A Pizza To Die For

by None

  I had a hunch what the answer was, but I wanted to see if Gina was brazen enough to admit her part in his shift.

  “Do you honestly have the nerve to ask me that? I’m in town to finalize the arrangements for burying my brother.”

  “You don’t seem all that torn up about losing him,” I said, and instantly regretted it. I’d let her anger spill over onto me, and I didn’t like what the woman was bringing out in me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, and I apologize for it.”

  She wasn’t in any mood to receive it, though. “Forget it. I had a message to deliver, and I’ve done that. Be warned, I’m deadly serious.”

  “So are we,” Maddy said.

  Gina turned and left, her heels clicking away as she moved.

  “Wow, that was impressive, wasn’t it?” Maddy asked me after she was gone.

  “What, how quickly she managed to change Nathan’s mind about us, or the manner in which she just attacked us?”

  “Both.” She reached down, retrieved her muffin, and then took another bite.

  I couldn’t eat mine. Gina had sucked the last bit of joy out of it for me. “Are you ready to get started on prepping for pizza?”

  Maddy had finished her muffin by then, and she pointed to mine. “Aren’t you going to finish that?”

  “You can have it,” I said. “I just lost my appetite.”

  She took mine and had a healthy bite of it as we walked over to the Slice. “I wouldn’t want to offend Paul, would I?”

  “No, we can’t have that,” I said as I unlocked the door and let us in. After I had it bolted behind us, I made my way into the kitchen. I had a lot on my mind, but making pizza dough would help relieve some of the tension.

  As I started measuring the flour and yeast, Maddy said, “Don’t forget, we need more sauce, too.”

  I glanced at the clock and realized that I was going to have to work really quickly if I was going to get everything prepped in time for our opening. I might even have to take a few shortcuts to do it.

  Maddy started to talk as she chopped vegetables, but I had to focus on what I was doing.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, “but I really have to concentrate on this. We can talk later, but right now, I need to work.”

  “That’s fine with me,” she said.

  After a minute, Maddy reached over and flipped on the radio. “This is okay, though, isn’t it?”

  “It’s fine as long as you don’t turn it up any louder,” I said. That was a distraction I could at least live with.

  “I could always make the sauce myself,” Maddy said as she finished her prep work. “I’ve watched you a hundred times.”

  I was about to decline when I realized that it would make my life easier if she pitched in. I was normally a bit of a control freak in my kitchen, but this was no time to quibble.

  “Okay, but on one condition,” I said.

  She smiled. “You name it.”

  “No ad-libbing on the recipe. If it says two tablespoons of something is needed, that’s what you add, no more and no less. If you can’t agree to that caveat, I’ll do it myself.”

  “I promise. I’ll follow your directions to a tee,” she said.

  “Then knock yourself out,” I said.

  “Could you taste this?” Maddy asked me forty-five minutes later. I’d just finished punching the second batch of dough down, so I set it aside to rest with its mate.

  I grabbed a spoon, tasted a bit of sauce, and then nodded. “Hey, that’s really good.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  I laughed. “Don’t act so surprised. I knew all along that you could do it.”

  “Then why did you wait so long to let me try?” she asked.

  “You know me, I’ve got to be in charge of everything. I’ve had a hard time letting go of things since we were kids.”

  “Eleanor, it’s okay to delegate now and then.”

  I smiled at my sister. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll try to lighten up a little.”

  “Can I take a stab at that pizza dough tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Don’t push your luck,” I said, “or I’ll have you make the sauce every time we need it.”

  “It’s not nice to threaten your favorite sister,” she said with a smile.

  “You’re my only sister,” I reminded her.

  “Then I’ve got to be your favorite, don’t I?”

  “Just don’t get too carried away with that status. By definition, you’re also my least favorite sibling, too.”

  Maddy grinned at me. “Hey, it never hurts to ask.”

  We had a line waiting for us when we opened the Slice, and it was going to be just me in the kitchen and Maddy out front. I was understaffed and I knew it, but most of the time we were able to handle the crowds, and it helped my bottom line not to have an extra person on the payroll when the four of us could handle the jobs we needed to get done.

  Unfortunately, this wasn’t going to be one of those times.

  I helped Maddy seat the first twelve customers, including our loyal fan, Karen Green. “It’s good to see you, Karen,” I said.

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she said as she smiled broadly at me. “It’s a beautiful day out, isn’t it?”

  “I couldn’t say anything about how it is outside right now,” I replied. “I’ve been in the kitchen for hours.”

  “You really should take time to enjoy all this,” she said as she looked around the crowded pizzeria.

  “That’s the trouble. I either have time on my hands with nothing to celebrate, or I’m too busy working to appreciate what I’ve got.”

  “I know exactly what you mean. I either have money and no free time, or the absolute reverse.”

  “Then we should make a pact to enjoy it more,” I said. There was something a little odd about Karen, but then again, I could say that about most of my customers, friends, and family, too, if I was willing to admit it.

  “Oh, I do, believe me. Coming here gives me the greatest joy in my life.”

  “If we’re your greatest joy, then trust me, you need to get out more,” I said as I winked at her. “See you later.”

  “You know you can count on me,” she said.

  I disappeared into the kitchen, and Maddy soon brought back the first round of orders. As she gave me the slips, she asked, “What were you and Karen talking about just now?”

  “This and that. I was just making time to stop and smell the roses,” I answered as I got out the first dough ball and started knuckling it into the pan. “Why?”

  “It’s probably nothing,” Maddy said, “but she gave me the oddest look when I took her order.”

  “She’s never been conventional, has she?”

  Maddy shook her head. “That’s not it. It was almost as if she expected me to thank her for something.”

  I waved a free hand in the air. “If we try to figure out our customers’ motivations, we’ll both go stark raving mad and not get a bit of work done all day.”

  “You’re right,” Maddy said.

  “Can you handle the front by yourself until reinforcements arrive?”

  She grinned at me. “Do I have any choice?”

  “We could always hire someone else to come in and give us a hand when we need it,” I said.

  “Are you crazy? We’re barely surviving as it is. We don’t need anybody else on the payroll. I can handle this mob if you can.”

  “Just keep the orders coming,” I said. “I’ll bring them out as they’re ready, so that will save you some steps.”

  “See? We already have a system worked out. See you soon,” she said as she disappeared back out into the dining room.

  I kept glancing at the clock as things hit a lull, but it seemed to move so slowly that I didn’t think Greg would ever show up. The kitchen door finally opened, but instead of Greg, Bob Lemon walked in.

  “You’ve got the wrong sister,” I said as I slid a pizza onto the conveyor. “I know you passed Madd
y on your way in.”

  “Is she ever going to let me off the hook for what I said?”

  I shrugged. “With Maddy, you can never tell.”

  Bob shook his head sadly. “If you don’t know from being her sister all your life, I don’t have a prayer.”

  I considered his options, thinking about the past men in Maddy’s life, and how she’d reacted to them when they’d transgressed, at least in her mind. In the end, there was just one thing the forgiven all had in common. After due consideration, I finally said, “Bob, the only plan I have involves a great deal of begging and groveling on your part. Are you up for it?”

  “That depends,” he said. “I’m still not entirely certain that I was wrong in saying what I did to her.”

  My laughter must have alarmed him, because before I could contain myself, he asked, “Eleanor, did I just say something funny?”

  “With that attitude, you’ve got your work cut out for you. When did right and wrong ever figure into arguments between men and women? Seriously, think about it. You’re a smart man. I know you’ll see it if you just try hard enough.”

  He nodded reluctantly. “Okay, I see the logic in what you’re saying. What should I do, bring her candy and flowers?”

  “Come on, think outside the box. That’s so conventional, and we both know my sister isn’t that easy,” I said.

  “So, you’re saying I should go more along the lines of something like filet mignon and a new car?”

  I just shook my head, wondering how this savvy and successful attorney could be so wrong. “You’re nowhere close. The only thing I can think of that will get you back in my sister’s good graces is an honest and sincere apology. She’s not interested in vehicles and pricey steaks.”

  “I’d rather buy her a car,” he said reluctantly.

  Maybe he was finally getting it. “Don’t you think she knows that? Hey, you asked me for my opinion. It’s up to you whether you take my advice or not. I’m washing my hands of the whole thing.”

  “I just wish that I could, myself. Well, here goes nothing.”

  He was heading for the door when I yelled, “Stop. She doesn’t have time for an apology right now. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re buried in customers at the moment. The only way you can help is to grab an apron and pitch in.” Things had picked up again quickly.

  Bob shocked me by grabbing one of the aprons hanging on a hook by the door.

  It was time to give him a graceful way to back out. The attorney didn’t owe me an apology for anything. “I was just kidding.”

  “I’m not,” he said as he doffed his suit jacket and put the apron on. “I’ve got an hour I can give you. Should I take orders out front with Maddy, or work back here with you? I’m handy with a knife, if you need anything chopped.”

  “I think the best thing you can do is keep out of her way right now,” I said. I looked around for something he could do, and spotted the dirty dishes waiting for me in the sink. “If you’re serious, you can wash those. That would be a big help.”

  “Ah, that’s something I’m well qualified to do, trust me. I worked my way through law school washing dishes at a steakhouse chain. I’m a real wiz at it.”

  “Then knock yourself out.”

  I turned back to the next pizza I was making, and as soon as I had it on the conveyor, I grabbed a finished one and cut it for delivery.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said.

  Bob just nodded, intent on filling the sink with warm, soapy water.

  I delivered the pie to Maddy, who frowned as she accepted it. “Where did he go? Don’t tell me he snuck out the back. What a coward.”

  “No, Bob’s still here. As a matter of fact, he’s back there washing dishes right now,” I said.

  She looked at me as though I’d just claimed to be the new queen of England. “What’s he really doing, Eleanor?”

  I wasn’t about to get involved any deeper than I already was. “If you don’t believe me, go look for yourself. You can work the kitchen while you’re back there, and I’ll finish waiting on tables until Greg gets here.”

  “I have half a mind to take you up on it.”

  I took my apron off and tossed it to her. “Find the other half, then. I’ve made a decision. We’re trading.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said as she gave me her own apron.

  Before Maddy could leave, I asked, “Who hasn’t paid yet?”

  “Tables three and seven. Four gets the pepperoni, one is waiting for their check, which is in your apron pocket, and nine needs refills on their sodas.”

  I processed all of that, and then I got to work. I was better in the kitchen, but I needed practice up front nearly as much as Maddy needed it in back. We changed off every now and then to keep things fresh, but neither one of us wanted to make a habit of it. We were both out of our comfort zones with this alternate arrangement, and neither of us was afraid to admit it.

  I was waiting for the next pizza to show up, but when it wasn’t forthcoming, I decided to go see what was holding it up. To my surprise, I found my sister and the attorney together in a warm embrace.

  Bob grinned at me and said, “She forgave me.”

  “I couldn’t help myself,” Maddy explained. “He looked so cute in that apron, up to his elbows in suds.”

  “Yes, we’re all adorable here,” I said as I untied her apron. “Now we’re changing back.” I gave her the apron, took mine back, and cut the pizza that was waiting on the far side of the conveyor. As I did, I had to reach in and pull two more out of the oven to keep them from burning since they were stacking up.

  “Maddy, as a chef . . . ? I think you’re better suited at being a waitress.”

  “Hey, this was your idea,” she said. Before Maddy delivered the first pizza, she turned to Bob and said, “You don’t have to finish those, you know.”

  “Bite your tongue,” I said. “He offered his aid, and I’m going to take him up on it. Go on, he’ll be here when you come back.”

  Maddy took the pizza, gave Bob a wink and a big grin, and then left.

  “Sorry about that, Eleanor,” he said.

  “Don’t apologize. Wash.”

  He did as I asked, and when things slowed down, I said, “I can think of another way you could help.”

  “Would you like me to sweep the floor? I’m afraid I’d be out of my league making pizzas.”

  “Trust me, you’re not getting anywhere near my oven. I’m talking about helping us investigate Judson Sizemore’s murder.”

  Bob frowned at me. “I understand you’ve already gotten someone to assist you there.”

  “Hey, you’ve worked for Art Young before, so don’t give me any holier-than-thou attitude.”

  He shrugged. “Just because I’ve worked for the man doesn’t mean that we’re friends.”

  “If it did, I’d like to think that I wouldn’t judge you based on someone else’s rumored actions that I couldn’t confirm or refute, even if I cared about them in the first place.”

  Bob put the platter he’d been washing back in the sink. “Don’t kid yourself, Eleanor. He’s not as charming as you seem to think he is.”

  That did it. I was tired of his attitude, even if he was washing dishes for me. “What does it matter how charming I think he is? He’s my friend, and I asked him for help. You should think about the fact that he gave his assistance without hesitation, which is more than I can say for you.”

  Bob nodded slowly. “It appears that I’m determined to be in one of your doghouses, doesn’t it?”

  “It seems that way to me at the moment,” I said.

  “Let’s start over. What can I do for you?”

  “Nothing,” I said, suddenly cooling to the idea of getting him to help us. “I’ve got it covered.”

  “Eleanor, I’ve already apologized. What more do you want from me?”

  I gave him my coldest look. “I’m sorry; I must have missed that. When exactly did you apologize?”

  He thought
about it for a few moments, and then nodded. “You’re right, of course. I shouldn’t have said anything about a friend of yours, no matter what my personal opinion of the man might be.”

  “I suppose there is a request for forgiveness buried somewhere in there,” I said. “For a man who’s supposed to be good with words, you are alarmingly lacking at times, did you know that?”

  “In front of a judge and jury, I’m fine. It’s just when I’m dealing with you and your sister that I seem to cause myself the greatest number of problems. I honestly am sorry, if it matters.”

  “Of course it does,” I said. “Your apology is accepted.”

  “Then how may I help you?”

  I thought about punishing him a little more, since I was overly sensitive about anyone attacking my friends. Then I realized that with Maddy as a girlfriend, he got enough grief without me adding to it. “I don’t know anything about Judson Sizemore or his sister, Gina. Would it be possible for you to ask around in Chastain and see what you can find out about either one of them?”

  “I can do that,” he said. “When do you need the information?”

  “As soon as possible,” I replied.

  “Then I’ll leave the rest of the dishes to you, and I’ll get right on it, as long as I have your blessing, that is.”

  “If you can help with this, I’ll be happy to finish up the dishes myself.”

  He took his apron off, and then said, “Then I’ll be going. I’ll let you know what I uncover as soon as I learn anything about them.”

  “I’d appreciate that. Thank you, Bob.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  After he was gone, I was starting to feel better about our chances in the murder investigation. With Bob Lemon working one side of the street and Art Young working the other, I felt like we had the opportunity to get a real handle on why Judson Sizemore had been killed in his pizzeria.

  That good feeling quickly faded away when the door opened again ten minutes later, but instead of Greg, I saw someone I had no interest in dealing with at the moment.