Free Corned Beef Murder: Book Two in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning

pacing around the room. “Why would she take me off the will? First Father disowns me, and then her, it wasn’t fair.” Without warning, he swooped towards Martha and grabbed her arm. “Sign it! Just sign it already!” Moira watched helplessly as her friend screamed and tried to pull away from the madman who was trying to force her to pick up the pen.
    “If I sign it, you’ll kill me,” she sobbed.
    “I won’t. I promise. Not if you sign it right now. You can get up and leave,” he said softly.
    “W-what about Moira?” her friend asked, gazing up at her brother with wide, tearful eyes.
    “She can leave too. She’ll drive you home. Doesn’t that sound nice?” He released her arm and gently stroked her hair. “Just sign the will. Everything needs to go to me.”
    James was focused completely on his sister, so Moira took the opportunity to try to stand up. It was a mistake—her head spun, and agonizing pain shot through her ankle. She collapsed back to the floor, barely managing to keep herself propped up against the bed.
    “I’m not stupid,” Martha was saying. “This will says what happens to the money when I die. You wouldn’t be making me sign it if you weren’t going to kill me.” She began crying again, and James turned away from her, aiming a sharp kick at the bed in frustration. His eyes landed on Moira, and she could see the idea forming in his cruel face.
    “Martha,” he said in an almost gentle voice. “If you don’t sign it, I will kill your friend right here in front of you.” He reached into his pocket to pull out a knife, which he flicked open with a practiced twitch of his wrist. “You’d better decide. Now.”
    Moira closed her eyes as the man advanced towards her. Should could hear her pounding heart, and the soft sobs of her friend… and the wailing of sirens in the distance. Her eyes snapped open. It must have worked—she had called the police station right before slipping the phone into her pocket in hopes that they would be able to find her and Martha. She only had to keep him talking for a few more minutes.
    “Just think about what you’re doing, James,” she said quickly. “You’re going to get caught. It isn’t worth it. Just let us go.”
    “The people I owe money to will kill me if I don’t pay up,” he said, taking another step towards her. “So it’s you or me. And I’ll always choose me.” He leaned over, the knife gleaming in the dim light. She realized that she couldn’t hear the sirens anymore. Had she been imagining them?
    “I’ll do it,” Martha said quickly. “I’ll sign it. Just get away from her… please.” James stepped back with a smug smile on his face. The expression only lasted a moment, because a second later, the door to the motel room was slammed open, with what looked like the entire Maple Creek Police Department standing outside.

     

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    “Oh my gosh, Mom! Are you okay?” Candice rushed towards her mother, but refrained from wrapping Moira in a hug when she saw the bandage on her head and the crutch on which she balanced.
    “I’ll be fine.” Moira smiled reassuringly at her daughter and looked around the front room of Darling’s DELIcious Delights. The whole gang was there—Candice, of course, her eyes both worried and relieved; Darrin, his usually jovial face serious; and Dante, looking somehow both nervous and happy. David followed her inside, wearing a serious expression.
    “What’s wrong with your head?” her daughter asked.
    “I hit it when I fell,” she replied. “And I sprained my ankle. The doctor said I’ll be as good as new in a few weeks. I can’t believe you all waited here for me.” It had taken her a few hours to get medical attention, then David had picked her up from the hospital and taken her to the police station to share her story with the detectives. She was still in shock at the thought that she had almost been killed, but she was relieved that James had been caught and that