"There's no such thing as too old. I know someone who got married when she was just a couple of years younger than me. When the right man comes along, it will all feel perfect.”
“Well then, does that mean you might start dating again?” Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It's different with me,” her grandmother said firmly. "I was married for over sixty years. Your grandfather is irreplaceable to me. I don't think I could ever feel the same way about another man. Maybe—maybe—if the right person came along, I might go out to dinner with him, but it would take someone truly special, and someone who could understand my heart would always belong to someone else first.”
It sounded as if her grandmother had already given the matter some thought. Ellie smiled. She hoped that the older women would find someone she could date, even if they only had dinner together every once in a while. She knew that the years of her grandparents’ marriage hadn’t been perfect, but there was no doubt that they had truly loved each other. One day, she wanted that for herself. Despite her own protestations that she was okay with being single, she knew that she didn't want to spend her life alone.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
* * *
Ellie took her time getting ready for work the next morning. She kept glancing at her phone, hoping that Russell would call or text, but nothing came through. She was beginning to worry in earnest now. Should she make the first move? She decided to give him more time. If he hadn’t said anything by the next morning, she would call him.
To make up for running out the morning before, she had told Jacob that she could open on her own. It was usually quiet for the first hour or two anyway, so she didn’t mind. Once she got the ovens turned on, the sign out front lit up, and the door to the patio unlocked, she got to work on making one of their new pizzas of the week, both to make sure that she had the right amounts of everything, and to give her something to snack on between customers. She had eaten another of the blueberry muffins that morning, and didn’t think she wanted one for lunch as well.
The pulled pork pizza had been Jacob’s idea: tender pulled pork slathered with sweet barbecue sauce, and covered with melted Gouda and mozzarella cheese. The Gouda had a hint of smoky flavor to it, which tied the dish together perfectly. She made herself a good old Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, and pulled a piece off to munch while she waited for the first customers of the day.
She was surprised when one of the first people that came in was someone that she recognized. Damien, John's best man. She last seen him at the wedding, attempting to comfort Leigh.
"I was hoping to see you here,” he said, approaching the counter.
"Me? Why?”
“I figured if anyone would have answers about what happened to John, it would be the sheriff, or you.”
"I really don't know anything more than anyone else. If there is anything new with the case, Russell would be the one to know. Have you been to see him yet?”
"I thought I’d try you first; I was going to grab lunch anyway. Besides, I don’t know if he would talk to me. Don’t police usually have to keep quiet about open cases?”
“There are some things he probably wouldn’t be able to mention, but I’m sure he’d be able to tell you something. At least what he’ll be telling the papers. I really don’t know any more than you do at this point.” She hesitated. "You knew him better than I did. Did his family have a history of any medical issues?” It was the sort of thing that Russell would normally have shared with her, but since she hadn’t had a chance to really talk to him since the wedding, she would just have to find out herself. She found herself hoping that the answer was yes. If the death was determined to be from natural causes, then the case could close.
"Well, John's grandfather passed away from a heart attack, and his mother had to have heart surgery a couple of years ago, but if something was wrong with him, he didn’t tell me,” Damien said.
Maybe he really did just have a heart attack, Ellie thought. The excitement of the wedding could have caused it. It’s sad, but it would mean that no one was at fault.
“I just want closure, you know?” he added. “He was my best friend. I want to know that he didn’t suffer. If someone killed him… well, I would hope that the police would have some leads by now.”
“Do you know why anyone would want to hurt him?” Ellie asked.
“I've got no idea,” the man said. “He was a good guy. No enemies that I knew of. My gut tells me it was a natural death, but I just want to hear it from the officials before moving on.”
“Do you know someone named Britney Elmwood?” Ellie asked. She knew that she probably should just let the man go on his way, but she couldn't help herself. Shannon had a good point when she said that a casual conversation might be more likely to get people to open up than direct questioning by an authority. Talking to the police was bound to make people anxious; talking to the lady at the pizza place was an entirely different story.
“I recognize the name,” he said. “Oh, yeah. John used to date her. Blonde lady, right?”
“Yes, her. How was she, back when they dated?”
“You think she might have something to do with this?” Damien asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don't know, but I do know that she was at the reception, and sneaked out right after he collapsed,” she said, lowering her voice even though they were alone in the restaurant. “It just seemed suspicious to me. You said that he didn’t have any enemies—were you counting exes in that?”
“Man, Brit was crazy,” he said. “Totally off her rocker. Ask anyone, I’m sure they’ll tell you the same. That's why he broke up with her. They hadn’t dated for years. I had almost forgotten about her. She would send him a message every now and then, but we both thought she had moved on. I guess not, if she crashed his reception.”
“A crazy ex who still had feelings for him,” Ellie said. “That definitely sounds like someone who might have had a reason to want to hurt him. Or Leigh.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she decided that if she couldn’t have him, then no one could.” He paused, then looked at her sharply. “Wait, you don’t mean that you think she might go after Leigh next?”
“It was just something my friend mentioned,” Ellie said. “That maybe Leigh was the target all along, and she got the wrong person.”
He frowned. “I should get going. Thanks for the conversation.” He gave her a quick nod, then turned and walked away, leaving without even glancing at the menu.
Ellie retreated to the kitchen, keeping her ears open for the sound of the bell on the door. She had a lot to think about. It was sounding more and more like Britney might be the suspect if John’s death had indeed been foul play. Someone so obsessed with someone after years of being apart might be just a little crazy. Maybe even crazy enough to do what Damien said, and kill him so he wouldn't end up with someone else.
She thought about the woman’s red eyes and the tissue in her purse. Unless she was faking it, Britney was taking John’s death hard. She knew that someone unbalanced might take out her pain on the very person she thought she loved, but in this woman’s case, it might be more likely that Shannon was right and Leigh had been the target. She was glad that she'd ended up staying with her until Britney left. There is still the chance that she could go back and try to finish the job, she thought. Her skin prickled. This was something that she couldn't keep to herself. Russell had to know. She couldn't stomach the idea of putting someone else's life in danger just because she was too embarrassed to talk to her boyfriend again. Taking a deep breath, Ellie grabbed her purse off the counter and pulled out her phone. She turned on the screen, to find that Russell had already called her and had left a voicemail.
CHAPTER TWELVE
* * *
Ellie pulled into Russell's driveway and sat in her car for a moment, feeling nervous. She had no idea how this evening was going to go. His voicemail hadn’t told her much, nor had the short conversation she had had with him when she
called him back. He had simply asked her to come over that evening after work. With some idea of what to expect, she would have been able to brace herself. As it was, things could go either way. She would just have to wait and see.
With a sigh, she grabbed her purse and let herself out of the car. She saw his adopted cat, Sookie, sitting in the window. The cat had actually adopted him. She had appeared one night during a storm, and hadn't left his side since. Ellie liked the cat. At least Russell had some company, someone to talk to, even if that someone had four legs and fur.
The sheriff opened the door before she had a chance to knock. He welcomed her inside. She slipped off her shoes, hung her purse on the hook by the door, then turned to him. However, he had already disappeared. She followed the noises into the kitchen, where she found him unpacking a couple of bags of take out.
"Sorry," he said over his shoulder to her. "I had hoped to come back in time to make dinner, but the time got away from me. I picked up some soup from that café by the sheriff’s department. They were just about to close. I’ll have to remember to leave an extra big tip next time I stop in.”
"You didn’t have to,” Ellie said. "I would've been happy to bring something from the pizzeria if you wanted food.”
"I wanted to apologize to you,” Russell said. "I figured this would be a good way to do that. I’m sorry, Ellie, I really am. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
Ellie didn’t bother trying to hide her relief. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gone into her purse. If I had thought before taking it, I would have realized that touching what might be evidence could make things more difficult for you. I hope I didn’t wreck the investigation.”
"Well, it turned out that there won't be an investigation. The coroner’s report came in; the cause of death was a heart attack. Given the family history, he's labeling it a natural death.”
"That's good,” Ellie said, though she wasn’t sure if that was the right word for it. "I just mean, I'm glad that it wasn't murder. Does this mean his family will be able to have the funeral?”
"Yes. They’ve already scheduled it for Saturday. I was actually hoping you would come with me.”
"Of course,” Ellie said. She tried not to think about how very wrong it was that not even a week after his wedding, John was going to be buried. The man hadn't deserved to die so soon. He had deserved many happy years with his new wife.
"I would have apologized even if the coroner had found something that pointed to foul play,” Russell said after a moment. "I don't want you to think I'm only apologizing because I was wrong about it being murder.”
"Russell, you don’t have to explain anything. I’m just glad that my mistake didn’t wreck everything. Let's enjoy our meal together, and be glad that all of this is behind us.”
They ate outside on the back patio until the mosquitoes chased them in. The cat followed them, hurrying through the screen door as if she was worried she might get shut out for the night. I wonder what was in that bag, Ellie thought as she finished the last of her soup. Russell might have already sent it off to be tested, but she wasn't going to ask him, not then. She didn't want to bring it up again. Whatever the woman was into, it hadn’t cost anyone his life. That was all she really cared about.
After dinner, they went on a walk around the neighborhood. Russell lived on the outskirts of town, on the opposite side of Kittiport from the Pacelli house. It was a quiet area, but the street was well lit by streetlamps. By then, it had gotten chilly enough that the mosquitoes had mostly given up for the night. He lent her a light jacket to wear. She was reminded for the first time in days of the ring box—or what she had thought was a ring box. Would she ever find out what that had been?
Her thoughts drifted back to the wedding, and she realized that she had forgotten to tell Russell about her encounter at the pizzeria earlier that day.
"By the way,” she began, "Damien, John's best man, stopped in the pizzeria today. He wanted to know what progress you made on the case. He’ll be glad to know it wasn’t murder. He seemed to think that Britney, John’s ex, might have been involved.”
"What did he say about her?” Russell asked, taking her hand to guide her around a pothole. He didn’t let go.
She related the conversation to him. She didn't know why he was so interested; the case was all but closed now from the sound of it.
He paused and turned toward her she finished talking. "Do you remember Britney’s full name? Yes, I know what the coroner said,” he added as she opened her mouth, "but it’s not impossible that he was given some sort of poison that might have caused the heart attack. If something did happen, we need to figure it out before he’s buried.”
"I wasn't going to argue,” she said. "I was just going to tell you that I took a picture of her ID. It’s on my phone, and I’ll send it to you when we get back.”
He chuckled. "Sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I know I’m probably barking up the wrong tree, but I just know I won’t be able to let this case go unless I’m thorough. Something still feels off, but for the life of me, I can’t pinpoint what exactly it is.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
* * *
When Russell stopped in at the pizzeria the next day, he didn’t have any good news to share with her. Even knowing Britney’s address, he couldn’t find her. She wasn’t at her house, and had taken a few sick days off of work. She could be anywhere, and without a warrant, there wasn’t much Russell could do to find her.
"What about the bag?" she asked, meaning the plastic bag with the white residue on it.
"I sent it out for testing. It probably won't get resolved until next week at the earliest. We had to send it into the city, we just don’t have the equipment locally for that sort of testing.” He sighed. "For all I know, it's baby powder. If we bury him, then find evidence later that he was killed… well, I don’t want to be the one to issue the order to exhume his body.”
Ellie winced at the thought. It was bad enough that Russell would have to see his friend get buried. It would be worse if he had to watch his body be exhumed.
Saturday arrived, but no updated news came with it. The funeral would go ahead, and Ellie could only hope that John was able to rest in peace after being lowered into the ground. A week ago exactly, the man had been sitting on the Eleanora with them. The six of them had eaten together, shared jokes and stories, and none of them had imagined the horror that waited for them the next day. Now, one of them was about to be put into the ground. It was horribly sad, but it was also frightening. The thought of how easily life could end, without any warning at all, made Ellie want to focus on the present even more. No one’s future was guaranteed. She shouldn’t put off spending time with her loved ones, because one day soon it would be too late.
That trip with Nonna is happening, she told herself. I don’t know if I’ll get another chance. She’s done so much for me; taking her to Florida is the least I can do in return.
She wore a somber black pantsuit to the service. Nonna came with her, but joined a group of her own friends when they entered the funeral home. Ellie found Russell and waited with him out front until Shannon and James arrived. They went back inside as a group.
The viewing was held before the service. John looked no different than she remembered. The mortician who had prepared his body had done it well, and there were no signs of the autopsy. He really did look like he was sleeping. She bit her lip, trying not to think about how very alive he had been seven short days ago, and moved along. Russell paused by his friend for longer than she had, but eventually he, too, turned away.
“The service starts in an hour, then after that the procession to the cemetery leaves. His parents invited us to the burial, but if you would rather not go, I would understand.”
"We can do whatever you want," she said. “I don’t mind going to the burial with you.” The truth was, she would rather not go, but she wasn’t about to abandon Russell to go on his own. Death wasn’t the sort of th
ing that she could avoid just because she was uncomfortable with it.
It wasn't long until one of Russell and John’s mutual friends pulled him into conversation. He tried his best to include Ellie in it, but she didn't know any of the people they were talking about. Deciding to go and find Shannon, she mumbled something about visiting the bathroom. She did indeed visit the facility, taking a few minutes to check her phone and freshen up before rejoining the viewing. It took her a few minutes to find her friend. When she did, the other woman was deep in conversation with someone that Ellie didn’t know. Unwilling to interrupt, Ellie walked past, looking out the windows instead. It was sunny out, with just a few white, wispy clouds in the sky. It seemed incongruous somehow; on such a sad day, it should be grey and rainy. It didn’t feel right to lay someone to rest in the sunshine.
A pair of figures toward the front of the room caught her eye. They were standing side by side, the man with his arm around the woman’s shoulders. Both were looking down at the casket where the man was laid out. She recognized the woman’s auburn hair; it was Leigh. She wasn’t certain, but she thought that the man standing beside her was Damien.
She felt a stirring of sudden suspicion. Damien, John's best man. Damien, Leigh’s ex. Damien, who would have had access to all of John's drinks and his plate of food. Damien, who, if he still had feelings for Leigh, might have had a very good reason to want his best friend dead.
Garlic Artichoke Murder (Papa Pacelli's Pizzeria Series Book 11) Page 5