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

care of. With her car totaled, the young woman couldn’t drive anywhere on her own, and even though Lake Marion’s grocery store was easy walking distance from her apartment, with Moira just couldn’t tolerate the idea of her daughter dragging home groceries with one arm in a sling. Besides, she couldn’t help but worry about her daughter—after all, someone had been murdered in the store below the apartment less than a week ago.
    As she drove down the now-familiar road that took her straight from her house to the heart of Lake Marion, Moira found herself beginning to wonder if the little candy shop was cursed. Before the amazing transformation that Candice had managed to achieve, it had been a toy store. A few weeks before Candice bought it, the toy store’s owner had been found dead and Moira herself had discovered that the store was a front for a drug runner with ties to the Mafia. Now someone else had been found dead inside the store—was it possible there was a connection?
    Her car abruptly left the shadow of the forest and moved into the sunlight. Seeing the cloudless sky, the deli owner shook her head. She was being ridiculous. The murdered worker, Matt, had nothing to do with the criminals that had held the store in their grasp before, and she must be out of her mind to be thinking of curses. Don’t you dare mention anything about a curse to Candice , she told herself sternly, worried that her daughter might take her a bit too seriously. She wanted the young woman’s mind on happy things today. They were going shopping for Candice’s new car, then out to eat afterward. All thoughts of murderers, criminals, curses, and mayhem could wait.
    “Mom, I can’t thank you enough,” Candice said a few hours later when they had been seated at the diner. Her face was bright, her eyes shining with excitement. “It’s wonderful.”
    “I’m glad you like it,” Moira replied, grinning herself and resisting the temptation to go back to the lot and put a down payment on a new car for herself. Car shopping was always exciting, but she knew her current car had a few years left in it yet. She would be happy driving it until it gave out. “If you end up changing your mind, we can always switch the deposit to another car.”
    Candice, much to her disappointment, had been unable to test drive the car due to her sling. She would be able to take it off in a week, but right now her elbow hurt too much for her to even think of straightening it. She had fallen in love with the sleek silver convertible in the used car lot at first sight though, and when they saw how low the mileage was on it, they had known that the vehicle wouldn’t be there for long. The deposit would hold it until Candice was able to drive again.
    “How have you been holding up?” Moira asked. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to come out more often. I’m sure you know David is happy to—”
    “I’m fine,” Candice promised quickly. “Really. I have everything I need. You don’t have to worry so much. Adrian even stopped by with some flowers and a card.”
    “That’s nice,” the deli owner replied, heaving a mental sigh. It looked like the two of them might be on their way to making up again.
    “It was,” Candice agreed cheerily, either not noticing or choosing to ignore her mother’s expression. “I haven’t heard much from him recently. He said he’s been busy trying to bring more money in, and hopefully get a business of his own going eventually. I think he was hoping I’d offer to let him come back and help with the candy store, but I told him I want to wait until I have this thing,” she lifted her arm in the sling, “off my arm.”
    “I’m sure he’ll manage to find something else to occupy his time. He’s a smart boy, I’ll give him that.” Moira paused, casting around for a new conversation topic, one that wouldn’t lead them into an argument. “Have you decided on a new date for the grand opening?”
    “I think it