Riley Adams - Delicious and Suspicious

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Table of Contents

A saucy Southern mystery!

Krista Davis, national bestselling author of

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

Murder in Memphis

Lulu felt queasy. She was not a fan of scenes and there had been far too many over the past twenty-four hours.

Tony thumped his fist on the door. Rebecca! he bellowed. Rebecca! I want to talk to you.

Tony tried the door, but of course it was locked. He thumped loudly on her door again.

You dont think, asked Lulu, she killed herself, do you?

With poison? No way. If shed planned it, shed want to be found tucked in her bed, looking like Sleeping Beauty. Besides, being banned from Aunt Pats wouldnt have made her suicidal, you know.

When you put it that way, it does sound a little silly.

Ten minutes later Tony was back with the manager and one of the hotels security men. The manager inserted a master key and opened the door a crack. Miss Adrian? He waited, listening hard, but hearing no response. He pushed the door open farther. Miss Adrian?

He stepped into the room, then backed up a step. The security man pushed them back into the hall, but Lulu was able to see a sprawled figure on the floor of the room. Rebecca Adrianquite obviously dead.

Dont let that folksy facade fool you. Lulu Taylor is one intrepid amateur sleuth.

Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of Eggs Benedict Arnold

Lulu Taylor serves up the best barbeque in Memphis. Never been to her restaurant, Aunt Pats? Well then... follow Lulu as she tracks down a killer with the help of her wacky friends and family. Youll feel transported to Beale Street.

Julie Hyzy, author of Eggsecutive Orders

Riley Adamss first book, Delicious and Suspicious, adds a dash of Southern humor to a saut of murder and mayhem that is as good as cold banana pudding on a hot summer day.

Joyce Lavene, coauthor of Ghastly Glass

For my family, with love.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Ann and John Haire for their warm hospitality, helpful information, and for so generously introducing me to their hometown of Memphis.

My appreciation and thanks to my editor, Emily Beth Rapoport, for her enthusiasm and hard work.

My sincere thanks to my agent, Ellen Pepus, for her thoughtful professional advice.

Thanks to Tom and Dottie Craig for all their help during my visit to Memphis.

To Henry and Beth Spann for being careful first readers.

Thanks to Mary and Jed Peterson and Douglas and Jennings Boone for all their support.

Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration from the online community of writers.

And last but not least, to my husband, Coleman, and children Riley and Elizabeth Ruth for their constant encouragement and love.

Chapter 1

Memphis, Tennessee, is a little bit of heaven in the springtime. The azalea bushes burst with blooms, magnolias perfume the air, and daffodils nod sassily in the breeze. Children scamper right down the middle of the street, with their scolding mamas hustling after them. Folks pull leashes from the closet and take Buddy and Princess for a little stroll.

The barbeque business goes into full swing. Its never out of season, mind you. But in the springtime, its Gods gift. Order your barbeque to go and eat it in W.C. Handy Park on Beale Street. Listen to some live blues music, realize how good you have it to be in Memphis in the spring, and hand out a couple dollars to the street musicians who are serenading you.

And right there on Beale Street, you can find the reigning queen of the barbequing art, Lulu Taylor. Shes not back in the kitchen anymore, of course. Youll find her holding court in the dining room, cutting up with some customers, and buttering up others.

Get a load of this, breathed Ben to his wife Sara. He steered her to the heavy wooden door of the back-room office of Aunt Pats. Sara peeped around the door. Mothers really flipped her wig this time.

Bens mother, Lulu, perched behind the desk and beamed out at empty space like it was her dearest friend. She brandished, oddly enough for the office, a pair of tongs.

Friends, she said earnestly. Great barbeque is made with great tools. Your tongs and spatula need to be nice and long so you wont burn yourself. She sadly shook her head at the empty air again, Id hate for my friends to burn themselves. At that moment, the entire effect was destroyed when the hairpin shed carefully stuck in the hair piled up on top of her head fell out. Her white hair cascaded down. Shoot!

Sara walked in the office. A slow smile spread over her good-natured, freckled face. Having a wardrobe malfunction, Lulu? And by the way... what exactly are you doing?

Im practicing for my new Food Network show, naturally. This qualifies as more of a coiffure malfunction, I think. She wound the hair up onto the top of her head again. Im going to have to figure out something to do with this hair of mine. Got to be ready for my close-up, you know.

Ben fingered his mustache as he absorbed the notion of a close-up. The mustache was a recent addition to his featuresa new hairstyle to make the most of his few remaining follicles. Unfortunately, the styling necessary to give the illusion of hair on top of his head resulted in a helmetlike effect. Ben had fancied that the mustache might make him look like Tom Selleck. He had sadly come to terms with the reality of looking a lot more like Captain Kangaroo.

Ben said, But, Mama, this isnt Food Network coming. Dont you remember? Its that other cable food channel.

Lulu said, Shoot! I keep forgetting. The Cooking Channel is the name of it, thats right. Ben, we have to be careful. Weve got to act like the Cooking Channel is the only cable station out there! Cause you know they feel bad having to compete against Food Network... theyve only been around for a little over a year now, and theyre small potatoes next to them.

Besides, as far as Im aware, we have a Cooking Channel scout coming here today. And the scout is scouting for the best barbeque in Memphis. He turned to his wife. Sara, have you heard anything about a TV show? Why am I always kept in the dark?

Smarty-pants, said Lulu. I havent got the show yet, no. But with Paula Deen such a success, they might want someone like me on contract. She stretched out her fingers and looked at them, critically. I need big diamonds.

Pardon?

My wardrobe malfunction is the complete and total lack of diamonds. Paulas just dripping with them, you know. Even keeps them on when shes squishing up ground beef.

You have big diamonds? Why the heck am I slaving every day over a fiery pit, then, if were so loaded?

Lulu leveled a quelling look at her son. I dont have them yet, no. But with a major contract, I could buy myself some. Or maybe, she added vaguely, the wardrobe department provides them. Just to use during the shows, of course.

Ben mouthed, Shes lost it to Sara. He was going to have to break it to Lulu that the Cooking Channel wardrobe department likely didnt include Harry Winston jewelry.

I think youd have better luck buying yourself some diamonds, Mother.

And I should do that how?

You guess every puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. Maybe you should go on the program and win yourself some big money.

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