Pop-Up Truck and Peril

by Harper Lin

  Amelia gasped. “What? You’re kidding.” Her left hand latched on to Lila, her assistant at the food truck, and her eyes gaped. “Murdered?”

  Chapter Three

  “Yes. My gosh. Of course. Come on over. Do you remember where the truck is?” Amelia nodded. “Yes. That’s right. Drive carefully, and I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  Amelia looked at Lila and shook her head before letting go of her arm. She’d hired Lila Bergman to handle the accounting for the Pink Cupcake, but she turned out to be a wonderfully unique woman who loved the business as much as Amelia did. It took her about one day not only to earn Amelia’s trust, but to become a good friend.

  “Did you just say ‘murdered’?” Lila asked, pushing her flaming-red hair away from her face with the back of her hand. “Who was murdered?”

  “That was my friend Christine. She works at the Master Ketchup factory, over in the Pilfer neighborhood. You know, where all those industrial areas are?” Amelia watched Lila nod. “Christine works in the marketing department and said they found the secretary there murdered.”

  Lila balked. “What is the world coming to? How do they expect to keep people on board when secretaries are getting murdered? No wonder no one stays at a job long these days.”

  “Lila.” Amelia stifled a chuckle. “I’m sorry. This is no laughing matter.”

  “You’re right.” Lila finished preparing the batter for twenty-four orange-vanilla cupcakes that would taste, amazingly, like Dreamsicles. “Do you know what happened?”

  “No. But they are letting the staff go home and shutting everything down for the day while the police investigate,” Amelia said, absently dropping the paper cups into the cupcake tin. “Christine is on her way over here to tell me what she knows.”

  Amelia guessed her friend had begged the bus driver to break the speed limit and blow a few red lights to make it to Food Truck Alley as quickly as she did. From a distance, Amelia recognized the woman in a black pencil skirt and pink dress shirt, who waved as she approached the truck. Amelia approached her friend to find Christine’s eyes red with tears.

  “You poor thing.” Amelia hugged Christine tightly then led her to the back of the truck and up the steps to take a seat. “Christine, you remember Lila. She helps me run this beast.”

  After a quick smile and a hug for Lila, Christine began to tell them both what had happened when she arrived to work.

  “It was a typical Monday morning,” she began. She had gotten off the number twenty-two bus right on the corner of Hatter Avenue and Lint Street. The Master Ketchup Factory was a long brick building that took up an entire city block. For many years, it had been a dingy gray color, but when the grandfather who had started the business retired, the son, Regis Master, decided to update the facility. That included updating the assembly line, installing state-of-the-art robotics in some areas, utilizing cutting-edge software for the office, jump-starting the marketing efforts, and painting a mural of a lush, fruitful tomato garden across the front of the building.

  Decorative stone planters were placed at the entrance, which grew beautiful flowers every season. It was like a garden oasis in the middle of a steel-and-brick wasteland.

  With the marketing department expanding, Christine had gotten a job there over seven years ago and had no plans on leaving. At least not until now.

  “I said goodbye to Danielle on Friday,” she said, taking a sip of coffee from a Styrofoam cup, her hands trembling slightly. “She had gotten a late delivery of supplies that she was stacking in the supply closet. That’s where they found her this morning with… her throat slit.”

  Lila gasped. “Oh my gosh.”

  “How long had Danielle worked there?” Amelia asked as she mixed the batter for her airy, whipped-vanilla frosting.

  “She had just had her six-month review and had passed with flying colors.” Christine looked into her coffee as if she were reading her fortune at the bottom. “I should know, because I did part of the review myself. She was so creative. Simple things she’d suggest had huge impacts on design and word concepts. Press releases were exciting and entertaining when she wrote them. She had a knack, and I couldn’t wait until she had made her one-year mark, because I was going to request she be my marketing coordinator.”

  “I have to ask this, because I’m morbid,” Lila interrupted. “Did you see the body?”

  “Thank heavens, no.” Christine’s eyes bugged from their sockets. “I would have totally tossed the rye toast and orange juice that I had for breakfast this morning.”

  “What did the police have to say?” Amelia asked, hoping to hear Dan’s name in the mix. It would make things so much easier to find out if he was involved.

  “I have no idea. We were all held in the lobby. No one was allowed to go to their offices. Regis came and made an announcement that the shop was going to be closed, all departments, for the entire day, but that we’d still get paid, yadda, yadda. It wasn’t until he said counselors would be made available to anyone who was traumatized by the incident that it really hit home what had happened.” Christine stared at the cupcakes, but it was obvious she didn’t really see them. They were just the things that were in her field of vision.

  “You know, I hate to nitpick, but are counselors really necessary?” Lila asked. Amelia knew her friend was not trying to be disrespectful. It was just that it never occurred to Lila that some people might have nightmares knowing a person was killed at their place of employment. In Lila’s mind, if you were having nightmares, it meant the bad guy didn’t get you.

  “I don’t know,” Christine replied, pulling her lips down at the corners. “I’m here for my therapy. But I’ll tell you what. I’m going to go home and tell the old man and the kids about this, and they are going to want to know every gory detail even if I have to make stuff up.”

  Amelia laughed and was happy to see a smile on Christine’s face. “That’s good, though. Don’t keep something like this from them,” Amelia said, encouraging her friend.

  “I can’t, even if I wanted to. Danielle was my assistant. What if this loony has it out for the whole marketing department? What if I was the real target, or maybe Leana, who was the marketing director? I’m not sure what I should do. Maybe I shouldn’t even go back.”

  “You love that job.” Amelia watched her friend’s eyes tear up.

  “Yeah, but not enough to die for it.” She chuckled, wiping a tear from her cheek.

  “There are no jobs worth dying for,” Lila added. “Sorry, Amelia. I love you. I love the kids. I love the Pink Cupcake. But the day someone brandishes a knife and says, ‘It’s you or the truck,’ I’m retiring.”

  Amelia and Christine both laughed. “You are absolutely right,” Amelia said. “That will make two of us. So, do they have any suspects?”

  “I have no idea. But I was wondering…” Christine looked at Amelia sheepishly. “What are you doing for the next five days?”

  “What?” Amelia patted the back of her neck, smoothing her short hair. “I’m working. Why?”

  “You wouldn’t want to consider coming up to Pilfer by the factory to do a little snooping around on your own?”

  “Are you crazy?” Amelia looked at Lila and then back to Christine. “After the close call I had last time with a crackpot showing up at my front door when the kids were alone, I think my private-detective hobby is pretty much over.”

  “Please?” Christine nearly begged. When Amelia looked at her, she didn’t see the same girl she had known for so much of her life. This wasn’t a request for Amelia to find out the gory details and relay them back, something Christine might have asked her to do at one time. This was something else completely. “Jason is going to be out of town. Perfect timing, right? If you had the truck parked there, no one would suspect anything odd, and you could, well, make sure I got on and off the bus safely. I know it’s a lot to ask, but…”

  “You’re that scared?” Amelia took her friend’s hand in her own.

  “My
gut just says I shouldn’t let my guard down.”

  “What do you think, Lila? A little change of scenery might be nice?” Amelia looked at Lila, who shrugged her shoulders.

  “I’m game if you are.” Lila blinked, trying not to look excited about the whole adventure, even though she was, and Amelia knew it.

  “You met a good number of these people already,” Christine pleaded. “At Denise’s barbeques and Christmas parties, a lot of them showed up. You won’t be around complete strangers.”

  The idea of seeing Denise Giordano sent ripples of annoyance up Amelia’s spine. She had been a good friend of Amelia’s at one time. At least, that was what Amelia thought, until it was discovered that Denise knew all about John’s affair with Jennifer for months before she said anything to Amelia. It seemed everyone knew about John’s infidelity before Amelia did. That was something Amelia could eventually forgive but never forget. She had yet to do either of these things with Denise. “Lord, please tell me Denise and the rest of the girls aren’t going to be loitering around there. When was the last time you saw them?”

  “I haven’t seen Denise since the last time you made me cozy up to her to milk her for information. I’m not a fair-weather friend, Amelia. You know that.”

  Amelia looked at Christine and remembered how many times she had cried on Christine’s shoulder after the divorce was still fresh and her heart was raw. When Amelia needed her, she was there with no questions asked. It was time to return the favor.

  “All right. It will require a little quick paperwork, but there shouldn’t be a problem getting a permit for the street.” Amelia looked at Lila.

  “I’ve made a friend at City Hall.” Lila winked. “Let me give him a call and see what he can do. I’m sure there are people who’ve asked for bigger favors than this.” She chuckled out loud, only to see both Amelia and Christine looking at her suspiciously.

  “A new friend?” Amelia looked at Christine and then back to Lila, who was blushing. “You didn’t tell me you made a new friend, and in City Hall, no less.”

  “A woman should always have a few secrets.” Lila moved the cooled cupcakes, placing them on the rack at the service window. Before long, they were all gone and being replaced by a concoction of double chocolate and raspberry that Amelia had given to Christine on the house to help soothe her nerves.

  “Just stay as long as you like. In fact, why don’t you relax, and I’ll give you a lift home at five. You don’t want to take the bus until you talk with Jason and he knows what’s going on.” Amelia wiped sweat from her forehead. “In fact, I’d suggest you go get yourself something solid to eat. Gavin next door makes a fantastic Philly cheesesteak. And there’s the Charming Wok or the Turkey Club, too. Anything sound good?” Amelia couldn’t stop her motherly instincts from coming out. She didn’t care what the popular opinion was. Comfort food did exactly what it was supposed to do, and sometimes it was the best remedy to help you relax, get a good night’s sleep, and see things anew in the morning.

  Christine took her advice. By five o’clock, she had not only had lunch and talked all about the murder, but she had also filled Amelia in on her future plans to build a deck, get the kids their vaccinations for school, and her suspicions that her twenty-year-old niece was heading down the wrong path with a fellow with no job and no college, but a huge attitude.

  She apologized. “My gosh, I don’t think I’ve stopped talking since I got here.”

  “I think you are a little bit in shock,” Amelia said. “Let’s get you home. Maybe those counselors aren’t such a bad idea.” She pushed a lock of Christine’s hair away from her face.

  “I’ll be all right.” She let out a deep breath. “Do you really think you can be on the street outside the factory tomorrow?”

  “If I know Lila, I could probably show up there right now and be welcomed by not just the Board of City Vendors, but the Teamsters and Department of Revenue, too.” Amelia chuckled.

  “I’ll feel a lot better if you are.” Christine nodded her head. “I know it sounds crazy.”

  “Believe me”—Amelia patted Christine’s hand—“when I felt like the bottom fell out, you gave me the rope to grab hold of. That’s sometimes all we need to feel better. It’ll be fine.”

  Amelia watched the shadow of relief fall over Christine’s face. It made Amelia feel a little strange though. Here was her friend, who lived in a house full of boys and faced challenge after challenge with them recreating the World Wrestling Federation in their backyard, experimenting with electricity, and pushing the boundaries of human hygiene to their limits, but this death had sent her into a tailspin.

  Meanwhile, Amelia had been around several deaths that were gruesome in their own right. But even now she wasn’t that shaken by them. Or had she been, and she just swallowed it down in order to keep going?

  If I can live through my husband dumping me for a twenty-something, I can live through anything. She nodded to herself. It was true. That would be the last time she thought about Timothy Casey and his attempt to hurt her children. He didn’t do it, and he never would. Being frozen like Christine just couldn’t be part of Amelia’s life. No matter what happened, she had to be strong for her kids, for Dan, for Lila, for the Pink Cupcake, and now for Christine.

  Chapter Four

  It didn’t take long for the hot-pink food truck to gain the attention of the employees at the Master Ketchup factory. As an extra bonus, Amelia also gained a few customers from Alco Gravure, the factory catty-corner from Master Ketchup, and from a couple of city workers who were repairing some of the potholes in the alleys in the area. Business-wise, coming to the Pilfer neighborhood was a goldmine.

  “This will be the first time a murder got us more business,” Lila pointed out.

  “Right?” Amelia smiled as she pulled out her second batch of PB&J cupcakes. She didn’t want to be flippant. After all, Danielle was someone’s daughter. She was a good employee, and people knew her. Plus, she was about Jennifer’s age, and that was too young to be dead. That thought held Amelia captive.

  Just admit it. How many times did you think of murdering Jennifer and John after you were served the divorce papers? There are a lot of women who’d say you were within your rights to temporarily lose your mind.

  It was true. A secretary and a boss? A jealous wife? It was an old, old story. One worth considering, especially since she had occupied the jealous-wife role and could have easily taken that short baby-step into complete lunacy. She hid her thoughts and smiled kindly to the burly man in a white T-shirt and neon-orange vest who had just ordered three PB&J cupcakes for himself.

  “Well, this is an unexpected surprise.”

  Amelia heard the familiar voice and looked up to find Dan looking at her seriously. His partner, Eugene Gus, waved cheerfully to Amelia from behind the older detective.

  Amelia could see in Dan’s expression that he wasn’t exactly thrilled she was there. “Hi guys. Have you had any breakfast? Can I get you guys a warm cupcake, some coffee, maybe?”

  “No, thanks, Amelia,” Eugene replied. “I’m trying to watch my weight.” He patted his stomach and smiled. Unlike Dan, Eugene was soft around the middle.

  “Eugene, why don’t you get things started inside,” Dan ordered without taking his eyes from Amelia.

  “Amelia, I can handle the window. It’s getting close to that first bell of the day.” Lila patted Amelia’s arm. “The crowd is already slowing down.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” Lila nodded and looked at Dan then back at Amelia.

  “Thanks. I’ll just be a minute.” Amelia squeezed Lila’s hand back and walked off the back of the truck, slowly approaching Dan. “You look so serious. Is everything okay?”

  “Why aren’t you at Food Truck Alley?” Dan inquired, as if he were questioning her whereabouts on the night Danielle Wilcox was killed.

  “Well, funny story. You see, my dear friend Christine works here.” Amelia took a deep breath. “This is the wo
man who spent several nights a week with me after the divorce, cheering me up, helping with the kids, basically holding me together with her bare hands. She’s pretty shaken up about the whole murder thing and asked me to just come and keep my eyes and ears open through the day, and then to make sure she gets on the bus all right at five.”

  “Amelia, after what happened with Timothy Casey, do you really think this is a wise move?” Dan thrust his hands into his pockets and anxiously jingled his keys.

  “Oh, Dan. Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place.” Amelia looked up at him and tried to convey with her eyes that she appreciated his concern but could take care of herself.

  “We’re not talking about lightning, Amelia.” He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. “We don’t even really know what we’re dealing with yet.” He licked his lips and looked off behind her and down the street, focusing on nothing but seeing everything from the garbage cans next to the lamp posts, to the red fire plugs, to the graffiti scribbled along the brick walls of the neighboring warehouses and factories, to the ropy cracks in the sidewalk that led to Amelia’s size-six shoes.

  “I’m not playing Sherlock Holmes, Dan. I’m just here for a friend. For some reason, she feels safe with me around. If I see or hear anything, I promise to call you first.” She crossed her chest with her hand and held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  Finally, Dan’s gray eyes softened, and a slight curl at the right corner of his lips finally made an appearance.

  Amelia blushed a little and stepped into his personal space, straightened his tie, and brushed the lapels of his suit jacket smooth.

  “That’s a deal,” Dan stated. “How long do you plan on being here?”

  “Just for the week.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’ll bet my week’s salary that nothing is going to happen. You’ll probably go up there and find out the answers to everything in just a few minutes. I’d put my money on a scorned wife.”