Death Bakes a Pecan Pie by Livia J. Washburn

Author:Livia J. Washburn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: amateur sleuth, female sleuth, culinary mystery, texas mystery, cooking mystery, foodie mystery, movie mystery
Publisher: James Reasoner

Chapter 14

Since Isabel Largo had said it was all right for them to leave, Phyllis and the others stood up and got ready to head for the parking lot. As they did, it occurred to Phyllis that she hadn’t retrieved her pie plate from the craft services table.

“You two can go on to the car,” she told Carolyn and Eve. “I’ll be there in a minute.” Sam and Ronnie would go back to the house in Sam’s pickup, of course.

She walked toward the portable tables where the food had been set out, but before she got there she saw that crime scene tape had been strung up around them and a uniformed officer was standing outside the tape, keeping an eye on things. He noticed her coming in that direction and asked, “Can I help you with something, ma’am?”

Phyllis studied the tables. Some of the food still remained, mostly fruit. The rest had been eaten at lunch. She could see her pie plate at the end of the table where she had left it. The cover had been removed, and the plate was empty now except for some crumbs of crust that remained.

“That’s my plate—” she began, pointing at it.

The officer held up a hand to stop her. “Sorry, ma’am, it’ll have to stay there for now. Detective Largo says that everything on these tables is considered evidence. I’m sure you’ll be able to get it back sooner or later.”

As soon as she had seen the crime scene tape, Phyllis had thought the same thing about evidence. And that told her something.

The food wouldn’t be important unless the police suspected Lawrence Fremont had been poisoned. Melissa had said that she hadn’t seen any blood or wounds on Fremont’s body, so if he hadn’t died of natural causes, poisoning was the most logical conclusion.

Clearly her pie had been a success, Phyllis thought, since it was all gone. Under the circumstances, though, that was scant comfort.

“Thank you,” she said to the officer, then turned and walked toward the parking lot. It was just a pie plate, after all, she told herself. If she never got it back, it wouldn’t matter.

“Problem?” Carolyn asked when Phyllis got into the Lincoln and shut the door.

“No, I just went to get that pie plate and container. But the police are going to impound everything that was on those tables as evidence, I guess.”

“Of course! That man was poisoned, just like I said.”

“Maybe,” Phyllis said as she turned the key in the ignition. As she backed out, she saw the crime scene van parked next to one of the motor homes across the road. That would be the one occupied by Lawrence Fremont, she thought. The technicians were probably in there combing through it for evidence, too.

◄♦►

Sam’s pickup pulled into the driveway before the garage door finished lowering behind the Lincoln. Phyllis caught sight of it in the rearview mirror and pushed the button on the remote control to stop the door’s descent. Another push raised it again.

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