Meat Lovers and Murder

by Patti Benning

  Ellie waited while the real estate agent fetched her purse, her jacket, and a folder. She hurried out of the house and pulled the door shut behind her, locking it before turning back to Ellie.

  “The seller called me a couple of days ago and told me I could set up on Saturday. He gave me the key and told me not to worry about anyone being home. I swear, I didn't know that it was a crime scene, or that anything had happened. Do you think the police will be upset?”

  “We should probably tell them what happened,” Ellie said. “There is crime scene tape, but I think it's on the back door. You didn't call to confirm with the owner before you came here?”

  “Oh, I talked to the owner this morning,” the other woman said. At Ellie's surprised expression, she continued, “He's been renting this house out for quite a few years. Your neighbor was just a tenant, not the owner.”

  “I had no idea,” Ellie said, surprised. “I wonder if the police haven't contacted him yet. I'd think that he would know about the murder by now.”

  “I'm sure if he knew, he would have told me,” Angela said. “Unless –” she broke off.

  “Unless what?”

  “Nothing, I probably shouldn't keep talking. I have a bad habit of talking myself into corners.”

  “No, go ahead. If it has anything to do with the person who lived here, I'm sure the police will want to know.”

  “It's just, I know that the owner has been interested in selling for a while. He was having trouble ending his tenant’s lease early. He seemed to know that your neighbor would be out of the house by today; why else would he have told me to just walk right in?”

  Ellie frowned at the other woman. “Angela, what you are saying could be the key to this whole mystery. You should go directly to the police with this.”

  “I will,” the other woman said, her eyes wide. “I'll head there right now. I need to tell them that I accidentally went into the house. I don't want them to find my fingerprints all over and think I had something to do with it. Thank you so much for coming over. If I saw blood while I was walking through the house, I would've had no idea what to think.”

  Ellie waited until the real estate agent drove away before she returned to her own home. She had never met the woman before in her life, and she didn't know whether she could trust her to actually go to the police or not. As soon as she was sure that the woman was gone for good, she hurried to find her cell phone. She had a missed call from Russell and returned it without hesitation. He answered on the second ring.

  “I think someone will be showing up at the police station soon to talk to you,” she said. “Are you still there?”

  “I was just about to leave,” Russell said. “What's going on?”

  Ellie took a deep breath and told him what had just happened. “She said that she had been given the date a while ago. Isn't it odd that the house’s owner would give her a specific date when he hadn't even evicted his tenant yet?”

  “That is definitely odd,” her husband said. “Just in case she doesn't show up, did you get her name?”

  “She gave me her business card. I’ll send you a picture of it as soon as we get off the phone.”

  “I don't know what I would do without you,” Russell said fondly. “I will wait here for another twenty minutes or so, then if she doesn't show up, I'll come home. How has your day been?”

  She told him about the small business club meeting that she had almost forgotten about, and they spent the next few minutes chatting. Ellie missed him and wished that he was there with her, but she was glad to have even just a few minutes to talk to him in peace. During their honeymoon, she had gotten used to being with him every second of the day, and it would take her some time to readjust to their regular schedule. Both of them worked a lot, which meant spending a lot of time apart.

  “Well, I'm glad that you had company today. I think it would be wonderful if you gave that pizza making class at the library. Or maybe you could even host it at the pizzeria one morning before it opens. That way the people who attend could make their own pizzas.”

  “That's an amazing idea,” she said. “I'll talk to Andy about it.”

  “Andy?”

  “Andrea – she goes by Andy for short. She seems nice. I'm glad that she’s going to be coming to the meetings.”

  “Was Shannon there today?”

  “No, she wasn't. Shoot, that reminds me; I still need to call her and tell her about what happened. I was going to do that earlier today, but I got my mind off it. Let me know when you're on your way home. I'll see you later. Good luck with Angela.”

  They said their goodbyes, and she hung up. It had been a busy day, and she still had more to do, but considering the circumstances, she thought that she couldn't have been happier. Bad things might happen, but through it all, she would always have her friends and family.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  * * *

  The next day, a beautiful Sunday, Ellie and Russell managed to spend all morning together. It wasn't until after lunch that he reluctantly excused himself to return to the office. Ellie knew that murder cases kept him busy, especially when the culprit was still at large.

  She knew that he had spoken to Angela, the real estate agent, the day before, but she didn't know what Angela had told him, and she didn't pry. There were some things that he just couldn't share about an open case, and she didn't want to put him in a position where he had to keep something from her.

  Since Ellie hadn't gotten a chance to stop in at Papa Pacelli's the day before, she decided to head into town herself. She still needed to do some shopping to restock from their trip, and she figured she could kill two birds with one stone.

  After giving Marlowe a nut and giving Bunny and Sawyer pets goodbye, she walked out the front door and locked it behind her, then got in her car. As she backed out of the driveway, she glanced over toward the neighbor’s house. The sign was still up in the yard, but there wasn't anyone in the driveway. She wondered once again exactly what had happened when Angela and Russell had spoken.

  Be patient, she told herself. Russell will tell me everything once the case is closed. I should just let him do his job.

  It was easier said than done. She pulled out of the driveway and put her car into drive, moving slowly down the street and taking the opportunity to look at the house in more detail. It was a nice-looking brick house, with a wooden privacy fence between it and the road, and though the yard wasn't completely fenced in, it easily could be. The front garden looked like it was well tended, and she remembered seeing a lot of flowers there the year before. She wished that she had taken the chance to get to know her neighbor better. It was always frightening to be reminded of how quickly and unexpectedly a life could end.

  She stopped at the pizzeria first, not wanting to have to leave any groceries she might buy in the car. Sunday afternoons weren't particularly busy, but there was usually a steady stream of customers. Today was no exception. The restaurant was peaceful, but there were two families eating at the tables, and someone else walked in right behind Ellie. She made a beeline for the door that led to the kitchen, and found Iris, one of her newer employees, inside.

  “Hi, Ms. P.,” Iris said. “Jacob’s making a delivery. Everything's going well today.”

  “That's good to hear,” Ellie said. She didn't always work on weekends, but her employees were used to her checking in even on the days that she wasn't scheduled. It wasn't that she didn't trust them; she just wanted to make sure that she remained involved with the pizzeria's day-to-day workings.

  She helped wash a couple of dishes, then checked in with the guests in the dining area before deciding that there wasn't anything else for her to do there. She said goodbye to Iris and got back into her car; it was always nice when her restaurant was running smoothly, and she would rest a lot easier this afternoon knowing that everything was just fine at the pizzeria.

  Armed with a formidable list, she walked into the grocery store a few minutes later. She knew that she wante
d to start cooking more at home and had done research on a couple of new recipes that she wanted to try earlier in the day. She wanted herself and Russell to be more than just roommates; she wanted them to actually be a family, and do family things together, and part of that was eating a family meal every night that they could.

  I wonder what it will be like when Nonna comes back, she thought as she tossed a can of breadcrumbs into the cart. She knew it wouldn't be the same when it was the three of them eating dinner every night. She loved her grandmother, and enjoyed spending time with her; without Nonna, she wouldn't have anything that she had now. She owed the older woman a great deal, but at the same time, she didn't want to hinder her relationship with Russell. They were husband and wife, and it was important for them to have their own space together, even if both of them were okay with the temporary arrangement to the contrary.

  The house next door is for sale, she realized with a jolt, her hand falling to her side as she reached for the milk. It was just what they had been waiting for. Considering the circumstances, she wasn't surprised that she hadn't made the connection sooner. Someone had been murdered in the house. Did she really want to entertain the thought of buying it?

  Logically, she knew that they wouldn't get a chance like this again. It would be perfect. She and Russell could live there, with Nonna right next door. They might even be able to install some sort of intercom system, or alarm system, so if her grandmother fell or needed anything at all, she could contact them easily.

  Would Russell go for it? The two of them had been talking about buying their own house on and off ever since he had proposed to her. The one thing stopping them had always been the question of what would happen to her grandmother, but with this setup, it wouldn't be a concern. She had a feeling that he would be willing to entertain the idea, at least.

  Now, the question was, did she really want to live somewhere knowing that the previous resident had been murdered there? The thought made her uncomfortable, but she told herself that it was an emotional response, not a rational one. She didn't consider herself the superstitious type, and she certainly wouldn't let those sorts of thoughts prevent her from buying a house. A more realistic concern was whether she would be okay with the emotional impact of walking past the spot where her neighbor's body had been, every single day, possibly for the rest of her life.

  That will take some thinking. I have a while, she thought. She didn't think that the house would sell quickly, especially not since it was still a crime scene. She would talk to Russell, talk to Nonna, and try to figure out her own feelings on the matter.

  She grabbed the milk and put it in the cart, her eyes landing on her purse. She still had the real estate agent’s card in her wallet. She could call, just to ask about the price and the house’s features. It wouldn't mean anything; people looked at houses that they weren't actually going to buy all the time, she was sure of it.

  I should talk to Russell first, she thought, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to wait. As soon as she got in the car, she would have the card out of her wallet and her cell phone in her hand.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  * * *

  “Two barbecue chicken pizzas, coming right up,” she said cheerfully. It was later that week, and only two things had been on her mind since Sunday; the murder, and the house that it had happened in.

  She had called the real estate agent in the car after she left the grocery store, and the house sounded perfect. It was in their price range, with three bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a beautiful patio in the back. The kitchen was huge, and she wouldn't mind the lack of a formal dining room; she hardly ever used the one at her grandmother's house anyway. She hadn't been able to get a tour of the house yet, but the agent had sent her photos from the house’s previous listing.

  She had asked Angela to call her as soon as the house was ready for showing. Neither of them knew how long that would take; the neighbor’s murder had still not been solved, and as far as Ellie knew, the house was still a crime scene.

  The one thing that she hadn't done was to bring it up with Russell. She had been about to do just that on Sunday evening, but then he had started talking about the case. When he mentioned that the lead suspect was the house’s owner, she knew that it was best to keep quiet about her idea. If Russell arrested the house’s owner, that would only complicate matters as far as selling the house went, and she didn't want him to feel bad if he had to put the man behind bars. Once all was said and done, she would be able to bring up her idea if it still seemed feasible.

  Ellie popped open the cash register and handed the customer her change, then stepped into the kitchen to make sure that Rose had the order. The young woman was on her cell phone and jumped when she saw Ellie. Ellie decided not to mention it; ever since she had chosen Jacob to be the assistant manager instead of Rose, the young woman had been acting oddly toward her. She'd never been rude exactly, but Ellie could tell that their relationship had changed. Rose seemed hurt, and Ellie couldn't say that she blamed her. She had been just as much a candidate for the position as Jacob had, and had deserved it every bit as much as he had. It had been a hard decision for her to make, and she had known that either way she would be hurting one of her employee’s feelings.

  The employee entrance swung open, and in walked Jacob. He worked a lot more now that he was assistant manager, but Ellie hadn't heard him complain once.

  “Jacob – you’re just who I wanted to see,” she said. “Remember that pizza making class I mentioned to you a couple of days ago? Well, Andy called me last night, and she wants to set something up for a couple of weeks from now. Would you be willing to help?”

  “Sure,” he said. “It sounds like it will be fun. Just let me know when you set a date.”

  Rose stood up suddenly and brushed by Ellie. “I'm taking my break now.”

  The pizzeria owner gritted her teeth. Rosa's attitude needed to change. She had to understand that Ellie could have only chosen one of them for the position. Jacob had been with the pizzeria for slightly longer than Rose had, and he was interested in making a living long-term in the restaurant industry whereas Rose had other interests. The way Rose was treating her was simply unfair.

  “We've got another delivery, Ms. P.,” Jacob said. “So I've got to…” He gestured toward the door.

  “Of course,” she said. “Go ahead. I'll take over in the kitchen until Rose gets back.”

  She began making the crusts for the two barbecue chicken pizzas, humming to herself as she did so. So maybe things weren't perfect at the pizzeria right now; what did that really matter? Overall, she couldn't have been happier with the way everything was going at the restaurant. Both pizzerias were successful, and both had seen an increase in profit so far this year over the previous year. The Florida pizzeria hadn't even been open for a full year yet, but they were already bringing in more profits than the Kittiport pizzeria was.

  Once she got the two pizzas in the oven, she stopped briefly in the dining area to make sure none of her customers needed anything. They were all happily eating, so she slipped back into the kitchen and decided to start experimenting with a new pizza.

  In addition to all the custom toppings they offered, the pizzeria came up with a special pizza every week. A lot of the time, these weekly specialty pizzas used ingredients that Ellie didn't normally keep on hand. This week, since she had just gotten back from her trip, they had decided to simply run a special on their barbecue chicken pizzas, but next week, Ellie wanted to do something different.

  It had been a while since Ellie had come up with a truly unique pizza. The idea for the meat lover’s mac and cheese pizza had come to her without warning the night before, and she had jotted it down before falling asleep. She didn’t know where the inspiration came from, but she grateful whenever it did.

  She decided that this pizza would probably do best as a classic round pizza; a thin crust pizza might not be able to hold up all of the toppings, and deep-dish pizzas weren’t as popul
ar here as the other options. A classic round pizza was a good compromise between the two.

  Once she had the crust figured out, she began with the sauce and macaroni. On her way to the pizzeria that morning, she had picked up some blocks of silky smooth cheese product. She usually tried to use the most natural, locally grown ingredients that she could, but some recipes just called for something a bit more processed.

  She pulled out a pan and began heating the cheese sauce up on the stove. While the cheese product melted, she grabbed a cutting board and a large onion, which she chopped into small pieces. Blinking her eyes rapidly against the irritation, she scraped the peel into the garbage, then return to the stove to stir the sauce. The oven beeped, telling her that the crust was done precooking. She pulled it out, then slathered the macaroni, and cheese sauce over the top of it before spreading the finely chopped onion over that. It took only a matter of minutes for her to cook the finely ground hamburger and sausage. Once the meat was sizzling and brown, she carefully spooned it over the top of the pizza, then grabbed some shredded cheddar cheese top the whole thing off. She placed the pizza in the oven and set the timer, then began cleaning up the mess that she had made.