Sweet Chili Murder Read online

  Sweet Chili Murder

  The Papa Pacelli’s Pizzeria Series Book 32

  Patti Benning

  Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Copyright 2019 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.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Also by Patti Benning

  Author’s Note

  Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Chapter One

  Miami International Airport was buzzing with activity, and the cheerful energy matched Ellie’s mood perfectly. She didn’t know whether it was the beautiful view of a clear sky and palm trees outside the airport’s windows, promising weather fit for shorts and sandals, or the excitement for the coming week, but she felt happier than she had for weeks. The freezing cold and grey skies of Maine’s long winter always began to wear on her after the first couple months, and as far as she was concerned, any excuse to escape to Florida was a good one.

  With confidence that came from old familiarity with the airport, she made her way from the baggage claim to the rental car station, ignoring the grumbling in her stomach as she caught the scent of cooking food from one of the airport’s many restaurants. She already had lunch plans.

  The car had been booked in advance, so all she needed to do was show her ID and scribble her signature. It was a matter of minutes before she was pulling out of the parking garage, the convertible’s top down, and the Florida sun shining down on her as she navigated the complex airport traffic. She took a deep breath as she pulled onto the highway, forcing the excitement down for the time being. She was where she needed to be, and tomorrow, weeks of planning would finally come to fruition. Right now, all she needed to do was relax and enjoy the drive to her grandmother’s condo complex. It was easier said than done. After all, it wasn’t every day that she had the opportunity to be in a television advertisement.

  Nonna’s retirement community looked the same as ever, with perfectly manicured lawns, a huge outdoor pool by the office building, and the occasional gaudy yard decoration. Even though Ellie missed her grandmother during the long, cold Maine winter, it was hard to blame her for wanting to spend the season here. The beach was a stone’s throw away, and all the snow and ice she had left behind seemed like nothing but a bad dream. A week hardly seemed long enough for a vacation, but she had to remind herself that this wasn’t a vacation. It was work. Possibly the most exciting work trip she had ever taken, short of the second pizzeria’s grand opening itself, but work nonetheless.

  She pulled into the driveway, and by the time she’d shut the engine off, her grandmother had already opened the condo’s front door and was waving at her, a broad smile on her face. Ellie waved back, then popped the trunk and heaved her large suitcase out of it. She normally traveled light when she visited her grandmother, but she hadn’t been able to decide what to bring for this trip, which meant that she’d ended up bringing about half her closet.

  When she reached the porch, her grandmother pulled her into a tight hug. The older woman was small, with bright white hair and a fiery spirit that Ellie could only envy. She squeezed her tightly, then released her. They stepped back and looked each other up and down for a moment, each trying to see how the other had changed during their time apart.

  Ellie realized that her grandmother was tanner than she was, and grinned. “You look great, Nonna.”

  “I feel great,” the older woman admitted. “This has been the most wonderful winter. But how are you doing? I’ve been keeping an eye on the weather back home, and just thinking about how cold it’s been makes my joints ache.”

  “The weather has been terrible, but I’ve spent most of my time nice and cozy indoors. It can’t compare to this, though.” She made a vague gesture with her hand, including everything from the green grass to the clear blue sky.

  “Well, there’s always room for you here. You know you can visit whenever you’d like. And Russell too, of course. Come on in, dear,” Nonna added, as though she had just realized they were still standing on the porch. “Are you hungry? I wasn’t sure when exactly you’d get here, I know how unreliable flights can be. Lunch is ready to be put in the oven, and it can be ready in about twenty minutes.”

  “Food would be great,” Ellie said as she stepped into the condo. Cool air conditioning washed around her as she shut the front door behind her.

  “I’ll put it right in, but first, there’s someone you have to see.”

  Nonna led her to the living room where, curled up on a plush dog bed on the couch, was a tiny black and tan chihuahua. When they walked into the room, she picked her head up to look at them, her tail wagging.

  Ellie crooned at her. “Hi there little Amie. It looks like you’re settling in very well.”

  “She’s made herself right at home,” Nonna said with a fond smiled. “She’s been the perfect companion.”

  “Then you chose a fitting name for her.” She straightened up after petting the dog. “It makes me happy to know you have some companionship here in your condo.”

  “She certainly makes the place feel less empty. Now, you go get settled, dear, and come find me in the kitchen when you’re done.”

  Her grandmother shooed her down the hall, smiling. Ellie couldn’t help but grin back at her. She had visited Florida many times, but she had always stayed in a hotel, either because Russell was with her and she felt bad about imposing on her grandmother, or because it was just easier to get to the pizzeria from her usual hotel. This trip, however, she hadn’t turned down her grandmother’s offer of a free room, and she was glad for it. It would be wonderful to stay with the older woman while she was here. It had been a busy winter, and they both had a lot of catching up to do.

  Ellie spent a few minutes in the guest room, unpacking more thoroughly than she ever would have at a hotel. The room was sparse, with a simple full-sized bed, a chest of drawers, and a bedside table with a lamp. She didn’t mind. It was obvious that her grandmother didn’t have overnight guests very often, and Ellie was sure she was glad to see the room put to use. Besides, she already felt more at home here than she would have even in one of the nicer suites at the hotel.

  After refreshing herself a bit and sending Russell a message to let him know she had made it safely to her grandmother’s, she left her things in her room and joined Nonna in the kitchen, where the delicious scent of lunch permeated the air.

  “I mixed drinks for us,” Nonna said, gesturing to the brightly colored margarita glasses on the counter. “I thought we could sit outside while we wait for the food. You look like you could use a bit of sun.”

  Ellie chuckled, grabbing a glass and heading toward the sliding door that led out into the back yard. The flagstone porch boasted a set of outdoor furniture, complete with a grill and a large umbrella. The grass was a vibrant, healthy green, and mown uniformly short. The yard was bordered by a white picket fence that was m
ore decoration than true barrier. There was a pot of pretty flowers on the corner of the porch, which her grandmother idly dumped a glass of water into as she came out.

  “I’m so glad you decided to come visit, Ellie,” the older women said as the two of them sipped their drinks. “I know I’ll be flying back home before I know it, but I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too, Nonna.” Ellie sighed. “I keep meaning to get organized and schedule out my visits in advance, but life has just been so crazy.”

  Her grandmother shook her head, a look that was half amusement and half concern on her face. “I remember your emails. I’m just grateful that you wait until all the excitement is over to tell me the worst of what you get up to.”

  “It’s not like I ask for all of this trouble.” Ellie shook her head. “I suppose being married to a sheriff, I’m bound to have to deal with things most people don’t. I sometimes wonder how Russell still has the faith in people that he does, after learning about some of the crimes he’s solved.”

  “Because overall, people are good,” her grandmother said with firm belief. “Now, let’s talk about something a bit more cheerful. You just arrived, we’ve got salmon in the oven, and it’s a lovely day out. Not to mention what we’ve got to look forward to tomorrow.”

  Ellie felt a broad smile form on her face. She hadn’t ever really considered being an actress, but surely everyone thought about it now and then. When Linda had emailed her, notifying her that a small, local studio was offering a special sale on advertisements for small businesses, it had only taken her a few hours and a quick conversation with her husband to jump on the chance. If all went well, then in just a couple weeks herself, her grandmother, and everyone at the Florida pizzeria would be featured in an advertisement that would reach well over a million people. Ellie felt a tingle of excitement at the thought of going to the studio the next day. If this advertisement turned out well, then she would have to think about doing one for the original Papa Pacelli’s as well. And after that… well, there was no limit to her options.

  She took another sip of her drink and tilted her face up to the sun. She might be middle aged, but in many ways, it felt as though her life had just begun. She was excited to see what adventures awaited her in the coming week, and was glad that her grandmother would be an equal part in all of it. After all, without Ann Pacelli, Ellie would never have moved to Kittiport at all.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning was hectic. Even though Ellie had prepared the night before, even going to far as to lay her clothes out so she wouldn’t have to go digging through her outfits in the morning, it somehow seemed to take the two of them twice as long to leave the house as they had planned for. Ellie knew most of the blame was on her; even though she had been told that their makeup would be done at the studio, she wanted to make a good first impression on the director and the rest of the crew, and had to run back in twice to fix smudges. Then, just as they were leaving the condo complex, Nonna realized that she had forgotten her heart medication, which she would need to take with food at lunch. By the time they were well and truly on their way, they were half an hour behind schedule and Ellie had already fielded two worried calls from Linda.

  When they got to the pizzeria, a small group was waiting in the cramped parking lot behind the restaurant. There were too many of them to all fit in a car together, but they had decided to meet there and follow Linda to the studio, since she was the only one who had been there before.

  Ellie had been intrigued to learn that the man who had told Linda about the studio had taken her out on three dates in just the few weeks that they had known each other. Linda was a single mother who, as far as Ellie knew, hadn’t dated since she had lost her husband. If this man, who according to the other woman was a regular at the pizzeria, had managed to sweep her off her feet, then Ellie was fully prepared to like him. Linda deserved something good in her life.

  “There you are,” Linda said exasperatedly as Ellie pulled into the parking lot. The Florida employees, who Ellie didn’t know nearly as well as the ones who worked with her in Maine, were gathered in a huddle around a minivan, shooting her nervous grins. She smiled and waved at them, well aware that they were somewhat intimidated by her presence. Linda was their boss, but she was their boss’s boss.

  “Sorry,” Ellie said. “I hope you haven’t been waiting too long. I should have told you to just go on without us.”

  “The entrance to the studio is hard to find.” Linda shook her head and gave a small sigh. “It doesn’t matter, we won’t be too late, and I already called Johnathan.” She leaned over the edge of the convertible and gave Ellie a hug, made awkward by the angle. “It’s good to see you again. We’ll have to catch up later, when we aren’t in a hurry.”

  “Definitely,” Ellie agreed. “Now, go lead the way. I’m excited to meet this man you keep talking about, and can’t wait to see the studio.”

  It was a short fifteen-minute drive from the restaurant to the film studio. Sure enough, the entrance was out of the way in an industrial parking lot, tucked behind a chain link fence. If Linda hadn’t been there to guide them, Ellie had a feeling that she and Nonna would have driven around for quite a while before finding it themselves. She kept the car idling behind the minivan as Linda got out and pushed open the chain link gate, then drove through.

  She looked around, eyebrows raised, as they drove slowly through the parking lot. She hated to admit it, but she had been expecting something a bit more… glamorous. The parking lot was mostly empty, other than a few cars and one rusted van. The buildings in the complex were old and in ill repair, one or two of them looking totally abandoned. Linda parked the minivan in front of a metal door with a sign that read South Florida Films. The sign was the only indication that they were in the right place.

  As they got out of their vehicles, Linda met Ellie’s eyes and seemed to read the doubt on her face. She shrugged, not looking worried at all.

  “It’s the best place they can afford right now,” she explained. “They’re a new company. That’s why they’re offering such a good deal. They want to get their names out to local businesses, places that probably can’t afford to use the better-known companies.”

  “Well, I can’t complain,” Ellie said. “It is a really good deal, and everyone needs to get their start somewhere. Do we just go in?”

  Linda nodded and pushed the door open. Their small group followed her inside, and Ellie felt herself relax a bit when she stepped into the building. They were in a small entrance way that smelled like coffee and air freshener, and there was a sign with arrows pointing in opposite directions, one way leading to offices and the other to the studio. Linda hesitated, but then they heard the sound of a man laughing and she turned toward the studio. The rest of them followed, all of them looking around curiously. None of them had been on television before, and Ellie knew that the promise of getting the chance was exciting to all of them, even if it was just an advertisement.

  “Lin!” A tall man stepped out of a door and enveloped Ellie’s manager in a hug. “Glad you made it. Is this everyone?”

  She nodded. “Johnathan, I’d like to introduce you to Eleanora Pacelli. She owns the Papa Pacelli’s chain. And this is her grandmother, Ann. I don’t remember if you’ve ever met her. She stops in at the pizzeria a couple times a week.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said to both of them, shaking Ellie’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Ms. Pacelli.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Ellie said. “My last name’s actually Ward. I’m married now. Everyone seems to keep forgetting about the name change, probably because my maiden name is part of the restaurant’s name. You can just call me Ellie, though. It was really nice of you to mention this deal to Linda.”

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think to mention it sooner. I was in there almost every day for two weeks, trying to figure out if Linda here was available without being too obvious about it.” He grinned down at Linda, wh
o was a full head shorter than him. Ellie could see the affection in his eyes and smiled. She could see why Linda liked him; he was handsome, with his dark hair and tanned skin, well dressed, and seemed like a genuinely friendly person.

  “You could have just asked me, instead of coming in every day and buying pizza. I know our food is good, but you can’t like it that much,” Linda said, shoving him playfully. “I never wear a ring.”

  “Well, a lot of the chefs I know don’t,” he said with a shrug. “And I’m just as enamored with the pizza as I am with you. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I made things awkward by asking you out and you said no. Where would I get lunch at then?”

  Amused, Ellie watched as the two of them talked together for a moment before finally seeming to remember that everyone else was there with them. Linda straightened up, looking mildly embarrassed, and cleared her throat.