by Tonya Kappes
I set the coffee on top of the banned book shelf and looked at all the books that’d been placed haphazardly on the floor. Books can collect a lot of dust and I bet Alexis was dusting the shelves, though she could’ve stacked them neatly on the floor. I picked up one of the books. Just like I remember, the first page of the book there was BANNED stamped inside. Running my fingers over it made me smile.
“Alexis?” I called. “Pepper, here,” I scolded him when he ran through an open door that had a sign clearly marked: Alexis Only. “Can’t you read?”
I tsk’d, knowing she was probably back there doing inventory and getting ready for the big grand opening. Or even ready to come back out and put up a nicer banned book display.
“Alexis?” I called when I walked through the door. “Alexis?” My voice cracked when I saw a pair of feet sticking out from behind a desk. “Alexis!” I screamed when I saw her lifeless body on the ground with a doughnut that looked very familiar and the word BANNED stamped on her forehead, the stamp lying next to her.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Karin Tillotson
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 quarts water
1 quart tomato juice
3 medium sweet red or green peppers – diced
1 ½ cups chili sauce (one bottle)
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 celery ribs – diced
1 lg. onion – diced
2 tsp. browning sauce (optional)
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 clove garlic – minced
½ tsp salt
Directions:
In large kettle over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink, drain. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until rice is tender Yield 4 qts. (16 servings)
Seven
“My dog biscuits. I’ve got to make the dog biscuits.” I kept repeating this as it was all I could think of while I stood outside on the boardwalk surrounded by all sorts of policemen and detectives.
I nearly fainted when I saw the coroner’s white van pull up next to the boardwalk. The van was exactly like the ones in the televisions shows. My stomach knotted.
“Ma’am, your dog biscuits are going to have to wait.” The officer handed me a bottle of water and sat me down at one of the café tables in front of Crooked Cat Bookstore.
“What in blue blazes is goin’ on around here?” Without even looking, I recognized the shrill voice. “Heavens to Betsy. It is you. Roxanne Bloom standing right here in the very flesh.”
Crissy Lane was there in all her glory. The sun-washed blond hair was not her natural red. It had to be from a bottle. The light dusting of red freckles sprinkled across her nose was her trademark. Another thing I’d quickly noticed were her sassily uplifted set of breasts.
“I told the girls down at Honey Comb that they’d heard wrong and it was just a rumor, but I guess I was wrong.” She lifted her hand in the air. Her dime store square solitaire diamond flashed as she wiggled her fingers. “I’ve got the heavenly touch if you need a little change in that hair of yours.” She blinked big false lashes at me. “I’m doing hair now.”
She was always such a pretty thing.
“Well?” She looked at me with a blank face. “Roxy?” She waved her hand in front of my eyes.
“Umm. Crissy, it’s great seeing you.” I pointed to the bookstore. “Did you know Alexis?”
“I know every knot and lump in her neck.” She wiggled her eyes again. “Wait. Did?”
“Ms. Bloom.” The officer called my name. There was some sort of bag in his hand.
“Spencer Shepard, what’s going on around here?” Crissy asked. “You dirty dog.” She smacked his arm. “Are you already hitting on the new girl in town?”
“Crissy,” Spencer Shepard took off his hat.
He had deep green eyes, a hard jaw over a neck thick with tendons and a deep chest. His sandy blond hair wasn’t styled in the typical crew cut, it was longer and wavy down to his ears. He’d definitely not hailed from these parts. I’d have remembered Spencer Shepard.
“What’s going on, Roxy?” The familiar voice and warm breath whisked past my ear, sending chills along my neck line. “Spencer. Crissy.”
Patrick held the hardhat underneath his arm. He bent down and patted on Pepper.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Bloom found Alexis in her shop,” Spencer said.
“That’s not a big deal.” Crissy cackled.
“She’s dead.” Spencer slid his eyes over to Crissy and then turned his attention to me. He uncurled the clear evidence bag. The familiar doughnut was inside. “I understand this piece of evidence might be from your new coffee shop.”
“Umm.” I gulped, remembering Aunt Maxi had told me that she’d taken the leftovers to Alexis. “Yes. That looks like something I’d bake.”
“Do you think you can come on down to the station and give a statement? And maybe tell me when and how Alexis Roarke got the doughnut?” His brow cocked. He handed the evidence bag off to another officer that walked by. “You know what to do with that,” he said to the other guy.
There was a sudden fright deep in my gut. Without saying it, Spencer already had it in his head that Alexis died from my doughnut.
“Hold on, Spencer.” Patrick put his hand on my arm. “Roxy, we need to get you a lawyer.”
“Lawyer?” Crissy cocked her leg to the side and rested her hand on her hip. “She’s a lawyer.”
“Ms. Bloom. What time can you come down to the station?” Officer Shepard asked.
Pepper walked over and smelled the officer’s shoes. He sat down at his feet and stared up at him with his cute round black eyes. His tail wagged along the wood planks. The officer reached down and gave Pepper a scratch behind his ear. Pepper’s leg thumped behind him in delight.
“Here, Pepper.” Patrick patted his leg.
Pepper didn’t discriminate between the hands that wanted to give him a rub. Spencer looked at Patrick with slanted eyes.
“I’m not sure.” My mind couldn’t erase the first image of Alexis’s feet and sensible shoes sticking out from underneath her desk. “I’m not sure.”
“I’m going to need you to give a full statement.” His eyes bore into me. The golden flecks twinkled in the green irises. “We are going to process the scene which will take most of the day, so why don’t I come on down to the coffee stand and give you a ride down to the station.”
“Coffeehouse. It’s a coffeehouse.” I corrected him.
“I can bring her down to the station.” Patrick stepped up. He looked at me. “I’ll take you down to the station.”
“Who exactly are you to Ms. Bloom?” There was a huskiness in his voice.
“This is getting interesting.” Crissy crossed her arms as a flicker of amusement crossed her expression.
“I’m an old friend.” Patrick curled his shoulders back, determination in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” I assured both of them. “I think I’m in a bit of a shock and yes.” I nodded to the officer. “Please stop by when you are finished with the scene and we can make a plan.”
“Great.” Spencer took a business card out of the pocket of his police jacket. He took the pen out of his shirt pocket and scribbled something on the card before he handed it to me. “This is my personal cell number. If you need anything, you call me.”
“She’ll call me,” Patrick said with a stern voice. “Right, Roxy?”
I took the card and offered a slight smile of gratitude. A crowd had gathered around the front of Crooked Cat. It was a shame that it took a murder to get this many people on the boardwalk before the grand opening.
“Thank you, Officer,” I said.
“Spencer. You can call me Spencer.” He grinned and exposed a very handsome smile.
“Spencer,” I tucked the card in the pocket of my apron.
Patrick let out a long exhausting sigh. A gentle laugh ripped through Crissy. Spencer kep
t those sparkling green eyes on me.
“Please jot down anything you remember throughout the day. Anything that seemed out of character. Sounds. People you’ve never seen down here before. Anything.” His chest lifted and fell as he took a deep breath.
“There are strange people down here all day long because they are trying hard to get this boardwalk finished before the Honey Festival.” Patrick’s fuse was nearing its end.
There was definitely something going on between the two men. Something I wasn’t able to put my finger on, but I didn’t have time to figure it out.
“What on earth is going on?” Mae Belle scooted up next to me. “Me and Bunny are swamped down at your store and we ran out of coffee. Bunny is trying to figure out how to make coffee, but we are just too old.”
“Oh gosh.” I’d forgotten about leaving the coffeehouse in the hands of two seventy-year-old women. “I’m sorry. I came down here to bring Alexis some morning muffins and left the coffeehouse with a couple of customers. I need to get back.” I clapped my hands at Pepper. “Let’s go Pepper.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be down later.” Spencer smiled.
“Come down for a free coffee and muffin,” I said and waved, Pepper trotting next to me.
“Wait, Roxy.” Patrick’s heavy boots thudded along the wood planks of the boardwalk.
“Bye, Roxy!” Crissy called. “I’ll be down at lunch!”
I threw my hand up in the air and waved to acknowledge her.
“I’m not kidding. The Bean Hive is swamped.” Mae Belle was amused.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a line out the door of The Bean Hive.
Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Tonya Kappes
(I make these for Charlie since he can’t have salt. I get the low sodium peanut butter and he loves these.)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup skim milk, or 1 cup hot water (NOT BOILING WATER)
1 egg, this is optional you do not have to include it. The egg makes a dog’s coat shiny (I did not include the egg in the treats I gave to my puppy)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the whole wheat flour and the baking powder.
Then, in the same mixing bowl add the milk, or hot water, and peanut butter.
Carefully mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients. If the dough is too dry add a little more milk or water, or if it is too wet add an additional tablespoon of flour until it is not too wet.
Place dough on counter and roll it out with a rolling pin, or flatten the dough out with your hands.
Use dog bone cookie cutters and cut the dough into various size dog biscuits. Place cut out dog bones on cookie sheet. Leave space between the bones on the cookie sheet because they will spread slightly and rise.
If the dough gets too sticky while you are cutting out the bones sprinkle it with flour and it will decrease the stickiness.
Once all the dough is cut up bake the bones for twenty minutes at 375 degrees. The bones should be light brown when done. Allow the bones to cool before giving one to your puppy!
Eight
“Nothing like a dead body to bring them in,” Bunny said. “Next!”
She’d put on The Bean Hive apron and knotted her hair in a small ponytail by using a couple of twisty ties together. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Yeah, until they find out Alexis’s cold hand had a grip on one of my doughnuts,” I said and felt like a deer in headlights. I put my hand on Bunny’s arm. “Thank you for stepping in.”
“You better get to cookin’.” She jerked her head toward the kitchen. “We are busy.”
“We?” I asked.
“Honey, you need help.” She nodded and turned to the next customer.
There wasn’t an ounce in my body that wanted to argue with her. Plus, there was no denying that I needed help. The hum of voices and the whispers of Alexis’s death trickling over the coffeehouse could be heard in the kitchen. I tried to put the images of Alexis in the back of my head. I had a business to run.
I grabbed more muffins from the freezer and did a quick defrost and popped them in the oven for a light golden brown topping. The dog biscuits had been cut and placed on a cookie sheet, which I assumed Bunny did while I was gone. The casseroles had been put in the one working oven and at this rate, I was going to have to get Aunt Maxi’s help again.
“Roxy?” The familiar voice of Patrick came through the kitchen door.
Pepper had jumped up from the blanket I’d laid on the floor and scurried over to Patrick when he appeared in the door.
“Hey,” He bent down and patted Pepper’s head. He put down a dog bed with a little bone pattern on it. He attached a blue bandanna to Pepper as well. “I got you a few presents.”
“That’s so kind.” I rubbed my hands down my apron and walked over to them. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome. I figured if you were going to be bringing him to work, he needed a proper place to sleep and look good.” He pointed to the scarf. “I’d gotten the girls over at A Walk In The Bark pet boutique to do a quick embroider for me.”
“Oh cute!” I squealed when I noticed The Bean Hive logo on it, momentarily forgetting about Alexis. “Head dog,” I read and laughed when I saw Pepper’s title scrolled under the logo.
My eyes slid up to Patrick’s. There was such a familiar and warm feeling about them that made me feel happy.
“Thank you.” True sincerity came out of my mouth. “This was very kind and thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome.” He stuck out his hand. “Peace?”
He referred again to the long ago grudge that we’d discussed the night before. Only then it seemed more than just a misunderstanding. Boy, I sure missed those uncomplicated days.
“Peace.” I took his hand. My heart took a perilous leap.
“What on earth?” Bunny asked sarcastically. “I’ve got people to feed out here and I can’t get this coffee thing figured out and here you two are playing kissy face.”
I jerked my hand out of Patrick’s, fully aware his eyes were still focused on me.
“No we aren’t.” I sucked in a deep breath to help bring me back to reality. “We are burying the hatchet.”
“Just as long as you aren’t throwing it and another dead body pops up.” She giggled and disappeared back out in the coffeehouse.
“You better get out there and make some coffee.” Patrick’s muscles in his face tightened.
“Oh yeah, right.” I walked past him, expecting him to follow me, but he didn’t.
The line was still long and all the tables inside the coffeehouse were taken. Even some of the teas and coffees I’d had packaged with The Bean Hive logo had been bought.
I counted the scoops of freshly ground coffee and started the three pots for the quick brews. A few seconds later Patrick popped through the kitchen door with the fresh batch of muffins on the cookie sheet. He looked funny with oven mitts on his hands and not holding a screwdriver.
He paused for a moment and our eyes caught for a second too long.
“What time?” Bunny asked.
“What time what?” I turned around. There was a customer at the counter waiting for whatever it was that Bunny had asked me.
“What time is lunch served?” She looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Eleven.” I glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the customer.
“Great.” The woman took out a business card. “I own A Walk In The Bark and I have a feeling we’re going to be down here all the time.”
“Thank you for getting Pepper’s bandanna ready so quickly.” I pointed to Pepper who’d followed Patrick into the coffeehouse when he brought the muffins in.
“Anything for Patrick.” The woman winked. Her bright smile exploded across her fair skinned face. Her brow
n eyes squinted. She had her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with side bangs. “I don’t know what that little dog or you have over him, but no woman in Honey Springs has ever been able to snag him.” She looked over at Patrick and I followed her gaze.
He did have classic handsome features and had aged nicely.
He was smiling and talking to a few women over the glass counter. They were talking about the boardwalk and the grand opening in the morning.
I was surprised that he’d not been snagged either. Too bad I wasn’t in the market for a romance, not that he’d look twice at me. Of course we’d been kids when we did date, but twelve years made a difference in people. Plus I had The Bean Hive and not to mention the death of Alexis.
“I’m Morgan Keys.” Kind was how I’d describe her.
“Roxanne Bloom. You can call me Roxy.” I reciprocated with a friendly grin.
“Is it true that you found Alexis?” Morgan asked.
“I did. I was taking her some muffins because she and Aunt. . .” I bit the edge of my lip.
Aunt Maxi hadn’t been in the coffeehouse and I was sure she’d heard the news. And they’d gotten in a fight about the rent. Oh no. . .the worst thoughts swirled in my head. It was unusual that Aunt Maxi hadn’t called and it was already after eight a.m. Plus, she knew I needed the oven fixed. So why hadn’t she called me to see if I needed her to cook my casseroles?
“I’ll be fixing the oven if you need me.” Patrick’s voice broke my ridiculous thoughts. “Are you okay?” His dark watchful eyes missed nothing when it came to reading me.
“I’m fine.” I smiled. “You don’t need to fix the oven. I’m sure you have customers to get to before the grand opening tomorrow.”
“You’re a customer.” He tilted his head to the side. “Well, Maxi is a customer. She called me early this morning to hire me. She said she was going to be busy this morning and couldn’t help out baking your casseroles. That’s why I came by early but Bunny told me you’d gone down to see Alexis.”