Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 04 - Death by Dumplings Read online

  Dot’s eyes filled with tears again. “I don’t deserve such good friends,” she whispered.

  Andrea’s eyes wandered from one to the other. “You all are so blessed to have each other.”

  “Hey, you’re part of this group now. We’re blessed to have you, too.” Lucy pointed out.

  Gloria looked up. Justin was headed towards them. “I have a couple things to say before I forget.” She held up an index finger. “First, Margaret, Dot, Andrea and I area heading over to Pasta Amore in Lakeville for dinner tonight.”

  She turned to Ruth. “You still want to go?”

  Ruth nodded. “Sure, what time?”

  Lucy shook her head. “I’m out. Bill and his kids are coming over for barbecue.”

  “Which reminds me of my second thing.” Gloria raised a second finger. “I’m having a cookout at my house next Saturday at 6 and you are all invited. Including spouses.” She turned to Lucy. “And boyfriends.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Lucy chimed in. “Someone else cooking other than me.”

  Gloria lifted a third finger. “Last but not least, who’s doing the shut-in visits today?”

  Sometimes all the girls made the rounds together. Other times, only one or two could make it. Lucy and Ruth raised their hands.

  “Okay, meet me in front of Dot’s in an hour,” she ordered. “For the rest going to Pasta Amore, we can meet at Ruth’s place since she has a van we can all ride in?”

  They agreed to meet up at five before the group disbanded.

  Gloria decided the plan for dinner was perfect. The girls could talk to Andrea to see what she remembered from the morning of the unfortunate incident at Dot’s. Maybe Dot herself could remember something else.

  Back at the farm, she made a tuna fish sandwich and carried that and a bag of chips onto the porch. She worked on her Saturday night cookout menu as she watched Mally chase a pair of squirrels around the yard. “Don’t go near the road!” she yelled.

  Mally stopped short. She knew she was getting too close to the street. She dropped her head and slunk her way back to the porch.

  Gloria ripped a chunk of her tuna sandwich off and offered it to Mally. She patted her head. “I didn’t mean to yell. You just got too close and I was worried,” she explained.

  Gloria started on a second list. This one was more pressing. She needed to put together a list of questions to ask the girls about that fateful day. She jotted down some thoughts and set the paper aside when she heard a loud “Meow.”

  Puddles was not happy about being left inside while Gloria and Mally were out on the porch enjoying the nice weather.

  Gloria opened the door as Puddles slunk by. She sniffed around the edge of the railing. For a moment, it looked like she was headed down the steps when she changed her mind. She did an about face and jumped up on Gloria’s lap instead.

  She stroked Puddles fluffy head and then leaned her head back in the rocker. She closed her eyes for just a minute. She awoke to Mally – who was nudging her leg. Her eyes flew open. She must’ve dozed off!

  She carried Puddles inside as Mally followed behind. Her eyes darted to the clock. She’d fallen asleep for over half an hour!

  It was time to visit the shut-ins. She raced around and in ten minutes flat was back out the door and in the car.

  By the time she got back home from the visits, she had to turn right around and head over to Ruth’s. She was the last to pull in the drive. Margaret, Dot and Andrea were already there.

  “We were beginning to think you changed your mind,” Ruth said.

  “Just running a little late, that’s all.” She made a mental note not to schedule so much stuff in one day. It was wearing her out!

  The girls spent the time in the van discussing Dot’s case. Gloria went over her list of suspects and why.

  “Is it possible Judith was the one who snuck in the back door?” Ruth wondered.

  Gloria turned to Andrea. “Do you know who we’re talking about?”

  Andrea shook her head. “I know I’ve heard her name but can’t say if I’ve ever seen her before.”

  The van pulled up in front of Pasta Amore. Ruth grabbed the handle to get out. Gloria reached over and stopped her. “Wait.”

  Margaret groaned. “Oh no. Not another stakeout!”

  Gloria shook her head. “No. At least not an official one. I’d like to sit here for a few minutes if you don’t mind.”

  Dot clasped her hands in her lap. “If Gloria says wait – we wait!”

  The restaurant had just opened their doors for dinner. The girls studied the customers as they wandered inside.

  Gloria was ready to give up and head in herself when she noticed a lone woman strolling down the sidewalk. She looked familiar. “I’ve seen her before.”

  Margaret nodded. “Me too.”

  “In the restaurant?” Dot wondered.

  It was right on the edge of Gloria’s brain. “No…”

  Gloria snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! She’s the food critic!” She whacked the side of Margaret’s arm. “I saw her picture in the paper yesterday. She just did a review of this restaurant. A glowing review,” she added.

  Margaret’s eyes widened. “You’re right. I saw the same article!”

  “If she just reviewed the restaurant the other day, what’s she doing back here so soon? Surely not another review…” Ruth said.

  Gloria grabbed the door handle. “Good question. Let’s go find out!”

  The girls climbed out of the van and made their way inside.

  Gloria’s eyes darted around the room in search of the dark-haired woman. “What was her name?” she whispered to Margaret.

  “Amy something…”

  Dot grabbed Andrea’s arm. “She’s over there!”

  They didn’t want to chance having the hostess seat them somewhere else so they hurried over to the open table next to the young woman’s. Gloria picked the chair directly behind Amy.

  Dot plopped down in a chair across from her so she could watch her. Or more like shoot daggers at the side of her head. “Dot!”

  Dot’s head snapped towards Margaret. “What?”

  “You’re glaring,” she pointed out.

  “Okay, Okay. I’ll stop.”

  The waitress appeared at their table with a tray of ice waters and menus. “Welcome to Pasta Amore,” she said. “Have you dined with us before?”

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  “Some of us have and some of us haven’t,” Gloria explained.

  “Well, we’re happy you’re here. Our special today is Spaghetti and Meatballs.”

  Gloria’s eyes darted to Dot. One of Dot’s dinner specials was Spaghetti and Meatballs.

  Dot’s face turned beet red. Her fist clenched in her lap.

  Gloria stuck her head behind the menu and leaned in Dot’s direction. “Remember, it’s an Italian restaurant,” she mumbled under her breath.

  The waitress took their orders and headed to the kitchen. She passed a man coming from the opposite direction. It was the same guy that Dot and Gloria ran into in the alley the other day.

  He walked over to the table behind theirs.

  “Hello, Amy,” the man said.

  “Hi Uncle Joe,” she replied.

  “Uncle Joe.” Gloria mouthed the words. The food critic was related to this man? No wonder he got such a raving restaurant review!

  They talked for several minutes before he headed back to the kitchen.

  The waitress returned with their drinks. “Say, the man that just walked out here – he’s the owner of Pasta Amore?” Gloria asked.

  The woman set an iced tea in front of Gloria. “Yes, that’s the owner. Joe Toscani.”

  Bingo! Gloria had a name now! She repeated the name to herself three times. It was a trick she used to memorize important information.

  There was no need to worry about that. Ruth was scribbling furiously on her drink napkin. She shoved the napkin in her purse and winked at Gloria.
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  Dinner arrived a short time later. Gloria had to admit the food was good.

  “The food’s good,” Dot announced.

  “But not as good as yours,” Andrea argued.

  The others agreed.

  Dot swirled the spaghetti around her fork. “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

  The owner didn’t make a second appearance and the food critic behind them ate alone so there was nothing to eavesdrop on. They divvied up the bill and paid before making their way back to the van.

  The girls buckled in as Ruth backed out of the spot. “We got some valuable information.”

  Gloria agreed. “We know the owner’s name!”

  “And we know one more thing,” Andrea announced.

  “What’s that?” Margaret wondered.

  “Joe Toscani was in your restaurant the morning of the poisoning. I remember seeing him in there.”

  Chapter Five

  The color drained from Dot’s face. “You’re kidding?”

  Andrea shook her head. “No. I’m positive he was in there eating breakfast. The reason I remember,” she explained, “was because he was complaining rather loudly about how his eggs were overcooked.”

  She went on. “Jennifer took care of it. She tried to get him to wait while she brought out a new order but the man didn’t want that. The more she tried to help, the more irate he became.”

  “It was almost as if he was trying to make a scene,” Andrea added. “He left not long afterwards. Stormed out the door.”

  “And that was before the man was poisoned,” Ruth said.

  Andrea nodded. “Yeah. Wasn’t long after that Dot came back and served the dumplings to the couple.”

  Gloria spoke her thoughts. “He had motive and he had opportunity.” She couldn’t wait to get home and log onto her computer to find out what was up with this guy.

  The house was dark when Gloria pulled into the driveway. She stuck her leftovers from dinner in the fridge before letting Mally out. She followed her out onto the porch. The night air was cool and a breeze made it even chillier. She glanced out at the outline of her big red barn and shivered as she remembered the man that was hiding out in there a few months back.

  “C’mon, girl. Time to go in.”

  She fed Mally and Puddles while she waited for her computer to boot up. Even if this Joe guy was a killer, how could she ever prove it? So far, no one had seen anything or anyone suspicious out back that day.

  She settled into the desk chair. She logged in to check her mail before starting her search. Her fingers fumbled clumsily on the keys. It took three tries to type in the correct spelling. “Joseph Toscani, Chicago, Illinois.”

  She held her breath as the computer searched. It was worth the wait. The first thing that popped up on her screen was that he was the owner of Amici Trattoria. She clicked on the link. The news article was from three months ago. Joseph Toscani, the owner of Amici Trattoria, is being investigated by the Chicago Police Department in the suspicious death of his business partner, Giuseppe Serafino.

  The two men were co-owners of the Amici Trattoria. Prior to Mr. Serafino’s death, an undercover investigation into their business had been ongoing for several months.

  Mr. Serafino’s body was found under a bridge near the Chicago River on the morning of January first. An autopsy revealed Mr. Serafino was strangled to death. Police believe he was killed prior to his body being placed near the river.

  Mr. Serafino’s partner, Joseph Toscani, is the prime suspect. Police have uncovered mob connections to both Mr. Serafino and Mr. Toscani.

  The article ended by saying Joseph Toscani was out of jail on $100,000 bond. Gloria leaned in to have a closer look at the mugshot of Toscani. It was the same man they saw in the restaurant earlier.

  Joseph Toscani was a killer! But would he risk killing again, just to eliminate his competition in a town as small as Lakeville?

  Gloria thought of something else. Was his niece, Amy Martola, in on it?

  Or was it Judith? She was in town that morning, too. Maybe she tried to poison Dot.

  If only there was some way she could get her hands on the poison!

  And then Gloria had a thought. Today was Sunday. The incident happened four days ago.

  Gloria shoved back the chair and made a beeline for the phone in the kitchen.

  “Hello?” Dot answered on the first ring.

  “Hey Dot. It’s me – Gloria.”

  “Oh. Hi, Gloria. What’s up?”

  “I was just wondering…what day is trash pick-up at the restaurant?” Gloria asked.

  “It’s Monday,” Dot said. “Monday morning. Early,” she added.

  Gloria glanced out the window. It was already dark out - but she needed to search the trash before it got picked up the next morning!

  “Why?” Dot asked.

  “I want to take a look inside the garbage cans out back,” Gloria confessed.

  “Y-you think there might be some kind of evidence inside?” Dot asked.

  “It’s worth a shot,” Gloria replied. “Look, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to run down to the restaurant.” She glanced at Mally. “I’ll take Mally with me.”

  “Sure Gloria,” Dot agreed. “You want me to meet you down there?”

  “That’s up to you,” she answered. “All I know is I need to sift through the cans before they get picked up.”

  Dot tightened her grip on the phone. “I can help! I’ll meet you there in ten minutes!”

  Gloria grabbed her purse from the chair and her car keys from the hook. “C’mon Mally.” She started out the door and then turned back around. She would almost bet that the trash smelled to high heaven!

  She grabbed a couple garbage bags and pair of latex kitchen gloves from underneath the sink before she and Mally hopped in Anabelle and headed for town.

  Main Street was pretty empty. Except for cars in front of Kip’s Bar & Grill. The red neon sign flashed brightly above the front door. Kip’s wasn’t really a “grill.” Just a bar. The food menu was limited to the kind of stuff you’d find in a convenience store: hot dogs on a rotisserie, hamburgers they bought pre-packaged and nuked-to-order frozen pizzas made the same way.

  Gloria turned right and headed down the alley. She pulled into the small grassy lot behind the restaurant. Dot’s van was already there. She and Mally slid out of the car.

  Dot met her by the driver’s side door. “Why didn’t I think of this?” she asked.

  “I didn’t, either, Dot. Not until tonight.” Gloria replied. “Better late than never.”

  Dot opened her purse and pulled out a flashlight. “I figured we would want to keep a low profile.”

  Gloria nodded. “You’re getting the hang of this sleuthing thing.” She turned her own flashlight on. “Especially since the killer is still on the loose.”

  Mally, Gloria and Dot stayed close to the edge of the building as they made their way over to the back door. “Still, you really should put up some kind of light back here,” Gloria commented.

  “I know, I know. Ray and I keep telling each other that.”

  Gloria flashed her light back and forth across the rear of the restaurant’s drab gray exterior. “Where’s the trash?”

  Dot pointed. “Off to the side.”

  Gloria tiptoed to the side of the building and shined her light between the restaurant and the building beside it. There were two trash cans. A large, plastic green bin on wheels and a smaller, round metal bin. “Which is which?” she whispered behind her.

  “The green one is regular trash and the metal one is recyclables,” Dot told her.

  “Here, hold this.” Gloria handed her flashlight to Dot and grabbed the plastic bin with the wheels. She wheeled it to the back of the building and onto the cement pad outside the kitchen door.

  “Let’s grab the other one,” Gloria said.

  The flashlight bobbed brightly as the girls, once again, made their way around the side of the building. Gloria grabbed b
oth handles and tried lifting it up. It wouldn’t budge. “This one’s too heavy.”

  Dot squeezed past Gloria as she made her way around the other side of the metal can. She tucked the flashlight in her front pocket and grabbed the side handle with both hands.

  Gloria grabbed the other side and the girls half-carried, half-dragged the can down the narrow space and onto the cement pad. They set it next to the other can.

  Dot lifted the lid on the green bin first. Gloria gagged as the smell of rotting vegetables and putrid fish exploded in the night air. She turned her head to escape the smell and plugged her nose. “That is disgusting,” she wheezed.

  Apparently, Dot was used to bad smells. She waved a hand across her face before she pulled the flashlight from her pocket and turned it on the contents.

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not so sure about digging through this.”

  Gloria took a step back. “Yuck! Me either!” She shined her flashlight on the metal can. “Let’s try this one instead.”

  She popped the top off the can and laid it on the ground beside her. At first glance, all she saw were soda cans, flattened cardboard boxes and empty plastic milk cartons. “Wow! You’re a good recycler,” Gloria complimented.

  Dot smiled. “Thanks. I do try. No sense in throwing perfect good recycle stuff in landfills and polluting the earth.”

  Gloria grabbed a glove from her purse and slipped it on. She held onto the flashlight with her other hand as she pushed the contents around. “Can you grab the garbage bag from my purse and we’ll start sorting through this stuff.”

  The words were no more out of her mouth when she laid eyes on something blue. With a red plastic tip. Gloria’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait! I think we found something!”

  Her eyes widened as she glanced over at Dot. “Do you see that?”

  Dot shook her head. “No.”

  Gloria waved a gloved hand. “Over here!”

  Dot scooted over to where Gloria was standing. “Right there!”

  Dot craned her neck and leaned forward. She let out a small yelp.

  Gloria stuck her gloved hand inside the trash can and plucked out an empty bottle of toilet bowl cleaner. “Does this look familiar?”