Killer Crust (A Pizza Lovers Mystery)

by Chris Cavender

  “I’ve got to admit, you’ve done quite a bit of background work for me on this case.” He hesitated, and then added, “Let me ask you something, Eleanor. You and Maddy are staying here at the hotel for the competition, right?”

  “We were,” I admitted, “but I can’t imagine any reason that we wouldn’t go back home now. This thing has lost its appeal for me with the murder and everything. I’m not even sure that I care if we win the money anymore.” Even I couldn’t tell for sure if I was lying or not at that moment. There was too much of a jumble in my brain, and it was still just sinking in that Luigi was dead. Just because I hadn’t liked the man didn’t mean that I wanted to see him murdered.

  “What if I asked you to stay on here as a favor to me?” Kevin asked.

  “Why would you do that?”

  The chief of police took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. “As much as it pains me to admit it, you and Maddy seem to have a knack for finding out things behind the scenes that I can’t uncover in my official capacity. I’m not asking you to snoop, but if you’re here anyway, you could always keep your eyes and ears open for things I might need to know.”

  “Chief, are you asking me to spy on the other competitors for you?” I asked.

  “I am. Do you have a problem with that?”

  I thought about it, and then shook my head and smiled. “No, I’m fine with it, and I’m sure that Maddy will be, too. I just wanted to make sure we were clear about it.”

  Kevin bit his lower lip, and then said, “This is in no way official, and you can’t tell anyone but Maddy what you’re doing.”

  “We’re going to tell Bob and David; you know that, right?” I asked.

  He waved a hand in the air. “I suspected as much, but no one else. There’s one more thing, too. You can’t take any unnecessary chances, do you understand me? I just want you to look and listen. Do not, I repeat, do not take any action without me. If you can’t agree to that, then you can’t help me.”

  “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything,” I said.

  “You won’t even give me that much?” Kevin asked.

  “I could, but I don’t want to lie to you. By the way, would you mind telling me now how Luigi died?”

  “I’m not ready to release that information just yet,” he said.

  I couldn’t believe he actually thought that was going to be a one-way street. “Come on, it’s going to come out sooner or later. You might as well tell me now.”

  “At first glance, it appears that someone choked him with a piece of pizza,” Kevin said. “That’s not public information yet, so I’m trusting you to keep it quiet.”

  “Whose pizza was it?” I asked almost off the cuff.

  “We’re still working on that,” Kevin said.

  “As soon as you figure it out, I want to know. You owe me at least that much if I’m going to spy for you.”

  Kevin considered that for a few moments, and then nodded. “Fine. I know that’s the best deal I’m going to get from you, and I don’t have time to dicker anymore. Just be careful, and call me the second you sense trouble. Now go on, and send in your sister when you get back on stage.”

  I stood, and then said, “Thanks for believing in me, Kevin. It’s nice to know that I’m not on your list of suspects for this murder.”

  Kevin shook his head slightly. “Did I give you that impression, Eleanor? If I did, I apologize. I’m afraid you and Maddy are still on my radar, just like every other contestant here. I have to confirm your alibi to know one way or the other, just like everyone else.”

  The relief dropped out of me in a rush. “Hang on a second. Let me get this straight. You’re asking me for my help, but you still think I could have killed the man? If I had, what would keep me from lying to you about everything that might make me look bad?”

  “I’d like to think that I know you well enough to be able to tell when you’re lying to me,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t put too much faith in that belief, if I were you,” I said.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Kevin asked. “Have you made it a habit of lying to me in the past?”

  I pretended not to hear him and just kept walking out the door. I had half a mind not to help him at all since he still considered me a suspect, but after all, I knew that I was going to dig into Luigi’s murder regardless of what we’d just discussed, so why not take a chance on working with Kevin?

  I walked back on stage and told Maddy, “He’s ready for you now.”

  The other contestants quickly clustered around me, but I had my orders. “I’m not allowed to talk about anything we just discussed, so please don’t ask me.”

  “At least tell us if the contest is over,” one of the twins demanded.

  “As far as I know, that hasn’t been determined yet.”

  “How could they not cancel it?” Sandy asked. “A man died here today.”

  “All I know is that it’s not up to me; that’s all I can say.”

  At that moment, someone touched my arm, and I was relieved when I saw that it was Gina. “Eleanor, I need you for one second.”

  The others protested, but I gladly let Gina lead me away from them. Once we were off the stage, Bob and David started to approach, but I shook my head slightly, and they got the hint immediately. I didn’t know if Gina had just been trying to save me from the other competitors or if she really did need me, but I knew that it could be useful talking to her alone.

  “I’m sorry about this mess,” I said. “This can’t be good for your complex.”

  She bit her lower lip, and then said, “I won’t lie to you. It’s really bad. Unfortunately though, it’s a part of an hotelier’s life.”

  “Murder?” I asked incredulously.

  “No, not generally speaking,” she admitted, “but people do occasionally die in the hotels where they’re staying. Almost never this dramatic, though. Eleanor, I’m worried sick about what’s going to happen to us here. My uncle hates publicity, and I’m afraid that he might just decide it’s not worth the public relations storm we’re about to face and just shut us down.”

  “Could he honestly just walk away from this kind of investment?” I asked. I knew that Nathan Pane was rich, wealthy beyond all dreams of avarice even, but I couldn’t imagine abandoning all of the money he’d sunk into the resort.

  “You know him almost as well as I do. The man’s got a capricious spirit, so I wouldn’t put anything past him. The longer this investigation drags on, the better the chances are that he’s going to just give up on the whole property.” She lowered her voice, and then asked, “Please tell me that you and Maddy are looking into this, too.”

  “It’s too soon to say just yet what we’ll be doing,” I waffled, not at all certain that I was ready to admit what we were going to do for the chief of police.

  “You have to,” she said as she took my hands in hers. “I’m desperate here. This is all I’ve got, everything I’ve ever wanted in the world, and I can’t let one killer take it from me. Please, I’m begging you; help me.”

  It wouldn’t hurt to promise her something that I already planned on doing, and I was sure that Maddy wouldn’t mind me committing her to the investigation as well. In a very real way, I had already done just that with the police chief. “We’ll do what we can to track down the murderer, but I can’t make any promises. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I understand,” she said, the relief clear in her voice. “Thank you.”

  I was afraid that Gina was going to get her hopes up, and I hated the idea of disappointing her. “You need to understand that we can’t give you any guarantees,” I said.

  Gina’s smile faded slightly. “I know, but I feel better just knowing that you’re doing whatever you can.”

  She hugged me, and as she broke away from me, one of her staff was suddenly at her elbow. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a mass exodus at the checkout desk, and Haley is being overwhelmed. I was in the business center on m
y break, and then all of sudden it was like there was an explosion of people.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. Go back to your station, and I’ll take care of it myself,” Gina said, and I saw her wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. She squeezed my hand briefly, and then headed toward the front. I was glad I’d been able to give her at least a modicum of comfort. I just hoped that Maddy and I would be able to get her results.

  Bob and David approached me quickly the moment Gina left, and I readied myself for their questions.

  “Did Maddy actually go into that interview with Hurley without me?” Bob asked. “What was she thinking? For that matter, what were you doing? I should have been in there to represent both of you.”

  “Take it easy, Counselor,” I said. Lowering my voice, I added, “Kevin asked us for our help, and I agreed, but you have to promise to keep it quiet.”

  Bob and David both looked visibly relieved when they heard that Kevin Hurley had enlisted our assistance. I hated to take that feeling of comfort from them, but I had to do it. “That doesn’t mean that we’re off his suspect list, though. He wants us to, in his words, ‘keep our eyes and ears open’ and tell him if we learn anything new.”

  “He’s got a lot of nerve asking you both to do that,” David said.

  “It’s okay. After all, it’s not like we weren’t going to do it, anyway.”

  “You’re actually thinking about helping him?” Bob asked. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be for the two of you?”

  “We’ll be careful, and besides, it’s not like we haven’t done this before.”

  “I still don’t like it,” Bob said.

  I shrugged, and then turned to David. “Do you have anything you want to add?”

  He held up his hands in instant surrender. “I’m not foolish enough to believe that I have any right to tell you what you can and cannot do. I just hope you’ll be careful, and if there’s anything I can do to help, you’ll ask.”

  I kissed him, and then added one to Bob’s cheek as well.

  David protested, “Hey, I supported you and he didn’t. Why did he get a kiss, too?”

  “We know that you both care about us,” I said, “and we appreciate it.”

  “But you’re going to do what you want to anyway, right?” Bob asked a little wryly.

  “Absolutely,” I replied with a smile.

  “Hey, did I just see you kissing my fiancé?” Maddy asked with a grin as she approached us.

  “You did,” I admitted.

  She turned and kissed David’s cheek, and then said, “Well then, turnabout’s fair play.”

  “I’m not complaining,” David said with a grin, and Bob found a smile deep within himself. “I give up. You two are impossible; you know that, don’t you?”

  “We do our best,” Maddy said. She looked at me, and then added, “Kevin brought me up to speed. Should we get started snooping right now?”

  “You’re going to start digging into this immediately?” Bob asked.

  “There’s no time like the present,” I said, “and besides, the quicker we figure out who killed Luigi, the faster we can get back to the contest.”

  “Do you honestly think they’re still going to continue it after what happened this afternoon?” David asked me.

  “It’s a done deal,” Maddy said. “The chief got a call when I was in there being interrogated. Jack Acre is taking over as CEO of the company, and he’s decided to dedicate the rest of the competition to his boss’s memory. We’re still on.”

  “So let me get this straight. You’re going to try to solve a murder and win the grand prize?” David asked.

  “I don’t see any reason why we can’t do both,” I said.

  He just shook his head. “All I can say is good luck.” As he started to leave, he turned to Bob and asked, “Are you coming?”

  “I might as well,” Bob replied. “It’s clear that I’m not needed here.”

  Maddy stopped him, spun him around, and planted a solid kiss on his lips.

  “What was that for?” Bob asked as they finally broke apart.

  “I just wanted to show you that you might not be needed in our investigation, but you’re always wanted. Is that something you can live with?”

  Bob dabbed at his lips with his pristine handkerchief. “I suppose I can find a way to manage it,” he said with a grin.

  “Good. Now you two go on and take off. My sister and I have some sleuthing to do.”

  Chapter 8

  “Where should we get started?” I asked Maddy. “It’s all well and good to say that we’re going to help Kevin solve this murder, but we have so many suspects that I’m not sure where we should begin. Did he tell you how Luigi died?”

  Maddy shuddered a little. “Choking to death on a pizza jammed down your throat cannot be a pleasant way to go. I hope it wasn’t one of ours,” she added.

  “How could it be? We threw our slices away after that round was over, didn’t we?”

  “I honestly don’t remember, but Eleanor, if someone could stoop to murder, how hard would it be for them to grab a piece of pizza from the trash even if we did throw it away?”

  “You’ve got a point,” I said. There’d been something pressing on my mind the second I realized that Luigi had been murdered at the hotel, and I wanted to ask Maddy before we went any further with our investigation. “Maddy, I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor.”

  Maddy looked surprised by the request. “Just name it, and if I can grant it, it’s yours.”

  I felt a little like an idiot asking, but I went ahead anyway. “As much as I love having a luxury suite all to myself, is there any chance we could share yours? There are two bedrooms in each suite, and I’d feel a lot safer knowing that you were right there with me in the other room.”

  Maddy grinned. “I was thinking the exact same thing, but I felt kind of silly asking you about it. Do you want to move into my room, or should I come over and join you?”

  “I’ll be happy to move. Thanks, Sis.”

  “You bet,” she said. “Tell you what. Why don’t we do it now and get it out of the way? That way we can focus on who we should talk to first while you pack.”

  “It’s a deal,” I said.

  It didn’t take me long to grab my things, and as much as I’d enjoyed staying in such an elegant suite by myself, I’d meant what I’d said. Having Maddy nearby was more important than having a place like that alone. I would have shared a single bed with her if it meant that she’d be near, but in truth, I wasn’t really sacrificing much at all. One room was still plenty big enough for the two of us, and I doubted we’d be bumping into each other too much while sharing the space.

  Once I was settled into Maddy’s other bedroom, I immediately felt better. As I put the last pair of socks away, I turned to her and said, “I’m ready to get started if you are. Should we just start knocking on doors again like we did before, or should we try a more subtle approach this time?”

  “As hard as it’s going to be for you to believe, I think we should go for subtle, at least for now,” Maddy said. “While you were unpacking, I called Gina and asked her if any of the contestants were currently in the restaurant. She told me that the Charlotte team had just gotten there, so I asked her to save us a table beside them. What do you say to a little dining and sleuthing at the same time?”

  “It sounds as though we’re taking advantage of Gina’s good nature by eating in the restaurant every chance we get,” I said with a grin.

  “Hey, she asked us for our help, and we still have those Golden Tickets whether we’re snooping or not, right?”

  “Right,” I admitted.

  “Believe me, when I asked her, she sounded as though we were doing her a huge favor, and in a way, she was right. After all, we’re putting both our necks on the line here. Why shouldn’t we be rewarded for the chances we’re taking?”

  “When you put it that way, I have a hard time refuting it,” I said.

 
; “Good, that’s what I like to hear. So, let’s go grill a few fish, shall we?”

  “Lead on,” I said.

  When we got to the dining room, it took me a second to spot our competitors. They were deep in a discussion with Luigi’s brother, Frank Vincent. We sat down as quietly as we could near them, hoping they didn’t notice us. I doubted that Maddy and I were really all that stealthy, but their conversation was so earnest, we probably hadn’t had to be very sneaky to escape their attention. “I don’t care what arrangements or agreements you may or may not have had with my brother before he was murdered. As far as I’m concerned, the deal’s off,” Frank said. “Honestly, what did you think was going to happen?”

  “We didn’t kill him,” Kenny said. “Why would we? Anna and I had every reason in the world to want him to finish judging this contest by himself.”

  “Leave me out of it. I didn’t have anything to do with any of this,” Anna said strongly. “I just found out about what Kenny was up to an hour ago.”

  Frank looked toward her with a new softness in his eyes. “I believe you,” he said.

  “But you don’t believe me. Is that what you’re saying?” Kenny asked.

  Frank’s glance grew cold again as he looked back at Kenny. “Do you honestly think that my brother didn’t tell me about the conversation the two of you had yesterday afternoon?”

  Was that who we’d heard Luigi threatening upstairs? It was too much to believe that it was just a coincidence.

  “Kenny, you need to drop this,” Anna said.

  Kenny shot a look of anger in her direction. “Anna, if I want your opinion, I’ll ask you for it, but not until then. Understand?”

  “Sorry,” Anna said softly, but the look she gave him once he turned to Frank told me that if her boss ever turned up dead, we wouldn’t have to look far for a suspect.