A Slice of Murder

by Chris Cavender

  His alternate choice was clearly more for my attire than his. “No, I’ll go to Raphael’s with you. Reservations are impossible to get there, and I’d hate for you to waste one.”

  “I can go there anytime,” he said. “Wild Steer sounds good.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure,” I said.

  “Just give me a second to change, and we can go.”

  “You brought more than one outfit for our dinner?” I’d barely caught myself in time not to say “date.” Even if it was one, I wasn’t about to name it as such.

  “Hey, I used to be a Boy Scout, remember? ‘Be prepared’ is a credo I’ve taken to heart.”

  He went out and grabbed a bag from his car, came back, and vanished into the bathroom. Three minutes later he was in blue jeans, cowboy boots, and the dress shirt he’d already had on. “How’s that?” he asked.

  “Good,” I reluctantly acknowledged. It appeared that no matter how I tried to sabotage the evening, David was ready for me. Maybe Maddy was right. Perhaps I should stop worrying about my baggage and try to have fun.

  I wasn’t making myself any promises, but I owed it to David to at least try.

  As we drove to the Wild Steer, I asked David, “Did you bring clothes to change to suit mine, or did they just happen to be in your car?”

  “That depends. Which answer gets me more points?”

  “Nobody’s keeping score, David. I’m just curious.”

  He shrugged. “I figured you might not have time to change, since you’ve been working all day. But if you did, I wanted to be ready for you.” David smiled as he added, “I’m more comfortable in jeans anyway. How about you?”

  “I wear them to work every day,” I said. “It’s one of my favorite parts of running the pizzeria.”

  “What other parts do you like?” he asked.

  “Let’s see. There’s a lot to be said for being your own boss. On the other hand, I’m the hardest, most demanding employer I’ve ever had. The hours can be brutal, but I’ve got no one to complain to if they are.”

  He chuckled. “I asked you for pluses, Eleanor.”

  I took a deep breath, then said, “I love working with Maddy. And I really enjoy making pizza. There’s something in me that enjoys satisfying people’s basic needs. They come in hungry, and if I’ve done my job right, they leave happier than when they came in. The Slice is more than a pizzeria, though. Business deals are made there, and first dates, too.”

  “But not ours,” he said.

  “No, of course not. That’s not what I meant. I was talking about teenagers. There aren’t many places they can afford. I like to think I’m providing a public service to the community.”

  “You won’t get any arguments from me,” he said as he pulled into the parking lot of the steak house. It wasn’t crowded yet, but there was a respectable number of cars there.

  I started to open my door when David said, “Hang on one second.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re one of those men who insist on getting doors and holding out chairs,” I said.

  “As a matter of fact, I am, but that’s not why I wanted you to wait.” He turned in his seat and looked at me before speaking again. “I have no delusions about this date, no expectations. I can’t begin to know how much you loved your husband, or how hard this is for you to do this. All I ask is that you try to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s a chance to get away from the Slice for an hour or two, but don’t read anything else into it. I believe we have enough in common to have a nice evening, no more and no less.”

  I bit my lip, then asked, “Do you always make long speeches before you feed your dates?”

  “Not always,” he said with a slight grin. “I just think those things needed to be said.”

  “Well, you’ve said them. Now, let’s go see about getting me that steak you promised.”

  He nodded, and as he got out, I had my hand on the door before I remembered that David wanted to open it for me. I’d gone through stages in my life where I’d resented the courtesy, but thankfully I’d grown out of it. Why shouldn’t I let him show me that he respected me, and wanted me to feel special? It wasn’t exactly slapping me in the face with a wet fish, no matter what Maddy thought about the practice. She was a little too modern for my taste, and if a man wanted to open a door for me, or pick up a check, I wasn’t about to discourage the practice.

  “Thanks,” I said as he opened the door.

  “You’re most welcome.”

  We walked across the parking lot, and he held the restaurant door open for me. There were two sets—an airlock of sorts—and just because I could, I held the second door open for him.

  “Thank you,” he said as he walked through. Whether he knew it or not, that was a test, and he’d just passed it. It took a strong man to open a door for me, but I felt it took an even stronger one to accept the gesture from me as well. Since I had no intention of reaching for the check, the door was the best opportunity to learn more about David.

  While we were waiting for a hostess to appear, I looked around the restaurant. The owners had taken the country theme to extremes, with wagon wheels hanging from the ceilings and hardwood floors underneath. The tables looked like they would fit into any Wild West saloon, and country music flooded the place. I half expected to see bales of hay at some point, but so far, they’d resisted the temptation.

  We were soon shown to a table by a buxom young blonde who seemed to take an inordinate amount of interest in my dinner date. After we were seated, she made sure to linger over him long enough to give him a broad smile and a not so subtle wink.

  After she was gone, I said, “I think you’ve got yourself a fan.”

  “Sally’s harmless,” David said. “She flirts like that with everyone.”

  “Does she have the opportunity to flirt with you much?” I asked as I studied the menu.

  “I eat here every now and then,” he admitted, before perusing his own menu.

  After seating a young man more her age nearby—without even a modicum of flirting, I noticed—she retrieved a basket of bread and sped to our table.

  “I know how you like hot rolls,” she said.

  I honestly wasn’t sure if she even knew I was there.

  “Do you have any butter?” I asked, just to see if she’d make eye contact.

  “Your waitress will take care of you,” she replied without looking at me at all. Before she left, she put a hand on David’s. “Now, if there’s anything I can do to make your evening more pleasant, you be sure to let me know.”

  “Well, you could start with some butter,” David said as he pulled his hand away.

  “It would be my pleasure,” she said.

  I started laughing the second she was out of earshot. “My, my, my. Why do I feel like the third wheel here?”

  “Like I said, Sally’s harmless. Trust me.”

  “I’m not sure I can,” I said.

  “We could always go somewhere else if it bothers you,” he offered.

  “Don’t be silly. I can remember a crush or two when I was that age.”

  He shook his head. “I hope you know that I’ve done nothing to encourage her,” he said as a waiter approached, decked out in cowboy boots, blue jeans, and a pearl-buttoned shirt.

  “Talking about Sally? It’s true, she likes old…older men,” our waiter said. “My name’s Roscoe, and I’ll be waiting on you tonight.”

  “Roscoe? Really?” I asked.

  He leaned forward, mostly toward me. “Actually, it’s Danny, but I like to try out different characters while working here. I’m a drama major at the college.”

  “How lovely,” I said, then turned my attention back to the menu. “Roscoe,” I told him with a smile, “I’d love a Coke and an ice water to start.”

  He nodded, then turned to David. “And you, sir?”

  “The same,” David said.

  “Be right back,” he said as he tipped a nonexistent hat to me.

  “That’s fun,” I said. “I
wonder what character Sally’s playing?”

  “I doubt they all do it,” David said with a laugh.

  “More’s the pity,” I replied.

  After our drinks arrived and we ordered, I noticed Sally watching us. “She’s really something, isn’t she?”

  He glanced over at her, then shook his head. “She’s nine years old.”

  I looked at her again. “I’d say twice that, and perhaps add a year or two to it.”

  “I didn’t notice,” he said. “So tell me, have you always wanted to run a pizzeria?”

  “No. Actually, it was Joe’s idea, but like most of his plans, he had a way of infecting me with passion for it. There was something about him that made people want to please him, including me. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I do,” he said.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about him during dinner.”

  “Nonsense,” David said. “He was a big part of your life. Why wouldn’t you talk about him?” He took a bite of bread, then said, “Your sister leaves quite a wake wherever she goes, doesn’t she?”

  There was no judgment in his voice as he said it, so I decided to take it in the good nature he clearly intended. “Maddy’s a firm believer in the institution of marriage. She swears she’s on the lookout for her next husband, and I honestly don’t know if I believe her or not.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with wanting someone else in your life,” David said.

  “Nor is there anything wrong with being by yourself.”

  “No, but it can get lonely sometimes,” he said.

  The tone of our conversation was getting much too serious for my taste. “You could always ask Sally out.”

  “I’m not that lonely,” he said with a smile.

  “Why, don’t you think she’s attractive? And don’t lie to me.”

  “I never said she wasn’t beautiful,” he said.

  “I said ‘attractive,’ but that’s okay. So, are you telling me you haven’t been tempted to ask her out?”

  David looked surprised by the very idea of it. “I have no desire to look like an old fool chasing a young girl. No thanks.”

  A couple in the corner caught my eye, and when I looked at them, I saw them both look immediately away. “That’s just great,” I said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t look now, but the people at that table were just talking about us.”

  To his credit, he didn’t pivot and stare at them. Instead, he stretched and managed to sneak a peek that way.

  “They aren’t looking at us now. Why should they care if we’re out having dinner together?”

  “It’s the murder that makes me interesting to them. I just know it.”

  “Come on, Eleanor, isn’t there the least chance you’re imagining it?”

  “No,” I said flatly. “Half the town probably thinks I killed Richard Olsen.”

  “Then that leaves half that doesn’t,” he said.

  “I know that. Otherwise we wouldn’t have any customers at the Slice. I still don’t have to like it, though.”

  “Would you like me to say something to them?” he asked as he put his napkin on the table.

  “Don’t you dare,” I said as I put a hand on his arm.

  He shrugged, then repositioned the napkin. “Then let’s just ignore them, okay?” He pointed over my shoulder and said, “Perfect timing.”

  I turned to see Roscoe, aka Danny, carrying two steaks on a tray, along with potatoes piled high with butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives and a platter of green beans.

  After we got our food, Roscoe refilled our drinks, then faded into the background.

  Eating took my mind off everything else, and if Chief Hurley himself had walked in at that moment, it couldn’t have spoiled the mood.

  After we were finished, I saw that Sally had gone off duty. I nudged David as I said, “She’s probably out in the parking lot getting ready to follow us home.”

  “I guess it’s just the price of being a handsome, desirable man,” he said with a smile.

  “My, don’t we think the world of ourselves.”

  “So it’s not just me? Good, I think you’re attractive, too. What do you say? Are you up for a little dancing? How about a movie? I’m game for anything; all you have to do is ask.”

  “I’m sorry, but I really do have to get back to the pizzeria,” I said.

  He frowned in disappointment at my response for a split second, and if I hadn’t been watching him closely, I’m sure I would have missed it. It was instantly replaced with a smile. “The Slice it is.”

  We chatted on the drive back to my restaurant, and when he came to the parking area out front, I said, “You don’t need to walk me in. Thanks for a lovely evening. You know what? I had fun.”

  “So did I,” he said. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow night? We could do it again, if you’d like.”

  “Maddy and I just take one night a week away from the restaurant,” I said. While it was true we’d come to that agreement when she’d first come to work for me, it hadn’t panned out. She hadn’t found anyone worth dating, and it hadn’t been an issue with me, either.

  “Then I’ll see you in seven days,” he said. “Not that I won’t come by in the meantime. That’s still allowed, isn’t it?”

  “I never said I’d go out with you again,” I said softly.

  “No, but you didn’t say you wouldn’t, either.”

  He started to get out when I put a hand on his shoulder. “No need to get out. Thanks again.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” he said.

  I walked back toward the restaurant, then turned around just as I walked in.

  He was smiling at me, and I waved quickly before ducking inside.

  “Tell me everything,” Maddy said before I could get my coat off.

  “You’re supposed to be cooking,” I said in a whisper.

  “I am,” she whispered back. “But Greg saw you drive up, so I came rushing out here. Come on, don’t hold out on me.”

  “Let’s talk about it in back,” I said as I grabbed her arm and walked her toward the kitchen.

  “Spoilsport,” she said as I saw Greg grinning at me.

  “What are you smiling at?” I asked.

  “Me? Nothing. I’m not smiling at all,” Greg replied.

  “All evidence to the contrary,” I said.

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an enigma.”

  Maddy and I walked into the kitchen, but before I could start to tell her about my evening, I saw something moving in my office.

  “Call Kevin Hurley,” I said as I reached for a cleaver. “We have company.”

  As Maddy’s face paled and she reached for the telephone, a voice said, “There’s no need to call him. I’m not ready to see him yet.”

  “Josh, how did you sneak in here?” I asked.

  “I’ve got a key to the back,” the young man said. “It’s a good thing, too, because it’s the only way I was going to come by.”

  “You must have forgotten to put the beam back up after you let Kevin out,” Maddy said.

  “Does it really matter?” Josh snapped. “Eleanor, I don’t appreciate you having Greg kick me out of his place.”

  “Would you like a list of things I don’t appreciate?” I asked. “It might start with being accused of murder, or maybe even having both your mother and father come into my kitchen and tell me what to do, all because of you.”

  “They did that?” he asked softly.

  “Yes, what a shock. Your parents both love you, and they’re worried about you.” I reached up and smacked him not so gently on the side of the head.

  He pulled back and rubbed the spot. “What was that for?”

  “Don’t be such a baby. I barely hit you. The next time you think about doing something stupid like running away, I suggest you remember that.”

  “I wasn’t running away,” Josh said.

  “Funny, you surely gave your parents
that impression.” I told Maddy, “You need to cover the front.” To my surprise, she didn’t even complain as she left.

  “That’s because no one ever listens to me.”

  I finally took the time to notice Josh’s appearance. His clothes were wrinkled, and his shirttail wasn’t tucked into his khakis. Not only that, but his hair lacked its usual careful styling.

  “I’m listening now,” I said. “What’s going on?”

  “I tried to tell Dad what I saw, but he wouldn’t believe me. He just kept saying that I was trying to cover for you. When I knew he wasn’t going to do anything to protect me, I decided I had to do something on my own.”

  I pushed him down to a stool we kept in the kitchen. “You’re not making any sense. Who’s after you?”

  “That’s just it,” he said. “I never got a good look at who was in the other car.”

  “What car, Josh?” It was like pulling weeds in July, extracting information from him.

  “The car chasing Richard Olsen the night he was murdered.”

  That certainly got my attention. “Okay, take a deep breath, and start at the beginning. I want to hear everything.”

  He nodded, but then he started to get up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m thirsty,” he said. “I just want to get a drink.”

  “You stay right there,” I said. “I’ll get it for you.”

  I walked out to the dining room and filled up a glass with Coke. Maddy hurried over to me and hissed, “What did he say?”

  “I don’t know yet. He was thirsty, so I’m getting him a drink.”

  “Are you going to give him a neck rub, too? Come on, Eleanor.”

  “Leave it alone, Maddy. I know what I’m doing.”

  “If you’re so smart, how do you know he’s still back there? The door’s unbolted, remember?”

  “You’ve got a cynical view of the world, don’t you?”

  Maddy smiled, but there was no humor in it. “Funny how often I’m right, though, isn’t it?”

  I carried the Coke toward the back, not sure if Josh would still be there when I got into the kitchen again.