Tea Cups and Carnage

by Lynn Cahoon

  I dialed Greg’s cell and got voice mail. I hung up and called the police station. Esmeralda answered.

  “Hey, is Greg there? I need to talk to him.” I just hoped she wouldn’t ask why, I didn’t want to admit to everyone I was sleuthing, just my boyfriend. And this piece of information was more about my aunt than the murder he was investigating.

  “He’s here, but it’s kind of a mad house. They’re dealing with some things.” Esmeralda paused. “You okay? Do I need to send out one of the boys?”

  “No, I’m good. I just needed to talk to him about that motorcycle rider who’s been terrorizing South Cove. I think I know who it is.” I was about to tell her to have Greg call me when she lowered her voice and started talking.

  “Good. We don’t need more drama here. I mean, can you believe it? We finally have a suspect in that man’s murder and now we have two? Of course, John’s pulling his hair out and the fact that the other one turned herself in in some Texas town is making it worse.”

  “Wait, Ivy said she killed Darryl? Why?” Now I didn’t care what Esmeralda thought, I just wanted to know the story.

  A chuckle came over the line. “Yeah, I thought you’d react to that. Apparently when John gave Greg the okay to arrest Kathi, a call came in from the sheriff in that town they’re from. He said Ivy walked in and told him she’d killed Darryl with Kathi’s gun so it would look like Kathi did it.”

  “And so she ruined the perfect plan by confessing as soon as her sister was arrested?” I sank back into the sofa. “This makes no sense at all.”

  “Tell me about it.” She paused, talking to someone in the lobby. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll give Greg your message.”

  Emma sat near my feet watching me talk on the phone. She had been sleeping in the kitchen so I must have woken her up with my call. “That family is loco crazy.” I rubbed her head and gave her a kiss on the nose. “Want to go outside while I make us some dinner?”

  She wagged her tail, then followed me into the kitchen. I opened a can of soup and made a quick grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. Sitting at the kitchen table, I stared at the notebook with the clues from Darryl’s murder I’d carefully written out. Ivy killing him made as much sense as Kathi. And I didn’t know if it was possible anyway with the fact they’d both been at the winery with us that night. Something wasn’t adding up, besides Kathi’s so-called engagement. I decided I’d stop by my neighbor’s shop first thing in the morning. If she was out of jail by then.

  * * * *

  Greg was waiting for me when I arrived at the store Wednesday morning. He gave me a kiss, then took my keys and opened the shop. I followed him inside.

  “What are you doing here?” I flipped on the lights and turned the sign over to OPEN. “Esmeralda made it sound like you’d be stuck at work for months straightening out all the mess.”

  Greg tossed my keys onto the counter and sat at the barstool. “That’s why I’m here. I had to get out of there before I shot someone.” He pointed to the delayed timed coffeepot. “You got any of the good stuff ready?”

  “We just opened the doors, what do you think?” I went around the counter, washed my hands and slipped on an apron. Then I poured him a large cup and brought over his favorite creamer for him to use to ruin the lovely dark brew. “Just kidding. I get regulars waiting at the door, so we have a pot set to brew just before we open.”

  Greg sipped his coffee, then his gaze returned to me. “Wait, what exactly did Esmeralda tell you?”

  I shrugged. “More than she should have, I’m sure. So did you charge Kathi or Ivy?”

  “Neither.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Ivy’s being extradited as we speak and should be delivered to the station around five. We’re keeping Kathi in holding until I get a chance to talk to Ivy. The sisters are playing some sort of game here and I’m going to find out what it’s all about.”

  “I can’t believe either would kill someone. Even someone in their family.” I started the second pot, using hazelnut coffee. The smell filled the shop and my stomach growled in appreciation.

  “Don’t you mean especially someone in their family?” Greg pointed to a lone chocolate cheesecake slice. “Grab me one of those and I’ll share it with you.”

  “With that family, I mean even. I swear I’ve never met two people who are more different than those two sisters. I can’t figure out why Ivy would confess to something she didn’t do. Can you?”

  “I have my suspicions. Of course, if I’m right, then Kathi’s back on the hook for Darryl’s murder.” He took a bite of the cheesecake. “Neither option smells quite right.”

  “So did Esmeralda tell you I think I know who the motorcycle guy is? The one that ran Aunt Jackie down?” I took my own fork full of the dessert and decided to call it breakfast.

  He wiped his mouth on a napkin. “She actually fell, but I agree, it was the guy’s fault.”

  “Anyway, I think it’s Bobby Marshall. He says he’s engaged to Kathi. And he’s been paying for Ivy’s room over at The Castle.”

  He shook his head. “You are going kind of deep on this one. How did you find this out?”

  “It was easy, once I had his name. I used my handy-dandy Facebook investigatory skills.” With my morning tasks started, I came around and sat next to him.

  “As long as you’re not going looking for him, I’m fine with how you’re gleaning information.” He finished off the cheesecake. “You’re not going looking for him, right? And please tell me you’re not taking Amy or Sadie. I figure your aunt is out of the picture until her ankle heals.”

  “I’m not doing any sleuthing this week.” Well, except for talking to Kathi if you ever release her, I thought to myself. Besides, I had a perfectly good reason to go talk to my neighbor; our joint tea adventure. We needed to talk branding and when she could get me a supply so I could start hawking her new store. My gaze went to the white porch of the little shop across the street. A sign had been erected yesterday, Tea Hee with a tea cup underneath, and the shop looked ready to open.

  Greg’s cell buzzed and he looked at the incoming text. “I wish I believed you. Anyway, I’ve got to run. Can I get a refill on the coffee?” He pulled out his wallet, thumbing through the bills.

  “Don’t worry about that,” I pushed the wallet away and returned to the back of the counter to pour his coffee. “Your money’s no good here. One of the perks of dating the owner.”

  Greg put his wallet back into his jeans pocket. “Thanks, but I think your aunt feels differently. I’m not sure, but I have a feeling she charges me double.”

  I handed him a to-go cup with a sleeve and a lid. “Controlling Aunt Jackie is one of those things I’ve taken off my to-do list. The woman does what she wants and asks for my blessing afterward. I’m lucky if Sasha or Toby listen to my directions.”

  “The joy of supervising, I get it. If it makes you feel better, I have the same problem with Toby and Esmeralda.” He leaned over the counter and kissed me. “At worst, I’ll see you Friday night for this library thing. Tell me it’s not formal.”

  “Here? Formal? Ha. We’ll be lucky if beach attire isn’t the most common outfit.” I ran my hand over his ironed, button-down sheriff shirt. “Just don’t come in uniform. I don’t want people to think something’s wrong.”

  “I think I can manage a shower and a change.” He snorted. “As long as no other Corbin relatives show up and confess to killing poor Darryl. This feels like one of those mystery books you’re always reading where the answer is right there, I just can’t see it.”

  Once Greg left, my Wednesday regulars flowed in. Most were commuters but I had a small stay-at-home mom group that met in the bookstore every Wednesday to talk about anything but kids. Of course, they also talked about the kids. Apparently babies were welcome up until the time they started walking, then the group rule was they needed to stay home with a babysitter. The group had grown from two local moms to six and a stay-at-home dad. The
conversation was always fun and they loved their coffee and treats. Bonus for me, it made a typically slow morning interesting.

  I’d just gotten them settled when the door opened and Kyle came in carrying a deposit bag.

  “Hey, I planned on stopping by before I left for the bank today.” Okay so I’d forgotten to do both our deposit and Josh’s yesterday.

  Kyle handed me the bag. “I just want to make sure you get this. Mr. Thomas is fanatical about making regular deposits. He says it keeps the lowlifes from thinking you’re an easy target and robbing the store.”

  I didn’t think anyone watched the store that closely to know if Josh had made a deposit in the last day or so, but I wasn’t going to argue. Kyle took everything Josh said as retail gospel and since he had to work for the guy, I wouldn’t ruin his crazy training methods. “I appreciate you stopping by with this. I’ll drop the deposit slip off on my way home.”

  He stood there, not moving, his gaze on the bookshelves.

  “You can go in and browse if you want. You won’t disturb the group.” I figured he was feeling a little shy around the chatty group.

  He shook his head and pulled out a slip of paper. “I don’t see a real estate section over there. Can you order me these books? I could get them online, but I’d rather support you. Mr. Thomas is a big supporter of small businesses. He thinks online shopping is going to put us all out of business.”

  I nodded. “In the book business, he might be right, sooner than later.” I looked over the list which mostly seemed to be books about staging your home for the quick sale. “Are you thinking about getting into real estate?”

  “What?” He shook his head. “No, I love working with antiques.”

  I watched him leave and opened my laptop to order the five books. I didn’t understand his interest, but the kid was a little different. Which I liked. And who was I to question a book order?

  Toby came in just as I was finishing cleaning up from the moms and dad group. I put the cups in the sink and watched him get ready for his shift. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you. I hear the station is crazy busy.”

  He dried his hands and put on an apron. “Greg’s crazy busy. I went in earlier to help out with some driving, but mostly he’s stuck in the war room trying to figure out which sister to charge.” He grinned. “I can tell you this since he said he already did. Boy, did Esmeralda get a talking to this morning when he came back with his coffee.”

  “I didn’t mean to get her in trouble.” I cringed a bit. “Is she upset?”

  Toby laughed. “At you? No. She said you needed to know the information and if she had to do it again she would. They stood staring at each other until finally John broke it up. I’ve never seen either one of them stand their ground so intensely.”

  “Maybe I should take over a cheesecake to smooth the waters.” I pondered what we had in stock, considering the event on Friday.

  “I wouldn’t go near the station until this is settled. It’s bad juju over there. Everyone’s in a tizzy.” He shook his head. “That level of stress is why I love working here. The worst thing that can happen here is a spilled latte.”

  I got the deposits ready and left for the bank, thinking about Toby’s last statement. Of course, he didn’t know about the lost money or staffing issues. Okay, maybe he knew about the staffing problem since he had volunteered to take on one of Aunt Jackie’s shifts while she was out, but he’d been turned down flat. My aunt had told him she was working tonight and that’s all the talking we would do about it. And he knew about the lost money. Boy, working at the police station must be really stressful.

  Of course, I knew Harrold would be here to help Aunt Jackie which eased my mind. And if they decided go through with this marriage thing, I guess that wouldn’t be a bad idea. He had a store here and roots, and he seemed like a good guy.

  Claire was working with a customer at the teller window when I entered. She waved me over to her line as she finished with the woman ahead of me. “Hey, we missed you yesterday.”

  “I forgot. Besides, the Tuesday deposit is light since I do one on Monday that covers the weekend.” Two people had commented on my lack of a regular deposit practice today. I figured I’d get a call from Aunt Jackie next when she started updating the accounting.

  “Not a problem, I just worry when I don’t see my regular customers.” She quickly keyed in the two deposits. When she handed me back Josh’s slip she tapped it before she pushed it toward me. “When is our big guy coming home? I miss his grumpy butt.”

  I snorted. “I think by Friday.” I thought back to the conversation where he’d told me he needed a favor. Had he said a week? Or was it two? I couldn’t remember. “Anyway, Kyle’s doing a great job with the shop. He’s on top of things over there.”

  Claire nodded, looking past her at a carefully dressed woman who had just entered the bank. “If you hear from him, tell him I’m thinking about him.” She nodded to Margie and put a sign closed sign on her window. “Looks like my first interview is here. I haven’t heard back from your friend Ivy. Is she still looking for a placement?”

  I thought Ivy might have a long-term placement, but I just shrugged. “Not sure. I think she took a quick trip back to Texas.”

  “Well, if you see her, I’m trying to hire two tellers as soon as possible. And I’d like to hire locals. They tend to be more invested in South Cove’s success. Got to go.” Claire smiled at the woman as she walked up to her, holding out a hand to introduce herself. I nodded at the pair as I walked past to the door, but they were too involved in the interviewing ritual to see me even walk by.

  The only thing left on my list was to drop off Kyle’s deposit slip and head home. Josh’s slip, I corrected myself.

  A chill ran down my spine. Where was Josh and why hadn’t anyone heard from him?

  Chapter 19

  I’d promised Amy I’d finish up the week of classes so that Thursday I put my workout clothes in my tote, gave Emma a new dog bone to make up for not taking her running, and headed off to open the shop. I wondered if giving Emma a food-based treat to solve her sadness was for her benefit or my own. People say dogs tended to take on the personality of their owners. Was I teaching my dog to be an emotional eater?

  I powered through my morning tasks, and after the commuter traffic slowed, pulled out a book off the advance reader’s pile my bookseller had dropped off and got lost in Regency England chasing a murderer. When the bell chimed over the door, I assumed it was Sasha coming in for her shift. “Hey,” I called to her.

  “Miss Gardner?” A definitely not-Sasha male voice brought me out of my book. Kyle stood in front of the sofa, holding out the bank bag.

  I sat the book on the coffee table and stood, taking the bag from him. “Sorry Kyle, I thought you were someone else.”

  “My ma used to read like that. Sometimes it took me giving her arm a little shake to pull her out of the story. I worried her house would burn down around her and until she smelled the smoke or felt the heat from the flames, she wouldn’t notice.” He smiled a little sadly.

  “Readers are an interesting breed.” I didn’t want to pry about his mother since it appeared something had happened. Or maybe she just didn’t read anymore.

  “Well, anyway, I better get the shop opened. See you in a few.” He turned toward the door.

  “I ordered those books for you. They should be here early next week.” I called after him. He raised his hand, indicating he’d heard me and I heard a muffled thanks as he walked out the door.

  Sasha came in as he held the door for her. As she paused by me, she picked up the book on the table. “I read this last week. It’s wonderful.”

  “Got me through an extremely slow shift.” I took the book from her to put in my tote for later that afternoon. A thought came to me. “Do you need help setting up for the event tomorrow?”

  Sasha followed me to the coffee bar where she started her set up. “I don’t think so. Toby’s handli
ng the shop until six when we’re closing so I’m sure Jackie would like you to be at the library auditorium about three. Then we can finish the setup and get back home to change before we’re needed back at six. I’ve been meaning to ask you, though; can I change at your house? I don’t really want to drive back and forth to Bakerstown tomorrow.”

  “Not a problem. I can just take you with me when I go to get ready. Greg will drive us up, or if he’s working, we can take my Jeep.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Sasha greeted the group of women who were standing by the cash register. “Toby’s running late, what can I get for you?”

  The women looked at each other and then proceeded to order. When they’d all gone to wait at a table for their drinks and the missing Toby, I moved closer to Sasha where she was making a latte and whispered in her ear. “Uhm, Toby’s not scheduled.”

  Sasha didn’t look at me, just kept foaming the milk. “If I’d told them that, they would have left and driven back to school without buying anything. This way, when they ask again, I’ll tell them that he’s tied up and will be back tomorrow.”

  “You realize you just lied to a customer.” I had to admit, though her logic was solid. The group of five women would have left. I saw them only on days Toby was scheduled to work.

  “Not exactly a lie. He said he might pop in during my shift for coffee and to talk if it’s slow.” She grinned as she put the last piece of cheesecake on a plate and double checked the tray. “What can I do, I don’t bring in the customers like Barista Babe. I just don’t want to run them off.”

  I followed her out to the table and made my exit. Let Amy and the boys do the 100x5 warm up. I didn’t want to do it anymore, even if I could trim my waist by an inch over three months, which had been his promise to get me to come twice a week.

  At the bank, Claire was in her office interviewing, but Margie didn’t have anyone at her window so I sailed through that chore in minutes. Finally, I made it to the gym and waved at Amy as I made my way to the ladies locker room to change.