A Pizza to Die For (17 page)

Maddy shrugged. “Is there anyone else we need to go see? We could offer these as a bribe for information.”

“If there’s anyone who can be swayed by pizza, I haven’t met them yet,” I said as we walked around the house to her car.

I saw the workmen diligently toiling to make an old house beautiful again, and I suddenly knew the perfect thing to do with the pizzas in my arms.

I approached them and asked, “Would you gentlemen be interested in some pizzas, free of charge, to a good home?”

“Are you kidding? We’d love it,” one man said.

I handed them the pizza boxes out of the sleeves, and said, “I’m sorry I don’t have anything to offer you to drink.”

“We’ll manage,” the man said. “Guys, go get the crew inside. I’m declaring a break.”

As they gathered around the food, Maddy smiled at me.

“What?” I asked. “I couldn’t bear to see it go to waste.”

“And that’s one reason I love you, Sis,” she said.

“I thought you had to because we’re family,” I replied with a grin.

“You think so? Ask them in there, and then come back and talk to me. Let’s go back to the Slice and get ready for the evening crowd. You need to make more dough for deep dish pizzas, you know that, don’t you?”

“I don’t mind,” I said. “It’s what I do.”

“It’s what
we
do, Sis,” she said as she drove us back to the Slice.

I wouldn’t have minded being rich. There were a lot of things I might buy, including a new pizza oven, but if I had to choose between wealth and my friends and family, it would be an easy decision. Love trumped everything else, at least in my book, and I’d lived my life by that rule.

It was the only way I knew how to be, and I was thrilled by that realization.

When we got back to the Slice, I was surprised to find a large, muscular man in a dark coat and hat standing with his back to us waiting at the door.

I felt the muscles in my stomach begin to tighten, and then I realized that it was Art Young’s driver.

“I’ve got a message for you,” he said without preamble as he turned to face us.

“What can I do for you?” I asked.

“Mr. Young would appreciate it very much if you would join him in his automobile over there.”

I looked in the direction where he was pointing and saw the long, black vehicle parked on the edge of the promenade.

Maddy asked, “Both of us?”

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. Sorry, but the invitation is for Mrs. Swift alone. My apologies.”

Maddy looked as though she’d just gotten a get-out-of-jail-free card. “No offense taken. I’ve got work to do inside.” As she started to unlock the door to the pizzeria with her own key, she said, “Don’t be long. Remember, you’ve got dough to make.”

Maddy was inside before we made it to Art’s car, and I glanced back to see her face pressed up against the glass, watching my every step. There was no doubt in my mind that my sister’s cell phone had the first two digits of 911 already punched in and waiting to be completed.

As the driver opened the door, I looked inside the car to find Art waiting for me.

“This is an odd summons,” I said as I looked in.

“Would you join me for a moment?” he asked.

“What’s the matter, are you afraid of being seen in public with me now?” I asked him. “You’re not still upset with me, are you?”

He shook his head. “You know better than that, Eleanor. It is your reputation that I’m concerned about.”

“It’s nice of you to think of me, but don’t do that again. I’m not afraid who knows we’re friends, so it shouldn’t matter to you.”

Instead of answering, Art got out of the car and said to his driver, “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

The driver looked at me with a hint of disbelief in his expression, though I was certain Art couldn’t see it from where he was standing. Or so I thought.

“Save your opinions of my behavior for your own time,” he said softly, and I saw the large driver stiffen.

“I’m sorry, sir. No disrespect intended.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” I said.

Art simply shrugged in my direction, and then turned and stared at the man for a second and a half before dismissing him completely.

We moved to a bench on the promenade that faced a statue dedicated to the doctors who had died saving others from polio, an obelisk that I often admired. After a moment, Art said, “I respect those who behave selflessly, though I doubt I’ll ever understand it.”

“Given the right circumstances, I’m sure you’d be heroic yourself.”

He laughed softly. “Eleanor, you give me too much credit.”

“Could it be that you don’t give yourself enough?”

He seemed to consider that, and then shook his head. “I’m not here to discuss my character. You’re in some difficulty, aren’t you?”

“No more than usual,” I said, trying to keep my voice light as I said it. I didn’t want Art to know just how deeply I’d managed to get myself involved in a murder investigation. Although he was on the opposite side of the law from our chief of police, neither man wanted to see me put myself in harm’s way.

“Eleanor, I hope you respect me enough not to lie to me.”

I let out a deep breath. If I was going to ask him to treat me as a friend, then I had to return the favor. “Okay, you’re right. I apologize. Apparently Maddy and I have ruffled some feathers in our investigation.”

“That shouldn’t surprise you,” Art said. I couldn’t believe how dapper the man could look, how professional and businesslike he could act, and yet still be the same person who Bob Lemon—a man who had faced his own share of bad guys in the past—was afraid of.

“It shouldn’t, but it always does,” I said.

“You were threatened,” Art said quietly.

I whirled around and looked at him. “How did you know that?”

“I didn’t, but your actions made it a possibility, and you just confirmed it.”

“Have you ever thought of being a detective?” I asked him.

His loud laughter caught me off guard. When he was able to compose himself again, he said, “You never cease to entertain me, Eleanor.”

“What was so funny about what I said? You have the skills a good detective needs. You’re persistent, observant, pay great attention to detail, and are able to make intuitive leaps based on limited information.”

“Thank you for your praise, but I believe that particular job opportunity is forever lost to me. Do you have any idea who is threatening you?”

“No,” I admitted. “Maddy and I each got telephone calls telling us to butt out, or we’d pay the consequences.”

“Were those the caller’s exact words?” he asked.

“No. Hang on, let me think about it.” I put myself back in time and tried to recall the exact wording of the threat I’d received. It came back so vividly that I felt myself shaking upon hearing that voice in my mind again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to subject you to that again.” He must have seen my reaction, and was feeling remorseful about his question.

“It’s fine. You can’t help it if you don’t know exactly what the person on the other end of the line said.” I replayed it once more in my head, and then opened my eyes and repeated, “
Keep nosing around where you don’t belong and you’re going to pay for it.
That’s it. I’m certain of it.”

“Was it a man or a woman?”

“The voice was gravelly and pitched really low, so there’s no way I can be sure of anything other than the threat.”

He stared at me, and then nodded. “Do you have a guess?”

“Not a clue,” I admitted. “If it matters, Maddy didn’t know, either.”

“Was her threat the same, or was it something similar?”

I didn’t have to think about that for a second. “She got the exact same threat that I did. It was as though the caller had read it off a script.”

Art frowned, and then looked around for a moment. I knew better than to interrupt him, but after a few seconds, he said, “I’ll look into it.”

“You don’t have to,” I said.

“It’s what a friend would do,” he answered.

Before I could say another word, he left the bench we’d shared to return to his car. I couldn’t believe how quickly his driver moved to be sure that Art’s door was open by the time he got there. My friend didn’t look at his driver, he just slid inside, and the door quickly closed after him. The driver nodded in my direction, and I could swear he said
thank you
under his breath before getting in and driving off.

Chapter 15

“W
hat was that all about?” Maddy asked me as I walked back into the Slice.

“Art wants to help us figure out who threatened us over the telephone,” I admitted as I started back toward the kitchen. I wanted to make that biscuitlike dough again for the deep dish pizzas, and if I started now, I might have some decent crust by the time we hit our dinner rush.

“You’re not serious, are you? Did you actually tell him that someone called us? I thought we were keeping it to ourselves.”

I was getting tired of my sister’s attitude toward Art Young, especially since he’d been nothing but helpful to us in the past. “I didn’t tell him anything; he guessed it from my reaction. This is a good thing, Sis. He thought he might be able to help.”

“That’s too funny,” Maddy said.

“What’s that?”

“A man in his line of work acting like a detective,” Maddy said. “Come on, Eleanor, you have to see the irony in it.”

“I don’t agree. He’s just a friend doing us a favor,” I said. “That’s it. Don’t read anything into it, Maddy.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Goodness knows we can use all the friends we can get.”

I smiled at her. “That’s the spirit. After I make more dough, we might have a little time to chat about what we saw at Nathan’s this afternoon.”

“Forget that. I’m not willing to wait that long. We’ll discuss it while you work. I can’t believe how openly defiant Gina was with Nathan. He looked pretty shocked by her behavior, too.”

“I’m not sure why he should have been,” I said. “After all, Gina went from being his last living beneficiary to just getting a third.”

Maddy nodded as she took a seat on the stool by the counter where I prepped my dough. “It had to be a shock for her to hear it out of the blue like that, and she didn’t really have time to prepare herself for it.”

“Especially if she really did kill her brother to get his share,” I said as I measured out ingredients for the dough. I planned to make another batch tonight and let it sit out overnight to see if I could get the dough to rise any more than I had so far. What I was making at the moment was perfectly fine, but it wasn’t good enough for my standards, at least not yet. I hoped with a little tweaking and a lot more practice, I’d be ready to serve three kinds of pizza at the Slice on a regular basis.

“Do you really think she could have killed her own brother for his share of an inheritance they weren’t even sure they were ever going to get?” Maddy asked me.

“I’d believe anything from her. She’s in debt up to her pretty little eyebrows,” I said. “Being desperate makes people do some unimaginable things.”

“How about our other suspects?” Maddy asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about that,” I said. “I’m having a hard time believing that Nathan could have done it.”

“Why do you say that?”

I shrugged. “Look at how far he’s willing to support a woman who says she’s carrying his nephew’s baby. That sounds like an act of love to me.”

“When you look at it from another angle, it could just as easily be guilt,” Maddy said after a moment’s thought.

I considered it, and as I mixed the dough with my hands to get the right consistency, I finally said, “You’re right. We have to leave his name on the list.”

“Don’t forget, we’ve got Lacy White and Jack Hanks, too.”

“I’m not about to forget them, or Nancy Thorpe, either.”

“That just leaves Nathan’s mystery heir,” Maddy said.

“I have a hard time counting whoever that is,” I said. “Nathan doesn’t even know his cousin’s identity, or if the family rumors are even true for that matter. And a lot of people would have to die before this cousin inherits anything, and quickly before Nathan can write another will.”

“It’s a motive, no matter how slight it might look,” she said.

“I’m not disagreeing with you. We’ll have to keep it in mind.” I had a sudden thought. “Hey, I know who might be able to help us find out who it is.”

“Forget it. I can’t ask Bob to help us dig this person up,” she said. “We’re still having a bit of a rough patch, and you shouldn’t ask David Quinton, either.”

“What on earth made you think I’d ask him?”

She smiled brightly at me. “Come on, we both know there’s something there, no matter how much you deny it.”

“Who’s denying it?” I asked.

Maddy whooped with delight. “That’s outstanding, Eleanor. You’ve got your spunk back.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said, “but I’m planning to enjoy his company as long as he’s here.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” she said. “So, if we’re not talking about Bob or David, and Art Young is already doing us a favor, who’s left?”

“I’ll tell you when we open for dinner. I’m expecting her to come by the Slice this evening.”

Maddy looked at me. “You’re seriously not going to tell me until then?”

I laughed. “I’m evil, I know.”

“I was just going to say that you’re getting more like me every day.”

“That’s just cruel,” I said, adding a smile to show her that I was just teasing. I could do worse than emulate my sister and the way she lived her life. Maddy put herself out there every time, and if it meant she was vulnerable, she didn’t let that stop her the next time. Granted, she’d never lost someone she loved, but the principle was the same, and it would make me a happier woman if I could manage to apply some of the things I’d seen her do to my own life.

When Greg arrived just before we opened, I sent Maddy to the back to pick up some extra napkins.

“While she’s gone, I need to ask you for a favor,” I said.

“You don’t want me to knock her off, do you?”

“Of course not,” I said.

“Then I’m in. What can I do? Do you need someone tailed? Can I teach someone a lesson for you?” he asked as he slapped his fist in his palm. “I can do the rough stuff, too, you know, so don’t be afraid to ask.”

“You’ve been watching too many old movies,” I said as I laughed out loud. “Just let me know when Karen Green comes in.”

“That’s it?” he asked, clearly disappointed with his assignment. “That’s the only thing I can do?”

“For now, but I may need you to rough someone up later, so don’t go far.”

“I’m your man,” he said.

I started laughing—I couldn’t help myself—and then Greg began to laugh, too.

“What’s so funny?” Maddy asked when she walked back out front with the requested napkins.

“I’d tell you, but you probably wouldn’t get it. It’s an inside joke,” Greg said.

“I thought I was on the inside of everything,” Maddy said, the dismay clear in her expression.

I couldn’t let her think we were excluding her. “Greg just offered to pound someone for us if they need to be taught a lesson in manners. I think that’s gallant of him, don’t you?”

She shook her head. “Not unless he’s going to use a baseball bat.”

Greg said, “Hey, I’m a big guy.”

“I know you are, but are you tough?”

He tensed his stomach and said, “Go on, take your best shot.”

She just shook her head. “Save it, champ. You’re right, and I was wrong. You’re a real tough guy.”

He nodded. “Believe me, I am, if either of you need me to be,” Greg said.

“Need him to be what?” Josh asked as he came in.

“A tough guy,” I said.

Josh looked at me and flexed an arm muscle. “You think he’s something? You should see me in action. I may not be as big as he is, but I’m wiry.”

“Somehow, I feel better just knowing you two are out here,” I said with a smile as I retreated to my kitchen.

Greg came back a little while after we opened. “She’s here.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll be right out.”

I went into the dining room and asked Maddy, “Could you cover for me in the kitchen for ten minutes?”

She looked alarmed by my request. “Why? Where are you going? Are you sure you won’t be any longer than that?”

“Relax, you aren’t being punished,” I said. “That special little helper I told you about is here, and the two of us need to talk.”

Maddy looked around the pizzeria, and I watched as her gaze barely touched on Karen Green before going to another customer. “I don’t get it. I don’t see anyone here who might be able to help us.”

“Karen took a class in genealogy at the college,” I said.

“So you’re going to ask her to help find Nathan Sizemore’s long-lost relative,” Maddy said, finishing the thought for me. “Do you think she can do it?”

“I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot, isn’t it? Do you have any better ideas?”

“Not really.” She handed me her order pad. “If you want to take her order while you’re asking her for a favor, you’ll need this.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I won’t be long.”

Maddy nodded and faded into the back while I drew a Mountain Dew from the soda station. It was Karen’s favorite, so I wasn’t exactly taking a risk by bringing her one.

“Here you go, compliments of the house,” I said as I slid the drink in front of her. She’d been frowning about something, but at the sight of the free soda, a smile bloomed on her face.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Karen said.

“Actually, I’ve got ulterior motives. May I join you for a minute?”

Karen appeared to be surprised by my request, but she nodded vigorously and pointed to one of the chairs at her table. “Please, I’d be honored.”

“Don’t be, I’m not all that special,” I said with a laugh as I sat close to her.

Karen took a sip of her soft drink, and then asked me, “What can I do for you, Eleanor?”

“You told me that you took a genealogy class in the adult education program at the college, right?”

“Sure, I take lots of things there. Are you interested in tracing your family roots? We’ve got Swifts and Spencers all through the county society where I do most of my searches.”

“Neither,” I said. “There’s someone else’s family history I’d like you to trace, though, and I’d like you to keep it our little secret.”

Karen nodded as she dug into her purse for a small notebook and a pencil. “All I need is a name and a birth date, and you’d be amazed by what I can turn up. The Internet has been a real savior for amateur genealogists like me.”

“It’s Nathan Sizemore,” I said. “I’m looking for anyone living in town who might be related to him.”

Karen started to write his name down, stopped and stared at her pad, and then finally looked at me without writing a thing. “Are you talking about crazy old Nathan, the man who lives on the edge of Timber Ridge? Do you mind if I ask why you’re so interested in him?”

I had no desire to get into the reasons for my request then and there. “It’s tough to explain. Would you mind doing it for me? I’d be happy to pay you for your time.”

“That’s not really an issue. How soon would you need it?” she asked as I watched her finally write Nathan’s name in her book.

“Tonight, if that’s at all possible.”

Karen frowned. “Could I do the research, and then come by sometime tomorrow afternoon?”

“We’ll be prepping for the Halloween Blowout,” I said, “but if you don’t mind a little chaos, that would be great.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said.

“Wonderful. I really appreciate that. Now, what can I get you? Anything you want tonight is on the house.”

“Anything?”

“Just name it,” I said.

“I’d love one of those deep dish pizzas, with the works. Is that too much to ask?”

“Not at all. I’ll go start on it myself. And Karen?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” I said.

As she nodded, I went back to Maddy, where I found her struggling with a ball of the deep dish dough. “Thanks, I’ll take over for you now.”

She smiled, the relief spreading across her face. “It’s about time. I don’t know how you work with this stuff.”

“Practice makes perfect.”

I took the dough from her, and after a quick reshaping, I worked it into the pan, making sure that the sides of the crust peeked over the top of the rim.

“How did you do that?” Maddy asked.

“I’d love to tell you, but I can’t. It’s a trade secret.”

“You know what? I don’t really care.” She started laughing as she said, “Now I don’t have to ever make them when you’re not here.” Changing her line of questioning, Maddy asked, “Was Karen able to help you?”

“She’s going to check something out online and get back to me tomorrow,” I said.

“Good. That just leaves the rest of our suspect list to go through. Not one of them has given us an alibi for the night of the murder. Do you ever get the feeling that we’re just spinning our wheels here?”

“All the time,” I admitted as I began layering sauce, toppings, and parmesan cheese into the pan. “We just have to keep stirring until something boils.”

“Just as long as it’s not us,” Maddy said.

She went back up front to reclaim her spot there, and I began working on the rest of the pending orders. We were making headway on the case, I knew that much, but I wished we could see more progress.

Things had a habit of working out that way. We’d go days and even weeks without a real break, and then all at once we’d reach the tipping point and everything would start to make sense. I just had to believe that moment was in sight. If I didn’t, it would drive me totally nuts.

We were an hour from closing for the night when Bob Lemon came into the kitchen. “Before you say anything, Maddy sent me back here to talk to you. Either she’s worried about you being lonely, or she’s beginning to tire of me.”

“Did she make plans with you for later tonight when we close?” I asked as I put a thin crust pizza onto the conveyor.

“Yes, we’ve got a date to watch a movie at her place.”

“Then you’re good. When she starts breaking dates for no good reason, it’s time to move into action, because your walking papers won’t be too far behind.”

“That’s good to know,” he said. “I need to speak with you, so I’m glad we’ve got this opportunity to chat.”

“Why? Are you thinking of proposing?” I’d been kidding him, but from the look on his face, I saw that I’d hit home with an errant shot. “You’re not, are you?”

“Would that be such a bad thing to have me as a brother-in-law?” he asked, fighting to hide his disappointment at my reaction.