Salami Murder: Book 8 in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning Read Free Book Online

glad to discover. The golden brown breading on the outside was crispy, and gave way to tender white meat and a stuffing of melted blue cheese, spinach, and roasted garlic. The spinach leaf salad with dried cranberries and walnuts offered a slightly sweet counterpart to the savory, rich entree. Moira felt a glow of pleasure as her friends enjoyed the scrumptious meal; very little compared to watching people enjoy something that she had cooked. It wasn’t until desert—flourless brownies and vanilla ice cream with plenty of coffee to go around—that the conversation really picked up.
    First her friends asked about Candice, and listened in enthralled horror as she told them about the discovery of the cut brake lines. She assured them that her daughter would be okay, and then changed the subject as quickly as she could. Over the past few days, Candice’s injury and the cut brake lines had been all that she could think about. The constant worry and anxiety was wearing her down, and she was determined to do her best to enjoy this evening with her friends. They were all busy women, and hadn’t had as many chances to get together recently as they would have liked.
    “I’m sorry I’ve been so hard to get hold of lately, but I’ve got a good excuse,” Martha said. She looked up, her eyes sparkling in a way that made Moira lean forward curiously. “I met someone.”
    “Tell us everything,” Denise exclaimed eagerly. Moira wondered if she had imagined the soft look of sadness that had flashed across her friend’s face for just a second. Denise had a strained relationship with her husband, who was often out of town working at their other restaurant. She must be lonely , she thought. Sometimes being married to the wrong person is worse than being single.
    “Well, he’s a firefighter,” Martha began. “And he lives in Lake Marion. I met him at a picnic at my church. We went out for lunch yesterday; it was our fourth date.” Her eyes flicked towards Moira, concern darkening them for a moment. “We, ah, also saw David there,” she said hesitantly.
    “Oh?” the deli owner wondered why her friend looked so concerned. David lived in Lake Marion, and it was a small town. The bachelor ate out a lot, so the thought of him and Martha running into each other wasn’t very far-fetched.
    “He was with someone. A woman.” Her friend looked at her questioningly, obviously wondering if she was aware of this new turn in the private investigator’s social life.
    “I know he picked up some new clients recently,” Moira said, shrugging and hoping she appeared nonchalant. “It was probably a business meeting.”
    “I don’t know, he seemed very friendly with her. They hugged when she left, and he paid her bill,” Martha said reluctantly. “But I’m sure there’s an explanation—you two seem pretty close. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
    “No, it’s okay. I’m glad that you did,” Moira said to Martha, trying to ignore the knowing look that Denise was giving her. The restaurant owner had more than enough experience with unfaithful men; Moira was certain that Denise wouldn’t give David the benefit of the doubt. “I trust David,” she added. “The woman was probably just an old friend or something.”
    Still, she couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that rose in her after she managed to get the subject back onto Martha’s new boyfriend. She and David had never really defined their relationship—they were friends, that was certain, and they went out on dates quite often. They had shared a couple of innocent kisses, and David always treated her with care and respect. Despite her claims of trust, however, Moira couldn’t help but wonder if the private investigator was quite as invested in the relationship as she was.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Moira pushed the conversation with Martha about David out of her mind. She had bigger concerns, like ensuring that the deli continued to run smoothly and making sure Candice was taken