Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) by Dianne Harman

customary
and usual in a situation like this.”
    “I’m sorry to ask you to
do this, Kelly, but you’re so good with people, I’d really appreciate it if you
would take care of it. I think the sensible thing to do would be to welcome
him. I have a temper, and if he said anything about Dede, I might ruin any
chance we have of getting a good review. Actually, Nico and I were going over
some terrific ideas he has about changing the menu. I have to say I’m impressed
with his ideas, although Dede told me once that only restaurants that weren’t
successful changed their menus. She told me she was certain that’s why Mangia!
Mangia! was popular, because people felt comfortable coming to a restaurant
they knew would have the same food they liked the last time they were there.”
    “All right. It’s your
restaurant, but this is not my favorite thing to do. Wish me luck.”
    “Excuse me, Kelly,” Nico
said. “Bill Hossam has a reputation in the industry for being very nasty. You
should see some of the scathing reviews he’s written about other restaurants. I
always feel sorry for the owner whenever he publishes one. He dislikes more
restaurants than he likes. I just hope ours isn’t going to be one of them.”
    “Thanks. I’ll keep that in
mind and not take anything he says personally. Okay,” she said, taking a deep
breath. “Here probably goes nothing.” She walked out of the kitchen and over to
his table.
    “Hello. I understand
you’re Bill Hossam from the Portland Gazette. I’m Kelly Reynolds, a good friend
of the new owner. Welcome to Mangia! Mangia!”
    Looking like a college
professor in his sport coat with leather patches at the elbow, a bow tie, and
horned rim glasses, the balding middle-aged man looked up from the antipasto
platter he had ordered. “New owner? That was fast. Who is it?”
    “The new owner was a very
good friend of Donatella DeLuca, the former owner and the woman who was found
murdered this morning. Her name is Sophie Marchant.”
    “Never heard of her. What
are her credentials for running a restaurant like this? Does she have any
formal training? What other restaurants has she owned?”
    “I don’t believe she has
any formal training, but Mrs. DeLuca thought enough of her skills that she
provided in her Will that Mangia! Mangia! was to be bequeathed to her. That
certainly says a lot about her faith in Mrs. Marchant.”
    “Not really. Donatella
never tried anything new, and this restaurant reflects it. Everything on this
menu was probably on a similar menu fifty years ago. I was getting ready to
write a review of it when I heard she’d died. I was curious to see if anything
would change. From what you’re telling me, I guess not. Might as well write my
review and get it over with. Between a new owner and my review, I predict a
very short life for this restaurant. Be good riddance. Donatella recently
threatened me and told me I’d be very sorry if I wrote a bad review. I don’t
like being threatened. Quite frankly, this place doesn’t deserve a good review.
I can make or break a restaurant with my reviews, and this one probably needs
to be broken,” he said arrogantly.
    “I’m sorry you feel that
way. Actually, I think the new owner is going to be making some changes. Would
you do her a favor and hold off reviewing the restaurant for a few days or at
least until she has a chance to put some of the new dishes on the menu?”
    “Why should I? New dishes
from someone who’s never owned a restaurant and doesn’t have any formal
training – it’ll probably be some Italian form of a tuna noodle potato chip
casserole.”
    “I don’t think so.
Donatella had a very good sous chef who was anxious to put some of his
creations on the menu. I believe Mrs. Marchant is going to give him the
chance.”
    “That piques my
curiosity.  Tell this mysterious Mrs. Marchant that I will give her one week.
I’ll be back then, and if the new dishes don’t live up to what you’re