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

by Ramona Ransom

  She couldn’t see her face, but Nessa knew the voice well. She hurried to the door, holding it open as Bizzie bustled through with her hands full.

  “What’s happening right now?” Nessa asked.

  “You ordered cookies, didn’t you?” Bizzie snapped.

  “Well, yes. But you’re a day early. It’s a surprise, is all.”

  “I can’t tell if you’re complaining or not.” Bizzie stopped, her eyes barely peeking over the stack of boxes she was carrying.

  “Far from it.”

  Nessa held the door open until Bizzie was done. She opened the boxes and checked everything out while Bizzie moved her car from the front of the bakery.

  “How do they look?” Bizzie asked.

  “Amazing. How on earth did you get everything done so fast?” Nessa asked, truly impressed.

  “I stayed up all night to get it done. I also made a small box just for you.” Bizzie found the box and opened it, showing off its contents.

  Nessa looked but didn’t reach out to take anything. “That’s nice of you.”

  “Oh, shut up, you dink. I didn’t do anything to them.” Bizzie rolled her eyes.

  “I didn’t say anything, but thank you,” Nessa retorted.

  “You didn’t have to. If you think I’m dumb enough to poison the cookies I give to you, then there’s more wrong with you than I thought. I mean, jeez, I’m not stupid enough to poison the first batch.”

  Nessa’s eyes went wide. “Cute, Bizzie. Really cute.”

  Bizzie raised a shoulder and smirked. “I know, right?”

  Nessa snatched the small box from Bizzie’s hands and took out a chocolate chip cookie. She took the first bite and had to stop herself from showing too much enjoyment. “They’re very good.”

  “Where do you want the boxes? Should I just leave them here? Do you want me to bring them into the kitchen or do you not want me back there?

  Nessa hadn’t given it much thought. Under normal circumstances, she didn’t really want Bizzie in the kitchen or in the bakery at all.

  “I’ll help you bring them in the back, and then I’ll get you a check,” Nessa decided.

  The women quickly carried everything into the kitchen in silence, Lex watching carefully as though he was ready for a fight to break out at any minute.

  “Lex,” Bizzie said, pausing before she left the kitchen. “I just wanted you to know that I brought an extra box of cookies for you and Nessa to share. I don’t trust her not to keep them all for herself, so I thought you should be aware.”

  Nessa turned and stared at Bizzie. She had no words.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nessa switched spots with her grandfather when he was done with all the baking. She could barely wait to get her hands on Bizzie’s cookies to see what she could do with them aside from putting them out in the display case. She wanted to try making some sort of cookie sandwich with them and had also considered breaking them into small pieces and adding them to a no-bake cheesecake recipe.

  She only had a short time to play around before her interviewee arrived, so Nessa searched for a dish about the size of one of Bizzie’s cookies and placed a peanut butter sandwich cookie at the bottom. She took the cheesecake mixture she’d made earlier that morning from the fridge and spooned some on top of the cookie. She added a handful of crushed peanut butter cups to the top, wishing she’d have thought to mix them inside the cheesecake, but was still happy with the end result. She put the dish into the fridge and decided she’d try it with her grandfather later.

  The rest of the time in the kitchen didn’t go well. She’d run out of ideas and spent the majority of the time feeling sorry for herself that she wasn’t as quick to be creative as her grandfather. She’d have to spend time doing extensive research on no-bake recipes before she tried this again.

  Lex opened the swinging door that led to the kitchen. “Your person is late.”

  Nessa looked at the clock. “By five minutes. I’ll give it a few more before I chalk it up as a loss.” She hated to do that, but there was no sense in hiring someone who couldn’t be bothered to show up on time for their interview.

  “Not sure if you want to be part of this, but Susie is back,” Lex said.

  “Please tell me you didn’t invite her.” Nessa groaned.

  “That’s not very nice.”

  “It’s not, but I don’t think we should host The Lunch Bunch here.”

  “I agree, and I didn’t invite her. She came here all on her own, and she’s got someone with her.”

  Nessa’s interest was piqued. She wanted to know who Susie was with but didn’t want to have to talk about her wanting The Lunch Bunch to meet there.

  “Do you know who it is?” she asked.

  “A woman named Quinn. I don’t think she’s part of the group, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that. It looks like they’re here just to enjoy our food. That’s not so bad, is it?”

  It just might be.

  “I’m sure they’re both lovely women,” Nessa said. “Now, get back out there. If my interview isn’t going to happen, I have more time to work back here. Let me know if you need me.”

  Between trying to figure out what the heck to do with all these cookies from Bizzie and hoping that Daniel’s chef wanted a job at the bakery, Nessa didn’t know what to do with herself. She’d ordered way too many cookies. Of course, if they went out in the case, they’d sell like hotcakes, so that’s exactly what she was going to do. She’d stock the case and get those cookies sold. She’d have plenty of time to create new recipes when she had less to worry about.

  She went out front to see how much room she had in the case and saw Lex cleaning a table by where Susie sat. When she came back out with the tray of cookies, he was cleaning a different table, but still near the women. On her third trip, when he was still there, she called him over.

  “Grandpa, can you come here for a second? I need your opinion on something.”

  When he got closer, she reached out and grabbed his shirt sleeve, gently dragging him into the back.

  “Whatcha doing out there?” she asked.

  “Whatever do you mean?” he asked slyly.

  “You’re cleaning clean tables just to overhear what those women are saying. So, spill it. What are they saying?

  Lex chuckled. “You saw right through me. Susie and Quinn are, in fact, discussing The Lunch Bunch. But don’t worry, it’s not about meeting here. At least not right now, anyway. They’re talking about the best way to get the group running again. Have it become more active in the community now that Ellen is gone.”

  “I’m all for helping the community, but that seems a little harsh, no? It sounds to me like Susie wants to be in control, and I know for a fact that Quinn isn’t even part of the group. Or if she is now, it’s only because Ellen is gone. I don’t think I trust either of them.”

  “Isn’t that a little harsh?” Lex asked, throwing her words back at her.

  “Not really. A woman died, and either one of them could have done it. One wants control, and the other wants to be included. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

  “Other than the senseless murder, yes. I had no idea that The Lunch Bunch was such a popular group. I do suppose, though, that Ellen may have made it a little more difficult to join or to have an opinion. She liked being the boss, but I’m not sure it suited her.”

  “Not even a little bit. She was so mean to Kyle the day I was at The Shack picking up lunch. And what kind of person doesn’t allow another woman to join a group that meets for lunch and plays games?”

  “Well, from what I know of Quinn, her son was a bit of a trouble maker in his day. I know she lost a lot of money keeping him out of trouble. Ellen may have felt like she wasn’t a good fit for the group.”

  “You’re doing an awful lot of defending,” Nessa said.

  “I’m just pointing out facts and opinions. I’d rather my granddaughter not get involved in things she doesn’t know everything about.”

 
“Fair enough,” Nessa admitted. She knew he was only trying to protect her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Out of work for the day, Nessa decided to stop off at The Shack to check in on Daniel. She’d been worried about him and how it went with his delivery of bad news. When she got closer, she saw that there were several empty tables outside and mixed with the number of cars in the parking lot. Nessa knew the place wasn’t too busy, so Daniel would have time to chat with her.

  She sat at a table outside and waved to Mallory.

  “Here to eat or to see Daniel?” she asked.

  “Maybe both. Can you let him know I’m here?”

  As she waited for Daniel to come outside, Nessa watched a group of guys playing some sort of game with a frisbee and a net on a pole. They’d throw the frisbee and try to get it into the net, but none of them seemed to be achieving their goal. After a few minutes of watching, a frisbee landed at her feet.

  “Watch it, Brice. You almost killed this poor woman,” a man yelled, bending down to retrieve the frisbee. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem,” Nessa said, smiling at the man. He wasn’t the one she was concerned with, though. When Quinn’s son was at the bakery with her, he said something about not wanting to play frisbee on a full stomach. It obviously had to be the same Brice.

  She looked over toward where a few men were standing, trying to spot him. He must have seen her first because the very second she met his eyes, he looked away and ran off, his hair flailing behind him.

  “Hey, you.” Daniel tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Hey! How’d it go today?” she asked, hoping for good news for the both of them. She hated that he had to tell his new employee about cutting his hours but also wouldn’t complain if that meant she might get a new employee of her own.

  “To be expected. He didn’t take it well, and I got a lashing from Crystal.” Daniel looked around the outdoor seating area before sitting down. “I don’t know how long I can stay, but it was nice of you to come.”

  “Why was Crystal mad?” Nessa asked.

  “She felt stupid getting him the job only for him to find out a couple of days later that it wasn’t going to work out. I can’t blame her, I guess. But good news for you, he’s willing to talk to you about working at the bakery. His name is Randy, and I gave him your number. I’m sure you’ll want him to fill out an application or supply a resume, but I thought this might be a good start. Like I said, he’s a hard worker. I think you’ll like him.”

  “Thanks. That’s really helpful.”

  “Oh! I heard Bizzie delivered her first batch of cookies to the bakery today. How’d that go?”

  “She’s really something,” Nessa said. “The cookies look great, and she assured me that she didn’t poison them.”

  “Uhh. That’s good,” Daniel said, sounding unsure. “I should get back to work, but what are you doing later?”

  “I don’t have any plans. I have a meeting with my realtor the day after tomorrow, and Faye said she was free from Shelfies and missed the bakery and wanted to see if I’d be willing to give up my early morning shift to her tomorrow. Of course, I didn’t argue.”

  “Well, I’ll call you when I get out of work. Are you eating?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I think I will.”

  “I’ll send someone out to take your order.” Daniel dashed off toward the restaurant, only stopping to talk to a customer on their way out the door. As she watched him go into the building, Nessa saw the chef through the open door. Dressed in all white was the very same guy who had been looking for a job the day Ellen and Kyle had gotten into it. She wondered why he’d come in at such a busy time. That was one of the key parts of restaurant work, never come during a rush.

  She enjoyed watching Daniel work. He was really good at his job and well-loved by the customers. It seemed like every time she paid attention, he was chatting with someone, and they were both smiling and having the time of their lives. She had to wonder how Bizzie ended up being so unapproachable and awful. Their parents were sweet, and Bizzie, well… she was not.

  Before Nessa knew it, Mallory had come to deliver her a menu. She ordered a soda and potato skins with extra bacon and sat patiently waiting for her meal to arrive. She loved to people watch, even if that meant a bunch of grown men playing frisbee. Luckily, though, she was watching when she saw Quinn rushing over toward the men. They all scattered when she reached them, everyone except for Brice.

  Nessa couldn’t hear what was going on, but it wasn’t too hard to see that Quinn wasn’t happy. Her arms were going in every which direction as she spoke. Soon after, Quinn stomped off, leaving Brice on his own. He said something to one of the men he’d been with, and they stalked off toward the restaurant, passing by Nessa. She turned her head, hoping Brice didn’t notice her.

  “I’m sick and tired of being yelled at by her,” Brice said.

  “You’re not a kid anymore. She can’t treat you like that, and you shouldn’t let her,” the other man said.

  “I know, man. It’s not right. I’ve kept my nose clean just like she asked, and I want her off my back. If that stupid little group she wants to be part of so bad won’t accept her, I might have to leave town. I can’t be the only thing she has to focus on anymore. It’s too much.”

  Nessa gasped. What if it was Brice all along? If he’d been that tired of being his mother’s only focus, it was possible that he might have killed Ellen so she could join the group and leave him alone.

  “Here you are, my dear. Can I get you anything else?” Mallory asked, taking her out of her daze.

  She looked at the tray in front of her. “No, thanks. It looks great.”

  She nibbled at her meal, wondering where Brice had gone. Part of her wanted to warn Daniel or even call her grandfather to talk about it. The other part of her was ready to get home and enjoy some relaxation. She had the following day off, and her schedule was wide open except for whatever Daniel might want to do. Life in Lake Wilawalo wasn’t all that bad.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nessa has given Mallory her credit card at least ten minutes before, and she was still waiting for her to return with it. She thought about going inside to see what the hold-up was but didn’t want to cause a scene. It wasn’t that big of a deal because she didn’t have anywhere else to be, and even though it had been a while, she’d hate to complain and have another customer overhear and think poorly of The Shack’s employees.

  “Sorry about that,” Mallory said, finally coming back. “I didn’t mean to take so long.”

  “Is everything okay?” Nessa asked, noticing that the woman was out of breath.

  “No, but I’m not going to bother you with the details.” Mallory smiled and handed her a to-go cup. “I know you didn’t ask for this, but I made you a chocolate shake for the trouble.”

  Nessa thanked her and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man Mallory had been with the night she and Daniel were at the lake, come out of the restaurant. Mallory turned her head to look at him, and Nessa couldn’t miss the look on her face.

  She must have made a noise she hadn’t meant to that prompted Mallory to continue. “That’s what took me so long. My ex came by wanting to know if I’d help him go through his mother’s things.”

  “I see.” She thought it odd to ask your ex to help, but everyone was different.

  “Yeah. I have no idea what possessed him to not only come into my work but to think that I might want to help. That woman and I never liked each other, and last I checked, he didn’t like me very much, either.”

  “I hear you. I’d feel the same way, I think,” Nessa said, truly having no idea how she’d feel in that situation.

  “If it weren’t for her, we’d never have divorced to begin with, so that’s even more reason to think that he’s lost his mind. I don’t need any more memories of her than I already have.”

  Mallory smiled and sighed. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. I’m stressed out about everything if you can’
t tell.”

  Nessa knew they weren’t exactly friends, but Mallory seemed nice enough. It couldn’t hurt to let the woman talk.

  “Feel free to tell me all about it,” Nessa offered. “I’m a pretty good listener.”

  “Yeah?” Mallory raised a brow.

  “Go for it.”

  “Well, you already know about Ellen and our rocky relationship, but in addition to that, and also partly because of it, things haven’t been going that great at work. If this gets too awkward, just let me know. I don’t want you to feel weird about listening to your boyfriend’s employee’s problems.”

  Nessa froze at the word, boyfriend. Is that what people thought he was?

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Okay, so at first, the police thought Kyle might have killed her because of how she treated him every time she came here. Then people started coming in and trying to say that maybe I did it because I had a worse relationship with her than he did. I don’t understand how anyone could think that I did it. You work with the public. Have you heard anything about me?” Mallory asked.

  Honestly, she really hadn’t, other than what Mallory had already said. She and Ellen hadn’t gotten along. The more Mallory said, though, the more Nessa could believe she may have had a reason to kill Ellen. If the woman was why Mallory’s marriage ended, that might be reason enough.

  “I haven’t heard anything about you, but I’ve heard a few other rumors.” Nessa hoped that by sharing them, it would prompt Mallory to slip up.

  “Like what?”

  “Well, I know there’s a woman who really wanted to be part of the group and felt that now she could since Ellen is no longer around. I also heard about someone who may have wanted to have a bigger role in the group but felt held back because of Ellen. I’m not sure how important it is to be a part of this group or whatever, but those two ladies seem to think it was pretty important.”

  “Really? Wow. I had no idea. I’ve been thinking this entire time that everyone thought it was me. Seriously, I’ve been walking on eggshells trying to be careful what I say or do. Chief Rafferty talked to me a few times, but nothing came of it. I guess he doesn’t have much evidence, so he’s at a standstill.”