Death on a Platter Read Online Free PDF Page B

of provolone, Swiss, and white cheddar. It’s sort of Italian Velveeta. Technically, Provel is ‘cheese food.’ Most people outside of St. Louis have never heard of Provel. Looks like TAG Tours is going for old-school St. Louis pizza.”
    “I’ve never eaten pizza in another city,” Amelia said.
    “I have,” Josie said. “Your daddy liked to go flying on the spur of the moment. On our first date, we flew along the Mississippi River in the moonlight. The Arch shone like pure silver.”
    Josie still remembered the wild early days of her romance with Nate, before things went wrong. She’d dumped her safe, serious fiancé. She was not going to have a drab life like her mother. Josie Marcus would know passion. She would see the world.
    “Another time we dashed down to the Cayman Islands to scuba dive. Once, he flew me to Manhattan and we had dinner at the Four Seasons. Your daddy was very romantic.”
    Josie tried not to think about the sad drunk that Nate became. Or that she couldn’t marry Nate when she discovered he was dealing drugs. Now she was sitting in a suburban kitchen with an eleven-year-old daughter. Josie couldn’t imagine—or want—a life without Amelia.
    “You were telling me about pizza,” Amelia prompted.
    “Sometimes we’d get pizza instead of an expensive dinner,” Josie said. “Your daddy liked Chicago-style, but I thought the thick crust was too bready. New York pizza has a thin crust, but they use yeast. St. Louis crust is more like a cracker.”
    “That’s what Rachel said,” Amelia said. “She’s the new girl at school from New York. She doesn’t like St. Louis pizza. Rachel called it orange matzo and said square pizza was stupid. I said our pizza was round.”
    “It is round,” Josie said. “But we cut it into squares. In other cities, most places cut pizza into wedges. St. Louis pizzas are piled with gravity-defying amounts of toppings. A deluxe pizza here may have sausage, mushroom, green pepper, onion, bacon, and more. The St. Louis thin crust can’t support a big wedge with so many ingredients. That’s why we cut our pizzas into smaller squares.”
    “I think our pizza is the best,” Amelia said.
    “So do I,” Josie said. “But we’ll try those other cities’ pizzas someday. Let’s rate this one for TAG.”
    “That’s easy,” Amelia said. “It should get an A.”
    “You’re prejudiced,” Josie said.
    “Will the tour people have Imo’s delivered to their hotel rooms?” Amelia asked.
    “They could,” Josie said. “But they could also go to Imo’s restaurants. They’re not fancy, but the tourists could sit down and eat.”
    “I like this job,” Amelia said. “You get paid to eat pizza.”
    “I also get paid to walk miles in the malls,” Josie said. “It’s not the best way to make a living.”
    “Then why do it?” Amelia asked.
    “Because the hours are flexible and I get to be with you. That’s important to me.” She kissed her daughter. Mel or Amelia, she loved her. “Now, do the dishes, please.”
    Amelia threw away the pizza boxes and napkins and put their drink glasses in the dishwasher. Josie signed the report and faxed it to Suttin Services.
    She’d barely finished when her boss called. “TAG liked your toasted ravioli report,” Harry said. “They want you to go back to see if the restaurant is people-friendly.”
    “What’s that mean?” Josie asked.
    “You’re supposed to see if the owner will give you a tour, ask how she makes the food, and describe the customers. TAG wants you to take someone else and they want it tomorrow.”
    “I could ask my friend Alyce,” Josie said.
    “Just do it quick,” he said.
    Josie felt worried and excited. If all went well, Tillie’s lifetime of hard work would pay off. Or it could be ruined by one loud drunk.

Chapter 5
    “Are you sure this neighborhood is safe?” Alyce eyed the abandoned buildings warily.
    “Of course,” Josie said, with more confidence than she felt. She’d