Incantations and Iced Coffee

by Jinty James

  Incantations and Iced Coffee – A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery – Maddie Goodwell 6

  By

  Jinty James

  Copyright © 2018 by Jinty James

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  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

  CHAPTER 20

  EPILOGUE

  Titles by Jinty James

  Iced Coffee Recipe

  CHAPTER 1

  “P hew!” Suzanne Taylor wiped her brow, her strawberry-blonde ponytail looking limp. “It’s hot!” Her white t-shirt and denim shorts looked rumpled and wilted already.

  “I know.” Maddie Goodwell sighed as she slid an iced coffee over to her friend to decorate with whipped cream. She didn’t think her t-shirt and shorts looked any better. And her brown shoulder-length hair felt just the tiniest bit damp.

  “Broomf!” Trixie, Maddie’s familiar, scrunched up her furry white face in agreement. With her turquoise eyes, white coat, and silver spine and tail, the Persian did not look her usual contented self.

  Suzanne took the cup from Maddie, icy droplets of condensation forming on the plastic sides, squirted a large amount of cream on it, and handed it to their customer, a teenage girl whose eyes lit up as she took her first sip.

  “Thanks guys!” she waved as she headed across the town square.

  “Maybe you should have stayed home, Trixie.” Maddie turned around as she spoke to the cat. “It might be cooler there.” Trixie sat on her usual stool in their coffee truck, Brewed from the Bean.

  “Broomf,” Trixie grumbled, settling down on the stool.

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to miss out on seeing her favorite customers,” Suzanne suggested.

  “Mrrow.” Trixie seemed to nod her head in agreement.

  “Make sure you tell me if you do want to go home,” Maddie told her familiar.

  “Mrrow,” the feline replied softly, her eyes closing in what appeared to be a snooze.

  Maddie hoped Trixie’s fluffy white fur wouldn’t make her too hot. Although they had a fan going on in the rear of the truck and the windows and back door were open, it was still a little warm inside.

  Maddie couldn’t remember such hot weather in July before in Estherville, a small town one hundred miles from Seattle.

  “Maybe Trixie’s thinking of a cooling spell.” Suzanne gazed hopefully at the cat.

  Maddie frowned. Although Trixie had helped her out of some tight spots, such as being face to face with a killer, she didn’t think Trixie had done any spells when it wasn’t a dangerous situation.

  “Do you really think ...” Maddie’s voice trailed off as the temperature in the truck lowered by a couple of degrees.

  “She is!” Suzanne stared at the Persian in delight.

  “Shh.” Maddie looked out through the serving hatch, but for the moment they didn’t have any customers, which was just as well. Nobody knew about Trixie’s – or Maddie’s – talents.

  Ever since she was seven years old, when she bought a crumbling book from the local secondhand bookstore called Wytchcraft for the Chosen, Maddie had been able to see the future – or the possible future – in the next twenty-four hours, on the surface of a freshly made coffee. It didn’t matter if it was instant, drip, latte, or iced coffee she now made in their coffee truck.

  About eighteen months ago, Trixie had come into her life, and they’d been inseparable ever since. There was something magical about Trixie. Maddie couldn’t define it, but she had no doubts. Trixie was special.

  When Maddie turned twenty-seven – or seven-and-twenty as the ancient tome had stated, her world began to change. With Trixie’s help, Maddie had been able to execute new spells – so far at the rate of one per month, after each full moon. The spells had helped Maddie, Trixie, and Suzanne solve their first murder. Maddie’s personal life had changed, too. She was now dating Luke, Suzanne’s brother, whom she’d been crushing on for years.

  The temperature fell another notch and Maddie drew in a big breath.

  “That feels wonderful, Trix.” She studied the cat. “Are you doing that?”

  “Mrrow!” Trixie opened her eyes, looking pleased. She also looked a lot cooler.

  “Keep doing it, Trix,” Suzanne urged, smiling at the Persian.

  “Mrrow,” Trixie answered, closing her eyes again.

  “Putting iced coffee on the menu was a great idea,” Maddie said to Suzanne, her best friend since middle school, and the only person who knew about her and Trixie.

  “Thanks!” Suzanne’s ponytail bounced slightly. “I don’t blame people for not wanting to drink something hot in this weather – or even buy one of my health balls – but we need to make sure our sales don’t decline.”

  “Our customers seem to like the lemon water as well,” Maddie said, gesturing to the refrigerator. Their new line was almost sold out already, and it was nearly noon.

  “Since there aren’t any customers at the moment—” Suzanne peered through the serving hatch “—why don’t we make ourselves an iced coffee? I didn’t have time for one this morning.”

  “Good idea.” Maddie set to work, the machine grinding and hissing. A couple of minutes later, she set down Suzanne’s coffee in front of her. “Maybe you should put your cream on yourself – I know you like a lot.”

  “You bet I do.” Suzanne giggled, her mood more upbeat since Trixie had cooled down the truck. A shhhhh noise ensued as she squirted a mound of cream on top of her icy drink.

  “Wow.” Maddie’s eyes widened. She’d allowed herself a modest amount of cream on top of her beverage, but it was nothing compared to Suzanne’s.

  Just as they sat down to enjoy their iced concoctions, the sound of clanging caught their attention. Maddie had just taken a sip, the frosty caffeine giving her a welcome energy boost, but she put down her drink as her curiosity impelled her to look out of the serving hatch.

  “No way!” She beckoned to Suzanne. “Look!”

  “What the?!” It wasn’t like Suzanne to be lost for words.

  “Mrrow??” Trixie enquired.

  “It’s Claudine,” Maddie said grimly.

  “And she better not be doing what it looks like she’s doing.” Suzanne glowered at the previously empty space next to their truck in the town square. A space that now hosted Claudine Claxton, a large table, and a sign.

  Claudine was their nemesis who ran the café on the other side of the square and who was Maddie’s former boss. Until Maddie, Suzanne, and Trixie started up their own business – Brewed from the Bean.

  “Brrrr,” Trixie grumbled, her ears flattening at the sound of the clanging. The temperature in the van warmed slightly.

  “Oh no.” Suzanne’s mouth turned down. “It’s getting warmer in here!”

  “It’s okay, Trix.” Maddie spoke gently. “Don’t worry about Claudine.” She knew the feline didn’t like the other woman either – Trixie’s first run i
n with Maddie’s former boss was when Trixie had come into the coffee shop, looking lost. Claudine had threatened the cat before Maddie had taken Trixie home with her – and they’d been inseparable ever since.

  “Broomf,” Trixie muttered, before settling down on the stool and closing her eyes. The temperature slowly dropped again.

  “I’m going to see what that sign says.” Suzanne marched out of the truck.

  Maddie put down her iced coffee and joined her friend, her stomach sinking when she was close enough to read the homemade sign.

  Iced Coffee.

  A large pitcher of a black liquid, which Maddie assumed to be the coffee, was on one side of the table, while a pile of plastic cups was on the other.

  The one good thing was that there weren’t any customers – yet.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Suzanne fisted her hands on her hips as she stared at Claudine. “You are not setting up next to us.”

  “It’s a free country.” Claudine’s whining nasal voice assaulted Maddie’s eardrums. “I can do what I like.”

  “I don’t think you can,” Maddie said politely, although she seethed inside. “We have permission from the town for our truck. Do you?”

  The stout forty-something woman dressed in a black shirt and culottes shrugged as if she couldn’t care less. “One taste of my coffee and they’ll be hooked.”

  “I doubt it,” Suzanne said, looking at the pitcher of inky black liquid. “If that’s what you’ll be serving.”

  “What’s wrong with it?” Claudine glared at her. “It’s got ice and coffee in it. Iced coffee. Anyway—” she tossed her head, her black bob not moving by a strand, “—I can sell iced coffee if you can.”

  “Who’s managing the café?” Maddie asked. Somehow, despite Claudine’s unsunny nature, bad coffee, and stale pastries, she still had a trickle of customers.

  “My cousin Veronica.” Claudine smiled genuinely for a second. It was an unfamiliar sight. “She arrived last night and is visiting for a while. She grew up here, you know.”

  “No, we didn’t know,” Suzanne said, exchanging a surprised glance with Maddie.

  “Of course, she’s older than me,” Claudine continued, setting out some plastic cups. “But while she’s here she’s going to help me out.”

  “That’s nice,” Maddie said faintly, wondering what Veronica was like. An older version of Claudine? Or someone completely different?”

  “Get your iced coffee here!” Claudine suddenly hollered, causing Maddie and Suzanne to flinch and step backward. “Iced coffee right here!”

  A couple of passersby stopped and looked at Claudine’s table, then shook their heads and hurried past.

  “I hope you’re not going to be shouting all afternoon,” Suzanne told the older woman. “Otherwise, you’re going to scare away our customers.”

  “Your customers will be my customers,” Claudine informed her, a smirk on her face. “One sip is all they’ll need – and they’ll come to my café from now on.”

  “In your dreams.” Suzanne sniffed, swiveled, and stalked back to the truck, the familiar graphic of brown coffee beans dancing on the outside of the truck not seeming to cheer her up.

  Maddie followed, casting a worried glance over her shoulder at Claudine. She didn’t have any customers – yet.

  “What are we going to do?” Maddie asked once they returned to the truck. She kept her voice down. There was no way she wanted her nemesis to hear her concern.

  “I don’t know what we can do,” Suzanne said slowly, furrowing her brow.

  The temperature in the truck was just as cool as when they’d left, which was the only good thing at the moment.

  “Mrrow?” Trixie opened her eyes, blinking at them.

  “Iced coffee!” Maddie heard Claudine’s loud nasal voice and winced.

  “I’m not going to listen to that for the rest of the day.” Suzanne shook her head in disgust and stomped out of the truck. “Shoo!” she waved her hands at Claudine, as if the older woman were a stray animal. “Go away!”

  “Make me.” Claudine smirked. She didn’t appear to have any customers, though.

  “Suzanne.” Maddie tugged her friend’s arm. “Let’s get back in the truck.”

  “Better listen to her,” Claudine called. “Because I’m not budging.”

  Suzanne stalked back to the truck and plopped down on a stool.

  “Iced Coffee!”

  “Gahhh!” Suzanne clutched her head.

  “Mrrow?” Trixie looked at the girl with widened eyes.

  “I think you’re worrying Trixie.” Maddie glanced at her friend in concern.

  Suzanne smiled weakly at the cat. “I’m okay, Trix. But that woman just affects me! I don’t know how you can stay so calm, Mads.”

  “I’m not calm on the inside,” Maddie said wryly. “But I had to learn not to let her get to me when I worked for her, or my work day would have been even worse.”

  “I know,” Suzanne said sympathetically.

  “Maybe she’ll give up if she doesn’t have many customers.” Maddie tried to look on the bright side. “In the meantime, since it’s quiet, I think we should eat our lunch.”

  “Good idea.” Suzanne cheered up slightly.

  They grabbed their lunch from the fridge. Maddie shook some dry food into one of Trixie’s special bowls, but the Persian didn’t seem interested.

  After they ate their sandwiches, business picked up a little. Maddie was relieved to see that their customers didn’t seem tempted to investigate Claudine’s icy offering.

  “How can that woman even think that she’s selling acceptable iced coffee?” Suzanne grumbled when the last of their lunchtime customers had departed.

  Claudine’s constant cries of, “Iced Coffee!” had lessened somewhat. Maddie wondered if the other woman was becoming hoarse.

  “I know,” Maddie agreed. “We give people the option of milk and whipped cream as well as just coffee and ice.”

  “And her coffee is terrible.” Suzanne shuddered. “I can’t imagine her using different beans to the ones she uses in her café.”

  “Let’s hope she gets bored and packs up her table,” Maddie said, hoping her wish would come true.

  IT DIDN’T.

  The next day, after the early morning rush, Claudine arrived and set up her table next to their truck.

  “Oh no.” Suzanne’s mouth tightened. “Not again!”

  “Broomf!” Trixie hopped on the counter and peered out of the serving hatch, something she usually didn’t do. “Broomf!”

  The day was a little cooler than the day before – thank goodness. But Trixie did not look happy. The Persian shook herself, her fluffy white fur settling back into place immediately. She turned and hopped over to her stool, hunching down on the wooden seat.

  Nobody had batted an eye at Trixie appearing in the coffee truck from time to time. Not even the health inspector, after Maddie had first opened for business, but Trixie seemed to know without being told not to go near the counter or the coffee machines. She must really be annoyed at Claudine’s presence.

  “Hello, Maddie and Suzanne.” The mayor, Larry Clawdell, appeared at the counter. “And Trixie.” He smiled at the feline.

  “Mrrow,” Trixie sat up straight as she greeted the middle-aged man. She seemed to like the mayor, who had given them permission to operate Brewed from the Bean in the town square.

  “Hi, Larry.” Suzanne greeted him.

  “Iced coffee!” Claudine hollered.

  “Hi.” Maddie gave him a strained smile. “Would you like a coffee?”

  “I’d love my usual, Maddie.” He dug into his pocket for his wallet.

  “One triple latte coming up.” Maddie set to work, the machine grinding and hissing as it extracted the liquor from the beans. She was tempted to do a Coffee Vision spell with the mayor’s coffee, but decided now wasn’t the right time. Not with Claudine’s constant yelling in the background.

  “I’ve had a complaint,” the mayor
said as Suzanne handed him his coffee.

  Maddie and Suzanne stared at each other.

  “Oh?” Maddie found her voice.

  “It’s about Ms. Claxton.” The mayor gestured to their nemesis, sitting behind her temporary table next to their truck. “Is she bothering you?”

  “You bet she is!” Suzanne’s ponytail bobbed in the affirmative.

  “Broomf!” Trixie scrunched up her face, in agreeance with Suzanne.

  “That’s what I was afraid of.” He grimaced. “She doesn’t have permission to operate next to you – in fact, she shouldn’t be conducting business outside her café. I’ll have to tell her to shut it down.”

  “Thank goodness.” Suzanne gave the mayor a relieved smile. “I ended up with a headache yesterday afternoon with her constant shouting of—” Suzanne’s words were cut off.

  “Iced coffee!”

  “Broomf!” Trixie sounded cross.

  “That settles it,” the mayor said. “We can’t have Trixie upset, can we?”

  Maddie was sure she saw out of the corner of her eye Trixie shake her head no. Right now, nothing would surprise her about her familiar.

  “No, we can’t,” Maddie jumped in. “Thank you, Larry.”

  “How’s business otherwise?” he asked.

  “Pretty good – or it was until you know,” Suzanne jerked her head toward Claudine’s stand. “Our iced coffees were selling well.”

  “And I’m sure they will again,” the mayor said. “Don’t worry, Trixie, Claudine will go back to her café now.”

  “Mrrow.” Trixie sounded as if she were saying “Thank you.”

  Maddie and Suzanne leaned out of the serving hatch as the mayor walked over to Claudine’s table. He said something to the woman which made her scowl and cast a fierce glare at their truck. After another minute of heated conversation, Claudine gathered up her plastic cups and pitcher of iced caffeine, looking like she wanted to pour it over the mayor’s head.