1 Chocolate Worth Dying For

by Pat Amsden

Maxine gasped. "I'm just looking around. I wanted to see what it was like… In case we decide to buy a house here. The brochures…"

  "Brochures!" The woman spat the word at her as if it were a deadly plague. "Don't you go believing anything that pack of liars tell you. Bunch of crooks. This used to be a nice neighbourhood, a family neighbourhood. Then they started in."

  Maxine backed up, holding her hands out in front of her. "I don't know anything about that."

  "First they came around all nice like. Wouldn't you like to sell? We'll give you a good price. Some sold out right away. Others held on so they were offered more. But the last of us. They keep doing things to scare us."

  "To scare you," Maxine said, doubt in her voice.

  "Neighbour down the street was sleeping when her garage started on fire. They barely made it out alive. Decided it wasn't worth their lives so they took the money. Another one had a rock thrown through the living room window."

  "That's terrible," Maxine said and meant it. "But surely the developers wouldn't be responsible?"

  The woman looked at her as if she had two heads. "Why bless your heart, dearie. You still believe in the tooth fairy too, don't you."

  Maxine's' face flamed red. "That's not fair. I just can't see a reputable developer…"

  "Like I said, probably still believe in a fairy godmother."

  "I'm not stupid," Maxine protested.

  "A little naive maybe."

  "Maybe. No, not maybe! Just because you're neighbours decide to take the developer up on his offer doesn't mean any accidents that happen to anyone who hasn't sold are his fault."

  "Ha! Anyway he got what was coming to him didn't he?"

  Maxine looked at her in horror. "Surely you don't think he deserved to die!"

  "Dying's too good for the likes of him. He should have to suffer…" momentarily she seemed to lose composure as tears came to her eyes. "Lose everyone he's ever loved, get sick and…

  "Anyway it's not up to us is it," Maxine said desperately. "Here let me help you." She opened the gate to the path behind her.

  But the woman seemed lost in her own thoughts. She seemed to shrink in on herself, so that she seemed less a scary witch and more just a scared, lonely old lady. Maxine picked up a bag of groceries that had fallen out off the handlebar the woman's scooter. "I'm Maxine. You're…"

  "Bernice. Kelly. And I don't need any help."

  "Of course not," Maxine said. "But since I'm here…"

  She opened the door to Bernice's small house and felt herself gag. The small kitchen was … dirty. Dishes were piled up on the counter, the table was filled with paper. Over it all, there seemed to a fine layer of grease mixed with dust on everything.

  "Don't you be looking around like that! I do the best I can. Just … can't keep up the way I used to."

  "You don't have anyone to help you," Maxine said, horrified.

  "What? I look rich to you. I'll get the place cleaned up. I just, I've been feeling so tired lately. And now that Ernie's gone…"

  "Ernie?"

  "He's my husband, former husband I should say." Bernice's eyes watered and Maxine felt her heart twinge. "Died last year. It's just me now." She drew up, seeming to regain some of her fierceness. "And I'm not moving away from the home we lived in together for fifty years."

  "It must be hard living on your own. Do you have any family?"

  "One son, one daughter. Good kids, both of them. But they don't live around here and I don't like to bother them."

  Maxine could feel her eyes tearing up. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I'll make some tea, wash up a bit."

  "I'm not asking for help," Bernice said fiercely.

  "And who said anything about asking," Maxine said smartly. "I'm a caterer, I'm used to doing things for people so you might as well get used to it."

  "You're not going to charge me, are you?" Even as Maxine helped Bernice into a comfy recliner positioned nicely in front of the TV, Bernice tried in vain to put up resistance.

  Not too much though, Maxine noted with a small smile, as she brought her a cup of tea. Hours later she'd cleaned Bernice's kitchen from top to bottom and made some soup for her dinner along with a roll. She'd also made Bernice promise she'd call her if she needed anything and told her she'd be checking in on her later that week.

  She knew that if she'd gone through the rest of the house she might very well find it in as much need of attention as the kitchen but there was only so much one person could do in a day. For now that would have to be enough.

  She returned home exhausted, with more questions than answers. Was there something to Bernice's words? As much as she'd scoffed at Bernice's claims there'd been more than one unscrupulous developer who'd gone beyond the law to get what they wanted. Was there a side to Ron she didn't know about?

  Chapter Four

  "I'll take the chocolate fountain and river parts out first and start setting it up. You can finish packing the van and come out after."

  Maxine looked anything but certain as she handed Heath the keys to her smart car. She had a hard time believing he'd even fit in it. But she knew it was the only way they were going to be able to transport and set everything up in time for the party. And apparently she was wrong. Heath folded himself into the smart car as if it were made for him. Although there was absolutely no extra space whatsoever.

  Show-time. She'd had to hire two people to help with the preparation and get Jane in to look after the shop while they were gone. Even so she'd been working pretty well non-stop for the last two days. She had everything from chocolate flowers in pink, purple, yellow and orange, bushes made from chocolate covered fruits and chocolate trees with meringue blossoms. The meringues in a variety of colours had been cheerfully supplied by a meringue shop down the street.

  Heath had gone to town creating a series of bugs which included everything from butterflies and ladybugs to a caterpillar smoking a pipe. The latter he'd perched on an orange spotted mushroom.

  She wasn't at all sure about it. "He looks positively stoned. It's just not appropriate," she started to say but Heath cut her off.

  "Did you read Alice in Wonderland? Or a lot of the classic fairy tales. Really the only explanation for some of them was a stoned author," Heath had said grinning. "Sides, I don't think the kids there will have a clue what it's about."

  Maybe not but she was sticking the mushrooms in the back so that they wouldn't be noticed.

  Ally, a friend of Heath's who'd gone to cooking school with him made chocolate benches for her along with some marzipan dogs and a striped orange cat. She herself spent hours figuring out the best way to make a grass 'turf' out of green chocolate.

  "White chocolate isn't actually chocolate," Marcus had said. Another cooking school graduate he'd given her a lesson in the difference between white chocolate and true chocolate. "It doesn't actually contain any chocolate liquor you know – just cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla and lecithin. Some doesn't even have cocoa butter, they use vegetable fat instead for the cheaper brands." He wrinkled his nose up is disgust.

  "Maybe not but most people consider white chocolate, chocolate. And it makes it possible to do green grass and coloured flowers," she'd said. "That's chocolate enough for me." She sensed she'd offended his puritan pride. She didn't care. She felt fairly certain Tracey Vandemeer didn't care so much about whether something was technically chocolate or not. She wanted a Willy Wonka theme for her party and was paying her a great deal of money for it. That was good enough for Maxine.

  As Marcus and Ally helped lift in one last container filled with chocolate creations along with a cake designed to look like the Willy Wonka chocolate factory she couldn't help wondering about the claims Bernice had made. She just couldn't see either Ron or Tracy doing anything to run the old lady off. And if this party was anything to go by they weren't having any money troubles.

  When she'd mentioned running into Bernice, Tracey had scoffed at the old lady's accusations.

  "Whatever
were you doing out there? It's true they were buying up land in order to make their project even bigger but Ron was more than fair with Bernice.

  He offered her above market value and even offered to get her a place in an assisted living facility at a reduced rate. From what he said she shouldn't be on her own. But she absolutely refused. So he backed off."

  Tracey was right. It wasn't any of her business and what else could Ron have done? Still…

  Tracey met her at the door, her smile radiant. Maxine felt her stomach twist. Her husband had just died. And this … this whole thing seemed way over the top. She might not have actually danced a jig on her husband's grave but she certainly had an unusual way of grieving.

  "Lindy and Ric are at their aunt's place. She's taken them shopping but she'll have them back by 12:30. Does that give you time to get everything set up?"

  "It should be fine," she said.

  "That assistant of yours, Heath? – is setting up a chocolate river in the living room. Really, I'm just amazed at what you can achieve."

  Maxine smiled. "That's our job, to create whatever the client wants."

  "Whatever? Does that mean anything?"

  "Within reason," Maxine said hastily.

  "Well – your assistant's just in the living room. If there's anything I can do to help just let me know."

  "Will do," Maxine said as she motioned for Ally and Marcus to follow her in with containers filled with everything they'd need to transform the living room into a Willy Wonka wonderland. She noted with relief that Heath seemed to have everything pretty much set up for the fountain and chocolate river.

  She gave Ally the tiles of green grass she'd made to put around the river bed. Over by the window she placed the larger tree.

  She frowned briefly. It was true Tracey had air conditioning and right now the sun wasn't heating up the living room, but if it did…Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry she moved the tree over to the other side of the living room. Next she put some of the chocolate boulders she'd made and then a chocolate ground area.

  Marcus was busy helping Heath. They were still working madly away to get everything set up just perfectly when Tracey breezed back in.

  "I can't believe what you've done with this place. It's absolutely marvelous. Nikki just called to say she's on her way back with Lindy and Ric."

  Maxine smiled at her. "We'll be out of the way by the time she gets here."

  Heath looked at her as if she was crazy which she ignored. First rule of catering. Anything that wasn't done in time – wasn't done. The party must go on. And really – it looked good.

  "I'll set up the adult's area now if you'd like and then we'll be in the kitchen getting everything ready.

  Tracey smiled at her, but for the first time Maxine got a sense of nervousness from her, of barely contained fear. "Lindy will love this! It's just what she needs – to – well, you know…"

  Maxine nodded. "They've gone through a lot. You all have."

  "More than you can imagine," Tracey said, with a hint of bitterness in her voice. Then she gave a forced smile. "Things are going to get better now. You'll see."

  "I certainly hope so," Maxine said. She'd wanted to ask what, if anything the police had said about Ron's case but that would have to wait. Right now it was party time!

  As Lindy and Ric arrived with their aunt Nikki, Maxine felt her face freeze in shock. Nikki was their aunt? As in Nikki Benshaw, the columnist for Look, their local gossip paper? How had she not known that?

  Lindy squealed in delight while Ric seemed impressed too, although at fourteen he seemed to feel it beneath him to show too much excitement. As their friends began to arrive Maxine was happy to hear exclamations about the flowers, the chocolate river, the grass, everything.

  Heath just grinned as Ric stopped to point out his caterpillar to a couple of his friends. Judging by the noise level Maxine felt the party was a big success. Particularly since Lindy seemed to be actually forgetting herself and just having a good time for once. Maybe Tracey had been right. A party was what they needed to bring some light back into their lives.

  She arranged a tray of assorted chocolate truffles and took them into the ladies who were eating finger sandwiches and talking.

  "No, nothing. Or if they do know they're not saying anything to me," Tracey said.

  An older woman Maxine had never seen before gave a bitter half-laugh. "Well, you're certainly not letting his death slow you down." A tear slipped from her eyes.

  "We've talked about this Ann," Tracey said in a tone of measured patience. "I think it's best if the children have as normal a life as possible."

  Everyone else seemed frozen in place. "I don't care," Ann said dismissively, "it's not right. My Ron deserved better."

  Her Ron? His mother maybe?

  "Ron would've felt the same way I do," Tracey said. "He always said he didn't believe in grieving for the dead. He believed in living life to the fullest. It's what he would've wanted for Lindy. In fact we'd talked about having a Willie Wonka birthday party with her before he died."

  Ann seemed to be having a hard time not breaking down completely. As Maxine put down the tray of truffles she took the opportunity to put her arm around Ann. "Here, why don't you come out with me for a minute and I'll get you a cup of tea."

  She led her out into the kitchen where she sat her down in front of a small TV. "I know it's difficult."

  Ann gave a small, strangled cry. "It's just that he was my only son."

  "I'm sure Tracey understands. She's trying to do the best she can for the children, to keep everything going…"

  Even as she uttered comforting words and made up a pot of chamomile tea for her with a few biscuits she was only too aware that she'd had the same feeling. And Ron wasn't her son.

  "The police will do everything they can to solve the case," she said soothingly.

  "The police are idiots," Ann said harshly. "I'm amazed they haven't done anything more than given a cursory interview to Tracey. Follow the money," she said darkly, "follow the money." After that cryptic comment she lapsed into silence.

  "That's what you get for dancing on his grave," Wendy said dryly as Maxine entered the small room again.

  "Enough," Nikki barked. "That woman wouldn't be happy unless we were all wearing sack cloth and ashes."

  "As usual the food is excellent," Devon said, changing the topic.

  "I'm glad you like it," Maxine said smiling. The tall, willowy brunette had a casual elegance about her that Maxine would've loved to emulate.

  "I'm giving a small party," Devon said easily to her. "Give me a call tonight. I'd love it if you could cater it."

  "Really you should come as a guest another lady chimed in. Devon's investment parties are the best."

  "The best," Sanje agreed. "I've learned so much about investing. Really, you can't afford to let your money sit in bonds or a savings account."

  Maxine shook her head. "I'm sinking everything I have into getting my chocolate business going."

  "There's never a better time to learn," Devon said warmly. "Then when you have some extra money maybe something I've said may stick with you. Anyway you can listen in while you're there. And I'll be happy to go over anything later, if you have any questions."

  Maxine agreed to at least listen, curious to see what type of party Devon would come up with. Rumour had it she was an extremely successful stockbroker in her own right. And David Matthews, her cardiac surgeon husband had to be making big bucks as well.

  "Would you mind if I took a few pictures," Maxine asked now. She'd taken some earlier before the guests had arrived but sometimes it was nice to also have pictures with the guests. If she used them for anything besides personal she'd make sure she'd check with whoever was in the picture for permission to use it. But most were only too happy to have their pictures used for promotional purposes particularly if there was some free chocolate involved.

  Chapter Five

  She chopped mushrooms and added them to th
e simmering stock. She'd been counting on having Heath help her but he'd come down with a cold and was out for the count. Ally had come in for the day along with Marcus for the afternoon but they'd both had plans for the night.

  That left her, although Tanya had offered to pitch in. Cooking wasn't her best skill however. And she'd actually been invited to a wine tasting with her new guy.

  "I don't know." She rolled her eye. "I mean Dan's great. Good looking, successful."

  "But," Maxine had said, chopping tomatoes as she spoke.

  "It's going to be a boring night. Dan says we have to go because there's some people there he wants to connect with." She sighed heavily.

  "But…"

  "He doesn't want me to drink more than one glass one wine." Tanya's shoulders slumped slightly at the admission.

  "Ouch!" She knew Tanya tended to over-indulge on occasion.

  "I mean, this is like our second date and it's not as if I got smashed the last time. He just says he's got a thing against drinking."

  "And he picks a wine tasting?" She chopped faster, angry on Tanya's behalf. She knew her friend's drinking had caused her problems in the past but this seemed so insensitive.

  "Yeah, he says it for business."

  "What type of business?"

  "I don't know. Investments of some kind."

  "Really?" Maxine's ears perked up. "I'm doing an investment party for Devon Matthews. Ask him if he knows anything about her."

  Tanya shrugged. "You think she has something to do with Ron Vandemeers' death?"

  Startled, Maxine lifted her head, almost cutting a finger in surprise. "Not that I know of. But she keeps showing up everywhere. And since she's trying to talk me into investing now….I just thought I'd check out what your friend says."

  "Yeah, sure." Tanya took one of the dark chocolate orange crisps as she prepared to head out. "Love these," she'd said biting into it as she opened the door.

  The tomato soup made earlier was now resting comfortably in the cooler ready for tomorrow. The Wild Mushroom soup was just about ready to join it.