Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder

by Chris Cavender

Once we were outside, Maddy said, “You gave up too easily in there. What about poking the nest?”

  “It felt like kicking him when he was down,” I admitted. “Can you believe he’s trying to make some kind of restitution?”

  “Frankly, no,” Maddy said. “Who’s to say that was his money he was really counting? Or how he managed to get it?”

  I shook my head. “You don’t trust anybody, do you?”

  “Me, a hundred percent. You, about eighty-five. Everybody else in the world is on probation.”

  “Wow, I know I should feel honored, but somehow I don’t.”

  We were still sitting in Maddy’s car when a long black limousine pulled up in front of Roger’s business. I kept waiting for the passenger to get out, but instead, Roger came out and handed a thick envelope through an open window in back of the car.

  As soon as he made the handoff, the car sped off, and Roger hurried back inside.

  “What was that all about?” I asked.

  Maddy put her car in drive, and then said, “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  She started heading in the direction that the limousine had just taken, but we were three blocks away before we both realized that we’d somehow lost them.

  “How did that happen?” Maddy asked. “He was right there.”

  “I don’t know. Did you realize that someone in town had his own limo?”

  “I didn’t have a clue,” she admitted. “That’s really odd, isn’t it?”

  “It’s just one more thing to add to the list.”

  As she wheeled the car around, I asked, “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t think we’re finished with Roger Henderson, do you?”

  “Not on your life.”

  We got back to Roger’s office, but to my surprise, his car was gone. “Where did he go?” I asked. “He was just here.”

  “Cars keep disappearing on us, don’t they?” Maddy frowned. “Is there anyone else we can run off before we start work at the Slice this morning?”

  “I’d like to talk to Katy,” I said. “Clara’s the only other name on our list, but I’m not really in the mood to go up against her first thing in the morning, are you?”

  “We don’t seem to be faring too well in the exchanges, do we?” She paused a moment, then asked, “Then what should we do?”

  “Greg’s coming in at noon, so we can ask him about Katy then. As for Clara, I’m still trying to figure out how to get her back for what she did to us.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Maddy said.

  “Do you care to share it with me?”

  She shook her head, but I didn’t like the grin she had. “Trust me, the less you know about this, the better. There’s something to be said for plausible deniability.”

  “Normally I’d say don’t do anything we might regret, but right now, I honestly don’t care.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Maddy said.

  As my sister started driving, I realized we were going in the opposite direction of the Slice. “Where are we headed?”

  “Just have a little patience.”

  It took me a minute to realize that we were heading for Clara’s house, and I wondered what my sister had in mind, but I wasn’t going to find out just yet.

  She wasn’t home, and from the look of the newspapers piled up on her front porch, she hadn’t been there for at least three days.

  But where could she have gone? We’d seen her around town, so she hadn’t gone far.

  Then it hit me. If she wasn’t staying at her own place, there was only one other place she might be.

  “Come on,” I told Maddy. “I think I know where she is.”

  We got back in the car, and I said, “Head over to Wade’s house.”

  “Do you honestly think she’d stay there, instead of here?”

  “Where else could she be?”

  Maddy nodded. “It’s as good a place as any to start looking for her.”

  When we got to Wade’s, I was surprised to see a line of trash in front of the place. It appeared that Clara had decided to clean house in the most basic sense of the term.

  “Wow, that’s kind of harsh, isn’t it?” Maddy said as she surveyed the discards of Wade Hatcher’s life.

  “You’d think she’d make the place a shrine to him,” I said.

  We walked up onto the porch as Clara was heading out with another box. When she saw us standing there, she dropped the box onto the porch floor, clearly spooked by our sudden arrival.

  “What do you two want?” she asked as she edged back toward the front door. “I’ve got to warn you, I’m armed.”

  “Do the police know that?” I asked.

  Maddy said to me, “Relax, Eleanor, we’re fine as long as she doesn’t have a rolling pin in her hand.”

  That was pretty mean, even for my sister. I wasn’t any happier with Clara than she was, but it was a quick, painful cut, nonetheless.

  “I’m ordering you to leave my porch,” Clara said.

  “This isn’t your property,” I said. “You can’t order us to do anything. I’m not even sure you should be here doing this yourself.”

  “He was my son. It’s my right to put things in order again.”

  Maddy reached for her cell phone. “Let’s see what the chief of police has to say about it.”

  “Call him. I don’t care.” Clara slammed the door in our faces, and Maddy put her telephone away.

  “Aren’t you going to call Kevin?”

  She shook her head. “It was a bluff that didn’t work.”

  “Should we call Sandi Meadows? From what Emma told us at the courthouse, there’s a legal dispute about which will is the valid one.”

  Maddy nodded. “That’s even better than what I had in mind for payback.” She took out her phone, called information, and phoned Sandi at work.

  After a few seconds, Maddy said loudly, “Your inheritance is walking out the door over here at Wade’s. His mother’s decided to do some spring cleaning.”

  She held the phone away from her ear, and I could hear Sandi yelling.

  When there was a break, Maddy said, “I just thought you should know” then she hung up.

  “What should we do next?” I asked.

  “Now you can call the police. Things might get ugly, so it could be a good thing having Kevin here.”

  After I told the police chief what we’d seen as we just happened to be driving by Wade’s place, I turned to Maddy. “Is there anything else we should do, or is it time to make pizza dough?”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m not about to miss this. Let’s go sit in the car and wait for Sandi to show up.”

  We did as Maddy suggested, and four minutes later, Sandi Meadows drove up, with Kevin close behind in his squad car.

  She didn’t even look at us as she raced up the stairs to the house.

  But Kevin did.

  It might have been my imagination, but as he turned away, I could swear I saw him smiling.

  Chapter 13

  “The show’s about to get started,” Maddy said four minutes later. I looked over at the front porch and saw Sandi coming out of the house, with Clara right behind her. Kevin Hurley stood there stoically, and we watched as Clara appeared to confront him.

  They were too far away for us to hear what they were saying, but Kevin evidently began scolding her pretty hard, because Clara’s face turned three shades of red, the last one with a touch of purple in it. She finally reached into her purse and handed him something.

  “What did she just give him?” Maddy asked.

  “I’m willing to bet that those were the keys to the house,” I said, and, sure enough, Kevin turned and locked the door behind all of them.

  Clara was fuming as she stormed toward her car, and I wondered what kind of retribution she’d have for us next. As hard as it was to believe, though, she was so mad that I don’t think she even saw us there.

  “Duck,” I said as she started to pull out.

  �
��I don’t care if she sees me,” Maddy protested, but I pulled her down with me, anyway.

  “I know you don’t, but the last time we crossed her, she did her best to have us shut down. There’s no need for her to know that it was us stirring the pot.”

  “Be that way,” Maddy said.

  As Clara drove away, there was a tap on my window, and I looked up to see Kevin Hurley staring down at us.

  As we sat back up, I rolled the window down.

  “Good morning, Officer,” I said in my politest voice.

  He shook his head, and it took me a second to see that he was trying to suppress a laugh. “I’m not sure she could have been any madder without actually exploding,” he finally managed to say.

  “What did Sandi say?” I looked around for her car, and noticed that while we’d been hiding, she’d left as well.

  “She wasn’t happy about it, I’ll tell you that. I’ve decided to keep everyone off the property until this gets resolved. They’re both threatening lawsuits and legal action until we’re all old and gray.”

  “How can you keep them out?” Maddy asked.

  “I’m designating it a potential crime scene,” he said.

  “But Wade was killed in my pizzeria,” I said.

  “That’s what it looks like, but who’s to say he wasn’t killed here and then someone moved the body?”

  “Do you think that’s possible?” I asked, holding out for the slightest glimmer of hope that he hadn’t died in my shop.

  “There’s not a chance of it,” he said, “but they don’t have to know that, do they? I owe you one for calling this in.”

  “Enough to let us inside and look around?” I asked.

  “No, not that much.”

  He got into his squad car before I could ask him if Sandi had told him her little secret, but it was just as well. I knew there was no way he’d tell me, and as things stood now, it looked like I was doing a public service for the good of the community, instead of the self-serving act of retaliation that it was. Not that Kevin had missed my rationale. He knew me better than I liked to admit.

  “My, my, my, we’ve had a busy morning,” Maddy said.

  “And our real work hasn’t even started yet. Is there anyone else we can antagonize before we get started on making pizza today?”

  Maddy considered it a few moments, then admitted, “Not that I can think of. If we knew where Katy was, we could make it a clean sweep.”

  “I’ve got a feeling we’ll know that soon enough. Come on, let’s go make some pizza dough.”

  “We might as well,” Maddy said as she started the car. “I think we’ve done enough damage for one day. I just hope something comes from it.”

  “Even if it doesn’t, it’s better than just sitting around waiting for something to happen, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely,” she said.

  As Maddy and I prepped for the day in the Slice’s kitchen, there was a pounding on the back door.

  I started to open it, when my sister said, “Should you do that?”

  “It could be our vegetable delivery,” I said. “He was supposed to come yesterday, but he never showed up.”

  “We need a peephole so we can see who’s out there before we let them in,” she said.

  “My, aren’t you being just a little paranoid?”

  Maddy shook her head. “I don’t think so. Somebody killed Wade Hatcher not ten feet from us, and we’ve been doing our best to aggravate everyone we suspect. How hard would it be for someone to come back here and do the same thing to us that they did to Wade?”

  The pounding started again, and I began to open the door when Maddy’s paranoia struck home. Was she being paranoid, or perceptive?

  “Who is it?”

  A muffled voice called back, “It’s Greg. Open up.”

  As I moved the wooden beam blocking the door, I said, “See, it’s just Greg.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start being a little more careful than we have been,” she said.

  “Agreed.”

  As I opened the door, Greg came in. To my surprise, he wasn’t alone. Katy Johnson was with him, shadowing his footsteps.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Katy. We were hoping to see you today,” I said when we made eye contact.

  “Why? What do you want with me?” Apparently, she had had a rough night, based on the disheveled state of her hair and her faded complexion.

  “We just have a few questions about what happened the other night,” Maddy said gently.

  Greg moved in between us and Katy, clearly blocking us from her. “Listen, she didn’t come here so you two could interrogate her. She had enough of that yesterday from the police.”

  “I understand,” I said. “But there are some gaps in the time-line we’ve been making, and Katy could help us fill them in.” I looked past Greg and stared directly at Katy as I added, “You do want to help prove Greg is innocent, don’t you?”

  Greg shook his head in disgust. “Are you serious? I never would have brought her here if I thought you were going to grill her.” He handed Katy his keys and told her, “Go back to my place. I’ll be there in a little while.”

  “You’re not working today?” I asked.

  “I was planning to, but I just changed my mind.”

  “So much for your heartfelt gratitude,” Maddy snapped.

  I thought about saying something to her, but then again, I happened to agree with her at the moment.

  Katy tugged at his arm. “Come on, Greg. I appreciate you trying to protect me, but it’s okay. I don’t mind answering their questions. I don’t have anything to hide.”

  He turned to look at her, and I saw his expression soften. “Are you sure? You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”

  Maddy started to say something else, but I touched her arm lightly and she kept her comment to herself. We had to let the two of them work it out, or we were going to drive them both away, and while I could do without Katy’s presence in my restaurant, I needed Greg.

  She bit her lower lip for a second, then said, “I want to help if it means figuring out who killed your brother.”

  Greg nodded, then turned back to us. “Okay, ask your questions, but don’t bully her. She’s had a rough time of it lately.”

  I couldn’t get over how protective he was of her. It appeared that he’d forgiven her for the kisses she’d given his brother, though I never would have believed it. I knew young hearts could be malleable, but I couldn’t believe the way Greg was acting right now.

  “When was the last time you saw Wade?” I asked.

  “It was when Greg came to the house. I took off after him, but he wouldn’t stop and give me a chance to explain.”

  “I was mad,” Greg said. “You can’t hold that against me.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “I just hope you’ll be able to forgive me someday.”

  “I told you, I won’t talk about that until whoever killed my brother is caught.”

  She nodded, and then started to cry. “I still can’t believe it happened. Hang on a second. I need to get myself together.” She ran out of the kitchen into the dining room, but none of us made any move to stop her.

  I saw something in Greg’s eyes, just a flash of something gone before I could categorize it. “What’s going on? What are you up to?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I walked up closer to him and said, “What game are you playing, Greg? You’re not about to forgive her, are you?”

  Greg shook his head in disgust, but he refused to answer my direct question.

  Maddy was about to speak, but I shook my head curtly, and she obeyed my request for silence.

  Finally, he said, “Do you want to know the truth? I couldn’t turn her away when she came to me for help, no matter how much she hurt me. I loved her at one time, but the second I saw her kissing my brother, she was dead to me.”

  “Then why protect her?” Maddy
asked.

  “She’s got nowhere else to go,” Greg said. “I can’t just turn my back on her.”

  I patted his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Greg Hatcher.”

  “Don’t give me too much credit,” he said. “There’s another reason I’m keeping her close to me.”

  “Why?”

  “If she did it, I don’t want her running away. She’s got to pay for what she did, if she killed Wade.”

  I was taken aback by the admission. “Do you think it’s possible she did it? If she’s a killer, you’re not safe being alone with her.”

  “As long as she thinks there’s a chance I’ll take her back, I’m as safe as can be. Besides, I’m trying to get her to trust me enough to open up. I’m sorry I’ve been treating you both so rudely this morning, but it’s the only way my plan is ever going to work.”

  I frowned. “You’re taking a real risk, no matter what you think. Greg, forgive me for saying so, but I know how you felt about your brother. Why are you doing this?”

  “Sure, there wasn’t any love lost between us. But until we figure out what happened to him, folks around here are going to think I’m a murderer, and I can’t have that. I love Timber Ridge, but if Wade’s murder goes unsolved for very much longer, I’m not going to be able to stay.”

  “You really wouldn’t leave, would you?” I asked him. I couldn’t imagine not having him around.

  “I don’t have much choice. The whispering behind my back is already driving me crazy. My Sunday school teacher from grade school crossed the street a few hours ago so she wouldn’t have to say hello to me. How much more of that do you think I can take?”

  “Believe me, I know what you’re going through.”

  “Then I shouldn’t have to tell you what it’s like.” He gestured to the dining room and added, “I should go out there and check on her.”

  “I don’t like this,” I said.

  “I agree,” Maddy added beside me.

  “It’s not my first choice, either, but it’s all I’ve got. Maybe she’ll loosen up and talk to me now. I need to know if she killed him.”

  “Be careful,” I said.

  He grinned at me. “I always am. Well, almost always.”

  Greg went up front, and I looked at Maddy. “What should we do?”