Death of a Bacon Heiress by Lee Hollis Page B

polished off most of it. “I only wish we could stay for dessert.”
    â€œNext time,” Felicity said, smiling.
    â€œThank you for your kindness,” Nacho said, shaking Felicity’s hand before rushing out to calm his irritable wife.
    Hayley turned to Felicity. “I am so embarrassed.”
    â€œDon’t be,” Felicity said. “I have to handle impossible customers all the time. It’s really no big deal. In fact, most of them usually come back later in the summer and are very well behaved. Mostly because all their friends have talked up the place and they don’t want to feel like they’re missing out on something.”
    â€œWell, it’s nice to see you take it all in stride.”
    â€œPart of the job,” Felicity said.
    Hayley couldn’t resist picking up her fork and trying the crab cake. She chewed it for a few seconds, the taste exploding in her mouth. “Oh my God, this is scrumptious. How could she complain about it?”
    â€œLike her husband suggested, her churlish behavior had very little to do with not liking the food,” Felicity said.
    â€œWould you mind . . . ?”
    â€œOf course. Let me get you a doggy bag,” Felicity said, reading her mind.
    â€œMake sure it’s big enough to fit Nacho’s halibut. I’d hate to see that go to waste too,” Hayley said.
    Felicity gave her a wink and breezed into the kitchen.
    After stocking up on the leftovers, which she was sure would be consumed before bedtime, Hayley carried the brown paper bag out to the gravel-lined parking lot to her Kia. She spotted Olivia’s Rolls Royce still parked in a spot underneath a leafy tree on the far end of the lot, closest to the woods. She saw Nacho walking Pork Chop on that sparkling diamond-studded leash down a path, probably so he could take care of business before the ride back to the Redmond Estate.
    The back door to the rolls opened and Olivia got out and waved at Hayley. “I need to speak to you before you leave,” she yelled, startling her.
    Hayley nodded, dreading what was about to come, and then casually hid the doggie bag behind her as she slowly and deliberately walked over to the silver Rolls. “Yes?”
    â€œI meant to discuss this with you at dinner, but that was before it all went so horribly wrong and I didn’t get the chance. I couldn’t stay there a moment longer.”
    â€œWhat is it, Olivia?” Hayley said, praying she wouldn’t smell the contents in the brown paper bag she clutched in her hand behind her left leg.
    â€œI’ve been speaking to the administrator of our Redmond Meats Web site and we’ve decided we need a cooking blog, someone to post bacon-flavored recipes once or twice a week, and I was wondering if you . . .”
    â€œI’m sure I could come up with a few names.”
    â€œNo, Hayley, I want you . Now, I know you have your column with the paper, but I promise you it won’t interfere, and if your editor has a problem with you moonlighting, I would be happy to speak to him about it. The paper will always come first.”
    Hayley was floored.
    â€œI respect your skills, Hayley. Rhonda was kind enough to allow me to try that yummy chicken recipe you shared on her show and I was duly impressed. Plus you’re a local, which adds to your charm. We love the Redmond connection to Maine and want to promote that on the site.”
    â€œI don’t know what to say. . . .”
    â€œSay yes. I’ll pay you well. Two hundred a column.”
    Two hundred bucks a couple of times a week?
    That was all she needed to hear.
    â€œOf course. Thank you.”
    Olivia hugged her, squeezing her tightly for a few seconds, and then abruptly pulled away. That was probably about as much as she could endure in the affection department.
    â€œI’ll call you tomorrow,” Olivia purred before climbing back into the Rolls and shutting the door.
    Nacho hurried up