“You’re kidding, right?” Star responded as she continued to hold and comfort Mr. Whiskers. “Kara is an obsessive-compulsive person about cleaning. This is obviously an accident.”
“Wait just a minute,” Ms. Pettyjohn said as she adjusted her glasses. “You have a cat inside your food truck? You know that’s a serious health code violation.”
“This is all a big misunderstanding,” I said as I motioned for Star to get the cat out of the truck. “I would never allow a pet inside my truck on normal conditions, but…”
“I’m standing here looking at it right now,” she said as she began to write something down. “I’ve seen enough.”
She tore off a sheet from her notepad and handed it to me. I glanced at it and discovered the note was a citation. I stood there in shock as I attempted to make sense of it.
“As of right now, I’m shutting you down. By order of section 110, ordinance 2, you are hereby required to cease all business operations until a full inspection can be completed.”
“Wait…what?”
“If you are caught conducting any business on these premises, you may permanently lose your business license.”
“How long will that be?” I asked. “Can you come back tomorrow?”
“Let me check my schedule,” she said as she flipped through a few pages of her notebook. There was little doubt in my mind she was looking. “My next available slot is Friday, July 10th.”
“That’s almost two weeks away. Are you sure you can’t come sooner? This is all one big mistake, I assure you.”
“Not inspecting your business sooner was the big mistake,” she said as she began to walk out the door. “Besides, it’ll probably take you two weeks to clean this disaster up. Look at the bright side. In a way, I’m doing you a favor.”
As she walked away, Star and I stood in disbelief. With my business shut down during the two busiest weeks in the summer, what were we going to do?
Chapter 2
“She’s not serious, is she?” Star asked as she paced around. “Can she really do that?”
Still stunned from what just occurred, I stood there speechless. The business finally hit its stride a few weeks back, and finally started to earn a profit. Star, Ty, and I built this business from the ground up. All our blood, sweat, and tears put into the Burger She Wrote food truck stood a chance of being swept away with the stroke of a pen. The citation given by Margaret Pettyjohn changed everything.
Star had a worried look in her deep blue eyes. She looked frazzled by my silence and lack of response.
“Say something. I’m starting to freak out a bit.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what to say at this point.”
Margaret Pettyjohn and I had butted heads years ago when I attended Sunny Shores High School. My ex-boyfriend, Dustin, and a few of his track teammates wanted to pull a prank on Ms. Pettyjohn. She constantly nagged at the kids in her neighborhood, so Dustin and his friends wanted revenge.
They decided to roll her house with toilet paper, and Dustin wanted me to tag along. Unfortunately for me, I was the one left holding the bag. Dustin and his friends escaped without getting caught.
Ever since that night, Ms. Pettyjohn had held a grudge with me that grew larger by the year. I helped mow her yard for a year and apologized hundreds of times, but nothing helped. Her anger and contempt for me remained.
“I need this job, Kara. My parents can’t afford to send me to college. It’s all up to me. I desperately need every cent I can save this summer, or I’m going to end up stuck in this town my entire life,” Star said as she nervously tapped her finger on the counter. “No offense, of course.”
I considered Star family at this point. If there was one thing my parents instilled in me at an early age, the Summers took care of their own. The most important thing in this world was family. I wasn’t going to let Star down, no matter what.
“I’ll find a way to fix this. I promise,” I said as I took the yellow sheet of paper and ripped it into two.
Star’s face brightened up. “You really think you can do it? She’s also a town council member.”
I smiled. “Leave it to me.”
By the look on Star’s face, my words failed to instill her full confidence.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I’m not one-hundred percent sure yet, but I know our first course of action.”
“What’s that?”
“Off to the Breezy Bean Café.”
“Why?” Star asked as she stared at me, puzzled.
“It’s been a long day. I need caffeine.”
Instead of driving, I convinced Star to walk with me to the Breezy Bean Café. The walk from Grove Park to downtown Sunny Shores was less than a mile. We both needed the exercise and a method to blow off steam.
The Breezy Bean Café, located in downtown Sunny Shores, was the town’s one and only coffee shop. Bonnie May Calloway owned and operated the shop and made it one of the more popular spots in town. The shop was very busy during peak hours due to its close location to the beach and magnificent coffee.
While Bonnie May brewed delicious coffee in all sorts of varieties, I visited her shop most mornings with ulterior motives. Bonnie May proudly wore the crown as the queen of town gossip. The only thing I found more addicting than caffeine was listening to her ramble on about the latest happenings around town. In fact, I depended on her as one of my best sources of inside information.
Upon opening the door, the soothing aroma of coffee eased my nerves. After we entered the café, Star and I walked up to the main counter, where we took a seat. I ignored the fact that the counter was dirty and needed cleaning, because the café was packed. Both locals and tourists filled all the available tables.
Bonnie May spotted us immediately and walked over to greet us.
Before she could say a word, my lips fired up. “You won’t believe what just happened!”
“You referring to that biddy, Margaret Pettyjohn?” Bonnie May replied as she cleared the counter in front of us, although she didn’t use the word biddy. “It’s a crying shame, I tell ya.”
“You already heard the news,” Star said as we both sat there flabbergasted. “How’s that possible?”
Bonnie May grinned. “My dear, there are many eyes and ears everywhere in this town.”
She took the wind out of my sails. I looked forward to retelling the story as a way to get it off my chest. I wanted to vent more than anything. Unfortunately for me, she already knew. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Trudy Watson? She was there, too?”
“Her dog chased Mr. Whiskers into the truck. That mutt started this entire mess,” Star replied.
“It makes sense now,” Bonnie May said. “No wonder Margaret took her frustration out on you.”
“You’re right. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together sooner,” I said as I felt a light bulb flicker on in my head.
“What are you two rambling about?” Star asked as she looked at us.
“Margaret Pettyjohn’s ex-husband is Trudy’s brother,” I explained to Star. “Remember? Trudy referred to her good-for-nothing brother living on her couch. That’s Ms. Pettyjohn’s ex, Billy Sims.”
“After the divorce, the judge ordered Billy to pay a large alimony payment. Billy’s broke as a joke and has been living on his sister’s couch ever since,” Bonnie May said. “You know I’m not one for gossip, but I’ve heard Margaret refuses to remarry. She wants to stick it to him till death do him part, so to speak.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Bonnie May turned to Star. “Not to mention, Trudy and Margaret have a storied history filled with drama. They’ve never gotten along, and neither one never tried to hide it.”
“Speak of the devil,” I said as two women entered the café and took a seat by the door.
“Who’s that with her?” Star asked.
“That’s her best friend, Stacy Perkins.”
Stac
y Perkins held the position of Deputy Mayor of Sunny Shores. Along with Margaret Pettyjohn and Bonnie May, she served as one of the only women on the council.
“That woman is so dang frustrating; she could make a preacher cuss.”
“Do you have something stronger to add to this?” I asked as I let out an audible sigh.
“I may have just the thing,” Bonnie May whispered as she pulled a small bottle out of her apron.
“Bonnie May, really? You carry alcohol around with you in your apron?” I asked. “I was only kidding.”
Star reached out her hand to grab the small bottle. I immediately took it out of her hand and handed it back to Bonnie May before reminding her that Star was underage.
“Just kidding,” Bonnie May said as she put the bottle back into her apron pocket. “Why do you want a drink anyway, dear? Aren’t you excited to get two weeks off from work? You’re still young, unlike both of us. Enjoy being a kid while you can.”
Excuse me? I thought to myself. I needed to process what Bonnie May said. I wasn’t a spring chicken by any means, but I was nowhere near Bonnie May’s age. Maybe I needed that drink.
“I needed that money,” Star said before taking a sip of her drink. “I can’t afford to miss two weeks of work. If I can’t earn the tuition money, I won’t be able to enroll in the fall, so I’ll be a year behind.”
Bonnie May smiled. “If you’re desperate enough, I can think of one thing you can do to earn a quick buck.”
“Star’s not that kind of girl,” I said, shocked at what Bonnie May’s comments implied. I paused and thought to myself for a moment before turning to Star. “Are you?”
“Don’t make me slap you.”
“Don’t be silly,” Bonnie May said as she grinned. “Star can work for me until you’re back up and running. The next two weeks are insane around here. I can use the extra help.”
“Are you serious?” Star asked as her face lit up with joy. “That would be awesome.”
“It’s settled then,” Bonnie May said as she reached under the counter and pulled out an extra apron.
“You start tomorrow.”
Although Star appeared hesitant, she accepted Bonnie May’s offer. A part of me worried because both women had strong personalities. Although that could present a problem or two, I remained happy and relieved. Star would still have a job.
“Don’t think I’m forgetting about you, dear.” Bonnie May smiled as she put her hand on my shoulder. “Perhaps you can sell me a few of your baked goodies.”
With my truck shut down, the town needed a way to satisfy their sweet tooth. If I cooked the desserts in my kitchen at home, I wouldn’t be violating the terms of the citation.
“That’d be great,” I said as I felt a rush of relief. “I’ve prepared Apple, Key Lime, Coconut, and Pumpkin pie, to name a few. I’d planned on making blueberry pie before getting shut down.”
“Heavens no, Kara,” Bonnie May said as she shook her head. “I’m deadly allergic to blueberries.”
“Blueberries?” Star responded, dumbfounded. “I’ve never heard of someone being allergic to blueberries. That’s strange.”
“It’s true. I can’t even touch the stuff without closing in the walls of my esophagus. Keep those tiny, round blue devils out of my shop.”
“Scratch that idea,” I said as I tried to think of a plan B. “How about a coconut pie?”
Star replied in a sarcastic tone, “Don’t you mean Coconut Crème Confession?”
“Sounds lovely. It’s a deal,” she said as she shook my hand in agreement. “I need to help my other customers, but don’t leave yet. I need to tell you something else.”
Star and I sat and chatted for a bit while we drank our coffee, when suddenly, a tall, dark-haired man walked in. I failed to recognize him, so I assumed he was a tourist. But he looked much different from your typical beachgoer. Instead of a t-shirt or gaudy Hawaiian shirt, the strange man wore a nice button-down shirt and designer jeans.
He removed his black fedora as he made his way to a table in the back. Once seated, he pulled a notebook out from his shirt pocket. He looked up, as if he were scoping out the room. Soon after, he began scribbling on the notebook.
Feeling nosy and intrigued, I flagged Bonnie May over to our table.
“Who’s that?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s stopped by every day this week. He orders a caramel latte, and writes in his notebook. He doesn’t say much.”
“He seems suspicious,” I said as I glared in his direction. “He’s definitely not from around here.”
“Maybe so,” Bonnie said as she grinned. “But he’s sure easy on the eyes.”
As Star and I walked towards the exit, we strolled past Margaret Pettyjohn and Stacy Perkins’ table. Still steamed in anger, I attempted to look the other way and ignore them. I wanted to avoid her at all costs and deny her the pleasure of my acknowledgment, although Star stared her down.
“Miss Summers,” Margaret called out in a condescending tone as she grabbed the sleeve of my shirt. “I wanted to inform you that I took care of your little problem?”
“What problem are you referring to?” I asked as I jerked my shoulder back to unhitch her bony hands from my shirt. “The one where you shut my business down for two weeks because of one little mistake?”
“Dear, the biggest mistake made was someone giving you a license to run a food truck, especially based on your history,” Margaret said as she turned to look at Stacy.
The two of them began to giggle at each other at my expense, but I didn’t find anything funny about the situation. This woman put not only me, but Star out of work with the stroke of her pen. The longer I watched them snicker, the angrier I became. My face turned blood red and my heart rate raced.
“It shouldn’t be a big deal to you, since you’ve been a quitter your entire life,” she said as she rose out of her chair and stood directly in my face. “It’s a good thing your father’s not around to see how much of a failure you’ve become.”
“You intolerable old…” I started to shout out as Star pulled me back. I wanted to slap her with all my might, but I refrained. I wanted to avoid getting arrested and thrown behind bars for assault. I wouldn’t last one day in prison, and orange is a hideous color on me.
“Just walk away, Kara. She’s not worth it,” Star said as she grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face her. Star normally wasn’t the voice of reason in most situations, but in this case, she was correct. It wasn’t like me to get angry and cause a scene, but when she spoke ill of my father something snapped inside me.
I took a deep breath and continued to walk towards the door. Unfortunately for me, our little argument caused a scene. All eyes inside the Breezy Bean Café pointed in our direction.
Chapter 3
“Quite a little scene you made at the Breezy Bean today,” my mother said as I walked through the door. She paused for a bit before giving me that look. It was a look I saw hundreds of times growing up, a look of judgment sprinkled with a dash of disappointment.
“You already know about that?” I said as I shook my head in disbelief. “This town gets smaller by the minute. I’m guessing you heard that Ms. Pettyjohn fined and shut down my food truck as well.”
“I did, and I’m sorry, dear. But it’s only a temporary setback. Just swallow your pride and do exactly what needs to be done to pass your next inspection. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will be back stronger than ever.”
“I don’t understand her deal,” I said as I slammed my keys on the table. “She’s held a grudge against me for all these years for one dumb mistake. It wasn’t even my idea to roll her house with toilet paper. I only tagged along to be with Dustin. The only thing I was guilty of was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“That’s not the way Margaret described,” my mom said as she smiled. “The toilet paper scattered over her property was the least of her issues.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh,” I said. That detail had eluded me.
“Don’t let her upset you. Maintain your dignity and try to be the better person. Don’t get in silly arguments with her in public.”
“I attempted to avoid her, but she confronted me.”
“You know, Kara, in life your greatest value is your reputation. Being viewed as a town troublemaker can’t be good for someone who’s trying to start a local business.”
“One little incident and I’m now a troublemaker?” I asked.
“That, and your involvement in the John Harmon murder case.”
“I helped solve the murder. How do you construe that as a bad thing?”
“Besides having to replace the window downstairs, you shouldn’t have been involved. What in the world enticed you to put yourself in danger like that?”
I smiled. “My father was a detective and my mother is a mystery writer. Geez, I wonder where I got it from?”
“Don’t be sassy, Kara. I write works of fiction and avoid getting involved in any real danger,” she explained as she walked over and put her arms around me. “I’m your mother, and I worry about you. I already lost your father to his line of work, and he was trained to handle those tasks.”
“I love you too, Mom,” I said as I put my arms around her and tightened my grip. Her eyes appeared watery as she tried her best to hold back her tears. Although she hurt on the inside, my mother remained strong throughout the good times as well as the bad. I knew exactly where I inherited my stubbornness from.
After my mom and I made up, I walked toward the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, something caught my gaze. I looked over and noticed my mother’s red carry-on bag as it sat upright in front of the kitchen table.
“You’re leaving again?” I asked as I gave my mother a puzzled look. “You just arrived home yesterday.”
“I know it’s last minute, Kara, but I received a call today from the organizer of the Mystery Writers of America Orlando chapter. One of the guest speakers at tomorrow’s conference cancelled at the last minute, so they offered me the spot to replace him,” she replied. “And you know how much I love to talk about myself.”
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