Death Before Diamonds (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 10) by Mary Maxwell Page A

advice about polite conversation with someone
you don’t know. But then I realized the time would be better spent trying to
uncover helpful clues about Rex’s assault and Theo’s whereabouts. I thanked Ken
for the information, checked the time and decided to take a chance that Rory
Thurber hadn’t changed his eating habits since the last time I saw him at Sky
High Pies.

CHAPTER
20
     
     
    When I turned the corner at Sawyer
and Crestwood, the first thing that I noticed was the green neon sign in the
window at Drake’s Deli. I’d lost track of how many months it had been on the
fritz, but I smiled when I saw it blink OPEN TIL MIDNIGHT ! for the first time in months.
    Colin Drake’s sandwich shop was a
popular spot in downtown Crescent Creek. It attracted business professionals in
suits, teenagers at the end of the school day and a loyal crowd of regulars who
appreciated the late-night hours and delicious fare. Since Rory Thurber was a
creature of habit, I knew that he ate breakfast at Sky High nearly every
morning and lunch at Drake’s Deli most afternoons. I figured it was worth a
quick stop to see if he could tell me anything about Rex Greer’s trip to Edgewood
Road the previous day.
    “Hey, Colin,” I said, stepping
through the door. “Your sign’s fixed!”
    “At last!” replied the slim man
behind the counter. “Dewey took his sweet time, but it looks even better and
brighter than before!”
    “Patience is a virtue, huh?”
    He laughed. “I don’t know about
that, Katie. I think Dewey got tired of me calling two or three times every week
to ask how soon he planned to finish the job.”
    The seating area was empty, but I
spotted a paper cup and carryout bag on the counter.
    “Has Rory been in yet?” I asked.
    “He’s here now,” Colin said, nodding
toward the narrow hallway that led to the restrooms. “Went to see a man about a
dog.”
    I smiled and took a seat at the
counter. “How’s business? Zack told me that he stopped by last week and there
was a line out the door.”
    Colin smiled proudly. “Pulled
pork,” he said. “The restaurant critic from the Gazette raved about it.
Since then, lunch has been sheer bedlam. But I’m loving every minute of it!”
    “Congratulations! I’ll have to dig
through the pile of papers on my desk to find the review.”
    He pointed at a framed clipping on
the wall above a nearby booth. “It’s right there if you want to read it now.”
    “Oh, that’s perfect,” I said,
getting up from the seat. “I’ll take a quick—”
    “There’s no soap in the dispenser!”
a voice yelled down the hallway. “Just thought you’d want to—”
    Rory Thurber stopped in
mid-sentence when he saw me standing beside the counter.
    “Oh, g-g-golly,” he blubbered.
“Sorry about that, Katie. When I went back there, the place was empty.”
    I smiled. “That’s okay, Rory. I’ve
heard worse.”
    Colin chuckled and asked if I
wanted to order a sandwich.
    “Actually,” I told him, “I came by
to talk with Rory about something.”
    “Sounds good,” Colin said. “I’m
going in the back to slice ham if you two are all set.”
    After he disappeared into the
kitchen, I invited Rory to join me in the booth below the framed Gazette review.
    I pointed at the newspaper article.
“Colin told me that it’s a rave.”
    Rory nodded. “The pulled pork is
one of the best things I’ve ever had in my whole life,” he said. “I mean,
besides the pies and cakes that you all serve at Sky High.”
    “Thanks, Rory! That’s sweet of you
to say.”
    “It’s the truth,” he added. “And I
believe that honesty is the best policy.”
    “That’s what Nana Reed always told
me.”
    “Ah, what a gem she was,” Rory said
wistfully. “I miss seeing her in the kitchen, you know. Zipping around, baking
pies, telling her grandkids to keep their grubby little paws off the cookie
jar.” His eyes twinkled at the memory. “How are your folks getting along down
in