Read Online Pastrami Murder: Book One in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning - Free Book Online Page B

the extra hemlock in the fridge, so that if they got a search warrant, they would find evidence that would tie you to the crime, and I also told Detective Fitzgerald that you’d said the Soup Shoppe was running us out of business.” She shrugged. “I didn’t really have to do much. I felt bad about it I guess, but I just… I can’t go to jail.”
    “And the soup? How did you get him to eat it?” Moira managed to ask, keeping her eyes on the gun, which was pointed at her stomach now.
    “I just told him that I wanted my job back, and that the soup was a sample of a new recipe I had just come up with. He was so greedy, he didn’t even question it.”
    “Do you feel better, now that he’s gone?” the older woman asked quietly.
    “I did at first,” she admitted. “But then all of the investigations started, and I wished that I could take it back. Or at least do it smarter. It’s all that stupid investigator’s fault. He’s the only one that doesn’t think it’s you.”
    “David is far from stupid, I wouldn’t underestimate him.” Moira leaned against the edge of the counter and closed her eyes, emotionally exhausted. “Please, Danielle, just put the gun down. We can figure this out. Killing me won’t help things.”
    “I think I can make it look like you killed yourself,” her employee said. “And I’ll write a note on your computer saying you did it, and felt guilty. It’s the only way I can save myself, Ms. D. I’m sorry.” Moira opened her eyes to see the barrel of the gun pointed at her face. Her heart pounding, she watched as the desperate young woman clicked off the safety.
    “You can close your eyes again, if you want,” Danielle said, using one of her hands to wipe tears from her eyes. “It might make it easier.”
    For me or for you? Moira wondered. She was opening her mouth to talk more—to say something, anything, to stall – but her mind was blank. Was this really it? Was this how she would die? Oh my goodness , she thought. Candice will be home soon. She’ll be the one to find my body.
    The sound of a car pulling into her driveway made Danielle pause. Moira had no idea who it could be; it was way too early for her daughter to have made it home, and no one else would come over without calling first. Suddenly she realized that this was her chance; Danielle was looking back over her shoulder, and the gun was wavering.
    Reaching behind her, she hoped to find something that she could use to defend herself. She tried not to move too much, so that she didn’t draw the girl’s gaze back, but her hand only found empty counter.
    Then her fingers brushed something. A paper bag filled with something. She had no idea what it was, but it would have to do because Danielle was turning her head back towards her.
    “What are you-” she began, just moments before Moira swung the paper bag towards her and a cloud of flour filled the air.
    Moira dived to the side, and just in time—an earsplitting bang sounded, and chips of wood flew from the cabinets behind where she had been standing. The flour was already settling, leaving Danielle and half of Moira’s kitchen covered in the fine powder.
    The gun , Moira thought. The young woman seemed to have forgotten it as she tried to rub the flour out of her eyes, but she knew Danielle’s distraction wouldn’t last for long. She lunged for the weapon, her fingers closing over Danielle’s. She tried to tug it away, but the girl wasn’t giving up without a fight. They struggled back and forth for a few seconds, and somehow a second shot went off, missing Moira’s foot by an inch.
    “Freeze!” The command was shouted from the doorway to her kitchen, surprising both women badly enough that they stopped moving. She looked over to see the tall, imposing private investigator standing just feet away, his gun out and pointed at Danielle. Moira recovered from the shock first and wrested her employee’s firearm out of her grip.
    David glanced up at her,