Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder

by Chris Cavender

  I was surprised that he believed her, but I wasn’t so sure myself. I was going to make it a point not to turn my back on her, though at the moment she looked nothing like a killer to me.

  Greg said, “Eleanor, I hate to ask, but could we possibly get something to eat? The money you loaned me is just about gone.”

  I looked hard at Greg as I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never loaned you any money.”

  He nodded. “That’s right. I meant to tell you. I took some money from your cookie jar without you knowing it.” Greg grabbed a pad I kept by the phone and scrawled something on it. When he handed it to me, I read it. I owe you $200. Greg Hatcher.

  “Thanks for that,” I said. I dove into my refrigerator after making sure Katy was at least ten steps away, and then I started pulling out ingredients. “Sorry, the best I can do are sandwiches and cold drinks. I haven’t been shopping in a week, what with everything going on around here lately. Oh, wait. I could make eggs, if you don’t mind a skinny omelet to share.”

  “Sandwiches would be great,” Greg said. He looked at his former girlfriend and said, “Come on, Katy, you can trust her. She won’t bite.”

  Katy didn’t look like she believed that, but it was clear she was hungry, and not above accepting handouts.

  As I slapped a couple of sandwiches together for them, I asked, “Doesn’t your aunt feed you?”

  Greg shook his head in obvious disgust as Katy said, “After you left her house, she threw me out. All my stuff’s still in her basement, but she said if I was going to cause her trouble, she didn’t want any part of me anymore.”

  I felt bad for her, even though I still realized that she could be a murderer. “Where are you two going to stay tonight?” With the words barely out of my mouth, I quickly added, “Not that the question is an invitation. I’m sorry, but you can’t stay with me.” Kevin Hurley would have a field day with that arrangement if he ever found out. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t be too pleased knowing that I was feeding them both in my kitchen, though as far as I knew, neither one was actually being sought for arrest.

  Greg smiled. “Don’t sweat it, I’ve made other arrangements. I just needed to talk to you before we took off.”

  “Why? What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said, and something occurred to me—”

  He never got to finish the thought. There was a loud knock at the front door, and someone yelled, “Open up. It’s the police.”

  Without a word, Greg dropped his sandwich, grabbed Katy’s hand, and headed for the back window he’d come in through the last time he’d visited me.

  A powerful beam of light snapped on outside, and I could hear Kevin Hurley’s voice shout, “Not this time. Stay right there, and don’t move a muscle until I get inside.”

  After I let Kevin in, he scowled at me. “You were supposed to call me.”

  “They just showed up two seconds ago,” I said.

  “You were going to turn me in?” Greg asked me, the disbelief thick in his voice.

  I wasn’t about to answer that question. “Kevin, how did you know they were here?”

  “We got a tip,” he said.

  I glanced over at Mr. Harpold’s house, and could see that he was watching my place through his window. I waved at him, though what I wanted to do was shake my fist in his direction. He didn’t wave back, but at least he had the decency to duck away from my gaze.

  “Great, our one-man Neighborhood Watch is in action,” I said dryly.

  “He was just doing his civic duty,” Kevin said, “which is more than I can say for you at the moment.”

  “We haven’t done anything,” Greg said. “You can’t arrest us.”

  “Don’t try to tell me that you don’t know I’ve been looking all over town for you,” Kevin said. “You haven’t made it easy on me.” He nodded toward one of his officers. “Cuff him, then put him in the back of my squad car.”

  “I didn’t kill my brother,” Greg shouted as he was being handcuffed.

  “I don’t have an opinion on that yet, one way or the other,” Kevin said as Katy started to cry. Everyone ignored her, though.

  “Then why are you arresting him?” I asked.

  “It’s true that he’s a person of interest in a murder case, but that’s not why he’s under arrest.” The police chief frowned as he added, “You know, you should be thanking me instead of yelling at me, Eleanor.”

  “I can’t imagine how that’s possible, even in your mind.”

  Kevin shook his head. “I don’t understand you. I thought you’d be thrilled that we caught the guy who robbed you at gunpoint the other night.”

  “That’s a lie,” Greg shouted. “Eleanor, I’d never steal anything from you. You’ve got to believe me!”

  “I believe you, Greg. Wade did it,” I said loudly. “I heard his voice on his answering machine, and the second I heard him, I knew he was the one who robbed me.”

  “They sounded an awful lot alike to me,” Kevin said.

  “It wasn’t Greg.” I knew in my heart that was true.

  Kevin was untouched by the display. “Then why did we find your deposit bag and some of the credit card receipts in his apartment?”

  Greg looked shocked by the allegation. “Someone planted them there.”

  “Gee, I’ve never heard that before.” He looked at Katy Johnson, and then said, “We’ve been looking for you, too, young lady.”

  “I didn’t rob anyone,” Katy said.

  Kevin said, “I’m not arresting you for that, so that works out great. But I need you to come down to the station with us so I can interview you about your relationship with Wade Hatcher.”

  “She didn’t have one,” Greg shouted.

  “Get him out of here, would you?” Kevin said to one of his officers.

  “Don’t say anything else, Greg,” I ordered him. “I’ll call Bob Lemon.”

  After Greg was gone, and another policeman was escorting Katy Johnson out of my house, Kevin lingered. “You can’t be serious about getting a lawyer for the guy who stuck a gun in your face.”

  “He didn’t do it,” I said.

  “How do you know that? You said you didn’t get a good look at the perp, and his voice was disguised.”

  “Wade had to have done it. I know Greg,” I said.

  “You just think you do. I have half a mind to drag you down to my office with the other two.”

  I offered him my wrists. “That would make my night. I’ve been thinking about adding onto the house, and with the money I’d get from the settlement for false arrest, I might be able to afford a swimming pool, too.”

  Kevin let that slide. “Were you ever going to call me, Ellie?”

  I hated it when he used that nickname. It was an unfair advantage most days, and he knew it. Today wasn’t one of those, though. I wasn’t thrilled about having the police storm into my house and forcibly remove two people from there.

  “I guess we’ll never know, will we? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a telephone call to make.”

  Kevin shook his head sadly, and then he walked out alone.

  Bob Lemon answered on the fourth ring, and when I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was nearing eleven.

  “I woke you, didn’t I?” I asked.

  “No, not at all,” he said, the sleepiness thick in his voice.

  “Liar,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I need help.”

  “Then I’m your man. What can I do for you?”

  “Kevin Hurley just arrested Greg Hatcher for robbing me the other night, and I want you to defend him.”

  He paused, and then said, “I’ve got to say, that’s really turning the other cheek, Eleanor.”

  “He didn’t do it,” I said. “I’m pretty sure his brother did, and then he tried to frame Greg.”

  “Did Kevin give you any reason he jumped to that particular conclusion?”

  I admitted, “He found my deposit bag and s
ome receipts in Greg’s apartment.”

  Bob paused, and then said, “I suppose we could say Wade planted them there.”

  “Because it’s the truth,” I said, snapping a little more than I’d meant to. Just because it was late and I was tired and upset, there was no reason to take it out on Bob, especially when I was asking him for a favor.

  “Hey, take it easy. I’m on your side, remember? Let me get dressed, and I’ll head down to the police station.”

  “I’ll meet you there,” I said.

  “I’d really rather you didn’t,” Bob said. “Sometimes you seem to bring out the worst in our chief of police.”

  “It’s mutual, trust me,” I said.

  “Be that as it may, we don’t need to complicate matters any further than we already have.”

  I could see the sense in that, even if it didn’t make me all that happy. “You’ll call me as soon as anything happens, promise?”

  “It could be several hours before I can get him released,” Bob said.

  “If you’re not going to call me, then I’m going to have to meet you there.”

  Bob sighed. “I could just lie to you—you know that, don’t you?”

  “You know better than that,” I said.

  “You’re right, I do. I’ll be in touch.”

  After he hung up, I dialed Maddy’s number to bring her up to speed.

  She answered brightly, her capacity for late nights continually surprising me. I heard some odd form of music in the background.

  “What is that playing?” I asked.

  “What did you say?” Maddy replied.

  “Turn your stereo down!” I shouted.

  There was a pause, and the music suddenly died.

  When Maddy came back on the line, I said, “What was that you were listening to?”

  “Tomorrow’s Sorrow,” she said. “They’re great, aren’t they?”

  “I’m just glad I’m not one of your neighbors.”

  Maddy laughed. “That’s why I have a unit on the top floor and on the end. There’s no one above me, and the apartment beside me is empty.”

  “How about the unit below you?”

  “Mr. Jenkins is as deaf as a post,” she said. “Surely you’re not calling to check up on me, are you?”

  “The police just left my house, so I wanted to let you know what was happening.”

  “They aren’t arresting you, are they?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “They handcuffed Greg Hatcher, though.”

  “Greg’s been staying with you all along, and you never told me?” Maddy’s voice was nearly shrieking as she spoke.

  “He came by tonight with Katy Johnson to tell me something. Come to think of it, he never had a chance. Kevin Hurley arrested him before he could say anything.”

  “Does he honestly think Greg killed his own brother?”

  “I don’t know what he thinks about that. He arrested him for robbing me the other night at gunpoint.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Maddy said. “We both know that Wade did it.”

  “That’s what I told him.”

  “Then we have to call Bob.”

  “I already did,” I said. “He’s on his way now to get Greg out of there.”

  Maddy paused, then asked, “What happened to Katy? She’s not still there with you, is she?”

  “No, the police took her in for questioning about the murder. Trust me, it was quite a scene.”

  “I can’t believe I missed it,” Maddy said, pouting as if I’d arranged to have her excluded from the action.

  “Honestly, it wasn’t all that great. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your jam session. I need some sleep if I’m going to be able to face tomorrow.”

  “Is Bob calling you later?” Maddy asked.

  “I told him to, but who knows?”

  “He’ll call. Trust me. When he does, call me as soon as you hang up. I don’t care what time it is, do you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear. I’ll talk to you later.”

  After we finished our conversation, I went around the house and made sure that all the doors and windows were locked up tight, and then I cleaned up the remnants of the impromptu meal. Katy had devoured half her sandwich, but Greg had only had time for a few bites before Kevin burst in. I hoped they gave him something to eat at the station.

  The thought that he had robbed me was a ridiculous one. I knew Greg would never do that. If he needed money, he’d come to me, and if I had any to give him, I would. It was just that simple.

  Sure, Wade and Greg had similar voices, and it would be even harder to tell them apart if they were both whispering, but I knew Greg was innocent, no matter what the evidence might look like. But how in the world could I convince anyone else of it?

  There was nothing more to do than go to sleep and hope that Bob Lemon called me soon with some good news.

  After the time I’d been having lately, I could use some.

  In what felt like a lifetime later, I was jarred awake from a sound sleep by my telephone.

  It was my turn to be groggy when I answered, though Bob Lemon sounded almost chipper. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “Of course you did,” I said.

  “I warned you it might be late.”

  I stared at the clock until I could get the numbers in focus. It was five-fifteen, and the sky outside was still cloaked in darkness. “That’s fine, I asked you to call me. Is he out yet?”

  “No, that’s going to take a little time. He should be out in time for lunch, though.”

  “Is that the best you can do?”

  Bob said curtly, “It’s the best anyone can do, and I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a little credit here.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. Did you get to see him?”

  “For about two minutes, long enough for him to hire me officially. You owe me a dollar, by the way. I had to loan him one.”

  “Gladly,” I said. “How was he? Was he scared?”

  “I think he was angry, more than anything else,” Bob said. “He’s ready to take on the world. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get home and take a shower and change. I’ve suddenly got a busy morning ahead of me.”

  “Thanks for doing this, Bob.”

  “For you and Maddy? I’d do anything for the two of you, and you know it.” He chuckled softly as he added, “Not that I’m not going to bill you for my time. I’ll give you my best rate, though.”

  “Any break you can give me will be greatly appreciated,” I said. “I’d better call Maddy and tell her what you’ve told me.”

  There was a silence, and then he said, “Actually, I just spoke with her. She called me earlier and made me promise I’d call her first.”

  “Hey, as long as I’m somewhere there in the loop, I’m a happy gal.”

  After we hung up, I debated getting up and starting my day, but I had nearly two hours left before my alarm clock went off, so I decided to take full advantage of it and go back to sleep if I could manage it.

  To my surprise, it turned out that I could.

  Maddy was at my front door before the coffee was even ready. As I let her inside, I asked, “Did we plan to get together first thing this morning?”

  “I haven’t been able to sleep since Bob called me.” She looked at me carefully. “You did, though, didn’t you?”

  “Guilty as charged,” I said as I yawned loudly.

  “How could you, with Greg sitting in jail?”

  I poured myself a cup of coffee and took the first sip. It was the one I cherished every morning, and sometimes the only thing that could blast me out of my bed. “I couldn’t help him then, any more than I can now.”

  “You haven’t changed your mind about him, have you?”

  I shook my head. “Of course not. I know Greg would never steal from me. It had to be Wade.” Maddy yawned. “Do you want some coffee?”

  She nodded, so I poured her a cup as well. Maybe it would settle her nerves, though I
doubted anything short of a tranquilizer could do that this morning. After taking a healthy sip, she said, “I can’t believe how calm you’re being about this.”

  “Bob is taking care of it, so there’s really nothing we can do for Greg at the moment. The only way we can help him is find out who really murdered his brother.”

  “And how do you propose we do that?”

  “We go talk to Roger Henderson,” I said. “Art said he’d be a good place to start digging.”

  Maddy shook her head. “You’re taking tips from criminals now?”

  “If it will help Greg, I’d use information from anyone, Art Young included. The accountant wasn’t very honest with us the last time we spoke to him, was he?”

  “No,” Maddy said as she finished the coffee. “But I don’t feel right just ignoring Greg like this.”

  “Then go have yourself a vigil at the jail if it will make you feel any better,” I said. “I’m going to talk to Roger.”

  “Of course, you’re right. I’ll come with you,” Maddy said.

  We drove to the strip mall where Roger Henderson’s office was located, and I was surprised to see a pair of black sedans parked out front.

  “That doesn’t look good,” I said as I got out of my sister’s car.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Check the plates.”

  She did as I instructed, then whistled softly under her breath. “Government tags. How’d you pick up on that?”

  “I don’t miss much,” I said.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  We approached the front door and walked into the office. Roger Henderson was at his desk, but he wasn’t alone. A large man in a navy blue suit sat on one side of him, and a prim-looking woman in equally drab attire sat at Roger’s station. They all looked up at us when we walked in.

  “Sorry, we’re closed for business,” Roger said.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Who are these women?” the man asked Roger.

  “We’re friends of his former employee, Wade Hatcher,” Maddy said, which was at least as big a lie as I’d ever told myself.

  “Then I’m afraid you’ll have to leave immediately,” the woman said. “This isn’t any concern of yours.”

  There wasn’t really much we could do after that. Maddy and I left, but as we approached our car, Roger called out to us.