Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) by Dianne Harman Read Free Book Online Page B

from the sale of her cookbooks along with a
stock brokerage account containing investments she’d made in the stock market.
That account alone is worth over five million dollars.  There is easily enough
money and assets available to continue indefinitely with the type of care she
has been receiving.”
                Kelly looked over at
Sophie who appeared to be in a state of shock. “I don’t know what to say. I
never even thought of owning a restaurant.”
                “Well, if you choose to
sell it at some point, that’s your decision. I need your signature on a number
of forms that will authorize you to buy provisions for the restaurant from
various food and alcohol purveyors as well as changing the bank account to
reflect that you’re authorized to sign checks for the staff, etc.” He took a
number of papers out of his briefcase and passed them over to Sophie. “Please
sign where the red ‘x’ appears on each page. My secretary has been very busy
since Detective Masters called us this morning with the sad news, but I believe
all the necessary paperwork is here.
                “I’ll be filing
Donatella’s Will with the probate court this afternoon, and at the same time I
will ask the court for an emergency order allowing Sophie to continue operating
Mangia! Mangia! until ownership of the restaurant is officially transferred at
the close of the probate proceedings.”
                “Excuse me, Mr.
Mitchell,” Kelly said, “by any chance do you know the combination to the floor
safe? I found the safe, but I have no idea how to open it,” Kelly said.
                “It’s probably in this
packet of documents. Donatella gave me an envelope three days ago and told me I
was to give it to Sophie if anything ever happened to her. I thought it was a
rather strange request at the time. Now I wonder if she had a premonition this
was going to happen.” He handed the envelope to Sophie.
                “I would love to stay and
talk to both of you. Actually I would love to stay and order something off of
the fabulous lunch menu,  but I have to be in court this afternoon, and the
judge I’m appearing before is very unforgiving if lawyers show up late in his
courtroom.” He picked up the papers Sophie had signed and said, “If you have
any questions, please call me. Here’s my business card, and I wish you luck,
Sophie. I’m sure Mangia! Mangia! is in very good hands.”
     

CHAPTER 10
     
    Given the circumstances, Sophie and
Kelly’s first attempt at serving lunch and running Mangia! Mangia! was a huge
success. As Kelly had predicted, the customers wanted to know what was going to
happen. Kelly had instructed Carlotta, the bartenders, and the wait staff as to
how they should handle the questions, and fortunately for everyone, it went
very smoothly. The customers seemed genuinely relieved that the popular
restaurant was going to remain open.
    Just as the crowd was
beginning to thin out, Carlotta motioned Kelly over to the reception desk.
“What is it Carlotta?”
    “The man sitting at the
table by himself two tables back from the windows is the restaurant critic,
Bill Hossam. He’s the one I told you about. I thought you’d want to know.”
    “Oh great. Why is he here?
Is he on a restaurant death watch? He probably wants to see if we can keep the
restaurant open. I’ll let Sophie know and see what she says. I don’t know if
it’s proper for me to introduce myself and welcome him or what.” She hurried
back to the kitchen.
    “Sophie, we apparently
have our first challenge. I haven’t had a chance to tell you, but evidently the
restaurant critic from the Portland Gazette was getting ready to write a bad
review of Mangia! Mangia!, and Donatella confronted him about it by phone. He’s
here now. Carlotta just pointed him out to me. What do you want to do? Do you
want to go talk to him and welcome him? I really don’t know what’s