A Chili Death: A Classic Diner Mystery

by Jessica Beck

  “What about Jenny?” I asked.

  “She can eat after we do, and you can wait on customers and ring them up. Come on, we might not have much time.”

  I did as he asked, and as soon as the first bite of sandwich hit my mouth, I was glad that he had. The South was known for its barbeque, and while a great many folks admired the Lexington style of barbeque, I preferred my husband’s. To my amazement, we had nearly thirty minutes before Greg had to cook the next order. Those times were magical to me, and I treasured every one of them.

  As it approached six, Moose still wasn’t back at the diner.

  Greg poked his head out the pass-through window and said, “I know what you said before, and you made a convincing argument, but I’m going to call the guys and get out of this week’s poker game after all,” Greg said as he put his spatula aside and reached for the phone.

  “Don’t do that,” I said.

  “Why not? I can’t see taking off to have fun while we’ve all got this hanging over our heads. The more I think about it, the less I’m willing to do it.”

  “Greg, I appreciate the sentiment, but how’s it going to look if you don’t show up? We don’t have anything to hide, and I have faith that it’s going to work out. Besides, if this goes to court, who better to have behind us than your poker buddies? The mayor might be able to help our cause, and the sheriff as well.”

  “Tell you what. If Moose shows up in the next ten minutes, I’ll go. If not, I’m hanging around here, no matter what. Agreed?”

  I was about to answer when the front door opened, and Moose walked in with my mother at his side. Dad and my grandmother were nowhere to be seen, and it had to make me wonder if my grandfather had had any luck polling his friends.

  “In the kitchen,” he gestured to me abruptly as he blew past me.

  Before I ducked in to join them, I told Jenny, “Get the register, would you? This shouldn’t take long.”

  “You know me. I’m always glad to help out,” she said, and I followed everyone else into the back.

  “Did you have any luck with any of the rest of them?” I asked Moose as soon as I was back with them.

  “I spoke with eleven people besides the ones we’ve already talked to,” my grandfather said. “Joshua was a busy man that day he sold off his property. Nine of them had receipts, so they should be fine.”

  “How about the other two?” Greg asked.

  “Bob Chastain swears that up until recently, he had a receipt for the land his auto repair shop is on. He claims it was framed and mounted on his office wall, but when we both looked for it, it was gone. Francie Humphries had already been served as well, and she was beside herself with worry. She makes Cynthia Wilson look calm and rational, if that gives you any idea how she’s taking it.”

  “Hang on a second,” I said. “How did Howard Lance know exactly who to serve papers to in the first place?”

  “That’s the same thing that I started wondering, but it turns out that it wasn’t all that hard. He just hit everyone his old man did business with that day,” Moose said with a slight smile.

  “What’s so good about that?” Greg asked.

  “It proves that he didn’t know who still had receipts, and who didn’t,” I said. “If he stole the 1959 record book, he knew who Joshua did business with, but he couldn’t be sure that everyone didn’t still have their receipts for the original transactions. Old Howard must have decided to shotgun out the paperwork and see if he got any hits.”

  “Then that proves that he’s a crook,” Greg said with an answering grin. “All a judge has to do is look at that to know that he doesn’t have a case against any of us.”

  “Not so much,” Moose said. “I ran it by Holly, and she says that it might not matter. She has a hunch that these are nuisance suits and nothing else, a case of legal extortion. If he can get enough out of each of to make this go away, he’ll win.”

  “You’re not going to cave in, are you?” I asked.

  Moose just laughed. “I don’t knuckle under to anyone, especially a cowardly extortionist. If he wants a fight, he’s got one,” my grandfather said as he rolled up his sleeves.

  “You don’t mean that literally, do you?” I asked. I wouldn’t put it past Moose to take a swing at the man.

  “I don’t know just yet,” Moose said. “Anyway, I’ve got to go tell Cynthia and Hank about what I found out.” He then turned to Greg and asked, “Aren’t you going to be late for your poker game?”

  “I wasn’t sure if I should go,” Greg admitted.

  “This is one night you can’t afford to miss. See if you can drop what I found out into the conversation. It won’t hurt having those men on our sides.”

  “Melinda, is that okay with you?” Greg asked my mother.

  “Go. I’ve been looking forward to working with my daughter all day. Surely you wouldn’t rob me of that, would you?”

  He grinned as he slid out of his apron. “It’s all yours.”

  Stopping beside me, he gave me a quick kiss, and then headed for the door.

  “I always liked that young man,” Moose said.

  “The feeling’s mutual. Go spread the word, Moose. Mom and I can handle this.”

  “You’re a pair of fine ladies as well,” he said as he hugged us both and followed after Greg.

  Once he was gone, Mom said, “This place is well named, isn’t it? Your grandfather really can be charming.”

  “He can be when he wants to be,” I admitted. “So, should we get started?”

  “You and Jenny bring me the orders, and I’ll take care of the rest,” she said as she put on her morning apron.

  “That’s the last of it,” Mom said an hour later. “The grill’s officially closed for the day. That went fast.”

  “It was just an hour,” I reminded her. “Thanks again for covering for Greg.”

  “I was happy to do it,” she said. The last of the dishes had been run through the wash, and Jenny had finished sweeping the front. I’d sent her home so that I could have a little time with my mother.

  “Are you worried about this mess we seem to find ourselves in?” I asked her.

  “Not after what Moose uncovered,” she said. “Even if he hadn’t found out what Howard Lance was up to, I would still have faith in him and your father to resolve this.”

  “They make an odd pair for a father and son, don’t they?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I think that in many ways, they are a great deal alike.”

  I nearly dropped the sweet tea I was drinking. “Excuse me? We are talking about the same two men, aren’t we?”

  “Don’t judge them by their outward appearances, Victoria. Both men have a strong sense of loyalty, of family, and of always standing by their word. Honor is important to them, and they take their vows seriously. In all the ways that count, they are very much cut from the same cloth.”

  “I can see that,” I said.

  Mom took off her apron and hung it from the peg that was hers. She surprised me by hugging me, and then she said, “Victoria, don’t waste a minute more of worry about this. It will all turn out in the end.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I said as I noticed for the first time that the back door of the restaurant was slightly ajar.

  “When did that happen?” I asked as I walked past her and tried to shut it. It caught a little, and then I pulled harder and finally managed to get it dead bolted in place. “Mom, do you know how long this door was unlocked?”

  “To be honest with you, I didn’t even notice it,” she said. “I certainly didn’t do it.”

  “Greg must have done it by accident,” I said. “I wonder how long it’s been catching like that.” My husband was meticulous about keeping things locked up, and I knew that he’d be disturbed to find out what had happened. It didn’t matter, though, since nothing seemed to be disturbed.

  “Are you coming?” Mom asked me. “I’d be happy to walk you out.”

  “Thanks, but I’ve got to do
a spot check on the freezer inventory,” I said.

  Mom patted my shoulder. “You don’t like to go home to an empty place any more than I do, do you? I could always hang around and give you a hand, you know.”

  I smiled. “Thanks, but I’m a big girl. I see enough of my husband throughout the week to ever worry about a few hours alone at night.”

  Mom wouldn’t return my smile, though. “Now don’t you try to lie to your mother. We both know that’s not true, don’t we?”

  I thought about continuing my bluff, but she knew me too well. “Okay, I miss my husband when he’s not around. That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

  “On the contrary. I think it’s sweet. Good night, Victoria.”

  “Good night,” I said.

  After I let her out the front and locked the door behind her, I thought about leaving myself, going home, and drawing myself a nice bath.

  I wasn’t ready to go yet, though. I was walking back through the restaurant when I spotted the latest mystery from Dame Sylvia Dark sitting on the seat of one of the booths. I picked it up, started to thumb through it, and then found myself caught up in the story from the first page. When I looked up two hours later, I hadn’t even realized that time had passed. I started to put the book in our Lost and Found, but then decided it wouldn’t hurt to take it home and finish it tonight. I promised myself a quick check of the freezer, and then I was heading home.

  It didn’t work out that way, though.

  It took me all of thirty seconds to find the body, even though it had been stuffed in back behind a swan ice sculpture we were storing for an artist friend, a pallet of ice cream that didn’t belong there, and all of our regular supplies. What had caught my eye was an old tarp that was out of place. When I lifted it to move it, I found that it was covering a body.

  Thoughts of the novel I’d been reading suddenly flew out of my mind.

  I had a real mystery on my hands now.

  Someone had decided to end Howard Lance’s threats before he had a chance to see them through, and they’d left him for us at the diner to deal with ourselves.

  “Greg, is the sheriff still there with you?” I asked my husband once my hands stopped shaking long enough to dial my husband’s number on my cell phone. If it hadn’t been on Speed Dial, I never would have made it all the way through seven digits. I was pretty rattled by my recent discovery, and I didn’t care who knew it.

  “Sure, he’s sitting right here. Why do you need him? He’s got seven dollars of mine that I aim to get back before the night is over.” I hated to ruin my husband’s good mood, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “Put him on the phone, Greg,” I said, maybe a little harsher than I intended.

  “Victoria, what’s wrong?” All the playfulness was now gone from his voice.

  “I don’t want to have to say this twice. Please?”

  “Okay,” Greg said, and the next voice I heard belonged to Sheriff Edgar Croft. “What’s going on, Victoria?” he asked.

  “I found a body in our freezer at the diner,” I said. “It’s Howard Lance.”

  There was a slight hesitation before he responded to that, as though he wasn’t at all sure that I was serious. “Come again?”

  “You heard me the first time, Sheriff.”

  “Are you sure that he’s dead?” he asked me.

  I heard Greg clamoring for the phone as I said, “He’s dead, and there’s no doubt about it.” I remembered the cold, white features I’d seen, and the frosted tips of his eyebrows when I’d found him. His skin was cold to the touch, and there was no pulse that I could find.

  “Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right there.”

  “Should I call the paramedics?” I asked.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he said.

  The next thing I heard was Greg. “Victoria? Is it really true?”

  “It is,” I admitted. “Greg, could you come back to the diner? I need you.”

  “I’ll be there before the sheriff gets there,” he said, and then hung up before I could say anything else.

  He didn’t actually beat Sheriff Croft, but he did make it The Charming Moose twenty seconds before the paramedics arrived.

  “You can’t come in here right now, Greg,” the sheriff told him as he met him at the door. I was sitting at one of the booths, wishing that I had something stronger than sweet tea in my glass. I was normally pretty much a teetotaler, but I could have used a sip of a little liquid courage at the moment.

  “Just try to stop me,” he said as he shoved past the sheriff.

  “At least stay out of the kitchen,” Croft said.

  “I have no interest in going back there,” he said as he slid onto the bench seat beside me and wrapped me in his arms. “Are you okay?”

  The tension I’d been experiencing suddenly began to slip away from me, and I felt myself melt into my husband’s arms. I was as independent as the next gal, some said even more so, but I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t feel good having him hold me.

  “I’m better now,” I said. I pulled back and looked at him. “Greg, it was awful.”

  “I’m sure it was,” he said. “How did he even get in there?”

  I had a question to ask him, and I didn’t see any way around posing it, but I had to, and before the sheriff got around to it. “Did you unlock the back door today for any reason?”

  “Let’s see. Yeah, I had a special delivery for the freezer about four.”

  “We weren’t supposed to get any orders today,” I said.

  “Remember? I promised Larry Evans that we’d take a pallet of ice cream to hold for him while his freezer’s getting fixed. He doesn’t want folks to know that he’s having trouble, so it’s pretty hush-hush.”

  “With that goose ice sculpture we’re keeping, too, I’m amazed that we have room for our own supplies.”

  “Brian Wright made it for practice a week early before Sally Ann Culver’s wedding. Is it his fault that it turned out so beautifully on the day of the murder? It’s a real work of art.” He paused, and then added, “It’s a swan, by the way, not a goose.”

  “I don’t care if it’s a replica of the Empire State Building, it’s taking up too much room in our storage area.”

  “Why are you suddenly so interested in what’s in our freezer, and when it got there?” Before I even had the chance to answer, he did it for me. “I left the back door unlocked after they brought the ice cream and the sculpture in, didn’t I?”

  “There was a catch in the latch when I shut it, but Greg, I’m not accusing you of anything,” I said.

  He shook his head as he answered, “You don’t have to. I failed to lock up, and someone must have followed Lance into our freezer. Why he was there in the first place is beyond me, but what I want to know is, when did they have time to sneak in? I barely left the kitchen all day.”

  “Think about it. Did you ever leave the back for more than a minute or two? We know that door was unlocked between four when you took that delivery and seven when I found it and locked it back.”

  He considered it, and then nodded. “You and I were eating dinner out front between five and five thirty. While we were out in the dining room, someone killed Howard Lance in our freezer. Victoria, I’m never going to be able to forgive myself for this.”

  It was my turn to console my husband. “Greg, that’s crazy, and you know it. You left a door unlocked and had dinner with your wife. You didn’t have any more to do with killing Howard Lance than any of the rest of us. Whoever decided to murder him could have done it just about anywhere that the opportunity arose. The fact that they chose our freezer to make one of us look guilty just makes me angry enough to spit fire. The killer tried to put this on us on purpose, Greg, and I’m not going to stand for it.”

  He accepted what I said, and then nodded in agreement. “That goes double for me. This might not have been my fault, but I’m not about to let someone else try to pin a murder on someone in our family. We need to call Moose
, and I mean right now.”

  I was about to do just that when I looked up and saw my grandfather marching quickly to the diner that had been named after him.

  It appeared that we weren’t the only ones who were livid about where the killer had chosen to strike.

  Chapter 4

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Moose asked as he barged into the restaurant past the flashing lights of the police cars and the ambulance.

  The sheriff was just coming out of the kitchen area, and I noticed that there was a slight hitch to his step as he turned to face my grandfather.

  “There’s been a murder here, Moose,” he said calmly. “No one’s allowed in the kitchen until my team is done in there.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do in my own diner,” my grandfather said loudly.

  I decided to get between them before Moose said something that we’d all live to regret. “Leave him alone. He’s just doing his job, Moose.”

  “Are you telling me that you’re on his side?” my grandfather asked, clearly amazed by my reaction.

  “I’m with you, one hundred percent, and you shouldn’t even have to ask that question, but I’m the one who found the body, or did no one tell you that?”

  “What?” he asked, crumpling a little. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Moose wrapped me up in his arms much as my husband just had. It wasn’t a rare response from Greg, but my grandfather wasn’t much of a hugger. “Are you alright, child?” he asked softly as he stroked my head gently.

  “I’m fine,” I said, though it was clearly not the case. “There will be plenty of time to deal with this in our way once the police are finished here.” I turned to Sheriff Croft and asked, “When will that be, exactly?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say that it will be at least twenty-four hours,” he said.

  Moose was about to explode again when I beat him to the punch. In as gentle a voice as I could muster given the circumstances, I asked him, “Are you sure you can’t release it before that? It’s how we make our living, you know.”