A Burned Out Baker: Classic Diner Mystery #7 (The Classic Diner Mysteries)

by Beck, Jessica

  I just didn’t know quite how bad just yet, but I’d find out soon enough.

  Chapter 2

  “Victoria, do you smell smoke?” my mother asked me the next morning as I unlocked the front door of The Charming Moose. It was five thirty AM, too early for any reasonable person to be at work, and yet here we were. The cold air had a bite to it, and I knew that the sun wouldn’t be up for hours yet to warm it up any. I loved the chillier months, but sometimes the combination of cold and darkness got to me. Those folks who lived farther north of me had my sympathy indeed.

  “Someone’s probably just burning a fire in their woodstove,” I said absently.

  “That’s not smoke from wood alone,” Mom said somberly.

  I forgot about the key and took in another whiff of the air. She was right. This was something more than the simple notes of wood being consumed. There were other odors mixed in as well, and I suddenly knew where I’d sampled that smell before.

  “Somebody’s house is on fire,” I said just as the first siren filled the dark morning air.

  That’s when I saw the first flames leap up into the sky.

  It was close to the diner, too, much closer than I liked.

  Mom must have reached the same conclusion as I had as she pointed down the street. “Victoria, unless I’m mistaken, that’s coming from Flour Power. Barry Jackson’s bakery is on fire.”

  As we got closer to the fire, I knew that she was right, no matter how much I hoped that it might be otherwise. Both of the town’s fire trucks were there by the time we walked over to the bakery. Flames licked the sky as the building became engulfed in ferocious flames, consuming everything, leaving nothing untouched. The men and women fighting back with their hoses tried their best, but it was clear from the start that it was a losing battle. By the time they were finished, there would be nothing left of the place that hadn’t been touched by both flame and water.

  The baker was, for all intents and purposes, out of business for good.

  That’s when I realized that something else was wrong.

  “Where’s Barry?” I asked as I looked around at the folks gathered to witness the inferno in hushed silence. “He should be here, shouldn’t he?”

  “Maybe he’s still in the hospital after last night,” Mom suggested.

  Even though it might mean losing The Charming Moose forever, I hoped that she was right, because if Barry had been inside when that blaze started, I couldn’t imagine him ever making it back out again alive.

  “There’s the fire chief,” I told my mother as I pointed in his direction. “Let’s go ask him.”

  “We shouldn’t bother him right now, Victoria. He’s busy.”

  I looked at the chief again, and all I could see was him standing there idly watching the streams of water hit the flames. He wasn’t exactly manning a hose himself.

  “This will just take a second,” I said as I approached him. I noticed that my mom was right behind me, so she had to be curious, too.

  We didn’t make it, though, at least not right away.

  “Some fire, isn’t it?” Rob Bester said to me as we walked past him.

  “Hey, Rob. I didn’t see you standing there,” I said. Rob owned the tire store next door to the bakery, and it didn’t surprise me to find him out there.

  “I got a call that Flour Power was on fire and that I might be next,” Rob said in the dark reflected light of the flames. “It looks like they might be able to save my place. It’s a shame about Barry’s, though.”

  “It is,” I said. “Listen, we have to go talk to Luke Yates. We’ll talk to you later.”

  “Sure, go on. I’m just going to be standing right here all morning. If I have to, I’ll get my hose out and help them myself.”

  “Hopefully it won’t come to that,” I said.

  “You’re right about that. If they need me as a volunteer, they’re already in trouble.”

  “Hi, Luke,” I said as my mother and I finally approached the fire chief.

  Luke Yates nodded to me absently, his gaze still riveted on the fire. “Hello, Victoria.” He spotted my mother, and then he tipped his hat to her. “Hey, Melinda. It’s a real shame, isn’t it?”

  “It’s tragic,” I said as we all stared at the roaring fire. The water was finally starting to make a little headway, but there were still plenty of flames springing up from what was once our town’s bakery. “Was anyone inside?”

  “I sure hope not,” he said, his voice filled with weariness. “But it will probably be hours before we find out.”

  “Why so long?”

  “Things will still be hot in there for a long time, even after we extinguish the flames, which is questionable at the moment. We’ve already evacuated the block, and if things don’t get better fast, we might have to shut you down, too.”

  I hadn’t even considered that possibility. “But we’re three blocks away from here.”

  The chief looked at the nearby trees dotting the street, and my gaze followed his. They were beginning to sway some in the breeze. “A wind is coming on, and if it hits, there’s no telling what this is going to do. We’ve got calls in to four neighboring fire stations to help out. I just hope they all get here in time.”

  “Is there anything we can do?” my mother asked softly.

  “Well, I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee,” the chief said.

  “We’ll take care of it, and some biscuits, too,” my mother said.

  “That would be much appreciated,” he replied with the hint of a smile, and then we all heard sirens approaching from behind us. “That’ll be some of our friends,” he said with a slight smile.

  “We’ll get out of your way,” I said. “Expect the coffee and food in half an hour.”

  “We’ll be counting on it,” he said.

  Mom and I headed back to The Charming Moose, and as we walked, she asked, “You don’t mind that I promised them free food and coffee, do you?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “I would have done it myself, but you beat me to it.”

  “I didn’t want to speak out of turn,” she said. “After all, you’re the one running the diner these days.”

  “Don’t worry about it. After all, it’s a family thing,” I said.

  “Maybe so, but you’re the one who is in charge. Moose had his turn, and so did your father. I’m quite proud of the way you’ve taken over. I haven’t told you that lately, have I?”

  The compliment warmed me more than all of the coffee in the world could have. “Thanks, I appreciate that. It’s not always easy, but I love doing it.”

  “I can’t imagine why it would be,” she said with a laugh. “Still, you manage to rise to the top of every occasion.”

  “I’d like to think so,” I said as we got to the diner and went inside. “Do you need help in the kitchen getting things ready?”

  “No, I’m fine. The coffee’s easy. All I have to do is flip a few switches. As for the biscuits and such, I’ll just make a double batch.” She frowned, and then she added, “It will be a job making all of the eggs, bacon, and sausage for the biscuits, though. Do you think Greg would mind if I called him in early?”

  My mother had neatly sidestepped my offer to help her in the kitchen, but I didn’t mind. I knew that I couldn’t hold a candle to her, or my husband, when it came to preparing diner food. “He’d be offended if you didn’t. I’d be happy to call him for you, if you’d like.”

  She pointed behind me to the folks already lining up to get into The Charming Moose. “I’m happy to do it. Besides, you’re going to have your hands full out here soon enough. It seems that this fire has woken up everyone in town.”

  “Then we’d better get busy,” I said as Ellen tapped on the door with her keys. She was our early morning to mid-afternoon waitress, and we couldn’t run the place without her.

  “I heard about the fire,” she said as I let her in. “Everybody in town must be awake.”

  “Come on in,” I said.

 
Before I could close the door behind her, though, Hank Brewer called out from the crowd, “How about us, Victoria?”

  “Five more minutes, folks,” I said.

  “Four would be better,” Reverend Mercer said as he rubbed his hands together.

  “Four it is, then,” I said with a smile as I locked the door again.

  “We’re going to be crazy busy in a few minutes,” Ellen said.

  “Don’t worry. Mom can handle it, especially with Greg helping.”

  “Your husband’s here?” she asked as she hung her jacket up on the peg near the door to the kitchen.

  “Not yet, but I’ve got a hunch that he will be. In about half an hour, I’m going to deliver a care package to the firefighters. Will you be able to handle everything here when I leave?”

  “You know I will,” Ellen said with a smile. “Did you happen to see Wayne while you were there?” Wayne was her boyfriend, as well as being an automobile mechanic and a volunteer firefighter.

  “As a matter of fact, I did. He was working the hose with the rest of his crew. He looked pretty manly doing it, if you ask me.”

  Ellen smiled. “Are you sure I shouldn’t make that delivery myself?”

  I understood her motivation, but I was hoping to get more out of the fire chief when I dropped off the coffee and food. “Sorry, but I’ve got some other business I have to look into while I’m there. Maybe next time, though.”

  “Next time it is,” Ellen said as she started setting up the tables. “We’ve got two minutes left,” she called out with a grin. Since she and Wayne had found each other, she was a great deal happier all of the time. I was glad, because she deserved someone good in her life. It didn’t hurt that her kids absolutely adored him, and he clearly felt the same way about them. I didn’t think it would be long before we heard wedding bells.

  “One minute left,” I said as I hurried into the kitchen. Mom was making biscuit dough at a quick pace as I asked, “Did you get hold of Greg?”

  “He’s on his way,” she said, and then Mom frowned as she added, “and so is your grandfather.”

  “You talked to Moose?” I asked.

  “He phoned a minute ago,” Mom said.

  “I wonder why he didn’t call me?”

  “He tried, but he said that you must have had your phone turned off,” Mom said with a smile. “Don’t worry, you’re the only detective he wants to work with in this family.”

  I laughed. “I don’t know. Martha might give me a run for my money.”

  Mom laughed. “Your grandmother is good at keeping your grandfather in line, but everyone knows that you and Moose are the true sleuths in the family. You two are going to dig into this fire, aren’t you?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Victoria, you couldn’t fool me when you were in first grade, and you certainly can’t fool me now. I know that Barry Jackson threatened to take the diner away from us. You and Moose aren’t about to sit by and watch that happen, are you? I just hope you both have solid alibis for the time of the fire.”

  “Do you honestly think that either one of us could have done it?” I asked her, surprised by her comment.

  “Of course not,” Mom said quickly. “I just know how Sheriff Croft thinks. He’ll take the facts that you three fought yesterday and the bakery catching fire this morning, and he’ll jump to more conclusions than any of us will like. You have to nip this in the bud while you still can, Victoria.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, but Moose and I have only found killers in the past. We wouldn’t know the first thing about going after an arsonist.”

  “Well then, you’d better figure it out,” she said, “because like it or not, you’re both in this up to your eyebrows.”

  “On that cheery note, I think I’ll go out front and help Ellen. Is the coffee ready?”

  “I flipped all of our urns on as I came in, so we should be good in that department,” Mom said. “Stall everyone for five minutes so I can get prepped back here, and then I’ll take on all orders, at least until Greg shows up.”

  “Did somebody call my name?” my husband asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” my mother said as she kissed my sleepy husband’s cheek. “Sorry to rouse you like that.”

  “Always glad to lend a hand,” he said. “Especially when it’s a worthy cause. Where do you want me to start, Boss?”

  “Why don’t you take over the biscuits and fixings, and I’ll handle everything else,” Mom suggested.

  “I’d be delighted,” Greg said as he walked toward his apron, but not before stopping and giving me a solid kiss. He grinned at me after, and said, “Good morning, Sunshine. I don’t usually get to see you this time of day, do I?”

  “I’m around this time of day all of the time if you’d like to hang out,” I said as I smiled right back at him. “You could always sacrifice a little sleep and spend some time with me every morning if you’d like to.”

  He laughed out loud at that, a sound that was infectious in its pure joy. “It’s tempting, but then I’d rob myself of seeing you anew every day at eleven. We need to keep a little eager anticipation in our lives, don’t we?”

  “Smooth, Greg, smooth,” I said with a laugh of my own.

  “I hate to break things up back here,” Ellen said as she popped her head back into the kitchen, “but the natives are getting restless out there.”

  “The coffee should be done by now, and we’ve got an all-star crew working in the kitchen,” I said. “Let’s get busy, shall we?”

  As we both returned to the front, the crowd wasn’t clamoring anymore, and in a second, I saw why. Moose was already there, a coffee pot in each hand as he poured enough to fill every cup in the place. He had on his old apron, and I had to wonder if he’d brought it with him from home. I prepped both urns for fresh batches of coffee as I smiled at Moose. “Glad you could come by and lend a hand this morning.”

  “Happy to do it,” Moose said as he winked at me. “Besides, I haven’t slept more than six hours in one night for thirty years. This gives me something to do.”

  “Well, we’re happy to have you,” I said. “Right, Ellen?”

  She smiled. “With you two here working the front, I might as well go on home.” We both shouted NO at the same time, and Ellen laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay.”

  As the three of us worked on taking our customers’ orders, I was lost in the work until Greg came out of the kitchen wearing his jacket and carrying two large aluminum pans covered in foil. “Victoria, are you ready to make this delivery?”

  “Give me one second to wrap things up here,” I said. “Are you coming with me?”

  “I thought I might,” he said.

  Moose stepped in at that moment. “Greg, do you mind if I do it? There are some things that Victoria and I need to discuss on the way.”

  Bless his heart, my husband looked disappointed for just a second before he smiled broadly. As he put the food down on an empty table, he said, “That’s fine with me, Moose. If you go with Victoria, that means that I can go back home and go to bed.”

  “For at least a few hours, anyway,” I said as I glanced at the clock. It was just past seven, and my husband wasn’t due back to work his regular shift until eleven.

  “Hey, I’ll take whatever I can get,” he said as he kissed my cheek and left.

  “We’re not going to have enough coffee,” I said as I looked at the nearly empty pots up front.

  “Don’t forget the extra coffee for the firefighters,” Mom said as she pushed a large urn on a rolling table up front. “I cranked up the old equipment in back to cover what you’ll need.”

  “That’s great,” I said.

  “Are you going with her?” my mother asked her father-in-law.

  “I thought I might,” he replied.

  “Look out for her, Moose,” she said simply.

  “I always do.”

  “And you look out for him,” Mom said t
o me.

  “It’s a dirty job, but I suppose somebody has to do it.”

  Moose grinned at me instead of taking offense. “You bet your socks it is. Come on, granddaughter, let’s get this all delivered before it gets cold.”

  I turned to Ellen as I grabbed my coat. “Are you going to be all right here on your own?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’d tell you to give Wayne a kiss for me, but he might like the attention too much.”

  “How about if I do it?” Moose asked with a laugh.

  “I know for a fact that he wouldn’t like that,” Ellen said, returning his laugh with one of her own.

  “Then we’ll both be better off if I skip it,” Moose said as he grabbed the urn. Sometimes I forgot just how strong my grandfather really was; I knew that I couldn’t have lifted it. That urn gave me trouble when it was empty, and now it was filled to the brim with coffee. I grabbed the food instead, and Ellen held the door open for us as we left. Once we had everything situated in the back of Moose’s truck, he drove to the burned-out bakery in the beginning light of dawn.

  Chapter 3

  “Is it possible that Barry could have burned down the bakery himself?” Moose asked me as he drove.

  “Why would he do that? Last night, he told us that he was expanding the business and that he even had a backer to finance his plans.”

  “Victoria, think about it for one second. It would be the perfect insurance dodge, wouldn’t it?” Moose asked me. “What better way to allay any suspicion that he torched the place himself than to come to the diner last night and pick a fight with me. He had no evidence that I tore down a single flyer of his, and yet he marched in there and shouted my guilt to anyone who would listen. It was a pretty spectacular way to get noticed in a crowded diner, don’t you think?”

  I started to dismiss the idea out of hand, but then I began to consider it in earnest. I had wondered about Barry’s display of anger and why it had been directed at us. Moose’s explanation made sense if I looked at it from his point of view.

  “Well, what do you think?” Moose asked me as we neared the cordoned-off area.