A CRISPY SLICE OF MURDER (Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Book 21)

by Patti Benning

  “Let me see the note again,” Shannon said suddenly. “Something about all of this feels familiar.”

  Puzzled, she handed over the note. Belatedly she realized they probably shouldn’t have been handling it so much. The police might have been able to get fingerprints off of it.

  “How does this feel familiar?” Ellie asked. “James has never been kidnapped before.”

  “Not James,” Shannon said grimly. “Russell’s wife, Anne… she was kidnapped. The person who did it killed her the same day, and they never got caught.”

  “Oh my gosh. That’s horrible.”

  “Russell never told you about it?”

  “No. I never asked. I thought he would tell me in his own time.”

  Shannon shook her head. “He never talks about it. It destroyed him for years. I think he only kept up with himself because he knew it’s what she would have wanted.”

  “Do you think the same person took James?”

  “I don’t know. It was different with Anne. The kidnapper didn’t leave a note when he took her, but there was one with her body. I only got one glance at it, but I know it was handwritten, just like this one. Russell would know for sure if the handwriting was the same, but we can’t go to him.”

  “If it’s the same person that killed his wife, we have to tell him,” Ellie said.

  “We can’t risk James. No matter what.”

  Ellie sighed. She rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache and was running on just a couple of hours of sleep. This was all too much.

  “Maybe…” Shannon trailed off.

  “Maybe what?”

  “Well, I think he kept the note. It probably should have stayed in police evidence, but I’m pretty sure he took it home once the case went cold. If we could find it, we could compare the handwriting.”

  “Even if it’s the same person, will it change anything?”

  “It will be something to go on, at least,” Shannon said defensively. “Do you have a key to his place?”

  “I do, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with using it for something like this.”

  “He would understand,” Shannon said. “James is his brother. He wants to save him just as much as I do. Do you think he would even hesitate, if your positions were reversed?”

  Ellie bit her lip. She knew that Russell would stop at nothing to save someone he loved. “What if the kidnapper finds out we went to his house?”

  “Well, there was nothing on the note or in the video saying we couldn’t go wherever we want before three, as long as we don’t go near Russell and don’t contact the police. If Russell’s at the sheriff’s department and someone is watching him there, it’s probably safe. You said it yourself; how many people can be involved with this? Two at most.”

  “Shannon, I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. But this isn’t something we should be handling. We need to contact someone that can deal with this the right way.”

  “If you don’t help me, I’m going to do it myself,” her friend said. “I love you, you know that. You’re my best friend. But right now, none of that even matters. I’m going to get my husband back, whether you’re with me or not.”

  Ellie looked at Shannon’s frightened, determined face, then glanced down at her rounded belly. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “I’ll help you, but with one condition. When we get home this evening, we’re going to find a way to get a message to Russell. I’m not going to let you get yourself killed over this.”

  Shannon hesitated, then nodded. “All right, but we have to agree on how we do it together. Okay?”

  “It’s a deal. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it now. I’ll take care of the animals, then we’ll head back out. I just hope we’re doing the right thing.”

  “Me too.” Shannon took a shaky breath. “I just want James to come back to me alive.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  * * *

  Even though she had agreed to help her friend look for the note left by Anne’s kidnapper in Russell’s house, she wasn’t happy about it. She hated the thought of sneaking around behind her fiancé’s back. What they were about to search for was very private and painful to him. It felt like a horrible betrayal, but at the same time, his brother’s life was on the line. For some reason, the kidnapper has chosen her, or her and Shannon, to play his sick game with, so it was their job to do whatever they could to make sure James came out of this alive.

  “Just drive past it first,” Shannon said. “We need to make sure he isn’t home.”

  “I will. You’re sure no one’s following us?”

  “I’m sure. I’ve been watching every single car, and none of them have stayed behind us for more than a couple of minutes. We’re good.”

  At least they weren’t being followed. She supposed she had to take the good things where she could get them.

  “There’s Russell’s place. His car’s not there.”

  “Good. Drive around the block and park in his driveway. Let’s do this as quickly as possible.”

  How quickly does she expect us to locate a single piece of paper? Ellie wondered, but she did as her friend asked. She had a sour feeling in her stomach as she pulled into the sheriff’s driveway, but there was no turning back now. She was in this whether she liked it or not.

  Before getting out of the car, she sorted through her keys until she found the right one. This was risky, Shannon had to know that. If Russell came home unexpectedly, and someone was tailing him, then the kidnapper wouldn’t be happy. However, her friend was determined to figure out if the kidnapper was the same person who had killed Russell’s wife, and Ellie had to admit that she wanted to know herself. It may not change anything, but somehow, she felt as if it would make all of the difference.

  She and Shannon hurried up to the door. Ellie unlocked it and stepped through, then immediately turned the deadbolt behind them. Something brushed against her leg, making her jump, but it was only Sookie, his cat.

  “Where should we start?” she asked her friend.

  “Where does he keep his important stuff?” Shannon asked. “Things like his birth certificate, tax forms, bank information…”

  “I have no idea. I’ve never gone through his stuff, and I’ve never seen him get any of that out.”

  Her friend chewed on her lip for a moment before saying, “Well, I guess we can start looking through the closets.”

  “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “We have to. Anything that might help us save James is worth it.”

  They began their search, Shannon with more enthusiasm than Ellie. Every time a car drove past, she jumped. She was certain that this couldn’t end well, and was just waiting for them to get discovered.

  Her eyes landed on a pad of paper on the kitchen counter. It would be so easy to write a note explaining everything. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that she didn’t know who they could trust. What if the kidnapper had someone at the sheriff’s department? If Russell called it in and they found out… She shook her head. It wasn’t worth the risk to James’s life.

  “In here,” her friend called from the bedroom. Ellie hurried through the house to find Shannon sitting on Russell’s bed with a metal box on her lap. “I found this under his bed. It’s locked.”

  “Well, I don’t have a key for that,” Ellie said.

  “It doesn’t take a key. It needs a code. Six digits. Do you have any ideas?”

  “I may be engaged to him, but you’ve known him longer than I have,” she said. “Your guess is as good as mine. Better, probably.”

  Shannon frowned, and began to fiddle with the lock. She sighed. “Well, it’s not his birthday.”

  Ellie wasn’t surprised. She doubted he would have used something so simple. “Maybe try one of his parents’ birthdays.”

  They went through every number they could think of, but with no luck. At last, Shannon frowned and slowly entered in one last string of digits. To Ellie
’s surprise, the box clicked open.

  “What was it?”

  “Anne’s birthday.”

  They both fell silent. Shannon began taking papers out of the box. Suddenly she set it down next to her and with shaking fingers, pulled out a folded square of paper. Ellie was unable to contain her curiosity any longer. She sat next to her friend on the bed. “Go on, unfold it.”

  Shannon did so, careful not to tear the paper. She laid it out on her lap and reached into her purse for the note Ellie had found earlier. Even before she put the two side by side, Ellie knew they were by the same person.

  The man that had killed Russell’s first wife was back, and this time he had his brother.

  They put everything back where they had found it and walked out to the car in silence. Ellie had no idea what her friend was thinking. Her own thoughts were a tangled mess. The person who had kidnapped James had killed before. That meant he was dangerous… and very, very serious. Maybe Shannon was right to be so careful about following his instructions. One wrong move, and the kidnapper might make good on his threat to kill his most recent prisoner.

  And of course, all of this led back to her fiancé. Both people the kidnapper had targeted were tied to him. Why hadn’t he sent the note to Russell? Why had he chosen her? It didn’t make any sense. None of it did.

  “We should hurry,” Shannon said.

  Ellie glanced at the time. It was about two-thirty. They had half an hour until they had to be at the marina. There was no doubt left in her mind that they were going to do what the kidnapper had requested. His first demands seemed simple enough, and she figured he probably just wanted to see if they would play along. She had no idea what he would ask of them next, and she was terrified at the thought of how far they might have to go. Where would Shannon draw the line? She doubted the kidnapper would simply give James up after making a few easy requests. What was his game?

  She parked at the marina. It was the middle of a weekday in winter, and they were one of only a few cars there. The two of them looked around nervously. Were they being watched right this moment? Ellie examined each car to see if any of them had people sitting inside, but they were all empty. She turned her attention instead to the sheriff’s department, which was across the block and down the street a little bit. She could just make out Russell’s truck in the parking lot. She ached to run to him and tell him everything, but she had made a promise and she intended to keep it.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “We should wait,” Shannon said. “We’re supposed to be out there exactly at three. If we go now, we’ll get there too early.”

  Ellie leaned back against her seat, gripping the steering wheel. She hated this, hated being forced to do what a terrible person demanded, but what choice did they have?

  At three o’clock on the dot, they were standing on the deck of the Eleanora. It was frigid on the water, and even though Ellie didn’t normally get seasick, the gentle bobbing of the boat was making her feel ill. All around them was the constant squeak of the ropes that bound the various boats to their docks.

  “Do you see anyone?” Ellie asked. Shannon shook her head. No one else was nearby. If the kidnapper really was watching to verify that they had completed his first task, then he must have been far away, with binoculars.

  “Two more stops,” Shannon said. “Maybe we’ll see someone by the dance studio.”

  Ellie doubted it, but said nothing. Somehow, she didn’t think that the kidnapper would be anywhere near them. She had a sneaking suspicion that no one was watching them. After driving around town all day, they had seen not one vehicle that could be following them. Still, it wasn’t worth the risk. They would complete the next two stops, then go back to Ellie’s house. From there, they would figure out how to send a message to Russell and end this insanity once and for all.

  CHAPTER TEN

  * * *

  After standing outside in the cold on the boat and in front of the dance studio for nearly half an hour, it was a relief to walk into Hot Diggity Dog. The hot dog shop was owned by Ellie’s newest friend, Joanna. Ellie and Shannon had spent many happy afternoons in there, eating good food and talking to their friend. Today was different, however, and Ellie was glad when she saw that her friend wasn’t the one at the register. Instead, it was a young woman whom she knew very well; a girl named Clara, who used to work for her at the pizzeria.

  “Hi, Ms. P.,” the young woman said cheerily. “What can I get you guys?”

  “Two New York style hot dogs, please,” Shannon said. She looked tense, but thankfully Clara didn’t seem to notice.

  “All right, those will be out in just a sec. Ms. P., I heard about that guy the sheriff arrested that ended up escaping. That’s crazy, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Ellie said, giving the young woman a wan smile. “It really is.”

  “I’m sure they’ll find him soon. Here’s your receipt. I’ll bring your food out as soon as it’s ready.”

  Ellie and Shannon took a seat by the window. It was a bright winter day, and she thought about how strange it was to see everybody going about their business when she and Shannon were sitting there with the weight of the world on their shoulders. For almost everyone else, it was just another day as usual.

  “I hate this,” her friend said in a low voice. “I feel like I’ve spent every single second terrified since I noticed he was gone. What am I going to do if we don’t get him back safely?”

  “Don’t even think about that,” Ellie said. “We will.”

  “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier after we watched the video. I understand why you wanted to go straight to the police. I want to too, but I just can’t.”

  “I don’t know what the right thing to do is,” Ellie admitted. She paused as Clara delivered their food, then continued. “I wish I could be more help. I feel so useless.”

  “So do I,” her friend said.

  The two of them began to eat. Ellie hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she took the first bite. Both of them had eaten very little at breakfast, and it had been a busy, stressful day of running around. We have to go home after this, she thought. They weren’t supposed to leave the house all evening. Maybe it would be good for them to get some rest. Ellie couldn’t fathom how she would manage to fall asleep, but she knew she was tired.

  “Ellie, who’s that?” Shannon whispered. She jerked her head discretely through the window. “Does she look familiar to you?”

  Ellie looked to her right. A woman about their age, with long, unkempt looking black hair was leaning against the window outside. “I don’t recognize her. Why?”

  “She was staring right at you. I swear I’ve seen her before.”

  Frowning, the pizzeria owner looked at the woman again, but there still wasn’t anything about her that looked familiar. “I do think I’ve seen her before. I think she’s the one who met Clark outside of the pizzeria that night he stopped in.” Had that really only been a couple of days ago?

  Before she could look away, the woman glanced right at her. Ellie felt goosebumps rise on her arms. Something about the way the woman looked at her made her certain that the woman knew who she was, at least. Suddenly the woman turned and quickly made her way down the sidewalk and out of site. Ellie exchanged a glance with Shannon.

  “Should we go after her?”

  “If we can do it without her seeing us,” Ellie said. “She might be involved with all of this. She could lead us straight to James.”

  Shannon nodded. They got up, Ellie dumping their garbage in the bin on the way out the door, and stepped out of the hot dog shop. The woman had vanished, but Ellie knew she couldn’t be far.

  “Let’s get in the car,” she suggested. “We won’t be as easy to recognize.”

  After they pulled out of the parking lot, Ellie drove slowly in the direction she had seen the woman go. For a moment, she thought she had lost her, but then she saw her standing in the parking lot in front of the post office, finishing up a cigarette.
Not wanting to draw attention to them, Ellie drove past and parked along the side of the in front of a consignment store. She and Shannon both craned their necks. Ellie could just barely see the woman. She watched as she dropped the cigarette butt on the ground and pulled open the door to the car she had been standing next to. She got in and vanished from view.

  “She’s going the other way,” Shannon groaned as the woman pulled out of the parking lot.