orange blossom, though I’ve never smelled an actual one in my life. Who knows, the flowers might smell like anything, or nothing at all, but that’s the impression I got. The name needs to match that.”
“Then that’s what I’ll call them,” he said. Paul took out a Sharpie pen and wrote on a small display placard, hints of orange blossom. “That says it all, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll steer anyone who wants something bold away from these, but I know quite a few folks around town who should appreciate these for their textures.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve got a feeling you didn’t ask me over here to help you name your donuts.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” he said. “Some people are awful with names and titles, but I knew you’d have the knack for it.”
“Thanks, but I’m still not wrong, am I?”
“No, you’re not,” he said as he looked down for a moment. “I don’t like saying this, but I’m a little disappointed in you, Eleanor.”
Though the words were spoken in soft tones, they hit me hard. A line was starting to form of the folks I’d let down lately. “What did I do? Whatever it was, I’m sorry, Paul.” Then I finally understood. “Don’t tell me, you’ve already heard about the auction.”
“Why didn’t you ask me for a donation?” He waved his hands around his shop. “Don’t you think my offerings are good enough?”
“Are you kidding? I think they’re spectacular. The only reason I haven’t talked to you yet is because this thing is so new.”
“Then you want something from me after all?” he asked hopefully.
“More than your wares,” I said, getting a sudden inspiration. “I’m using your dessert for the pizza dinner I’m donating, but I just got a wonderful idea. How would you like to offer a class on baking?”
“I don’t know, Eleanor,” he said. “I’ve kind of got my hands full here full-time baking. I’m not sure I could find the time to teach, too.”
“I’m not talking about an ongoing thing,” I said. “I mean we could offer an evening with you teaching baking fundamentals at the auction.”
“How about some afternoon after I close for the day? You know how early I have to get up.”
“An afternoon it is. Would you be willing to do it? It’s for a good cause.”
“You bet,” he said. “Who knows, it might even be fun.”
“Count on it.”
Before I could go, Paul bagged a few more treats for me and topped off my coffee. When I tried to pay, he said, “Consider them your consulting fee for the day.”
“If that’s the case, you were seriously overcharged for my services.”
“Funny, I think I got off easy,” he said.
“Let’s think of it that way, shall we? I love it that we both win,” I said on my way out the door.
I was surprised to see the lights on when I got back to the Slice. Maddy was already in the kitchen, cutting veggies for our toppings and listening to the radio twice as loud as I ever would.
“You’re late,” she said as she turned the volume down.
“I was here before you, as a matter of fact,” I said as I hung my jacket up.
She pointed toward the bag Paul had given me on the way out. “But you stopped for breakfast along the way, and I didn’t.”
“Do you forgive me?”
“That depends,” she said. “Is there anything in there for me?”
“Do you like orange donuts with just a hint of flavor?”
“If Paul made it, I’ll eat it,” she said as she reached for the bag. It just wasn’t fair. We were both big fans of Paul’s, and yet Maddy didn’t seem to ever gain weight from her indulgences, while I could pack on three pounds just walking past the bakery.
I didn’t want her to have to eat alone, though.
As I grabbed one too, she said, “I thought these were for me. Didn’t you already have one?”
“Yes, but I thought it was rude to expect you to eat alone. I’m just doing it out of concern for you.”
We both broke up laughing, and I took a bite.
As Maddy sampled hers, I said, “I’ve got great news. Paul is donating an afternoon baking session in his shop for the auction.”
“That’s brilliant,” Maddy said. “He should go for a fortune.”
“Are there really that many folks who want to learn to bake?” I said as I finished my donut, wishing there were more in the bag.
“Eleanor, are you kidding me? He could be demonstrating composting and we’d get some serious offers. Paul is as nice as he is good looking. What woman wouldn’t want to spend a day with him? Are you going to bid on him?” she asked.
“For Paul? He’s too young for me.”
“Don’t kid yourself. He’s not that young,” Maddy said.
“How about you?”
“I’m dating all I want to at the moment,” Maddy said. “But who knows what might happen between now and the auction? I might just give you a run for your money.”
“You’ll have him to yourself then, because I’m not bidding,” I insisted.
“Then you’ll probably be the only single woman in town who isn’t,” Maddy said.
“Somehow I’ll manage to live with that,” I said.
I honestly hadn’t thought of Paul as an eligible young bachelor, but I realized that my sister was probably right. It was hard to think of little Paul as a man about town. Whenever I saw him, I remembered how cute he’d been riding around Timber Ridge on his bicycle and playing baseball at the park. If I ever did start dating again, it would have to be with someone I didn’t see in my mind’s eye still wearing a little league uniform.
After the dough for thick and thin crusts were made and Maddy had the toppings prepared, we took a break and walked outside. It was nice to get out for a few minutes, particularly in the lovely autumn weather. The mornings had a nice chill to them, while the afternoons still offered enough warmth to go without a jacket.
Our favorite bench just outside the pizzeria was unoccupied, and Maddy and I took up temporary residence there. From where we sat, we could see the Slice, as well as half a dozen of the other shops on the promenade.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” I asked my sister as I breathed in the fresh, crisp air.
Maddy frowned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “You suddenly don’t like fall weather?”
“It’s not the weather I’m unhappy about,” she said as she pointed over my shoulder. Racing up the promenade towards us was Trent Caldwell, the one-man newspaper.
“Come on, Eleanor,” she said as she stood. “If we hurry back in, we won’t have to talk to him until we open at noon.”
“What good will that do?” I asked as I kept my place on the bench. “He’ll just come into the Slice then.”
“I don’t know if it will help us any, but it will drive him crazy, and that can’t be all bad, can it?”
“You can go in,” I said. “I’m staying right here.”
“Suit yourself,” Maddy said as she hurried inside the Slice. I couldn’t believe she’d bail on me like that, even if she had threatened to do just that. Once she was safely inside, I saw her stick her tongue out at me just as Trent got to me.
“Eleanor, I need to speak with you,” he said, nearly out of breath.
“Go ahead, but I’ve just got a minute. I’m in the middle of prepping for lunch right now.”
“This can’t wait,” he said as he started to regain his breath. “Do you have any idea where your brother-in-law is?”
“Seriously? That’s what’s so urgent that you want to talk to me right now?”
Trent nodded. “He missed our meeting this morning, and I want to know why.”
I couldn’t believe the tone he was taking with me, but I wasn’t going to put up with it for another second. “I never know where Steve is. And guess what. It’s not my job. I’m not the man’s keeper.”
“Of course you aren’t,” he said as he slumped down on the bench beside me, deflated by my comments. I never expected to get that kind of reaction from him.
“Is it honestly that important?” I asked, suddenly feeling sympathy for the man.
“It could be the story I’ve been waiting for over twenty years,” he said. “Does that sound significant to you?”
“And it’s about Steve? I can’t imagine what it could be about that would be interesting to anyone.”
He shook his head. “It’s not about Steve. You don’t understand. Eleanor, he’s the key to the puzzle. He has information that’s going to rock this part of the state.”
“But you don’t know what it is,” I said.
“Nothing specific. He was going to tell me this morning, and then he didn’t show up when he was supposed to. I waited for him for an hour.”
“He was talking about that last night, too,” I admitted.
Trent whirled around on the bench. “What exactly did he tell you?”
“It sounds like the same line he gave you. Let me give you a piece of free advice, Trent. There’s something you should know about my late husband’s brother. He’s prone to exaggeration, and you can only believe a third of what he tells you half the time.”
I wasn’t sure about the math of my statement, but I was certain about the sentiment. Steve had his good points, but his bad ones far outweighed the good. He kept saying he’d changed, but I hadn’t seen a lot of evidence to support his claim so far, though paying me back money he’d owed Joe had at least been a good start.
“He has proof,” Trent insisted.
“Absolutely. He’s keeping it in a cardboard box,” I replied. “I saw it last night.”
“What was in it? Did he show you what he had?”
I couldn’t believe how earnest Trent had become.
“Actually, he asked me to hold on to it for him.”
Trent’s face exploded into a smile. “Then all’s not lost. Let me see it. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Trent snapped at me, “Eleanor, you don’t have any choice. You have to show me what he gave you.”
“The reason I can’t show you anything is because I turned him down,” I said contritely.
“You refused to help him?”
I started to get a little defensive, mainly because a part of me still felt bad about saying no the night before. “He wouldn’t tell me what was in it. How was I supposed to know what it was? I couldn’t take the chance.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Trent said, grudgingly giving in a little. “If he’s not in his hotel room and he isn’t with you, where else could he be?”
“I don’t have a clue,” I said.
“You’re not much good to me then, are you?”
“Hey, I like to think that I have my moments,” I said in my own defense.
“But right now isn’t one of them.” He stood, then said, “If you see him before I do, it’s imperative that you have him call me.”
“How will I know?” I asked.
“Know what?”
“If I see him before you do,” I replied. “That’s not exactly something I can determine on sight, now is it?”
“I swear, you can be dense sometimes, can’t you? Just ask him. I’ve got to go. I can’t waste my time looking all over Timber Ridge for the man. I’m going to be at my office. Call me there if you find him. I’ve got work to do.”
Before I could say anything else, he was hurrying away.
What an odd man, and an even odder conversation.
Maddy was waiting for me by the door.
The second I walked in, she asked, “What was that all about?”
“I didn’t think you wanted to know,” I said. “Otherwise, you would have stayed right beside me.”
“I was just joking around, Eleanor. You know how I am.”
“Fine. You had your joke, but I’m still not telling you what Trent wanted.”
“It probably wasn’t all that important anyway,” Maddy said as she started flipping chairs over from the tabletops and tucking them underneath.
“That’s it, try to weasel it out of me with reverse psychology.”
I went into the kitchen and checked the clock. Less than two minutes later, Maddy came back. I actually had to give her credit. She’d held out ninety seconds longer than I thought she could.
“Are you ready to tell me yet, or am I going to have to stage a walkout until you do? A work stoppage could cripple the business, you know.”
Her smile took the sting out of her threat, but I’d played it long enough. “Actually, Trent’s request was tied into last night.”
“The bloody menu? Did he confess to doing it?”
“Of course not,” I said. “I’m talking about Steve’s little visit to my house. Evidently I wasn’t the only one he told about his plans to blow the lid off some kind of scandal in town. He was supposed to meet Trent this morning, but he stood him up.”
“Do you think he’s all right?”
“Steve? The man’s made of Teflon. Nothing ever sticks to him. He’s got more lives than a box full of cats.”
Maddy frowned at me. “Why would anyone put a cat in a box, let alone more than one? How would you go about it, even if you had a good reason, though I can’t imagine what that could possibly be? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Don’t take everything I say so seriously. It’s just an expression,” I said, my patience starting to wear thin.
“That’s odd. I’ve never heard it before,” she said a little truculently.
“That doesn’t mean it’s not an expression.”
“If you ask my opinion, it’s never going to catch on.”
“Fine, no boxes full of cats any more. Does that make you happy?”
“I don’t care one way or the other,” she said, “but I’m willing to bet that the cats will be overjoyed with the news.”
I threw a clean dishrag at her, then I said, “If we’re done with our sister stand-up act, let’s open the pizzeria. What do you say?”
She glanced at the clock and we both saw that it was actually two minutes past noon. “I’d say it’s long overdue.”
As she headed out front to unlock the door, I started getting things ready for my first order of the day. As I did, I started thinking about what Trent had said. It wasn’t all that odd for Steve to miss an appointment, so there was no reason to worry about him.
If that were true, though, why did I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I thought about him? It could have simply been because I’d refused his request the night before. Then again, it could be a premonition about something much worse to come.
“Did you hear the news?” Maddy came back and asked me later in the day, around twenty minutes before we were due to close for our afternoon break. It had been a busy lunch rush, and I was glad to finally be able to catch my breath a little.
“I’ve been in the kitchen since you unlocked the front door at noon,” I said. “How on earth would I hear anything back here?”
“We could always switch back, if you liked the front so much,” she said.
“No, thanks. All things being equal, I’d just as soon stay in the kitchen most of the time. It’s easier to deal with orders than customers.”
“Come on, don’t be afraid. I won’t replace you permanently, I promise.”
“Keep that up and I’m calling in sick tomorrow,” I said. I’d been too ill to work only twice since Joe and I had first opened the Slice of Delight, and the place had shut down both times. Maybe with Maddy’s newly discovered confidence in her ability to handle a rush, I wouldn’t have to lock the doors the next time I was under the weather.
“If you even think about skipping out on us, Greg and I are going to be getting colds ourselves in just a few minutes. You’re good, Eleanor, but even you can’t work the front and the back by yourself.”
“Josh will help me if I call him.”
“He can’t. He’s got a cross-country race, so he’s off today. It’s your choice. You can stay out tomorrow, but if you do, we’ll take off today.”
“There’s a flaw in your logic, Maddy. Just in case you haven’t spotted it yet, I’ll give you some time to figure it out.”
“Don’t be smug. It doesn’t become you. You’re wondering how we’ll know what you may or may not do tomorrow,” she said. “Trust me. We’ll know.”
“Believe me, I’m not taking a sick day unless I’ve contracted the plague,” I said. I looked at my sister a little quizzically as I said, “That’s the second time today you’ve threatened to lay out of work on me. Did I say something I shouldn’t have to offend you recently? If I did, I’m sorry.”
“Eleanor, we both know that it’s just a threat I use sometimes when I don’t think you’re taking me seriously enough.”
“Maddy, I always take you seriously. It’s just some of your theories I take with a grain or two of salt.” I took a deep breath, then added, “I don’t know how we did it, but somehow we got off the original subject. What did you hear?”
“About what?”
“You started this inane conversation by asking me if I’d heard the news, remember? So, what’s the news?”
“The FBI is close to catching the bank robber,” she said.
I wanted to be elated when I heard the news, but if it were true, it kind of negated what my sister and I had been doing. “How did you find out?”
“Phyllis heard it from Ruby, and she found out from Garnet.”
“So, Garnet heard about it herself.”
Maddy shook her head. “No, Garnet heard it from Erica. She’s the one who heard it from Susan, and she overheard a couple of FBI agents talking about it on the phone to their boss when she was serving them coffee at Brian’s Cafe.”
“So it’s most likely seventh- or eighth-hand information,” I said. “And you’re actually giving it credence? Come on, Maddy, the story could have changed a dozen times by the time it got to you.”
“I know that, but it’s possible. You have to give those boys in suits credit. They’re pretty good at what they do.”
“If they have all of the information,” I said. “I still think Hank was killed because of something he knew, not because of where he happened to be working.”
Maddy looked sternly at me. “You’re not suggesting we tell the FBI our theory, are you?”
“Are you kidding me? They’d laugh in my face if I dared to breathe a word of it. Or they might do something worse, which I don’t want to think about at the moment.”
Maddy frowned at me, then said, “You don’t want to stop investigating until they actually make an arrest, do you?”
“Of course not. Why, do you?”
“No, I want to see the killer caught and punished for what he did.”
“Then it’s settled. We keep digging until the feds haul someone away in shackles, or until we find the real killer ourselves.”
Maddy nodded in agreement, then said, “There was something else I came back here to tell you, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was.” She took a tress of her dyed hair in her hand and said, “I guess I’m having a blonde moment.”
“You and I both know that you’re as brunette as I am at the roots,” I said.
“Then I guess I don’t I have any excuse at all.” She started for the door, then stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong now?” I asked.
“Just this.” She tore two sheets off her order pad and slid them across the counter toward me. “I need two pepperoni pizzas for dine in.”
“Honestly? That’s what you forgot? It’s kind of important to the process that I actually get the orders, don’t you think?”
“It just slipped my mind for a second or two,” she said. “Are you trying to tell me you never forget anything?”
I laughed, then said, “Come on, Maddy, we both know better than that. I forget things all of the time.”
She nodded. “That’s good. Then at least it’s not just me.”
After she was gone, as I worked on the pizzas, I wondered if there was any truth to the rumor she’d heard. Could the FBI have cracked the bank robbery case and found the killer themselves? I knew they were a professional organization dedicated to finding bad guys, but Maddy and I weren’t slouches at sniffing out criminals, either. We’d had some luck in the past, though I credited it more to our skill than coincidence. In a way, I’d probably be a little disappointed if the rumor turned out to be true. After all, my sister and I always tried to finish whatever we started, and we’d definitely started investigating the circumstances of Hank Webber’s life, if not his death.
Greg came back into the kitchen, and I was expecting an order from him, but his hands were empty.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting it, too,” I asked.
“Getting what?”
“Forgetful. Maddy came back and almost forgot to give me orders for two pizzas. They’ll be out in a second, if you’d like to save her a trip.”
“Sure, I’ll be glad to, but I didn’t forget anything. There’s a delivery for you out front, and they won’t talk to anyone but you about it.”
“Deliveries come through the alley in back,” I said. We had a longstanding rule that all deliveries to the pizzeria came in through the rear entrance. There was a large, steel door there that we usually left barred, but I’d open it whenever the occasion merited. Only I wasn’t expecting anything. “Is he sure he has the right place?”
“How would I know? Aside from a grunt or two demanding I produce you, he isn’t saying much of anything at all.”
I took the pizzas off the conveyor, slid them onto serving platters, and then deftly cut them into eight nearly equal pieces. “Don’t bother with these. I’ll take them out myself.”
Greg looked positively stricken. “Eleanor, don’t even joke about doing that to me.”
“What, deliver pizza to Maddy’s customers?”
“No, don’t leave me back here. You and Maddy handle the cooking chores any way you’d like, but leave me out of the loop.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’d never dream of asking you to cook,” I said.
“Good. Then I won’t have to say no,” he said. “Come on, you’ve got to see this for yourself.”
I walked out front with him, and there was a man with a wheeled dolly standing by the front door. Whatever he was hauling around was massive, I could tell that much right off the bat, even though it was covered with a painter’s tarp.
After I delivered the pizzas, I pointed to the tarp and asked, “What exactly is that?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. The only thing that matters is that this is a delivery from Mr. Arthur Young.”
“What on earth could Art be sending me?”
“Ma’am, I have no idea, but it might not be a bad idea to say ‘thank you’ and try your best to make him believe you’re sincere.”
“Is that for the auction?” Maddy asked as she approached us.
“Of course, that has to be what it’s for,” I said. The fact that he’d promised me a contribution had completely slipped my mind.
“Now who’s forgetting things?” she asked.
“That would be me.”
“Ma’am?” the delivery man asked gently. “Could you sign for this so I can be on my way? I’m expected somewhere soon.”
“Then by all means, let me sign,” I said as I reached for the offered clipboard. “Where are we going to put it, though?”
“That’s not my problem,” the man said.
“It is until she signs your little piece of paper,” Maddy said.
The man looked like if he’d been prone to violence, my sister would have known about it soon enough. “That’s true enough, but Mr. Young is not a man to fool around with, if you know what I mean.”
I said, “Neither am I. I’ll make you a deal.”
“Lady,” he said, finally starting to lose his hold on his temper, “I don’t have the authority to make deals. I’m just a delivery man.”
“Then deliver this to city hall, and come back here so I can sign your form.”
“I knew I should have stayed in bed today,” he said under his breath.
“Hang on one second,” I said.
“Listen, I didn’t mean anything by it. There’s no reason to make this into a thing.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn. I would consider it a personal favor if you didn’t tell Mr. Young I gave you any lip.”
“I won’t say a word to him about it,” I said.
The look of relief on his face was clear. “I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe me anything. Just give me the clipboard, and I’ll sign it wherever you want me to. After all, it doesn’t make any sense for you to have to come back here after you’ve done your job.”
“Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Go right ahead.”
“How do you know I’ll do it once you’ve signed my release?” he said, his open curiosity getting the better of him.
“There’s something you need to remember. While Mr. Young is your employer, he is my friend. Think about it. Would you take a chance on lying to him, or anyone he knows well at all?”
That certainly got his attention. “I’ll take care of it, you can trust me on that. No need to check up on me. Consider it done. City hall basement, here I come.”
After he was gone, Maddy said, “You didn’t even find out what that tarp was hiding. Aren’t you the least bit curious about what he sent you?”
“I guess I am, a little.” I frowned at Maddy, then added, “I thought you were going to scold me about scaring someone like that just now.”
“Are you kidding? I don’t want to be on Mr. Young’s bad side any more than that man did. To be honest with you, he kind of scares me.”
That thought struck me as unusual. I didn’t think my brave sister was frightened of anything.
“You know he would never hurt you, don’t you,” I said emphatically.
“Not unless I was stupid enough to get in his way,” Maddy said, “which I’m not very likely to do.”
“That’s not the point,” I said.
“It’s close enough for me. I’m still not exactly certain how you two bonded like you did, but I’m not sure it’s the healthiest relationship you’ve ever had in your life.”
“It’s probably not the worst one I’ve had, either,” I said. “We’re friends. It is what it is. Don’t try to read too much into it.”
“Me? Would I do something like that? You know me. I’ve always been the kind of gal who keeps her nose out of other people’s business.”
We both broke up laughing about that, it was such a huge lie. At least the restaurant was nearly deserted. The few customers we’d been serving had decided to leave at the first mention of Art Young’s name, a definite negative aspect of having a friend with a dark side to him.
It was nearly time to close for our afternoon break, and Greg was already wiping the tables down where our customers had just left.
I walked over to him. “As soon as you finish that table, you can take off. You’ll be back later, won’t you?”
He nodded. “My class was canceled today, so I’m yours all day, if you can afford to have me.”
“I think I can manage it,” I said with a smile.
Greg threw his dish towel in with the dishes in the bin and said, “Let me take this to the kitchen and then I’m out of here, too.”
“I’ll get it,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
Maddy said, “If I were you, I’d go before she changes her mind.”
He didn’t need another hint. As he left, I followed him to the door, flipped our sign from open to closed, and dead-bolted it behind him.
Maddy grabbed the dirty dishes without prompting, and I followed her into the kitchen, turning the lights off in the dining room as I did.
“What’s on tap for our investigation today?” Maddy asked. It had become our habit to work during our time off, since it gave us the perfect opportunity to quiz our suspects without being forced to shut the pizzeria down.
“I’d like to talk to Bailey again, but first, I think we should go by the newspaper office.”
“You want to grill Trent another time?”
“Honestly, I want to find out if he’s seen my brother-in-law yet. I’ve got a bad feeling about Steve for some reason.”
“Maybe because he’s been bad news since the first day you met him,” Maddy said.
“No, it’s more than that. I have a hunch something might be wrong.”
She knew enough to take my instincts seriously. They’d proven right too many times in the past, though they were by no means infallible.
As for Steve, only time would tell if I was right about him being in some kind of serious trouble or not.