Moonshine and Malice

by J Lee Mitchell

  Moonshine and Malice

  By

  J Lee Mitchell

  Moonshine and Malice

  By J Lee Mitchell

  First Edition

  Copyright 2019 by J Lee Mitchell

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by Mariah Sinclair & Associates / www.mariahsinclair.com.

  Dedication

  To all of you who took the time to read book one and gave me such amazing feedback and support. Book 2 wouldn’t have been possible without you.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Peachy Hooch Bar-b-que Sauce

  Honied Whipped Cream

  Refashioned Vinegar Pie

  About J Lee Mitchell

  Also By J Lee Mitchell

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Q’Bita licked a glob of frosting from the tip of an offset spatula and sighed in delight. Citrus buttercream ranked second on her list of favorites, after pickles. She placed the cake in the walk-in and started for the garden just as her parents entered the kitchen.

  “Q’Bita, would you please tell your father that I’m not being difficult? We have two days to finish getting this launch party pulled together, and while I’m sure his secret sauce is amazing, cedar-plank smoked salmon is too expensive to add to the menu at the last minute.”

  “I think Q’Bita has my back on this one, Kari,” Tom gloated.

  Q’Bita let her father have his moment of self-satisfaction before she burst his bubble.

  “Oh, I get it. Now I know why you were grilling me about salmon this morning. I thought the old saying was if Mom says no, ask Dad, not ask Q’Bita.”

  “Damn it, Tom,” Kari said, swatting her husband’s arm with the back of her hand.

  Q'Bita let them continue bickering for a minute before breaking it up.

  “Don’t get too rough with him, Mom. I think I found a solution. I was thinking we could do canapés. Maybe a cheddar biscuit with dill cream cheese, topped with a slice of the smoked salmon. Dad can glaze the salmon with his moonshine sauce and I’ll garnish with radish and capers for some extra tang and crunch. We should be able to keep the cost reasonable if we go this route.”

  “Fine, I give up. You two'd better hope this book sells enough copies to cover our costs, or this will go down as the biggest failed book launch in literary history.”

  “Kari, I promise you, this will be the most epic launch party ever. The Red Herring is booked solid, every room in town is gone, and they’re starting to book rooms over in Bishop.

  “I talked to Carter Hawkins from Social Proof Moonshine yesterday and they’ve already had to cap the contest at twenty participants. He claims there’s a waiting list as long as his secretary’s legs.”

  “Dear Lord, you mean to tell me there’s actually twenty people willing to come to this little hell-hamlet of a town and prostitute themselves and their wretched moonshine-infused victuals to a panel of insipid foodie judges? What’s next, a bathtub gin and bluegrass festival in the town square?”

  “Well, hello, Rene. I didn’t hear you sneak in.” Q’Bita chuckled.

  “That’s because even my saunter is ninja-worthy.”

  “I take it you aren’t impressed with the panel of judges. I hope that doesn’t include Q’Bita,” Kari teased.

  “He’s just jealous they didn’t ask him to be one of the Miss Moonshine contestants,” Evie Newsome said as she entered the kitchen from the side door.

  The Culinary Forensics Cooking School doubled as the kitchen for the Red Herring Inn, and much like any home, it was the place where everyone congregated. Today it felt more like Grand Central Station than a cooking school kitchen, and Q’Bita needed some fresh air and quiet time.

  “I’ll have you know, I treated myself to a full body wax at the spa yesterday so my keister is primped and ready for your wicked, wrinkled lips, you old goat.”

  “Oh, stifle it, Princess Potty Mouth. I’m immune to your caustic yammering.”

  “Okay, on that note, Kari and I will be in the office making sure the book signing details are all set,” said Tom.

  Rene waited until Tom and Kari left and then turned to Q’Bita and Evie, “Now that the authority figures have left, what kind of trouble can we get ourselves into?”

  “Well, Rene, I’m glad you asked. Evie and I have a class tonight, and with Nana gone we’re down a prep person. I could use your help.”

  “Excellent. I’m all in, but I don’t do dishes, wipe tables, or touch anything that might ruin this exquisite French manicure.” Rene huffed on the nails of his right hand and then buffed them on his shirt.

  Evie rolled her eyes at Q’Bita. “It’s a shame poor Antonio got mixed up with Cookie Dixon and got himself killed. He was more helpful than this panty waste.”

  “Madame, I will have you know that the only way to waste panties is to fail to wear them or to put on fresh ones right before you—”

  Q’Bita cringed at the thought of where her brother-in-law might be going with this and cut him off before he got any further.

  “Rene, please don’t finish that sentence, I’m begging you.”

  Much to Q’Bita’s surprise, Rene controlled himself and the three of them spent the next ten minutes coming up with a prep plan for that night’s class. While Evie and Rene started gathering the pantry items they needed, Q’Bita finally made her way to the kitchen herb garden.

  She was glad for the chance to step outside and be alone with her thoughts. Q’Bita knew Evie hadn’t meant to stir anything up by mentioning Antonio and Cookie but it brought back unpleasant memories. A shudder ran through her as she remembered how close her nana had come to being convicted for Macie Dixon’s murder and how close she herself had come to being Cookie Dixon’s next victim.

  The sound of a car door closing brought Q’Bita back to the present, and she turned to see Andy walking towards her. She’d been lost in thought and hadn’t heard him pull in. Just the sight of him in his sheriff’s uniform chased away the bad memories and filled her with the warm fuzzies.

  “God, he’s a good-looking man,” she muttered to herself.

  Andy wrapped her in a hug, kissed the top of her head, then stood back and flashed her a smile that made her knees weak.

  “Hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d better stop by and see how things are going since Liddy Lou isn’t here to keep you all in line.”

  Q’Bita laughed.

  “Well, Evie and Rene haven’t drawn blood yet, so I guess we’re doing okay, but I hope she gets to the bottom of things and gets back here soon. It’s not the same without Nana here.”

  Andy’s smile faded as he reached out and took Q’Bita’s hand.

  “I understand how you feel, sweetheart, but don’t get your hopes up. Whatever your grandfather
was tangled up in has stayed a secret all these years for a reason. I’d wager there are people who want it to stay that way. Answers aren’t easy to come by when powerful people are involved.”

  Q’Bita knew Andy was right. As Castle Creek sheriff, he’d dealt with some tough cases, including the recent Macie Dixon murder case which had almost sunk their relationship. In the end, Andy had saved her life and cleared her nana’s name, so she’d found it easy to forgive him… and if Q’Bita kept feeding him pie, Andy seemed willing to forgive her for meddling in the investigation.

  As they crossed over the driveway and neared the inn, a large delivery truck rounded the corner and the driver hollered out the window, “Where do you want me to stack these crates?”

  “Follow the driveway around to the back and you’ll see a large, red barn. Just ask anyone wearing a Social Proof Moonshine shirt where they want the crates. There’s several of them milling around back there.” The driver waved and took off towards the barn.

  “Wow, this place is a circus today. I almost ran over a pack of Miss Moonshine contestants working on their tans near the edge of the driveway. You should probably have Jamie ask them to move farther back into the yard before someone gets hurt.”

  “If I asked Jamie to go anywhere near scantily clad pageant contestants, Hadleigh would hurt me.” Q’Bita laughed.

  “Are things getting serious between those two?”

  “It sure seems that way. They make a good couple, and I’m glad Hadleigh decided to stay here in Castle Creek. It’s turned out to be a good decision for Jamie and for my brother.”

  “Speaking of Beecher, how's he getting on with Red Dixon?”

  “Surprisingly, Red’s kept his promise to Hadleigh and has been pretty hands off when it comes to the Macie Dixon Line. When she and Beecher decided to become partners, I know he was worried that Red would make his life miserable, but everything’s been going smoothly so far.

  “Beecher and Hadleigh were really excited when Mom and Dad asked them to do all the decorating and table settings for the launch party. With the media coverage surrounding the book launch, the pageant, and the cooking contest, they should get some good publicity for the Macie Dixon Line. As long as the business stays in the black, I’m guessing Red will stay scarce.”

  They stopped near the door and Andy pulled her in for another hug. Q’Bita nestled into his chest and took a deep breath. She felt his chest move as he laughed. “Did you just smell me?” Andy asked.

  “Yes. I love the way you smell. Now hold still; I’m not done yet, and I’m not ready to go back into the circus.”

  “No problem. We can stay like this if you want, but I have to warn you, I see Rolfie over near your lavender, and he looks hungry. I’m not sure how long we can stand here before he decides to eat us.”

  “That beast is always hungry, but you’re right, he’s probably sizing us up. Sooner or later he’ll decide I’m the smallest and the weakest, and he’ll go for me first.”

  “Dang, we can’t have that. Who’d make me pie? We'd better get inside where it’s safe.”

  Q’Bita took one more sniff. “Okay, you’re armed so you take the rear in case Rolfie charges us before we get to the door.”

  Chapter 2

  Q’Bita jolted upright in bed. The wail of smoke detectors was deafening. She pulled on her slippers and ran for the hallway. Beecher was already in the corridor, trying to corral panicked guests.

  “Everyone, please stay calm. Don’t run. Follow the hallway to the end, go down the stairs, and out the door to your left. The fire department is on the way and we will have you back in your rooms as soon as it is safe to do so.”

  Q’Bita wound her way through a gaggle of guests until she reached her brother.

  “What’s going on? What can I do?”

  “Dad caught your kitchen on fire. It’s mostly out but the smoke is pretty bad. Please don’t freak out yet; I need your help to get these people outside.”

  Her heart felt like it was beating a hundred miles an hour. She had an overwhelming urge to get to the cooking school and assess the damage, but she knew Beecher was right. Guest safety was the priority right now. Strangling her father could wait.

  “Okay, I’ll start checking rooms and make sure everyone is out. Then we can grab the guest list from the office and see if we can account for everyone.”

  “Great. I’ll herd the stragglers and meet you outside.”

  As Q’Bita cleared the last of the rooms on the second floor, she met her mother on the stairs to the third floor.

  “We’re all clear up there. I just did a room-by-room check. I also went to the top floor to make sure no one was wandering around up there.”

  “Can you go help Beecher check for missing guests? I really need to go see how much damage there is to the cooking school.”

  Q’Bita wasn’t sure if it was the residual smoke or fear that was making her eyes water and her breath catch in her chest.

  “Q’Bita, honey, that isn’t a good idea. We need to wait for the fire department. They’ll tell us when it’s safe to go in there.”

  As if on cue, the sound of sirens grew closer as the fire engines turned off the main road and made their way down the access road that separated the Red Herring Inn from the Newsomes’ farm. The sound of footsteps on the stairs from the first floor drew their attention to the end of the hall, and Q’Bita was surprised to see her father and Jock Hansen out of breath and covered in soot.

  “There you two are. The fire department wants all of us out now.”

  “Wait, why?” Q’Bita sked. “Beecher said the fire was already out.”

  Jock Hansen was in his late seventies but was still just as handsome and polite as his grandson, Andy.

  “Well, it was out, but there’s been a flare-up of sorts.”

  “Flare-up of sorts?” Q’Bita asked, glaring at her father.

  He looked down at his feet and spoke softly.

  “In all the commotion I may have knocked over the moonshine sauce and reignited the fire. It’s not as bad as it sounds, though, but we should still get outside, just to be safe.”

  “Trust me, Dad, if there’s any permanent damage to my cooking school you won’t be safe from me anywhere.”

  Jock let out a full belly laugh and clapped Tom on the back.

  “Well, damn if she isn’t just as feisty as my grandson says she is.”

  Q’Bita couldn’t help but smile even though she wanted to throttle her father.

  “When we get outside, I’d love to hear why the two of you were in my kitchen at 7 a.m. cooking with moonshine in the first place.”

  As soon as they exited the door, Jamie latched a hold of Q’Bita’s arm.

  “I’m sorry about the cooking school, but right now Beecher and I need your help getting everyone calmed down and settled in one place.”

  Before Jamie could say anything else, Rene came sprinting towards the porch in a pair of bright orange, wedge-heeled slippers, navy blue silk boxer shorts featuring an inappropriately positioned cartoon lobster covering his man bits, and a matching robe. He’d apparently lost his shirt along with his mind, thought Q’Bita.

  He was carrying a large basket, which he thrust towards Q’Bita as he reached the top step. “Here, take him," he blurted. "Please tell me someone called the paramedics too. All this smoke and excitement has Rolfie in a complete panic, and he’s going to need oxygen stat. He’s wheezing like Fat Albert running a 5K.”

  Q’Bita looked down and noticed that not only was Rolfie breathing just fine, he was grooming himself and seemed completely oblivious to anything going on around him. Rene, on the other hand, appeared ready to combust.

  “Dear Lord, he’s probably going to need daily breathing treatments for weeks after this, and I doubt there’s a vet in this hateful hill country that has the slightest idea how to administer proper care for a delicate purebred like my Rolfie.”

  Jamie rolled his eyes at Q’Bita and shook his head.

  �
�Please tell me you got this. I just can’t right now.”

  “I’m good. Go help Beecher. I’ll be there in a minute.

  “Rene, I’m sure Rolfie is going to be just fine. He survived his last brush with death, and that was a much more dangerous situation than a little smoke.”

  “Now that you’ve ripped open recent wounds, let’s just discuss this for a second. First Liddy Lou leaves gopher poison laying around where any Tom, Dick, or Rolfie can take a whiff and end up in mortal peril. Now your father tries to incinerate my baby. Why is it that everyone in this family seems hell-bent on using up Rolfie’s nine lives?”

  Normally, Q’Bita found her brother-in-law’s antics amusing, but right now she just didn’t have the patience for drama.

  “Rene, I assure you, no one is trying to kill Rolfie. Why don’t you take him back to your cottage where he can rest and get some peace and quiet?”

  “Come, baby,” Rene said as he snatched the basket out of Q’Bita’s hand. “Let’s get you somewhere safe before anyone else decides to paint a target on you.”

  Rene pirouetted then flounced down the stairs and across the lawn. Q’Bita watched him go, smiling to herself as she realized Rene could walk better in heels than half the Miss Moonshine contestants who’d been flitting around the Red Herring Inn for the last two days.

  Q’Bita joined Beecher on the front lawn while Jamie spoke with one of the firemen.

  “Is everyone accounted for?”

  “We’re still missing a guest named Lyle Chalford.”

  “Did you say Lyle Chalford?” Jamie asked as he rejoined them.

  “Yes.”

  “Dear Lord. That one is a piece of work. He checked in late last night and demanded to speak to the chef. You can thank me later for not waking you up to deal with him. He claims to be a world-renowned competitive cook and wanted to discuss the setup for the contest to ensure everything meets his exacting standards. He even carries a metal case full of custom knives with him. The damn thing was handcuffed to his wrist like it was full of cash or rare gems.”