didn’t even have time to look up when someone came through the kitchen door from the dining room.
“We’re nearly out of dough,” I said, “so I’m going to have to switch to what we’ve got in the freezer.”
“And that’s my problem how, exactly?” Kevin Hurley asked as he came in to the kitchen.
I was in no mood to deal with him at the moment. I had my hands full. “Chief, I’d love to chat, but I’ve got more orders than I know what to do with.”
“Sorry, Eleanor, but this can’t wait.”
I shoved a loose strand of hair out of my face. “Do you want to see me throw a fit, because I’m not far from that right now. I’ve never made so many pizzas so quickly in my life.”
“Yeah, funny how that worked out, isn’t it?”
I stopped and stared at him. “Hang on a second. Are you implying that I had something to do with Italia’s postponing their grand opening? What happened, did Judson lose his pizza man? Or did his wood supply fail to show up?”
“It’s a little more serious than that,” Police Chief Hurley said.
“I can’t imagine that I could find it in me to care,” I said flippantly.
“You should care about this,” he said solemnly.
There was something in his tone of voice that made me stop what I was doing instantly. “What are you trying to tell me, Kevin?”
“The reason Italia’s didn’t open is because someone killed Judson Sizemore inside his pizzeria last night.”
Chapter 4
“W hat? How did it happen?” I asked as I nearly dropped the pizza I’d just made onto the floor. I hadn’t been a big fan of Judson Sizemore or the arrogant way he’d treated me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him dead.
“I’m the one asking the questions, if you don’t mind,” Kevin said.
“Not until you tell me how he died,” I said. “Otherwise, you’re just wasting your breath.”
He seemed to chew that over, and then he admitted, “This isn’t for public knowledge, but he was hit from behind with a piece of firewood he used in that pizza oven of his.”
What a horrible way to go. No matter how I felt about him, I hoped it had at least been quick. “Thank you for trusting me with that. Now, what do you want to know?”
“Let’s cut to the chase. I understand the two of you had some very public arguments over the past few days.”
I couldn’t believe he’d actually put any credence in them. “You don’t believe for one second that I would do anything to him, do you?”
Chief Hurley shrugged. “I’m not in the believing business. I’m just gathering facts right now, Eleanor.” He looked around, and then said calmly, “You’ve got plenty of motive, even you can’t deny that.”
“Just because I wasn’t thrilled about him opening his pizzeria doesn’t mean I’m the one who killed him.”
“You didn’t get along, either.”
I paused long enough to stare at him a moment before I trusted myself to speak again. “If I murdered everyone I ever had an argument with, the body count would be too high to measure.”
The police chief was clearly not buying my argument. “This is different. It could have easily buried this place forever, and we both know it. You had a great deal to lose if Italia’s did well. In fact, some might say your entire life.”
“I don’t agree with that for one second.”
It was his turn to look hard at me. “That’s your right.” Kevin took a deep breath, and then asked, “Eleanor, where were you between the hours of midnight and six A . M . this morning?”
I shook my head in disbelief. Was this really happening, or was I in some kind of nightmare and couldn’t wake up? I took a deep breath to calm myself before I replied, but it didn’t do any good. This wasn’t the first time the chief of police had implied that I was involved in a murder, and I was getting tired of it. “I was home in bed, and before you even think about asking me if anyone can confirm it, we both know that I was there alone.”
“I
“We’re nearly out of dough,” I said, “so I’m going to have to switch to what we’ve got in the freezer.”
“And that’s my problem how, exactly?” Kevin Hurley asked as he came in to the kitchen.
I was in no mood to deal with him at the moment. I had my hands full. “Chief, I’d love to chat, but I’ve got more orders than I know what to do with.”
“Sorry, Eleanor, but this can’t wait.”
I shoved a loose strand of hair out of my face. “Do you want to see me throw a fit, because I’m not far from that right now. I’ve never made so many pizzas so quickly in my life.”
“Yeah, funny how that worked out, isn’t it?”
I stopped and stared at him. “Hang on a second. Are you implying that I had something to do with Italia’s postponing their grand opening? What happened, did Judson lose his pizza man? Or did his wood supply fail to show up?”
“It’s a little more serious than that,” Police Chief Hurley said.
“I can’t imagine that I could find it in me to care,” I said flippantly.
“You should care about this,” he said solemnly.
There was something in his tone of voice that made me stop what I was doing instantly. “What are you trying to tell me, Kevin?”
“The reason Italia’s didn’t open is because someone killed Judson Sizemore inside his pizzeria last night.”
Chapter 4
“W hat? How did it happen?” I asked as I nearly dropped the pizza I’d just made onto the floor. I hadn’t been a big fan of Judson Sizemore or the arrogant way he’d treated me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him dead.
“I’m the one asking the questions, if you don’t mind,” Kevin said.
“Not until you tell me how he died,” I said. “Otherwise, you’re just wasting your breath.”
He seemed to chew that over, and then he admitted, “This isn’t for public knowledge, but he was hit from behind with a piece of firewood he used in that pizza oven of his.”
What a horrible way to go. No matter how I felt about him, I hoped it had at least been quick. “Thank you for trusting me with that. Now, what do you want to know?”
“Let’s cut to the chase. I understand the two of you had some very public arguments over the past few days.”
I couldn’t believe he’d actually put any credence in them. “You don’t believe for one second that I would do anything to him, do you?”
Chief Hurley shrugged. “I’m not in the believing business. I’m just gathering facts right now, Eleanor.” He looked around, and then said calmly, “You’ve got plenty of motive, even you can’t deny that.”
“Just because I wasn’t thrilled about him opening his pizzeria doesn’t mean I’m the one who killed him.”
“You didn’t get along, either.”
I paused long enough to stare at him a moment before I trusted myself to speak again. “If I murdered everyone I ever had an argument with, the body count would be too high to measure.”
The police chief was clearly not buying my argument. “This is different. It could have easily buried this place forever, and we both know it. You had a great deal to lose if Italia’s did well. In fact, some might say your entire life.”
“I don’t agree with that for one second.”
It was his turn to look hard at me. “That’s your right.” Kevin took a deep breath, and then asked, “Eleanor, where were you between the hours of midnight and six A . M . this morning?”
I shook my head in disbelief. Was this really happening, or was I in some kind of nightmare and couldn’t wake up? I took a deep breath to calm myself before I replied, but it didn’t do any good. This wasn’t the first time the chief of police had implied that I was involved in a murder, and I was getting tired of it. “I was home in bed, and before you even think about asking me if anyone can confirm it, we both know that I was there alone.”
“I
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