Free Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant Page B

mother was dating Donald Wickerson.”
    Alice nodded. “Imagine her surprise when she read the Durham Weekly and found out that Donald might have been a serial killer. We’d barely assimilated that information when we heard about his death—and that he’d been dating Clara too.”
    â€œI can imagine that was very traumatic,” Maggie empathized. “I’m so sorry. Can I get you something—coffee, water?”
    â€œSome water would be nice.” Lenora’s voice was weak and trembling.
    â€œIt’s very quiet out here.” Aunt Clara peered through the service window between the kitchen and the dining room. Her eyes widened when she saw Lenora. “What’s going on?”
    Maggie had hoped to avoid this. “It seems your friend Lenora was also dating Donald. I’m sorry.”
    â€œWhat?” Aunt Clara scurried out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “Lenora, were you trying to steal Donald from me?”
    â€œMe trying to steal him from you ?” Lenora managed a pathetic laugh. “That’s rich. He was probably dating me first.”
    â€œThat’s what you said about Fred forty years ago.” Aunt Clara put her hands on her hips as she approached her friend and rival. “I was dating Fred and Donald first. Must you always covet my leavings?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about, Clara Lowder?” Lenora pushed herself to her feet and glowered down at her. “At least I have a daughter who is really mine, not one dropped off at my door that belonged to someone else.”
    â€œMaggie is just like a daughter to me.”
    â€œ Just like isn’t the same thing. Did you push herout of your body after days of painful, near-death labor?”
    â€œIs it always like this?” Maggie whispered to Alice.
    â€œAlways. They actually got kicked out of the library a few months ago.” Alice shrugged. “I’ll take some coffee and a big piece of Amazing Apple pie with a slice of cheddar, if you have it.”
    â€œSure. I’ll get it for you.” Maggie hoped the disagreement would be over before the snowflake-making schoolchildren got there. After the commotion yesterday, two old women on the floor pulling each other’s hair out was not going to be good for Pie in the Sky’s reputation.
    â€œYou’ve always been a greedy woman, Lenora,” Aunt Clara told her. “I think you should leave now.”
    â€œI will. I only came to pay my last respects to Donald. I felt like I needed to visit the place where he spent his final moments.” Lenora looked at Alice. Maggie was about to put pie and coffee in front of her. “We’re going now.”
    â€œI’m not going until I eat the pie, Mama.” Alice put a bite of apple pie in her mouth and smiled. “Divine!”
    â€œ Well! ” Lenora sat down hard on her chair again.
    Maggie thought it might be better if they left right away too, but she knew Aunt Clara was close to Lenora, despite everything. “Maybe you’d like something now too,” she suggested. “Aunt Clara has to goback into the kitchen and make more pies. The morning is only starting. We’ll still see a lot of customers today.”
    Aunt Clara took the hint as Professor Simpson and two firefighters from the local station came in the front door. She marched into the kitchen like a pint-sized majorette, shoulders back and head held high.
    â€œNo dead bodies so far,” Professor Simpson macabrely joked as he sat down with his newspaper. “I think you should try to keep the riffraff out of the place, Maggie. I’ll have coffee, and a slice of that apple pie with a little cinnamon on top. Thank you.”
    The two firemen wanted coffee and slices of Fantastic Fig pie to eat there, with an Evie’s Elegant Eggnog pie to go.
    Maggie kept her eye on Lenora and her daughter as she dashed around the dining area, taking orders and