by Gayle Leeson
He finally looked up at me. “Yes, ma’am, eggs and a side of bacon would really hit the spot.”
The conversation was over. I wasn’t going to find out what happened from him. I told him I’d get his breakfast out to him right away.
* * *
We had a little lull at about a quarter to nine, and I pulled Jackie aside to ask how she felt about uniforms.
“It depends on what they look like. These things Lou Lou made us wear are ugly with a capital U.” She spread her hands, indicating the pale orange–and-white-checked uniforms. “I’d say she got them on sale somewhere because no one else wanted them. What have you got in mind?”
“I was thinking that the staff could either wear casual clothing covered by DOWN SOUTH CAFÉ aprons, or we could wear matching T-shirts with our logo.”
Jackie nodded. “I like that idea. Plus, you could sell the T-shirts and aprons to customers for an additional source of income.”
“You really think people would buy them?”
“Sure, they would. Tourists love things like that.”
“I guess we could order some extra,” I said.
“What about pants?”
“I was thinking jeans.”
“Jeans are good,” said Jackie.
“By the way, do you know anything about a disagreement between Preacher Robinson and Lou Lou? It would have happened about two years ago.” I told Jackie about the pastor coming in this morning wanting to reinstate his Bible study sessions at the café.
Brow furrowed, she stared at the wall just above my head. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, I do remember that! In fact, it was just after I started working here, and I remember it like it was yesterday! During the Bible study, Preacher Robinson said that in four separate places in the Bible—Genesis, Matthew, Mark, and Ephesians—a man is instructed to leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife.”
“And Lou Lou thought he was talking about her and Pete?”
Jackie nodded. “Apparently so, because she stormed out of that kitchen and told him that she and Pete were none of his congregation’s business and that he needed to do his Bible studying elsewhere.”
“Wow. Is it just me, or does it seem kind of extreme that she would make that leap from one passage of the Bible to Pastor Robinson attacking her and her son because Pete still lived at home?”
“Oh, it was extreme, all right. But the thing was, Pete had been dating a woman in the congregation, and I believe her family was putting pressure on her to marry.”
“And she was putting pressure on Pete,” I guessed.
Jackie chuckled. “Poor woman. I don’t know if she encouraged the preacher to have that particular study—and to have it here—or not, but that was the end of her dating Pete too.”
“Who was she?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She was quite a bit older than us, so neither of us had gone to high school with her. After that, the whole congregation boycotted Lou’s Joint, and I think she finally started going to church in Abingdon. Hopefully, she met somebody there.”
“Hopefully, someone not quite as henpecked.” I shook my head. So maybe that explained why Pete had tried to keep his relationship with Chris Anne from his mom.
“Before I forget,” Jackie said, lowering her voice, “I ran into Aaron yesterday evening at the grocery store and casually struck up a conversation about Lou Lou’s murder. I told him I was at home watching television and had no clue anything had even happened until the next day. He said, ‘Same here.’”
“Which, I guess, technically means he has no verifiable alibi.”
She turned down the corners of her mouth. “Neither do I. Shouldn’t you add me to the list?”
I half smiled. “Nah. If either of us had planned to do someone in, she’d have called on the other to help her.”
Jackie laughed. “That’s true.”
Homer Pickens came into the café and sat on a stool at the counter. I went over to pour him some coffee.
“Good morning, Homer. Who’s your hero today?”
“Liam Neeson.”
I was eager to hear Homer’s reasoning behind his choice. “I like his movies,” I said. “If I’m ever kidnapped, I hope he’ll come rescue me.”
Homer nodded and smiled wistfully. “He’s strong. And I love his voice. It can be gentle or menacing.” Homer tried to affect Mr. Neeson’s voice. He failed miserably. “And don’t worry, Amy. If you are ever kidnapped, I’ll find you. Maybe. I’ll at least try.”
“Thanks. Sausage biscuit coming right up.”
Brooke came rushing into the Joint. “Amy, I need to talk with you for a minute. It’s urgent.”
I called to Jackie and asked her to make Homer his sausage biscuit, and then I joined Brooke at a table in the far corner.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, I know you were talking about buying this place from Pete Holman, so I thought this news might be of interest to you,” she said. “Eddie March, a writer for the Winter Garden News, came into the nursing home to see his grandmother this morning. He said that the area immediately surrounding Lou’s Joint is about to be designated a historical site because of some Civil War battle that was fought here.”
“So what does that mean? Will the government buy Pete out and tear down the café to put up some kind of memorial or something?”
“I don’t think so. From the way Eddie talked, it means the café will go up in value. He said that George Lincoln with the Chamber of Commerce had spoken to Lou Lou about buying the Joint, tearing it down, and building a bed-and-breakfast on this site.”
“Wow. Thanks for letting me know. When was this?” I asked.
“Only about a week and a half to two weeks ago. It couldn’t have been long before you made your offer.”
“I wonder if Lou Lou had been considering accepting Mr. Lincoln’s offer. She acted to me like she’d never sell her daddy’s place, but I have to wonder if she was just holding out for more money.”
“Either way, if you want to buy this place, you need to do it,” said Brooke. “Mr. Lincoln will be talking with Pete soon if he hasn’t done so already.”
“Thanks, Brooke.”
“You’re welcome, Amy. I need to get back.”
I passed by Homer and patted his shoulder. “Good?”
“The best. Thank you.” He was still trying to talk like Liam Neeson, and it just sounded weird.
I went into the kitchen.
“What’s up?” asked Jackie.
I told her about Brooke’s news.
“I agree with Brooke.” Jackie took off the gloves she’d been wearing while cooking. “If you want to buy this place, you’d better move on it today.”
“I will.”
“Really?” She smiled. “I’m so excited for you!”
I nodded.
Her smile faded slightly. “Wait. Aren’t you excited?”
“Yeah, but I’m scared too. This is a big step.”
“One big step for you,” she said. “One giant leap for Winter Garden.”
I smiled. Although I kept my thoughts to myself, I knew that if Pete could get more money, then he should. He was trying to start a new business too. I’d try to match George Lincoln’s offer, but if I couldn’t, I’d have to build elsewhere. I wanted to be fair to Pete.
Chapter 9
Pete staggered in at about one thirty that afternoon looking like he’d been bear hunting with a switch. “I’m awfully sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” He rubbed his forehead. “I wasn’t feeling very well this morning.”
“You don’t look like you’re feeling very well now,” I said. “Why don’t I finish out the day here, and you go on back home?”
“I really would appreciate that. I’ll make sure you’re paid double time for it.”
“
Thank you. Also, if you’re up to it later, I’d like to discuss buying the café from you.”
His eyes sprang from their half-closed state to wide-open. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. If you’re sure you want to sell, I’m sure I want to buy.”
“Then close up the café an hour early this afternoon and meet me up at Billy Hancock’s office,” said Pete. “I’ll call him and get him to start drawing up the paperwork.”
“Are you certain?” I asked. “You don’t have any other offers to consider or anything?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I heard this morning that George Lincoln wanted to buy the café from your mom. I thought he might’ve made you an offer too. If he did, I’ll try to match it, but—”
“George Lincoln wants to buy the Joint and tear it down. He told Momma that right to her face. He kept coming back and trying to change her mind, but she wouldn’t have it, and I won’t either. My granddaddy built this restaurant, and I won’t have it torn down.”
“You do realize that I’m planning on changing the name and the decor, don’t you?”
“Sure, I do. But that’s all right. I’ll still be able to drive by here and see the building and know that it was started by my granddaddy and that there’s a Holman legacy right on this very spot.”
“All right.”
“So I can go ahead and call Billy?” he asked.
“Yep. Just let me know if he can see us today. If he can, I’ll close up early.”
“Thanks, Amy. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.” And, with that, he was out the door.
As I stood there watching him back his pickup truck out into the road, Jackie put her hand on my shoulder.
“I heard most of that,” she said. “And I’m proud of you. I’m really glad you’ve finally decided to make your café a reality.”
“You don’t think I’m hanging my basket higher than I can reach?”
“No way. And if you can’t reach it, we’ll get you a stepladder.”
I hugged her. “I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“Look around. See how much happier everybody has been when you’ve been running things? The waitresses get to keep all their tips. People are laughing and talking while they enjoy their food. Now imagine how much better it will be when we have a pretty new café with cool outfits.”
I smiled. “It will be nice, won’t it?”
“It’ll be the best. You know it will.”
* * *
That afternoon, I closed Lou’s Joint early, and I hurried over to Billy Hancock’s office. Like Jackie had been earlier, Sarah was brimming with excitement when she saw me.
“Can you believe it? It’s really happening!” she said.
“I know. I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before. Dang, I’ve never even bought a new car.” I raised a trembling hand to my chest. “This is my first major purchase.”
“But it’s all right. You have the money to do it with. It’s not like you’re going into debt forever.”
“I know, but what if I fail?” Why was my resolve so quick to run out on me?
“What if you do? You’re young enough to start over with something else.” She laughed. “Girl, grab that brass ring and hang on tight! You’re doing this!”
I knew she was right. But I was just so scared. And Sarah could see that.
“Remember that time when we were about ten years old, and we went with Roger to his uncle’s farm?” she asked. “We all went to the hay barn, and we climbed up to the loft. Roger told us how fun it was to jump off into the hay. Remember?”
“I remember.”
“He and I jumped again and again, but you were too afraid to jump. Finally, Roger pushed you. You screamed all the way down, and when you hit the bottom, you laughed. Then you immediately ran back up that ladder so you could jump again. This situation is just like that . . . except safer than jumping into a pile of hay.” She smiled. “Making the initial leap is scary, but when you see how great it’s going to be, you’ll love it.”
I laughed. “If I remember correctly, Roger’s uncle told our parents and we got grounded for a month for that little stunt.”
“Yeah. But it was worth it, wasn’t it?”
“It was. Could you call Roger and see if he’d come over and push me into Billy’s office?”
“If you need a push this time, I’ll do it myself.” She jerked her head toward the door. “Now go. They’re waiting for you.”
* * *
On Friday morning, I woke up with the thought, I’m a business owner! The truth was I wasn’t officially yet—Pete and I still had to meet at Billy Hancock’s office again that afternoon to sign the papers—but I was pretty much the proud owner of the soon-to-be Down South Café.
“Thanks, Nana,” I said aloud. “If she couldn’t hear that, would you tell her for me, God? I’d appreciate it.” Like God didn’t have better things to do than to pass along messages to my grandmother.
What a week it had been. On Monday—had it truly been only Monday?—I had resigned from my job waitressing at Lou’s Joint and offered to buy the place. Of course, later that same night, I’d found Lou Lou dead. And now I owned the café.
Geez, no wonder the police thought I might’ve killed Lou Lou. And they probably didn’t even know about my actually buying the café yet. In my defense, it was Pete who’d insisted on selling so quickly.
He’d also insisted on manning the grill all day today since I’d handled it yesterday. I’d tried to get him to at least let me take the morning shift, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said that staying busy helped keep his mind off his momma’s death. He also told me that after the funeral tomorrow, he wanted to focus on happy memories and moving forward with his life. So this was his last day at Lou’s Joint. He said he’d probably feel sentimental, but he was glad the Joint was passing into good hands.
I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. I put food into the pets’ bowls and made a to-do list while I ate my cereal. On the list, I put join the Chamber of Commerce, choose my color scheme, set up a meeting with Roger, publish a website, get business cards made up, get laminated menus printed, prepare a budget.
I decided to work my way down the list, starting with joining the Chamber of Commerce. I took a shower, French braided my hair, put on a sundress and sandals, and headed downtown.
The Chamber of Commerce was housed in a long, two-story brick building along with the mayor’s office, sheriff’s office, and post office. Winter Garden was nothing if not efficient with the limited amount of space it had. The Chamber of Commerce was on the second floor. I took the stairs and met Deputy Hall leaving the post office. It struck me again how handsome he was. If only he didn’t think I might be a murderer.
“Morning. Nice dress,” he said, then looked a little bashful, like maybe he shouldn’t have complimented me.
“Thank you.”
“What brings you by?”
“I’m joining the Chamber of Commerce,” I said. “Pete practically forced me into making a decision about the café, and I bought it. We sign the papers this afternoon.”
“Congratulations.” He smiled. “I’ll have to stop in sometime.”
“Please do.” I looked around to make sure no one was paying any attention to us. “Any new leads?”
“I’m afraid not. But we’re stringently pursuing the ones we do have. Have you . . . heard anything or come up with any new theories?”
“No, but I’ll keep you posted.”
“No threats or anything?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s good.” He smiled again. “Although, if you need me, you know how to get in touch.”
“Just whistle? Put my lips together and blow?” I laughed. “Sorry. I’ve seen that movie too many times.”
“
To Have and Have Not. It’s one of my favorites too.”
“You like old movies?” I asked.
“Yeah . . . I do.” His eyes held mine for a long moment.
I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks. “See you soon,” I said as breezily as I possibly could. I felt his eyes still on me as I walked down the hall to the Chamber of Commerce. I wanted to turn and look back at him, but I didn’t dare.
I pushed open the door and was immediately hit by a cool waft of air. The entire municipal office building was air-conditioned, of course, but this office must have turned its thermostat down to fifty. The slim short-haired receptionist wore a sweater over her summer dress, and she still had her shoulders hunched up to her ears like she was freezing.
“Hi,” she said. “How can I help you today?”
“Well, I’m here to join the Chamber, but if you’d like, I can watch the phones for you for a few minutes if you want to go outside and warm up.”
“Thanks for the offer, but the boss would have my hide.” She handed me a form. “Just fill this out, and we’ll make you official. What kind of business do you have?”
“A café. I’m calling it the Down South Café.” I smiled. “I hope you’ll drop in once I get it up and running.”
“I sure will.” She smiled. “It’ll be nice to have a new café in town. Where are you located?”
“I bought Lou’s Joint from Pete Holman. All I have to do is get it renovated.”
A bulky man with a bad comb-over came rushing out of the office behind the reception area. “Did I hear you correctly, young lady? Did you say you’d purchased Lou’s Joint?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When was this?”
“Yesterday.”
He gave his head two fast shakes as if he could dislodge what he’d just heard. “You moved quickly, didn’t you?”
“Actually, it was Pete Holman who wanted to sell the business,” I said. “He wants to do something else, and he didn’t want to delay.”
“Could you come into my office, please?”
He was obviously furious, and I wasn’t going anywhere with him. “Given your tone, I’d prefer to talk with you right here.” I thought he could fling any accusations at me from behind the receptionist’s desk as easily as he could from behind his own.