Salami Murder: Book 8 in The Darling Deli Series Read online

  “Actually, I think I will have some of that cool cucumber soup,” she said.

  “For here or to go?” Moira asked automatically.

  “For here.” The woman shot her a tentative smile, as if she expected Moira to be happy to spend some time with her. Forcing a smile of her own, Moira turned stiffly and walked into the kitchen to fetch the woman’s order.

  “You can call me Kari, by the way,” the woman said when Moira returned with a tray and a bowl of soup. “Only David calls me Karissa anymore.” She smiled warmly at Moira. “Will you join me? I’d love to get to know you better.”

  “Um, sure,” Moira said, utterly confused. Why was this woman, Kari, being so friendly to her? What all had David said about her? She was finding it hard to dislike the woman, regardless of her relationship with David. Kari seemed nice, and obviously didn’t know that Moira and David had been romantically involved. Racking her brain to try to remember if David had ever mentioned this woman, even in passing, Moira sat down.

  “So you’ve owned this deli for how long?” Kari asked, tentatively tasting a spoonful of the soup. She seemed to like it, and quickly took another bite.

  “It will be three years this fall,” Moira told her. “So not very long.”

  “I think it’s amazing, you opening and running this place all by yourself. David told me he was very impressed with how independent you are.”

  Is that the problem? Moira wondered. Does he think I’m too independent—that I don’t want a man in my life?

  “I’ve had a lot of help,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my employees and my wonderful daughter.”

  “And now you’re helping your daughter open her own business,” Kari said with a nod. “That’s very kind of you. I’ve always wanted to open a store, but I have no idea what I’d sell.” She gave a small laugh, and Moira found herself liking the woman even more. She definitely didn’t seem like the sort of woman that would purposely step on another woman’s toes.

  “Oh, I’m sure you could find something if you really wanted to,” she told the other woman. “Even the best business plan can fail, though. The deli has seen some tough times already. The first winter was the worst, and tourist season is always the easiest.”

  “Yes, I’d imagine that you get quite a lot of business during the summer, especially on weekends. This soup is very good. Did you make it?”

  “I did. I make most of the soups myself, except on days I don’t work.”

  “Impressive.” Kari gave her a bright smile. “I’ll have to get lunch here more often.”

  “Do you live in town?”

  “I’m in the process of moving back to Lake Marion,” she explained. “I’m staying with David for now, of course.”

  “Of course.” Moira was beginning to realize that Karissa seemed to expect David to have talked about her. She was missing out on a crucial part of the conversation.

  “Well, I should get going. I’ve got a job interview soon. It was nice to meet you.” Karissa stood up and offered Moira her hand, which she shook, bemused.

  After the other woman left, Moira grabbed her cell phone and sent a text to Martha, giving her a quick rundown of what had happened. Her friend had been the first one to see David with Karissa, and the deli owner hoped she might have some input. The encounter had been unsettling, and she wanted someone to talk to about it.

  She didn’t have to wait long before Martha called her. Feeling slightly guilty for being on her phone while she worked at the register, even though she was the boss, Moira answered it.

  “So you actually met this woman?” Martha asked as soon as she heard Moira’s voice, ignoring the niceties in favor of getting directly to the juicy parts.

  “Yep She walked right in and started talking to me. I’m pretty sure she stopped in just to see me.” She shook her head, completely flabbergasted by the encounter. “I guess David has been telling her a lot about me.”

  “Weird,” Martha said. “Either he’s the worst cheater in the history of the world, or something else is going on here.”

  “I don’t know… I mean, she’s staying with him for goodness sake. And if she was just an old friend, why wouldn’t he have mentioned anything to me?” she asked.

  “Well, you have had a lot going on,” her friend pointed out. “Maybe he didn’t want to put something else to your plate for you to worry about. I think you should talk to him.”

  Moira sighed. She knew that Martha was right. There was only one way to resolve this matter, and she needed to stop putting it off.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Deciding that she couldn’t procrastinate any longer, Moira drove straight over to Lake Marion after stopping at home to grab Maverick. The dog had been cooped up in the house all day while she worked, and he was sure to appreciate the outing. Besides, he would serve as emotional support for her, which she might need depending on how the impending conversation went. She knew that she might be overreacting, but after Mike’s affair, disloyalty in a relationship was a big issue for her. She hated the feeling of bad memories being brought up.

  She wasn’t surprised to find David’s car still parked in front of his office; she knew he tended to work late whenever he was on a case. No one else was in the parking lot, which was a relief. She often stopped in without calling first if she was in town visiting Candice, but this time felt different. She didn’t know what sort of reception she should expect, and had to take a deep, calming breath as she stroked Maverick’s fur.

  “Let’s go see David, buddy.”

  The dog didn’t seem to have any reservations about seeing the private investigator; when Moira said David’s name, he perked up his ears and began to thump his tail vigorously against the seat. She laughed. The dog had already managed to make her feel better. She had not once regretted adopting him, and would do it again in a heartbeat if she could.

  David glanced up when she came in, and his tired face relaxed into a familiar smile when he realized who it was. Maverick rushed over to greet him, then sniffed hopefully at his desk in case any half-eaten containers of takeout had been forgotten. To the dog’s disappointment, the table was void of food. He gave David one last hopeful look, his soulful brown eyes staring pitifully at the man’s face. When he finally realized that there weren’t any tasty snacks in his near future, he heaved a sigh and walked over to examine an umbrella that was resting against the gas fireplace.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked her when she sat down across the desk from him.

  “I… uh… well, I wanted to talk to you about something,” she said, not sure how to broach the subject.

  “What is it?” He leaned forward, his eyes full of concern. He always seemed so earnest, never hiding anything from her. Even though she had seen him with the other woman with her own eyes, she still found it hard to imagine that he was secretly seeing someone else.

  “Well, Karissa stopped in today…” She kept her gaze on his face, waiting to see any traces of guilt on his face. She was surprised to see a smile flick across his face instead.

  “She told me she was going to stop by and introduce herself,” he said. “I kept meaning to have us all go out to dinner together, but things have been so busy with everything that has been happening at the candy shop.”

  “Right.” Moira blinked. The feeling that she was missing something important only grew. “Ah… who is she, exactly?”

  David stared at her, then burst out laughing. Shaking his head in amusement, he leaned back in his seat.

  “Did I really not tell you?” he asked. “She’s my sister.”

  “Oh.” She felt foolish. It was obvious now; thinking back, she could even see the family resemblance between them. “I thought… well, it doesn’t matter now. She seems nice.”

  She offered him an embarrassed smile, hoping he would drop the subject, but had no such luck.

  “What did you think?” he asked, curious.

  “I thought you were seeing her,�
�� she admitted. “Romantically.”

  “Ah,” he said. “That explains why you were acting so oddly the other day at the candy shop.” He kept his eyes on her, a frown pulling down at the corners of his lips. “You really thought I was seeing someone else?”

  She nodded reluctantly. He ran his hand through his hair, his face shocked.

  “Why would you think that?”

  She explained that after learning first that Martha had seen him and Karissa at a restaurant, then seeing them for herself walking together a few days later, she had come to the natural conclusion. He just sighed and shook his head in amazement.

  “You should have just spoken to me,” he said. “I could have saved you a lot of worry. I have no interest in seeing anyone else. I thought you knew that.”

  “I do now. I guess,” she said, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. She didn’t know if it was from embarrassment, or from the serious intensity of his gaze. Deciding it was time for a change of subject, she added, “I didn’t know you had a sister. Are the two of you close?”

  “Relatively close, I suppose. She used to travel a lot, but she’s going to be settling down now, I think. She’s looking for an apartment in down.” He smiled again. “It will be nice to have her around. I don’t see my family much anymore these days.”

  Moira realized she knew hardly anything about David’s family. He didn’t talk about them much, and she hadn’t pushed the matter. She didn’t talk about her own family much either. Her parents had passed away when Candice was young, and her brother lived across the country. They sent each other holiday cards, but that was about it. She often wished that they were closer, but then she got busy at the deli, or doing something with Candice, or was too tired to think of doing anything more than sending him a perfunctory Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas. She was glad that David had a good relationship with his sister… she just wished she had known about it before she made such a fool of herself.

  “I wish I had known who she was when we spoke,” she admitted. “She probably thinks I’m odd now.”

  “I’ll explain the confusion to her,” he said with a chuckle. His gaze became serious. “I don’t want you to worry about me seeing other women, Moira. I’m in this for the long haul.”

  She was searching for something to say in response to that when her phone rang. It was Candice. She gave him an apologetic glance.

  “I should take it. With everything that’s been going on lately…”

  “Go ahead,” he said with a smile. “I understand.”

  “Hey sweetie,” she said, answering the phone. “You okay?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. No more mysterious disasters,” Candice said. She sounded happy again, almost back to her old self. “I was wondering… do you think we could go get that car this evening? The dealer is open for another hour, and I really want to go down to Traverse City tomorrow with Allison.”

  “Sure, I’m actually in town right now,” Moira began. “I can pick you up in—”

  “Hold on.” Candice cut in. She fell silent, and Moira waited a few seconds before her daughter spoke again. “Someone’s here. I’ll call you back in like five minutes, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said. “But if you want to go, we should leave soon.”

  “I know. It’ll only be a few minutes, I promise.”

  The line went dead and Moira put her phone down, bemused. She was glad that her daughter was feeling better, at least.

  Moira and David waited, reluctant to restart their conversation only to be interrupted again. When Candice didn’t call back, Moira sent her a text. A few minutes later, she called. Her daughter didn’t answer. As unease uncoiled in her belly, she raised her eyes to David’s face. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  David gave her hand a quick squeeze as they got into his car. When he saw the worry on her face, he hadn’t needed any prompting to offer to drive her over to Candice’s apartment. Maverick, who seemed to pick up on the tension, sat silently in the back seat.

  Candice’s apartment wasn’t far; they could have walked, but the car was faster and Moira’s anxiety could only grow. She tried to call her daughter three times on the short drive over, but each time the call went to voicemail. Am I being paranoid? she wondered. She wished she had asked Candice who was at the door. Maybe she was just having a conversation with someone, and had put her phone on silent. But what twenty-year-old would miss a chance to go pick up her brand new—well, used, but new to her—convertible? No, Candice would have called her back by now.

  The door to the stairs to the upper part of the building was shut and locked, not propped open as it usually was. The brick was kicked to the side, lying forgotten in the parking lot. Moira fumbled with her keys for a moment, glad that her daughter had given her a set of duplicates. When she finally got the door unlocked, she traded an anxious glance with David before walking in. Maverick followed behind them, whining softly.

  She knocked on the door to Candice’s apartment, her heart in her throat. There was no answer, so she tried the doorknob. The door was unlocked, and swung open quietly with only the slightest pressure. David put his hand on her shoulder and she stepped aside, letting him precede her. She followed, her hands clenched tightly around Maverick’s leash as she tried not to imagine what they might find inside.

  David checked each of the rooms methodically. When he came out of her bedroom and gave a quick shake of his head, she breathed a sigh of relief. Candice wasn’t there, but at least they hadn’t found her injured, or worse.

  “Have you tried calling her phone?” he asked.

  “I did in the car.”

  “Try again now.”

  She did as he suggested, and was surprised to hear a soft vibration coming from the kitchen. She hurried over and followed the sound to where she found the phone next to the fridge. The screen was cracked, but otherwise it was functional. She was about to call out to David that she had found her daughter’s cell phone when she heard his voice.

  “Moira. You’d better come here.”

  With a feeling of dread, she did, Candice’s phone clutched in her hand as she approached David, who was standing in front of the coffee table. He had pulled on a pair of black latex gloves and was carefully holding a piece of paper.

  “Don’t touch it,” he warned gently. “But you need to read it.”

  She leaned forward, her shoulder brushing his arm, and focused on the words that seemed to be swimming across the paper. The typed note was simple, but terrifying.

  I have Candice. If you want to see her again, bring ten thousand dollars to Rapid Creek Park and leave it at the top of the tallest slide tomorrow evening before sunset. If you contact the police, I will know, and you never see Candice again.

  Moira exhaled slowly, feeling as if she had been punched in the gut. She sat down on her daughter’s couch, barely paying attention as David rummaged around in the kitchen for a plastic baggie to put the note in. Maverick gave a low whine and rested his head on her knee. She patted his head absently, her body on autopilot. Did she have ten thousand dollars that she could access in time? She thought so, though she wasn’t sure what she would tell the bank about what the money was for. She had a vague idea that paying off a kidnapper was illegal, but she would come up with something.

  She stood up and began walking towards the door without any real sense of her actions. When David grabbed her arm, she was so surprised that she stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn’t supported her. She had nearly forgotten that he was there; all of her thoughts had been focused on her daughter.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “To get money out of the bank.” Where else would she be going?

  “You can’t do that.”

  She bristled.

  “Yes I certainly can. Candice is my daughter. Do you know what that means? It means I am going to do whatever it takes to get her back. Period.”

  “We’ll get her bac
k,” he said. “Alive and well. I promise. But this isn’t the way to do it. We have to go to the police.”

  “You read the note. If we go to the police, he’s going to kill her!” She realized she was screaming and hyperventilating, and forced herself to calm down. Her passing out in a limp pile on the floor wouldn’t help Candice any.

  “Listen, the police know how to handle situations like this. There’s a reason you aren’t supposed to negotiate with kidnappers; it doesn’t end well.”

  “I can’t just sit back and do nothing while my daughter is in danger—” she began.

  “That’s not what I’m saying. Do you trust me, Moira?” He looked into her eyes, searching for an answer. It took her a moment, but at last she managed a nod. She did trust him, she realized. He wasn’t the sort of man that would let an innocent girl—her daughter—get hurt.

  “Then trust me when I say the best thing you can do right now for Candice, the very best thing, is go directly to the police and tell them every single thing that you know. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispered, her throat thick with panic. All she wanted was to have her daughter in her arms—and to see her kidnapper sentenced to a lifetime in prison.

  She spent the next few hours enduring a disorienting attack on her senses: red and blue flashing lights, day-old coffee, and repetition of the same phrase by everyone she met, a strange litany in her head. We will find her, we will find her, we will find her.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Just go home and wait, she thought. How am I supposed to do that? She wished that she hadn’t listened to David and gone to the police. She felt powerless; she couldn’t directly go against their orders not to give her money to the kidnapper, but she also knew she couldn’t just sit around and wait for someone else to find her daughter.

  Still fuming as she pulled into her driveway, she parked and let Maverick out. Subdued, the dog walked to the front door and looked back at her, waiting. He knows something’s wrong, she thought. I wish he could talk. He could tell me whose scent he picked up in that apartment.