Chicken Pesto Murder: Book 5 in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning Page A

his injuries had actually been from attacking and murdering the older detective?
    She shook her head to clear it. What was she thinking? This was David; she might not have known him for long, but she did know him well, and he would never kill anyone. She must be more tired than she thought if she was actually considering him as a suspect.
    “I just don’t think that he could have done it,” she told Candice. Covering up a yawn with one hand, she asked, “Could you help me bring in the groceries? I’m exhausted. We can talk more tomorrow.”
     

CHAPTER TEN
    For the next few days, life went as usual in the quiet town of Maple Creek. The warm spring weather and sunny days returned, and business at the deli was booming. Moira was glad that the icy days of winter were past; spring wasn’t her favorite season—she preferred summer—but it was a close second. There was something wonderful about walking through the park with warm, fresh-smelling air, and watching the first green buds beginning to appear on the trees. Soon enough, it would be swimming season, and she and Candice could travel the half hour to Lake Michigan on weekends. She loved spending the day at the beach, even if the water was usually chilly well into summer. If they had time, they might even be able to take a trip to the warmer shores on the other side of the state. Lake Huron was a favorite vacation spot for their family, and it was always nice to travel.
    * * *
    It was a slow Wednesday afternoon at the deli when Candice came in with excitement all over her face. Moira looked up from her novel and immediately knew that her daughter must have good news of one kind or another.
    “What happened, sweetheart?” she asked.
    “I found an apartment,” her daughter exclaimed. “It’s perfect, and right in town. It overlooks Main Street in Lake Marion. Will you come see it with me when I go to put the security deposit down?”
    “Of course.” Moira smiled at the beaming young woman, feeling guilty for her suddenly complex feelings. This was it; her daughter was really going to move out, and soon. “When were you going to go?”
    “Right now. Can you come?”
    “I don’t know… it’s right in the middle of the day…”
    “Mom, you’re sitting at the register reading a book. I saw both Darrin and Dante’s cars out there; couldn’t one of them watch the store for just, like, an hour?” Her daughter’s eager expression made Moira laugh.
    “Okay, okay, I’ll let them know I’m leaving,” she said. “Hold on just a second.”
    She followed her daughter into Lake Marion, taking the time to admire the forest that lined the curving, winding road. The scenery really was beautiful, with ferns and other small plants just beginning to peek through the ground. Almost all of the snow was gone by now, though she spotted a few stubborn piles hidden in areas where direct sunlight rarely, if ever, reached.
    Her daughter parked behind the building that housed the small toy store that would, with any luck, one day become Candice’s candy shop. Moira locked her car, and then followed the young woman over to a door set into the side of the building.
    “It’s up here,” her daughter said. “That way, if I do end up being able to lease the toy store, or buy it if they decide to sell, I’ll be right above my shop. Even if I end up renting a different space for the candy store, I’ll still be living in a nice, central area.”
    “I’m eager to see it,” Moira said. “Your first place. It’s so exciting.” She shared a smile with her daughter, then followed the young woman up the narrow stair case. There were only two doors at the top, and her daughter opened the one on the right.
    Moira had been expecting a small, cramped area, so she was surprised when she walked into a room that had high ceilings, gorgeous hardwood floors, and shiny new appliances. Even though it was a small apartment, the spacious ceilings and generous windows made it feel much