by Lyndsey Cole
Annie held her hands up. “No thanks. Those almond cookies are all for you. Company is coming for dinner so I’d better save my appetite.”
Thelma’s hand stopped halfway to her mouth. “You might want to change your mind about spoiling your appetite if Jason is cooking.”
Annie laughed. “No. I don’t have to worry about a house full of smoke. Jason is making a salad and our guest is bringing pizza.”
“Oh, good.” The cookie made it to Thelma’s mouth. She nibbled, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the back of her chair.
Annie waited for Thelma to savor the treat. There was no rushing her friend when it came to anything sweet.
“So, who’s your guest? Anyone I know?” Thelma asked after the cookie had disappeared.
“No. His name is Alex Harmon and he showed up on the Blackbird’s doorstep during the storm last night. Leona unexpectedly had a room available.”
“Was that the room meant for the poor man who died in his car on the way to the workshop? My son told me all about what happened. As a matter of fact, after photos of both of those men who died were on the news, my son realized he had seen them.”
That comment piqued Annie’s attention.
“My son was waiting in a booth at the Bigger Burger fast food place he frequents more often than he should, in my opinion. Anyway, he was there yesterday afternoon.” Thelma sipped her tea before she helped herself to another cookie.
Annie let Thelma’s words run through her brain a second time before she grasped the meaning. “Your son saw both men? They randomly happened to be in the restaurant at the same time?”
“Oh no, they came in together, sat together, and my son even heard them arguing.” She used her pinky to wipe a crumb from the edge of her mouth. “He said that he had to wait quite a while for his order to be ready. So much for fast food.”
“He’s sure about who he saw?” This information didn’t make sense unless Chef Marcel and Phil already knew each other. That was possible, she decided.
“Yes. Positive. He even caught their names—Phil and Marcel. It’s mostly the same clientele that goes to Bigger Burger so they stuck out like obvious out-of-towners. The argument ended when Phil told Marcel to pay up or the whole deal was over.” Thelma scrunched her eyes and looked at Annie. “What do you suppose that could mean?”
“I don’t know.” But she intended to find out. “Did your son hear anything else?”
“You know, he said at the time he only listened with one ear but after he saw on the news that they were dead, he tried to remember exactly everything he heard. The only other bit was that as the guy named Marcel got up to leave, he bought the other guy some sort of beverage and told him to wait for it to cool down and not to follow right away.”
“Did your son tell all this to the police?”
“I don’t know. Do you think he should?”
“Yes. The police always say that any bit of information could be useful even if it doesn’t seem important.” Annie stood. “I’d better get home before Jason sends a posse out after me.”
Thelma laughed. “He would, wouldn’t he? Except you have Roxy with you so he might not worry quite as much as if you were out all alone.” Thelma picked up her newspaper. “Do you have half a minute to help me with my crossword puzzle before you head out into the cold?”
“Sure. What’s the theme today?”
“It’s right up your alley—cookies.” Thelma helped herself to a third cookie. “This is the one that has me stumped. The clue is, kids’ favorite.” She looked at Annie. “I thought it should be chocolate chip, but that doesn’t fit. The fourth letter is an n and there’s a space after the sixth letter.” She let the paper fall on top of Moby who couldn’t care less. “Any ideas?”
“Well, I would agree with you but since chocolate chip doesn’t fit, the next most asked for cookie at the café for kids would be peanut butter. Does that fit?”
Thelma, using her pen, filled in the squares. “It does! You always figure out the tough ones. Thank you.” Thelma rested her head against the back of her chair. “And thanks for the cookies,” she mumbled.
Annie tiptoed out with Roxy close behind. She left Thelma with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. They headed into the cold for a brisk walk back home. She pushed the porch door open and followed Roxy into her toasty living room.
The warmth from the fire was a welcome contrast against her chilled cheeks.
“Here’s Annie,” Annie heard Jason say as she closed the door behind her. “It’s time to come clean about why you’re in town.”
Jason’s words made her stop in her tracks, a sense of foreboding sending a shiver down her spine.
14
Who are you?” Annie asked, not meaning Alex’s name, but wanting to know his background. She stood rooted to the mat just inside the door, her parka zipped to her chin. Sweat trickled down inside her layers but she ignored her rising body temperature.
Alex looked like a man who controlled his world. The gray sprinkled through his thick, dark, and a-bit-too-long hair gave him a casual-on-purpose look. His face, with a few noticeable lines, gave Annie the impression he had seen his share of problems. All in all, his image tonight contrasted one hundred percent from the almost frozen man she saw standing on the Blackbird’s front door the previous night.
“Get out of your parka before you roast,” Jason said.
She unzipped her parka and slid her feet out of her boots. The smell of pizza hit her nose. Her stomach rumbled. Was food Alex’s bribe to warm them up to trust him? Was there even a reason she should be suspicious of this man who appeared just before a murder happened?
There wasn’t an obvious reason but she was suspicious, she realized, as she moved further into the warm room.
“How’s Thelma?” Jason asked.
“Well, after devouring a handful of cookies that I brought, she needed to take a little nap.”
Jason chuckled. “She does have a sweet tooth, doesn’t she?”
“And, her son relayed an interesting conversation he heard between Phil and Chef Marcel,” Annie casually added.
Alex’s forehead wrinkled. “Did her son know them?”
“No. Did you?” Annie’s voice came out more accusatory than she intended but, at this point, she didn’t want to beat around the bush with her guest. “What is going on with you?” She looked from Jason to Alex. If he was somehow connected to Chef Marcel, she wanted to know. If he wasn’t, well, then she’d be able to relax and enjoy his food offering.
“It’s not what you think,” Alex began.
Not a denial, she noticed. “So, you’re a mind reader now?” Annie clenched her jaw. Between Robin and now Alex, she had about enough of people assuming they knew what she was thinking. Alex and his condescending comment pushed her normally-calm demeanor over the edge. Who did he think he was? Did he suspect that Annie eyed him with suspicion as the possible murderer?
Jason sighed. “Give him a chance to explain before you jump to any conclusions, Annie.”
She plopped down on the couch. Roxy jumped next to her. “I’m all ears.” She would listen, but at this point she couldn’t imagine anything he could say that would justify his sudden appearance the night before. No matter how she cut it, Alex was a suspect.
Alex cleared his throat. He licked his lips. “You’ll hear this eventually, anyway.” He paused. “My plan was to stay well under the radar; come into town, do my thing, and leave.”
“And what thing were you planning to do? Kill someone and leave before the body was discovered?”
“I can see how you might have jumped to that conclusion but, no, murder was never part of my plan.”
“Plans can take unexpected turns.”
“True, and the storm did throw a curveball. That’s why I wanted to talk to you about why I came to town. I need some help and I have to come up with a new plan.”
Annie crossed her legs and her arms as if this would let him know his words w
eren’t having any impact on her.
“You see, Annie, I’m a private investigator.”
Okay. She didn’t see that coming. She looked at Jason and knew shock was written all over her face.
Jason chuckled. “I checked his background and he’s telling the truth.”
Before Alex had time to explain what he was in town investigating, the door opened blowing cold air, Mia, and Camilla inside.
Mia set her Black Cat Café box with dessert on the counter after she shed her warm clothes. Camilla added a bottle of cabernet next to the dessert on her way to warm herself in front of the fire.
“Alex, this is my friend, Camilla, and you already saw my mom, Mia, at the café,” Annie said. “Mom, Camilla, meet Alex. He got stranded in the storm and ended up at the Blackbird last night.”
“One of the suspects?” Camilla blurted out. She covered her mouth with her fingers. “Sorry, that just slipped out. I need to watch what I say or I’ll be in heaps of trouble with Tyler.” She looked at Annie. “What? You know now so why do you have that shocked look on your face?”
Annie waved Camilla’s words away. “It’s not what you said. It’s something else.”
“Okay. I’m opening this wine. Who else wants a glass? Does it even go with pizza?” Camilla blabbered nervously.
“Sure,” Alex said. “Here,” he took the bottle from Camilla, “let me.”
Jason handed Alex the opener and Annie put glasses on the counter.
“So, you came for the pastry workshop?” Camilla asked after Alex handed her a full glass of wine. “Leona sure was excited about hosting Chef Marcel, but that turned into a disaster for her.”
“No. I happened to get stuck in a snow drift not far from the Blackbird. Annie and Leona kindly found a room for me.” Alex handed wine around the room.
“I thought it was a private event and fully booked.” Camilla slapped the side of her head with the palm of her hand. “Right. One of the participants never made it.”
“You seem to know a lot, Camilla,” Alex said.
“Not really. It’s just that my boyfriend has been working on this and I’ve heard some information. Not any important details, just some mumbling and grumbling when he was on the phone with Detective Crank.”
Alex caught Annie’s eye and lifted an eyebrow.
“Right. I should have explained,” Annie said. “Camilla is dating the chief of police.”
“You’re the guy Tyler said is here to complicate his life?” Camilla gnawed on her fingernail. She took a long gulp of wine. “I just keep sticking my foot in my mouth, don’t I?” She finished her wine, set her glass on the counter, and looked at Annie. “I didn’t think it would be so complicated to date Tyler and still hang out with you. I’m going home before something else falls out of my mouth that I’ll regret.”
“No need for that,” Alex said, heading for the door and his coat. “You are all friends. If anyone leaves, it should be me.”
“That won’t solve my problem. You aren’t the only one who I need to be careful around.” Camilla bundled up. “No offense, Annie, but this just isn’t working for me tonight.” She opened the door and disappeared into the darkness.
“That was awkward,” Annie said. “Camilla is in a tough spot since all of us here know Tyler too well. This relationship has put her between a rock and a hard place.”
“Why is the police chief telling his girlfriend stuff that’s confidential?” Alex asked. “If you ask me, he’s the one who should be careful with what he shares.”
“So far Camilla hasn’t shared anything I haven’t heard elsewhere, but she doesn’t know that. I’m sure Tyler is completely professional around her.”
Jason carried plates to the table along with the two pizzas Alex had brought. A big mixed greens salad with loads of other veggies was the centerpiece on the table. “Is anyone else hungry for some pizza?”
“I thought we’d never get to enjoy what Alex brought,” Annie said. “And I see that he got one of my favorites—pesto with broccoli, onions, and mushrooms. Maybe you do read minds, after all.” She hated to admit it to herself, but the food had managed to soften her opinion of Alex. Slightly. It wouldn’t kill her to at least listen to what he had to say . . . while she enjoyed the pizza.
The edges of Alex’s eyes wrinkled. “Yes, that’s one of my super powers, especially when I got a bit of help from the waitress, Hailey, who said she knows you well. Once I mentioned where I was going, she told me what to bring with no ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
Annie laughed. “And what else did she tell you about me?” Maybe it was the wine helping her to relax.
Alex pulled his thumb and finger across his lips. “I swore on penalty of death not to reveal those secrets.”
After everyone made themselves comfortable and loaded their plates with food, Annie decided that she’d waited long enough to ask Alex the question that was eating at her. “So, why are you in town?”
He finished chewing and swallowing before he leaned back in his chair. “Like I told you already, I’m a private investigator.” He focused on the pizza in front of him as if it was the most fascinating serving of food he’d ever had the chance to enjoy.
“Yes. A private investigator that just happened to show up at the Blackbird Bed and Breakfast where a well-known chef was murdered? That smells like an awfully big coincidence. Especially when you’ve already admitted that it was sort of your intention to be there.” Annie leaned back in her chair and kept her eyes fixed on Alex.
“The Blackbird Bed and Breakfast was not my original destination.”
“Let’s quit dancing around your intention. The fact that you arrived in Catfish Cove to investigate something and you did end up at the Blackbird puts you right at the scene of a murder. You’re a suspect whether you like it or not.”
“I suppose you’re a suspect too, Annie,” Alex countered.
“And it’s not the first time, unfortunately, but we’re talking about you, not me. You wanted to have this conversation. So let’s have it.”
Alex’s eyebrows danced up his forehead but he didn’t say anything.
Annie stared.
Alex sighed. “I have to admit, you’re tougher than being questioned by Detective Crank . . . and she was tough.”
“I’ve been under Detective Crank’s glare many times so I certainly take that as a big compliment.”
The conversation and eating around the table came to a standstill as Annie and Alex played their game of cat and mouse.
“You have managed to talk about everything but what I thought you came here to talk about.” Annie leaned forward and looked at Alex who sat across the table from her. “Let me be blunt. Who did you come to town to investigate?”
After more wine, Alex said, “It wasn’t a who, it was a group of people.”
“Who are you working for?”
Alex looked around the table. “I’m hoping you’ll help me.”
Annie waited. Not one muscle twitched as she stared at Alex.
“Chef Marcel.” Alex’s words sucked the air from the room like a noose squeezed tight. “Chef Marcel hired me.”
15
Chef Marcel? You were working for Chef Marcel?” Annie blurted out. “Why?”
“All I can tell you is that he called me about a week ago and asked me to meet him here in Catfish Cove. He said he had a problem with someone and he’d give me the rest of the details when I arrived.”
“But he was murdered before you got any of those details,” Annie stated as that reality fell into place. She slumped against the back of her chair.
“I’m not sure who else noticed the chef’s shock when you introduced me to everyone after you let me in last night. I think he covered it pretty quickly and no one made a connection between the two of us. To be honest, I only wanted to see where the Blackbird was, then I planned to stay somewhere else and contact him. But,” he raised both hands, palms up in a gesture of complete hopelessness, “when my car got stu
ck in the middle of the storm, my only choice was to walk to the Blackbird. Believe me, it wasn’t where I’d planned to spend the night.”
“And you never got a chance to talk to him and get more information?”
Alex shook his head. “I already told you about how I heard his door open and close several times. I assumed someone was in his room. I was hoping to find a chance to catch him away from everyone at some point, but you know how that turned out. And once Leona locked his door, I didn’t want to risk going in to have a look around.”
Annie ran her fingers through her strawberry blonde curls. This turn of events had the potential to change her whole outlook on Alex. If it was all the truth. At least on the surface, Alex had no reason to kill the chef. “Wow. Did you tell all this to Detective Crank?”
Alex nodded. “I had to. She had me pegged as one of the suspects, maybe even the top one. I suppose I still am on her list, but maybe not as high after I told her that I was working for the chef and he was already worried for his life.”
“Believe me, everyone at the Blackbird is on her list. Detective Crank doesn’t rule anyone out until they have an airtight alibi with zero possibility of even the slightest chance of a motive. And, she could think you’re lying.” Annie added that as an afterthought, since it was a possibility.
“So, I’m a suspect until the case is solved?”
“Pretty much,” Annie said.
Questions flew at Alex from every direction as Annie let herself think about this new turn of events.
“You came to investigate all the participants?” she asked. “Do you have any idea how Phil fit into Chef Marcel’s agenda? From what my neighbor told me, it sounded like when her son saw them at Bigger Burger, he had the impression that they weren’t strangers to each other.”