Garden Vegetable Murder: Book 12 of The Darling Deli Series

by Patti Benning

  “The deli wasn’t much more than a hobby when I first opened it. I’m more surprised than anyone by how much it grew.”

  “You certainly seem to have a gift for attracting attention to your deli. I’m sure all of the publicity has helped.”

  “Publicity?” Moira asked, confused. “Oh, did David show you our website? The deli didn’t even have one until a few weeks ago. It took me a while to catch up with the times.”

  “I’m talking about all of the dead people that keep popping up around you. All of that scandal is certain to attract customers. Quite convenient, if you ask me.” Again suspicion flashed through the older woman’s eyes.

  “Mother,” David said sharply. “I told you before, Moira had nothing to do with any of the cases I spoke to you about. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Trish breathed out sharply and gave her son an annoyed glare, but turned her attention back to the food.

  “Sorry,” David muttered to her. “She’s seen a few too many crime shows. Ever since my father died, she’s been a bit over protective of Karissa and me.”

  “It’s all right,” the deli owner told him quietly. “I understand.”

  Despite her words, she couldn’t help but wish that David had refrained from telling Trish stories about the trouble she had found herself knee deep in over the past few months. It was hard to make a good impression on someone who already knew she had a propensity for stumbling across corpses. The older woman must be convinced that she was at best a troublemaker, at worst a criminal. Now the only question was, how could Moira prove her wrong?

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Okay, now look in the potted plants next to the door. Do you see the rocks? One of them is a fake, and the key is under that.”

  “I found it,” Moira said. Holding her cellphone with her shoulder, she picked up the plastic rock and opened the slide on the bottom to get to the key.

  “Thanks so much, Mom. I can’t believe I forgot to give you Felix’s blanket. He won’t sleep without it.”

  “I hope this makes him more comfortable at my house. He’s been so restless the past few nights.”

  “I’m sure he’ll settle right down when you give it to him,” her daughter said. The deli owner heard the sound of screams in the background, and then someone laughing.

  “I’ll be sure to lay it out on my bed as soon as I get back,” she said. “How’s Cedar Point?”

  “It’s awesome,” her daughter replied. “It’s been really hot the last few days, but other than that everything’s been perfect. Allison and I have special passes so we don’t have to wait in line for very long, which makes a huge difference. Tomorrow we’re leaving Sandusky and going down to Columbus, where we’ll spend a few days checking out the zoo and some other attractions.”

  “That sounds so nice, sweetie,” Moira said as she let herself up the stairs that led to Candice’s apartment. “I’m glad you were able to make the trip. Okay, I’m inside. What color is the blanket again? Where is it?”

  Following her daughter’s directions, she checked on top of the huge cat tower that she had gotten her daughter for her twenty-first birthday not long ago. Sure enough, a red and green felt plaid blanket was rumpled into a sort of nest on the highest platform. It was covered in cat fur, so Moira gave it a firm shake before folding it up and setting it on the counter next to her purse. The calico kitten wasn’t so little any longer, but he was still a baby and would appreciate the familiar blanket and the smells of home.

  Having the kitten at her house was a fun experience. The young cat seemed to have two modes—bundle of energy, and sound asleep. She enjoyed watching him race around her room, then sprawl across her pillow and pass out moments later. He only seemed ill at ease at night, when he would pace through her room mewing softly. Hopefully bringing his blanket over to her house would solve the issue. Though if he’s too perfect, I won’t want to give him back, she thought.

  Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention back to the present. It was a text from David.

  Meeting with Fred at last minute. I’ll be 20 mins late for lunch.

  She texted back letting him know that was fine, then she took a quick look around the apartment to make sure everything was in order, double-checked that the balcony doors were locked, then grabbed the key and blanket and left, locking the door behind her. Since she was already there and had some extra time, she decided she might as well go downstairs and see how Logan was doing at Candice’s Candies as well. He was a good kid, but being in charge of a store, even a small one, was a big responsibility for anyone.

  The young man greeted her with a bright smile when she walked through the front doors of the candy shop. It was cool inside, and a popular song was playing softly on the radio. There weren’t any customers in the store, and she could see that Logan had his homework spread out in front of him.

  “It seems peaceful in here,” she told him with a smile. “How has everything been going? Any problems so far?”

  “Everything’s been fine,” he told her. “The store gets really busy right after school lets out, but things have calmed down since then. Was that you I heard upstairs?”

  “It sure was; I had to stop and pick up something for Felix. Sorry, I should have thought to tell you—I wouldn’t have wanted you to think that someone was breaking in.”

  “That’s okay, I figured it was you or Eli.” He got up off the stool, stretched his arms, and wandered over to a shelf to straighten up some jars that had been bumped out of place. “How are the dogs doing? I miss seeing them all the time.”

  “Keeva and Maverick are both doing great, but I can tell they miss you too,” she told him. “Maybe when Candice gets back we can work together to figure out a way that you can still stop by and see them a couple of times a week. I do feel bad when I have to leave them home alone all day. Although… I suppose they aren’t alone if they have each other.”

  “I could probably come over on the weekends,” he said. “I know those days are busier at the deli anyway.”

  “Great! We’ll talk to Candice about it. I’m so glad everything has been going smoothly for you here. If you’re sure you don’t need any help, I’ll get going.”

  “Do you want anything for the road? Candice ordered a new brand of chocolate before she left, and she told me to encourage people to try it.”

  She turned her attention to the shelves and was debating with herself on which candy bar to buy when Logan made a soft sound of concern. Tearing her gaze away from the tempting chocolate bars on the shelves, she followed his gaze out the glass front window. She was surprised to see multiple police cruisers with flashing lights pulling into a parking lot kitty-corner from the candy shop. The sheer number of officers on scene meant that something really bad must have happened. When she realized that the cars were gathering in the lot adjoining David’s private detective agency, her stomach began to twist with fear.

  “What’s happening over there?” Logan asked, his tone interested but not yet frightened.

  “I don’t know,” Moira told him. Her voice was shaking. “But I’m going to go find out.”

  As much as she wanted to, she knew that walking straight over and asking the police what was going on would get her nowhere fast. They would just be annoyed by the intrusion and would likely do nothing more than ask her to leave the scene. Instead she forced herself to do the sensible thing; she returned to her car and called David. When he didn’t answer, she tried to assure herself that that was to be expected. She hadn’t seen any ambulances pull up. That meant he wasn’t hurt, right?

  Trying to reassure herself, she decided that the fuss probably had to do with one of his cases, but that he wasn’t in trouble. Maybe he had found important information, or had even performed a citizen’s arrest on someone. Surely, whatever had happened, he would call her back soon and tell her all about it. She decided to go park somewhere she could see what was happening in the meantime.

  When she eased her car out
of the parking lot and onto the main road, she was surprised to see even more police gathered in the parking lot beside David’s office. And… was that a coroner’s van? The fear that had been creeping up on her since the first cruiser had pulled into the parking lot turned into full-blown terror. A visit from the coroner’s van could mean only one thing: someone had died.

  Forgetting her earlier decision to wait for the police to leave and for David to contact her, she turned her car into the parking lot and threw it into park right behind one of the police cars. An officer saw her and immediately started making his way over. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, her eyes wide as she looked around for the private investigator’s familiar form.

  “Ma’am, I’m going to need to ask you to leave. This is official police business, and it isn’t safe for you to be here.”

  “I need to see David,” she said. “Is he okay?”

  “Ma’am—”

  She shook off the hand that he put on her arm, and saw a flash of annoyance cross his face. He was opening his mouth to say something else, something probably less polite than what he’d said so far, when she saw a team of men carrying a full body bag out of the building. She gasped and put out a hand to steady herself against her car.

  “David?” she whispered. “Is he…?”

  The police officer didn’t respond to her half-formed question. Instead, he grabbed her arm more firmly and guided her back to the driver’s seat of her car.

  “You have to leave, ma’am,” he said. “If you continue to resist, I’ll have to cite you for impeding a criminal investigation.”

  She sat numbly as he slammed her car door, unable to so much as reach for her keys, even as the officer was now gesturing at her to back up and leave the parking lot. Her gaze was glued to the door leading to David’s office, and she hoped with every fiber of her being that it hadn’t been him in that body bag.

  When she finally saw his familiar tall form with the salt-and-pepper hair, she let out a sob of relief. She didn’t know what was going on—someone had died here today, that was certain —but at least now she knew that David hadn’t been the one in the body bag, and for now, that was all that mattered.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Back at the deli after dropping off the cat’s special blanket at home, Moira couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened at David’s office. There were no clues on any of the local news sites, and Darrin swore he hadn’t heard anything either. She would just have to wait for David to contact her and fill her in on what was going on.

  Only a few minutes after she got settled at the register, something happened that took her mind off of the incident with the police. A man who appeared to be in his mid– to late-thirties, well-dressed with short, elegantly styled hair, walked into the deli and made a beeline towards her. He took his sunglasses off as he approached and offered her a charming smile. His teeth looked artificially white, but the smile seemed genuine.

  “Are you Moira Darling?” he asked.

  “I am,” she said, somewhat warily. She didn’t think she had ever seen this man before in her life. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m Kent Yukan,” he said. He offered his hand, which she shook. His grip was firm, and his hand was warm and dry. “It’s very nice to meet you; you’re just the woman I wanted to see.”

  He hadn’t answered her question, so she repeated it. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Yukan. What can I do for you?”

  “I actually have a business proposal to make. Would you like to come and join me at a table? It won’t take long, I promise.”

  She hesitated for only a second, then agreed. The man was pushy, but she really didn’t have anything better to do and welcomed the distraction. Besides, he had piqued her curiosity.

  “From what I understand, you’re the owner of this fine establishment, am I right?”

  She nodded.

  “From what I’ve heard, people really enjoy your food. Darling’s DELIcious Delights has become something of a tourist destination. I think with some work, this little deli could become known nationally.”

  Moira blinked. Did people really talk about her deli so much? And what did this man care? Maybe he’s an investor, she thought. This might be really good for the deli.

  “Really, you think so?” she asked.

  “Yes, definitely,” he said with a nod. “It’s probably a lot of work to keep it running though, isn’t it? A pretty woman like you, you must have a family to spend time with. I bet running this place takes most of your time.”

  Keeping the deli going did take a lot of work, but she didn’t really mind it. Since Candice was busy with her own store, Moira wasn’t missing out on time they’d be spending together. But she realized that the deli did occasionally interfere with her relationship with David. She hated feeling like she was putting him on the back burner, but he understood, right? He worked just as hard as she did.

  Shaking her head, trying to put thoughts of David out of her mind for the time being, she focused on the man in front of her.

  “I suppose it can get busy sometimes, but overall I enjoy it,” she said. Cutting to the chase, she added, “Is the deli something you’re interested in getting involved with?”

  “Yes, you could definitely say that.” Flashing her another smile, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a blank, unsealed envelope. “Inside is an offer. You don’t have to decide immediately, of course, but I’d love it if you’d take a look.”

  Sliding the envelope towards herself, Moira asked, “An offer for what?”

  “An offer to buy the deli, of course.”

  She paused with her fingertips on the envelope, shocked. Buy the deli?

  He must have seen the surprise on her face, because he gestured. “Open it,” he said.

  She did, unfolding the paper inside carefully. When she saw the number, her mouth fell open. She stared at it, certain that she had miscounted the zeros, but no… the number really was that high. With this much money, she’d never have to work again a day in her life, even if she lived to be a hundred.

  “Think about it,” he told her. “The offer stands until Sunday. My card is in that envelope too; call if you have any questions. When you make a decision, I’ll have my lawyers start drawing up the papers.”

  She stared at him speechless as he smiled, thanked her for her time, and left. Barely managing to gather her wits before Darrin came out to see what was going on, she folded the piece of paper up and stuck it back into the envelope. It looked like she had a lot to think about.

  ***

  Later that evening, Moira was curled up on the sofa in her living room with Felix sprawled across the cushion by her feet. She was attempting to read a romance novel, but she was finding it impossible to focus. Ever since she had let the police officer shoo her away from the crime scene, she had been going over possibilities in her head. Had one of David’s clients committed suicide, or perhaps had a heart attack or some sort of accident while meeting with him? Was it possible that David had been forced to kill someone in self-defense? She knew that speculating would get her nowhere, but she wasn’t able to help herself. At least whatever had happened, David didn’t seem to be in trouble because of it; he had sent her a text soon after she left, promising to come over to her house later that evening and talk to her.

  Maverick picked his head up off the rug and looked towards the window with a whine. Keeva followed his gaze, her tail beginning to thump against the floor. Recognizing the familiar signals from her dogs, Moira propped herself up on an elbow, craned her neck around, and peered over the top of the sofa out the window. Sure enough, David’s car was slowly rolling up the driveway.

  Not bothering to save her place in the book, she set it on the coffee table and got up, straightening her clothes. She opened the front door and slipped outside, standing barefoot on the porch to wait for him. As soon as he got out of his car, she shot him a smile. His face was grim, but his expression lightened when he saw her.
She decided not to tell him about the offer on the deli yet; he had enough to worry about without being dragged into her own problems as well.

  “Hi,” he said, pausing for a quick kiss before following her into the house.

  “Thanks so much for coming over,” she told him as the dogs greeted him. “I’ve been worried sick. When I saw that body bag, I thought…”

  She trailed off, but knew that he would understand what she meant.

  “I’m so sorry for worrying you,” he said. “I know that must have been frightening. If I had seen you there, I would have told the officers to let you by.”

  “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said. “What happened?”

  It was what she had been waiting all day to find out. She knew David’s job had its ups and downs, but she had never seen anyone directly hurt by his work before. Surely this must have been some sort of accident?

  David hesitated, then said, “Fred was killed.”

  “Oh, no. Killed? As in murdered?” She bit her lip. Poor Fred. She had met him a few times, although he had seemed a bit scatterbrained, he was a sweet older man. Had he involved David in the wrong sort of case? Was David himself in danger now?

  “Yes, unfortunately.” He grimaced, and she saw that whatever had happened had affected him deeply. Of course it did, she thought. Someone he knew was murdered, and in his office no less.

  “How did it happen?” she asked him softly.

  “He was stabbed.” He sat down on the couch next to Felix and stroked the cat’s back, but didn’t say anything else. Tentatively Moira sat next to him.

  “Do you know who did it?” she asked.

  He paused, his hand halfway down Felix’s spine. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

  “No,” he said.

  Moira blinked. She had known David for nearly a year. Granted, that wasn’t enough time to know everything about someone, but she had spent a lot of time watching his face, learning his expressions and the shape of his smile. She liked to think that she could tell when he was being honest with her, and she was pretty sure that he had just lied.