The Focaccia Fatality by J. M. Griffin

drink and said more than she should have. I heard her say Mrs. Hardin was in attendance at the party, and when this person saw her, she said, and I quote, ‘She’s a killer, ya know. Killed the bitch that her asshole husband has been doing on the side. I saw her at the party that night, but good old Joshua didn’t know she was there.’ So what do you think of that, huh?”
    “Who was the drunken woman?” Porter asked holding his pen over his notepad.
    As she tapped her lips with a fingertip, BettyJo thought for a second and then said, “Alicia Tardiff. She lives somewhere in the Oaklawn section of Cranston. I’m not exactly sure of her address. The hostess, Brenda Clifford, would know, though.”
    “Got it, thanks, BettyJo,” Porter said. He paused at the door and looked my way. “Get some rest, Melina, you need it.”
    Before I could say a word, he was gone. BettyJo stood at the kitchen window and peered through the glass, her hand cupped around her eyes as she watched him.
    “Boy, he’s in a rush. Do you think he’ll get Alicia to tell him what she knows?”
    “If she’s smart, she’ll give him the information he needs. Otherwise, either of the Hardin’s might get to her. You know what that means, right?” I asked as I ran a hand across my brow. Gosh, I was sick of death and mystery. All I wanted to do was bake bread and sell it to people who’d relish the flavor.
    “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Melina?” BettyJo asked with an arched eyebrow.
    I snorted and said, “Huh, is your Spidey sense acting up again or what?”
    “Mmm, maybe.”
    “Aidan asked me to marry him. Satisfied now?” I said with a snicker.
    “Get out, he really asked you? You said you would, right? You did, right?”
    Slowly, I shook my head. “I have much to consider before I take that big of a step. Seanmhair has had a proposal from Connor, so she’ll be all set. He’s quite a nice man and very gentle with her, too. Caring, as well. My business is very much at the forefront of my mind and it’s really important to me. I’ve built it from the ground up, you know?”
    I glanced at BettyJo who grinned like a fool.
    “What’s so funny?” I asked.
    “Nothing, it’s just that you thought Aidan was no longer interested in you and now he’s popped the question for real. Why you’re hesitating is beyond me. You can start a business in Scotland if you want, I’m sure Aidan would support you in that decision. You’ll figure it out.” BettyJo shrugged a shoulder and headed for the back door. “See you later,” she said as she closed the door. I locked up behind her. If nobody came to buy bread, the homeless shelter folks would eat well for the next few days. How long I could keep going this way was uncertain.
    I sat and drank the remainder of my wine and dozed off while I sat at the desk in the cubbyhole office off the kitchen. When the front glass window shattered and something hard bounced off the wall, I jumped up and rushed into the shop. A note was bound to the rock. I tore at the string and read the lopsided writing.
    You may as well close up now, before we burn you to the ground.
    Fast Teddy & his friends.
    My knees buckled as I leaned against the counter. Who the hell was Fast Teddy? And who were his friends? I grimaced, called the cops, and reported the incident. Within a half hour, I was inundated with policemen covering the scene and asking the same question over and over in different ways. They wanted to know if I’d pissed somebody off, and who. Then they asked if I had any enemies, why someone would break my window, and other questions in the same vein.
    My head started to pound, my nerves wound tight as a loaded spring, and I finally lost my cool.
    “I have no enemies other than the freakin’ Gallaghers and Hardins. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Gallagher threatened me just yesterday. If you think they have a hand in this, then go speak with them. Other than that, I have no idea who’d do this