A Cold Brew Killing

by Lena Gregory

  Gabriella’s eyes went wide but she said nothing.

  “The other day, I was shot, and a few minutes ago, I watched—” Gia caught herself just in time to keep from blurting Felicity Anderson’s name. “I watched someone run over my friend.”

  “Oh, no. Trevor?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “He’ll be okay. He was able to roll over the hood at the last minute.”

  Gabriella sagged back in the chair. “I can’t even believe this.”

  “Please, Gabriella, let me help you. Tell me what’s going on.”

  She picked at a chip in her maroon nail polish. “I tried to tell Bobby to let it go, but he wouldn’t listen. He felt responsible.” She shook her head. “I told him what he did when he was a kid was over, it was past, and he should just let it go, but he couldn’t.”

  Gia held her breath, waiting to see if she’d continue.

  “When Bobby realized Mitch was going to win the election, he said there was no way he could be mayor, no way he should be afforded the opportunity to one day climb even higher than that.” She looked at Gia, her eyes filled with a plea for understanding. “My Bobby wasn’t a good kid, but once we left here, he grew into an amazing man.”

  Gia nodded, understanding her need for people to know her husband had tried to do the right thing.

  “Anyway, since Ron was running against Mitch, Bobby figured maybe he’d changed too. Turned out Ron was trying desperately to keep Mitch from becoming mayor, but without involving anyone from the past. Apparently, he was worried about his cousin being involved, said he’d already caused her enough grief. But he finally agreed to work with us, as long as Donna Mae was kept out of it. We found more than one woman willing to testify, but the one we wanted most refused.”

  The pieces fell into place. “Allison Monroe.”

  If she was surprised that Gia knew, it didn’t show. “Yes. No matter how many times we reached out, she wouldn’t cross him. Honestly, I didn’t blame her. She was terrified. As it turns out, rightfully so.”

  Gabriella sat up straighter, anger starting to replace some of the sadness. “It also turned out Mitch had a mole in Ron’s campaign. When it got back to Mitch that there was a string of women willing to testify against him, as well as evidence of some of the crimes he’d committed, he knew Ron had betrayed him, and he went ballistic.”

  “How’d you find that out?”

  She stared pointedly at Gia. “Mitch wasn’t the only one with spies.”

  Gia nodded. It made sense Ron would have put someone in place to keep an eye on things.

  “But Felicity was the one who really freaked out. She’d put up with Mitch’s abuse and infidelity for years, all for the promise of one day being first lady, and her aspirations were about to come crashing down in the worst possible way. Bobby and I came to town at Ron’s request, when he was ready to go public with his findings. Next thing we knew, Ron was gone.”

  “Do you know who killed him?”

  “No, but I have my suspicions.”

  Gia tried to tread gently. “Do you know what happened to Bobby?”

  She shook her head. “When I came home and found him that way, I was terrified. I took off, driving aimlessly, praying whoever did it wouldn’t find me. After a while, I gave up. What difference did it make anyway? Bobby was gone, and I needed to finish what he started, so I came back. Then the police took me in for questioning.”

  “Did you tell them everything?”

  “No, not yet, but I’m going to. When I leave here, I’m going straight to the police station with my lawyer, and I’m going to tell them everything.”

  Gia’s heart broke for her. “Rest in the knowledge that Bobby did what was right, and let the police handle the rest.”

  Chapter 27

  “Are Skyla and Willow coming?” Cole set several trays of food along the counter, buffet style.

  “No. They’re out of town.” Gia smiled. When Willow had first called that morning and asked for the weekend off, Gia had been concerned. Then she told her Skyla had contacted her mother, Willow’s grandmother. She’d been so excited to hear from Skyla, she’d insisted on flying them up to Virginia to visit right away. She said after her husband’s death, she’d wanted to reach out but hadn’t known where to find them and feared they’d reject her. “They’ll meet up with us at Disney Monday morning.”

  “Disney?” Trevor came up beside her. “Who’s going to Disney?”

  “All of us. Want to come?”

  “I’d love to, thank you.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “And thank you for everything, Gia. It means a lot to me that you never lost faith in me.”

  She kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome.”

  Twin red patches flared on his cheeks as he stepped back. “Do you mind if I bring a friend?”

  “Of course not. Anyone I know?”

  “I was thinking of asking Zoe. She took such good care of Brandy for me, and she was very understanding when I explained why I couldn’t come for her right away.”

  “That would be great.” Gia hoped things would work out between them. Zoe was a kind woman, someone who’d be good for Trevor. Of course, that meant she’d have to ask Joey to watch Thor. She started to turn away, then remembered what she’d been playing around with in her spare time. “Oh, and I have something for you to try after dinner.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, I was playing around with cold brew recipes, looking for something that would be more dessert-like for Storm Scoopers…” She held her breath. Trevor hadn’t said he was going to reopen, but she really hoped he would. When he simply nodded, she took it for encouragement and continued. “I found a s’mores recipe. Cold brew coffee with toasted marshmallow and chocolate, then topped with whipped cream and crushed graham crackers sprinkled over the top.”

  “That sounds delicious.”

  “Then you’ll really love the one with chocolate and mint ice cream.”

  “Okay, folks.” Cole slid one last tray onto the counter and rubbed his hands together. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Cybil inhaled deeply. “Everything smells delicious.”

  “Why, thank you, Cybil.” Cole kissed the back of her hand.

  She blushed and shooed him away.

  Hunt piled his plate with a variety of steak and egg dishes. “It does look amazing.”

  Gia hugged his arm. “I’m just glad you could make it.”

  He leaned over and kissed her head. “Me too. I wasn’t sure I would, but Mitch and Felicity clammed up when we brought them in, right after they asked for their lawyer.”

  Savannah frowned. “Are you worried they’ll get away with it?”

  Hunt put his dish on the table and poured a mug of coffee. “No. Ron’s mole was willing to work with us, and we were able to get some pretty incriminating evidence on tape. Mitch stopped short of confessing to murder, but we found the murder weapon in his safe, and traffic cameras put his car parked on Main Street at the time of Ron’s murder. It seems he figured he could get rid of Ron and pin it on Trevor, given their history of bad blood. Then he figured he’d take out Trevor as well, so he couldn’t point the finger elsewhere. At least, that’s our theory. There’s no other reason for Mitch to have held onto the murder weapon.”

  “How did Ron get someone in there who Mitch would open up to?”

  Hunt’s jaw clenched. “Ron was no dummy. Putting a young, attractive woman in his campaign was pretty smart.”

  “And pretty dangerous,” Leo chimed in.

  “Very true,” Hunt agreed. “I read Gabriella Fischetti the riot act about that and about not coming to us in the first place.”

  “Is she heading back to Georgia?” Savannah put her plate on the table and sat.

  “No, she’s decided not to. She sa
id without Bobby there’s nothing left for her there. She’ll start fresh somewhere new.” Leo sat next to Savannah and squeezed her hand.

  Cybil sat between Earl and Cole. “She won’t stay in Boggy Creek?”

  Hunt shrugged. “She blamed herself for Bobby’s murder. That’s part of the reason she ran afterward.”

  “It wasn’t Gabriella’s fault he was killed,” Savannah said.

  “No, but she felt like they should have handled things better, that if they had, Ron and Bobby might not have been killed.”

  No one said anything. There was really no need.

  After filling her plate with a little of each dish, Gia sat next to Hunt. She started with a bite of pan-seared steak. A burst of flavor shot into her mouth. “Oh, my gosh, Cole, this is amazing.”

  “I told you it would be,” he said and winked at her. “It’s my own special blend of seasonings, which I wrote down for you and stuck in your recipe box.”

  “That’s perfect, thank you.” She took another bite.

  “So, are you guys coming to Disney with us tomorrow night?” Savannah bit into a piece of steak and moaned, “This is the most tender steak I’ve ever eaten.”

  Cole grinned. “Why, thank you, ma’am.”

  “Yes, we should be able to make it,” Leo said.

  “Awesome.” Excitement lit Savannah’s eyes. “And don’t forget, we’re going to the Keys this fall.”

  A niggle of guilt crept in, and Gia resisted the urge to apologize for ruining their trip. Again. “Oh, come on, Savannah, I don’t want to leave Thor again too soon, but we don’t have to wait that long.”

  She pursed her lips and stared at Gia. “Honey, I love you, but it’s become obvious you and I were not meant to go to the Keys together.”

  “So, who are you going with, and why wait until fall?”

  She gazed at Leo and smiled. “We’re going on our honeymoon.”

  Cheers erupted.

  “It’s about time you two finally set a date.” Hunt hugged Savannah, then clapped Leo on the back. “You’d better be good to her, man.”

  “You know I’ll treat her like gold.” Leo gazed at Savannah with all the love he’d carried since he was a child.

  Gia jumped up and hugged each of them. “Congratulations! I am so happy for both of you.”

  Savannah pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. “I’m hoping you’ll be my maid of honor.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I’d love to, Savannah. Thank you.”

  “I wouldn’t have anyone else.” She hugged her tight.

  “I’m sorry I screwed up our trip to the Keys.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Some things happen for a reason. Besides, we’re going to have a great time at Disney.” She raised her voice. “And this time, I’m not taking any chances on you getting sidetracked.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She pointed a finger at her. “You’re driving with Hunt.”

  They all laughed.

  A knock on the front door brought Gia up short, and she turned to find Harley peeking in. “I’ll be right back.”

  She unlocked the door and opened it. “Hey, Harley. Do you want to come in?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Gia stepped outside and let the door fall shut. “Is everything okay?”

  Harley twisted a red baseball cap in his hands. “Yes, I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything, but mostly for looking out for Donna Mae.”

  “You’re welcome, Harley.”

  He nodded once, fitted the cap over his head, and limped off.

  Gia watched him slip away into the darkness, truly hoping he’d find happiness now that his nightmare had been resolved. She then turned to go back to dinner with her friends—her chosen family.

  If you enjoyed A Cold Brew Killing, be sure not to miss the rest of Lena Gregory’s All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series, including

  To save her cozy Florida diner, Gia Morelli must choke down a heaping helping of murder…

  New York native Gia Morelli is just getting used to life in Florida when she gets word that the town government wants to shut down her pride and joy: the charming little diner known as the All-Day Breakfast Café. A forgotten zoning regulation means that the café was opened illegally, and hardboiled council president Marcia Steers refuses to budge. Gia is considering hanging up her apron and going back to New York, but before she gives up on her dream, she discovers something shocking in the local swamp: Marcia Steers, dead in the water. There’s a secret buried in the books at town hall, and someone killed to keep it hidden. To save her café and bring a killer to justice, Gia and her friends will have to figure out a killer’s recipe for murder…

  A Lyrical Underground e-book on sale now.

  Keep reading for a special look!

  Chapter 1

  “Fools!”

  Savannah Mills swiveled back and forth on a stool at the All-Day Breakfast Café counter and tapped a steady rhythm against the butcher-block countertop with her long, powder blue nails. “Every last one of them.”

  Gia Morelli scrubbed the already spotless counter one more time for good measure, then flung the dishcloth into a bin beneath the counter, the steady rat-a-tat-tat of Savannah’s rhythmic drumming making it almost impossible to think straight. “What I don’t get is how they think they can get away with this?”

  Earl snorted. The elderly man, who’d been the All-Day Breakfast Café’s first customer, and had since become a friend, had made a habit of arriving at the café before they opened and lingering over coffee until Gia officially unlocked the door and started cooking. “The council members are so used to doing whatever they want with no opposition they’re like a pack of spoiled brats.”

  “Yeah, well, not this time.” Gia checked the clock—just about time to open. She rounded the counter and headed for the door. “No way I’m giving up everything I’ve worked for because that bunch found some antiquated zoning mistake.”

  “How are you going to get around it, though?” Earl asked.

  “I have no idea. Yet.” Gia unlocked the door, then dragged the chalkboard with the day’s specials out onto the sidewalk and set it up. She looked up and down Main Street. Winter in Boggy Creek was certainly milder than the harsh bite of winter in New York, and yet there was something inside her, a small niggle of homesickness, that missed the change of seasons. Still… If she was going to give everything up and go back to New York, it would be on her terms, not because she was forced out. She strode back into the café more determined than ever to fight the council’s rulings. “Did your brother get back to you yet, Savannah?”

  She shook her head. “He still hasn’t heard back from his lawyer friend. Of course, you did only get the letter last night.”

  Gia resisted the urge to argue. Savannah was right. She hadn’t gotten the mail until after closing yesterday, and it was barely six o’clock in the morning now. Savannah’s brother, Tommy, who also sat on the town council, would call as soon as he heard something. Until then…

  Willow, the young woman who served as hostess, waitress, and cashier, breezed through the door, her usual smile firmly in place. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” Earl nodded.

  Willow slowed, taking in the three of them. “Is something wrong?”

  Gia sighed. Not like she wasn’t going to find out anyway. Heck, half of Boggy Creek had probably already heard, and the remainder of the residents would know everything within an hour of the shops on Main Street opening. “I received a letter from the town council. They’re closing the café.”

  Willow’s mouth fell open.

  Savannah spun her stool toward Gia. “Oh, stop being dramatic, Gia. They’re not closing the café, exactly, they’re just…”

  Gia lifted
a brow and waited.

  “Oh, all right. So they’re trying to close the café, but they aren’t going to get away with it.”

  “No, they’re not. But I need to know why they’re trying before I can figure out how to fight them.” And that was the problem. The letter only asked her to willingly close the café, said it had been brought to their attention that the historic building that housed the café and the small apartment above it had never been zoned commercial. Instead, it was the only building on Main Street that was still zoned residential.

  “Could be it’s a mistake,” Savannah offered.

  “I guess.” Gia shrugged.

  Earl sipped his coffee, then lowered his mug to the counter. “Of course, yours is the last shop on the block, and the area of town past it is zoned residential.”

  Gia just looked at him.

  “What?” he said innocently. “I know how to use Google.”

  Earl had quickly become a close friend. He’d believed in her when a lot of other people hadn’t, and she cherished his friendship. “When did you find out about the letter?”

  “Last night.” His cheeks reddened. “One of my sons might have called.”

  Well, at least the Boggy Creek rumor mill was still up and running. Truth be told, he’d probably known before she had. Since she was always stuck in the kitchen, it had been late before she’d gotten the mail. Then she’d had to feed and walk Thor before she finally found time to open the letter. “But why did the letter ask me to close? They could have said they wanted to discuss the matter or offered advice on how to change the zoning, anything. Something.”

  Savannah and Earl glanced at each other, a quick, passing look, but something definitely simmered just beneath the surface.

  “Okay, spill it. What don’t I know?”

  “Weeell…” Savannah looked at Earl once more, then returned her attention to Gia. “Do you know who any of the council members are?”

  “No. Well, other than your brother, which I only found out last night. Oh, and the president, Marcia something, is it? Whoever signed the letter.” Between running the café, unpacking and putting everything away at the house, and taking care of Thor, she didn’t have time to worry about who sat on the town council. “I get a newsletter from them every month, but honestly, I usually just chuck it in the trash.”