Read Creamy Casserole Murder: Book 15 in The Darling Deli Series for Free Online Page B

the birdsong in, then grabbed her cellphone to call Reggie.
    Just as she had guessed, he was happy to hear her news. She had to admire his determination; he had manipulated her, David, and Danny into having dinner together so they could see just how suspiciously Danny was acting. Reggie might be old, but his brain was still sharp… most of the time.
    By the time she got to the deli, all vestiges of sleepiness were gone and she found herself to be in an unusually good mood. An idea for a new flavor of breakfast cookie percolated in her mind, and she was eager to try it. Even better, Allison had called and asked if she could pick up some extra shifts to help pay for the online classes she was taking; so Moira suddenly had Wednesday completely off. She was already planning to make a big lunch, though she wasn’t sure who she would invite—maybe Candice, and she could take the opportunity to catch her daughter up on Reggie’s theory of Beatrice’s murder.
    Since Dante wouldn’t be in for another half an hour, the deli was empty and still locked up when she got there. Humming to herself, she unlocked the front doors and slipped inside, pausing to turn the bolt behind her. She had had enough close calls that she no longer felt comfortable leaving the deli unlocked while she was there alone, but she still loved the feeling of being by herself in the building. With its fully stocked fridges and pantries, its state-of-the-art appliances, and the long, clean counters in the kitchen, the possibilities felt endless. She could make just about anything she wanted, and it was the best feeling in the world.
    She began by preheating the oven, listening with satisfaction as the gas inside ignited. She grabbed one of the clean cookie sheets from the dish rack above the industrial sized sink and applied a non-stick coconut oil spray. Having skipped breakfast at her house, her mouth was already watering at the thought of the delicious cookies that she was about to make. I’ll only have one , she promised herself, knowing that she would probably have a few of Dante’s mini-quiches too. I really need to come up with some low-calorie options. I’m sure my customers would appreciate it… and I know my scale would.
    She got to work, pulling a large glass mixing bowl out of the cupboard and dumping a few cups of steel-cut oats into it. She added a big dollop of almond butter, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, some crushed pecans, and then the most important ingredient—two cups of pure maple syrup.
    After mixing it all together, she spooned clumps of the thick dough onto the cookie sheet and slid it into the oven while she wiped down the counters. Dante arrived just as the oven beeped, and she made him sit down to try them with her. She was so hungry that she burned her mouth on the first bite, but even through the pain she could tell that this was another delicious flavor.
    “Good job, Ms. D,” Dante said with appreciation. “I think I’ll make the maple bacon quiches today—they should go along with the breakfast cookies perfectly.”
    “Set a couple aside for me, will you?” she asked. “I’ve got to put the last batch of cookies in, then I’m going to go start opening. We’ve been getting more business than ever for breakfast. People seem to really like these cookies.”
    “Everyone loves them,” he said. “David bought half a dozen the other day. He said he was going to save them for lunch, but I’m pretty sure none of them even made it back to the office with him.”
    “When did David stop in?” she asked, surprised. He frequently stopped in at the deli, but always while she was there, and this week he had been too busy even for that.
    “Oh, the other morning. I don’t remember what day it was, but it was one of the days that you had the evening shift.” He changed the subject with a somewhat flustered look on his face. “Anyway, Demi Goodwell said she wants some of the peanut butter banana ones for dessert