Death by Espresso

by Alex Erickson

  “No one we know could do something like that,” Trey said. “We’re actors. We’re not violent people. None of us are.”

  I wondered if they included everyone in that statement, or just the two of them.

  “I’m getting hungry,” Sage said, stepping out from beneath her umbrella. “We really should go.”

  Trey walked over and offered a hand. “It was nice talking to you, Krissy, but we really should get going. You could come with us for brunch if you’d like. We’ve always preferred dining with others, and since you live here, perhaps you could tell us about some places we might want to visit.”

  “There’s this place we were told to try,” Sage added. “The Banyon Tree. Do you know it?”

  I nodded with an inward grimace. Any thoughts I might have had of joining them flew out the window the moment I knew where they were headed. Why did everyone always want to go there? It was like they knew I wouldn’t follow.

  “I have to get to work, or else I would,” I said. “Maybe another time?”

  “Perhaps.” By the way Sage said it, I doubted I’d be receiving another invitation any time soon.

  We left the house together, the Herrons getting into a Mercedes, and me getting into my Ford. I waved to them as they pulled onto the road and turned toward J&E’s. Neither returned my wave.

  I aimed myself toward work, mind working overtime. I wasn’t sure I suspected the Herrons of killing Cathy anymore, but it was possible they’d tried to confront her about her presumed theft at Vicki’s house and lost their tempers. Or Lyric could have done it if she’d gone to ask Gina about the necklace and found Cathy with the fake in her possession.

  Of course, that made me wonder where the real necklace was. It couldn’t have just up and walked away on its own.

  And then there was Jacques and his argument with Cathy the night of her death. Could the theft have nothing to do with it? And what about Vince Conner? So far, nothing pointed to him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a reason to go after Cathy. He had been making himself pretty scarce lately.

  And finally, there was Gina and Frederick. The necklace on Cathy had belonged to Gina. They both were staying in the house and had conveniently been grabbing dinner when the killer struck. I still didn’t know if anyone could place them anywhere outside the house at the time of the murder or not. I was counting on Paul to know and, hopefully, to let it slip while I was within hearing distance.

  It worried me that the Pattersons were rising up my list of suspects. If there was one thing that would put an abrupt end to the wedding, it would be Vicki’s parents getting put away for murder.

  16

  I scanned the dining area of Death by Coffee, a frown creasing my features. When Vicki had originally started planning her wedding, she’d immediately said she wanted it to be small and personal. That meant fewer guests, which meant we didn’t need a giant building for the reception, or a ton of catered food.

  So, she’d settled on Death by Coffee.

  We’d mapped it all out: decorations, seating arrangements, everything. Mason and Vicki were to sit at the top of the stairs so they could look out over their guests like royalty at court. The rest of the wedding party would be on the ground floor, paired off to either side of the staircase—this included parents, Regina, Charlie, and me. Everyone else would be seated in the dining area.

  It should have worked. It might not have been ultra-classy like Gina and Frederick would want, but it had saved Vicki and Mason a lot of money and allowed us to be in control of everything from lighting to air-conditioning, since it was our store. We could change and move whatever we wanted, when we wanted, and no one would care.

  “I think we can all fit,” I muttered. Now that we had a few more guests to worry about, there just wasn’t enough seating, not if we wanted to have some semblance of a dance floor. The DJ would be set up upstairs, so that wouldn’t be an issue. Drinks would be served at the counter, as would snacks.

  But where to put the new guests?

  I considered putting them outside and leaving the door open. It was supposed to be a nice, warm evening that night, so it wouldn’t be uncomfortable. The only issue would be the fact they wouldn’t be able to hear or see what was going on inside. And honestly, it would be rude to separate them, even if they weren’t invited in the first place.

  Maybe they can stay that way. Just because they’d showed up, that didn’t mean Vicki had to invite them to her wedding or reception. She could politely tell her mother no, and force Gina to tell her friends that they had come all this way for nothing.

  Of course, Vicki wouldn’t do that. She might be unhappy about the extra guests appearing out of nowhere, but she wouldn’t turn them away. She was too nice for that.

  With a sigh, I tore my gaze away from the space, which kept looking smaller and smaller the longer I looked at it. The wedding was only a few days away and I had no idea what we were going to do. When I’d arrived for work, Vicki had just been leaving. She’d been nearly beside herself with worry, and quite frankly, I didn’t blame her. Things were quickly spiraling out of control. If it kept up, I was afraid she’d eventually throw in the towel and give up on getting married.

  I glanced at the clock and removed my apron. Lena was behind the counter, wiping down all the machines, while Jeff was upstairs, reorganizing the books. We’d moved a few of the shelves so there would be room for the DJ. It made space tight between the shelves, but there was little we could do about it. Not that it really mattered much. Today was the last day we’d be open until after the wedding. We’d decided it would be best to close for a few days, just to be safe. Vicki didn’t need the stress of managing the shop, and there was quite a lot of organizing to be done.

  But I could worry about that later.

  Vicki had set up a few interviews for me today in the hopes we could hire someone and have them help with setting up for the reception. It would also make training them easier since we’d be closed for a few days and we could take our time with them, not throw them into the proverbial fire. I was surprised when she’d told me there were people coming in since I hadn’t realized we’d gotten any applications. I’d hoped for good results, but after my first two interviews of the day, I wasn’t so sure we were going to find anyone who could handle the job.

  “I’m going to head into the office to prep,” I told Lena. “Send the next applicant to the back when she arrives.”

  “Sure thing.”

  I’d just opened the door to the office when the bell jingled. I glanced back, expecting my third interview to be early, but instead was faced with my ex, Robert Dunhill, and his latest girlfriend, Trisha, coming through the door.

  “Hey, Krissy, hold up a sec.”

  I took a deep breath, and then plastered on a smile as I walked around the counter to join him by the door. Robert and I had broken up years ago, when he’d cheated on me. I’d come to Pine Hills thinking I’d never see him again, yet here he was. Our relationship had gotten better recently, thanks to me helping him out of a sticky situation, but it still wasn’t the best. His abrasive personality had a lot to do with that.

  “Robert,” I said. “Trisha. What brings you here?”

  Robert put his arm around his girlfriend, and I was once more surprised that she put up with him. She was gorgeous and blond, and from what I knew of her, she was smart. Robert was drawn to the looks, but usually, anyone with half a brain knew not to get involved with him. I wasn’t sure what that said about me—or her, for that matter—but there it was. Some guys got all the luck, I supposed.

  “I heard about the wedding,” he said. “That murder thing was on the news and they mentioned she was in town to plan it.”

  “That murder thing was a terrible tragedy,” I said, not impressed by his choice of words. He was as insensitive as ever, I saw.

  “Yeah, sure.” He cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot.

  I waited him out and, after only a few seconds, realized I’d be standing the
re forever if I didn’t prod him along. “What do you want, Robert?”

  He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck, all while looking everywhere but at me. “So, like, Trisha and I were wondering why we weren’t invited.”

  I blinked at him. “Invited? To what?”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Trisha said, looking mildly uncomfortable. I imagined when Robert had included her in the inquiry, he’d really meant just himself. He had a way of dragging other people down in his bad decisions.

  “Vicki’s wedding,” he said. “I know she and I aren’t exactly friends and stuff, but, you know, we came from the same place. I just figured she’d like, want me there. Old times’ sake, you know?”

  “You do realize she doesn’t like you,” I said, putting it as nicely as I could. When Robert had cheated on me, he’d permanently been placed on Vicki’s “do not trust” list. I was afraid that the next time they were in the same room together, she would punch him in the face for how he’d treated me. That wasn’t the sort of thing you wanted to happen at a wedding.

  “Yeah, I know.” Robert’s face reddened. “But I thought after, you know, you helped me, she might reconsider?” He made it a question.

  The smart thing to do would be to shut him down right then and there and send him on his way. I so didn’t need Robert mucking around during the wedding and reception. Things were already tense enough with Cathy’s death and the uninvited guests. I wouldn’t put it past Robert to hit on all the women, Lyric and Sage included, even with Trisha right there.

  No, Krissy, he’s changed. I wasn’t sure how much he’d changed, but Robert was definitely trying. Ever since he’d started seeing Trisha, he’d stopped begging me to give him another chance. I didn’t know if that was truly because of her, or if he’d simply grown tired of failure, but it was a step in the right direction.

  “I’ll talk to her about it,” I said. And then, when Robert grinned, I added, “I can’t promise anything. We’re already short of space. Everything has been ordered and adding two more people might not be feasible.” Of course, we were already adding others; how much worse would squeezing in two more be?

  “Thanks. I knew I could count on you.” He turned to Trisha and pulled her in close. “See, babe, I told you she’d be willing.”

  Trisha put her head on his shoulder as he squeezed. It was an amazing sight, really. How could she care that much about a man like that? I liked her well enough, but I will say, she needed to work on her taste in men.

  The door opened again, and this time, Beth Milner walked in. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw me standing by the door. “Krissy, right? I’m here for the interview.”

  Robert led Trisha toward the counter as I turned to Beth. She looked much the same as when I’d last seen her, which had been a rather long time ago. She was a bottle blonde, hair pulled into a bun, with painted nails. She looked like a model pretending to be a business professional, and I sometimes wondered if that was why she’d been hired at Lawyer’s Insurance across the street. Last I knew, she was Raymond Lawyer’s secretary there.

  “Hi, Beth.” When I’d skimmed the application earlier, it hadn’t occurred to me who exactly I’d be interviewing until this very moment. “Let’s head on to the back.”

  I led her to the office and sat her down. The space was tight, but she didn’t seem to mind. She had her practiced, fake smile plastered on her face, and looked so uncomfortable, I actually felt bad for her. Years of working for Raymond Lawyer could do that to a person.

  “Are you still working at Lawyer’s Insurance?” I asked, genuinely curious. If she was, I’d have to play this carefully. Raymond was likely to accuse me of poaching her from him if he caught wind that she was here interviewing for a job.

  “No,” she said. “I quit a few weeks ago. Couldn’t take it anymore.” Her smile cracked, showing a nervous woman beneath.

  “I totally understand.” And I did. As I’d said before, Raymond wasn’t exactly a nice man. I wasn’t sure he’d ever asked for anything—just demanded. That had to be hard on a secretary.

  We got down to business and I went through the general questions any employer would ask of a prospective employee. While she didn’t have much experience working with food or books, she was a dedicated worker. She’d stuck it out with Lawyer’s Insurance through a murder, and through all sorts of verbal abuse, for years. That said a lot about her character, if you asked me.

  “But I can help out other ways,” she said, after she’d told me about her lack of experience.

  “Such as?”

  “Well, I can tell you that Raymond Lawyer is looking to match Regina Harper’s daughter up with his son Mason if things don’t work out with Vicki Patterson.”

  My eyes widened at that. “What? They’re getting married!”

  Beth nodded. “He’s trying to take full advantage of that woman’s death. He thinks that if he plays his cards right, he can sway Mason and get everything he wants.”

  “Did he tell you this?”

  Beth leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I hear things when I work,” she said. “He has a loud voice and often doesn’t close his door when taking calls and it’s just the two of us. I’m awfully good at listening.” She gave me a knowing smile.

  I knew her ability to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations shouldn’t impact whether or not I hired her, but I had to admit, it did. It would be nice to have someone around who could pick up a thing or two, even if it didn’t have anything to do with a murder investigation. If the customers started talking about something they’d like to see sold in the store, or a drink they didn’t much care for, it would be helpful to know.

  And if she did happen to overhear a little bit of gossip, then all the better.

  I finished up the interview a few minutes later, telling Beth I’d let her know later that day whether or not she got the job. So far, she was top on the list, and it wasn’t even close. I wanted to run it past Vicki first, however, just to be sure.

  As soon as she was gone, I took a few minutes to jot some notes down, but I kept having to stop when my mind wandered. Raymond wanted to use Cathy’s murder to break Mason and Vicki apart. I already knew that, thanks to earlier conversations about a possible cancellation or postponement, but I hadn’t realized how serious he was about it.

  I finished up the notes, and made a plan to call Vicki before I left work to ask her about Beth. I was pretty sure she’d sign off on anything I decided, but I wanted to talk to her about it anyway. And I supposed I could pass along Robert’s question. If she said no, I could at least tell him I’d tried, and wash my hands of it.

  Robert and Trisha were gone when I returned to the front, as was Beth. Only a handful of customers sat at the tables. Today was especially slow and I wondered if most of our regulars thought we’d closed today, instead of starting tomorrow.

  I was about to check the cookie case to see if it needed to be restocked when I noted Vince Conner sitting alone in the corner, coffee held in both hands, but he wasn’t drinking. He stared out the window, a contemplative expression on his face. He looked tired, and a little hungover.

  Now’s your chance, a little voice in the back of my mind whispered. I knew practically nothing about Vince, and that included how well he knew Cathy Carr. Now that he was here, in my store, it was the perfect opportunity to find out.

  “Need me to do anything else?” Lena asked, before I could start that way. The counter was sparkling clean, and a quick glance into the display told me that the cookies were fresh and full. Even the dishes were done in the back.

  “No,” I said. “You can go ahead and head home if you want. I think Jeff and I can hold down the fort.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yup. Enjoy your day.”

  Lena grinned and headed for the back, just as the phone rang. I answered, once more eyeing the dining area in an attempt to figure out the logistics for the reception, and to keep an eye on Vince, who had yet to so much
as take a sip of his drink. The man was seriously lost in thought. Guilt? Or was it something else?

  “Death by Coffee,” I said, only half paying attention.

  “Krissy! Thank goodness.” Vicki sounded so frantic, I grabbed the phone with both hands, Vince forgotten.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, heart leaping straight to my throat. I was terrified she was going to tell me they’d found another body.

  “I hate to call you like this, and I know you’re at work, but I need you to do something for me.”

  I sucked in a relieved breath. It’s about the wedding. “It’s no bother. We’re pretty slow. What do you need?”

  “Could you run by the church for me? There’s an issue that needs immediate attention. Mason is stuck at work and I have to meet with the cake decorator. Apparently, something has gone wrong there too.” She sounded close to hysterics.

  “Sure, no problem,” I told her. “Do you need me to go now? Or can it wait until I’m done later?”

  “If you could. I’m not sure it can wait.”

  I glanced back. Lena was standing in the office doorway, her backpack in hand. She smiled at me, nodded, and then returned it to the office.

  “Yeah, I can do it.”

  “Thank you so much. I wish one thing would go right this week.” She barked a half-crazed laugh. “I’d better go. Thanks again.” She hung up.

  “It’s okay,” Lena said, returning. “I could use the extra money anyway.”

  “Thank you,” I told her, hurrying to the back to grab my own purse before returning to the front. “I’ll be sure you get a bonus.”

  “Hey, I won’t say no to that!”

  I looked to where Vince was sitting, to find he’d gotten up and left. His coffee sat on the table, and even from here, I could tell he’d barely touched it.

  “I’ll check back in later,” I promised Lena as I hurried outside, thinking I might catch Vince, at least to find out how I might contact him later, but he was already long gone.