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

by Beck, Jessica

  “Not yet. Let me sleep on it,” I said as I stifled a yawn.

  “You only have a few hours until it’s time to get up again,” Greg reminded me.

  “Then I’d better get to sleep as soon as possible,” I said.

  The truth was, I had no idea what to do next. In the past, Moose and I had mostly just followed one lead after another until we unmasked the killer, but this time it was different. It felt as though any of our three remaining suspects could be guilty, and I had no idea how to determine which one had actually killed Barry Jackson and burned down the bakery. I was fairly certain that whoever had done it had torched Moose’s truck as well, most likely as a warning for us to stop digging.

  The real question was who had we scared enough to make them act so boldly? From their point of view, it must have felt as though we were breathing down their necks.

  From ours, we were far from that.

  That meant that there was only one thing left that we could do.

  The first thing tomorrow morning, or more accurately, in a few hours, Moose and I had to start stirring the pot hard and see what might come up to the surface.

  If facts and interviewing techniques couldn’t help us, maybe we could bluff our way into catching a killer.

  Chapter 17

  The next morning at the diner didn’t start off that well at all. One of our earliest customers was Kenny Starnes, the town councilman who wasn’t all that fond of my grandfather or me.

  As he was paying his bill for breakfast, Kenny said, “Victoria, you need to be more careful. There’s a spot of water on the floor near the register. You wouldn’t want anyone to fall now, would you, especially if you or your grandfather were anywhere nearby. It could be fatal.” He’d added the last bit loudly, trying to play to the full crowd of diners eating at The Charming Moose.

  I looked for the supposed spot of water, but I couldn’t see anything. “There’s no water there, Kenny, and if anybody falls, it’s nobody’s fault but their own.”

  He looked sharply at me. “Is that sass you’re giving me, Victoria? It’s a legitimate concern.”

  “I’m sure it is,” I said, though it was pretty clear by my tone of voice that it was nothing of the sort. “How was your breakfast?”

  “As a matter of fact, it was barely edible. The eggs were undercooked, and the bacon was overdone.”

  I handed his ten back to him. “If you weren’t satisfied with it, there’s no reason at all that you should have to pay for it.”

  He grudgingly took the bill back. “That’s decent of you.”

  “Honestly though, if you’re that unhappy with your meal, maybe it’s time to look for someplace else to have breakfast.” I doubted he’d do that, since he came to the diner five mornings a week for his breakfast. Even if we lost his business, we wouldn’t have to put up with seeing him anymore, which was a sacrifice that I was gladly willing to make.

  Kenny must have noticed that the attention he’d gotten earlier from our other diners with his crack about falling had now backfired on him. “That won’t be necessary; it’s usually pretty good.”

  I had a brilliant idea, and I didn’t stop to even think about it. “Better yet, let me get my mother out here, and you can tell her yourself about your problems with the breakfast she just made for you.”

  My mother was usually a mild-mannered woman, but when someone criticized her cooking, and was unjustified in doing it, she was truly fierce defending her work.

  Clearly Kenny realized that himself. “On second thought, it was fine. Here, you can even keep the change.” The councilman practically threw the ten at me as he hurried out the door, and once he was gone, there was a flurry of applause from my other regulars. I curtsied in thanks and then tried to get back to work. I couldn’t let people like Kenny get to me. I knew that there were some folks in town who would believe the worst in me, and my grandfather, and the councilman was just feeding those bad feelings, but I didn’t have to stand still and take it. It might have made more sense to ignore Kenny instead of embarrassing him, but I wasn’t always known for using logic over emotion when it came to deciding my actions.

  “Where’s Moose?” I asked Martha when she showed up at the diner a little after nine.

  “I dropped him off at Wayne’s garage on the way in,” she said dismissively. “I’m just glad that I don’t have to ride in that wreck they are both calling a truck. If it’s possible, it looks even worse than the one that’s burned out. Sometimes I don’t understand your grandfather at all.”

  I grinned at her. “Don’t complain about it to me. You’re the one who married him, but for the record, I’m really glad that you did.”

  “So am I,” she said. “Usually. Don’t tell him I said that.”

  “I’m pretty sure that he already knows.”

  “So, how’s your morning been?” she asked me.

  I shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

  She took my hands in hers. “What happened, Victoria?”

  “Kenny Starnes came by this morning giving me a hard time about what happened to Barry Jackson,” I confessed. “I shouldn’t have let him goad me, but I ended up firing right back at him.”

  I half expected my grandmother to chide me about my behavior, but instead, she smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. Kenny deserves to be knocked down whenever the opportunity arises.”

  “You’re not upset with me for not turning the other cheek?” I asked.

  “I applaud you. Victoria, there are some people in this world who won’t back off until you smack them soundly in the nose, and Kenny Starnes is one of them.”

  I was about to reply when Moose came in. “Are you ready to get started, Victoria?”

  “In a second,” I said. “Let me tell Mom that I’m leaving first.”

  He nodded. “Then I have time for a cup of coffee.”

  “You can have breakfast, for all I care,” I said. “I don’t know about you, but I spent half the night trying to come up with something, but I didn’t have any luck at all.”

  “I’ve got a few ideas, but they need a little more time to simmer. Breakfast sounds like a fine idea to me.”

  Moose found a booth, and I turned to Martha. “Why don’t you join him? Ellen and I will be glad to take care of you.”

  “I can do it myself,” Martha said as she refused to sit.

  “Nonsense. At least let me serve you while I’m still here,” I said.

  “Come on, Martha,” Moose said as he patted the seat beside him. “Let the girl wait on us if it makes her happy.”

  “If you’re sure,” Martha said as she reluctantly sat beside my grandfather.

  “I’m positive,” I said as I poured them each a cup of coffee. “Now, what can I get you?”

  Moose pretended to study the menu, though he’d written most of it himself. After a few moments, he said, “I’ll have the Big Moose breakfast with three eggs and an extra order of bacon, extra crispy.” He turned to Martha and asked her, “What will you have?”

  “I’ll have the same thing you’re having,” she said with a smile.

  Moose’s face broke out into a huge grin. “Seriously?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, and then she turned to me. “Victoria, we’ll both have the heart-healthy omelet and dry toast.”

  “Hey, that’s not what I ordered at all,” Moose protested.

  “Maybe not, but it’s what you’re getting,” Martha said. In a softer voice, she said, “I want you around for a long time to come, and that means you need to eat healthy.”

  “Fine,” he said reluctantly, “but I won’t be happy that I’m living longer if I can’t eat whatever I want to.”

  “Don’t be such an old bear,” she said gently.

  “I’m not,” he replied. “Have you forgotten? I’m a moose.”

  “That you are,” Martha said.

  I went back to the kitchen and placed their orders.

  Mom was frowning as I walked back. “What’s wrong?”

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sp; “Why didn’t you tell me what Kenny Starnes said about my breakfast? It’s been two hours, Victoria, and I wouldn’t have found out at all if Ellen hadn’t told me.”

  “She shouldn’t have said anything to you,” I said.

  “Well, it’s too late for that. What was his complaint?”

  “It’s not important,” I said, hoping Mom would drop it.

  No such luck. “It might not be important to you, but it surely is to me. It’s my reputation we’re talking about here.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have told you. He said that the eggs were undercooked and the bacon was overdone.”

  “That’s nonsense,” she said. “If his food was so bad, did he leave it on the plate?”

  “That thing was nearly clean enough to eat off of again,” I conceded.

  “The next time Mr. Town Councilman comes in here, I’ll show him just how bad my cooking can be,” Mom said angrily.

  “He was taking a shot at Moose and me,” I said. “It had nothing to do with your cooking.”

  “That’s even worse,” Mom said.

  “Don’t worry about it. I handled it, and I don’t think that he’ll be complaining again.”

  “He’d better not if he knows what’s good for him. I have a full arsenal back here at my disposal.”

  “I know you do,” I said. “This order is for Moose and Martha,” I said as I directly handed her their order.

  “Are you two hanging around the place this morning?” Mom asked as she got started on their meals.

  “We’re regrouping,” I said as I nodded.

  “Is that a fancy way of saying that you’re stumped?” Mom asked with a smile.

  “Pretty much,” I admitted.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll figure something out. You always do.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I said, and then I got back to my tables. I needn’t have bothered. Ellen had everything under control.

  I stopped by the booth where Moose and Martha were sitting. “It’ll just be a minute.”

  “I can hardly wait,” Moose said deadpan.

  “You’ll enjoy it, and you know it,” Martha said.

  “Well, I will say this. If anyone can make it edible, it will be Melinda.” He turned to me and said, “Victoria, your mother doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being as good as she is behind the grill.”

  “I agree,” I said. “Would you say that she’s as good as you are?”

  “Well,” Moose said, drawing the word out.

  “I’m just teasing. I like to think that you, Greg, and Mom all have equally impressive skills cooking here.”

  “That’s a diplomatic way to put it,” Martha said with a smile.

  “It has the benefit of being true, too,” I said as their order appeared in the window. “I’ll be right back.”

  I retrieved their food and delivered it. Moose stared at his healthy omelet for a few seconds, and Martha prodded him with her elbow. “Go on. Take a bite. It’s good.”

  “I’m sure that it is. What it’s not, though, is a double order of bacon.”

  Martha laughed. “Agreed. It’s also not a heart attack waiting to happen.”

  Moose took a forkful of the omelet and tasted it. “That’s not bad,” he said.

  “I’ll be sure to pass your compliments on to the chef,” I said.

  “Tell her I said that it was delightful, then,” Moose said.

  After they ate, Martha stood and started bussing their table.

  “I can do that myself,” I said.

  “Nonsense. You two need to get going and solve this murder.”

  “Come on, Victoria,” Moose said as he stood. “I learned a long time ago that there was no sense arguing with Martha about anything.”

  “If only that were true,” my grandmother said with a smile.

  “Besides, I haven’t seen your new truck,” I said, joking.

  “Don’t give him any ideas, Victoria. It’s just a loaner.”

  “The girl has a point, Martha. What if Wayne can’t get my old truck back on the road? This could be an answer to all of our problems.”

  “Moose Nelson, if you think I’m going anywhere with you in that rattling death trap, then you’re sadly mistaken. You can afford to buy a new truck, so why don’t you?”

  Moose frowned. “New trucks don’t have the personality that the old ones have.”

  “Not if you call rust and patches of paint personality,” Martha said.

  “You’ll see. She’ll grow on you.”

  “If she does, I’ll have my doctor remove her,” Martha said.

  “Come on, Victoria,” my grandfather said. “Let’s go someplace that my fine transportation is appreciated for what it is.” He winked at my grandmother as we left, and I offered her a wink myself.

  She winked back, and I thought it was just for me, but to be fair, Moose probably thought the exact same thing.

  “So, what are these brilliant ideas of yours?” I asked Moose as we walked out of the diner. “Hang on a second. Is that it?” I pointed to a beat-up old truck that looked as though it had to be towed everywhere it went. The driver’s side door panel was bright orange, while most of the rest of the truck’s body was painted in gray primer, at least the parts that weren’t covered in open rust. The hood looked as though a tree had fallen on it at some point, and the tailgate was being held on with bungee cords. “Do I need a tetanus shot before I climb into that thing?”

  “Take my word for it; she’s sturdier than she looks,” Moose said.

  “She’d have to be, wouldn’t she? Maybe I should drive my car.”

  My grandfather shook his head. “I’m driving, Victoria. Think of it this way. No one will know that it’s us in this truck.”

  “I surely hope not,” I said. I tugged on the passenger side door to no avail. “I can’t get it to open.”

  “Wayne warned me that it sticks sometimes,” he said. “Let me see if I can get it.” My grandfather tried the door, but it wouldn’t open for him, either. He then pounded on it a few times, harder and harder each time. After a few tries, it finally opened, creaking with the sound of metal on metal as it finally swung open, though only part of the way.

  “Go on and get in,” Moose said. “I’ll close it behind you.”

  “I’ve got a hunch that you’re going to have to,” I said.

  Once I was inside, I saw that the cracked vinyl bench seat had more duct tape on it than original material. At least there was a seat belt.

  After I latched it, Moose put some real muscle into closing my door, finally succeeding, and I prayed that I didn’t have to get out in a hurry.

  Once my grandfather was settled in beside me, he looked quite satisfied. “There you go. That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

  “Compared to what?” I asked as he started the engine. I had to give the mechanic credit. Wayne had the old beast purring, which was quite a bit better than I’d imagined when I’d first seen it.

  “Listen to that. The engine sounds great.”

  “It does,” I agreed. “But there’s only one problem.”

  “Just one?” my grandfather asked as he grinned at me.

  “So far, anyway.”

  “What is it, then?”

  “We don’t know what we’re going to do next,” I explained.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.”

  “Well, if you don’t mind, I’d love to hear it,” I said.

  That’s when Moose started to explain his idea to me.

  “I think I’ve figured out a way to use what happened to my truck last night to our advantage,” my grandfather said.

  “Go on. I’m listening.”

  “What if we tell our suspects that one of my security cameras at the house picked up an image of the person who committed the arson?”

  “Moose, you don’t have security cameras,” I reminded him.

  “Not right now, but I will in half an hour. I’ve got a guy who’s putting some in for me right now.”<
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  “Isn’t that kind of locking the barn door after the horse is gone?”

  “Victoria, how’s the arsonist going to know that those cameras haven’t been in place all along?” my grandfather asked.

  “They won’t,” I said, “but if there was anything to see, we wouldn’t have to bluff our suspects.”

  He smiled. “I’ve already thought of a solution to that. We’re going to tell our suspects the same story. There’s an image on the DVD I record my security on, but it needs to be enhanced. We have someone coming over tonight to look at it, because we can’t tell the sheriff what we have until we have a positive ID.”

  “It sounds complicated,” I said.

  “Does that mean you don’t think it will work?” Moose asked.

  “No, I think it’s worth a shot,” I agreed. “You don’t want a killer breaking into your house looking for that DVD, though, do you?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Moose acknowledged.

  “Let’s say that the equipment is all in your garden shed,” I said. “That way it will be easier to watch from the house.” Moose had built a small shed for his garden tools years ago, but who was to say that it didn’t now house video surveillance equipment as well?

  “That works for me. We might as well try it. After all, what have we got to lose?”

  “I can think of a ton of things right off the top of my head,” I said with a smile, “but that’s never stopped us before. Can your friend drop off an old DVD recorder and put some phony cables up inside the shed, too?”

  “Let me call him and see,” Moose said. After a minute, he hung up with a grin. “We’re all set. By the time we tell our first suspect the plan, the trap will be set.”

  “Then let’s get started,” I said. “I’m ready to catch a killer. How about you?”

  “Don’t forget that I want revenge for what happened to my truck, too,” Moose said.

  “That’s just going to be a big fat bonus when we catch our bad guy,” I said.

  We paid our first visit to Mike Jackson.

  He greeted us at the door with less than a cordial welcome.

  “What are you two doing here?” he asked sullenly.