Read Online Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 04 - Death by Dumplings by Hope Callaghan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Hope Callaghan
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the chicken and dumplings were already done. The big pot was sitting on the counter and the kitchen smelled heavenly.” She paused. “You know how delicious Dot’s dumplings are.”
Gloria nodded, waiting for her to continue.
Jennifer leaned forward, her eyebrows scrunched together. “Gloria, I tasted the dumplings like I do every Wednesday morning. You know. Not much, just a small sample. She must’ve just finished making them. They were piping hot.”
“After I finished the dish, I put on my apron and headed to the front cuz it was starting to get busy. I was pouring coffee for your friend… uh…Andrea, when Dot stopped by the table to say she had to run down to the Quick Stop to pick up some salt.”
“So it was only you and Ray running the restaurant during that time?” Gloria asked.
Jennifer nodded. “Yeah. No one was in the back kitchen while Dot was gone.”
“That means from the time you sampled the dumplings around eleven and the first order was served to Mike Foley and his wife, someone dumped poison in the pot,” Gloria theorized.
Jennifer grabbed a pen from the center of the table and began tapping it on the table top. “Yeah, it had to be while Dot was down at the store.”
“How long was Dot gone?” Gloria asked.
Jennifer gazed at the ceiling as she thought about it. “I’d say ten minutes. Fifteen tops.”
“Which would mean someone was lurking outside the back of the restaurant between 11 and 11:30, saw their opportunity to sneak inside and dump the poison in the pot and then escape out the back door without ever being seen.”
This was progress. Gloria had the timeframe narrowed down for the poisoning and how the killer gained access to the restaurant.
Jennifer glanced out the back slider again. Her husband was walking down the path towards the house. “Tony’s coming,” she said.
Gloria got out of the chair and pushed it back under the table. “Is there anything else that sticks out in your mind?”
Jennifer shook her head. “The rest is a blur. I was busy waiting other tables when Dot brought the dumplings to the table.”
Jennifer walked her to the door just in time for Tony to head indoors. He smiled when he saw Gloria standing in the living room.
Tony was a handsome young man. Well, young to Gloria. He had to be in his mid to late 30’s by now. His sandy brown hair was parted on the side and combed back over his ears. Clean cut. That’s how Gloria would describe him. He reminded her of her own two sons that she never got to see anymore.
Her oldest son, Eddie, lived in Chicago with his wife. They didn’t have children and to hear them talk, they never would.
Her middle child, Ben, lived in Houston, Texas with his wife, Kelly and their twins. Ariel and Oliver or Ollie as the called him. The family made an effort to come back for a visit every summer but missed last year. The kids were into almost every kind of sport imaginable and they couldn’t break away, even for a couple days.
Ben and Kelly offered to pay for Gloria’s plane ticket if she wanted to come visit but Gloria didn’t care to fly too much.
The last time she talked to Ben, he warned her this summer might be another no-show for them. Gloria already decided she would make a trip to Texas this summer if they couldn’t come home. If not, her grandkids wouldn’t remember who she was!
Tony brought her back to earth when he leaned over and gave her a quick hug. “What’s the special occasion?” he smiled. “No. Let me guess. You’re investigating the poisoning over at Dot’s place.”
Gloria grinned. “Guilty as charged.” She turned to glance at Jennifer. “I hoped Jennifer might remember something important from the other morning.”
Tony turned to his wife. He reached over and squeezed Jennifer’s arm. “The whole thing shook her up. What a tragedy,” he added.
Jennifer grabbed the handle on the
Gloria nodded, waiting for her to continue.
Jennifer leaned forward, her eyebrows scrunched together. “Gloria, I tasted the dumplings like I do every Wednesday morning. You know. Not much, just a small sample. She must’ve just finished making them. They were piping hot.”
“After I finished the dish, I put on my apron and headed to the front cuz it was starting to get busy. I was pouring coffee for your friend… uh…Andrea, when Dot stopped by the table to say she had to run down to the Quick Stop to pick up some salt.”
“So it was only you and Ray running the restaurant during that time?” Gloria asked.
Jennifer nodded. “Yeah. No one was in the back kitchen while Dot was gone.”
“That means from the time you sampled the dumplings around eleven and the first order was served to Mike Foley and his wife, someone dumped poison in the pot,” Gloria theorized.
Jennifer grabbed a pen from the center of the table and began tapping it on the table top. “Yeah, it had to be while Dot was down at the store.”
“How long was Dot gone?” Gloria asked.
Jennifer gazed at the ceiling as she thought about it. “I’d say ten minutes. Fifteen tops.”
“Which would mean someone was lurking outside the back of the restaurant between 11 and 11:30, saw their opportunity to sneak inside and dump the poison in the pot and then escape out the back door without ever being seen.”
This was progress. Gloria had the timeframe narrowed down for the poisoning and how the killer gained access to the restaurant.
Jennifer glanced out the back slider again. Her husband was walking down the path towards the house. “Tony’s coming,” she said.
Gloria got out of the chair and pushed it back under the table. “Is there anything else that sticks out in your mind?”
Jennifer shook her head. “The rest is a blur. I was busy waiting other tables when Dot brought the dumplings to the table.”
Jennifer walked her to the door just in time for Tony to head indoors. He smiled when he saw Gloria standing in the living room.
Tony was a handsome young man. Well, young to Gloria. He had to be in his mid to late 30’s by now. His sandy brown hair was parted on the side and combed back over his ears. Clean cut. That’s how Gloria would describe him. He reminded her of her own two sons that she never got to see anymore.
Her oldest son, Eddie, lived in Chicago with his wife. They didn’t have children and to hear them talk, they never would.
Her middle child, Ben, lived in Houston, Texas with his wife, Kelly and their twins. Ariel and Oliver or Ollie as the called him. The family made an effort to come back for a visit every summer but missed last year. The kids were into almost every kind of sport imaginable and they couldn’t break away, even for a couple days.
Ben and Kelly offered to pay for Gloria’s plane ticket if she wanted to come visit but Gloria didn’t care to fly too much.
The last time she talked to Ben, he warned her this summer might be another no-show for them. Gloria already decided she would make a trip to Texas this summer if they couldn’t come home. If not, her grandkids wouldn’t remember who she was!
Tony brought her back to earth when he leaned over and gave her a quick hug. “What’s the special occasion?” he smiled. “No. Let me guess. You’re investigating the poisoning over at Dot’s place.”
Gloria grinned. “Guilty as charged.” She turned to glance at Jennifer. “I hoped Jennifer might remember something important from the other morning.”
Tony turned to his wife. He reached over and squeezed Jennifer’s arm. “The whole thing shook her up. What a tragedy,” he added.
Jennifer grabbed the handle on the
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