Shrimply Murder

by Patti Benning

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  SHRIMPLY MURDER

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  Shrimply

  Murder

  Book Twenty-Four

  in

  The Darling Deli Series

  By

  Patti Benning

  Copyright 2017 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Author’s Note: On the next page, you’ll find out how to access all of my books easily, as well as locate books by best-selling author, Summer Prescott. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on – reader feedback is very important to me. Please see the following page for my publisher’s contact information. If you’d like to be on her list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc…just shoot her an email and let her know. Thanks for reading!

  Also…

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  http://summerprescottbooks.com/book-catalog/ for some truly delicious stories.

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  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  * * *

  A heartfelt thanks to Amy Johnson for submitting the character idea that became Julian Vogel. Denise needed a boyfriend, and who better to keep her on her toes than another chef? I’m looking forward to writing their developing relationship in books to come.

  Lauren Dottin Radel, a roasted shrimp and orzo salad is the perfect dish to see the deli through the end of summer. Thank you so much for your submission – and for the recipe idea that I’m sure I will make many times myself in the years to come.

  SHRIMPLY

  MURDER

  Book Twenty-Four in The Darling Deli Series

  CHAPTER ONE

  * * *

  “See you later, Ms. D..”

  Moira Darling waved to her employee, watching as Jenny climbed into the passenger seat of the refrigerated truck with Darling’s Delicious Delights printed on its side. Cameron, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, gave a short honk on the horn as he pulled out of the deli’s parking lot. He and Jenny were on their way to cater a small wedding reception.

  It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a catering job myself, she mused, feeling a small twinge of envy as her two employees pulled away. The two of them, Cameron and Jenny, were such a perfect pair, and were always so well received by their clients, that they had quickly become the deli’s dedicated caterers. She missed attending the various parties and events that the deli got hired for, but was also grateful for anything that made her life just a little bit less busy.

  It wasn’t as if there wasn’t enough to keep her attention at the deli itself. Business had been hopping all summer. Maple Creek, only about twenty minutes away from Lake Michigan, was a popular tourist town. Every summer they had an influx of families on vacation, amateur hikers and backpackers, and dedicated fishermen and women. Some of the visitors stopped at the deli on their way through town, and others stayed in the area for days, stopping in for breakfast or lunch before going on to explore other small shops in town.

  This close to the end of summer, only a week shy of school starting, everyone had a greater sense of urgency. Soon enough, life in the small town would go back to normal and business would slow down just long enough for everyone to catch a breather before the holiday season was upon them.

  Moira could hardly believe that there was less than a month to go until autumn. Soon, the green leaves on the trees in town would turn red and gold, and the air would take on a chilly edge with the scent of bonfires. Not long after that, the holidays loomed, and if this year was anything like last, the weeks surrounding Christmas would make summer feel calm. They all had a lot to celebrate this year, including her own daughter’s wedding.

  Candice was back from her honeymoon now, and Moira was excited at the prospect of her daughter’s future. Only in her early twenties, she was already a successful businesswoman and owned her own house. She had so much going for her, and her mother could not have been prouder.

  Of course, Candice wasn’t the only one who had had a successful year. Moira’s private investigator husband, David, had started another small business of his own—a microbrewery that he ran with the help of his sister. The popularity of the microbrewery had exploded over the summer, and she was thrilled for her husband. In fact, she didn’t think that she ever been happier. She had her family, a successful business of her own, and a few great friends that she cared deeply about. What else could she possibly ask for?

  “What time should I be there tomorrow night?” one of her other employees, Allison, said to her in a low voice, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Any time before six should be fine,” Moira said. Allison was one of her daughter’s closest friends, and had helped Moira plan the surprise party that they were throwing for Candice to celebrate her return from her honeymoon.

  “Are you sure you don’t need me to bring anything?”

  “Between Denise and I, we’ve got it everything covered other than drinks. If you want to pick up a couple of bottles of pop on your way, that would be wonderful.”

  “Okay. This is going to be fun. I don’t think she has any idea what we’re planning.”

  “That’s the idea,” Moira said with a grin.

  Moira was glad that her daughter had been able to have the honeymoon of her dreams. Since she and Eli both owned their own businesses, they were unlikely to get much time to travel in the coming years. Hopefully the memories made on this trip would last them for quite a while. Moira would never forget her own honeymoon to Europe with David. It had been wonderful to have those weeks alone together, without any of the aspects of their normal lives that kept them perpetually busy.

  Very faintly, she heard the bell on the front door, alerting her to the arrival of a customer. “I’ll go,” Moira said. “You can finish your break before coming out front.”

  She pushed through the door to the front room and greeted the woman who was waiting at the register. “Welcome to Darling’s Delicious Delights,” she said. “What can I get you today? Our special today is Tuscan bean soup with homemade tortillas.”

  “I’ve got a special order from my son. He’s in the hospital,” the woman said. “He said that he got this order here before and enjoyed it—he’s not usually a fan of healthy food, so that’s quite the compliment—but I’m not sure if you’re still serving it. I’m sorry to ask for a special order, but he’s only just got the all-clear from the doctor to eat something other than the food they serve there, and this is what he wants.”

  “I can’t guarantee that we’ll have everything in stock, since some of our produce is seaso
nal, but we’ll do our best. What does he want?”

  “Hold on, I wrote it down,” she said, taking a crumpled piece of paper out of her purse. “A whole-wheat tuna salad wrap with bean sprouts, green onions, baby spinach leaves, and tomatoes.”

  “We should have all the ingredients for that,” Moira said. “Is there anything that I can get you?”

  “I’d like your special, for me,” the woman said. “To go, if you can. It’s been a long couple of days for our family, I guess treating myself won’t hurt.”

  “Of course. I hope your son is all right.”

  “It was touch and go for a while. He’s only sixteen, you see, and he’s diabetic. He’s usually pretty good about watching what he eats, and I never expected…” The woman’s voice cracked. “He was already unconscious when I found him. It’s not something I’ll ever forget.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Moira said. “Listen, this order will be on the house, okay? It’s the least I can do.”

  The woman shook her head and began digging in her purse for her wallet. Before she could argue, Moira went into the kitchen to tell Allison the order. It would only cost her the price of some veggies and a wrap to be kind, but she had a feeling it would make an enormous difference to the woman’s entire day. A small act of kindness could go a long way.

  CHAPTER TWO

  * * *

  Moira and David owned a little stone house halfway between Maple Creek and the neighboring town of Lake Marion. Surrounded by woods, the house was private, but the neighbors were close enough that they didn’t feel secluded. There was a small creek running through the property, and a path that looped through the trees, which Moira walked almost every day with their two dogs, Maverick and Keeva.

  Maverick was a large, dark-colored German Shepherd whom Moira had saved a couple of years before from his abusive owner. Maverick had returned the favor by saving her life more than once, and she cherished the big dog. Keeva was a tall grey Irish wolfhound. She had been found as a stray in the woods, and Moira had been able to return her to her owner after a long search, only for the owner to pass away a few months later. Moira had been happy to welcome the dog back into her family, even though she mourned the passing of the woman who had owned her.

  Despite the occasional muddy pawprints, broken mugs—the coffee table was at the perfect height for their tails to whisk things from the top—and early mornings with cold noses shoved in her face, she loved both dogs. They were part of her family just as much as any of the human members.

  They were also a great alarm system. When the two of them perked up their ears and ran toward the front door the next evening, she knew that someone was there. She walked down the hallway to the front door and pulled it open, looking out to see Martha’s silver car pulling into the driveway. Her friend had barely parked when another vehicle came up the driveway—her friend and fellow restaurateur, Denise, was there as well.

  Moira had been the one to introduce the two women, and now, a couple of years later, the three of them were best friends. Sometimes it seemed as if they didn’t have much in common, but they all worked hard and led busy lives. Denise was a divorcée, Martha had never been married, and neither of them had children.

  However, Denise had taken her nephew in when his mother passed away. Logan was now in prison, but would hopefully be able to get out soon after his case was revisited. They didn’t talk about his arrest much, but Moira knew that Denise spent many long hours working to get him released. She admired the woman’s dedication to him, and knew that she would do the exact same thing if Candice were to end up behind bars.

  “I thought I recognized the car behind me,” Martha said as she approached the porch. “I promise we didn’t plan it like this.”

  “I didn’t realize it was you until I saw your car turn into the driveway,” Denise said. “This was great timing.”

  “I’m glad that you’re both here,” Moira said. “Come on in. Get back, puppies. Let them in, then you can say hi.”

  She herded the dogs back into the hallway while her friends came inside and shut the door behind them. After a chaotic few seconds as the dogs subjected Denise and Martha to wagging tails and sniffing, prodding noses, all parties were satisfied and the dogs were content to hang back and let the women enter.

  “Is it just us here?” Denise asked.

  “Yes, for now. David is picking up Reggie in Lake Marion, and they’ll be here in about an hour. Candice will be coming later. And Eli will be coming soon with Matt, her newest employee,” she said, grinning at Denise.

  Her friend chuckled. “Does he know I’m going to be here?”

  Candice’s new employee had left the Redwood Grill–Denise’s restaurant–to work at Candice’s Candies. Moira had only met him a handful of times. He seemed like a good kid, and she knew that he had left his old job on good terms, but she thought that he might not be too thrilled about having dinner with his old boss.

  “I’m not sure what Eli told him,” she admitted. “Either way, I’m sure it will be fine. We’re all friends here.”

  “I honestly don’t mind that he left,” Denise said. “Candice deserves a good employee, and she definitely needed someone to help her with the candy shop. Matt’s an excellent choice. I don’t think he liked working the late hours at the Grill anyway.”

  “You’re a real friend,” Moira said with a grin. “Thank you for taking all of this in stride. She probably won’t steal any more of your employees, at least not until her business expands.”

  “I’ve got one that I’d be happy for her to take,” her friend replied with a grumble.

  “Are you still having troubles with your new chef?” Moira asked as the three of them walked into the kitchen.

  “‘Troubles’ is putting it mildly,” Denise said. “I should have listened to my gut, but he had such a good résumé, and he did so well during his working interview. Everyone in the kitchen likes him… everyone except me.”

  Shortly after returning from Candice’s wedding, Denise had been forced to hire a new chef for her restaurant. Moira had yet to meet the man, but she had heard enough stories about him to form an image in her head. Julian Vogel was, according to Denise, arrogant and bossy and had no qualms about changing her kitchen to suit his needs. That he came from a three-star restaurant in New York was the only reason that she had hired him, and her friend was already regretting the decision.

  “I thought I was done with my guy troubles when I divorced my cheating husband,” her friend said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, how is Candice liking the married life?”

  “She seems happy,” the deli owner said. “I think they had a wonderful time on their honeymoon. Candice has always wanted to travel, and she finally got the chance. I’m glad to have her back, though. I missed her. I’m relieved that she and Eli will be staying nearby. When she was younger I always worried that she would want to move far away when she grew up.”

  “That would be hard to imagine,” Martha said. “The two of you seem to have such a great relationship.”

  “It wasn’t always like that,” Moira said. “After her father left, we went through a pretty rough patch. We’ve really come a long way in the past few years. She is a wonderful girl, I try my best to be a good mother for her.”

  “You’re lucky. Sometimes I wish I decided to have children, but I don’t necessarily regret my choice to focus on my career instead. I’m happy where I am now.”

  “How are things going with that new boyfriend of yours?” Moira had met the man only a couple of times and couldn’t say that she was a fan; something about him gave her a wrong vibe. She hadn’t mentioned it to Martha, since her friend didn’t date very often, and she seemed unusually serious about this one. If Martha was happy, who was she to judge?

  “Things are going wonderfully,” the other woman replied. “I thought about inviting him tonight, but he had some work thing he had to do.” The man was a life coach, a profession that Moira had never even heard of before meeting him. “If
Denise ever starts dating again, we can all go out together on a triple date,” she added.

  “I don’t have time to date,” Denise said. “I don’t know where the two of you found time to do it. With the Grill and everything I’m doing for Logan, I don’t have any extra time at all. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think I might be better off single. My last marriage didn’t exactly end well. Besides, I know pretty much everyone around town, and none of the single men that I’ve met interest me. I’m happier being by myself than being with the wrong person. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to be in a serious relationship again.”

  “It’s not too late,” Moira said. “I got divorced and remarried later in life myself, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. It’s not just about having a man in your life, but having a best friend who is always there for you, no matter what. That’s what David is to me. Life is so much better when you can share it with your loved ones.”

  She smiled as she spoke, realizing that she was just as in love with David as she had been when he first proposed to her. They had been through some rocky times together, and had come out stronger on the other side. Theirs was a partnership in the truest sense, and she hoped that both of her friends found someone of their own to have a similar relationship with.

  CHAPTER THREE

  * * *

  While her friends talked, Moira hurried around the kitchen, doing the last-minute tasks necessary to get dinner ready. They were eating breaded chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese, mushrooms, and garlic; a fresh green salad; and homemade cornbread. For dessert, Denise had brought the Grill’s famous lava cakes. The house already smelled magnificent, and Moira couldn’t wait to see her daughter’s face when she saw the surprise party her friends and family had put together for her.