that restaurant. It was the only Chinese takeout close to town. But on this menu, there was what seemed like a phone number written at the top. I grabbed a pen from my purse and searched for a piece of paper, but no luck. So I rolled up the sleeve of my sweater and wrote it on my arm, then walked back outside, leaving the door unlocked but closed, just as I had found it.
Then I went next door to Everything Pizza. The CLOSED sign was on the door, and there seemed to be no movement inside. I tried to look in the window, but the restaurant was dark. If Lori was in there, she was in back.
I walked around the block to the alley. As I did, I saw Violet and Lori chatting quietly in the parking area between the back doors to each of their businesses.
âLori,â I said, when it was clear that they saw me, âIâm so sorry about your husband.â
âThanks, Nell. Itâs very kind of you. Iâm still in shock. I warned Joe over and over that the anger would give him a heart attack one day.â
âIs that what it was?â I asked.
âWhat else could it have been?â Violet jumped in. âHe was alone in a jail cell.â
âYes, he was,â I agreed, but turned my attention to Lori. âYou brought some medication to the police station last night.â
âFor Joeâs blood pressure.â
âWas he in bad health? I mean aside from high blood pressure.â
âLike a heart condition or something? No, and if there was, Joe wouldnât have done anything different. Whenever Iâd nag him about his health, heâd say he was too stubborn to die.â
âYou had a lot to deal with,â Violet said, patting Loriâs shoulder. Violet was about Loriâs age and quite petite. She was strong, though. Iâd seen her carry huge potted plants from her truck.
Violet and I glanced toward each other, both thinking, Iâm sure, how much easier Loriâs life would be now.
âMy grandmother wanted to stop by . . .â
Lori blushed. âIâm so sorry. I . . .â She stumbled on her words. âI just felt like I needed to check on the restaurant.â
âYouâre closed of course,â I said.
She nodded. âViolet and I were just discussing what Iâm going to do now. I can run a business, but Joe was the chef.â
âHe made a wonderful pizza,â I agreed. âDo you want to keep the place? It seems like a lot of work for one person.â
She nodded. âJoe had ideas to make it more profitable, and Iâd like to keep his dream alive.â
âI suppose youâre used to how hard it is. You must have had to work late last night to close up the restaurant on your own,â I said. âYou probably did that a lot.â
âNo,â she said. âHardly ever. And last night we were closed before . . . well, before all the excitement. I was already home making dinner when Joe attacked Violetâs shop.â
âYou were home? And you stayed home all night?â
âNo. You already know that I went to the police station with Joeâs pills.â
âBut Greg called your house twice. The first time you didnât pick up, so he called again a half hour later.â
âThe first time he called, I must have had the water running or the TV on or something. Why?â
âYou know me,â I said. âIâm always trying to solve puzzles.â
She smiled. âLuckily, this isnât a puzzle. I brought Joe the pills, but it was too late. Heâd gotten himself worked up once too often. I was barely back at the house when Greg called me to tell me what had happened.â
âThe state police think Greg . . . ,â I started, but I didnât know how much I wanted to reveal, so I stopped.
Lori looked genuinely distressed. âIâve known Greg since we moved to town, and heâs a kind, sweet man. He wouldnât