Tomato Basil Murder: Book 7 in The Darling Deli Series (3 page)

“Wow, Ms. Darling, whatever you’re making smells amazing,” Dante said a few minutes later poking his head into the kitchen just as she was finishing up slicing the locally grown, organic tomatoes for the sandwiches. “When will it be ready? There’s a customer waiting at the register. He wants to know if he should wait or come back later.”

“The soup should be ready in just a few minutes,” she told him, peering into the pot. “As soon as the tortellini starts floating, I can serve it.”

When the soup was ready, she ladled it into a bowl herself and brought a tray out for the elderly man that was waiting so patiently. She smiled as she watched him make his way over to one of the bistro tables and dig in. No matter how many times a day she saw someone eating her food, it still warmed her heart to watch them enjoy it.
I’ve always loved cooking
, she thought.
Now I get to do it every day, for the whole town.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t look up when the deli’s front door opened and someone walked in. It wasn’t until she saw the shadow fall across her register that she glanced up and saw Martha’s amused face smiling at her.

“I’m so sorry,” Moira exclaimed, jumping slightly. “I was busy thinking.”

“About you-know-who?” Martha asked, her eyes sparkling. “I was going to stop in earlier, but I saw him in here.”

“I was actually thinking about how much I love my job,” she replied with a smile. She guessed that Martha was secretly wondering if she was still attracted to her ex-husband. In truth, David was the only man who crossed her mind these days. “My
ex
and I had a perfectly civil conversation, though. I am glad he stopped by. At least he got a chance to see what I’ve accomplished with my life so far.” She couldn’t help but feel proud that she had managed not only to raise Candice as a single mom, but also to start a thriving business, all on her own.

“Good for you, showing him how well you’re doing,” her friend said. She turned, and Moira noticed for the first time a petite blonde woman behind her. “Sorry, I’ve been rude. This is Beverly. She’s my first guest. I’m just showing her around town, and thought it might be nice to stop in and introduce her to you.”

“Oh, it’s very nice to meet you, Beverly,” Moira said, reaching out to shake her hand. She had known that Martha was planning on renting out rooms in her sister Emilia’s old house, and possibly even starting up a bed and breakfast at some point, but she was surprised that her friend had found her first guest so quickly. “How long are you in town for?”

“Just a few days,” Beverly replied. “I flew in to check up on my boyfriend. I think he’s been seeing another woman. In fact, I just confirmed it.” She pursed her lips, then smiled over at Martha. “Even though this isn’t turning out to be the happiest trip in the world, staying at that gorgeous house is just so much better than staying at one of those terrible little motels on the highway. I’m so glad I found your advertisement online.”

“And I’m happy my first guest turned out to be so pleasant,” Martha said, returning the smile. “I’ve been nervous about opening my doors up to strangers, but the house just feels too empty when I’m there alone.”

“You’re braver than I would be,” Moira told her. “I’ve met some pretty frightening people in the past few months. I don’t think I’d be comfortable sharing a house with a stranger. No offense,” she added quickly, turning to Beverly. “You just never know what someone is really like until it’s too late.”

“That’s very true,” Beverly said. “You never really know what someone is like on the inside.”

“I think it’s safe to say we’ve all made the mistake of trusting someone we shouldn’t have,” the deli owner said. “All we can do is move on.”

“Too true,” Martha said. Her eyes wandered over to the blackboard where the day’s special was written, and her gaze brightened. “Tortellini and spinach soup? That sounds delicious. Can I have one of the combos?”

“Of course. Would you like anything, Beverly?”

“Oh, well, I really should watch my weight…” She trailed off, clearly mentally debating with herself. “Do you have salads?”

“We sure do,” Moira told her. “We can make just about anything you want. What are you in the mood for?”

“Can you make a salad with kale, arugula, and spinach leaves, topped with blue cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, crushed walnuts, and some sort of vinaigrette dressing?”

“I think we’ve got all of that. Give me just a second—I’ll go get our food. If it’s okay, I’ll join you—I haven’t eaten since about seven this morning,” she told them.

“Of course,” Beverly said. “And no hurry, I’m completely free until later tonight. It’s wonderful to have a chance to tour such a quaint town.”

Quaint
, Moira thought, amused, as she ducked into the kitchen to get their food.
She should see some of the places farther north.
It was obvious the blonde woman was used to living in a much more sophisticated urban environment.
I hope she enjoys what’s left of her vacation. It’s good to spend some time away from the city. We could all use a break from the hustle and bustle of out busy lives once in a while.

Her early morning routine with Maverick had changed substantially since they had moved into the apartment. There weren’t anymore long, leisurely walks down quiet residential streets since the apartment bordered a busy road and she always seemed to start the dog’s walk just in time for rush hour. Instead, she opted for a quick jog around the apartment complex, which was at least enough to get her heart rate up and to get the dog panting.

This morning was no different from all the others; they jogged from her apartment door all the way to the office on the other side of the complex, where she said good morning to the woman working the desk and Maverick got his daily treat and pats from the staff. The sharp chlorine scent of the indoor pool filled her nostrils, and Moira promised herself that she would check it out soon.
As soon as I have time,
she thought.
And as soon as I buy a new bathing suit.

She walked into her apartment a few minutes later, her heart pounding from the exertion, and quickly refilled Maverick’s water bowl and scooped a cup of kibble into his bowl. While he ate, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom. A glance at her watch showed her that she would have just enough time for a shower before she was due to meet the real estate agent, Madeline, at the house on Morel Street. She was eager to see what the inside of the beautiful little house looked like, but had to keep reminding herself that she likely wouldn’t be able to afford it and that she shouldn’t get her hopes up.
Like Madeline said, it won’t hurt to look
, she thought.

A few minutes later, feeling clean and refreshed, her leg muscles pleasantly tired from the morning’s jog, she said her goodbyes to Maverick and grabbed her purse, feeling optimistic as she walked out the door. It was finally time to start rebuilding her life.

She found the house easily, even though she had forgotten to write down the address. Slowing down as she eased the car along the curved driveway, she took her time to admire the thick woods between the house and the road. If she did end up living here, she would have ample privacy, that was certain. She rolled down the windows, and the smells of the forest rushed into her car. The day was overcast, and the ozone scent of looming rain seemed stronger than ever out here in the wilderness.
I wonder if it will storm later
, she thought. If so, it would mean a slow day at the deli.

Madeline was already there, parked by the house and waving as Moira came up the driveway. There was a white pickup truck parked next to her, and the deli owner worried for a moment about who it could possibly be. Was someone else here to look at the house too? Then she saw the
Maple Creek Landscaping and Yard Care
sign printed on the side of the truck and relaxed.

She turned her own car off and got out, looking around. She noticed a few things that she hadn’t when she had seen the house the other day, including the sound of a softly burbling creek, and what looked like a large dog run attached to the back of the house.
Perfect for Maverick
, she thought. He would love being able to run around outside without a leash on, and she wouldn’t have to worry about him wandering away if he was in a run.

Someone came around the back of the house carrying a pair of pruning shears and wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his face. He was wearing a band tee-shirt and ripped jeans. Moira waved to him, but he either didn’t see her or chose to ignore her; he turned his attention to one of the bushes that had a few scraggly branches beginning to grow out.

“Hi, Moira,” Madeline called to her. She strode over and shook hands with Moira. “That’s just Ben, I thought it would be a good idea to get the yard cleaned up a bit so you can see its real potential.”

“Well, it certainly looks magnificent already,” Moira said. She wondered if the young man would be willing to continue with the yard work if she ended up buying the house. She certainly wouldn’t have time for it herself.

“Shall we go in?” the real estate agent asked. “Or would you rather look at the yard more first?”

“Let’s go in,” Moira said. “I can’t wait to see what the interior is like.”

She followed the real estate agent up the front steps, wiping her feet on the mat just inside the door before taking in the interior. The front door opened into a hallway, with what looked like the kitchen at the other end. To her left was a beautiful sitting room with large windows that looked out into the garden. Everything was covered with a layer of dust, but Moira could imagine what it would look like after a few days of cleaning and some furniture.

She followed Madeline through the house, pausing in each room as she looked around. The office had bookshelves built into the wall, and the kitchen had an attached mudroom that opened to the fenced-in dog run. Upstairs were two large bedrooms and a gorgeous master bath. She found herself falling more and more in love with the house with each room that she entered. She had never lived so far out of town, but could see herself being happy here. The only downside would be living farther away from the deli.
But I’d be closer to Candice,
she thought.

“Can I go look around outside now?” she asked the real estate agent. “How much property does the house come with, anyway?”

“I’ll have to double-check the listing to get the exact amount, but I think it’s about five acres,” the other woman said.

Five acres
, Moira thought, amazed. It seemed like quite a bit of property to her, more than she would ever need. Living out here would be far different than even living at her old house had been; there, she had been surrounded by neighbors and houses, and the sounds of children playing, dogs barking, and the summer growl of lawn mowers. Out here it seemed like there was only birdsong and silence.

When she got outside, she noticed that Ben’s truck was gone.
Probably wants to beat the rain
, she thought. She didn’t blame him; the sky was beginning to look ominous.

She walked around the outside of the house, not sure what to look for, but keeping her eyes open for any obvious issues. Though the yard was a bit overgrown, the house seemed to be in good repair. The fenced-in area out back was secure, and when she finally managed to track down the sound of the creek, she was delighted to find that a little wooden footbridge had been built over it, and there seemed to be the remains of a path leading off into the forest.

She was debating whether or not to explore further when she felt the first pinpricks of rain on her face.
Time to head back to the car
, she thought. Within seconds, she could hear the soft pattering of rain on the leaves above her, and knew it was time to thank Madeline for showing her the house and go.

Her mind raced as she drove back to town, trying to figure out how she could come up with the money for the house. She knew it would be smarter to buy a smaller, more affordable house in town and put the extra money into her retirement savings, but visions of what she could do with the stone house kept returning to her. She found herself mentally decorating the interior, imagining the furniture she would buy and what colors she would paint the walls of each room.

She was so distracted by her fantasy that she almost missed her turn into the deli’s parking lot, and had to brake harder than she liked to make it.
Keep your mind on real life
, she chided herself. She had a deli to tend to, and tomorrow, a boyfriend to see. Maybe David would be able to come up with some brilliant plan for how she could afford the house, because she was certainly drawing a blank.

“Hey, Ms. D,” Darrin said when she walked in. He gave her a cheerful smile, then returned to rearranging the piles of cheese in one of the refrigerated display cases. Other than him, the deli was empty, likely thanks to the rain that was continuing to fall outside. For a moment, she thought that she even heard the low rumble of faraway thunder. “I thought you had the day off.”

“I did, but I’ve got nothing else to do today; there’s no way I’m going to the beach in this weather. I thought I’d stop in and see how things are going. How has business been?” she asked. “It wasn’t too bad being here on your own?”