by Lyndsey Cole
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright © 2015 Lyndsey Cole
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
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Behind the scenes with Lyndsey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RaspBuried Torte
A Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series
by Lyndsey Cole
Copyright © 2015 Lyndsey Cole
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or publisher. No part of this publication may be sold or hired, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the writer’s imagination and/or have been used fictitiously in such a fashion it is not meant to serve the reader as actual fact and should not be considered as actual fact. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Chapter 1
The front steps creaked under Annie’s boots as she counted six to the top of the porch, sagging under the weight of years of neglect. Why would anyone want to buy this old place? What she actually meant was why would Claire McClaven want to move back to Catfish Cove and take on this renovation project? Of course, the old Harper House had lots of charm under the peeling white paint and broken shutters but she would rather have anyone but Claire be the new owner. Something told her trouble would come with Claire.
Annie pushed the creaky door open. “Danny? Can you hear me?” She hesitated, unsure about walking into the dark cobwebby interior until she was positive someone was inside to meet her.
“Upstairs Annie. Be careful. There’s a few treads missing,” Danny called from somewhere above where Annie stood.
“Leona sent me over with some lunch for you. How about you come down and I’ll sit outside with you while you eat. It’s kind of creepy in here.” Work boots thumped above her head and bits of plaster and who knows what else sprinkled into her hair. “I’ll wait on the porch.”
Annie took a quick glance around, noticing tall windows letting in filtered light through the glass covered with layers of grime. With a lot of elbow grease, the room would glow. The oak banister would shine after some sanding and polishing. And the pegged oak floors would look as good as new after a refinishing. But the biggest surprise of all was a huge granite fireplace that covered more than half the wall heading toward the rear of the house. Definitely many nice features. Danny had his hands full with this project. And, most likely, with Claire McClaven.
Danny was already thumping down the stairs by the time Annie stepped back out to the porch. She brushed the dust off two wicker rockers, pulled a small table over, and spread out Danny’s lunch.
“I was hoping Leona would bring my lunch. Not that I don’t like to see you,” he quickly added as he sat on the chair.
Annie laughed. “No offense taken. You two have been so busy lately, your paths are barely crossing.” She handed Danny a knife. “Leona was planning to come, but things got too crazy at the café.”
Danny lifted the top piece of whole wheat bread. “Oh good, she remembered the mayo. For some reason, Leona keeps trying to get me to switch humus,” he wrinkled his nose, “for the mayo on my chicken sandwich.” He carefully put the sandwich back together and cut it in half before taking a big bite and relaxing back into the rocker.
Annie opened a bottle of iced tea and handed it to Danny. “How’s it going here?” What she really wanted to know was how he was managing to get along with Claire.
“Slowly,” he said between bites. “And Claire keeps changing her mind about everything. It’s about driving me nuts.”
Annie nodded, knowing exactly what Danny was talking about. Annie heard all the stories about how Claire sabotaged Leona’s life when they were still teenagers. Suffice it to say, it was a good guess that Leona hated Claire McClaven, and with Danny working for her, she probably felt some jealousy return from their old conflicts over boys.
Danny drank the tea in one long swallow and peeked in the bag. “Did Leona stick in anything sweet?” He pulled out a raspberry scone with icing. “Oh. I was hoping for a blueberry muffin.”
“Leona warned me you might say that. Her message is, try something new and daring.”
Danny lifted his Red Sox cap off his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “That’s what she said? Tell her, I like daring in other parts of my life, but not with my food.”
Annie laughed out loud. “Good one.” She looked seriously at Danny. “I think Leona’s with you for the long haul.”
“I hope so. I have a surprise for her.”
Annie’s eyebrow rose. “Care to share?”
“Nope.” He wiped his mouth and stood up. “Thanks for bringing over the lunch. I better get back to work. These walls won’t get rebuilt on their own.”
With one last look at the old Harper place, Annie whistled for her dog, Roxy, and they headed back to the Black Cat Café.
Even though summer was over, there were still plenty of tourists traveling through Catfish Cove. They enjoyed the peace and quiet of Heron Lake, flanked by the White Mountains.
When Annie stepped onto the deck and was about to open the door into the café, she heard anything but peace and quiet. Someone was giving Leona a tongue lashing about something. This couldn’t be good.
Leona’s jaw was clenched tighter than a dog with a bone as Claire McClaven stabbed her finger inches from Leona’s face. Annie only caught the tail end of the tirade but it was enough for her to know, with Claire back in town, something was going to snap.
With a swish of her red skirt and a flip of her hair, Claire swept past Annie and out the door without a hello or excuse me.
“What was that all about?” Annie asked before pouring herself a big glass of iced tea.
It took at least half a minute before Leona could put any words together.
Mia, Annie’s mom, shook her head. “Claire is picking up right where she left off when she skipped town fifteen years ago. She’s the worst thing for Leona, and possibly for Catfish Cove, too.”
Leona finally managed to say something. “Claire is toxic. I feel so sorry for her poor daughter-in-law, Abby. I wonder why Martha’s granddaughter ever agreed to marry that woman’s son. Abby’s sister, Amber, doesn’t understand the choice either.”
“Claire’s son Cody? I’ve met him and he’s a sweetheart.” Annie settled onto one of the stools at the counter. “Why did Claire even come in here?”
“Martha had the baby showe
r for Abby all planned, being her grandmother and all, and this will be the first great-grandchild, but Claire insisted on running the show. The only part of Martha’s plan that Claire didn’t change was to have the shower here in the café. And at least we’ll all be around Martha to support her.”
“Let me guess,” Annie said, “Claire was telling you what to serve at the shower?”
“You got it, and Martha’s not going to be happy. She already planned the whole menu but Claire came in behind her back and changed every single item.”
Mia finished wiping the tables and joined Annie at the counter. “What if you ignore what Claire wants and follow Martha’s menu? It should be Martha’s choice, she’s putting on the shower for her granddaughter.”
“True. I’ll talk it over with Martha. There’s still time until tomorrow afternoon. It might be easier to go with Claire’s choice and keep her happy.” Leona perked up. “Did Danny like the lunch?”
“Loved it, except for the delivery girl,” Annie said. “He was hoping to see you.”
“I’ll surprise him when we’re done here. Anyone want to come and see the progress at the house?”
Annie and Mia both slid off their stools and said, “Of course.”
Mia and Leona got into high gear making blueberry muffins, granola and more raspberry tortes for the next day. Annie left to check on her art gallery across the hall. Even with Martha and Camilla putting in hours, she needed to keep an eye on what was happening.
Martha was fit to be tied once she heard about Claire’s visit to the Black Cat Café. “I wish she would keep her nose out of everyone else’s business. What did she want to do? Change the time?”
“You’d better sit down.” Annie waited while Martha found a chair. “She changed the whole menu.” Martha’s mouth dropped so far Annie was afraid her jaw might get stuck. “Leona could simply ignore it and stick with your plan.”
Martha’s lips curled up at the edges. “Devious. I like it. She wouldn’t dare make a scene in front of everyone at the shower.”
Annie picked up a small framed photograph of a sunset over the mountains. “How will Abby stand living with Claire at the bed and breakfast once the Harper House is renovated? Isn’t that the plan?”
Martha shook her head. “Claire’s son, Cody, and Abby are supposed to be the managers so they’ll have a small apartment in the back of the house. Between you and me? I think the whole arrangement is Claire’s plan to continue her control-freakish ways over Cody, Abby and the new baby. Since Abby wants to stay home with the baby, they jumped at the chance to get free rent. To be honest, I don’t think Abby has a clue what she’s in for.”
“Youth can be good that way. But can they get away from Claire’s clutches if it doesn’t work out?”
Martha shrugged. “It won’t be easy. Claire even told Abby that she planned to go with her to California to help with the baby when Abby goes to her best friend’s wedding. She’s going to suffocate that poor girl.”
Camilla arrived to put in her hours until closing time.
Martha picked up her bag full of hand sewing. “See you tomorrow.”
Annie put her hand on Martha’s arm. “Leona, Mia and I are going to see the progress Danny is making. Want to come with us? It’s a good chance to see the old Harper House without Claire around.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
They all followed Leona in her bright yellow convertible Mustang and pulled into the driveway behind Danny’s truck. Leona hopped out first. “Won’t Danny be surprised to see all of us?”
A few lights were on in the upstairs where Danny was working, but the downstairs looked gloomy from the outside.
Leona bounded up the stairs and pushed through the creaky front door, calling out as soon as she was inside. “Danny? Can you give us a tour?”
Mia, Annie and Martha practically bumped into Leona as she stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs pointing at the enormous fireplace. “What’s that?” she asked.
Annie was the first to move once her eyes adjusted to the shadows. “It’s a dog. Curled up.” She crouched down and inched closer. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” she said to the dog. She was rewarded with the tiniest wag of the tip of the dog’s tail. “Well, that’s a start.”
Annie felt in her pocket for a dog treat which was almost always there but she didn’t need it since Roxy approached the dog and they sniffed noses. The four women held their breath until the light brown dog stood up and they could see she was about to have puppies.
“You poor thing. Where did you come from?” Martha was on her hands and knees patting the soft fur. “You can come home with me until we find out where you belong. You need something more comfortable than this cold dirty fireplace.”
The sound of Danny’s boots clumping down the stairs made the dog inch farther to the back of her hiding spot.
“Shh!” Four faces turned with fingers on lips telling Danny to be quieter.
“Well, well. I saw her slinking in the bushes earlier, but she wouldn’t come in so I left the back door open.” He looked at Leona. “What do we do now?”
Mia brought an old blanket in from her car. “Let’s get her into Martha’s car. She offered to take her home.”
As the dog followed Mia and Martha outside, her tail stayed between her legs but she went willingly. They made her comfortable in Martha’s car and returned to the house.
Danny looked at Leona. “This is a nice surprise. Do you girls want a tour?”
Four heads nodded and Danny led the way to the back of the house. He turned to explain to the women, “The apartment for Cody and Abby is through here.” He pushed the door open but still faced the women. “Their space is finished and they want to move in as soon as possible.”
Annie peered into the room beyond Danny and felt her skin go cold. Turning to her friends, she watched as the color drained from Mia’s face, then Martha’s, and finally Leona’s. Danny’s head twisted around to see what they were all staring at.
Claire McClaven’s unmistakable red skirt was the first thing Annie noticed. The second thing was her body lying on the new white tiles of the apartment’s kitchen floor. In a pool of blood. Annie’s hand went to cover her mouth. A knife stuck out of Claire’s back.
Chapter 2
A gasp cut through the silence like a knife through a raspberry torte. “Someone needs to call 911,” Annie said. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, sirens were heard coming closer and closer. Danny pulled the kitchen door closed and they waited in front of the fireplace, wondering how the police already knew to come.
All five-foot-three inches of Detective Christy Crank’s petite body strode through the front door on a mission. She looked from one face to another. “Surprise, surprise. Of course Annie Fisher would be here.” The detective barged past. “Don’t any of you leave,” she said before walking into the kitchen.
Annie clenched her hands into tight fists. Detective Crank, or Cranky as Annie couldn’t help but call her, was her least favorite person in Catfish Cove. Even below Claire McClaven. And for some reason, Detective Cranky was less than fond of Annie.
Crank emerged before any of them had moved one foot. “Okay. Which one of you called 911?”
They all looked at each other before Annie responded. “I don’t know who called. We were about to call when we heard the sirens.”
Crank walked outside with her phone to her ear, and within minutes, several more sirens could be heard.
Annie moved next to Danny and whispered, “Which door did you leave open for the dog?”
He nodded toward the closed door. “A door off the kitchen. I guess anyone could have come in.”
“Did you hear anything—arguing or screaming? A crash?”
“No. Nothing. I run my circular saw so much, I usually wear my earmuffs.” He held them up as if he had forgotten he was still holding them. “I had just taken them off before you all arrived.”
Leona paced back and forth before stopping
in front of Danny. “This is what you do. Tell Detective Crank you saw someone run out the back door from the upstairs window.”
“I can’t do that. The back door isn’t even visible from the room I was working in.”
Leona held his arms and stared into his face. “You have to think of something fast or she’s going to think you did it.”
Annie pulled Leona away. “He can’t lie. That will only make everything worse.”
Leona’s eyes were big and round as she turned them to Annie and hissed, “Did you even notice what was sticking out of Claire’s back?”
Annie closed her eyes trying to bring back the picture of what she really did not want to see again. Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “A knife. From the Black Cat Café. Danny cut his sandwich with that knife.”
Leona let out a big sigh. “Your least favorite detective will be all over that piece of evidence.”
Martha leaned between the two women. “Want me to sneak in and steal the knife?”
Cranky returned with the police chief of Catfish Cove, Tyler Johnson, before anyone had time to respond to Martha’s ridiculous offer. “All of you. Over here.” Cranky pointed to the massive fireplace. “Who’s going to tell me something I don’t already know?”
Annie stepped away from the fireplace. “We found a dog curled up in here.” She pointed into the grimy space. “She’s in Martha’s car about to give birth.”
Detective Crank’s face softened slightly. “Whose dog?”
Annie shrugged. “Danny said he’s been seeing her hanging around outside and he left the door open for her.”
“Okay, go check on her. Danny Davis? I want to talk to you first.”