Killer Crust (A Pizza Lovers Mystery)

by Chris Cavender

  “Be my guest,” he said.

  I took the light and walked over to the edge of the parking lot where we’d seen the twins talking to the stranger. Shining the light down into the dirt, I saw that someone had taken a broken tree branch and had obscured the footprints that must have been there at one point.

  “We’re too late. They beat us to it,” I told Maddy.

  “Do you think he saw us, or is he just really careful about covering his tracks, no pun intended?”

  “It looks like this is fresh,” I said as I knelt down beside the dirt, “But I’m really no judge. Hank, what do you think?”

  He took the flashlight from me, and then leaned down so he could get a better look at the dirt from a horizontal angle. Touching it lightly with his index finger, he studied the dirt deposited there, and then his fingertip. “It’s fresh, all right. Whoever did this didn’t act until twenty or thirty minutes ago, unless I miss my guess.”

  “What were you, a buffalo tracker in another life?” Maddy asked him with a smile.

  “I was the next best thing. I was a Boy Scout growing up, and before I was a cop, I was in the military police. You’d be amazed the kinds of things they all taught me along the way.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” Maddy said as she turned back and looked at me. “What do we do now?”

  I got the flashlight, and then searched the surrounding ground. It took me a few minutes, but I finally found the tree branch I was looking for.

  Holding one end up, I said, “This was cut with a knife, and the sap’s still oozing a little.”

  “As rough as that bark is, there’s absolutely no chance of getting any fingerprints off it,” Hank said.

  “Or any evidence of a crime at all, for that matter,” Maddy added. “What are we looking at, when it comes down to it? Someone rubbed a branch across the dirt. It’s not exactly the caper of the century.”

  “No, but it tells us that whoever did this was being pretty careful. I have a hunch that he was covering up more than a meeting with the twins.”

  “I don’t mean to be nosy, but would you two mind telling me what’s going on?” Hank asked.

  What could it hurt, now that he knew what we were doing? Once we brought Hank up to speed on that particular angle of our investigation, he said, “That’s curious, isn’t it? My only question is how can we be sure that this had something to do with the contest or the murder? I know it sounds crazy, but it could just be a coincidence.”

  “Think about it. If it was all aboveboard, why did they make their exchange in the exact space where no one could see them?” I asked.

  “That’s a good point. We should go talk to the twins.”

  “I think the police chief already beat us to it,” Maddy said.

  “That’s all well and good, but I want to confront them with this directly,” Hank said, pounding the heavy light in his hand. “Are you ladies interested in coming with me?”

  It was clear that Hank was in full-on cop-mode, but I wasn’t about to let him take the investigation away from us. “Slow down. Remember, Maddy and I are running things. You can come along as backup, but only if you promise to behave yourself.”

  “What if I think of something you forget to ask?” Hank asked.

  “Then say something to one of us, but we’re in charge. Understood?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, that’s fine. What should I do, stand behind you and try to look intimidating?”

  “I’m not sure how hard you have to try to look that way,” I said with a smile to take away some of the sting.

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  He stopped at the desk, no doubt to check in, but I heard him ask what room the twins were staying in. I tugged his sleeve as the clerk checked the computer. “We already know where they’re staying. They’re just down the hall from us.”

  “Sorry. Old habits die hard.”

  We all got into the elevator, and as we rode up to our floor, Maddy asked softly, “Do you have any idea about how we should handle this?”

  “I think Hank is right. Let’s just come right out and ask them what they were doing out there this evening.”

  Maddy said, “Just remember. They’ve already declined to tell us once.”

  “But I wasn’t with you then,” Hank said.

  “Why not? What have we got to lose?” I asked.

  We got off the elevator and walked down to the room we’d seen the twins exiting earlier. Once we were all standing there in front of the door, I knocked firmly.

  When one twin answered, he didn’t look all that pleased to see any of us standing there. He was wearing his own brown robe, and it had a T embossed on it, so I knew that it was Todd, unless the brothers had exchanged robes. He frowned at us for a full five seconds, which felt like a lifetime, before he asked, “What is it? Don’t you two ever spend time in your own rooms? And who’s the goon you brought with you this time?”

  “I’m the head of Security here at the complex,” Hank said.

  I waved a hand at Hank behind my back to remind him he was supposed to be quiet, but when I answered Todd, I knew that I wasn’t about to tell him that Maddy and I were bunking together ourselves. “Listen, we all know that we saw what happened in the parking lot. What was in the envelope that you handed to Jack Acre? Was it a bribe so you’ll win the competition?”

  Todd was about to answer when Hank took a step forward toward him. He was almost in the room now.

  “Don’t bother lying to us,” he said coldly. “We want the truth.”

  Todd studied him for a second, and then called back over his shoulder to his brother, “Reggie, you need to come here right now.”

  His brother was dressed identically, with the exception of the R on his robe instead of a T. “What do they want?” he asked as he looked at Hank, and then us. I wasn’t happy about the Security head trying to take charge, but I couldn’t exactly drag him back into the hallway without looking like a complete idiot.

  “They think we were paying Jack Acre off so we could win the contest,” Todd said simply. “Do you want to explain the truth to them, or should I?”

  “What exactly did you see?” Reggie asked us. I noticed that he addressed it to Hank as well as to us, but it was only natural, since the man was head of Security at the complex and happened to currently be blocking their only way out.

  “It is clear that an envelope exchanged hands in that parking lot,” Hank said. “We want to know what was in it.”

  So much for Hank following my instructions.

  “It was Jack Acre, wasn’t it?” I asked firmly, shooting Hank a warning look as I did. The second it sunk in why I was upset, he looked apologetic and even took a step back into the hallway so he wasn’t such a looming presence.

  “Wrong. It was nobody you’d know,” Reggie said.

  “Tell us who it was then, and we’ll leave you alone,” Maddy replied.

  “If you have to know, we owed a man some money, and he was pretty insistent on being paid back immediately.”

  “Is he from Timber Ridge?” I asked.

  “No, he’s from Raleigh, just like we are,” Todd explained. “Why would we know anybody in this smudge of a town?”

  “And you’re telling me that he drove all this way just to collect?” I asked.

  Todd smiled without warmth. “Believe me, he would have come a lot farther than he did if he had to in order to get paid.”

  Hank spoke up again, forgetting again that I was in charge. I still was, wasn’t I? At that point, I couldn’t really be sure anymore. Hank said, “What’s his name and contact information so we can confirm your story?”

  “Hank,” I said abruptly. “We’ve got this.”

  He shrugged once in my direction, as though I’d annoyed him this time with my presence, but kept his gaze on the twins.

  “I don’t care who wants to know this guy’s name, because I’m not going to tell you,” Reggie said, “and neither is my brother. Trust me when I tell you that h
e can do a lot worse things to us than anybody in Timber Ridge could ever dream of.”

  “Where’d you get the money all of a sudden to pay him off?” Maddy asked.

  “What?” Reggie asked. “Why is that any of your business?”

  “It just stands to reason,” Maddy said. “If you couldn’t pay him off in Raleigh but you can now, where did the money suddenly come from?”

  “Listen, I’ve tried to indulge you three, but you have no right to question us, and my brother and I don’t have to answer anything else. Now go away.”

  With that, he slammed the door in our faces.

  I turned to look at Hank critically. “What happened to the strong and silent type you were supposed to emulate? You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?” I was angry at him, but even madder at myself for letting him step in and take over.

  “I can’t help it,” he said plaintively. “Old instincts just kicked in, and I couldn’t stop myself.”

  “Well, you’ll just have to forgive me if we don’t invite you along on any more interviews,” I said.

  Maddy asked Hank, “What’s your professional opinion based on your extensive experience? Were they lying to us just now?”

  Hank thought it over for ten seconds, and then replied, “I can’t say for sure. I’m not a walking polygraph.”

  “No, but every cop I’ve ever known—retired or otherwise—has had a sixth sense about that kind of thing,” she explained. “What does your gut tell you?”

  I could see Hank mulling it over again, and finally he said, “There was money in the envelope, I’m pretty sure about that, but I can’t say if they were paying someone back, or trying to fix the competition.”

  “Good,” I said. “At least that’s something.”

  “Listen, I really am sorry about stepping on your toes back there. Give me another chance. I’ll prove I can keep my comments and questions to myself.”

  “It won’t be necessary, at least for tonight,” I said.

  “You’re not finished questioning suspects, are you?” Hank asked, clearly disappointed with my answer.

  “Listen, we appreciate your enthusiasm and all, but it’s late, and we have a big day tomorrow,” Maddy explained. “We’ll walk you to the elevator.”

  “It’s not necessary,” he said.

  “Oh, but we insist.”

  I wasn’t sure why she was making a point about seeing him get on, but I knew better than to disagree with her. After Hank was on the elevator and the doors closed, we watched the numbers until they showed that he’d gone directly to the hotel’s lobby with no stops along the way.

  “What was that all about?” I asked.

  “I don’t want anyone to know that you’re staying with me in my suite,” she said simply.

  “Even the head of Security for the entire complex?”

  “Well, now’s not the time to start making exceptions,” Maddy said as she moved to her suite and unlocked the door.

  “Is there a chance that you don’t trust him?” I asked once we were safely inside.

  “Right now, you’re the only one I trust in the entire place. Gina is close to being in the clear, but I’m not even willing to vouch for her at this point.”

  I laughed and hugged my sister. “Thanks for letting me make the cutoff.”

  “I wouldn’t have, but neither one of us had time to kill Luigi without the other one knowing about it. In essence, we’re great as each other’s alibis.”

  “Why don’t I feel so warm and fuzzy anymore?” I asked.

  “Who knows? It pays to be paranoid, Sis, and neither one of us should forget it.”

  “Got it. Do you want to shower first, or should I?” I asked.

  “No, you go for it. I’m going to call Bob and bring him up to date on what we’ve been doing. It will also give me a chance to see if he’s learned anything digging around on the outside of all of this.”

  “Just don’t stay up talking too late,” I said. “We still have two pizzas to make tomorrow, besides trying to solve Luigi’s murder on the side.”

  “Hey, you know me; I thrive on multitasking. Do you have any ideas about how we should tackle the deep dish competition tomorrow?”

  “Well, given the fact that Jack Acre is our new judge, it’s not going to be a simple concoction again. At least I’ve had some experience in the past making deep dish. I’m not sure our competitors have ever even tried to make one.”

  “So, that gives us a leg up at this stage,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t say that, but at least we won’t be at a complete disadvantage. Don’t forget, we’re in a dead heat right now, so it’s anybody’s game. With Luigi gone, we still actually stand a chance of winning.”

  “I’ve got faith in us. Good night, Eleanor.”

  “ ’Night,” I said, and then grabbed a quick shower. It felt luxurious, and after I got out, I glanced toward Maddy’s bedroom door, but it was closed. I could hear voices, so she was most likely still talking to Bob. I thought about calling David, but our relationship wasn’t at the point where we checked in with each other every night before we called it a night and went to bed. Maybe someday, but just not yet. I thought about Joe as I drifted off to sleep. He would have hated staying at the hotel, no matter how nice the accommodations were. He was, down to his very core, a homebody, and after we’d finished rehabbing our Craftsman-style cottage, he’d been loathe to spend even a single night away from it. My thoughts were comforting as I fell asleep thinking of the only two men I’d ever really loved, and how lucky I was to have had both of them in my life.

  All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to end the day.

  Chapter 11

  The next morning came much too early, in my opinion. I’d forgotten to set the bedside alarm or ask for a wake-up call, but my phone was set to ring every day when it was time to get up. I could have probably slept a little longer, but as I awoke, I smelled something wonderful coming from the common lounge area of our suite.

  Maddy was reading the paper and nibbling on breakfast when I walked out in my robe and jammies. “Good morning, sleepyhead. I was just about to come in and wake you.”

  “When did you order all of this?” I asked as I grabbed my covered plate. It was a western omelet, made just the way I liked it. There were strawberries and fresh orange juice on the tray as well, both my morning favorites.

  “I called it in last night after I hung up with Bob. You don’t mind me ordering for you, do you?”

  “Are you kidding? I love it.” I took my first bite and let the explosion of cheese, egg, ham, and green pepper fill my mouth. “This is amazing.”

  “I’d expect nothing less from the staff here,” Maddy said as she took another bite of her eggs Benedict.

  After polishing off another forkful, I asked my sister, “Was Bob able to come up with anything for us yesterday?”

  “He had a little luck, but mostly he was frustrated by his lack of progress. I tried to tell him that we seasoned investigators were used to the process, but he didn’t buy it.”

  “What was he able to find out?”

  Maddy took a sip of her grapefruit juice, and then said, “Well, Tina Lance is the real deal. She worked on several notable newspapers throughout the South before coming to Charlotte, and she’s more than just the food critic for her little paper. She owns the majority of it as well, and is its managing editor.”

  “That just makes sense. We figured she must be legit after we confirmed that the contest was rigged from the start,” I said.

  “Regardless, it made Bob all kinds of happy when he told me on the phone.”

  “Was he able to come up with anything else?” I asked.

  “There’s one thing that’s pretty huge, actually. Evidently Luigi was carrying a pretty large insurance policy on his life,” Maddy said.

  That got my attention. “How much?”

  “It’s around a million bucks, after all is said and done,” she answered.

  “And who get
s the money? Does it go to his brother, or is someone else getting it?”

  “Bob is still working on that. He’s having trouble getting anything more specific out of the insurance company without pushing them too hard.”

  “He shouldn’t take any chances with his reputation on our account,” I said.

  “That’s the exact same thing that I told him,” Maddy said, and then finished her breakfast and pushed the tray away. “I had a thought, if you’re interested in pursuing another angle.”

  “I’m listening,” I said.

  “Do you have any interest in calling Art Young and seeing what he might be able to find out?”

  “Seriously? I didn’t think you were one of the man’s fans.” That was an interesting development, since most of the time Maddy tried to keep me away from my friend. She believed that his shady reputation was well earned. Art and I had bonded over the years, much to my sister’s—and most of Timber Ridge’s—dismay. I knew that our association had cost me some business in the past, but honestly, I didn’t care. A friend was a friend, and while I had no proof that he’d ever done anything illegal, I did know that he had plenty of connections on the shadier side of the street.

  “I suppose that he might be able to help.”

  Maddy shrugged. “Bob has hinted to me on several occasions that Luigi may have had some ties to the dark side of Charlotte, and I was just wondering if Art might ask around about him for you.”

  “They don’t have club meetings, you know,” I said. “It’s not like he’d automatically know what Luigi was up to.” My voice must have gotten a little shrill, and I knew it, but I couldn’t seem to stop it. I was more than a little defensive when it came to my friend.

  “It was just a thought,” she said.

  As I ate my breakfast, I considered the idea on its merits. I knew that Art had some connections in Charlotte, but I wasn’t all that certain I wanted to exploit our friendship. “Why don’t we put it on the back burner for now and see what happens today?”

  “That sounds like an excellent plan,” my sister said, dismissing it as though the subject had never come up in the first place. “So, are we sleuthing with the time we have right now, or are we going to focus on making pizza?”