A Crunchy Crust of Murder

by Patti Benning

  Ellie nodded. “It's okay. I understand. Trust me, being married to Russell, I've seen a lot of different reactions from people who have lost someone important to them. It's never pleasant, interacting with someone who puts the blame on him for not catching the person soon enough, but it's understandable. Really, if I lost Russell, I'd probably be screaming and crying at his deputies, begging them to find out what happened to him, even though logically I would know they would already be doing everything they could.”

  Brie nodded. “Good. I just wanted to apologize for that. And… I was wondering if you might be able to tell me who the suspects are.”

  Ellie shook her head. “I'm sorry, but I still can't. I haven't even told my grandmother everything I know about the case.”

  “I get that, but… I guess I just feel like it might be dangerous for me or Jack if someone we know is a suspect. If a friend of his did it, I want to know so I can stay away from them.”

  Ellie frowned. “What makes you think it was a friend of his?”

  “I don’t, not exactly. It's just… well, there was this guy who Devon was planning to meet up with after I went home, I think his name was Adam or Andy or something like that. They actually met at your restaurant and got to talking. I guess they both played the same trading card game and wanted to trade or something. Anyway, Devon was planning on meeting him that evening, but I don’t know if he ever did. I saw the same guy yesterday in the apartment parking lot. He said he was visiting his sister, but he was parked literally right outside the apartment, and was acting weird and overly friendly. For all I know, he was one of the last people to see Devon alive.”

  “Did you tell the police all of this?”

  “I told them about the trading card meetup. I didn’t tell them about seeing the guy again yesterday. I felt like it wasn’t important at first, but it’s been bothering me. I don't know what to do if I see that guy again. I just… I'm scared and sad, and I don't know what's going on.”

  The young woman broke down crying. Ellie stepped closer to her, not sure what to do. She didn't feel as though she knew her well enough to offer a hug for comfort, but she also didn't want to just stand there helplessly, not doing anything.

  Her phone ringing gave her an excuse to pardon herself for a moment. The caller ID told her it was Russell. She answered it, wondering if he was home already.

  “Hey,” she said, keeping her voice quiet.

  “Hey, Ellie,” he said. He sounded exhausted. “I am about to head home from the office. Do you want me to pick up something for dinner?”

  “I'm actually still at the pizzeria,” she said. “Do you want to meet at the Chinese food place and eat together?”

  Sure,” he said. “Sorry, I forgot this was a late day for you.”

  “It's all right,” she said. “I might be a few minutes. I'll meet you soon, though. Before you go, can you tell me about what happened with…” She glanced over at the woman who was still crying quietly, dabbing at her eyes with a corner of her sweater. She didn't want to say Pete's name in front of her. “With the person you mentioned earlier today?”

  “Pete?” Russell asked, sounding puzzled.

  “Yeah, sorry. I'm with someone right now. I don't want to start rumors spreading or anything. You know how quickly word spreads.”

  “He is in a holding cell, but he’s likely going to be released tomorrow,” he said.

  “Can you tell me why he was arrested?”

  Her husband sighed. “Liam found Pete standing near the site where we believe Devon was first attacked. He was holding a knife with the victim's blood on it. He also had a couple of lottery ticket stubs. Liam drove by and saw him standing there and decided to bring him in. He told us that he had been walking in the area. He spotted the knife down in the storm drain and managed to get it up. He picked it up, not knowing what it was at first – and that was when Liam got there. None of the ticket stubs are from the missing ticket, and they were all bought a couple of days ago. He said he bought them as soon as he was finished with work, right after Devon told him about his win. I can believe that. I’ve been tempted to pick up a couple myself. His story lines up and makes sense, and all the evidence against him is circumstantial so far. We still have a few more things to check into but, it’s looking like the guy just got unlucky.

  “So, you don't think he did it?” she asked, feeling a rush of relief.

  “No,” her husband said. “I don't blame Liam though. I can see how from his point of view, it might have looked a bit suspicious. I feel a bit bad for Pete, he was probably scared to death when he was brought in, but by this time tomorrow he should be nice and comfy at home.”

  “Thanks,” Ellie said. “I knew he didn't do it, but hearing it from your mouth makes me feel a lot better. I feel bad for him too.”

  “He'll be fine,” Russell assured her. “Don't worry, we've been treating him well.”

  “That's good to hear,” Ellie said. “I've been worrying about him all day.”

  “I'm so sorry for not calling you earlier,” he said. “One thing just kept happening after another. I was planning on telling you this evening.”

  “It's fine,” she said. She glanced over at Brie, who was still sniffling, but seem to have stopped crying and was watching Ellie with interest. “Listen, I've got to go. I'll text you when I'm on my way to the restaurant.”

  “All right. I'll see you soon.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Ellie ended the call. She slid the phone back into her pocket.

  “Did they just let someone go?” Brie asked.

  “Yes, they’re releasing one of their suspects,” Ellie said with a sigh. There really wasn't any way she could hide that from Brie, not after the woman had overheard everything she had said on the phone. “I don't think he did it, and both the sheriff and one of his deputies seem to agree. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Brie, something you said just a few minutes ago stuck with me. This person Devon was planning on meeting, was he the one behind you in line at the pizzeria while Devon was talking to Pete?”

  “Yeah, that was him.”

  Ellie tightened her fists. The words didn't surprise her. She had guessed as soon as Brie had said she thought his name was Adam. It always seemed to keep coming back to him.

  “I'll pass what you said on to my husband,” she said. “Did you want anything else?”

  “No. I guess I just wanted to let you know that and see if there was anything you could tell me. I understand why you can’t, it’s just disappointing.”

  “I really am sorry,” Ellie said. “Hopefully the case will get wrapped up quickly, though. What you said might really help them out.”

  “I hope so. Thanks for taking your time. I'm sorry for scaring you like that.”

  Ellie chuckled. “Don't worry about it. I should get going now, my husband is waiting for me.”

  “All right. I’ll see you around, I’m sure.”

  Ellie started heading to her car, then, realizing that the rest of the parking lot was empty, she turned around to see Brie walking away down the sidewalk. She bit her lip, then called out to the other woman. When the other woman turned around, Ellie said, “Are you walking home?”

  “Yes,” Brie said. “I don't have a car.”

  “You shouldn’t walk home alone at this time of night, especially after what happened. Let me give you a ride home.”

  Chapter Ten

  When she saw Brie hesitate, she said, “I promise I am not the killer.”

  Brie gave a quiet laugh. “I didn't think you were, but I don't think saying that would convince me otherwise if I did. I just didn't want to put you out. Are you sure?”

  “I'm sure,” Ellie said. “It's fine. I'll just text my husband and asked him to order me something. That way when I get to the restaurant, my food will be waiting. It's a win for both of us.”

  “Thanks,” Brie said. “It's the Autumn Leaves apartment complex. Do you know where it is?”

  “I do,
” Ellie said. “I don’t do deliveries much, but I've done enough to get a pretty good feel for the town.” She unlocked the car doors and opened her side. “Go on and get in. I'll have you there in no time.”

  Ellie, pulled out of the pizzeria and headed for the apartment complex. She was only about a minute into the drive when she noticed Brie’s eyes flicking up to the rearview mirror every few seconds.

  “Is something wrong?” Ellie asked, looking over at her in concern.

  “Is that person following us?”

  Ellie glanced at mirror herself. She saw a pair of headlights behind them. “I don't know. Why do you think they are?”

  “They've been taking every turn you make, and staying pretty close to us. I might just be jumpy, I guess. I'm freaked out over what happened to Devon.”

  “Better safe than sorry,” Ellie said. “Here, I'll take a couple of turns and see if I can figure out if they're following us.”

  She took a left around the corner of the block. The vehicle followed them. She turned left twice more, essentially circling around the block, and the vehicle stayed on their tail. Ellie's blood began to run cold. “I'm going to try to lose them before we get the complex,” she said. “I'm going to speed up a little, and hopefully I'll be able to outmaneuver them. Hold tight.”

  She upped the speed a bit. Her vehicle was a sedan, low to the ground and pretty maneuverable. The other vehicle, judging by how high up the headlights were, seemed a lot larger. She figured it probably couldn't take corners as quickly. She sped up and then slowed down at the last minute, yanking the wheel to take the turn into the complex. The vehicle missed the turn and passed by, and she was able to see enough from the streetlights to tell that it was a large delivery truck. Adam, she thought.

  She parked in a random spot between a couple of cars, immediately turning her engine and all of the lights off. She and Brie both slouched down in their seats. Ellie's heart was pounding. She felt like they were sitting ducks, and even as she sat there, she wondered if she could have made a better choice. She could have led the truck to the Chinese food restaurant where Russell was waiting, or even could have gone directly to the sheriff's department. The apartment complex had been the closest, but maybe not the best choice.

  They watched as the truck turned into the complex and drove through slowly. Thankfully, it passed right by her car. She sat up slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. She noticed Brie's hands were clenched in her lap.

  “That was terrifying,” the younger woman said.

  “You’re preaching to the choir,” Ellie said. “Let's sit here for a moment. I'm going to give Russell a call.” She took her phone out of her pocket and was about to dial when the truck drove by again. Ellie hurriedly shut off the phone screen. She hoped that the truck hadn't seen the light through the car window.

  “Maybe we should wait until he goes around again and is out of sight, then hurry up to the apartment,” Brie said. “I don't want to be caught in the car if he sees you on the phone.”

  “All right,” Ellie said. Hold on…” They watched as the truck rounded the corner again. The street in the apartment complex was a loop around the buildings, with two exits. It would take the truck some time to get around again once he was out of sight.

  They both moved quickly as soon as he was out of sight. They got out of the car, slamming the doors shut. Ellie pressed the button to lock the car as the two of them ran through the door to the apartment building. They hurried up the stairs and out of sight of the windows at the front of the building. Once Brie stopped in front of door number nineteen and started fiddling with her keys, Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Does he know where you live?” she asked.

  “I'm not sure,” Brie said as she unlocked and opened the door. “He was waiting outside of the building, like I said, but I'm not sure he knows the actual apartment number. Go on inside. Sorry for the mess. I am sure you can imagine how crazy things have been. Neither of us have exactly felt like cleaning.”

  Ellie stepped inside the apartment and shut the door behind her, turning the deadbolt. She looked around. It was a nice place, if a bit messy. She knew that Brie had mentioned that she and Devon had had two roommates; Jack and Jack’s girlfriend, up until a few months ago when Jack’s girlfriend had left.

  The mess wasn't too bad. The tables were cluttered, but the floor looked clean and it was obvious the they had usually kept the place tidy. Brie gestured toward the living room. “Do you want to sit on the couch? You can call your husband to tell him about what happened. I’ve got to run to the bathroom. Do you want a drink or anything?”

  “Maybe some water,” Ellie said.

  “Okay, I'll grab a couple bottles on my way back.”

  She made her way to the couch, sitting down on it and taking a moment to pet the tortoiseshell cat that jumped on her lap. Once the cat settled down on her lap, purring, Ellie pulled out her phone again and turned it on to call Russell. She sighed when she saw that she had no bars of service. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence in northern Maine, where her cell phone signal was usually spotty at best anyway. Many buildings tended to completely block out the signal.

  She walked over to the sliding glass door that led to the balcony, then hesitated. If Adam was still outside, he might see her. Still, did that really matter? The front door seemed solid and was locked with a deadbolt. Even if he figured out what apartment they were in, would he be able to do anything before Russell got there? She decided to risk it. She pulled the sliding door open and stood on the balcony, looking out over the dark parking area. It her took a moment to spot the truck. It was parked in a spot near the end of the parking lot. Once she spotted it, it stuck out like a sore thumb. She would have felt better if the truck was still driving around; at least then, she would know where the driver was.

  Feeling decidedly creeped out, she dialed Russell's number. The line had just started ringing when the sliding door behind her opened. She turned, expecting to see Brie, and came face to face with a man instead.

  Chapter Eleven

  Her shock all quickly faded when she recognized Jack. I wonder if it's odd living with his dead best friend's girlfriend now that their other two roommates are gone, she thought. Her mind flashed back to the frequent touches Jack had laid on Brie's arms and shoulders at the restaurant, and she wondered if there was something between them, unable to keep her brow from furrowing at the thought. A feeling of unease prickled at the back of her mind. If there was something going on between them, that could be motive for murder.

  “Hey, Brie –” Jack said, then his eyes widened as he realized Ellie was not his roommate. “Who – are you the lady from the restaurant? What are you doing here?”

  “I gave Brie a ride home,” she said. “She wanted to talk to me after I got out of work, and I didn’t think it was safe for her to walk home alone. Sorry if I startled you.”

  “It's fine,” he said, sounding a bit annoyed. “The place is a mess. I’ll tidy up.”

  Ellie ended the call to Russell with a sigh. “It's fine,” she said. “I don't mind the mess, really.”

  “The place is usually a lot neater,” he said, ignoring her. He hurried back into the apartment and she followed him. The tortoiseshell cat wound its way around his legs. Jack payed it no attention as he rushed over to the coffee table and began to scoop some of the mess into his arms. His wallet fell out and landed on the ground, falling open and letting the papers and cards that had been stuffed inside fall out of it. Ellie reached down automatically to help pick it up, and her eyes landed on something that froze her in place for a long moment.

  It was a lottery ticket.

  She straightened up, hoping that Jack hadn't noticed her odd behavior, and handed him the pile of stuff. You don't know that it’s Devon’s ticket, she told herself as she watched the young man continue to tidy up the surfaces in the apartment. It could be any lottery ticket. Just like Pete did, he could have decided to go out and start buying some after his fri
end won. It's perfectly reasonable. I was tempted to start buying lottery tickets myself after I heard how much Devon won. This doesn't mean anything. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, it didn't seem to be working. Her sudden suspicion of the nature of Jack and Brie’s relationship were only compounded by this. Russell, she decided, needed to know as soon as possible.

  Thankfully, Jack didn’t seem to notice her internal conversation with herself. He took the wallet from her and continued sweeping things into his arms. She made a vague, mumbled excuse and returned to the patio, where she shut the sliding door behind her and pulled out her cell phone a final time to call Russell. This time, the call rang through without interruption.

  “I got you the chow Mein noodles,” he said by way of greeting. “They're out of fried rice, so I'm going to have to wait about ten minutes for my order.”