Trifle and Trouble (No-Bake Cozy Mysteries Book 2)

by Ramona Ransom

  Nessa held up a finger and opened the drawer closest to her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Looking for something to throw at you.”

  “Hey!” Lex exclaimed, holding his hands up. “It was just an idea.”

  Chapter Eight

  Nessa sat at a table in the back corner of the bakery, waiting for Bizzie. She wished she was waiting for a different Eadler since she’d yet to talk to Daniel after he never showed up earlier that day, but this meeting was still important, so she had to focus.

  She had no idea what she was going to do with Bizzie’s cookies yet, even after spending time working on ideas. She gave herself the grace her grandmother had asked her to give her grandfather in the letter she’d given her about inheriting the bakery. Nessa was still new to the bakery, and creating recipes didn’t come naturally for her. She instead decided on a number of cookies she’d purchase then she’d ask her grandfather and Faye for help later if she needed it.

  “Bizzie should be here soon,” Lex said, stopping by the table. “But I noticed the invoice I left for you to give to Judson Snyder was back under the till. Did you forget to give it to him?”

  “He never came in. I got a call from his secretary about it but forgot to tell you. I can drop it off to him later if you want,” Nessa offered. She heard the bakery door open and looked up, seeing Bizzie had arrived.

  “I’m getting out of here,” Lex said, pretending to run away.

  Bizzie looked at him strangely as he hurried off. “Should I sit?” she asked.

  “Do you think standing would be better?” Nessa deadpanned.

  Bizzie sat and pulled out a notebook and one of her menus. She passed the menu to Nessa. “In case you didn’t keep the other one I gave you.”

  Nessa pulled out the menu she’d gotten from Daniel previously. “Of course, I kept it. I had to study it hard to decide what to order. You’ve got quite the variety.”

  Bizzie nodded and put her menu on the chair next to her. “The only things I can’t make are the Tree of Life cookies. I seem to have misplaced the cookie-cutter, and they’re sold out everywhere.”

  Nessa hadn’t planned on ordering them and would have given Bizzie a hard time had she not noticed how upset the other woman was. “I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully, you find it soon. As for the order, I think I’d like to get two dozen triple chocolate chunk, two dozen peanut butter patties, a dozen raspberry jelly-filled, a dozen caramel-filled, and…”

  “Wait,” Bizzie interrupted. “You’re going too fast.”

  Nessa paused to let her catch up. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “There’s more?” Bizzie squeaked out the words.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then I’d also like a dozen shortbread, and let’s end with three and half a dozen of the plain sugar cookies.”

  “And when do you need these?”

  “Three days from now would be great.” Nessa knew that was asking a lot, but had Bizzie not changed their meeting, she’d have had more time to complete the order.

  The door to the bakery opened. Nessa turned to see who had come in. “I’ll be right back,” she told Bizzie.

  “Judson Snyder.” Nessa hadn’t remembered his name when her grandfather had said it before, but the minute she saw his face, she knew exactly who he was. “Are you here for your invoice?”

  “Well, well. If it isn’t Nessa Pierce. I heard you were back in town. For good, is that right?” he asked.

  “That’s right. It’s great to be back. And I hear congratulations are in order, Mr. Mayor,” Nessa said, hearing rustling coming from where Bizzie sat.

  They both turned their attention to Bizzie. She waved awkwardly and knocked over Nessa’s water, sending ice cubes flying across the floor. Nessa gave her a look and got back to Judson.

  “I’ve got the invoice here. Do you need to change anything?” she asked, passing it over to him.

  He gave it a quick glance. “I’m sure it’s fine. I never pay much attention. Your grandfather seems to have everything under control. I do wish that I could get some cookies added to my order, though. It’s the only thing missing from our spreads.”

  As Bizzie tried to clean her mess, she slid her chair back so hard that it toppled over. Judson and Nessa looked at her again, both like she’d temporarily lost her mind.

  “I think we can get some cookies added to your next order. Will that be okay?” Nessa asked. That meant she’d have to add another dozen or two to her order with Bizzie, but they’d make do. Hopefully. Who knew with the way Bizzie was currently acting. It was a wonder she could do anything at all without dropping something or causing a scene.

  “Sounds great to me. It was nice seeing you again, Nessa. I’m glad you’re here,” Judson said before heading out.

  “What was that all about?” Nessa asked, back at the table.

  “Do you have anything I can clean this up with?” she asked, pointing to the water all over the table and floor. “I tried using the few napkins you had here, but it wasn’t enough.”

  “Yes. I’m sure you could have gotten some paper towels from the bathroom, but I’ll find something.”

  Bizzie looked down at her lap. “I spilled it all over myself, too. I didn’t want Judson to see.”

  Now it made sense. Bizzie had a thing for Judson.

  “Come on.” Nessa sighed, leading Bizzie to the back. She helped her dry off, and they got back to work. She gave her an apron to put over her clothes, just in case someone else came in who made her nervous.

  “Do you think you could repeat the order to me again?” Bizzie asked, showing her dripping notebook with smeared ink.

  “How about I email it to you?” she suggested.

  “Okay.”

  “Just so you’re aware, I’m going to add another two dozen to the list. Judson asked for cookies, so I’ll order from you and add them to his order with us. Is that alright?”

  “Judson getting my cookies. That I make?” Bizzie asked.

  “Well, you do own a cookie business, don’t you? Otherwise, I’m holding this meeting for nothing.”

  “As much as it pains me to say this, please don’t give me a hard time right now. I’m stressed out, and seeing Judson always makes me act this way. I didn’t want to admit any of that to you, but I’d rather tell the truth than look incompetent. I’ll get the order done no matter the little sleep that means I’ll get.”

  Nessa hadn’t ever heard Bizzie act like a real human before. While she wasn’t going to give her more time to get the order done, she did want to know why Bizzie was so stressed out. If she’d had that reaction to seeing Judson, who knows what would happen if he ever wanted to speak to her.

  “I know I ordered a lot of cookies, but you run a business and should have the time to get it done. I’d hate to have to lessen the order.”

  “I’d be fine if I wasn’t helping my brother out at The Shack all morning and most of the afternoon. You did hear what happened, didn’t you?” Bizzie asked. “Ellen Asher was murdered, and the police brought Kyle in for questioning. That left Daniel with no chef, so he asked me to come help. The two of us have been working our butts off to try to keep up with what Kyle did, but truth be told, even with both of us back there, we just can’t do it. Even the waitresses are all messed up with all the changes. I had to leave him there alone to come here, so if there’s nothing else you need, I’d like to get back to him. Hopefully, since you two are an item now, you’ll understand.”

  Nessa reminded Bizzie that she’d email her the order and sent her on her way. She was glad to hear that the reason that she hadn’t heard from Daniel was simply because he was busy with work. At the same time, though, she worried about him. He was in charge of The Shack, and one of his employees was being questioned about a murder. That couldn’t have been an easy thing to handle. However, it wasn’t that big of a stretch to think Kyle may have had something to do with it. S
he saw the way Ellen treated him, and that was enough to send anyone over the edge. Maybe not to murder, but she didn’t know Kyle well, and as life had proved several times before, anything was possible.

  Chapter Nine

  Later that night, Nessa cuddled up in a cozy blanket on the couch, watching her favorite TV show. Her grandfather had stayed late at the bakery again, working on a last-minute order but had told her to go home and get some rest. She knew he was probably just being nice, and he really only wanted her out of his way while he baked, but whatever it was, was fine by her. Nothing too crazy had happened in her life recently other than the decision to move to Lake Wilawalo permanently, but she was exhausted and felt like she hadn’t stopped moving since she’d arrived in town.

  Once her show was over, she felt herself nodding off and was jolted by her grandfather’s key sliding into the lock. She never was a very heavy sleeper and briefly wished she’d gone upstairs to bed already. It wasn’t until her grandfather began to tell her about what had happened at the bakery that she began to get a second wind.

  “How did she know you’d be there?” Nessa asked, referring to Susie, the woman who was second in command with The Lunch Bunch.

  “She didn’t. Or that’s what she told me, anyway. She was walking by just as I closed and was locking the door behind me.”

  “Interesting,” Nessa said, not fully believing that the woman just happened to be taking a walk after dark and had stumbled upon her grandfather. “What did she want?”

  “She asked if I’d heard about Ellen, and then we got to talking about her group and their meetings. She said the rest of the group felt obligated to keep going to The Shack each week, but she wanted to check with me again about having them at the bakery.”

  “Also interesting.”

  Lex wagged a finger at her. “You shouldn’t be so suspicious. You’re worse than Ranger.”

  “She’s already been to the bakery once about changing the meeting spot, then the minute Ellen is gone, she’s back asking around again. Isn’t it at least a little possible that something with her is suspicious?”

  “In what way? You know they took that chef in for questioning. It’s not like the police would do that without a good reason,” Lex reminded her.

  “I’m sure there’s a great reason. I mean, heck, even I know the reason they’d question him, but they haven’t arrested him yet. There’s no proof it was him.”

  “So, then you think Susie killed Ellen because she wanted to be Queen Bee?” Lex asked.

  “Actually, no. I was thinking that if Ellen treated Kyle the way she did, who was all but a stranger to her, then imagine how she treated someone she knew well. I didn’t at all consider it to be a rivalry of sorts, but that’s a really good theory, too.”

  Lex huffed. “That is not what I was trying to do. I didn’t for one second think that I was standing next to a murderer. Susie only wanted to help out the group. I may be biased, but everyone loves the bakery. It’s not that outlandish to think they might actually want to meet there.”

  “What did you tell her about the meetings?” Nessa asked, worried he’d agreed to host them at the bakery. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the business, but if there was controversy between the members, it might be just as bad as Ellen hollering at all the employees at The Shack.

  “Same as I did before. I told her we had to talk about it first before I made any decisions. It’s kind of nice to be able to blame things on the new owner.” He winked.

  “I don’t technically own anything yet, but I don’t mind if you blame me. It might not be the best idea to have The Lunch Bunch meet at the bakery right now, anyway. Did she say anything else?”

  “We talked about Kyle and how much he’s had to endure regarding Ellen. We talked about Ellen’s family and a few of the other committees she’s on in town. If you’re asking if I have any clues to help solve the murder, my answer is no.”

  “Who does Ellen have for family around here?” Nessa asked.

  “She’s been divorced for years, and her ex-husband lives in Italy or something. Her son, Eric, lives here, and they get along great. I’m not sure about anyone else. She hasn’t lived in Lake Wilawalo for very long, so while I know some things about her, I don’t know it all. And most of what I know is indeed hearsay even if I believe it all to be true.”

  Nessa probably didn’t even know half of what there was to know, and she believed it, too.

  “She might not have lived here long, but Southport isn’t that far away, so she could have ties here. I heard one of the waitresses at The Shack is her ex-daughter-in-law.”

  “Is that what you heard? You seem to know an awful lot of things for someone who hasn’t been here for very long herself.”

  “I’m a people person, what can I say?” Nessa laughed. “Really, though, Bizzie told me today that she and Daniel had taken over for Kyle in the kitchen at The Shack and could barely keep up. I wonder if he’s still at the police station or if they let him go and Daniel just gave him some time off?”

  “You could always ask,” Lex said.

  “I know, but I don’t want to bother Daniel, and I’m certainly not going to call Bizzie up to find out. Our meeting today was ridiculous enough. Before I forget, Judson came in to pick up his invoice. He also asked for cookies, so I ordered more from Bizzie so we could put them in his box. Is that okay?”

  “Of course. Was it okay with Bizzie? She’s had the hots for Judson for quite a while now. I wish I would have known she was there when he came in. I’d have loved to see her reaction.”

  “She knocked over a chair and spilled water everywhere.”

  “Of course, she did.” Lex shook his head knowingly. “I bet she was even more mortified since you were there to witness it all.”

  “I didn’t mind.” Nessa shrugged.

  “Of course, you didn’t.” Lex chuckled and patted her on the shoulder on his way to the kitchen.

  Chapter Ten

  After Lex got home and they talked the night before, Nessa must have fallen back to sleep on the couch because she awakened to a knock on the door. It was her late day at the bakery, so she’d been looking forward to being able not only to sleep in but to get a few things accomplished. She was going to call her neighbor in Granger and see about having her start packing up some of her things. It’s not that she didn’t want to go back to Granger, but she worried that until they found an employee to help out at the bakery, that leaving her grandfather alone wasn’t the best idea. She knew he’d get it done, but that didn’t mean he had to or should.

  She rolled off the couch, rubbing under her eyes in case her mascara had smeared, making her look like a raccoon, and opened the door.

  “Daniel,” she whispered, brushing the hair from her face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came by to apologize to you. I stopped at the bakery first, but Lex said you were here. Do you have a minute?” he asked.

  “Of course,” she said, stepping aside to let him in. “Do you want coffee or anything?”

  “I’m okay. I’ve already had a few cups this morning. But I’ll follow you to the kitchen so you can get some for yourself.”

  “Jeez. Do I look that tired?” she joked but knew she did. “I have to say that I’m surprised to see you. Bizzie said how hectic things were at work.”

  “Well, it was just yesterday because Kyle was gone. Bizzie and I did our best, but I’m happy to say that we’ve found a replacement.”

  “For you guys or for Kyle?” Nessa asked, surprised.

  “Both, I suppose. Kyle isn’t gone for good, but I did suggest that he take some time to himself during this… difficult time.”

  “You don’t think he killed Ellen, do you?”

  Daniel sat across from her at the table, watching as she added cream and sugar to her cup.

  “I uhh,” he hesitated. “I don’t know.”

  It was clear that he either didn’t want to discuss it or didn’t know the answer, so she changed t
he subject. “How about you tell me your secret?”

  “What secret is that?” he asked.

  “How did you find a replacement so fast? Before I got here, my grandfather tried finding someone, and I even tried looking a little myself, but with no luck. Meanwhile, you get someone new in less than twenty-four hours. Teach me your ways.” She gave a slight bow from where she sat.

  “It wasn’t my doing,” he told her. “One of the waitresses knew a guy looking for a job. I kind of think they’re dating, but that’s none of my business. Normally, I’m against dating in the workplace, but I needed an employee, so I’m willing to overlook it. Does that make sense?”

  “Totally. I know my grandfather was joking when he said it, but he said something about Bizzie working for us. I can’t even fathom the disaster that would be. I do wish it was easier for us to find someone, though. I’m looking for the right person, and it’s just not happening. Tell your staff that if they know someone looking to have them stop by.”

  “I will. Crystal, the girl who told me about the guy I just hired, knows a ton of people, so maybe she has an idea. I’ll have her put out the word. I was a little surprised that she offered to help in the first place since she usually just keeps to herself, but I can’t say how thankful I am to have gotten someone in so quickly. I now know that working in a fast-paced kitchen is not my forte.”

  “I met her when I stopped to pick up lunch the other day. She seemed nice enough.”

  “She’s nice, sure, just not one to go above and beyond. Not like Mallory.”

  Now that Daniel had brought her up, Nessa felt okay putting her two cents in. “How’s she doing with all of this? I know she’s not Ellen’s daughter-in-law anymore, but it still has to be hard for her. After all, they were family at one time.”

  “Mallory is fine. She never got along with Ellen, even when they were family. She treated Mallory even worse than she ever treated Kyle. She used to refuse to let Mallory take care of The Lunch Bunch whenever they came in. She was positive that since Mallory couldn’t host holidays properly, that there was no way she was to be taken seriously as a waitress.”