Pizza, Weddings, and Murder (Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Book 23)

by Patti Benning

  He hurried into the kitchen, with Bethany close behind him. He followed her and Shannon’s gazes automatically, and Ellie saw him stiffen when he saw the man on the other side of the door. He had turned when she had shouted her fiancé’s name and was looking in at them. Ellie couldn’t see the expression on his face clearly, thanks to the glare, but she thought he looked just as surprised as they were.

  “Be ready to call for backup,” Russell muttered to his deputy. “Everyone else, stay back.”

  Ellie realized that her cry had summoned more than just the sheriff. Everyone else was standing near the door to the dining room, watching with various amounts of curiosity, surprise, and concern as Russell approached the patio door and yanked it open.

  Even though Russell had told her to stay back, Ellie couldn’t keep herself from edging forward in an attempt to see who the man was. Her fiancé’s broad shoulders blocked her view, but at least she could hear the exchange. Even though the kitchen held nearly fifteen people, everyone besides Russell was completely silent.

  “My name is Russell Ward. I’m the sheriff. Are you aware that you’re trespassing?” he said. “Can you state your name and your reason for being here?”

  “Wallace Burns,” he said. He told the sheriff his address, then added, “I live just up the street. I was walking my dog, and she slipped her collar. I know I’m trespassing, but I didn’t mean anything by it. I just want to find my dog.” He held up a leash attached to a dangling buckle collar as proof.

  When the man said his name, Ellie felt as if something electric shot through her limbs. Wallace Burns was the man who had been at the bar the night of Olive’s death, and he had come to see her in the pizzeria the next day. She wracked her mind, trying to remember if she had seen what vehicle he had been driving that day, but came up with nothing.

  She touched Bethany’s arm and when the deputy turned toward her, she murmured in her ear. “He was a witness at the bar and I ran into him the day after the attack. He might be the one.”

  Bethany nodded and moved toward Russell, who was in the middle of checking the man’s identification. Before she could get the sheriff’s attention, a sharp bark came from outside, and Wallace turned around.

  “Teddy!” he called out. “Get over here right now.”

  A small Shetland sheepdog appeared in the cone of the patio’s light, and Wallace grabbed hold of her long enough to slip the collar over her head. He paused to tighten it a notch, then straightened up.

  “I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. Am I in some sort of trouble?”

  Russell sighed. “You’re free to go. Just next time, knock on the front door instead of skulking around the back. It looks better.”

  Wallace nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”

  He turned and left. Russell shut the door as Bethany began speaking. When she relayed Ellie’s information, the sheriff met her eyes as if to confirm it. Ellie nodded. With a muffled curse, Russell hurried through the kitchen toward the front of the house.

  “I’m going to follow him,” he said. “We have his address, so I can pick him up at his house. I just need my keys and my coat.”

  “What should we do?” Ellie asked.

  “Bethany can stay here with you —”

  “No, you shouldn’t go alone. I’ll lock the doors and keep my phone on me. Will you call me as soon as you know what’s going on?”

  Russell hesitated, but he was in too much of a hurry to argue. He kissed her, made her promise to be careful, then, with Bethany close behind him, walked into the night.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  * * *

  It seemed to take an eternity for her cell phone to ring, but in reality, only thirty minutes passed between the time Russell walked out the front door and his call to her. “I just arrested Mr. Burns,” he said. “Bethany’s securing him in the truck. We’re going to drive him down to the station and go from there.”

  “What happened?” Ellie asked.

  “When we got to his house, his truck was parked in the driveway. A tan truck, matching the description you gave me. When I confronted him, he confessed to almost hitting you while you were walking on the sidewalk. Between that and his proximity to the other incidents, it’s enough for us to hold him for twenty-four hours. We don’t have any evidence yet that he’s the one who attacked Olive, or a motive for why he might be after you, but we’ll figure all of that out in time.”

  Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. “You really think it was him? Can I relax?”

  “He was nearby every time something happened to you, besides the incident with the dye at the salon which we can’t confirm is connected to the other incidents. I do think it’s him, Ellie. Don’t let your guard down completely, but you can breathe easy for now.”

  “Thank goodness,” she said, feeling as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders. “How long will you be there tonight? You’ll still be able to make it to our wedding, won’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, chuckling. “I’ll be there, and in plenty of time to see you walk down the aisle. One more thing. Bethany thinks it’s safe if you give the bridesmaid position back to your friend, and I agree. Mr. Burns is in custody, and one of us should be here to question him and deal with his lawyers if they show up. Since Liam and I will be in the wedding, we need her at the sheriff’s department.”

  “Of course. I’ll tell Katia. She’ll be happy.”

  Ellie and Russell said their goodbyes. She paused for a moment before hanging up the phone, wanting to say something special, since the next time she saw him would be at the wedding, but she couldn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t sound cheesy.

  She ended the call and rose from the chair she had been seated in. It was time to call everyone together and tell them what had happened — and to tell Katia the good news. Her bridesmaids were back together, and in just over twelve hours she would be a married woman.

  The next morning, Ellie woke up before her alarm. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, and not the nice ones she got when Russell kissed her. These butterflies made her want to find the nearest toilet and throw up. I need to get a hold of myself, she thought, forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths. I’m marrying Russell. I love Russell. Why do I feel like I’m about to go skydiving without a parachute?

  A knock sounded at her door, which was the catalyst that dragged her out of bed. She opened the bedroom door to find her mother standing in the hallway, carrying a teacup.

  “I know you usually drink coffee, but your grandmother thought that this might help you to calm down if you were feeling nervous.”

  Ellie took the cup gratefully and inhaled the familiar scent of chamomile tea with honey in it. “Thank you.”

  “Shannon’s here,” her mother said. “She said the woman who will be doing your hair and makeup will be arriving at the community center in an hour and a half. You should start getting ready. Is there anything else you need right now?”

  “I think I’m good.” She hesitated. “Mom… is it normal to feel so nervous?”

  “Pre-wedding jitters are perfectly normal. You’ll be okay. And Ellie… for what it’s worth, I think Russell is a good man. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at the older woman. “I guess I should start getting ready. Is everyone else doing all right?”

  “They’re busy making a mess of the kitchen and devouring the pizza and the muffins your grandmother made, but everyone’s in a good mood and they are all looking forward to today. Before I go back downstairs, is there anything else you need? Are you going to get dressed here or at the community center?”

  “The community center,” she said. “I don’t want to risk anything happening while I’m getting my hair and makeup done, not to mention all of the slush and salt in the parking lot.”

  “Do you want me to put it in the car? Hand me your shoes, too. I’ll get everything ready to go for you.”<
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  Ellie was too nervous to do much besides walk around like a zombie while everyone else got ready that morning. She had everything she would need packed up and ready to go and wouldn’t be changing out of her comfortable jeans and button-down shirt until it was time to put her wedding gown on. Before she knew it, her mother was herding her into the car where she sat in the passenger seat while they drove to the community center. Then it was just a matter of waiting while Shannon ran inside to make sure Russell wasn’t standing around in the hallway. Her friend gave the all clear, and Ellie walked into the building.

  She had rented out the entire community center for the wedding, so she had her pick of rooms to set up in. She chose the one with the best lighting, knowing that it would be important for her hairstylist. Waiting was the most difficult part, and she was glad that Shannon and the other bridesmaids were there to keep her company. She didn’t talk much but listening to them banter made her feel better.

  At long last the stylist arrived and waved everyone else out of the room. She set up her station and Ellie looked at herself in the mirror. She was as pale as the snow outside.

  “I’m Annie Mae Johnson, but you can just call me Mae,” the woman said. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Shannon has told me so much about you. Is this your dress? It’s beautiful.”

  Ellie looked at the dress, which was hanging in its plastic bag in the corner. She felt a moment of panic, wondering what would happen if she had somehow gained ten pounds since trying it on the night before. What if it wouldn’t zip up? What would she do?

  “Thanks,” she managed to say, forcing her attention back to the woman who was about to help her look less like a ghost and more like a vibrant bride. Slow, deep breaths, she reminded herself.

  “What were you thinking today? I can do anything you want, or if you want suggestions, I can help out there too.”

  “Suggestions would be good. I know I want the makeup to be subtle and natural, but I’m not sure about the hair. My hair doesn’t do much besides just kind of lay there.”

  “I can show you some tricks if you’d like, that you can use even after today. First, let me pull up some pictures…”

  Mae pulled out her phone, then frowned. “I’ve got a bunch of missed calls from my mother; do you mind if I call her back really quickly? She doesn’t usually do this. It might be important.”

  “Of course,” Ellie said.

  She was still looking in the mirror, trying to imagine what hairstyle would look good on her, when Mae came back in. She was shocked to see that the other woman was even paler than she was.

  “I’m so sorry, but I have to go. My father had an accident, and he’s in the hospital. You’ll have to find someone else to help you.”

  Then she was gone, leaving a good portion of her supplies behind in her rush to get out the door. Ellie was left, stunned, for a moment, then rose to go and find Shannon. It was her maid of honor’s job to handle emergencies exactly like this.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  * * *

  Without Shannon’s help, Ellie might have gone into a complete panic. As it was, she had to force herself to take a mental step back and look at the situation from a perspective other than that of a crazy bride. Mae’s father was obviously the more important person just then. Ellie was getting married, and logically she knew that the wedding would go just fine whether she had her hair and makeup professionally done or not. She didn’t blame Mae for rushing off to be by his side, but she did spare a few minutes for self-pity. Why was nothing going right this week?

  “Okay, we just need to find someone else to do your hair,” Shannon said. “Is your mom good at it? I can go find her.”

  “Katia,” Ellie said. “Get her. She worked in a salon back when she was in college. She’s good with makeup too.”

  Shannon rushed off and returned a few minutes later with Katia in tow. “Here you go. I’m going to go find James and make sure everything is on schedule on their end. Feel free to use Mae’s supplies — I’ll get them back to her later and pay her for whatever you use.”

  “Thanks for doing this,” Ellie said. “I know things have been crazy. You have all been awesome this week.”

  “Just tell me what to do,” her friend said. “Do you want it down? Up? A mix of both?”

  “Let’s do a mix of both,” Ellie said. She turned to face the mirror, watching in the reflection as Katia poked through Mae’s things to find the right tools.

  “How do you do it?” her friend asked suddenly.

  “Do what?” Ellie asked, surprised.

  “How do you always end up with everything going your way?”

  Ellie burst out laughing, sure that her friend was joking. “Right, because everything always goes perfectly for me. This week has been one disaster or near disaster after the other.”

  “I’m serious,” Katia said, coming up behind her. There was a look in her eyes that made the back of Ellie’s neck prickle. “You always got the promotions at work, even before you started dating the boss. You got engaged after six months and were all set to have every woman’s dream wedding. Finding out about the affair would have crushed most people, but you just moved and took over an entire restaurant, and now you own businesses in two states, you own a boat, and you’re getting married to the town’s sheriff. How do you do it?”

  “I don’t own the Eleanora, my grandmother still does,” Ellie said. She met her friend’s eyes in the mirror. “Katia… are you jealous? My life turned upside down when I found out my fiancé was having an affair. I moved to Kittiport and started managing the pizzeria because my grandfather died. Yes, I managed to get my life together, but there have been all sorts of struggles between then and now.”

  Katia didn’t seem to be listening to her. “Then I saw you kissing that other guy at the bar, and I just couldn’t stand it anymore. You have always had so much and then you just throw it away, first in Chicago and then here.”

  Ellie’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t kiss anyone at the bar. I would never do that to Russell. What in the world are you talking about?”

  Her friend blinked. “No, you’re right. That wasn’t you. It was that other girl. She just looked so much like you from the back. I… I thought she was you.”

  Something clicked in Ellie’s brain. “You’re the killer?”

  Katia stared at her, as if she was just beginning to realize that she had made a major mistake. Then she looked down at her hand, which Ellie saw was grasping a pair of scissors, and her face hardened.

  “I thought she was you, and I just snapped. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I lost my job just before I came here. You know, the same job we were both working toward for years before you threw it all away like it was nothing. At least in prison, I won’t have to worry about finding a way to support myself… and I won’t have to deal with people like you who get everything handed to them on a silver platter.”

  She lunged with the scissors, but Ellie had seen it coming and dove off of her chair in time to avoid the blades. She backed away, putting space between her and Katia while the other woman caught her balance, and grabbed a folding chair from a stack against the wall to use as a shield.

  “I can’t believe you tried to kill me,” she said. She was shocked now, but she was sure the hurt would come later. “The green dye, the broken bottle, the attempted hit and run… that was all you?”

  “I thought it would be nice if things didn’t always go your way,” Katia said with a sneer. “What would your sheriff think when he saw his bride walking down the aisle with a green face? And yeah, that champagne bottle was my fault. I went down to the kitchen looking for something to drink, and when I saw it there, I got so angry. You were so sure we would all want to celebrate with you. As if any of us care about your stupid wedding when we all have our own troubles.” She took a step forward, looking from the chair to Ellie as if judging how good of a shield it would make. “I didn’t try to run you over, though. That was probably your neighbor, like everyone thinks.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I wasn’t the only person you drove over the edge.”

  “Katia, I didn’t do anything,” Ellie said. “You didn’t have to come to the wedding. I didn’t know about the issues you were having with work. I’ve never done anything to you.”

  “You never stopped to even give me a second thought,” Katia said. “And that is exactly the problem. Nothing has changed. Look at how easily you dropped me as a bridesmaid, then you expected me to just step back into the role as if nothing had changed. That’s not how you treat a friend.”

  Ellie began backing up. The scissors were Katia’s only weapon, and they didn’t have much range. The other woman followed her slowly but didn’t rush forward until she realized that her target was heading for the door.