Janet Evanovich - Full Scoop

Lydia did as she was told. "I'm okay," she said, even as tears glistened in her eyes. "I'm just upset with Ben. I'm furious. I saw his empty insulin vial in the bathroom trash earlier. He missed his morning dose, but do you think he bothered to tell me? Do you think he called his doctor and asked for a refill?"

"Oh, no. Is he in ketoacidosis?" Maggie asked quickly. "Shouldn't he go to the ER?"

"I have his prescription now," she said. "I got here about two seconds before the pharmacy closed. I'll give him his injection the minute I get home."

Maggie looked at the woman's cart. Why on earth was she grocery-shopping when Ben needed his medication? She felt her jaw drop at the sight of sweet rolls, a pie, and a box of cookies. Lydia did not keep sweets in the house. Had she lost her mind! "I'll get Zack to go through the checkout for you and drive you home like I said." She was already scanning the store.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of my own husband!" Lydia snapped. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Maggie was so stunned she didn't speak for several seconds. "I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help, and I don't have time to stand here arguing with you. Please, just—" She shook her head. "I have to go."

Maggie stepped back as Lydia pushed her cart away. Maggie almost didn't see the case of beer on the metal shelf beneath Lydia's basket. Beer! Very few people knew that Ben was a recovering alcoholic, and an active member of AA for some thirty years. They didn't keep alcohol in their home. Maggie could not imagine Ben having a relapse after all this time, but it would certainly explain Lydia's behavior. Maybe the woman had lied about Ben's missed injection, maybe she was embarrassed. Maybe that's why she wanted Maggie to stay out of it.

Maggie reminded herself that Ben had gone out in the dead of night many times when a fellow alcoholic needed help. Lydia would know to call someone. She would know better than Maggie what to do. Maybe the poor woman was trying to work through shock and disappointment. Maggie pressed her hand against her forehead. Her brain felt like scrambled eggs.

She had only put a few things in her cart when Zack and Mel showed up. She was unable to focus; she only vaguely remembered where items were kept in the store.

Mel seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Will this take very long?" the girl asked, looking disappointed at the near-empty basket.

"Is something wrong?" Maggie asked, wondering how it was possible that anything else could go wrong in their lives at the moment.

"Zack almost got arrested for bothering an old lady." Mel looked up at the ceiling.

"What!" Maggie looked at Zack.

"I was only teasing her," he said. "I didn't know she had issues."

Mel's eyes were still at the top of her head. "I'm never coming back in this store as long as I live. I wish I were in Egypt with Grandma and Papa. I wish I lived in Egypt."

"Yeah," Maggie said, thinking Egypt would be a nice place to visit about now. She and Mel could hide out in a tomb until the police caught up with Carl Lee. "Why don't you and Zack grab a cart and help me," Maggie said, "and we'll be out of here in no time. You know what I buy." She tore the list in half and handed it to her daughter. The look on Mel's face was the same as when the dentist announced she needed braces.

* * * * *

Max and Jamie sat at a small table in Donnie Maynard's sandwich shop, sampling his new brie and turkey wrap, as he waited breathlessly for their verdict. Every few minutes he darted a look at the front door, which had been locked and the shade pulled low. The turkey wrap had not yet been announced to the public. It was top secret. Max and Jamie had been forced to take an oath of silence until Donnie was ready to unveil his creation in the food section of the Gazette.

Jamie made a production of tasting his new sandwich and making notes in her purse-sized tablet as Max looked on in amusement.

"So, what do you think?" Donnie whispered. "Think folks will like it as much as Maynard's Famous Meatloaf?"

Jamie touched her lips with the cloth napkin that Donnie had provided for their taste-testing pleasure, as well as actual dinner plates and wine goblets filled with iced tea. "Donnie, I think people will like your wraps even better than Maynard's Famous Meatloaf," she pronounced.

Donnie looked at Max who was smiling broadly and nodding his approval. "Very tasty," Max said.

"Magnificent," Jamie added. "The brie that you chose as an accompaniment to your turkey is subtle, yet has a distinct flavor that creates a unique coupling. The strawberry jam and butter spread enhance the culinary marriage, and the grapes and avocado slices on the side give your presentation a certain—" She paused and held her head to the side in thought. "Panache and sophistication," she added.

"You wowed her, Donnie," Max said.

"Holy mackerel!" Donnie staggered back, obviously dazed by Jamie's high appraisal. He shook his head hard. "Can you remember to say all that in your food review?"

Jamie pointed to her tablet. "I've got it all down on paper."

Donnie grinned. "It was worth it," he said. "All those hours I put into it, trying to find the perfect ingredients to go into my jam and butter spread. Not to mention what I use to baste the turkey itself, all of which is a secret, of course. It's all up here," he added, pointing to his head.

"I want this thing to be big," Donnie said. "I'm going to present it to the town next Saturday. I'm going to have free helium balloons and cookies. I've already set most of it up. I hired this lady, Mrs. Bakker, who hands out cookies at Bi-Lo, so she's going to take care of dessert, and then I hired the musician from the parade today. Gave him some money up front so he could fix his speaker," he added.

"So you want me to print the review on Friday?" Jamie asked, "and announce the little party you're planning for the following day?"

"Yes, indeedy," Donnie said. "Let me get these plates out of your way."

"Oh, what do you plan to call this grand new addition to your menu?" Jamie asked.

He grinned. "That's simple. I'm going to call it 'Maynard's Famous Turkey Wrap.' "

Jamie nodded as he hurried away. She looked at Max. "I knew that."

He leaned close and took her hand. "You're beautiful. I'm glad I married you. If I hadn't married you I wouldn't get the inside scoop on all this top secret stuff." He paused and looked around. "I wouldn't get all these free meals."

Jamie nodded. "You just have to know the right people, Holt."

He looked about the small restaurant. "Remember the first time we came here?" She nodded and he squeezed her hand again. "I was already hot for you."

"No!"

"Oh, yeah. I knew you would be the one. I have great memories of this place."

"Really?" she said softly. "How would you like to make a new memory?"

He pondered it briefly. "You know, I think it would be great, sweetheart, but I'm afraid Donnie might walk in on us."

"We're going to have a baby, Max."

* * * * *

Lydia pulled into her driveway and pressed the button attached to her visor. The garage door lifted slowly, and she pulled inside, pressed the button once more and waited for it to close. She had followed her instructions to a T.

"Bastard," she muttered. Without wasting a second, she grabbed the pharmacy bag and went inside. The house was quiet. In the master bath, she took one of Ben's syringes, a foil pack containing an alcohol swab, and went in search of her husband. The first floor was empty.

She started upstairs, paused and took a deep breath, and continued on. She gasped when she found Ben bound and gagged in one of the guest rooms. "Oh, my—" Her eyes filled with horror. She raced forward and yanked the cloth from his mouth. "Are you okay?" she whispered frantically.