Hand Tossed Murder (The Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Book 8) Read online

  She had to make the full dinner before rushing down to Portland, which was about an hour south of Kittiport, to pick up the couple. She planned on leaving the food warming in the oven so they could eat their late dinner immediately after getting back. That meant that she had to cook a meal for five people in just a couple of hours.

  “Better get started,” she sighed.

  She had toyed with the idea of making a pizza for dinner, but she thought the older couple would probably get enough of that throughout the week. If she was going to do this thing, she was going to do it right — which meant pulling her grandmother’s giant binder full of recipes out of the pantry and finding a meal that looked both tasty and relatively simple. She had picked up the ingredients for roast beef the evening before, after her marathon cleaning session with Russell. Now all that was left was to put them all together into something that would impress the visiting couple.

  Two hours later, Ellie pulled off her apron and looked at the clock in triumph. The roast was in the oven, the cheesecake was cooling, the fresh vegetables for the salad had been chopped, and she had brought a few dusty bottles of wine up from the basement. If she left now, she would make it to Portland with time to spare.

  The airport was busy, but she had no trouble finding the Normans. The elderly couple was waiting for her near the exit, their luggage already in hand. She helped them roll the suitcases out after exchanging an awkward hug with Kat, who seemed to remember her much better than she had expected.

  “Little Ellie Pacelli,” Kat said as she got into the passenger seat. “How have you been?

  Ellie winced. She hated it when people said her name like that. She didn’t mind going by Ellie, but why did people have to make it rhyme?

  “I’ve been good, Mrs. Norman. Thanks for asking. Sorry, but it’s been years, and I don’t remember much from the last time I saw you.”

  “Oh, call me Kat. Chuck and I are too old to worry about formalities. Now, how is your grandmother doing? Has she been holding up well since Art passed?”

  After spending the entire hour-long trip catching the couple up on her and her grandmother’s lives, Ellie thought that they must have run out of conversation topics for dinner, but she was wrong. After a joyous greeting, Kat, Chuck, and Ann retreated to the living room to chat while Ellie finished preparing dinner. She was grateful for the respite. Her grandmother’s friends seemed nice, but Ellie was by nature a private person, and wasn’t exactly comfortable sharing so much of her life with people she barely knew.

  Russell arrived right on time, as usual. He really does clean up well, she thought as she stepped aside to let him in. The sheriff was usually a jeans and work boots kind of guy on his days off, but for dinner tonight he had dressed up just as nicely as he did when they went out to eat at the White Pine Kitchen.

  “Thanks again for coming,” she told him quietly as they walked towards the kitchen.

  “I’d never miss a chance at a good homemade meal,” he said, smiling. “It smells amazing in here.”

  “I made pot roast, and for dessert there’s homemade coffee cheesecake. And, of course, some of my grandfather’s favorite wines. He’s got quite the collection downstairs.”

  Ellie and her grandmother ate most of their meals together in the kitchen’s breakfast nook, but the old house had a formal dining room that they used for special occasions. The five of them fit around the large dining room table with room to spare. She realized with a pang that this was probably the first time the group of friends had sat down to eat in the Pacelli house together without Arthur present. She shot a glance at her grandmother, but the older woman seemed to be holding up okay. Maybe reliving the memories would be good for her.

  “Wonderful roast,” Chuck said.

  “Ellie made it. She wouldn’t let me raise a finger,” Ann said, smiling across the table to her granddaughter.

  “You must be a wonderful help to your grandmother,” Kat said. “I was ever so happy to hear that you were moving in with her. It can be hard, you know, when you get to our age. We’re lucky enough to live down the street from our children, and they stop in to check on us every day.”

  “I’ve missed you ever since you moved away, of course, Kat, but as Art and I got older, I often wondered if we shouldn’t have followed your example. It would have been nice to be more involved in the lives of our grandchildren as they grew up.”

  Ellie wondered how different her own life might have turned out if she had grown up with her grandmother living down the street from her and her mother in Chicago. She smiled at the thought of Nonna living in the big city. Somehow, it just didn’t seem right.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  * * *

  “Well, they seem nice,” Russell said as he dried off a plate.

  “I agree.” Ellie chuckled. “It’s just that if I have to listen to one more story about how different things were in their day, I might snap. I know Kat didn’t mean it badly, but it really isn’t her place to judge whether my grandfather would like the fact that I installed the drive-up window or that I made some modifications to his dough recipe so we could offer some gluten free pizzas in addition to the regular varieties. Of course I care about keeping the pizzeria in line with his dream, but we do have to make some changes to keep up with the times.”

  The sheriff chuckled. “You did a good job of hiding your annoyance with her, but I could tell that what she said irked you.”

  “It was the way she said it. ‘Just remember, dear, your grandfather wanted to keep the place traditional.’ I don’t know why it bothered me so much. Rationally I know that she knew my grandfather better than I did. I’m glad she is concerned about the pizzeria, I just wish that she didn’t act like I’m doing something bad by keeping us up to date.”

  “I felt the same way when the previous sheriff stopped in and tried to give me advice about how to arrange my office,” Russell said with a laugh. “It can be hard for people to let go sometimes.”

  “Yeah, I—” Ellie broke off when she heard high pitched yipping coming from the direction of the living room. She set the plate she was scrubbing down in the sink and hurried out of the kitchen.

  Bunny, who had been locked in the office until now, was running back and forth in the living room, barking her head off at Chuck, who was sitting on the couch. Kat, looking embarrassed, was standing in the doorway.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “My phone rang, and I went to go take the call in the office, but the little puppy ran out as soon as I opened the door. I didn’t even know she was in there!”

  “Don’t worry about it. I was going to let her out as soon as I was done with the dishes, anyway. Bunny, come here. Bunny!”

  Hearing the sharp tone in her owner’s voice, the dog fell silent and walked reluctantly to Ellie’s feet, shooting suspicious glances over her shoulder.

  “Sorry about that, she’s usually really good with people. I think you just surprised her.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Chuck said with a chuckle. “I’ve had bigger dogs than her bark at me. She’s cute. What is she? Is she a baby?”

  “She’s a papillon,” Ellie said. “This is her full size.”

  “Papillon,” Kat said. “Doesn’t that mean butterfly in French?”

  “Yep. If I’m not mistaken, the breed got that name because of their big ears.”

  Chuck leaned down and snapped his fingers, trying to get the little dog to come to him. To Ellie’s surprise, the dog growled and backed up until she was behind her owner.

  “She’ll warm up,” the older man said. “Dogs usually have a good sense of who to trust. She’ll see that I mean no harm.”

  Ellie looked down at the papillon, shocked and confused by the dog’s behavior. Bunny usually liked guests, so this was not normal for her. She wondered if the little dog might be feeling ill. Maybe Marlowe tossed her a bit too much food, she thought. It’s hard to keep Bunny on a diet when even the bird feeds her.

  Bunny was still acting oddly at breakfast the next morning, but she was willing to take little bits of bacon from Chuck’s hand without growling, which was an improvement. It was a peaceful sort of morning, still unseasonably warm, but with a light breeze coming in off the coast.

  “So, what are your plans for the day?” Ellie asked Kat as she sat down with her own plate of eggs and bacon.

  “I’m not sure that we have any. I think I’ll go on a drive after breakfast, just to get away for a while and take in the sights of my home town. Chuck wants to go down to the marina and get a drink with his buddies.”

  “Do either of you need a ride?” Ellie asked. “I have today off, so it wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but Ann said it would be all right if I used her car, since she doesn’t really drive anymore, and I think Chuck is going to see if he can get Art’s old truck working. I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t offer to buy it by the time we leave. I think he and Art spent more time working on that truck back in the day than they spent working at their actual jobs.”

  “All right, just let me know if there’s anything you need. I’ll be busy at work for most of the coming week.”

  “If it really isn’t a problem, do you think you could give Ann a ride to the marina once she’s feeling up to it? I think the plan is for us all to meet there around noon and take the Eleanora out.”

  “Of course,” Ellie said. “It’s the perfect day for it. I hope this early spring weather lasts for a while longer. It’s so nice to look outside and see something other than snow.”

  It was late afternoon by the time Ann Pacelli was feeling up to the trip. Ellie, who had spent the morning enjoying a book in the blissfully quiet house while Marlowe played on her wooden play stand and Bunny slept on her bed in the office, was happy for the chance to get out and get some sun. A trip on the boat sounded wonderful to her; she might as well enjoy all of this sun while it lasted.

  The marina was packed by the time they got there. She shouldn’t have been surprised; it was a nice Sunday afternoon. The whole town would be taking advantage of the weather today. Feeling bad that the older woman would have to walk so far, Ellie offered to drop her grandmother off by the docks, and then park and join them herself. The older lady refused, whether out of stubbornness or a desire to keep her granddaughter company, Ellie did not know.

  She was just helping Ann out of the passenger seat when her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She answered it, steadying her grandmother with one arm.

  “Hey, Russ,” she said.

  “Ellie, where are you?”

  “At the marina,” she said, surprised by the businesslike tone. Surely he couldn’t be working today? Things had been so quiet lately. “Why?”

  “Are the Normans there as well?”

  “Somewhere,” she said, looking around. “It’s really crowded. We just parked. I think they’re down by the boat already. Is something wrong? You’re scaring me, Russell.”

  “Wait where you are. I’ll be there in five minutes, and we can go find them together. I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”

  With that, he hung up, leaving Ellie to stare at her phone in confusion. What was going on? Five minutes had never seemed like such a long time to wait.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  * * *

  Russell was dressed in his casual clothes when he found them. Ellie had been expecting to see him in his full sheriff’s uniform. Had she mistaken the urgency in his voice? Maybe he really had just been wanting to catch up with her before she left on the Eleanora. No, if that was the case then he wouldn’t be frowning like he was. That meant that whatever had happened must have been unexpected enough that he hadn’t had a chance to change into his work uniform first.

  “What’s going on?” she asked when he reached them. She kept her voice low, not wanting to alert her grandmother to the fact that something was wrong.

  “A body has been found,” he said.

  “Not one of —”

  “No, not one of the Normans.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Because someone driving your grandfather’s truck was seen at the house barely an hour before the body was found. I’m guessing your nonna didn’t take it out for a joyride?”

  “No, Chuck took it out. The license plate was still current, so all he had to do was call in to get temporary insurance on it. How do you know it was my grandfather’s truck? I know it’s old, but there are a lot of old trucks around.”

  “A witness came forward with a photo of it.” He smiled faintly. “He said he liked the truck and wanted to show his dad. He had no idea it would help in a murder case.”

  “Murder?”

  The sheriff nodded grimly. “I don’t have the official cause of death from the coroner’s office yet, but the victim definitely didn’t bludgeon herself to death.”

  “Who died?” Ellie asked, feeling a twinge of fear. Kittiport was a small town. Chances were high that it was someone that she knew, even if only in passing.

  “A real estate agent by the name of Sally Harker,” he said. She breathed out a sigh of relief. The name wasn’t familiar. It was sad that a woman had died, but she could be grateful it wasn’t one of her friends.

  “Do you really think it was Chuck?” Ellie asked. “I mean, I don’t know the guy very well, but he’s been friends with my grandparents for years. He doesn’t strike me as the type to kill someone just for kicks.”

  “I don’t know what his motive would be, but right now the truck is all we have to go on. Let’s go find them, before your grandmother loses herself in this crowd. Of all days for the marina to be so busy, why did it have to be today?”

  They found Kat and Chuck by the Eleanora, the beautiful white boat that Ellie’s grandfather had named after her. The older couple looked just as happy and normal as ever. It was hard to imagine that Chuck might have been at the scene of a murder earlier in the day.

  “Mr. Norman,” Russell said, shaking Chuck’s hand. “I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”

  The older gentleman agreed. Ellie hesitated, but the sheriff gestured her to go on, so she helped her grandmother onto the boat and said a quick hello to Kat as she climbed aboard herself.

  “What are they talking about?” Kat asked. Ellie shrugged noncommittally. If Russell wanted to keep news about the murder quiet for the time being, she wasn’t going to be the one to spread it around.

  “Sorry ladies, but Chuck is going to have to come back to the station with me,” the sheriff said. His conversation with the older man had gotten more heated as the women watched. Now Chuck’s face was beet red, and he looked furious.

  “What?” Kat said, her eyes growing wide. “Chuck, what did you do?”

  “I didn’t do anything,” he said, shooting a dark look at Russell. “There’s just something I’ve got to get straightened out. Don’t worry, Kat, everything will be fine.”

  The three women watched as the sheriff led him away down the dock, back toward the parking lot. Does he really think Chuck did it? Ellie wondered. He just had dinner with him last night. I know neither of us know Chuck that well, but I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to commit a crime when they’re on first name terms with the sheriff.

  “Ellie, dear, do you think you could help me back off the boat? Kat and I would like to go home and wait for Chuck there.”

  “Sure, Nonna, hold on.”

  She helped her grandmother climb back onto the dock, then extended a hand for Kat, who took it gratefully.

  “Can you go talk to that sheriff boyfriend of yours and see if he can let Chuck come home?” Kat asked. “I know he’s just doing his job, but maybe he could give my husband a little leeway just this once. I know Chuck would never commit any sort of crime on purpose.”

  Ellie could see real concern in the woman’s eyes. She didn’t know what to say. She understood why Russell had to bring him in, but she also didn’t think Chuck had committed the murder. Then why was he at the house where the woman was found? Even if he didn’t do it, he may have seen or heard something that could help Russell find the person who did.

  “I doubt Russ will keep him long,” she said, hoping to soothe Kat. “He’s very fair, and won’t keep him for something he didn’t do. He may even be out by the time we get home.”