Wrapped in Murder (The Darling Deli Series Book 19)

by Patti Benning

  “Thanks.” Candice smiled. “I can’t believe this is all actually happening. Thanks so much for all of your support, Mom.”

  “Of course. You’re my daughter, how could I do anything but support you when you’ve found the person you want to be with for the rest of your life?”

  Moira thought back to when she was her daughter’s age, and wished that her own parents had been as supportive. She didn’t often think of her marriage to her first husband, but she could easily remember the feeling of giddy excitement at the thought of their marriage — and the guilt she felt when she realized her parents didn’t approve of her choice. Of course, they had ended up being right, but still… she had wanted their support so desperately when she was younger.

  “How’s stuff going at the brewery?” Candice was asking when Moira brought herself back to the present.

  “It’s going quite well,” she said. “There was one incident last week, though…” she told her daughter about Bill Snethkamp being caught trying to break into the microbrewery.

  “What did the police do?” her daughter asked angrily when she had finished.

  “Nothing,” Moira said, feeling her own annoyance at the situation. “He said he was just knocking at the door, and that he thought he had a meeting with Karissa and David. There were no witnesses other than the landlord, who saw it at a distance. They couldn’t do anything but give him a warning. I know David wants to increase security, but I’m not sure if he’s done anything yet. He’s been busy trying to prepare for St. Patrick’s Day.”

  “What’s he planning for the holiday?”

  “They’re going to offer tours of the brewery and free samples, and they’re going to have a drawing for a six-pack of their next original draft.”

  “Neat. It seems like David is taking well to running a business. Well, a retail business; I guess he’s already been running his private investigating business.”

  “Those were all Karissa’s ideas,” Moira said with a chuckle. “I don’t think David has a natural advertising bone in his body. He’s good at actually making the beer, though, and he’s wonderful at handling all the other business aspects of it. I don’t know how he stays so organized. His desk is always a mess, and his handwriting is barely legible.”

  “He must have a knack for it,” Candice said. “Is it crazy, trying to juggle all of that stuff and the deli?”

  “What stuff? You mean the brewery?” Her daughter nodded. “Actually, I don’t really help out there much. He has his sister for that. I’ve just been focusing on the deli, and I help him do some basic stuff when he takes a case as a private investigator.”

  “Really? I thought you’d be super involved.”

  Moira frowned, feeling a pinch of guilt. Was she being a bad wife for not being more involved in her husband’s new business? She had told him when he offered to have her be his partner that she wanted to focus on the deli and her plans for eventually expanding it. She had barely been involved in the brewery at all. She hadn’t even planned on going to the tour they were doing tomorrow — she wanted to supervise the St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the deli instead. She bit her lip. Maybe I should go, she thought. David is my husband. I should support him, the same way he supports me.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  * * *

  “Hey, buddy, you’re looking spiffy,” Moira said, leaning down to pet Maverick and readjust his green bandana. Keeva, who was wearing a matching bandana, approached and nudged her hand, demanding pets of her own. The deli owner obliged with a chuckle before straightening up and looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a new pair of nice jeans, and a dark green sweater. Her hair, naturally curly, she had left down. She thought she looked good — good enough for a surprise visit to her husband, at least.

  “Ready to go, you two?” she asked. Since Maverick was the brewery’s logo, she thought the guests would like to see him — and, of course, she couldn’t leave poor Keeva behind. David had a gated area behind his desk where the dogs stayed while he was working, so they wouldn’t be in the way when she brought them today.

  It was a grey, foggy day, warm enough that she was comfortable in just her sweater, but still colder than it had been lately. She decided to bring her favorite light jacket just in case it started to rain. It was still early; the first tour started at ten, and she wanted to get there before it began. She was glad that she had decided to go. It would be good to see her husband in his element. She knew he liked his job as a private investigator, but he had been doing that for years. This change of pace was good for him.

  The microbrewery was located on a small farm that had been owned by her friend Zander, before his passing. It hadn’t changed much under the hand of the new owner; there was still the same old farmhouse, the same willow tree in front yard, and she heard the familiar sounds of cattle lowing somewhere off in the fog. David had cordoned off a section of grass in front of the brewery to serve as parking, so that was where she pulled in. She let Keeva and Maverick out of the car, holding their leather leashes in one hand as she fiddled with her keys. Normally she didn’t bother locking her car, but in light of the recent attempted break in, she decided she had better start doing so whenever she was parked at the brewery. There was no telling what their desperate competitor might try to do.

  The door to the brewery opened as she approached. “Hey, I decided to stop by after all — oh.” She stumbled to a stop. She had been expecting to see David, but instead a young man that she didn’t recognize was standing in the door frame. Keeva and Maverick pulled forward, tails wagging, eager to go and say hi.

  “Sorry miss, the tour doesn’t start for another half hour.”

  “I’m not here for the tour. I’m David’s wife.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, come on in.”

  He stepped back, holding the door for her. She walked past him, letting the dogs go ahead. She walked past the entrance area and over to David’s office, where she let herself in without knocking. The dogs rushed forward to greet him. He looked surprised, but happy as he patted their heads.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to come,” he said. “Is everything alright?”

  “I thought I’d drop in to help out,” she said, giving him a smile. “Who is that guy out there?”

  “Oh, that’s Jimmy. He works as a farmhand here part time, and said he’d be happy to help out at the brewery before and after his work on the farm. I thought it seemed like a good solution — this way we have someone to stop in and see how things are going, but I don’t have to try to find someone entirely new willing to drive out here for just an hour or two worth of work every day.”

  “That sounds like it works out perfectly for both of you.” She hesitated. “Why didn’t you mention him to me?”

  “Didn’t I? I thought I did. We only hired him a few days ago. Sorry if it slipped my mind.”

  “It’s fine,” she said after a moment. “Things have been busy. I may have just forgotten. Anyway, what can I do to help?”

  More people than she had expected arrived for the first tour. Moira stood with Maverick by the entrance, greeting people as they came in. Just as she had thought, the guests were thrilled to see the big shepherd. Maverick seemed thrilled with all the attention, and when she put him behind the gate in David’s office with Keeva, he hung his head over the fence and whined.

  “Sorry, buddy, you can’t go on the tour. We wouldn’t want any dog fur to get in with the beer. You can say hi to the next group, though. Be a good boy, okay?”

  She shut the office door, feeling bad, as she always did, for leaving them behind. Jimmy, the new employee, was gathering the group together in front of the door while David cleared his throat and began talking, telling his guests about the microbrewery’s short history and his future plans for it.

  “Hey,” she said, quickening her pace to catch up with Jimmy as the tour began. “Where’s Karissa? I thought she would be here.”

  “Uh, I don’t know,” he said. “I guess she’s late
.”

  Moira frowned. It wasn’t like Karissa to be late. She hoped the other woman was okay.

  “I hear we get free samples,” a man said to Jimmy, taking his attention away from her. “That’s what I came for.”

  “They will be at the end of the tour,” Jimmy assured him. “After we’re done explaining how the beer is made, you’ll each get a small glass of one of our drafts, right from the tap.”

  “Sounds good. I wonder how hard it would be to set up a small operation in my garage? Hmm…” The man looked around himself at all the equipment. Suddenly a scream pierced the air and everyone jumped.

  “There’s a dead body!” a woman shrieked. Moira’s heart jumped to her throat. She pushed her way through to the middle of the crowd, and saw David doing the same from the front. “Under there,” the woman said when they reached her. She was pointing at one of the tanks. “There was a quarter on the floor and I bent to pick it up… and that’s when I saw it.” She began crying.

  David and Moira exchanged a look, then he dropped to his knees to peer under the tank. Moira saw her husband’s face go pale.

  “Jimmy, call the police,” he said, standing up. “Everyone else, please file out.”

  Unable to help herself, Moira crouched down and looked under the tank. What she saw made her lose her balance, and she fell backwards onto the cold floor. At least it isn’t Karissa, she thought. With David’s sister missing, and a body found, she had tried to prepare for the worst. At least it’s not her.

  “Moira, come here.” David appeared by her side and helped her up. She looked away so she wouldn’t have to see the man in work boots with blood pooled beneath him. “We shouldn’t touch anything. You know the police will be combing over every inch of this place soon.”

  “I shouldn’t have looked,” she said. “I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself. I wish I could unsee it. I’ve had enough dead bodies, David.”

  “I know.” He hugged her. “Come on, we need to make sure Jimmy called the police, I need to settle the guests down, and then we have to figure out what we’re going to do. Where in the world is Karissa? The one day she chooses to be late is the one day I really needed her.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  * * *

  Moira stroked Keeva’s head, more shaken than she would have expected by the body they had found. She had seen dead people before, but this was different, somehow. It had been so unexpected, and had been such a horrible thing to happen on a day that was supposed to be fun. How had the man even gotten there? Who was he? She hadn’t gotten a good look at his face — thankfully — but she didn’t think he was anyone she knew.

  Perhaps more importantly, who had killed him? No one had access to the brewery except for David and her, and Karissa, of course. Did Jimmy have a key? He must, if he was supposed to keep an eye on the place while David wasn’t around.

  “The police are here. I saw Jefferson, I don’t know who he’s with,” David said, opening the office door.

  “Good,” she breathed. She considered Detective Jefferson a friend. If someone was going to be investigating a death tied to David’s brewery, she was glad it was him. He would treat them fairly, at least. “Have you managed to track down Karissa?” She was worried about his sister; it really wasn’t like her to be late. What if she had gotten in an accident?

  “She pulled into the parking lot a couple of minutes ago. Her dog got sick and she had to clean it up before coming.” He exhaled and sat down on the corner of his desk. Maverick walked over and put his head on David’s leg. Moira realized that he had been worried about his sister, too, he just hadn’t shown it.

  “That’s good.” She stood up, gently pushing Keeva back, and slipped her hand into his. “Let’s go talk to Jefferson. Once we know who the dead person is, and how he died, then we can decide what to do.”

  The cordoned-off grass parking lot was full of police and emergency vehicles. Detective Jefferson waved them over as soon as he saw them. Moira glanced toward the ambulance, and felt a pang. If only they had scheduled the first tour for earlier, they might have been able to save the man. Now he wouldn’t be going to the hospital, but to the morgue.

  “Ms. Darling,” he said formally in the way that she knew meant business. “Mr. Morris. While my men examine the crime scene, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

  “Go ahead,” David said. “We both want to help however we can.”

  “Thanks for being so cooperative. Now, according to the identification he was carrying, the deceased is one Mr. Bill Snethkamp. Is the name familiar to you?”

  Moira’s eye’s widened, and she felt David’s hand tighten on hers.

  “Yes,” her husband said. “Yes, he owns — or owned — a microbrewery about an hour away. He was arrested last week for trying to break in.”

  “Devon, call the station and get those records,” Jefferson said to a young officer. Turning back to Moira and David, he said, “So he was a competitor of yours?”

  “He was one of the only local competitors,” David said. “He was always more worried about us than we were about him, though. Last week wasn’t the first time he had bothered us, but it was the first time he broke the law to do so.”

  “Right…” the detective scribbled in his notebook, then looked back up at them. “Were the two of you the first to arrive this morning?”

  “I got here at about eight,” David said. “My employee, Jimmy, arrived at nine, and Moira about half an hour later.”

  “Was the building locked when you got here?” Detective Jefferson asked, turning slightly to face the private investigator.

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual when you arrived?”

  “No.” David frowned. “Wait, there was something. I couldn’t find my key, so I had to use the spare one I keep in my car.” He looked at Moira. “I thought it must have just fallen off my key chain somehow, I planned to look for it when I got home.”

  Jefferson’s brow wrinkled. “Who else has access to your keys?”

  “Moira’s the only one, really. I don’t just leave them lying around.”

  The detective nodded, still looking concerned. “And when you got here, what did you do?”

  “I hung my coat up in my office, booted up the computer, then walked around the brewery to check on everything like I do every morning.” He sighed. “I obviously didn’t do a very good job. It never occurred to me to check under anything. I just made sure there were no leaks and everything was still working.”

  Movement over Detective Jefferson’s shoulder caught Moira’s eye. It was Karissa, talking to another officer. She was wearing a cream-colored sweater, and as she turned, Moira saw a streak of red on the hem.

  ***

  “I can’t believe it,” David groaned. They were at home a few hours later, after finishing things up with the police. Moira just nodded, feeling as shocked as he looked.

  “How could this have happened?” he continued. “Snethkamp was annoying, but I never wanted him dead. I feel terrible for his family. He had a kid in middle school, did you know that? He met with me when I first opened the brewery, and had to leave early for her swim meet.”

  “Poor girl,” Moira said. “I can’t even imagine what his family is going through. I hope his death is solved quickly, so they can have closure.”

  “Me, too. I keep trying to think of who it could have been, who could have killed him, but nothing makes sense. Jimmy? I mean, I don’t know the kid very well, but he wouldn’t have any reason to kill Bill Snethkamp.”

  “Maybe it was self-defense?” she suggested. “If Snethkamp broke in and Jimmy surprised him, he might have gotten violent.”

  “If that’s the case, why wouldn’t Jimmy just come clean? Detective Jefferson would have treated him fairly.”

  “He might have just been scared. He’s younger than Candice is, after all. He could have panicked.” Moira had her suspicions about another possibility, but she didn’t say it al
oud. Karissa was acting strangely this morning, she thought. And there was that streak of red on her sweater… She shook her head, trying to push those thoughts out. She wasn’t about to bring David’s sister into this.

  CHAPTER SIX

  * * *

  When Moira walked into the deli the next morning, she began tearing down the green decorations right away. The reminders of the holiday only served to make her think of the death at the brewery and the problems that David was facing because of it. The microbrewery was temporarily shut down while the police continued their investigation of the scene, which meant that her husband suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands.

  Thankfully, he had delivered the next batch of his draft beer the day before St. Patrick’s Day, so at least they would have enough stock to last them for the week. Once she was done removing the green decorations, she restocked the drink fridge out front, then began making quiches and breakfast cookies — the two most popular items that they sold during their breakfast hours.

  The heavenly scent of the cooling vanilla mocha bean breakfast cookies snapped her out of her angry cooking frenzy. She paused, taking a few minutes to sample a cookie, sip her coffee, and think. What had happened at the brewery was horrible, but it wasn’t going to be the end of the world for David or for her. Her being upset wouldn’t solve anything, but it would make her customers and her employees uncomfortable. She was certain that most of the town must have heard of the murder by now. She would help her husband the most by appearing calm and thinking her responses through when she fielded questions from her customers. Slamming dishes around in the kitchen was not the way to go.

  I need to pull myself together, she thought. We’ve gotten through worse things before. Jefferson will solve the case, and the brewery will be open again before we know it.