Jalapeno Pizza Murder Read online

  “Look, I admit I’ve not always been the most faithful husband, but I didn’t kill anyone. You’ve got to believe me.” He gave Russell a panicked look. “I would never have hurt Bea. I’d leave my wife before I did that.”

  Daphne started sobbing harder. Ellie stepped closer to give her a hesitant hug, not sure what else to do.

  “We need to get this straightened out,” Russell said, running a hand through his hair. “I’m going to take you down to the station, Paul. Daphne, I’m going to page my deputy and get her to do a wellness check on Georgie. Ellie… I hate to ask it of you, but will you stay here with Daphne until Bethany gets here? I’ll ask her to swing by after checking on Georgie and take you home. I don’t think Daphne should be left alone, and I don’t have room in the truck to bring everyone down to the station safely.”

  Ellie nodded, pulling the crying woman closer. “Do what you have to do,” she said. “Just keep me updated.”

  Russel turned to Paul, who flinched away. For a moment, Ellie thought he was going to run, but then he straightened up and followed Russell to the truck, climbing into the back seat behind the bars. Russell shut the door, then turned to Ellie.

  “Bethany will be here soon,” he said.

  “Be careful,” she told him. “And Russell… I hope you get to the bottom of this. Bea deserves the closure, and so do you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Russell pulled out of the driveway with Paul. Ellie watched as he rounded the corner and disappeared from view. As soon as he was gone, Daphne straightened up and pulled away from her embrace.

  “Let’s go,” she said.

  “What?”

  “We’re going to go see if Georgie is okay. We aren’t waiting for someone else to do it.”

  “I told my husband I’d stay here,” Ellie said. “It’s really safer if we just wait.”

  Daphne rounded on her, a furious look in her eyes. “What would you do if it was your best friend?” she asked. “Would you sit around waiting for some cop to check on her just because your husband told you to, or would you want to go to her yourself?”

  Unable to help it, an image of Shannon flashed through Ellie’s mind. She knew without a doubt that if Shannon was in some sort of trouble, she would go to her without hesitation, no matter what Russell said. Looking at Daphne, she saw the same determination.

  “Fine,” she said. “I’ll go with you. But at the first sign of trouble, we’re calling the police.”

  “Deal.” Daphne took a set of keys out of her purse and gestured at the car in the driveway. “Get in. She doesn’t live far.”

  Daphne drove in silence. Ellie was happy not to have to talk. Her stomach was roiling. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but she also knew that it was the right thing to do. If Georgie was hurt, and they could have done something to save her, but hadn’t, she knew she would never forgive herself.

  It wasn’t long before Daphne turned into a driveway and parked behind the silver sedan there. She got out of the car and Ellie followed. She was surprised when the other woman led her not to the front door, but around to the back of the house.

  “Georgie locks herself out a lot,” Daphne explained. “She hates the idea of leaving a key under a rock, so instead she leaves one of her windows unlocked. I just have to pop out the screen and… voila.”

  The other woman popped the screen off of a ground floor window near the back door, then pushed the windowpane up with the palm of her hand. She glanced at Ellie, a triumphant expression flashing across her face, then called out, “Georgie? Are you here? It’s me, Daph. I’m coming in.”

  She placed her hands on the windowsill and leveraged herself up with a grunt. As she eased herself inside, Ellie pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Russell.

  Went to Georgie’s house. Sorry, I’ll explain later. We’re looking for her now.

  She heard a thump and looked up to see that Daphne had vanished. “Are you okay?” she called out.

  “I’m fine,” the other woman responded. “I just slipped. I’ll get the back door for you.”

  A moment later, Ellie heard the snick of the deadlock turning, and Daphne opened the back door. “Maybe I should wait out here.”

  “Nonsense,” Daphne said. “It’s freezing out.” She hesitated. “And… I really don’t want to do this alone. Something’s seriously wrong, Ellie. There’s no way she wouldn’t have heard me climbing through the window.”

  Ellie blew out a slow breath, then nodded and walked through the back door into the kitchen. She didn’t want to search the house for a woman who was possibly dead, but she knew she couldn’t just stand outside while Daphne did it either.

  They started on the first floor, checking the living room, the bathroom, and even the basement. Daphne called out occasionally, but she was only ever answered by silence. The longer Ellie spent in the house, the worse of a feeling she got. There were dirty dishes in the sink that looked like they hadn’t been done for a few days, and in the tiny laundry room she found a load of musty smelling laundry in the washing machine. She agreed with Daphne; something was very wrong.

  After finding nothing concrete on the first floor of the house, the two women went upstairs almost reluctantly. Part of Ellie wanted to turn around and go outside to wait for Bethany. This was her job, after all. Ellie made pizzas for a living, she didn’t look for missing women.

  Even as the thought ran through her head and she was about to suggest to Daphne that they wait outside, the other woman opened a door and stepped through. Ellie heard a soft exclamation, and a moment later, Daphne reappeared, her face pale.

  “S-she’s in there,” she gasped.

  Even though Ellie knew what she would find, she pushed the door the rest of the way open and looked anyway. She regretted it immediately when her eyes landed on the body on the bed. There was no question that Georgie was dead, and had been for some time.

  “Daphne, I’m so sorry,” Ellie said, feeling her throat squeeze with emotion. She shut the door gently and turned to the other woman. Daphne gave her a wide-eyed look, then ran for another door, which turned out to be a bathroom. Ellie heard her retching, then the toilet flushed. Hesitantly, she joined the other woman, who was kneeling on the bath mat, her eyes squeezed shut. She touched Daphne’s shoulder, wanting to offer comfort, but knowing it was impossible.

  Her eyes landed on the counter, and she felt as though her heart had stopped. There was shattered glass next to the sink, and white granules dusting the counter, the sink, and even the floor. The jagged remnants of the glass container bore a label that looked like it was from a lab. She didn’t dare get close enough to read the small lettering, but she clearly recognized the skull and crossbones symbol for poison on the label.

  “Daphne, we have to get out of here. Now.”

  The other woman looked up, and as soon as she saw the expression on Ellie’s face, she nodded. Ellie practically dragged her out of the bathroom. Her mind raced. She should have done more research. She had almost been killed, for goodness sake, and she didn’t know a thing about the substance that had done it. All she knew was that the two of them were in very serious danger.

  “Downstairs,” she directed Daphne. “Don’t touch your hands to your face.”

  They reached the kitchen sink, and Ellie turned the water on. She directed Daphne, who had been on the floor, to wash her hands first, then scrubbed her own hands even though she hadn’t touched anything. Better to be safe than sorry, she thought.

  “How do you feel?” she asked when they were done.

  “How do I feel?” Daphne gave a ragged laugh. “I just saw my best friend’s corpse. How do you think I feel?”

  “I mean physically. Any headaches? Dizziness? How’s your stomach?” Daphne stared at her like she was crazy. With a sigh, Ellie explained. “Cyanide,” she said. “That’s how Bea died, and how I almost died, remember? On the bathroom counter there was a broken container and white granules of powder. There was an official looking la
bel on it, and the symbol for poison. I don’t know for sure, because I didn’t stick around to find out, but I think that was cyanide. Where did Georgie work, Daphne? Bea mentioned she was a janitor, and that a friend had gotten her a job. Was that friend you?”

  Looking shell-shocked, Daphne nodded. “She worked at Paul’s lab. She…” Her breath hitched. “You think she’s the one who stole the poison and killed Bea?”

  Elli nodded. “Unless Paul came over here and dropped a vial of poison in her sink, I think that’s what happened. She blamed Bea about the scholarship for years, and after losing the only halfway decent job she’d ever had, she must have started really hating her. Then, when Bea came to town, she must have decided to take her chance. It would have been the perfect crime, if I hadn’t accidentally gotten poisoned too. With the way Bea fell after the poison started working on her when she put the contacts in, it looked like a head injury was what did her in. Without any reason to suspect otherwise, no one would have looked further.”

  “Do you think Georgie killed herself?” Daphne whispered.

  Remembering the broken glass in the sink upstairs, Ellie shook her head. “No. I think that was an accident. She must have broken the bottle and accidentally inhaled some of the poison, or gotten it in her mouth. Maybe she didn’t realize what happened, or maybe she was too scared to call an ambulance, or thought she could pull through, but I think her death was an accident.”

  Daphne gave her a wide-eyed, helpless look, and Ellie pulled her into a tight hug. As they were pulling apart, a knock sounded at the door, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Bethany was there. Now, all of this was out of her hands and up to the police to straighten out.

  Epilogue

  That was a beautiful memorial service,” Ellie said. She tucked her hand into the crook of Russell's arm. “I think Bea would have loved it.”

  “It did seem like something she would have planned herself, didn't it?” he asked.

  She nodded. “How are you feeling? Do you want to stop at the pizzeria for lunch, or do you want to go straight home?”

  “We can head to the pizzeria,” he said. “I know your employees are probably eager to see you.”

  Ellie nodded. It had been almost a week since she had been in to work. First, her stay in the hospital and subsequent recovery from the cyanide poisoning, and then dealing with all of the questions and trauma from finding Georgie dead in her house had kept her away. Bea's memorial felt final, like all of the grief and the drama of the past couple of weeks was finally over and life would get back to normal.

  Or at least, as normal as life ever got for her.

  The pizzeria was busy, but they managed to get a semi private booth in the corner. After ordering their food, both of them sat in silence for a moment. After a second, Ellie nudged her husband.

  “I’m sorry. For everything. For the stuff that's out of my control, and the things I did to make it worse for you.”

  He blinked, looking up at her. “Ellie, you didn't do anything to make it worse for me. Like I said, you are my rock. I don't know how I would have gotten through without you. You know I'm not good at losing people.”

  “I’m talking about how I went to Georgie's house with Daphne after telling you I would stay put. If things had gone a little bit differently, that could have ended very badly.”

  “You're right, reading your text message, and then later hearing Bethany's report were two of the most terrifying moments in my life. But at the same time, I know you did what you felt was right, and that's one of the reasons why I love you. You do what has to be done, even if it's not the easy thing to do. You really care about people, and that's rare. Besides, it probably helps that I didn't know the worst of it until long after it was over.”

  She chuckled. “Probably,” she said. “Trust me, I’m going to stay far away from trouble from here on out. I’ve had way too many close brushes with death recently.”

  He grinned at her. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You know as well as I do that you’re a magnet for trouble. It just usually isn’t quite so deadly.”

  She laughed and reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “Okay, that’s probably true. I’ll try to be smarter about trouble when it finds me in the future. How is that?”

  “Better.” They exchanged smiles, then fell silent as their food arrived and they dug in.

  After a few bites, Ellie put her pizza down and looked at her husband again. “Russell, how are you doing, really?”

  “It still hurts,” he admitted, putting his own slice down and wiping his mouth. “I’m going to miss her. I know I didn’t see her very often, but she was a huge part of my life growing up, and it’s weird to think that she’s gone now. But knowing what happened… it helps. Liam and I both agree that you were right. We found scribbled letters Georgie had written Bea but never sent, blaming Bea for her money troubles and pretty much everything else that went wrong in her life. I don’t know what the real story is with the scholarship, but whatever happened, Georgie was never able to let it go.”

  Ellie sighed. “I feel bad for all three of them, in different ways. It makes me appreciate my own friendships more. I know that we’ll always be there for each other, no matter what.”

  “That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Russell said. “Family is what you’re born into, but friends are the family that you choose.”

  Also by Patti Benning

  Papa Pacelli’s Series

  Book 1: Pall Bearers and Pepperoni

  Book 2: Bacon Cheddar Murder

  Book 3: Very Veggie Murder

  Book 4: Italian Wedding Murder

  Book 5: Smoked Gouda Murder

  Book 6: Gourmet Holiday Murder

  Book 7: Four Cheese Murder

  Book 8: Hand Tossed Murder

  Book 9: Exotic Pizza Murder

  Book 10: Fiesta Pizza Murder

  Book 11: Garlic Artichoke Murder

  Book 12: On the Wings of Murder

  Book 13: Mozzarella and Murder

  Book 14: A Thin Crust of Murder

  Book 15: Pretzel Pizza Murder

  Book 16: Parmesan Pizza Murder

  Book 17: Breakfast Pizza Murder

  Book 18: Halloween Pizza Murder

  Book 19: Thanksgiving Pizza Murder

  Book 20: Christmas Pizza Murder

  Book 21: A Crispy Slice of Murder

  Book 22: Lobster Pizza Murder

  Book 23: Pizza, Weddings, and Murder

  Book 24: Pizza, Paradise, and Murder

  Book 25: Meat Lovers and Murder

  Book 26: Classic Crust Murder

  Book 27: Hot, Spicy Murder

  Book 28: Pork, Pizza, and Murder

  Book 29: Chicken Alfredo Murder

  Darling Deli Series

  Book 1: Pastrami Murder

  Book 2: Corned Beef Murder

  Book 3: Cold Cut Murder

  Book 4: Grilled Cheese Murder

  Book 5: Chicken Pesto Murder

  Book 6: Thai Coconut Murder

  Book 7: Tomato Basil Murder

  Book 8: Salami Murder

  Book 9: Hearty Homestyle Murder

  Book 10: Honey BBQ Murder

  Book 11: Beef Brisket Murder

  Book 12: Garden Vegetable Murder

  Book 13: Spicy Lasagna Murder

  Book 14: Curried Lobster Murder

  Book 15: Creamy Casserole Murder

  Book 16: Grilled Rye Murder

  Book 17: A Quiche to Die For

  Book 18: A Side of Murder

  Book 19: Wrapped in Murder

  Book 20: Glazed Ham Murder

  Book 21: Chicken Club Murder

  Book 22: Pies, Lies and Murder

  Book 23: Mountains, Marriage and Murder

  Book 24: Shrimply Murder

  Book 25: Gazpacho Murder

  Book 26: Peppered with Murder

  Book 27: Ravioli Soup Murder

  Book 28: Thanksgiving Deli Murder

  Book 29: A Seas
on of Murder

  Book 30: Valentines and Murder

  Book 31: Shamrocks and Murder

  Book 32: Sugar Coated Murder

  Book 33: Murder, My Darling

  Killer Cookie Series

  Book 1: Killer Caramel Cookies

  Book 2: Killer Halloween Cookies

  Book 3: Killer Maple Cookies

  Book 4: Crunchy Christmas Murder

  Book 5: Killer Valentine Cookies

  Asheville Meadows Series

  Book 1: Small Town Murder

  Book 2: Murder on Aisle Three

  Book 3: The Heart of Murder

  Book 4: Dating is Murder

  Book 5: Dying to Cook

  Book 6: Food, Family and Murder

  Book 7: Fish, Chips and Murder

  Book 8: Deathly Ever After

  Author’s Note

  I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on—reader feedback is very important to me. My contact information, along with some other helpful links, is listed below. If you’d like to be on my list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc.… just shoot me an email and let me know. Thanks for reading!