Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 05 - Smashed Potatoes and Gravy

by Ginny Gold

  Zach sat back down and said, “Twenty minutes. Make sure you’re hungry.”

  Kori’s stomach growled at the thought of filling it. The smells all afternoon had helped her work up an appetite, but she had a habit of not eating when she was working. Not that she really thought of today’s time in the café as work.

  With the much needed down time, Kori thought about everything that had happened in the last few days. From Jenna’s arrest to Vera’s questioning, she couldn’t help but wonder who was really at fault for Lou’s murder. She suspected it was Victor, but there was only one way to find out.

  “So, about Lou McKay …” she said, turning to face Zach.

  “Mmm-hmmm,” he hummed while sipping his wine and making no effort to offer any information.

  “If Jenna’s innocent, and Vera was in the shelter at the time of his murder, could Victor McKay have killed him?”

  Zach put his glass of wine down on the coffee table and then draped his arm over Kori’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but lean further into him. “Why are you asking?”

  Kori hesitated. Why was she asking? Her friends had already been proven innocent, so why did she feel the need to still investigate?

  “I guess I just know too much about the case now. I need some closure.”

  Zach laughed. “Closure, huh? Good thing you’re not a detective. Way too many cases go unsolved with no closure.”

  Kori considered this. “So, is this an unsolved homicide then? Has it been closed?”

  Zach slowly shook his head and then leaned it back onto the couch. “No. But we’ve only been following dead ends so far and it’s been more than forty-eight hours. Way too many murders are left unsolved if the killer isn’t caught in the first two days.”

  “Well, maybe I can help you make sure this one isn’t one of those unsolved mysteries.”

  Zach turned to face Kori, not lifting his head from where it was resting. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “But think about it. There was Tessa’s murder that I was framed for and I figured out who’d killed her. And then there was Heidi Fischer where Jay was framed and I figured out who’d killed her. And Dan Roche at Nora’s farm. And even Marty Rivers. It’s not like I haven’t solved a murder before. And I’ve been following this from the beginning. And I have a different perspective than you do. If you’d just tell me what else you know …” Kori let the request hang there in the air between them.

  “Okay, so you think Victor could have killed his brother? How’d you come to that conclusion?” Zach asked, still not sitting up, but life coming back into his eyes. Kori knew he was really listening to what she had to say.

  “Well, I talked to Bill and Eve Bell. He went to college with Lou and Victor’s dad and he knew that there was some bad blood between all the guys in the family. And when their parents died, Victor received nothing. Money is usually a good motivator for revenge, so could Victor have killed his brother over their past to get at the money?” Kori left out anything about the lawsuit that would have made Victor a wealthy man.

  Zach nodded his head slowly. “That does all make sense.”

  Kori smiled to herself.

  “But Victor was on the video surveillance at the Cove Inn at the time of the murder.”

  ***

  When the oven beeped again, dinner was ready. Kori made a promise to herself not to ask Zach about the murder again for the rest of the day. If he brought it up, there was nothing she could do about it. But she’d enjoy the rest of Thanksgiving without forcing him to talk about his work.

  They both sat at the small table and let the smells envelop them before digging in. Kori’s plate was covered with sliced turkey drenched in gravy, a healthy pile of stuffing, cranberry sauce, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and carrots. The wide array of colors made her even hungrier and she was tempted to take a photo to remember her first Thanksgiving with Zach.

  He must have read her mind because he took his phone out and was ready to snap a picture of her with her plate. Before he had the chance, Kori went to his side of the table and sat in his lap, holding his plate in front of her. He laughed and turned the phone around, taking a selfie of their small family.

  “Ibis needs some of this too,” Kori said, putting his plate back down and standing up. She cut a little bit of meat from the remaining bones on the counter and placed them in the dog bowl on the kitchen floor.

  Ibis smelled it immediately and the meat was gone in seconds. Kori and Zach took their time enjoying each part of the meal and every unique flavor.

  “You could have your own cooking show,” Zach said after eating his first bite of turkey covered with cranberry sauce and stuffing. He’d foregone the gravy, surprising Kori with that choice.

  Kori smiled. “Thanks for the sentiment, but I’m sure there are already plenty of cooking shows out there. With higher trained chefs than I am.”

  “Maybe higher trained, but not as skilled.”

  Kori did have to agree that the meal was perfect. Nothing was over or under salted, something she found far too often when eating at a restaurant or a meal that was cooked for a large crowd. Each flavor seemed to complement the last and the next bites, making the meal that much more enjoyable because it only seemed to get better. And the company certainly couldn’t be improved upon.

  “I’m not sure what I know can really be taught. I think my food is so good because I just love cooking it.”

  “That may be, but it can definitely be taught. Once someone’s confident in the kitchen, they might like cooking more and their food will get better.”

  “Mmm. Maybe,” Kori said, then stuffed her mouth with more Thanksgiving goodness.

  By the time they were both finished, neither one of them was missing the pies they didn’t have for dessert. They made their way back to the couch, the dishes only in the sink, and lay down to digest. It would be hours until either of them was ready for any other kind of dessert.

  CHAPTER 17

  Kori woke up Friday morning kicking herself for not giving herself the whole long weekend off. She was still tired and wanted to stay in bed next to Zach. But she didn’t give herself much of a chance to pity her own decision and she got up.

  The windows were covered with last night’s frost and Kori knew winter was just around the corner. Before long, she’d be taking her early morning walks with Ibis in the snow.

  “I didn’t think of that when I adopted you, did I?” she asked her faithful dog before slipping on extra layers. Then she brushed her teeth, put on her jacket and mittens, grabbed the leash and headed downstairs.

  The morning air was extra quiet with the added insulation of the frost. The moon was still out and it lit their way along Main Street just after four in the morning.

  “Maybe I can just make a winter schedule and start later,” Kori thought out loud just before a little red sports car came speeding down the street toward her. “Too bad Zach is asleep upstairs and can’t pull that guy over,” she said to Ibis as she watched the car retreat. She’d tried to get a good look at whoever was driving but could only tell that it was a woman. She didn’t notice the license plate so she couldn’t even call it in. But the car looked ominously similar to one that she’d seen Monday morning.

  “Oh well. They’re probably heading to Black Friday sales and are already late,” she mused. She thought the whole idea of giving thanks on Thursday, followed by binge shopping for things the buyers probably didn’t even really need had totally taken away from the holiday spirit. Instead, a capitalist and material attitude had replaced the family aspect of the holidays.

  Once back in the café, Kori looked at the mess in the walk-in fridge and over all the counters she’d left herself from yesterday and got to work. Pans needed to be soaked before she could get them fully clean and leftovers had to be dealt with.

  The mashed potatoes would get fried this morning for a side with eggs. The butternut squash would become a savory breakfast pie. Kori would keep just about everything els
e or donate it tonight at the food bank. It wasn’t quite reusable for breakfast items but she looked forward to turkey soup for herself.

  Once the pie was in the oven and Kori had the rest of the menu up—yogurt and granola and French toast—she sat down at her desk, Ibis asleep at her feet. It wasn’t yet five thirty when she had to open, even though she didn’t expect an early crowd, and she wasn’t hungry after everything she’d eaten last night for dinner.

  So she took some time to look into Gordon Wood Supply, the company McKay Realty had sued years ago. She was out of suspects and needed to start over. She hoped that Gordon Wood Supply would lead her somewhere helpful.

  It wasn’t easy finding information about the company. When she finally did, it looked like it had struggled for decades. But it didn’t take her long to figure out why.

  When Gordon Wood Supply had been sued, part of the final settlement meant that McKay Realty earned a portion of their profits every year. Kori couldn’t figure out what the lawsuit was about, but whatever it had been must have been serious. She wondered why Gordon Wood Supply hadn’t just shut down and started over. Or why the owners hadn’t switched careers instead of giving away a portion of their profits every year.

  The owner of the company, Michael Gordon, was barely even present on their disorganized website. He didn’t have a photo and she had to continue searching to figure out who he was.

  When she found his picture, her heart stopped beating and she knew she had a new lead. Michael Gordon had been in her café earlier this week. He was the father to Jenna’s cousin Dani Clark.

  Could he have killed Lou over the lawsuit?

  Kori didn’t have time to look into it further because Zach came down the steps from her upstairs apartment and surprised her in her office.

  “I didn’t think you’d get up before noon,” Kori said, standing up and kissing him.

  “I wish. I definitely could have slept that long after last night’s dinner. And dessert.” His mouth curled up at the sides as he said those last words.

  Kori checked the time and said, “I’ve gotta open. You staying for a cup of coffee?”

  “No, sorry. Lani called already. There’s a lead we’ve gotta check out.”

  “Michael Gordon?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  Zach tilted his head to the side. “How’d you guess?”

  Kori headed toward the front door and answered as he followed her. “You said the inheritance wasn’t the only money involved, and I had found out about McKay Realty suing Gordon Wood Supply, so I looked into who owned it. It wasn’t easy, but I tracked down Michael Gordon online as the owner. And he was here for breakfast on Tuesday. So he was in town this week.”

  Zach nodded. “Maybe I should be telling you more. Just don’t go looking for him. Lani’s doing that and I’m gonna go help.”

  “Good luck. And yes, you should be telling me more,” Kori said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before he left.

  “Thanks. I’ll pick you up at four. Be ready.”

  Kori nodded. She was actually looking forward to volunteering at the food bank tonight. Then she turned the sign to open and went back to her office to see if she could find anything else to help Zach prove Michael had been the killer.

  ***

  At ten, the café was still slow and Kori wished she hadn’t opened. With the long day she’d put in yesterday, and the amount of food she knew everyone in town had indulged in, business was at one of its slowest points ever.

  But finally, Jenna and Kyle came in, holding on to each other the whole time, clearly relieved to be back together, and surrounded by family. Kori recognized Jenna’s mom Darla, sister Judy, cousin Dani and her husband Jeff. She assumed that the other men in the party must be Jenna’s dad and Judy’s husband.

  Kori noticed that Dani’s dad, Michael, wasn’t there and assumed he was still with Zach being questioned. She studied Dani’s body language as the group chatted and was surprised at how relaxed she seemed, knowing her dad was being questioned about a murder.

  Behind Jenna’s group, Kori was surprised to see Kiera come in with her parents. They rarely had breakfast here, and after yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner in the café, she didn’t think she’d see them until next year. Bill and Eve waved their greeting and Kiera came over and asked, “How’s it going? I can work if you need me to.”

  Kori smiled at Kiera’s offer. “Absolutely not. This is the busiest it’s been all day.” Kori swept her arm around the café where there were still plenty of unoccupied seats. “You’re stuck eating with your parents again today,” Kori teased, getting Kiera to laugh before turning around and joining them at a small table.

  Kori was happy to be busy and approached Jenna’s table first. She was introduced to Jenna’s father, Steve, and Judy’s husband, Caleb.

  “How’d your Thanksgiving go yesterday?” Jenna asked, a relaxed energy exuding off of her.

  “It was so great,” Kori said, reliving the feeling of community that had washed over her yesterday. “How was yours? You had just as many people to cook for.”

  Jenna nodded, still smiling. “It was really special to have everyone here.”

  “Always is. Can I get you all started with coffees?”

  Everyone at the table nodded and Kori noticed plenty of tired looking eyes. She walked away, still tuned in to Dani’s behavior. She wanted to be able to offer any other clues to Zach if he couldn’t get a confession out of her dad.

  Once Jenna’s party was happily drinking coffee, she headed over to Kiera’s table and brought them even more coffee. The holidays were always a sure bet for one thing—plenty of coffee drinkers.

  Kori noticed that Dani glanced around the café as she chatted with her family. She couldn’t quite seem to focus just on what was going on at their table, but wanted to know what was happening everywhere else. Still, for having her dad at the police department as a suspect for murder, Kori thought her demeanor was much too calm.

  The rest of the day was just as slow for the café as the morning had started. Jenna’s family stayed until closing and Kori had to finally kick them out at one fifteen after she had already cleaned up. She couldn’t help watching where everyone went after they walked out the front door and she watched Dani get into a small red sports car, her husband walking toward Jenna’s house down the street with the rest of the group.

  Dani was driving the same car Kori had seen speeding through town this morning, and on Monday. With some quick thinking she couldn’t even remember having later, she grabbed Dani’s coffee mug and put it next to the cash register. If Zach needed her fingerprints, then this would do the trick.

  Then she called Ibis, quickly locked the café and ran to her car behind the café. She had to find out where Dani was going and why she was always in a rush.

  CHAPTER 18

  Kori thought she might have lost Dani in the time it had taken her to get in her car but she soon saw her double back up Main Street. Kori pulled onto the street behind her and followed her away from the center of town.

  Ibis sat in the back seat, seeming to know something exciting was happening, or thinking they were heading to Nora’s house where she’d get to play with Milo and Otis.

  Kori continued following Dani, having no idea where she might be going. She wasn’t even sure Dani knew where she was going. It seemed like she was driving in circles or trying not to be followed. Kori kept her distance, and kept Dani in her sights.

  Finally, Dani pulled into a driveway that Kori recognized. They were at Lou McKay’s house on Cardinal Drive. But the black SUV with Michigan plates that she’d seen earlier in the week was now gone.

  Kori passed Lou’s driveway and pulled into another one further down the street. She didn’t want Dani to think she’d been followed and this made it look like Kori lived in the area. She wasn’t so far away that she couldn’t see Dani get out of the car and look around. Kori ducked and hoped she hadn’t been spotted.

  Too many questi
ons were going through Kori’s mind to think clearly. Had she and Zach been right about Michael? Was Dani here to clear her dad’s name? Could she be planting evidence while Victor was gone from the house?

  Once Kori could think straight again, she backed out of the driveway and parked on the street. Then she pulled out her phone and called Zach on his cell phone, hoping he was finished with Michael and was available to answer. She knew he wouldn’t want her following anyone, especially someone who was related to the most likely murderer.

  “Kori, I was just about to call you,” Zach said after just one ring.

  His greeting threw her off her train of thought and she paused before responding. “Oh? About what?”

  “I wanted to let you know that Michael confessed.” Kori could hear happiness in Zach’s voice. It must make his job easier when there was a confession rather than having to prove in court that the suspect was guilty.

  “That’s great.”

  Kori sat in silence for a moment, watching Dani enter Lou’s house down the street.

  “What’s up with you? Why’d you call?” Zach finally asked.

  “Oh. Right. Um. Well. I’m down the street from Lou’s house and I’m watching Michael Gordon’s daughter walk into it.”

  “You’re where?” Zach asked, panic replacing the earlier happiness.

  “Lou McKay’s house is being broken into by Michael Gordon’s daughter. Right now. As we speak.”

  “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right there.”

  Zach hung up and Kori put her phone down without taking her eyes off of Lou’s house. Dani hadn’t emerged and it looked like there was no activity. Kori considered her options and knew that Zach’s advice was for the best. She should stay put.

  But what if she just walked by with Ibis on the leash? Dani would recognize her for sure. But she wouldn’t know Kori didn’t live around here. Unless Jenna had told her. Dani had spent plenty of time in the café this week for that to have come up.

  She decided to take her chances. Ibis needed a walk anyway. She could lie and tell Dani that her mom lived in the neighborhood. That sounded believable to Kori.