Pretzel Pizza Murder (Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Book 15) Read online

  “It's this case,” he said. “Nothing seems to make sense. I can't find any motive behind his death. We haven't found any physical evidence that might point towards a suspect. We dusted his office for prints, but there weren’t any we couldn’t identify. There was no sign of forced entry to his office, at least not on the day of his death. Of course, now the door has been completely destroyed by whoever broke in. My gut says the two crimes are related, but I could be wrong.”

  “Why would somebody break-in after they killed him?” Ellie asked. “If they wanted to steal something, it would make the most sense for them to do it while they were already in there. Coming back to break-in, not once, but twice since they failed the first time, seems like such a needless risk to take.”

  “That bothers me, too,” Russell said. “If the killer was looking for something particular in the office, why wouldn't he search it before leaving the scene of the crime? Why come back later, after the police had already been through everything? Maybe there isn’t a connection, and I'm just reaching. Anyone who follows the news would know that Mr. Drescher is dead, and that his office was empty. The break-in could have simply been a crime of opportunity.”

  “Did you ever find anything out about the fake nail?” Ellie winced as soon she finished speaking. She had promised Russell that she wouldn’t say anything to her grandmother, who was a notorious gossip in town. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind.

  “I spoke to Marietta, and she said that she lost it the day that the three of you spoke to Pierre. I spoke to him as well, and he confirmed it. He remembered noticing that she was missing a nail, but he didn't say anything to her at the time. If she had something to do with the murder…” He trailed off, shaking his head. Ellie knew he couldn’t do anything with such weak evidence. It must be frustrating, she thought.

  Nonna raised her eyebrows and asked what they were talking about. While the sheriff filled her in, Ellie’s mind wandered. Marietta couldn’t be the killer… could she? The woman was annoying, but she didn’t seem like a murderer. A fake nail and a slamming door weren’t exactly damning evidence.

  Someone killed him, Ellie thought. And so far, the only piece of evidence is pointing towards a member of my family.

  CHAPTER TEN

  * * *

  “I just can't believe that she’s really gone,” Ellie said. She felt a lump in her throat.

  “Me either,” Rose said. “I know I'll still see her, but it's going to be weird not working with her anymore. We've been friends for years, and I’m used to seeing her almost every day.”

  “I hope you're not thinking of leaving to work at the hot dog shop with her,” Ellie said, only half-jokingly. “I can’t lose two of my best employees at once.”

  “Are you kidding?” the young woman asked with a grin. “If I keep working here, I get a free trip to Florida in October. Don't worry, Ms. P. I love my job. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.”

  Ellie chuckled. “Maybe I should have reminded Clara about that before she left,” she said. “I think Sabrina will be a great employee, though. She's been learning the ropes pretty quickly.”

  “Yeah, I like her. She seems nice, and she’s happy to work as many hours as she can. I know that you’re annoyed by this whole thing with your aunt, but really, the pizzeria doesn't seem that much different. You’re still doing a wonderful job running it. I think she's just lonely, and wants something to do.”

  “I'm sorry if I've been obvious about how upset I am,” Ellie said. “I shouldn’t be making your life harder because of something that bothers me.”

  “Don't worry about it,” Rose said. “I get it, if I owned a restaurant, I wouldn’t like someone coming in and telling me what to do either.”

  “I'm sure it will all get figured out eventually,” she replied. “We’ll come to an understanding soon enough, her and I. Who knows, she might even have some good ideas.”

  Ellie spent the next few hours with Sabrina, who was already quite capable of working in the kitchen with minimal help. She felt a lot better about Clara leaving after seeing how competent her new employee was turning out to be. In fact, with Jacob and Rose also there, the pizzeria was beginning to get crowded. Ellie took a step back to watch her employees working and nodded to herself. Sabrina really did fit in well. So well that Ellie found that she was completely unneeded. It was time to let her employees get on with their work. She decided to treat herself to a nice lunch, and enjoy the last bit of summer while she could. She had hardly noticed the past couple of weeks passing her by, she had been so engrossed with the changes her aunt had brought to her life.

  Before she knew it, the leaves would be changing colors and the breeze coming from the ocean would turn bitterly cold, and she would have to say goodbye to summer for another year. It would be bittersweet, but part of her was eager for autumn.

  After autumn would come winter, and after that… her wedding. She felt a tingle of excitement at the thought. She had yet to plan any of it, and it still didn’t feel quite real, but in half a year’s time, she would be getting married to the kindest, bravest man she knew. The thought didn’t quite erase her concern about the future of the pizzeria, but it made it much easier to bear.

  She went to Joanna’s again for lunch, less because she was craving a hot dog and more because she wanted the chance to talk with her friend. Besides, it was Clara's first day and she hoped to catch a glimpse of her former employee.

  She wasn’t disappointed. Clara was at the counter when she got there. The young woman gave her a bright smile.

  “Hey, Ms. P., it’s great to see you. What can I get you?”

  Ellie ordered a New York style hot dog, and waited patiently while Clara entered the order on the unfamiliar machine. Joanna was the one who brought the order out not long after, and she seemed happy to see Ellie.

  “It’s slow today, do you mind if I join you?” the other woman asked.

  “Not at all. I was actually hoping to see you. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you recently.”

  The two of them sat in a booth in the corner, Ellie with her hot dog and Joanna with a tall glass of soda. Ellie remembered experimenting with the soda machine when it had first been installed and trying out all of the assorted flavors it offered. She had enjoyed helping set up the hot dog shop, and felt just a little bit guilty for not making an effort to see how things were going sooner.

  “So, how have you been?” Joanna asked.

  “Things have been better,” Ellie said. While she waited for her hot dog to cool, she caught Joanna up on everything that had been going on with Aunt Marietta and the pizzeria.

  “Wow, it sounds like you really have your hands full,” Joanna said. “I had no idea all of this was going on. I mean, I heard about the murder, but to think you actually saw the body…” She shuddered.

  “It's been terrible,” Ellie admitted. “I really miss having the pizzeria to myself. I keep hoping that she'll get bored with all of this and decide to leave.”

  “Who knows, she may,” Joanna said. “Doesn’t she have a house or a family to get back to?”

  “No. She rents a small apartment, and she has no family that I know of other than her husband and he’s here with her. I'm sure they'll go back eventually, but they seem content to stay in Kittiport for now.”

  “You still have no idea why your grandmother dislikes her so much?”

  “No. It's been driving me crazy, but I don’t want to bother her about it until she’s ready. I’ve never seen her so upset. She had quite a shock with everything that happened with the pizzeria. She had no idea that her husband made another will.”

  “I can imagine that would be a shock,” Joanna said, shaking her head. “From everything you've said, they seemed to have had a very good relationship.”

  “I thought they did. I don't know why he wouldn't tell her.”

  “Maybe he was trying to protect her,” the other woman suggested. “He didn't tell her that he borrowed the money either, did he?
He may not have wanted her to know that the pizzeria needed help.”

  “Still, I feel like that’s something that he should have shared.” Ellie imagined herself and Russell in her grandparents’ shoes. If Russell had to take out a sizable loan from a family member for something and didn't tell her, she would be quite upset. It seemed like something that spouses should tell each other, especially if it involved changing a will, but maybe things were different back in her grandmother and grandfather's day.

  “Doesn’t it seem kind of suspicious that the lawyer died right before you were supposed to meet him?” Joanna asked after a moment. “You don't think that the two things might have been related?”

  “I don't see how they could be. Who would have killed him? And why would they care about what happens to the pizzeria? It’s not like we’re closing. Nothing will change for the customers.”

  “I hope I don’t offend you by asking, but have you thought about your aunt maybe being involved?” Joanna asked.

  “You really think she could kill someone?” Ellie said. “She’s healthy for her age, but I doubt she could have overpowered a grown man. I don't think she had anything to do with it.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. I’m probably just grasping at straws,” the other woman said. “His death and you losing half of the pizzeria likely aren’t related in the slightest. Don’t mind me, I already know I wouldn’t make a good detective.”

  “No, it was a good question,” Ellie said. “If she was a little bit younger, then I might consider her, but she still wouldn’t have a motive.”

  “That's true. Unless… What if she needed to go through his papers? Could she have come in to try and change the will your grandfather left with Mr. Drescher?”

  “I don't see how. Besides, the break-in happened after everything had already been resolved. She got what she wanted. She would have no reason to go back to his office.”

  “That’s true. I guess wondering about it amongst ourselves won’t get us anywhere. It’s just going to drive me crazy thinking about it. Let’s talk about something else. How is the pizzeria down in Florida coming along?”

  “Everything seems to be going smoothly, at least for the past week. I have to admit, I’ve become a lot more nervous about it now that Marietta is on the scene. If there is something I need to buy, or money that I need to put into it, technically she could refuse to do it since she owns half of the pizzeria. She already isn’t a very happy with the idea of opening a restaurant on the other side of the country.”

  “She can't stop you, can she?” Joanna asked. “You have come so far, and it’s almost ready to open. That wouldn't be fair at all.”

  “She has grudgingly agreed not to try to stop it from opening,” Ellie said. “I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that nothing changes her mind. Oh, what I would give to have all of this be some terrible nightmare. I just hope I can get the pizzeria back one day, and never have to see that woman again. But enough about me. How is everything going with you?”

  “It’s been…”

  The other woman was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of the bell over the hot dog shop’s door. Ellie saw a warm smile light up her friend’s face and turned to see a handsome man walk into the restaurant. He had chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes that were crinkled in a smile that was just as warm as Joanna’s. Walking over to the table, he bent down to give her a kiss before turning to Ellie.

  “Steve Winfield,” he said, offering her his hand. “Have we met?”

  “I don’t think so. I’m Eleanora Pacelli. I own Papa Pacelli’s Pizzeria. It’s nice to meet you.” She shook his hand, surprised. This wasn’t how she had imagined Joanna’s husband. From the gossip around town, Steve was an ambitious developer who had been trying to convince the locals to sell some of the oldest, most unique buildings in town to him. She hadn’t been expecting someone who looked so friendly.

  “Ah, that’s where I must have seen you before. I stopped in there last week to pick up dinner for myself and JoJo.”

  Ellie glanced at her friend and raised her eyebrows. Joanna blushed.

  “Only he gets to call me that,” she said. “Steve, I was just finishing up lunch with Ellie. We can go over business plans in a little bit.”

  “Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll go whip up a plate for myself while I wait.”

  He strode around the counter and into the kitchen. Ellie watched him go, surprised at how different the man was than she had expected.

  “Anyway,” Joanna said. “Where were we? Oh, yeah… after you telling me about your life, I almost feel bad saying this, but everything has been just wonderful. Steve is finally done with the job down in Portland, and he’s living in Kittiport full time now. He’s been talking with the city commissioners about some of the projects he has in mind. And Hot Diggity Dog has been doing even better than I ever could have imagined.”

  Ellie gave the other woman a genuine smile. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “Kittiport is a wonderful town. I knew you would fit right in.” Even though things at the pizzeria had been a mess, she didn’t feel anything but happiness at the news of the other woman’s success. Given time, she thought that Joanna might just become a close friend, and she could always use more friends.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  * * *

  “Here, Bunny,” Ellie said. The little papillon at the end of the leash turned her head, her tail wagging a million miles an hour. “We have to go home, it's dinner time.”

  The promise of food got the dog's attention. She trotted away from the clump of grass that she had been sniffing and ran up to Ellie, who bent down to pet her before starting on her way back home.

  It had been a few days since her impromptu lunch meeting with Joanna, and things had been bumpy at the pizzeria. Marietta wanted to cancel the restaurant wide trip to Florida, something that Ellie was completely against. She had already promised her employees that trip, and it wouldn’t be fair to change it now. Her aunt said that it was a waste of money, but Ellie knew that it wasn’t. It was important the restaurants to feel connected, and what better way than for all of them to go and visit for the second pizzeria's grand opening day?

  Her aunt had been unusually silent that day, not even stopping in at the pizzeria once. She knew the older woman well enough to know that she hadn’t given up on her argument. She would be back eventually, and would be just as adamant about canceling the trip as she was before.

  Ellie let herself and Bunny into the Pacelli house, taking off her shoes and the dog’s leash before walking with the little dog into the kitchen. Bunny knew what was happening; she ran over to the pantry and gave an excited yip. Ellie grabbed one of the clean dog bowls from the drying rack by the sink and opened the pantry door. She scooped a small amount of dry food into the bowl, then added a dollop of canned food. The instant she set it on the floor, the little dog dug in.

  Ellie watched the dog, smiling. She wished everyone could be as easy to please as Bunny was. It would make life so much easier. Sometimes she envied the little dog’s apparent lack of concern over issues any larger than finding the next crumb of food on the floor.

  She had just finished cleaning and refilling her dog's water dish when she heard a pounding on the front door. Bunny gave a half-hearted bark, her muzzle still buried in her food bowl. There was a pause, then Marlowe let out an earsplitting shriek; her signal that someone was at the door. Ellie sighed. It was late and she didn't want to have to deal with anyone. She wanted to go to bed, and not think of anything stressful until the next day. She considered ignoring whoever it was, but the knock came again, and she knew that she would have to answer it on the off chance it was something urgent.

  She shot a glance at Bunny, who was still more concerned with eating than with figuring out who was there, then walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward the entranceway. She passed by Marlowe’s cage, and smiled to see the big red bird hanging on the bars, peering out with one of her bright eyes.

&nbs
p; She reached the front door just as whoever was on the other side started knocking for a third time. She pulled it open to find her aunt standing on the stoop. Behind her, in the driveway, the car was running with Orson sitting behind the wheel.

  “Aunt Marietta?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

  “You know, you're free to call me Mary,” the older woman said with a sigh. “Can I come in?”

  “Yes,” Ellie said. She may not like the woman, but she wasn't prepared to be overly rude to her. She stepped aside so the older woman could come inside, then shut the door behind her.

  “I suppose I could have called, but I wanted to see you in person. Orson thought I should try to make things right with you before leaving… and I agree. You’re family, and you had nothing to do with the issues your grandmother and I have.”