Rest in Pizza (18 page)
Authors: Chris Cavender
“Maddy will take care of her,” I said, though I wasn’t absolutely certain I believed it. If Maddy thought she could get some valuable information from Patrice by plying her with more booze, I wouldn’t put it past my sister.
“Now may I see that letter?” Jessie asked.
“Do you mean that you haven’t read it already?” I asked.
“No, I never even knew it existed until you just showed it to me.”
“What do you think it says?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m not playing that game with you.”
I could be tough, too, though she hadn’t seen it yet. “You might want to reconsider, if you really want to see what it says.”
Jessie looked quietly angry, as though she were fighting to contain herself. “Eleanor, what game are you playing? Are you trying to see just how far you can push me? Because, if you are, I should warn you. I’m just about to my breaking point already, so it’s not going to take much to push me over the edge.”
“That was exactly what Benet was doing though, wasn’t he? I’m guessing he made some kind of outrageous demand in order to be persuaded to stay with your show and not leave the network.”
Jessie looked surprised by my statement. “How on earth could you possibly know that?”
“Just call it an educated guess,” I said. “What did you tell him?”
“That we couldn’t do it, no matter how much I would have loved getting another show on the channel.”
“Didn’t you think that he could handle it?” I asked.
“Trust me, nobody in the world had as high an opinion of Benet as he had of himself. The man thought he was much more talented than the evidence ever showed.”
“And did you tell him that?”
Jessie frowned. “It’s why we were arguing. I could have gotten him a raise, a small one anyway, but there was no way they were going to give him another show. He just didn’t generate that much revenue for the network. The man was a B-list talent at best.”
“And it’s all about the money, isn’t it?”
She sighed, and then said, “Eleanor, what business isn’t? We have bottom lines just like everyone else, and if Benet lost another sponsor for his show, it wasn’t all that certain that it was even going to stay on the air, let alone help him get a new show.”
“How did he take the news when you told him?”
Jessie took a breath, and then said, “He was like a little boy losing his favorite toy. He pouted, threw a fit, and then refused to discuss it anymore. It’s amazing, but that’s how I managed to get along with him after everyone else jumped ship. If I treated him like I would a small boy, I had much more success than when I tried treating him like a man.”
“How did he feel about it?” I asked.
“Honestly? I don’t even think he noticed,” she replied. “I believe I’ve earned the right to read that letter myself.”
I got it out of my pocket, but before I handed it to her, I said, “I already made a copy of it, so don’t get any ideas.” This was a lie, but I was hoping that she’d believe it and not try to destroy any evidence. “After you read it, I want it back. I’m showing the original to the police chief. He has a right to know what’s going on, too.”
“Okay, I can live with that. I just want to see exactly what it says.”
I took the letter from its envelope and handed it to her. Jessie quickly scanned the brief note, and then her frown deepened as she read it again. “That skunk,” she said as she stood there still holding the letter.
I took it back from her before she could damage it, since it was the only copy I had, and I quickly slid it safely back into its envelope. I really did need to make a copy of it for myself before I handed the original over to Kevin Hurley.
“He actually lied to me,” Jessie said. “I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen that letter for myself.”
“Are you really all that surprised?”
“I shouldn’t be, I admit it,” Jessie answered. After a few seconds, she shook her head and managed to laugh a little. “The guy played me like a pro, didn’t he? If I could do it, I’d congratulate him right now for how slick he played it. I’m not easy to fool, but I’m not afraid to admit it; he got me good.”
Before I could ask another question, her cell phone rang.
“Yes, sir,” she said. “Yes, sir. Fine, sir. Right away, sir. Of course I’ll hold, sir.” Jessie put a hand over the phone to block it, and then said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got a situation I have to deal with.”
“Should I hang around until you’re through with your call?” I asked.
She shook her head. “This is going to take at least an hour, but there’s no need for you to stay. I don’t know what else I can say. Benet played me, but I never found out about it until just now. What a guy, right?”
Instead of going back into Patrice’s room, Jessie said into her telephone, “Hang on. The reception is lousy in here. I need to go outside to see if I can get a better signal.”
She left me in the hallway, and I was dismissed from her mind as though I’d never been there.
I wasn’t about to leave, though.
It was time I joined Maddy and Patrice.
I didn’t even knock when I walked into the room. Maddy and Patrice were on the balcony, and as I stepped inside, Maddy stood. “Excuse me, but I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I wasn’t sure if that were true, or if she wanted some time to snoop around.
I took the seat beside Patrice as she said, “I like your sister. She’s got real spunk.”
“So I’ve heard,” I said. I reached over and picked up one of the two glasses on the table between the chairs and took a sip. Patrice might be drinking, but Maddy was having straight orange juice. Good for her.
Patrice, slurring her words a little, asked, “So, what rocks have you two ladies turned over today? Did you find any bugs scurrying out from under them looking for protection?”
“We haven’t had time yet to do much rock turning lately,” I said. “Pizza takes up most of our time.”
Patrice picked up her drink and took a large swallow. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or not, but she looked surprised as she took the drink. Had someone switched out her Mimosa with one that had more punch?
“Why don’t I believe that?” she asked, her voice suddenly a little hoarse.
“Believe what you will,” I said. “You must really trust Oliver.”
“Why do you say that?” Patrice asked, shaking her head as she did so, as though she were trying to dislodge the cobwebs in her brain.
“Well, you sent him alone to collect your husband’s things,” I said.
“It was his idea, but I figured, why not? Oliver is many things, but a thief is not among them,” Patrice answered. “Besides, in the end, what did Tony really have that was worth stealing?” Her gaze sharpened for a moment as she asked, “Why were you in my husband’s room today, anyway?”
Oh no. It appeared that I’d said a little too much, and the chef’s widow was not nearly as drunk as she first appeared to be.
Chapter 17
“W
e were making a delivery out that way, and we wanted to see if we could help make your life a little easier,” I said as I stared out at the view, not risking making eye contact with Patrice.
e were making a delivery out that way, and we wanted to see if we could help make your life a little easier,” I said as I stared out at the view, not risking making eye contact with Patrice.
I didn’t know if she bought it or not, but I was saved when my sister finally came back out. “Eleanor, I hate to break this up, but we need to get back to the Slice. It’s almost time to open again.”
The hour we took every day was not enough to investigate, and I considered for a moment postponing our dinner service, but then I realized that our customers were counting on us, and I needed to be there for them.
“You’re right, of course.” I turned to Patrice. “Will you be okay until Jessie comes back?”
“You needn’t worry about me. I don’t need anyone to watch over me,” she said defiantly.
“I didn’t mean to imply that at all,” I said. “I just know how it feels to be alone after something so tragic happens.”
“Of course you do,” Patrice said, her voice softer now. “I heard about your late husband, and I’m truly sorry.”
I shrugged. “We do what we must to get by, don’t we?”
Patrice was about to answer when Jessie opened the door and hurried into the suite. She looked honestly surprised to see that Maddy and I were there. “What are you two still doing here? Don’t you have pizzas to make?” At least she was off the phone, though probably for just a moment, judging by the way she was holding it.
“You asked us to stay, remember?” Maddy asked with a smile.
“I keep telling everyone that I don’t need a keeper, but no one will believe me,” Patrice said.
“Of course you don’t,” Jessie replied with some real sympathy in her voice. I had to guess that she really cared about Benet’s widow from the way she spoke to her. “I just didn’t want you to be alone. That’s all.”
“I’m fine with being by myself,” Patrice insisted. “I’ve been alone before, and I will be again.”
“Yes, of course, I know that,” Jessie said.
Jessie escorted us to the door, and as we were leaving, she said, “I’ve just got a minute before the brass is calling back, but I’d like to ask you both for a favor.”
“Name it,” I said, curious about what Jessie was going to ask from us.
“Patrice is having a pretty rough time of it, no matter how lucid she might sound at times. We all need to have a heart and give her some understanding.”
I nodded. “We get it, Jessie. We don’t want to cause her any more grief than she’s already dealing with.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She was about to add something else when her phone rang. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to take this.”
She closed the door, and Maddy and I were once again standing in the hallway.
“Amazing,” I said as we started downstairs. “I believe Jessie truly cares about Patrice.”
“It’s good someone’s watching out for her,” Maddy answered. As we approached my car, she said, “You know what? I’m glad you’re driving. I’m not all that sure I could make it myself.”
“I tasted your glass, you big fraud,” I said with a smile. “That was clever of you to leave the alcohol out of your drink and just have straight orange juice.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maddy said, clearly confused by my statement. “My drink had more champagne in it than juice.”
“But the one I tasted was just OJ,” I said.
“Then you must have grabbed the wrong one, because mine was absolutely spiked with liquor.”
I thought about the way Patrice had acted earlier, and then asked my sister, “Why would Patrice want people to think that she was drunk when she was in fact, sober?”
Maddy shrugged. “Beats me.”
“I have a thought,” I said. “Maybe she wanted the people around her to take her for granted. If she appears to be a lush, folks might just start to drop their guard around her, thinking that she’s a harmless drunk.”
“So she might be doing some investigating into her late husband’s murder on her own, is that what you’re saying?” Maddy asked.
“It’s possible,” I admitted.
“But how likely is it?”
“I can’t give you any odds,” I said. “I just don’t have enough information yet.”
“She might be playing a pretty dangerous game. We need to keep an eye on her though, don’t we?” Maddy asked.
“We do,” I said.
“So, what should we do now?”
I didn’t even have to think about my answer. “We go back to the Slice, try to sober you up, and get ready to work.”
Josh was waiting for us up front when we got back to the pizzeria, even though he wasn’t due to work until later that evening.
“Did I misread the schedule today, or did you?” I asked him as I took out my new key and unlocked the door.
“I know that I’m not supposed to come in for a few more hours, but we need to talk about something right now,” he said firmly.
Maddy walked through the open door, and then said, “Why don’t you two stay out here and chat? I’ll go ahead and get things ready inside.”
I remembered how tipsy she was, and started to worry about what might happen in my absence. “Don’t go near the knives, and be careful turning the oven on.”
“Got it,” she said and gave me an okay sign.
“And drink a pot of hot coffee. We’re opening in three minutes,” I told her.
“That’s plenty of time for me to get things right,” she said.
As she disappeared unsteadily into the kitchen, I turned to my youngest employee. “What’s going on, Josh?” A thought suddenly occurred to me. “You’re quitting, aren’t you?” I’d grown complacent with my little crew, but I always knew that it wouldn’t last forever. The nature of my business meant that employees would come and go, but it was still tough to get used to seeing the good ones leave.
“No, why would you say that?” he asked. “You aren’t getting tired of having me around, are you?”
“Of course not, but I know you’re almost finished with high school, and you’ll be going away before long.”
He grinned at me, and I could see his father in him whenever he did it. “As a matter of fact, it’s just the opposite.”
“You’re not thinking about dropping out when you’re so close to graduating, are you? You can’t do that, Josh.”
“Tell me about it. My folks would kill me. They don’t agree about much these days, but they both know they want me to go to school.”
I was confused yet again. “So, tell me, how is that the opposite, then?”
He explained, “My folks want me to go to UNC–Asheville, but I want to stay closer to home. I figure if I go to the community college like Greg does, I can work more hours here. You’re always saying how you need more help than you’ve got.”
“Do you really think that Asheville is all that far away from us? It’s not even an hour and a half from here, and I’ve heard great things about the school, and I love the town itself.”
Josh frowned. “I’m not denying that it’s all really cool, but why not wait a few years before I go? You’d think my mom would be happy that I wanted to stay, and that my dad would be pleased about the money I’m saving him, but neither one of them is crazy about the idea.”
“And you’re trying to convince me to talk to them?” I asked.
He grinned at me as he said, “Hey, I figure it might be worth a shot.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Josh, I’m just your boss, I’m not your parent. Work it out with them, and then come talk to me about what the three of you decide, but I can’t afford to get in the middle of a domestic dispute.”
Josh looked disappointed by my answer, as though he had been expecting me to say something else. “You’re turning your back on me, too, Eleanor? I thought you’d be different.”
I hugged him for a moment, and then said, “Don’t get me wrong. If the three of you can work something out, I’d love to have you here as long as you’d like to work for me, but I’m not about to get into your family argument. I have enough trouble with your folks without butting in where I don’t belong. Do you understand?”
“I guess so,” Josh said.
“Now, I’ve got to open the Slice. Will I see you later?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be here,” he said, though he wasn’t smiling as he said it.
I came back in and found Maddy in the kitchen downing a huge mug of coffee. “Where’s Josh?” she asked. I wasn’t sure if it was the caffeine or if the alcohol was just wearing off on its own, but she was already looking better than she had been when we’d left Patrice’s room.
“He’s gone,” I said. “You are not going to believe the crazy thing that kid just asked me to do.”
“I don’t know; give me a clue.”
As I unwrapped a few pizza dough balls from the fridge, I told her all about it, finishing up with, “Can you believe that he tried to drag me into that?”
“It’s nuts, even for him,” she agreed. “You know the Hurleys are going to put pressure on you to back them on this, don’t you?”
“They can ask all they want to, but I’m telling them the same thing I told Josh. It’s their family situation. I’m not in it now, and I don’t plan to be. I’ll tell you one thing, there’s never a dull moment around here, is there?”
“That’s one of the reasons I keep hanging around,” Maddy replied.
We had a busy night, but I noticed that Maddy wasn’t her usual chipper self. Whether it was from the mimosas she’d downed or something else entirely, I couldn’t say. Added to that was Josh’s sullen mood, and the pizza parlor had a grim feel to it all evening.
Greg came back around closing and said, “Can I take off early? It’s like a morgue out there.”
“There are no customers left?” I asked as I started cleaning up my work area.
“Oh yes, the diners are fine. I’m talking about my coworkers.”
I nodded. “I guess they both have a lot on their minds.”
“Well, I’ll tell you this. They sucked the fun right out of this shift.”
I glanced at the clock and saw that we had fifteen minutes until we were due to close. “Why don’t you call it a night and slip out the back way?”
“You really wouldn’t mind?” he asked.
“Are you kidding? I’d go with you, if I could,” I replied with a grin.
“Why don’t you? Maddy can come back here and finish your shift for you.”
“I’m tempted, trust me, but I’d better not. It’s too late for me, but you can still save yourself.”
“I will,” Greg said. He put his apron on its hook, and then let himself out the back door.
After I locked up behind him, Maddy came back. “Greg, table eight is ...” Her words died off as she realized that I was alone.
“What happened to Greg?” Maddy asked.
“Isn’t he out front with you?” I asked, trying to hide my grin.
“Eleanor, I may be getting older, but I’ve got quite a few years before my senility starts creeping in. I saw him come back here.” She looked at the hooks with aprons and saw Greg’s. Grabbing it, she waved it in the air. “See? I knew he was here. He left the back way, didn’t he?”
“I let him go early,” I admitted.
“It’s not like him to skip out early on a shift,” she answered.
I had two choices at that moment. I could ignore her statement, or I could tell her the truth. I opted for the truth. “He said it was like a morgue working with the two of you. What’s going on, Maddy? Something’s clearly troubling you tonight. Have you made up your mind about Bob’s proposal yet?”
“No,” she snapped.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” I said, and turned back to my cleaning. “I shouldn’t keep asking you.”
Her expression softened instantly as she said, “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you, Eleanor. The problem is, Bob came by the Slice two hours ago.”
“I didn’t realize that. What did I make for him?” There were a great many folks who came in whose orders I knew by heart, so whenever I got a slip with their specialty on it, I knew they were dining with us.
Bob wasn’t that predictable, though.
“You didn’t.”
“Do you mean that he didn’t stay?” I asked, dropping my dishcloth for a moment.
“Not long enough to eat. He walked up to me, asked me if I’d made up my mind yet, and when I told him I hadn’t, he walked right back out again. The thing is, when he got to the door, he turned back and looked at me as he said, ‘I won’t wait forever, Maddy.’ Now what is that supposed to mean?”
“That he won’t wait forever?” I asked.
“Seriously? You’re trying to have a little fun with me right now?”
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “You can’t blame the man. He asked you a pretty important question. Why wouldn’t he want the answer?”
“I’m not sure what to do,” she said. “I keep going back and forth in my mind, but every time I do, I come up with a different answer.”
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