Free The Wedding Soup Murder: An Italian Kitchen Mystery by Rosie Genova

were working that reception. I fully expected you to grill me.” I happily tucked into my roast chicken and mashed potatoes.
    “I did see it in the paper. I guess my mind’s been on a bunch of other things.” She looked up from her food, and I thought her eyes seemed a little tired. “So fill me in.”
    “Oh my gosh, where to begin?” I started with Kate Bridges, and the battle of the chefs in the kitchen, and then moved on to my conversation with the Natales and the fight between the Iron Lady and Chef Kate. I could see Sofia getting interested in spite of herself. During our “adventure” in May, she had nagged andprodded until I agreed to investigate. The two of us had quite a partnership, despite how it almost ended.
    “So, we’re fairly sure she went over that seawall.” She put down her fork and took a sip of water. “You think she was pushed?”
    “Maybe. Or she could have fallen. But I don’t think she jumped. She’s just not the suicidal type. Her nickname was the Iron Lady.” I pointed to her still-full wineglass. “Are you gonna drink that? Because I hate to see a good Cab go to waste.”
    She pushed the glass my way. “It’s all yours.” Then she smiled faintly, a flicker of mischief in her eyes. “I can only imagine Princess Roberta Natale finding out somebody gets bumped off at her wedding reception.”
    “I forgot that you know Roberta,” I said. “You graduated high school together, right?”
    She nodded. “And I liked her better when she had a few pounds on her. But I do feel bad about what happened at her wedding.”
    “But it could have been afterward, Sofe. Elizabeth was still alive at nine o’clock. For all we know, Roberta didn’t even find out until it hit the papers.”
    “True.” She thought for a moment. “I guess the big thing is when she was killed.”
    “Right. And I sure hope Dr. Chickie can account for his time that night.” I downed what was left in my own glass of wine and then moved on to Sofia’s. “Hey, did Dr. Chickie do your teeth, too?”
    “Nope. I never needed braces.”
    Looking at my sister-in-law’s delicate bone structure, straight nose, and perfect mouth, it seemed a sillyquestion. “Of course you didn’t. And neither did Danny. The two of you will produce children with beautifully straight teeth and save a bundle on orthodontia.”
    Sofia, staring down at her salad plate, didn’t respond.
    “I’m sorry—should I not have mentioned Danny? Aren’t things better with you guys?”
    “They are, I guess. He’s even coming around to the idea of me applying to the police academy.”
    I reached across the table and squeezed her arm. “That’s great.”
    “It is. I mean, we’ve come a long way.” She frowned. “It’s just that there are some issues of timing right now.”
    I waited for her to go on, but she just picked at her salad. This was the quietest I’d ever seen my normally voluble sister-in-law. “Is everything okay, Sofe?” I asked.
    “Yes. We’re still working some things out.” She grinned at me, and for a moment was her old self. “You know what that’s like, right, Vic? How
are
the Macho Twins these days?”
    “Well, they’re both speaking to me. Cal’s flirting with me again.”
    “Glad to hear it. And what about Tim?”
    I sighed. “Tim swore me his eternal friendship. And is likely dating a redheaded wedding planner named Lacey.”
    “Ah.” She shook her head. “Those gingers will get you every time,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Did you say her name is Lacey?”
    “She’s actually very nice, despite her name and hair color. We met her at the reception.” I looked down atmy unfinished meal, slowly losing my own appetite. I shrugged. “Look, when I came back, I made it clear there was no hope for him and me. I guess he got the message.”
    “But you still wear the necklace he had made for you.”
    I touched the silver choker with its small pendant of green sea glass. “I like this