The Moonshine Shack Murder by Diane Kelly

Author:Diane Kelly [Kelly, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

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I was driving out of the riverfront area a couple of minutes later when a delicious smell wafted through my van’s vents. Yum! What is that? I rolled the window down to determine where the aroma was coming from.

That’s it. The source of the smell was Bar Celona, a tapas bar that had opened a few months back. Kiki and I had talked about trying the place but had yet to get around to it. Tonight’s the night. I’d grab some food to go. The least I could do was get some dinner for my best friend when she was putting my cat and me up in her condo.

There was a private paid parking lot across the street, but with street parking being both free and readily available at this time on a Sunday evening it sat empty. I eased my van into a spot at the curb. I hopped down and, happily ignoring the meter, went inside.

A spicy scent and the strains of flamenco music met me at the door, as did a handsome waiter with olive skin, slick black hair, and the whisper of a mustache on his upper lip. Behind the bar was a doppelganger three decades older, whom I took to be the waiter’s father or uncle. Must be a family-owned business.

“Bienvenido,” the server said with a strong Spanish accent. “Just one tonight?”

“I don’t need a table,” I replied. “I’m here for carryout.”

“Certainly.” He directed me to take a seat at the bar and handed me a menu to look over. He held out a hand to indicate the older man behind the counter. “Our maître d’ will take your order once you’re ready.”

The older man stepped over. “First time here?”

“It is.”

“I’d be happy to make some recommendations.”

“Please,” I said. “Recommend away.”

After listening to the man’s suggestions and mulling over the choices, I opted for the patatas bravas, the tortilla Española, and the garlic mushrooms, adding an order of paella as well. As I waited for the order, I texted Kiki. On my way with dinner.

She replied with a smiley face emoji and a question. What are we eating?

For fun, I responded with the flamenco dancer emoji and the word Guess.

Kiki responded with a confused face emoji. We’re eating a dancer? Have you turned to cannibalism?

To ease her concerns that I’d be coming home with a to-go order of human flesh, I replied Tapas. She sent a thumbs-up followed by a gif of a Scooby-Doo hungrily rubbing his tummy.

I listened to the servers and bartender chat in Spanish and attempted to translate their conversation in my mind. Unfortunately, the two years of Spanish I’d taken back in high school hadn’t stuck with me. I recognized cerveza as beer, mesa as table, and cinco as the number five, but that’s as far as I got.

The waiter brought my food in white bags and I traded the sacks for my credit card. Once the slip had been presented and signed, I told the server gracias and adiós.

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