A Pizza to Die For (20 page)

“I’ve got an idea,” I said. “I’ve suddenly lost my taste for crowds. Why don’t we go back to the Slice, make something with way too many calories, and shut the rest of the world out?”

“That’s the best idea you’ve had in weeks,” Maddy answered.

It was just too bad that’s not how it ended up working out.

When we got back to the pizzeria, someone was waiting for us there. “Art, we were just about to have a quiet lunch. Would you care to join us?” I hadn’t even glanced at Maddy for her permission to make the invitation. She’d been holding Art in contempt for too long, and I had a feeling if she took the chance to know him, she might get to like him as much as I did.

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t have time for that at the moment. Eleanor, I’m afraid there’s something we need to discuss,” he said.

“I’ll go inside and get started on our pizza,” Maddy said.

“This involves you as well,” Art said. “You should hear it, too.”

“Whatever it is, Eleanor can handle it.” She disappeared inside before I had a chance to say anything else.

I turned to Art and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “You need to come with me.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“I had someone who owes me a favor watch your pizzeria,” he said.

“Without telling me? Seriously? What happened to our trust?”

“I did it for you,” he said patiently. “And you should be glad that I did. He caught someone trying to break in the minute you left.” I felt a chill of ice run through me as he said it.

“Who was it?”

“It’s the gentleman we discussed earlier, Jack Hanks. He’s being detained in my car, and I thought you might like the opportunity to speak with him.”

I could barely contain myself as I said, “Let me at him.”

When we got to Art’s car, his driver opened the door instantly. I slid inside, and Art joined us. Jack Hanks sat there sullenly against the opposite door, and he barely glanced my way as the door shut behind us.

“Explain yourself,” Art said softly.

Jack looked as though he’d been slapped.

“I was looking for something to steal,” he said.

“From me?” I asked. “I don’t have anything of value to you.”

“You have a cash register, don’t you? I’m betting you don’t lock your money up between your lunch and dinner shifts. Am I right?”

Art coughed lightly, and the man came instantly back in line. “Sorry,” Jack said, obviously reined in.

“I never thought about it before,” I admitted. I promised myself that I’d change that habit immediately. I couldn’t afford to lose a day’s lunch receipts, especially with Italia’s off to such a good start.

“Why me, though? I’m not in your usual hunting ground, am I?”

When Jack didn’t respond, Art tapped him lightly on the knee. It was as though the touch was charged with high voltage. “Okay, there was more to it than that. You were making life unhappy for my friend.”

“Which friend is that, Gina or Lacy?”

“Trust me, Gina’s no friend of mine,” he said sullenly.

“I thought you two were dating,” I said.

“Off and on, but she wanted more expensive things than I could give her, and her nagging was driving me nuts, so I broke it off with her.”

Somehow I doubted his spin on their breakup, but that didn’t concern me at the moment. “So, that’s when you took up with Lacy.”

“It wasn’t like that,” he said. “We’ve been friends since grade school. We watched out for each other when nobody else would.”

I nodded. He was there to defend a friend’s honor, a worthy duty that had been performed badly. “So you decided to make me pay for my meddling. Did
you
call me in the middle of the night?”

He nodded. “For all the good it did me. You wouldn’t give up, so I thought I’d teach you a lesson the hard way.”

I couldn’t believe how cooperative he was being, so I decided to ask him the most important question of all. If I could confirm Lacy’s story in front of Art Young, I knew that he had to be telling the truth. The consequences of being caught lying were clearly too much for the man to take. “Where were you the night of Judson’s murder?”

“I was in Charlotte clubbing with Lacy after her doctor’s appointment, and that’s the truth.”

I turned to Art. “Can that be confirmed?”

“It already has. They were both where they said they were.”

I nodded. “It’s fine, then.”

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask him?” Art asked.

I was suddenly sick of the man’s presence. “No, I’m finished with him.”

Art nodded. “Very good. Why don’t you go back to the Slice and join your sister for lunch?”

I didn’t like the tone of his voice. “What’s going to happen to him?” I asked as I gestured to Jack Hanks.

Art laughed softly, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor in it. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’ll never bother either of you again after he’s shown the error of his ways.”

I couldn’t allow that to happen, no matter how I felt about this creep. “Please, I don’t want him hurt, not on my account.”

Art shook his head. “Eleanor, you do realize that he tried to rob you less than an hour ago, don’t you?”

“I’m asking as a favor to me.”

Art nodded, though it was clear it was a reluctant agreement. He turned to Jack Hanks and said, “You may go, but remember this. You owe this woman a great favor, and the best way you can repay it is to forget you ever met her. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” he said quickly.

“Then go.”

He left so quickly I thought the door’s hinges were going to snap off as it bolted open.

After Jack was gone, Art said, “I’m not sure compassion was the right instinct to have just then.”

“Sorry, but it’s all I’ve got. Thanks for looking out for me.”

“It was no trouble at all,” he said.

“Now, I would like to repeat my invitation. Would you like to have lunch with Maddy and me? Your driver can come, too, and we can make it a party.”

“Thank you, but we have obligations elsewhere. Enjoy Halloween. By the way, I like your costume.”

In all honesty, I’d forgotten that I was wearing it. “Thanks. Bye. And Happy Halloween to you, too.”

I got out of the car, and it quickly drove away. I wouldn’t have trusted Jack Hanks to tell me the truth without Art’s presence, but I felt pretty good about what I’d been told. I sincerely doubted that he’d dare lie to my friend, and that meant that I could strike two more names off my suspect list. I wondered if Chief Hurley was doing any better than that, but I had to doubt it. It wasn’t entirely his fault, though. I wasn’t bound by any rules or regulations regarding my conduct. He didn’t have the resources I had at my disposal. True, he had computers, databases, and experts at his fingertips, but I had something just as vital, sources I could tap that he could never touch.

In all honesty, I didn’t care who caught the killer, as long as one of us did before they could ever strike again.

Chapter 18

“T
here’s somebody here to see you,” Maddy said as I worked at forming the last of the spooky little ghost pizzas for later that night. We were just about to officially close for the evening so I could finish making the treats we’d be selling at the dance. They’d stay warm in the sleeves we had for delivering pizza, and that way I wouldn’t be tied up in the kitchen all night and miss out on all the fun.

I wiped my hands on my apron. “That sounds great. Why don’t you send him back?”

“What makes you think it’s a man?” she asked.

“I’m just guessing,” I said. “At least there’s a fifty–fifty chance that I’m right.”

Maddy grinned at me, enjoying torturing me a little when the opportunity presented itself. “Sorry, you chose the wrong half. It’s Karen Green.”

“Tell her to come on back,” I said.

Maddy looked surprised. “Really? Into your kitchen? Are you sure? I didn’t think you liked anyone back here but friends and family.”

“It’s Halloween. Let’s live a little.”

“Okay, I’ll ask her.”

A minute later the door opened again, and Karen stuck her head in. She was dressed in some kind of long burgundy robe, with a flickering light coming out of her tall hat.

“Come on in,” I said as I formed another ghost. “I won’t bite.”

“If you’re sure it’s okay,” she said as she took a few tentative steps in.

“Yes, I’m pretty certain I won’t bite you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said as her cheeks reddened a little.

“I know that. Thanks for coming.” I studied her costume, and then said, “You’re not a princess or a wizard, I know that much.”

“That’s more than anyone else has been able to come up with,” she said.

“Hang on, I’ll get it.” I took in the entire ensemble, wondering how the flickering candle matched the rest of her outfit. That’s when I got it.

“You’re a giant candle, aren’t you?”

“Bravo,” she said.

“I love the Christmas light on top,” I said.

“I like your painter’s costume, too,” she replied.

“It’s not so much a costume as something I wear when I’m painting,” I admitted.

“The streaks of paint on your face really sell it, though.”

I had to laugh at that. “I’d like to take credit for it, but it was Maddy’s idea.” I looked at the notebook in her hand and asked, “Did you have any luck?”

“Some,” she said. “I’m going to need more time, but I do have it narrowed to the Parsons branch of Nathan’s family. There was a streak where the men had only daughters, so the Sizemore name was absorbed into the Parsons family and the Harpers along the way. I’m fairly certain I’ll be able to find something more specific for you in a few days. I hope that’s good enough for now.”

I thought about the Parsons and Harpers who’d been around Timber Ridge, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of any descendents still in town. I hoped it wasn’t a dead end, for Nathan’s sake, at least.

“Thanks so much,” I said. “I appreciate what you’re doing.”

“No need to thank me,” she said. “I love this kind of thing.” Karen looked around the kitchen, and then said, “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I have things to do before tonight’s Blowout.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” I said.

After she was gone, I struck another suspect off my list. If a wizard at genealogy like Karen couldn’t track Nathan’s relative down, there was a very good chance that even if the person was still alive, they most likely had no idea that they were related to the land baron.

That left just two suspects on my list: Nathan himself, and his niece, Gina. The more I thought about it, I had to believe that Gina had killed her own brother for the sake of a bigger stake of potential inheritance. It was going to take patience on her part to wait until her uncle died, but she didn’t have any competition left to take any of her ill-gotten gains.

Then another thought struck me. What if she wasn’t in the mood to wait? Nathan had reported that he’d had a near miss on his lawn mower, and if Nancy was to be believed, Gina had had a hand in her near tumble down the steps. Also, Gina had taken great pride in announcing that Nathan was in the process of finalizing the changes to his will,

My heart started beating like a hummingbird’s wings. I felt that if I didn’t act immediately, my new friend wouldn’t have a chance. He could be dead before the clock struck midnight if he’d already signed the papers for his new will.

I came rushing out front to find that Greg and Josh had already left for the festivities.

“Come on, Maddy. We need to go,” I said.

“What happened?” my sister asked me as she dropped the broom she’d been sweeping with.

“Gina killed Judson, and now she’s going to go after Nathan.” I explained my logic to her, and she didn’t question my explanation. “Where do we go, though? They could be at Nathan’s house, or there’s a chance he’s at Italia’s.”

“We could go check out Italia’s together,” she said, “and then go to Nathan’s to make sure he’s all right.”

“There’s no time,” I said as I grabbed my jacket. “I don’t like it, but we’re going to have to split up.”

Maddy nodded. She had no problem with making quick decisions, something else I’d always admired about her. “I’ll take the house, you take the pizza place, and we’ll meet back here if we both draw a blank.”

As I locked the door behind us, I said, “Be careful.”

“Right back at you,” she said.

Italia’s was closed, Gina had told me that it would be, but I knew the back way in.

As I moved to the rear entrance, I thought I caught a glimpse of someone inside. Their door, unlike ours, had its own window in back, and I saw a flicker of light come through the frosted window. I wanted to turn and run for help with every fiber of my being, but I knew if I didn’t distract the murderer, it might be too late.

It took me a moment, but that’s when I realized that the murderer wasn’t Gina, or Nathan, either.

I knew it without a doubt now.

And as the pieces fell into place, I was amazed that I hadn’t seen it before.

I tried the doorknob, and was relieved to find it was unlocked. I hoped that would be the murderer’s mistake that ended up unraveling the entire plot to gain Nathan’s fortune. As I crept in, I could see that Gina was in the kitchen, her face pale, even under the makeup. There was a fire in the wood-fired oven, and a few logs waiting to be fed into the mouth of the fireplace.

“Eleanor Swift,” she said, darting her eyes quickly to the right, “what are you doing here?”

“I came to see if you needed any help,” I said as I looked around for the killer.

Gina was trying to signal me, and I realized that she was looking steadily into the dining room as she spoke. “Thanks, but I’m just finishing up. I’m about to go home myself.”

“I’ll walk you out,” I said, motioning her toward the door with my hand.

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ve got it covered.” She mouthed the words,
Go get help
to me, but I refused to leave.

“I don’t mind pitching in,” I said. “Then we can go to the dance together.”

“I can’t,” she said, the tears thick in her eyes.

I knew there had to be something that the killer was using to hold her there, and if I left them alone, Gina would most likely be dead by the time I got back with reinforcements. It was a chance I couldn’t take.

It was time to end this charade.

Taking a deep breath, I called out, “Karen, I know you’re in there. You might as well come out.”

Karen Green stepped out of the shadows, pulling her hat off and throwing it to the ground as she walked, shattering the flickering bulb on top. “You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you, Eleanor? I knew I should have taken care of you when I had the chance.”

“First things first. Let me have your cell phone,” she commanded as one hand came out of her robe holding a handgun.

I had been trying to call Maddy on speed dial, but that wasn’t going to happen now. I tossed her my phone, purposely under-throwing it in an effort to get her to lean too far toward me, but she surprised me by stepping forward and plucking it out of the air. With a quick glance at that exposed pizza oven’s fire, she flipped it into the opening, and I saw it melt from the sudden and intense heat.

When Karen turned back to me, she asked, “How did you know I was behind it all, Eleanor?”

“A lot of things started falling into place,” I said. “You were too eager to help me, and the courses you were taking finally clicked in my mind.”

She smiled. “You picked up on that, did you? You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

“What are you talking about?” Gina asked, her voice filled with fear.

“Patience,” Karen said, and then turned to me. “I never dreamed I’d given you too much information. Most people don’t listen at all when I talk. It was your bad luck to be one of the few who do.”

“What classes?” Gina asked.

Karen explained as though she were talking to a child. “I took an auto repair class, and I learned how to disable Nathan’s brakes on his mower. The mechanism is easy once you know how a car works.”

“It was premature, though, wasn’t it?” I said. “You nearly killed Nathan while Gina was still alive.”

Karen didn’t like me pointing out the flaw in her plan. “How could I have known he’d use his riding mower to blow the leaves into piles? If he’d waited till spring, my plan would have worked beautifully.”

Gina was starting to see how insane Karen really was. “When were you going to kill me?”

“After a suitable period, you were going to have an accident, but then that all changed when I saw Nathan coming out of Bob Lemon’s office. I knew that I was almost out of time, but it’s still going to work out just fine. Imagine how appropriate it will be for you to die where your brother passed away. He turned his back on me, and it was so easy to hit him from behind with that chunk of wood, I could barely believe my good fortune.”

“How was I going to die?” Gina was breathless as she waited for the answer.

“I wasn’t sure, but most likely it would be some kind of suicide. I should have taken a nursing class; maybe you could have overdosed on something.”

I couldn’t believe this woman. “So, you used the community college system to plan your rampage. What were the other classes for?”

She smiled as she said, “The law class was to help me figure out how to beat Nathan’s will, and the money management was so that I’d know what to do when I inherited it all.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand, though,” Gina said incredulously. “Why should he leave anything to you?”

Karen grinned at me, but there wasn’t a great deal of sanity in it. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction. “Gina, this is Karen Green, your long-lost cousin, and another of your uncle’s heirs.”

Karen laughed. “You are very clever, Eleanor. I thought I hid the truth rather well today, but clearly I was mistaken.”

“You almost had me, and then I remembered the last Parsons I knew. She taught me in kindergarten, and I’d almost forgotten her. We always called her Miss Garnet, but she was your aunt, Garnet Parsons, wasn’t she?”

“You actually remembered,” Karen said. “Not many folks even knew her last name around here when her teaching name became so accepted.”

I had to keep her talking. I knew if I could stall her long enough, Maddy would realize that the house was a dead end and everything was happening at Italia’s. “You must have been shocked when Gina and Judson showed up on the scene.”

“I didn’t know they existed any more than Nathan realized that we were related,” she agreed. “He’d filed a copy of his will to preapprove his probate, and I stumbled on it after I discovered that we were related.” She looked disgusted as she added, “I was going to be rich until those two showed up.”

Gina turned on her. “That’s why you killed my brother? For money?”

“Don’t act like you’re so holy, Gina,” she said. “You got Nathan to pay off your debt, so it’s not like you weren’t getting anything out of it, either. We’re not that different, when you get right down to it.” She looked around the restaurant. “This place had to cost a fortune too, so I knew that I had to get rid of you before you spent what was rightfully mine.”

“Yours? He doesn’t even know who you are. Are you completely insane?”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “I’m not crazy. I fooled all of you, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “Nobody thinks you’re crazy,” I said calmly.

“Speak for yourself,” Gina said. That woman didn’t know when it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut.

“What are you planning to do with us?” I asked her.

She shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, but you know too much, Eleanor, and she’s in the way of my inheritance. There’s no other way around it. You’re both going to have to die.”

“Let’s not be hasty here. You can have it all. I’ll sign whatever you want me to, just don’t kill me.”

Karen seemed to consider it for a moment, and then said sadly, “Sorry, I can’t trust you with the truth.”

“How about me?” I asked, trying to distract her long enough for Maddy to go to Nathan’s, then realize that she was in the wrong place and come to Italia’s, hopefully with reinforcements. “Where are you going to get the pizza you like so much if you get rid of me?”

“I’ll be sorry to miss you, but Maddy’s getting better at it every day. She might not be as good as you are, but she’ll get there.”

While she’d been talking to me, I’d seen Gina slowly reach back toward the fire for one of the burning logs. I wasn’t sure how she planned to grab it without scorching her own hand, but I had to keep Karen distracted long enough to give her time to do something. It was the only real chance we had.

“Don’t kid yourself, Karen,” I said. “Maddy will close the place down if something happens to me.”

“I won’t let her do that,” Karen shouted. “Stop saying things I don’t like.”

It was time for me to act.

I yelled, “Karen, look out. Chief Hurley’s going to shoot you!”

As Karen spun around to see a man who wasn’t there, it was the opportunity Gina was waiting for. With no hesitation whatsoever, she reached into the fire, screamed as the flames hit her hand, and retrieved a burning log quickly enough to hurl it at Karen.