Killer Crust (16 page)

Authors: Chris Cavender

Tags: #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #Women Sleuths, #General

BOOK: Killer Crust

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“I just wanted to wish you two the best of luck,” she said. “You’ve worked really hard to make this happen, and if you hadn’t helped me keep my cool this evening, Jeff and I wouldn’t even be in the competition right now.”

“Thanks. Good luck to you, too.”

As Sandy left us, one of the twins asked loudly, “Hey, Asheville, aren’t you going to wish us luck, too?”

“We all know that you don’t think you need it,” Sandy replied. “You must have been shocked when Frank took over the judging for the last stage. How much did it cost you to buy Jack Acre off?”

“What are you talking about? Have you been smelling too much pizza sauce lately?” he asked.

Sandy shook her head. “Give it up. I happened to be looking out my window when you gave Jack Acre an envelope full of money. You didn’t think anyone saw you do it, did you?”

The twin bit his lower lip so hard I thought it might bleed when his brother tried to shut her down by saying, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, she does. We saw it, too,” I said. While it wasn’t technically true that we’d been able to identify Jack Acre as the other person in the transaction, I was going to back Sandy up all of the way. Frank Vincent had been standing close by during this exchange, but it was obvious we’d all forgotten about him until he spoke. “Is this true?” he asked both the Raleigh twins. “If it is, you are in serious trouble.”

“They’re either honestly mistaken, or they’re knowingly lying,” one twin said.

“Be very careful about what you say right now,” Frank said.

“We aren’t about to let some little hippy from Asheville taint our good names,” the other twin said as he approached her menacingly. Jeff moved forward to block him, but I was even quicker, and stood between Sandy and the threat to her. “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?”

“You?” he asked with utter disdain. “Please, you aren’t even worthy of being on the same stage as the rest of us, and we all know it.”

There may have been a part of me that would have agreed with him before the contest had begun, but now I knew better. “I might not sell as many pies as the rest of you, but I’ve proven that I belong here just as much as you do.”

“That’s enough!” Frank Vincent snapped. “Everyone, go back to your stations this instant.”

One of the twins started to say something else when Frank cut him off. “If any of you leave your work areas again, or so much as address another contestant during the remainder of this competition, you will be disqualified and escorted off the stage immediately. Don’t think I’m bluffing either. Do you understand?”

We all nodded, and I headed back to Maddy, who had a worried expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

And at that moment, I realized that I’d been so wrapped up in the exchange that I had completely forgotten about my pizza. The timer reminded me of it just as I smelled that stage of a pie’s life where it was already too late to pull it out in time. Most folks might not be able to tell the difference, but it was amazing what thirty seconds could do to a pizza that was already done.

I reached in with an oven mitt and pulled the pizza out, sliding it out of the pan just as it hit the cooling rack.

Maddy leaned over, looked at it for a moment, and then she said, “It looks nice.”

“It is, but it’s not perfect, is it?” I asked, furious with myself for wasting this opportunity to show the world that I knew what I was doing.

“Hey, I should have pulled it while you were defending Sandy,” my sister said.

“No. I won’t let you do that, Maddy. It was my responsibility, not yours. I’m just sorry that I let you down.”

Maddy hugged me. “Eleanor, you could never do that.”

I felt better, even though I knew that it wasn’t true. I cut the pizza, slid it into the warming station, and waited.

Within four minutes, everyone else’s pizzas were ready as well.

It was time for the final judging, but I didn’t need to hear the results to know that we weren’t going to win. If the twins—or even Sandy—had staged that confrontation as a way of distracting me, it had worked beautifully.

Frank tasted each slice and seemed to savor every bite. When he got to ours, I shook my head and dropped my chin slightly. Maddy put her arm around me without saying a word. That was okay. She didn’t need to.

After Frank was finished, he approached the podium. “I’m pleased to report that each of these four pizzas is worthy of the grand prize. We should give the contestants a round of applause for all of their hard work and craftsmanship in constructing their pizzas over the past two days.”

The applause felt great, and I suddenly realized that Maddy was right. No matter what, we’d held our own with some very talented pizza makers.

“Now, we’ll reconvene here in one hour for the cocktail party where I will announce the winners and hand out the check.”

David was the first one to greet me as I stepped off the stage. He pulled me to one side, wrapped me in his arms, and gave me a heartfelt kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, but I overcooked the last pizza. We can’t win.”

“I’m not talking about the competition,” David said. “We all saw how you stepped in to protect Sandy from being pummeled by that twin. You didn’t even hesitate, did you?”

“I couldn’t just stand there and watch him bully her,” I said.

“Neither could her husband, but you beat him to it, didn’t you? Five years from now no one is going to remember who won this contest, but I’m willing to wager that not a soul who saw it will be able to forget how you defended Sandy the way you did.”

Bob and Maddy joined us in our little alcove just off the stage. “Are you two celebrating already, or can anyone join you?”

“You two are always welcome,” I said.

Bob looked up at the stage. “Do you think there’s any of your pizza left? I’d love a slice of it, myself. Yours was by far the best-looking pie.”

“It’s not our best effort,” I said. “And besides, aren’t you worried about tasting a tainted pizza?”

He pretended to consider it, and then nodded his head gravely. “For one of your slices, I’m willing to take the chance.”

I hugged him, and then my sister gave him a kiss.

David grinned. “Man, I knew that I should have said that.”

Maddy and I both laughed, and then we hugged him as well.

Once we were all free again, Bob asked, “I suppose you both want to shower and change before the cocktail party.”

“You’d better believe it,” I said.

“Good. That will give David and me time to grab some dessert from the restaurant. Are you two hungry?”

“I don’t think I could eat a thing,” I confessed, and Maddy agreed with my sentiment.

“Then we’ll meet you back here in an hour, okay?”

“That’s perfect,” Maddy said. “You always know just what to say and do around me.”

“Believe me, it only comes from the experience of a great deal of trial and error,” he replied.

Chapter 15

M
addy and I took the elevator to our floor. When the doors opened, I glanced up and down the hallway to see if anyone was watching me. After I saw that the coast was clear, I ducked into my sister’s room the second she opened the door.

“Why are you acting like a character from a Cold War spy movie? Was someone following us?” Maddy asked as she bolted the door behind us.

“Not that I was aware of, but we can’t take any chances. I still don’t want anyone to know that I’m staying with you.”

“Now you’re afraid when there’s nothing there but shadows?” Maddy asked with a laugh. “I thought you were going to deck that twin on stage when he tried to intimidate Sandy. What were you thinking?”

“That nobody was going to get away with that kind of behavior while I was around,” I admitted. “Thankfully, it didn’t come to blows. I’m just glad that Frank finally decided to step in and stop it.”

“All in all, I think that he’s got a pretty firm hand on things. Am I the only one surprised by how well he’s taken to his new role?”

“No, I noticed it, too,” I said. “We can talk about it after we both take our showers and change.”

“You bet we will,” she said. “You can have the bathroom first this time.”

“That’s gracious of you, and I accept,” I said with a smile.

After we’d both showered and changed into the nicest clothes we’d brought with us, Maddy and I still had some time to chat as we applied our makeup and finished getting ready. There was something on my mind, but I hadn’t spoken it aloud yet. “Do you think that Frank could have really killed his own brother for control of Luigi’s?” I asked her.

“I have to admit that I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Maddy said. “Does that part really even matter? If Frank knew about the million bucks he was getting when Luigi died, I would think that might be reason enough for some people. Remind me never to be worth more to you dead than alive.”

“I just can’t see him as a murderer,” I admitted.

Maddy shrugged. “If you would have asked me before, I would have said no way myself, but we’re certainly starting to see a different side of the man, aren’t we?”

“I don’t know how anyone could kill their sibling for personal gain,” I said.

Maddy laughed as she replied, “As your only sibling, I have to say that I heartily approve of your attitude.”

“You know what I meant,” I said, smiling in return.

“I’d love to know if Frank had any idea that his brother left so much to him,” Maddy said.

“Knowing Luigi, I kind of doubt it. The man always struck me as someone who wasn’t big on keeping folks around him informed about what he was up to. I have no problem imagining that he’d drastically changed how his company was going to be run after he was gone without bothering to tell anyone else about it.”

My sister nodded. “You’re right; I can completely see that happening. We don’t have much choice but to keep Frank on our list, do we?”

“Unless he can convince us or the police that he wasn’t involved in the murder, he has to be near the top of everyone’s suspect list.” I couldn’t believe how hard a time we were having eliminating people, but how easy new possibilities seemed to keep popping up. “We still have way too many potential candidates, don’t we?”

“Why don’t you write them all down so we can discuss each one while we’re waiting?” Maddy asked.

“That’s not a bad idea.” I took some of the stationery and the pen that the hotel complex provided, and started writing. “Let’s see. First up, we should start with the contestants,” I said as I listed the pizza makers from Asheville, Raleigh, and Charlotte.

“And we’ve also got Frank Vincent and Jack Acre from the company,” Maddy added.

“Anyone else?” I asked.

“Since Kevin gave us Mrs. Ford’s alibi, she’s excluded, no matter how she felt about him. I can’t think of anyone else off the top of my head,” she said.

“That gives us eight suspects then, if we don’t count ourselves.”

“Well, I know I didn’t do it,” Maddy said with the whisper of a smile.

“And neither did I. Okay, eight is our working number. Now, why don’t we look at what we have for motives?” As I went down the list, I said, “Jeff and Sandy had problems with Luigi making a pretty aggressive pass at her.”

“I know, but was that enough to kill someone over?” Maddy asked.

“Jeff is a pretty jealous guy, and if Sandy thought she was protecting her marriage, she might kill him herself. I have a pretty good hunch that she wanted to tell Kevin about the altercation they had with Luigi, but Jeff must have persuaded her not to mention it.” Those two believed that their bond of matrimony was the most important thing in the world, and though I didn’t want to think about it, if they felt their marriage was being threatened by someone outside, either scenario could happen.

“How about Kenny and Anna?” Maddy asked.

“Kenny could have killed Luigi for reneging on their arrangement if everything Tina Lance told us was completely true. Remember, we’ve got some confirmation of that story, too.”

“What about Anna?”

“You saw her backing Luigi into the corner after the cocktail party,” I said. “I’d love to know what they were talking about.”

“If we have any hope of finding out, we’re going to have to come right out and ask her,” Maddy said. “Do we even need much of a motive for the Raleigh twins? They could have done it just out of spite.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve got a feeling that they could have gotten rid of Luigi if they thought that Jack Acre was next in line to take over the company and the competition. Why not? If they’re as desperate for money as they told us they were, they might do it if they thought they would have better luck buying Acre off.”

“How do we know for sure that they needed money?” Maddy asked.

“Think about it. Their alibi for having an envelope full of cash was so that they could pay off a bookie. Who comes up with an excuse like that off the top of their head?”

“People do worse things for less, don’t they?”

I looked at my list, and then said, “That leaves Frank Vincent and Jack Acre. Either one could have killed Luigi because of greed since they both thought they’d profit from his death, so they both have to stay on our list, too.”

“So let me get this straight. In two days of hard work, extensive questioning, and an enormous amount of legwork, we haven’t been able to eliminate a single suspect,” Maddy said. “Does that about sum it up?”

“Sadly, yes,” I said. “That doesn’t mean that we should just stop trying to solve the murder, though. I’d love to compare notes with Kevin.”

“Call him,” Maddy suggested.

“Seriously?”

“Why not? We’re ready for the party, and we still have eighteen minutes before it gets started. Why don’t you invite him up here and we can tell him what we’ve uncovered, and then ask him to do the same? What’s the worst thing that could happen? If he refuses, we’re no worse off than we were before.”

“Okay, it’s just crazy enough to work,” I said as I dialed Kevin’s cell number.

He answered on the second ring. “Hurley.”

“This is Eleanor Swift. Are you at Tree-Line?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Do you have a few minutes to come upstairs to Maddy’s room? We’d like to share what we’ve uncovered so far.” There was a knock on the door, and as Maddy went to answer it, I asked, “What do you think?”

“It’s a great idea,” Kevin said as she opened the door and Maddy let him in. “I was just thinking the same thing. What have you two got?”

I handed Kevin my list. “We can fill in any gaps you might see on some of these entries,” I said.

He nodded as he scanned my notes. “This is good,” he said as he tapped the paper. “You two are getting better at this.”

“Was that an actual compliment?” Maddy asked with a smile.

“Don’t get too swelled with pride,” he added. “I didn’t say it was great, just that it’s getting better than it was.”

“Hey, you just told us we were improving and you can’t take it back,” Maddy said with a grin. “We’ll take any compliment that comes our way. Thanks.”

Kevin shook his head, and I could see him trying to hide a smile with his hand. “I didn’t find out about these instructions Luigi left about who runs the company until Frank took the stage tonight. When did you two find out?”

“Not long before you did,” I admitted. “We were going to tell you, but we had the competition and all to worry about.” It was stretching things a little, but mostly it was true.

“That’s fine. I get it; it’s why you’re here.” He looked at my notes again, and then added, “I can work with this. May I take it with me?”

It appeared that Maddy was about to protest when I cut her off before she could speak. “Absolutely. Now that we’ve shared our information, can you strike any names off that list, just so we won’t keep hounding people who are innocent?”

He considered it, and then said, “That’s fair enough. Can I borrow that pen of yours for a second?” I knew that he always carried a notebook and pen with him, but he must have reserved that for his official police business.

I handed mine to him, and the police chief put the paper on the desk and crossed through one name. Well, sort of, because he attached a question mark to the end of his strike. I looked at the list to see which suspect he’d eliminated, and then I asked, “Why one of the twins and not the other, and how can you tell?”

“I admit I’m guessing as to which one has an alibi, because I can’t tell them apart any more than anyone else can. All I know is that one of them was seen hitting on a waitress when Luigi was murdered.”

“But we don’t know which one it was,” Maddy said.

“No, and I’m not certain we ever will. As alibis go, it’s pretty clever if they planned it that way. Talk about reasonable doubt.”

“It’s not much, is it?” I asked.

“You know how this goes. You just keep digging, and see what you can find out.”

There was a knock on the door, and I saw Kevin’s hand go straight to his handgun.

“Should I see who it is first before you start shooting?” Maddy asked.

“Check, but don’t open it until you tell me.”

Maddy looked in through the peephole, and then turned to us. “It’s Anna from Charlotte.”

“I’ll be just inside the bathroom,” Kevin said.

“Should I go, too?” I asked. “After all, this is Maddy’s room.”

“You have every right to be here. Stay,” Kevin said as Anna knocked on the door again.

He ducked into the bathroom, and Maddy opened the door.

“Hey, Anna. What can I do for you?”

“Do you know where your sister is?” she asked, and then spotted me. “Good, you’re here. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Should I leave you two alone and give you some privacy?” Maddy asked, though I knew she had no intention of actually doing it.

“No, honestly, I was hoping to find you both together.”

“What’s this about?” I asked.

She looked at me firmly as she said, “I know you’re trying to find George’s—I mean Luigi’s—killer, and I want to help.”

“What makes you think that?” I asked her.

“It wasn’t all that hard to figure out. You’ve both been asking a lot of questions around the complex,” she said. “Word gets around pretty quickly.”

“I hate to bring this up, but you know that you’re on our suspect list right along with your boss, don’t you?” I asked.

“He’s not my boss anymore, as a matter of fact,” she said. “I just quit.”

“That’s going to make it hard on you, especially after you’ve been sleeping with him,” Maddy piped up.

“What? Where did you hear that? Whoever told you that is lying,” she said as her head pivoted quickly toward my sister.

I had to stop Maddy before she revealed the name of our source. It wouldn’t help Gina, or Helen, to bandy their names about. “We overheard something at the first cocktail party,” I said quickly.

“No doubt spread by Kenny himself. I wouldn’t dream of letting that man touch me. Besides, I’m engaged.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “Is it anyone that we might know?”

“Actually, it’s Frank Vincent,” she said, blushing slightly.

“Isn’t that a conflict of interest if he’s judging the contest?” Maddy asked, though I was thinking it as well.

Anna smiled. “Oh, we’re not going to win. That’s already been settled.”

“Does Kenny know yet?” I asked.

“He doesn’t have a clue,” she admitted, “and Frank and I would appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to him about it, or to anyone, actually.”

“Just out of curiosity, how long have you two been a ‘we’?” I asked.