A Side of Murder: Book 18 in The Darling Deli Series
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Side of Murder
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
A Side
Of
Murder
Book Eighteen in the Darling Deli Series
By
Patti Benning
Copyright 2017 Summer Prescott Books
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.
**This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.
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A SIDE OF
MURDER
Book Eighteen in the Darling Deli Series
Chapter One
* * *
Moira Darling put the finishing touches on the last ham and turkey sandwich, then took a step back to admire the result of a morning’s hard work. Some might consider the heart-shaped sandwiches to be cheesy, but she loved them. They would be perfect for the Valentine’s Day dance at the local high school. She was touched that her deli, Darling’s DELIcious Delights, had been chosen to cater the annual event instead of the usual pizza that the school ordered. It just went to show how well known her little store had become in Maple Creek.
In the years since Moira had opened the deli, she had been overwhelmed time and time again by the generosity and goodwill of the locals. She had a steady core of loyal customers that had stuck by the deli through thick and thin. In the deli’s earliest days when she had been less sure of what she was doing, the encouragement of her regulars had been one of the things that had made her persevere. If some people liked her food enough to stop in every day, or close to it, then she must have had something worth selling.
Of course, now that the deli had a firm foothold and word had spread about it across the state, she no longer had days where she doubted herself for opening it. What had started as a hobby to give her something to do after her daughter, Candice, left for college, had turned into something much bigger than she had ever expected. She still had moments where she was surprised by her own success, and she knew that she could never have gotten this far alone.
What will I do next? the question still nagged at the back of her mind. Recently, she had taken to helping her husband, David Morris, with his private investigation business. She enjoyed getting to learn more about what he did, and it was a fun hobby, but she didn’t know if she wanted it to become as much a part of her life as it was his. She still had a dream of expanding the deli business, which David was supportive of, but neither of them could figure out how the logistics of her opening a second shop in another town would work. They were both deeply rooted in Maple Creek and Lake Marion, and neither of them really wanted to consider a move.
For now, Moira was happy to focus on day-to-day life. She was sure the big questions would resolve themselves eventually, and it wasn’t like she wasn’t happy with what she was doing now.
“The sandwiches are ready to go,” she said, snapping the lid on the plastic container shut carefully. “As soon as the order from Candice’s Candies gets here, you guys can take off.”
“It looks like we’ll be leaving right on time. They’re just pulling up now,” said Cameron, one of the two newer employees, as he peered out of the side entrance.
He’s not very new anymore, she reminded herself. I hired him and Jenny last summer. It’s been half a year. Time seemed to be passing more and more quickly these days. She supposed it was just a part of being so busy all the time.
Moira watched as the van pulled up alongside the refrigerated truck with the deli’s name printed on the side. The truck had been one of the best purchases that she had ever made; it had allowed her to expand the deli’s business to include a regular catering service which could reach many of the small towns along the Lake Michigan coast.
The van’s driver kept the engine running while he opened the door and got out. He was a scrawny kid who had just turned eighteen. He had worked as a pet sitter for Moira for a short period of time, until being hired by her daughter as the candy shop’s first employee.
“Hey, Ms. D,” Logan said, giving a casual wave to the crew waiting by the door. “Just on time. Candice threw in a few extras for you guys to keep here and give away as samples. There’s a new toffee, and a mint brownie brittle that she just came up with last week.”
“I can’t wait to try them,” Moira said. “That girl is a factory of ideas. She comes up with something new for the candy shop more often than I do for the deli. And all of them are good, too.”
“Nah, she only shows you the good ones. There are plenty of failed experiments. Eli and I are her taste testers. Only the best of the best get put on the shelves.”
“’Candy taste-tester’ sounds like quite the fun job description,” the deli owner said with a smile. “Anyway, I’m holding you guys up. Cameron and Allison are ready to go as soon as the chocolates are loaded up.”
“Right, I’ll help with the boxes. I’m starting to wish I hadn’t graduated last year… they’ve really stepped up the catering for the Valentine’s dance this time around.”
Moira helped her employees move the boxes of chocolates from the candy shop’s small delivery van to the truck. One of the boxes was to stay at the deli — Candice sent a case of personalized chocolates and candies shaped like the deli’s logo for free every week, which Moira gave away to her customers along with the candy shop’s business card. It was a great way to advertise both of their stores, and Moira knew her customers appreciated the arrangement as well — after all, who didn’t like free candy?
After Cameron and Allison had driven away in the refrigerated delivery truck and Logan had gone back to Lake Marion, Moira found herself alone in the deli. It had been a long time since she had had an afternoon to herself in the little shop, and it brought back nostalgic memories. In some ways, she missed those quieter days… but overall, she was much happier now. She was glad that the deli was thriving, Candice had become a successful business woman in her own right, and of course, she had David, her beloved husband and closest friend. Despite all of the challenges she had faced, things really had turned out all right in the end.
Chapter Two
* * *
�
��Maverick, no. Come here.”
The big, goofy German shepherd ran towards her, but once again veered off to the side before reaching her. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he skidded through the snow to a stop a few feet away. He dropped the front half of his body into the snow in a play bow and wagged his tail. He knew exactly what she wanted, and he wasn’t having any of it.
“Fine, I’ll just leave you outside, then,” Moira said, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically. “Keeva’s a good girl, so she’ll get a treat. You can wait out here in the snow, all alone.”
She walked towards the front door with exaggerated slowness. On the threshold, she turned to look back and saw the dog staring at her. He hadn’t moved, but was watching her with a puzzled expression in his eyes.
“Here I go,” she said, stepping into the house and pulling the door slowly shut between them. “Better hurry, Mav.”
Just before she shut the door all the way, she saw the dog bound forward and race across the yard towards her. She pushed the door open and stepped back to let him run past her into the house. She winced as his wet paws slipped on the wooden floor, but he managed to right himself without running into anything. She shut the door firmly behind her, then turned to face him with her hands on her hips.
“I’m going to stop letting you out front off leash if you don’t come in when I call,” she said. “What if I had to go somewhere?”
He trotted up to her, his tail wagging again. She sighed and patted him on the head. Down the hall, she saw Keeva poke her head out of the kitchen. The Irish wolfhound was more dignified than Maverick, but wasn’t above reminding her owner that she had been promised a cookie, and that said cookie had yet to appear.
“All right, all right, I’ll get treats for both of you. Candice sent a new batch of carob dog cookies for you two. They’re heart shaped, for Valentine’s Day.”
The cookies looked good enough for a human to eat. Moira was tempted to try a bite — her daughter had sworn that she had used human grade ingredients in the pet treats — but somehow, she didn’t think that carob and liver flavor would taste as good as it looked. The dogs loved them, though, and the heart-shaped cookies disappeared after only a couple of crunches.
“Right, now that you two are settled, I need to get to work. I promised David that I would make dinner — I really don’t want to eat take-out a second time this week, which is what he’ll get if I leave it up to him — and I’ve got to get started. Go on, out of the kitchen.”
The dogs obeyed her request and cleared out of the room. She watched them go down the hall and smiled as she saw them walk into the living room. The week before, she had come across two giant dog beds at the store and had decided to splurge and buy them. With one on each side of the fireplace, both pooches had a nice, soft, warm spot to lie during the winter months — a spot that wasn’t a human couch or bed. Moira loved the dogs, but could do without the piles of fur that came along with them.
The fridge in the Darling-Morris house was always well-stocked. Moira had gotten used to having an abundance of fun ingredients available to her at the deli, and made sure her kitchen had all of the same items, if on a smaller scale. She wasn’t ashamed to admit that she did most of the cooking at home. She loved her husband dearly, but he didn’t have an ounce of natural skill in the kitchen. He never complained when she asked him to pick up take-out food for dinner, but Moira couldn’t justify doing that more than once or twice a week. She never felt as good after eating Chinese food or pizza as she did after eating one of her own home-cooked meals.
On the menu for tonight was curried chicken soup, with a side of white rice and freshly sliced pineapple. Moira often experimented with new soup recipes for dinner, before giving them a try at the deli. If David liked it, then her customers were sure to.
She started the rice first, since the cooker would keep it warm even after it was done. The soup’s base came next. She diced a clove of garlic and added it to melting butter in a large pot before measuring out the curry powder and ginger. In no time at all, the kitchen was filled with mouthwatering smells. Just three ingredients in, and this recipe was already promising.
By the time David got home, the scent of curry permeated the entire house. Moira had the kitchen table set for two. She met her husband at the entrance to the kitchen and gave him a welcoming kiss, then stepped back and raised her eyebrows.
“You look happy,” she said. The handsome private investigator was grinning, and had a sparkle in his blue eyes that she hadn’t seen since their honeymoon.
“I’ve got news,” he said. “Dinner smells great, though. Let’s talk after we eat.”
She could tell by his smile that whatever his news was, it was good. She wondered what it could be. They hadn’t been waiting for any calls about anything, had they?
It wasn’t until after they had begun eating that she got her answer. She didn’t blame him for wanting to start dinner first — she was starving, too. The soup was delicious; a definite winner in her book. She wondered how to incorporate the rice with the dish at the deli. Maybe she would be better off offering some sort of bread as a side dish…
“So, I got a call today,” he began. Moira leaned forward, bursting with curiosity. “From the man who owns the land that the brewery is on.”
It took Moira a moment to realize what he was talking about. It had been over six months since she had heard about the brewery, which had been owned by her late friend, a farmer named Zander. After his sudden death, David had expressed an interest in getting involved with the microbrewery, but the entire farm had been bought before he could make an offer. She knew he had been disappointed, but so much had happened since that she had hardly thought about it.
“What did he want?” she asked.
“He told me that he’s been too busy to do anything with the brewery and doesn’t like seeing the setup go to waste… so he’s willing to sell it. Well, he’ll sell the equipment, and lease the building out.”
Moira met her husband’s gaze and saw the excitement in his eyes. She knew that he wanted this. She smiled — if there was one thing she loved, it was seeing him happy.
“Well, when do you sign?” she asked. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”
“Really? I know you had been talking about opening up a second deli somewhere else and maybe moving there temporarily while it got going. If I do this, I don’t know if I would be able to go with you. At least not right away.”
“I know,” she told him. “Opening another deli can wait. This location is doing well, and I’m definitely happy here. You should do this.”
He grinned, and she smiled back. This could be exciting for both of them. She had been on the verge of making a deal with Zander to sell some of his brews at the deli. If David got the place up and running, the deli could benefit from it too. I can’t wait to start this adventure with him, she thought. How did we both get so lucky?
Chapter Three
* * *
Tuesday nights at the Redwood Grill usually weren’t very busy, but that night the parking lot was packed. In a town as small as Maple Creek, there weren’t many options as far as nice places to eat went. Luckily, the grill had it all. With a menu that changed every couple of weeks as the seasonal produce varied in availability, there were ample choices for everyone’s tastes.
“It’s good I made a reservation,” David said as they pulled into one of the few available spaces at the back of the lot. “Though your friend has never failed to get us a table even when we decide to drop by at the last minute.”
The Redwood Grill was run and owned by a close friend of Moira’s; Denise Donovan. The two women had a lot in common; they both owned restaurants, they were both divorcees, and both of them were determined to be successful at anything they did.
“I doubt even she could swing that tonight,” Moira said. “I’ve never seen the place so packed.”
“I’m not surprised it’s busy. The food is great, the atmosphere is
always good, and the staff are well trained and nice. It’s the perfect place to take your Valentine for dinner.”
He smiled and leaned over to give her a quick kiss before getting out of the car. Moira grinned. She loved going on dates with David. Even though they were married, somehow it still felt special to walk into the grill with her hand in his. She hoped that she would never stop feeling slightly giddy whenever he kissed her, or pulled her close for a hug. Being with him made her day brighter.
Inside the restaurant, a young woman greeted them with a cheery smile. David gave her his name, and she led them back to their favorite booth, the same one they had been sitting at since the restaurant opened.
“Your server will be with you shortly,” the woman said as she set the menus down on the table. “Ask her about our special desserts, for tonight only.”
Moira hoped that she would have room left after their meal for a dessert, but knew from experience that she probably wouldn’t. The food here was good and it was hard not to eat every last bite.