Shrimply Sublime Murder Read online

  Shrimply Sublime Murder

  The Papa Pacelli’s Pizzeria Series Book 36

  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.

  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

  Eleanora Pacelli spooned the homemade sauce over the pizza crust, working quickly but precisely to make sure it was spread evenly. Behind her, one of the large ovens beeped and she put the spoon down, grabbing a pair of oven mitts as she turned to get the finished pizza out of the oven. She put the sizzling ham and pineapple pizza on a cooling rack, then went back to finish the pepperoni and cheese pizza she was working on.

  She sprinkled the cheese – freshly shredded that morning – over the pizza, making sure she got plenty on the crust, where it would melt into a nice, crunchy coating as the pizza cooked. Once the generous amount of cheese had been placed on the pizza, she spaced out the pepperoni slices evenly.

  It was a simple pizza, but one of their most popular ones, and she probably could have made it in her sleep. She slid the pizza into the oven and shut the oven door before grabbing one of the cardboard pizza boxes and folding it with practiced motions. Once the box was set up, she slid the ham and pineapple pizza inside and taped the order receipt onto the top of the box.

  “To-go order ready,” she called out. Rose, who had been scrubbing dishes in the sink, quickly washed and dried her hands, then grabbed the pizza box and took it out front.

  She cleaned up her workspace while Rose took the pizza to the customer. The young employee, who had worked at Papa Pacelli’s Pizzerias for longer than Ellie had been in town, came back just moments later.

  “That ham and pineapple smelled amazing,” she said. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought. I didn't realize it was so late.”

  “What time is it?” Ellie glanced at the clock, answering her own question. It was just past two in the afternoon. “I didn't realize how late it was either. Do you want to throw together a pizza for lunch for the two of us? I'll finish cleaning up while you do that. We’ve got time for a quick lunch break, as long as no more big parties come in.”

  “Sure,” Rose said, walking over to the fridge where they kept the dough and other ingredients. “What do you want?”

  “Well, you said that ham and pineapple smelled good, and I agree. Let's go with that, plus some onions.”

  “Perfect,” Rose said. She bent down, peering into the fridge. “Thin or regular crust?”

  “Thin, but do extra cheese.”

  The two of them worked together in companionable silence as Ellie cleaned the rest of the dishes and scrubbed the counters and Rose put together the pizza for the two of them. They had worked together for years, and didn't need to talk to be an efficient team.

  The pizza got done just as another customer came in, so Ellie left Rose to cut the cheesy disk into slices while she went out and took the order.

  The pizzeria was busy, with over half of the tables filled. Ellie knew that the lovely weather was to blame. That, and the fact that only a couple miles away, a large resort was under construction. Over a third of her customers at the moment were construction workers on their lunch break.

  “Welcome to Papa Pacelli’s,” she said, smiling at the young man who was waiting at the counter. His bright yellow vest marked him as one of the construction crew. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll take your lunch special with two slices of pepperoni pizza,” he said, looking at the menu. He put a folded newspaper down while he reached into his pocket for his wallet, and she glanced at it. The article on top featured an unhappy looking man, with the title; Local Man Loses Everything Due to Lack of Growth in Town; Will New Resort Give Kittiport a Much Needed Boost? It went on to tell the story of Travis Westerfield, who had gone bankrupt after trying to keep his family record business running. She wasn’t sure how the new hotel would help with something like that, and tore her eyes away from the article to focus on her customer instead. She had read enough about the town’s opinions on the new hotel to last her a lifetime.

  She bit back a sigh. Ever since construction on the resort had started, it had been a constant point of contention in town. Many townspeople resented the large company for coming in and taking over a swath of natural land. They weren’t looking forward to the hordes of strangers and chain businesses that were sure to follow. Others thought that the boost to the economy would be good for the town. Ellie mostly kept out of it.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing her a five dollar bill and a one. “And, um, could you tell me if Rose is in?”

  She looked up, surprised. He flushed, swiping some of his blond hair back from his face. “I can let her know someone was inquiring about her if you can give me your name.”

  “Donny Blake,” he said. “I just wanted her to know I stopped in.”

  Back in the kitchen, Ellie told Rose about the young man and her employee grinned. “Oh, yeah. We went on a date yesterday evening and he promised he’d stop in today to say hi. I’ll bring the order out to him if that’s all right. I just want to say hi.”

  “Take your time,” Ellie said with a smile. “I’ve got to get a new pepperoni pizza in anyway; those are our two last slices.”

  By the time she had finished putting the pizza in the oven, Rose had already returned and sat down with a plate and was eating her first slice. Ellie joined her, taking a moment to savor the truly delicious flavor of the ham, pineapple, onions, and melted cheese.

  It was more than just the pizza, she realized as she finished her second slice. This deep-seated sense of contentment that she felt had nothing to do – well, very little – with the food she was eating. It was the fact that she was here, in a place that was just as much home as her own house was, with someone who was practically family to her. It was the fact that she had her whole life spread out in front of her and she couldn't find a single thing about it to complain about. She liked to think of herself as a generally happy person, but that didn't mean that she was always content. She knew that she had a lot to be grateful for, but sometimes she still found herself wanting more. More success for the pizzeria – both of them – more business opportunities, more ways to leave her mark on the world. But this… this was perfect.

  The pizza oven beeped just as she finished, and she took the pizza out, sliding it onto a tray and slicing it with practiced movements before carrying it out to the customer. She did a quick check of the dining area and grabbed a couple of glasses to refill before heading back to the kitchen.

  Then she heard the sirens. She paused at the door that led to the kitchen, turning back to look out the window as the first police vehicle rushed past. A second flew by, then an ambulance, and by then all of the c
ustomers were looking too. More police vehicles flew by, more than she thought Kittiport had, and something tightened in her stomach and she put the glasses down by the register.

  Rose came out of the kitchen. “What's going on?”

  “I don't know,” Ellie said softly. The last vehicle rushed by and the sound of the sirens began to fade before cutting off suddenly. That meant that whatever was happening, it was close. “I should call Russell.”

  Her employee gave her a concerned look. The customers started whispering and murmuring as they asked each other what was going on. She saw people pulling out their phones, checking the news stations. She doubted that whatever had happened would be on the news yet. It was a small town, and it would take a while for the local paper to learn about it, let alone report it on their website.

  She slipped into the kitchen, forgetting the empty drink glasses, and grabbed her phone out of her purse. Pulling up her husband’s number, she pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear. It rang through to voicemail. Ellie took a deep breath and turned the phone’s volume up, so she wouldn’t miss it if he called back.

  Rose came into the kitchen, carrying the glasses. She set them down, looking at Ellie in concern. “Are you all right, Ms. P?”

  “I’m just worried,” she replied, not taking her eyes off her phone. “Something big must have happened.”

  “No fire trucks,” the younger woman said. “That’s good, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s good.”

  She heard clinking, then running water as Rose started doing some dishes. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the phone off the counter and put it in her pocket. Russell would call when he called. Sitting at the counter doing nothing wouldn’t hurry it up at all.

  Chances are he’s fine, she told herself. Chances are, everyone I know is fine. Kittiport may be a small town, but it’s not that small. Still, the thought of something horrible happening to a stranger wasn’t much better. She couldn’t imagine what could possibly be bad enough that policemen and women would be called from out-of-town, but she was certain that some of the vehicles she had seen rushing past hadn’t been from Kittiport.

  Her phone went off at full volume, startling her. She fumbled with it, nearly dropping it in her hurry to answer it. Breathless, she pressed it to her ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Ellie. Thank goodness.”

  “Russell, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  She heard him take a deep breath. There were voices and the occasional shout from the other end of the phone. “Amelia White was killed less than an hour ago.”

  Ellie frowned. The name was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Did we know her?”

  “She owned the florist shop on East Street.”

  Her stomach dropped. “I bought flowers from her for Nonna’s birthday. I remember her now. She was killed? What happened?”

  “We’re still going over the scene. It’s… it’s not pretty. But listen, Ellie, that’s not why I’m calling you. We just spoke to a witness who said he saw the killer flee down a side street headed west. He could be headed your way.”

  Chapter Two

  She inhaled sharply. “What does he look like?”

  “All I have is he’s male, somewhat short dark hair — could be brown or dirty blond — wearing dark clothing. His clothing will likely have blood on it, unless he has a change of clothes stashed nearby. He was fleeing on foot, but it’s been a good while so he could have escaped in a vehicle by now. We believe he is armed, since we haven’t been able to find a murder weapon, and we’re considering him very dangerous. We have reason to believe he may be after another target. We aren’t sure who his next intended victim is, but I’d prefer to err on the side of caution on this. We’re going to be releasing a public service announcement in a few minutes, asking everyone to stay home and keep their doors locked.”

  “What should I do?”

  “We’re suggesting everyone closes down early today. Make sure your customers get into their cars safely, then lock up.”

  “Okay. I can do that. Should I wait here or go home?”

  He hesitated. “Honestly, I’d feel better knowing you were at the pizzeria behind locked doors. The house is empty right now. I don’t have any reason to believe the killer is targeting either of us, but I don’t like the thought of you going home alone to a dark, empty house. If you have your employees make sure the pizzeria is empty before you lock up and don’t let anyone in, at least we’ll know you’re safe. I can meet you there when I’m done here, or send an officer to escort you home once the search ends.”

  “All right. I’ll spend some time reorganizing the kitchen and catch up on my emails to Linda. Be safe, Russell.”

  “I always do my best.”

  They said their goodbyes and Russell ended the call. Ellie took a moment to settle herself before slipping the phone back into her pocket and straightening up. Rose was watching her with a worried expression.

  “We need to start sending people home,” she told her employee. She quickly explained what Russell had told her. “Once everyone’s safely in their cars, would you mind helping me look through the restaurant before you go home? Just to make sure it’s safe, since I’ll be waiting here for Russell. I’ll walk you to your car afterward.”

  “Of course, but I’d rather stay here with you. I live alone, and I don’t want to go home by myself with all of this going on.”

  Ellie felt a rush of relief at that. Rose would be good company. She didn’t want to wait alone either.

  “That’s fine, of course. I’d be happy to have you here. Do you want to go lock the employee entrance and the delivery door while I go start clearing customers out?”

  Rose nodded and headed toward the back. Ellie hurried out front, not looking forward to asking the customers to leave. She had the feeling that she was bound to get at least a few complaints from this, but if there was an armed murderer running around town, then the pizzeria really wasn’t the best place for people to be.

  Surprisingly, she got very little resistance. She offered to box everyone’s pizzas up so they could take home what they hadn’t finished, and offered the one couple who had just come in a five-dollar off coupon for their inconvenience. It helped that the radio that hung over the counter started playing the police broadcast before she was done.

  She and Rose went outside with the customers, making sure that everyone got into their cars safely — she urged people to check the back seats before getting in if their cars had been left unlocked — and drive away before they went back in. Ellie turned the deadbolt on the front door, then turned to Rose.

  “Let’s double check the rest of the pizzeria.”

  Together they checked the bathroom, the kitchen, and even the supply closet, just to make sure someone wasn’t lying in wait. By the time they were done, Ellie was feeling more than a bit paranoid, but she supposed it came from being married to the sheriff. If someone decided to get to Russell through his wife, well, it wouldn’t be the first time.

  “Well, I guess we’re good,” Rose said, nervously glancing at the large front window. “Unless someone really wants to get in.”

  “I think we’re about as safe as anyone else,” Ellie said. “Russell said there was no reason to think the killer is targeting one of us personally, and I believe him. Besides, there’s two of us, and we’re smart ladies. If someone does try to break in, we could probably defend ourselves.”

  As if her words had jinxed them, a loud pounding at the employee entrance made them both jump. Rose let out a shriek, and Ellie jumped, almost tripping herself as she spun around to look at the door. The employee door didn’t have a window in it, and while there was a security camera over the entrance, it would take her a while to pull up the footage.

  “Who is it?” she called out as Rose looked at her with wide eyes.

  “It’s Jacob! What’s going on?”

  She deflated with relief and went forward to open the door while R
ose hung back, looking wary. Ellie unlocked the door and quickly gestured Jacob inside before slamming it shut and re-locking it. He gave her an odd look.

  “Seriously, what’s going on? We never lock that door during the day.”

  “Haven’t you seen the news?” Rose asked.

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t usually watch the news. And my car radio is busted. What’s going on?”

  “Someone’s been killed,” Ellie cut in. “The killer fled from the scene, and was last seen heading this direction. The police made an announcement asking for people to stay inside and lock their doors.”