“Well, that's good, right?” the other woman said. “I mean, lots of customers must be a good thing.”
“It is,” Ellie said, smiling at her friend. “Trust me, I'm not complaining. I'm just tired a lot. During the winter, I usually have a good amount of downtime at the restaurant. Now, I'm on my feet doing stuff all day long. I'll have to get back into shape.” She chuckled.
“And how's Russell?” Shannon asked. “I'm sure he's busy, with what happened.”
“He is.” Ellie frowned. “He was really upset that he couldn’t be here tonight.”
“I am sure he will solve the case soon. The entire town is pretty upset about this. It’s possible that someone else may make an anonymous call leading to the killer, if they find out it’s someone they know.”
“That would be a lucky break,” Ellie said. “I just wish there was more I could do to help. I hate doing nothing when something like this happens.”
“Well…” Shannon shifted Andrew over to her other hip. “I am going to go interview the person who found the body tomorrow. If you wanted to, you could come with me.”
“Really?” Ellie perked up. “What are you going to ask her?”
“I’ll ask one or two things about the day she found the body, but we’re mostly going to focus on the victim, try to get a feel for who she was. My boss is the one who reached out to her. I was surprised when she said yes.”
“I definitely wouldn't be giving an interview if one of my friends died,” Ellie said. “But to each their own. Maybe it will help her process it. Or maybe she just thinks that it’s something her friend would want her to do.”
“Maybe we’ll find out tomorrow,” Shannon said.
“If you're sure, I'd love to come with you. I won't get in the way or anything. It will help make me feel like I'm involved – somehow.”
“You're welcome to come,” Shannon said. “I think we’re about to eat, but catch me after and we can go over a list of questions to ask, if there’s anything in particular you want to know.”
“I will,” Ellie said as Joanna came over and handed them each a glass. “Thanks, Shannon. I really appreciate it.”
Chapter Seven
The next day went by with agonizing slowness. It was another busy day, so Ellie had her hands full as she worked the front counter. Jacob was in the back and Pete was out running the deliveries. She had found early on that when she tried to work with a distracted mind, she made far more mistakes than usual. When she dropped a handful of change onto the floor, she muttered a swearword, then took a deep breath. She had to calm down. Being on edge, waiting for a chance to go talk to the woman who had found the body with Shannon, wasn't helping anyone. What would help people was getting orders out quickly, giving back correct change, and not dropping things all over the floor.
“Everything all right, Ms. P.?” Jacob asked, poking his head out of the kitchen.
“It's fine,” she said, proud that her voice wasn't as snappy as she was feeling. “I just dropped some money.”
“Do you want to switch?” her employee asked. “I know cooking always calms me down.”
She smiled at the younger man. “Thanks, Jacob, but I’ll stay out front. I hogged the kitchen all morning. It's only fair that we switch off.”
“All right.” He gave her one last look, then vanished back into the kitchen. She shook her head. Had she really been that transparent today? She hadn’t thought anyone had noticed how eager she was for her shift to end.
“Excuse me?” She spun around when she heard the voice. It was the man from the park, Jeremy Smith. He was leaning against the counter, eyeing her with concern.
She managed to laugh off the shock she felt at seeing him. “I'm so sorry,” she said. “My mind was somewhere else.”
There's no reason to be nervous around him, she told herself. Russell already questioned him and let him go.
But another, quieter voice reminded her that didn’t mean he was innocent. He was still the only suspect they had, and she had let him sneak up on her.
I'm being paranoid, she thought, giving herself a shake.
“It's all right,” the man said. “I just wanted to order a large garden veggie pizza. Can I get extra cheese on that?”
“Of course,” she said automatically. “Cheddar, mozzarella, or Parmesan?”
“Mozzarella is good,” he said.
“Would you like a drink, a side salad, or any desserts?”
“Yeah, I'll take a two liter of soda from the fridge. That's it, I think.”
“Great, just let me ring you up. It will be about a twenty minute wait on that pizza.”
She typed the order into the register and told him the amount he owed. He reached into his pocket and brought out a wallet, shuffling through the bills inside until he handed her a twenty. She took it from his hand and glanced down at it out of habit. Her gaze was caught by a squiggly blue W written on the upper corner of the note. She felt as though someone had injected ice into her muscles, freezing her in place.
“Excuse me?” The man’s voice sounded as though it was coming from a long way away. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes… Yes, everything's fine,” she said quickly, pocketing the twenty and slamming the register closed. “I'll need to get your change from the back.”
“Okay.”
She hurried into the kitchen, letting the door swing shut behind her and leaving the somewhat befuddled looking man standing at the register. The second the door was safely shut, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Russell's number. She waited impatiently as it rang through until he answered. “Hey,” he said. “I might actually be able to get out of here for lunch. Want me to stop by?”
“Russell, he's here,” she said. “You have to come, quick.”
“Ellie? What are you talking about?” he asked.
“The man who got into the argument with Jessica at the park,” she said. “He's here!”
“We already questioned him,” he said slowly, probably wondering if she had lost her mind. “Is he doing something to make you feel threatened?”
“No, but he just paid for a pizza with a stolen twenty dollar bill.” She was frustrated that she wasn’t explaining it more clearly. “It’s a twenty dollar bill with a blue W written on the upper left hand corner. Someone at the fundraiser paid for a couple of slices with it, and it was part of the money I donated. I have it in my pocket right now.”
“Are you sure it's the same one?” Russell asked. He was using what she considered his work voice, and she knew she had his attention.
“I'm positive,” she said. “I wouldn't mistake it. I specifically remember the blue W.”
“I'll be right there,” Russell said. “Keep him occupied, but only if it's safe for you to do. Do not put yourself in danger, Ellie.”
“He just ordered a pizza that is going to take twenty minutes to come out of the oven,” Ellie said. “I think we’re good.”
“Okay. Remember, Ellie. Be safe.”
They said quick goodbyes and Ellie pocketed her cell phone. She looked down at the twenty in her hand and realized that she had better find proper change for him. She quickly tallied up the order in her head then dug through her purse. Thankfully, she had the proper bills and brought them out to him.
“Sorry about that,” she said as she handed him the ones and the handful of coins. “We’re low on small change out front. People keep paying with big bills.”
“That’s fine,” he said, putting the money back in his wallet. “I'm sorry. I could have paid with my card, I guess.”
“Oh, don't worry about it,” she said with what felt like a falsely cheerful smile on her face. “This is perfectly fine. Would you like a glass of water while you wait?”
He nodded the affirmative and she slipped back into the kitchen to get his water. After she handed it to him, he took a seat at one of the booths near the door and took out his cell phone, scrolling down the screen. She tried not to stare at him, but she see
med unable to keep her gaze from flicking his direction every few seconds. He caught her eyes a couple of times, and she got the feeling he knew something was up. She couldn't blame him – she was definitely acting rather strangely. She took a deep breath and was trying to calm herself down when she heard a horn blare outside of the pizzeria. She glanced out the window just in time to see Russell honking as someone swerved in front of the sheriff's truck. She heard a muffled expletive from the booth and turned to see the man jump up and run out the door. Russell, who was still trying to get around the person who had cut him off to claim a parking spot on the street, jumped out of the truck, but he was too late. Jeremy was already far down the sidewalk and rounding the corner. Ellie watched as her husband turned and banged on the driver’s side window of the person who had pulled in front of him. She grimaced. That had not gone how she had hoped, and she had a feeling that whoever that was outside in the car had just gotten a pretty hefty parking ticket.
Russell came in shortly, having finally found a spot to park. She could tell that he was irritated as he came over to the front desk.
“I can't believe my luck,” he grumbled, leaning on the counter. “If that person hadn't pulled in front of me just then, I would've been able to park and come in before he noticed I was here. I need to send Liam and Bethany out on more traffic patrols. Apparently no one in this town knows how to drive.”
“It was probably partially my fault too,” Ellie admitted. “I kept glancing at him, and I think he knew something was up.”
Russell sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Hey, I don't blame you. You did right by calling in. The fact that he ran means that he definitely had something to hide. I'm going to see if I can get an arrest warrant out for him. Even if I can't, I'll head to his house to see if I can get him to come in for questioning voluntarily again. It's worth a try.”
“All right,” Ellie said reluctantly. “Be careful. If he feels threatened or cornered, there's no telling what he might do.”
“I know,” he said, his voice softening. “I'll put my own safety first, Ellie. You don't have to worry about that. I have a lot to come back home to.”
She smiled at him and they traded a quick kiss, then he left again. Russell may have said that he didn't blame her for alerting the man that something was off, but she still blamed herself. She ended up taking Jacob's offer and switched with him, working in the kitchen for the rest of her shift. She was relieved when Iris finally got there, signaling that it was time for her to go meet Shannon.
I hope I don't mess this up too, she thought. I seem to be on quite a roll today.
Chapter Eight
Ellie stood next to Shannon as the other woman said goodbye to her son. She kissed his cheeks, smoothed his hair, and tickled his belly before handing him over to the babysitter. “Thanks so much, Danielle,” she said. “I really appreciate you watching him. I just fed him, and he should be about ready to go down for a nap. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Remember, my phone will be on vibrate and I'll keep it in my pocket, so if you need absolutely anything, don't hesitate to call.”
“I won’t,” the younger woman said. “Have a good time, Mrs. Ward. Andrew and I will have tons of fun. We'll see you later.”
Shannon opened the door and gave Andrew one last kiss on the cheek before stepping through. Ellie was right behind her.
“Andrew is lucky to grow up with so many people who love him,” she said.
“That he is,” Shannon said. “It really makes me feel great, knowing how many people care about him. If something ever happened to James and me, I know that you and Russell and even Nonna would be there to help them.”
“Of course,” Ellie said. “But I hope that we will never have to.”
“Me too,” Shannon said. She gestured toward her car, and she and Ellie climbed in. “Cherish doesn't live too far away. It should be a short drive. Do you want to do anything afterward? I'll probably have time to grab coffee or something if the interview doesn't take too long. Danielle’s great, and she usually doesn't mind if I ask her to watch him for a little while longer.”
“If you want to stop for coffee afterwards, I'd be happy to,” Ellie said. “I've got a lot to tell you.”
Shannon raised her eyebrows. “Coffee it is, then. I want to hear whatever this exciting tale is.”
Shannon was right. Cherish’s house wasn't very far away. She lived in the middle of town, in a house that was probably about as old as the town itself was.
Shannon pulled into the driveway, putting her car into park. She smiled over at Ellie, then grabbed her satchel, which Ellie knew had a voice recorder, a notebook, and a laptop inside it. Ellie just took her purse, since she wouldn't be doing anything in this interview other than observing.
She followed Shannon up to the front door. The garden showed signs of recent digging, and that leaves, and last year’s weeds had been cleaned out. Ellie was sure it would look beautiful in a couple of weeks. The door opened and Cherish stared out at them, dark bags under her eyes.
“Hi, Cherish,” Shannon said. “My name is Shannon Ward. I'm here for the interview? We discussed it a couple of days ago.”
“Oh, of course,” the other woman said. She shot a glance at Ellie. “Come on in, both of you.” She shut the door behind them as they stepped into the house. The curtains were drawn and it was dark inside. The house was messy, but it looked recent. From the lack of dust on the surfaces, the clean smell, and the organized shelves, Ellie got the feeling it was usually a very clean house.
“Do I know you?” the other woman asked, looking at her intently. “I'm sorry, but you look really familiar.”
“I own the pizzeria,” Ellie explained. “And I was at the fundraiser.”
“Oh.” She chuckled. “At least I know I'm not going insane. Are you involved with the paper too?”
“She accompanies me on some projects,” Shannon explained.
“I see. Can I get either of you anything to drink?”
“Thanks, but no,” Shannon said. Ellie murmured the same thing, feeling a bit out of place. This was her friend’s show, not hers. “If you'd like to get yourself something though, go ahead. We aren’t in a hurry.”
“We can get started right away,” the other woman said. “Does it matter where we sit? Would you be more comfortable in the living room or at the table?”
“It's up to you,” Shannon said. “Whenever you’d prefer. We want you to be comfortable.”
The other woman led them into her living room. Ellie looked around, curious, and found herself gazing at a wall of photographs, some of the older ones featuring Cherish with a man.
“My husband,” the other woman said softly, noticing where she was looking. “He died eight years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. He still haunts me, but I hope one day he won’t.”
Ellie seated herself carefully on the couch next to Shannon. Cherish sat on a loveseat across from them. There was a coffee table dividing the space, and Shannon put her satchel down on it, taking out the voice recorder and her notebook.
“Do you mind if I record the interview?” she asked. “It will help me make sure I get any quotes right.”
“That's perfectly fine,” the other woman said. She cleared her throat. “This is all so formal. I've never been interviewed for anything before. This would almost be exciting, if it weren't for the circumstances.”
“You have my condolences for your loss. I understand she was your friend,” Shannon said. “If this starts bringing up any bad memories, or you want to stop, at any time, just give the word. What happened is still fresh in all of our minds, and there will be absolutely no hard feelings if you send us home five minutes from now after only saying two words.”
The other woman shook her head. “No, I want to do this. Jessica was my friend. I've known her for almost a decade. We worked in the same building for all those years. I want the world to know what a good, kind, hard-working per
son she was.”
Shannon reached out to turn on the voice recorder. “Well, that sounds like a perfect place to begin. Can you repeat that, Cherish?”
Ellie listened as Shannon went through her interview questions. The other woman let the conversation flow naturally, while still somehow managing to keep herself on track. Ellie knew that Shannon loved her job with the paper, and doubted that the other woman would ever get tired of it. She had her finger on the pulse of Kittiport, and showed no signs of wanting to let go.
Most of the conversation was about what sort of person Jessica was. Cherish talked about her achievements, all the years of hard work she had put in at the City Hall, her passion for creating natural spaces where people could enjoy themselves at no cost, and the love she had for Kittiport as a whole.
A Saucy Taste of Murder Page 4
