Free Death of a Bacon Heiress by Lee Hollis Page A

it,” Hayley said.
    The girl wanted to leave, but was unsure if she should leave Hayley unsupervised given what had happened the last time, when she caught her poking around where she wasn’t supposed to.
    â€œIs there anything else?” she asked, eyeing Hayley suspiciously.
    â€œNo. But I think I’m going to hang around out here for a while and wait to see if she comes back. Like I said, it’s kind of important.”
    Caroline nodded and then reflexively turned to make sure the door to the main house was locked tight. After firmly jiggling the large brass knob, she brushed past Hayley and walked to a small, beat-up maroon Honda Accord that was parked around the side of the house. It took three tries before the girl got the tired, wheezing motor running. She then shifted the car into reverse and backed out, nearly knocking Hayley down before peeling away—the tires kicking up small pebbles from the gravel driveway, one nearly taking Hayley’s eye out—before she drove up to the main road, turned right, and disappeared.
    Hayley wondered where Olivia and Pork Chop could have gone. Even if she had taken her pet pig into town with one of the groundskeepers around three o’clock, it was already past five-thirty.
    Unless she had never gone to town.
    Caroline had told her Olivia had taken Pork Chop for a walk earlier that morning and she had not heard them come back.
    So what if she hadn’t come back? What if she was still wandering around in the estate gardens somewhere?
    Hayley strolled over to the expansive gardens that made up over half the property, a woodland and flower oasis with azaleas, rhododendrons, and lilacs lining the small dirt path that led to the center, and a white gazebo next to a natural pond all with the crystal blue Atlantic ocean as a backdrop. It was stunning, and with a light breeze, it was quiet and peaceful.
    Hayley paused for a moment and stared at the view. She still couldn’t believe sometimes she actually lived in the heart of such incredible natural beauty.
    She felt something cold and wet on her leg, snapping her out of her reverie.
    She didn’t jump this time because she was now familiar with this particular feeling and the low grunting that accompanied it.
    Hayley looked down to see Pork Chop sniffing her leg. He was covered in dry mud and still wore the diamond-studded collar with the leash attached, which was also caked in dirt.
    â€œPork Chop, what happened to you?”
    She bent down to pet the pig, whose eyes were wide with panic. As she reached out with her hand, the pig backed away. But he wasn’t frightened of her.
    He was upset.
    He waddled in the opposite direction, dragging the leash behind him.
    Hayley stood up and followed him deeper into the gardens.
    The sun vanished behind a thicket of trees as Hayley came upon a small patch of grass in a shaded area away from the blooming spring flowers.
    Pork Chop ran so far ahead of her she lost sight of him momentarily, but then she heard a wailing sound. It was an agonizing cry, as if the poor pig was in pain. She followed the sound and came upon a muddy area where a sprinkler system was timed to shower the foliage and grass. There she saw Pork Chop circling around a body lying facedown in a mud puddle.
    It was a woman.
    Her long flower print skirt was hiked up just above her knees, her short-sleeved white blouse was stained and dirty, and her bare arms were akimbo.
    Hayley gasped.
    There was no question who it was, judging by the inconsolable behavior of Pork Chop, who continued wailing and snorting.
    This was bacon heiress Olivia Redmond.
    And she was very much dead.

    Island Food & Spirits by Hayley Powell
    My grandmother used to make my brother and me the most delicious Bacon Strip Pancakes when we were kids. I carried on this tradition, whipping them up for my own kids as soon as they could eat solid food.
    Because, after all, who wouldn’t love a crispy strip of bacon covered