Grilled Rye Murder: Book 16 in The Darling Deli Series

by Patti Benning

  “Is everything all right?” David asked her. As always, he seemed in tune with her moods. She smiled at him.

  “Just thinking,” she said. “Sorry. I feel bad for inviting you over for dinner, then just sitting here in silence the whole time.”

  “Don’t worry about it. This is what marriage is about, isn’t it? ‘For better or for worse,’ right? I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now, what with both the wedding and Zander’s death. I just wish there was more I could do to help.”

  “Oh, you’ve been wonderful, David. I’m just a worrier. Have you managed to find any leads on who might have killed Zander? Just knowing that you had some idea of who it could be would help a lot.”

  “Well…” He hesitated, and she thought she knew why. He thinks if he tells me, I’ll go off and try to investigate myself.

  “Please? I promise not to do anything reckless.”

  “I did find something that raised a red flag for me,” he relented. “Someone named Danehill approached Zander with an impressive offer on his land a few months ago. Yesterday, he approached Zander’s aunt—she’s his closest living relative, and his estate went to her since he died without a will—and made another offer.”

  Moira gave a low whistle. “You think this guy wanted Zander’s property badly enough to kill him? How did you find all of this out?”

  “I’ll tell you if you promise to keep in confidential.”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  “His aunt approached me right after the offer was made and hired me to look into it. She thought it seemed pretty suspicious too—suspicious enough to warrant putting a private investigator on Danehill’s tail.”

  “Have you told any of this to the police yet?” she asked hopefully. Maybe Zander’s murder would be solved sooner than she had hoped. Then he could finally rest in peace… and she could rest without worrying about trying to run the deli from prison.

  “I gave them the information about the offers on Zander’s property as soon as I found out,” he told her. “I want this solved by our wedding.”

  “Me too,” she told him, picking up her fork again. Knowing that David and the police had at least one other suspect made her feel a lot better. In no time at all, her name would be cleared, her wedding would be over, and she would be looking forward to a happy life with the man sitting across the table from her.

  The next morning was a hectic rush. With three dogs, it took her longer than usual to get everyone fed, put out, and settled in for the day. Even after they had been taken care of, they were underfoot the entire time that she was trying to get ready. Moira didn’t quite trust Flower—used to roaming outside on the farm—alone in the house, so she had to be gated in the mud room—which meant finding the baby gate and rushing to set out a dog bed and water dish for the energetic pup. Flower had decided that the entire morning routine was the most exciting thing that she had ever experienced.

  A spilled mug of coffee and subsequent change of clothes later, Moira was finally ready to head out. At the last minute, thinking of the kid who was supposed to be stopping in at the deli sometime that morning, she snapped a picture of Flower. If their positions had been reversed, she knew that she would love to see pictures of the puppies.

  “Hey, Dante. It smells wonderful in here.”

  It was a phrase that she found herself saying every morning that the young man was responsible for opening the shop. A good cook all around, he had a real gift for quiches. The mini quiches had been his idea, in fact. A large part of the success of the deli’s breakfast hours was due to his cooking.

  “Thanks, Ms. D. I tried a new recipe today—parsley and sun-dried tomatoes with shredded mozzarella on top. The first batch should be done in just a few minutes.”

  “Will you set a couple aside on a plate for me?” she asked. “I’ve got to get started on the pot roast stew. It’s going to take hours to cook, and I don’t want to leave our lunch guests waiting.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll grab a cup of coffee for you, too.”

  “Dante, you are amazing.”

  Moira washed her hands, pulled out the slow cooker and a frying pan, and got to work. With a loud sizzle she put the pot roast in the pan and began the process of browning it on all sides. Even before she seasoned it, the juicy cut of meat smelled amazing as it began to cook. Today’s soup was going to be a real treat, that was certain.

  Once she finished browning the roast, she put it in the slow cooker and began the task of chopping up carrots, celery, onions, and fresh garlic. After dumping the pile of veggies into the cooker as well, she turned her attention to the all-important seasonings.

  Salt and pepper were a necessity of course, but she also added a bit of Worcestershire sauce to give the roast even more flavor. For fresh herbs, she decided to go with rosemary, basil, and oregano. Last but not least, she added just enough beef broth to partially cover the roast. Once the meat was done cooking, she would pull it apart and add more broth to turn the pot roast into a delicious and hearty stew.

  “I’m definitely not going to be losing any weight today,” she said as she put the glass top on the slow cooker. “Between quiches for breakfast, this pot roast stew for lunch, and whatever I end up grabbing for dinner, I might even gain a few pounds.”

  “No worries, Ms. D. Our food isn’t that unhealthy,” Dante replied. “It’s all cooked here, so at least you know what’s in it. I can hardly eat anymore at big chain restaurants that start with frozen food.”

  “There is something to be said for knowing where your food comes from and what’s in it,” Moira agreed. She thought of Zander, and how passionate he had been about farming and being involved with the community, and felt a rush of despair. Not only had she lost a friend, but he had also been one of her most trusted sources for fresh produce. What would happen to everything he had built now?

  Once the deli had officially opened for the morning, Moira spent most of her time hovering around the cash register, waiting for the mysterious kid that had missed her yesterday to return. It wasn’t until nearly noon when he finally showed up. Her shift almost over, the deli owner had ducked back into the kitchen to look through her mail when Dante poked his head through the kitchen doors to tell her that there was someone there to see her.

  The kid’s age was impossible to tell. He could have been anywhere from twelve to fourteen, and was sorely in need of a haircut. But when he approached the register, she knew right away that he was the one.

  “Are you Mrs. Darling?” he asked.

  “Well, I’m not married, but yes. You stopped in yesterday about Hazel?”

  He nodded. “I’m Adam. She was my dog, and I just wanted to know how she was doing. Did you keep her? Did she have her puppies?”

  “She had six wonderful, healthy puppies. I didn’t keep her myself, but my fiancé’s sister took her. She’s very happy and spoiled now.”

  “That’s good.” Adam beamed. “I know you probably don’t want me to, but is there any way I could see her one more time? I miss her, and she probably misses me too.”

  “Well… I’ll see. I’ll have to ask the lady who owns her now, okay? If you don’t mind me asking, why are you asking about her after all this time? It’s been almost a year.”

  “I didn’t want to before, in case my dad saw me hanging around here. I told him that she ran away, and he’d be mad if he found out I was lying. He wasn’t a very good guy, but he’s gone so now I don’t have to worry about it.”

  “Oh… I’m sorry.” The deli owner wasn’t quite sure what to say. A parent leaving was never a good thing… was it?

  “It’s ‘kay,” the kid said with a shrug. “My mom got a new job, and we moved into town, and she even said I could get another dog if I want, as long as it’s fixed this time. I thought I’d see if you wanted to keep Hazel. But if she’s happy, I don’t want to take her away.”

  “She is happy, but I’m sure it would be okay if you visited her.” An idea was beginning to form in Moira’
s mind. Adam was looking for a dog… and Flower was looking for a home. It was too good of a coincidence to ignore, but before mentioning anything to the kid, she knew that she needed to check with his mother. “Where does your mom work, Adam? I’d love to stop by and talk to her about something.”

  “Oh, she runs D’s Donuts. It’s right down the street, you can almost see it from here.”

  “I know where it is,” she said with a smile. The donut shop had opened up a few weeks ago, wafting tantalizing smells down the street. Although she hadn’t stopped in yet, she had been meaning to. “I’ll talk to my friend about setting up a time for you to see Hazel, then I’ll stop by the donut shop and talk to your mom, okay?”

  The kid nodded, seemingly pleased with this plan. The deli owner was surprised but glad that she had finally found out who Hazel’s old owner was—she just hoped that Adam and his mother didn’t complicate matters. Karissa would not be happy if they tried to take her dog from her.

  CHAPTER TEN

  After getting the go-ahead from Karissa, Moira made good on her word and stopped at the donut shop on her way home from work. It was an interesting place; the sign, in sprawling cursive letters, welcomed her to D’s Donuts. When she stepped through the doors, she noticed a scattering of arcade machines to her left. Several teenagers were playing at the machines. On the other side of the store were a few tables, the register, and a large, well-lit display of donuts.

  “Hi, welcome to D’s Donuts. Can I help you?” the teen working at the counter asked as she approached.

  “Um, yes. I’m looking for… Adam’s mom.” She didn’t know his mom’s name, something that she wished she had realized before. Hopefully this girl knew who she was talking about.

  “Oh, Robyn? She’s in the back. Hold on a sec.”

  The girl slipped through a swinging door and reappeared a moment later with a middle-aged woman in tow.

  “Did Adam do something?” she asked nervously, wiping her the flour on her hands onto the apron that she was wearing. “Is he in trouble?”

  “No, no, nothing like that. I don’t know if you know… but he left his dog behind my deli last year.”

  The woman winced. “It sounds terrible when you say it like that. I told him he should take her to the pound, but he was worried they would put the puppies down. I guess one of his friends saw your dogs at the fair last year, and he got it into his mind that you were the perfect person for Hazel. I was going to send her away to someone who rescues dogs, but he snuck her out before I could do anything. His father was a real piece of work. I don’t think he’d actually have hurt the dog, but Adam took his threats seriously. You can’t fault him for trying to protect her. He loved Hazel.”

  “I gathered some of that from what he told me, but it’s nice to hear the full story. I’ve been wondering about it since I took her in. Like I told Adam, she got adopted by a friend of mine and is very happy and spoiled,” Moira told her.

  “That’s good news. I told him that she would probably be settled in with her new owners, but he still wanted to check.”

  “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about… he mentioned you said he could get another dog?”

  The other woman nodded. “He was half-hoping to get Hazel back, but I’m sure he’ll understand that she’s happy and her new owner doesn’t want to give her up. He’s a good kid, he’ll want what’s best for her.”

  “He seemed fine with that, but I actually had another idea. I have one of Hazel’s puppies at my house right now. She just lost her owner, so I was thinking, if she and Adam get along and it was okay with you… maybe he could take Flower? Obviously it wouldn’t be the same as him getting Hazel herself back, but it would be a great solution all around. She’s a very sweet, happy dog.”

  “Flower… that’s a pretty name.” Robyn smiled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. What did he say?”

  “I haven’t mentioned it to him yet—I wanted to run it by you first. The friend of mine that ended up adopting Hazel said she’d be happy to let them get together and see each other, so I thought if it was okay with you we could find a time to let him see Hazel and meet Flower all at once. Here, I’ll leave you my number, and you can call me after you talk it over with him.”

  “Thanks so much. You didn’t have to do any of this.”

  “I’m just glad that I was able to help. Hazel is a wonderful dog, and Adam seems like a nice kid.” Moira smiled at the other woman. “This is a neat place that you have here. I bet once school starts, a lot of kids will stop in after class. Do you own this place? What does the D in the store’s name stand for?”

  “I just manage the store, it’s a franchise,” Robyn said with a chuckle. “I wish I owned it—I’d be rich! The D stands for the owner’s name, Danehill. I guess he thought ‘Danehill’s Donuts’ just didn’t have quite the same ring to it.”

  The rest of their conversation went by in a blur to Moira. She did her best to act as normally as she could, but inside she was reeling. Danehill—that was the name of the person that had tried to buy Zander’s farm twice. Did David know that he owned a donut franchise? What on earth could Danehill want Zander’s property for? What would the donut man be willing to kill for?

  Itching to talk to David, she invited him over to her house for an impromptu dinner. She didn’t mention anything about the case to him; she had discovered long ago that it was easier to get him to talk if she caught him unawares with her questions. She would just slip the subject of Danehill in between talk of their wedding and plans for their honeymoon.

  First, though, she needed to figure out what she was going to make for dinner. A quick call to the deli solved that; she asked Allison, who had the afternoon shift, to put aside a couple of servings of the pot roast stew for her. Paired with some of the delicious bread from the deli and a fresh salad, it would make for a hearty meal—and best of all, she wouldn’t have to take any extra time out of her day for cooking. She had plenty of time to run her errands before swinging by the deli in the evening and picking up a nice warm meal to bring home to David. Sometimes things work out perfectly, she thought. Too bad it never seems to happen with the big stuff.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  She had planned just to swing by the deli for the food and then hurry home to get everything prepared for David, but when she saw the refrigerated truck parked in the alley around back, she decided to stay for a little bit and help Cameron and Jenny unload. Even though they had been working for her for months, she still didn’t feel that she knew them as well as the others. Since they were responsible for most of the catering jobs, they didn’t spend anywhere near as much time at the deli itself as everyone else did. Still, they were part of the crew, and it never hurt to spend some extra time with her employees.

  “Hey Jenny, how did the job go?” she asked, setting down her purse next to the big take-home container of soup that Allison had waiting for her.

  “It went well, Ms. D. Shelby was happy with everything, and she even said to tell you that she was planning on hiring the deli to cater her other daughter’s open house this fall.”

  “That’s what I love to hear,” said Moira with a smile. “You and Cameron have been doing great here. I’m so glad I hired you.”

  “Thanks. I love this job, I really do.”

  The deli owner watched as the young woman walked away, noting that she still seemed unusually subdued. She must really be taking Zander’s death hard, Moira thought. I wonder if Cameron has noticed? She knew that the red-haired young man was smitten with Jenny, but wasn’t sure how much they really hung out outside of work.

  She got her chance to ask him soon enough. He was out in the refrigerated truck, taking inventory to make sure nothing was missing.

  “Hey,” she said, stepping up into the truck. She hadn’t once regretted buying it—the ability to transport their own food without renting a vehicle was wonderful, and she had been able to lower their catering prices too, once the truck had been paid off. “I heard t
he open house went well. Congratulations on another job well done.”

  “It was a piece of cake,” he said with a grin. “I love open houses. People are just there to have fun and eat some good food. It’s not like a wedding, where everyone’s emotions are running high.”

  “You know you don’t have to work during my reception if you don’t want to—”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, Ms. D. I’m looking forward to your wedding.”

  Cameron, Jenny, and Allison had all volunteered to work at Moira’s wedding reception as caterers for free as a wedding gift to her. Though she would still be paying for the food, of course, having the deli cater her own reception was saving her a lot of money.

  “I just feel bad that the three of you are going to be doing so much work,” she said. “But thank you. Not having to find a caterer makes things so much easier for me.”

  “And hey, at least you know you’re going to get good food,” he added.

  “That’s true. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” She hesitated, glancing back towards the deli to make sure Jenny, who had taken a box of dirty tablecloths in to be washed, was still inside. “I’ve been wanting to ask you… do you think Jenny’s doing all right? You spend the most time with her out of all of us.”

  “You mean Zander? She’s taking it pretty rough. To be honest, I don’t know what she saw in the guy.”

  “You didn’t like him?”

  “He was too old for her.” He shrugged, and changed the subject. “Any luck tracking down the person that paid your bail?”

  “Not a single clue, as far as I know,” she told him. “It’s a real mystery. I don’t think I even know someone with that much money lying around.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find out eventually.” He gave her a quick smile. “Oh, did we leave you enough soup? Allison was concerned that we should have left more.”