Smoked Gouda Murder: Book 5 in Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Read online

  He gestured Ellie over and left the women gathered in a semi-circle around the secretary’s desk. She followed him back through the door that led to the rest of the sheriff’s department, shooting a glance over her shoulder at the older woman who was listening patiently as one of the three ladies spoke to her.

  “Do you think they’re going to leave?” she asked. “It looks like they’re just standing there bothering that old woman.”

  “Mrs. Laffere?” He snorted. “That’s Liam’s mother. She’s filling in for our usual lady. She can handle herself just fine. She worked here for the old sheriff. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s been doing this job since before I could talk.”

  “Ah. She seems… nice.”

  “I think she gets a bit confused these days,” he said. “But she does a fine job of asking people to wait and paging whoever they’re here for, and that’s really all we need. Anyway, what’s the occasion?” He glanced at the coffees in her hands. “Is one of those for me?”

  She nodded. “I got you a mocha espresso.” She handed it over. “This is partially a social visit, but mostly I wanted to talk to you about some people who stopped in the pizzeria today…”

  She told him about her encounter with the two brothers as they drank their coffee. Russell’s forehead creased as he considered what she told him.

  “You know, oddly enough, this man, Alex Gaines, is the same person that those women were telling me about.”

  “Really? They didn’t seem to like him very much.”

  “No, definitely not,” Russell said. “What was your impression of him?”

  “Well, he seemed nice, I guess. Mostly he just acted sad. And he was very interested when I told him that I’d witnessed her murder.”

  “I wish you hadn’t done that,” he said, sounding exasperated. “If he did have anything to do with her death, you very well could be in danger.”

  “I know.” Ellie sighed. She had been thinking about that all day. “I’ll just be extra careful now. I’m glad Nonna’s back in the house. She may not be much help if someone broke in, but at least it’s better than being completely alone all the way out there.”

  “How is she doing?” he asked.

  “Much better. In a way, she’s almost doing too well. She’s not being careful at all, and her balance is worse now than it was before she fell, since her arm is in a cast.”

  Russell gave a small smile. “Pacelli women are tough. It must run in the family.”

  Ellie grinned, glad that he seemed to be over whatever funk her escapade with the killer in Karen’s office had put him in. Though of course, he had a brand-new set of worries to contend with now. It had been stupid of her to tell Alex and his brother Chris that she had witnessed Celestine’s death. What had she been thinking? Well, I wasn’t thinking, that’s the problem, she mused. I just opened my mouth and blurted everything out.

  “… tomorrow night?”

  “What?” she realized that Russell had been talking while she was thinking about her encounter with the brothers, and she had missed whatever he said. “Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.”

  “I was asking if you were free to have dinner tomorrow night,” he said, looking amused. “I meant to call you earlier, but then Celestine’s friends showed up.”

  “I’d love that,” she said, smiling, glad that they were back to normal.

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at eight.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  * * *

  Ellie turned down her radio and looked in the mirror. It had taken her over an hour to get ready due to distractions from her grandmother, Bunny, and even Marlowe. The clock warned her that it was only a few minutes until eight, but since Russell hadn’t called or texted her yet to let her know he was on his way, she figured she still had some time.

  I wish my hair would do more than just lay there, she thought. She had always been envious of women who had voluminous, wavy hair. Still, she thought she looked okay, especially for a woman in her forties that spent more time around food than she did outside.

  “What do you think, Bunny?” she asked the papillon, who was laying on the bed, watching her morosely with her head between her paws. The dog seemed to know that her owner was about to leave for the evening. “Don’t give me that look. You like Russell too, you know. And Nonna’s going to be here with you the whole time. It’s not like I’m leaving you completely alone.”

  She broke off her one-sided conversation with her dog when her phone rang. That must be Russell, calling to tell me he’s on his way. She checked the caller id, then answered it.

  “Hey,” she said by way of greeting.

  “Ellie.” She could tell by his voice that something was wrong. “I’m not going to be able to make it tonight.”

  “Is everything all right? What’s going on?”

  “Someone slashed all four tires on my truck and broke a couple of windows.”

  Ellie’s eyes went wide. “But… you’re the sheriff.”

  “I know.” His voice was grim. “It looks like I’m going to be spending the evening going over the surveillance from the parking lot instead of taking you to dinner. I’m sorry, Ellie. Maybe we can go out Sunday evening instead.”

  “It’s okay — I’m just glad you’re all right. Who would do something like that? They had to know it was your car.”

  “I’m sure they did. You be careful, all right? This person hasn’t hurt anyone yet that we know of, but that doesn’t mean it won’t escalate.”

  “It can’t be random, can it?” she asked. “I mean, first Shannon, then Jacob, and now you… it seems sort of odd that three people that I know have had something like this happen. It’s not like I know all that many people, Russell.”

  “That’s another reason I want you to be careful. If this person is targeting us for a reason, and isn’t doing this randomly, then you could be on his or her list as well.”

  With that solemn warning, he got off the line and Ellie was left with a feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t exactly in the mood to sit around the house, but she didn’t know where else she could go. It didn’t seem like a good idea to go anywhere alone just then. Maybe Shannon’s free, she thought. I’ve got a lot to talk to her about, anyway.

  It may not have been a date with Russell, but eating dinner with her best friend at the Lobster Pot was easily the next best thing. The restaurant was comfortable and crowded, and the food was mouthwatering, if not exactly healthy.

  “I’ve told you before, Ellie, and I’m going to tell you again — you really should offer a lobster pizza at Papa Pacelli’s.” Shannon lifted a slice off of her plate and bit into it, closing her eyes blissfully as she chewed.

  “To think I expected loyalty from you,” Ellie said with a mock sigh. “You’re a traitor, you know that?”

  “I’ll stop coming here for the pizza once you start serving something similar,” her friend said. “I’ve got to get my lobster pizza somewhere.”

  The pizza did look and smell pretty good, though Ellie was refusing to try it as a matter of principle. Besides, she had her own dish to contend with — a whole lobster tail on top of a pile of Alfredo noodles, shrimp, and scallops. It was a bigger serving than she had bargained for, and probably had enough calories to sustain her for a week, judging by how rich and buttery it tasted. She didn’t regret ordering it, though. As far as she was concerned, she deserved every bite of the meal. Comfort food was important when one was possibly the target of either a killer, a car vandal, or both.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” she said to her friend as she twirled one thick noodle around her fork. “I can’t believe another date with Russell was wrecked.”

  “Good to know I’m just a backup plan,” Shannon joked. “Seriously, though, I hope he catches whoever’s responsible for messing up people’s cars. Someone could get hurt, eventually.”

  “I’m sure he’ll do what he can, but I’m guessing solving the murder is probably still a priority,” Ellie said. />
  “True. And it should be.” Her friend looked sobered. “Do you know if he’s been making any progress with the case?”

  “Actually, that’s one of the reasons that I wanted to meet you. Celestine’s boyfriend came into the store yesterday…”

  She told her friend about the conversation she had had with the two men the day before, and her discussion with Russell that same evening. Shannon listened closely. When Ellie was done, the other woman said, “That reminds me. I’ve got something to tell you too.”

  “About the case?” Ellie asked, surprised.

  Her friend nodded. “The other day, after we found out who the woman that got killed was, James told me that he had a meeting with her earlier that week. She was looking at a piece of land just outside of town, and wanted to know what it would take to have a house built on it.”

  James was a contractor, and owned his own company. Ellie was surprised by this news; from everything she’s heard, Celestine and Alex hadn’t exactly been a happy couple. “Just her?”

  “Yeah, but she scheduled a second meeting and told him she was going to bring her boyfriend along.” Shannon fell silent. “She, ah, never made it to that one, though.”

  “That’s… interesting,” Ellie said. She frowned. Something had just occurred to her. Jacob’s tires had been slashed the day after her delivered a pizza to Celestine. Russell’s tires had been slashed the day after he had spoken to Celestine’s friends. “What day did he have the meeting with her?”

  “Oh, it was the day before I came over to help you decorate your grandmother’s house, I think.”

  “So the day before you got the flat?”

  “Yes, it must have been.”

  Ellie poked her fork at her lobster tail, still hungry but too distracted to take a bite. It can’t be coincidence, can it? she thought. All three of them had something to do with Celestine right before their tires got slashed. I just wish I knew why. It must be important.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  * * *

  An icy breeze blew in from the coast, making Ellie shiver and tuck her scarf more tightly into her coat. The warm spell had ended, and the weekend had been ushered in with stormy skies and a steep drop in temperature. It really felt like November now. Even Bunny, who usually loved going outside, looked like she was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

  “I’ll try to find your sweater before our next walk,” Ellie promised the pup. “Though you are wearing a fur coat. I think you’re just a tiny bit spoiled.”

  The dog looked up at her and cocked her head to the side, her large ears like satellite dishes. The pizzeria manager smiled. She’d always adored Bunny’s big ears.

  “I guess we’ve gone far enough for today. What do you say we turn back?” She’d hoped to walk off some of the calories from her pity dinner with Shannon the evening before, but it was just too chilly for the long, leisurely walk that she had been planning on. At least all of the shivering that she’s been doing should have burned up some extra energy.

  Bracing herself for the wind to assault her from the opposite side, she turned around and began the walk back to the Pacelli house. It was Saturday, so she didn’t have to make an appearance at the pizzeria, though she’d probably stop in anyway simply due to the fact that she couldn’t think of anything more pressing to do with her evening. First, though, she had promised her grandmother that they would have a nice, home-cooked lunch together.

  “I’m so glad you can spend some time around the house today,” Nonna said. “I’m feeling more like my old self now. I’ve got my appetite back and everything.”

  “Well, that’s good,” Ellie said. “I got everything on the list you gave me. Should we get started?”

  “Bring the crackers and dip out first. I didn’t eat much at breakfast, and I’m starved.”

  Ellie looked through the shopping bags until she found the box of wheat crackers and the container of freshly made spinach and artichoke dip. She scooped the dip into a bowl, arranged half of the crackers on a plate, and set the food in the middle of the kitchen table. She wasn’t sure exactly what had her grandmother in such a good mood, but she was glad for it.

  “I’ll start on the soup,” she told the older woman. “Save me some dip.”

  She pulled the printed-out recipe for creamy chicken and dumpling soup out of her purse and set it on the counter next to the stove. She could already tell that it was going to be filling and warming — perfect for such a chilly, overcast day.

  By the time the soup was ready to serve, the kitchen smelled heavenly and Ellie’s stomach was grumbling. She grabbed a cracker from the platter on the table, scooped up some dip, and popped it into her mouth before reaching up into the cabinets for the nice set of dishes that Nonna had requested they use. She was beginning to suspect that her grandmother was up to something, and hadn’t the faintest idea what.

  At last she had put the finishing touches to the place settings, ladled a serving of soup into each of their bowls, and had tossed the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing after spending ages digging through the pantry for it. She sat down, already feeling tired even though it was still early afternoon.

  “There you go.” She gave her grandmother a small smiled. “Everything you asked for.”

  “It looks just wonderful, dear. Thank you so much. I would have done it myself, of course, but with my arm… well, it’s not very easy to cook with only one hand free. But I wanted something special for this.”

  Nonna reached for her purse, which was on the chair beside her, and pulled out a manila file folder. Ellie watched her with rising curiosity and some trepidation. What was her grandmother up to?

  “You take a look at this and tell me what you think,” she said, handing the folder over.

  Ellie took it, and, as her grandmother began eating, opened it. It took her a few moments to realize what she was looking at.

  “Nonna… what is this? I don’t understand…”

  “All it needs is your signature, dear.”

  “I can’t accept this… the pizzeria is yours. Papa opened it, and it’s right that you have it now.”

  “Oh, Ellie.” The older woman sighed and put down her spoon. “I’m getting old. No, I am old, and I’ve really been feeling it lately. I’m not going to be around forever. I could leave it to you in my will, but I’d rather give it to you now, while I’m around to see you flourish as a business owner. I’m giving you the pizzeria, Ellie. All you have to do is sign.”

  Ellie stared at the documents in front of her, speechless. Papa Pacelli’s… hers. She wouldn’t just be the manager anymore, but the owner. It wouldn’t change much, really, but at the same time it would change everything. Was she prepared to own a business? Half the time she felt like she didn’t have a clue what she was doing while she was running the place.

  “What about taxes and insurance?” she asked.

  “The accountant your grandfather hired takes care of all of that,” her grandmother said. “Really, Ellie, it’s all taken care of. It was dreadful, trying to find the time to schedule a meeting with the lawyer to get these papers drawn up. I wanted to surprise you, see, so I had to go while you were at work. Gertie gave me a ride, dear thing. She’s a wonderful friend, you know.”

  “I know,” Ellie said distractedly. She was still staring at the file, her hunger forgotten. It didn’t seem like it would be right to sign it. How could she know that Nonna was in her right mind? Maybe the pain medication or her antibiotics were effecting her mind. This took a lot of planning, a little voice in the back of Ellie’s mind said. It’s not something she could do impulsively. “I just wouldn’t feel right taking it, Nonna.”

  “You’d better sign it, Eleanora Pacelli, or you’ll be letting me down. I want this business to stay in the family, and the only way I can make sure it gets into the right hands is by figuring out all of this legal mumbo-jumbo while I still have half a brain to do it.”

  Nonna’s gaze was steady and serious. Taking a deep breat
h, Ellie nodded and reached for the pen that was clipped to the papers. Her hand shaking slightly, she signed and initialed each line that the lawyer had highlighted. The pizzeria was hers.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  * * *

  “Oh my goodness, Ellie, that’s wonderful!” Shannon squealed and seized her in a tight hug. “I can’t believe it. This place is yours now? You could do anything you want to it?”

  “Yeah.” Ellie grinned at her friend. “Well, technically it’s not mine until I turn the papers in to the lawyer on Monday.”

  She still felt a little bit guilty about signing, as if she had somehow taken advantage of her grandmother by doing so. Still, it wasn’t as if she was going to do anything drastic now that she owned the place. She had nothing but good intentions.