Apple Pie and Arsenic

by C A Phipps

  “Don’t get prickly. I appreciate all of that. First, the owner is desperate to sell, so it’s going for a song. Second, what if I put money in? I have savings. Or I could buy the whole thing outright with the sale from this place, and you could pay me back when you can.”

  Maddie was stunned for a moment. “No, Gran, I’m not taking your money. You’ve done so much for me already.”

  “I’ve done what family does when they love each other, nothing more. Anyway, you know everything I have will come to you when I’m pushing up daisies.”

  Maddie knew Gran wanted her back home, but this talk of not being around was scary, and it made her think once more that Gran might be sick and not telling her.

  “You’re not putting all your money into something that has no guarantee of success. I’ll come home if you need me, but I’m not buying a shop in Maple Falls.”

  Gran looked down for a moment. When she raised her head, she tried to smile but failed miserably. “I totally understand. You should follow your heart and do what’s right for you. Let’s not talk about it anymore today. We can discuss more options tomorrow. Maybe I should rethink the retirement community.”

  Minutes ago, Gran had been excited about the prospect of going into business together, and now she looked utterly despondent. Was Maddie the worst granddaughter ever? She sure felt like it. Each bite turned to sawdust in her mouth.

  This wasn’t a good start. If Gran had her heart set on the business and the apartment, then one week would never be enough to talk her into something else. Clearly it couldn’t be the retirement community if even the thought of it made her miserable.

  A germ of an idea took hold, and Maddie grasped it with both hands. The shops had been there for decades, and the one Gran was talking about looked truly awful from the outside. The inside had to be as bad. Probably worse. Maybe if they took a look at it and Gran saw how much they’d have to do to get it up and running, she would change her mind.

  Pleased with that idea and hopeful that they could find a nice place for Gran afterwards, she smiled. “On second thought, if you think it’s worth our time, let’s go see this place. After all, a look can’t hurt, can it?”

  Gran’s face lit up once more. “Really? Now?”

  Maddie raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I could finish my tea and pie?”

  Gran leaned back with an air of satisfaction. “Take as long as you like. I’ll give the agent a call in a minute. Should I say to meet her there in half an hour?”

  Maddie spluttered her mouthful of tea over the pristine white tablecloth. She had the feeling that she’d just been played, but she couldn’t think of anything to say in the face of such eagerness. She dabbed at the mess with a napkin while Gran brought the phone to the table.

  She’d never made Maddie feel anything but wanted and loved, and doing anything to make Gran happy had never been an issue. Unfortunately, this felt like a step too far.

  As soon as her plate was empty, Gran dialed the number and it was then that Maddie realized whom she was calling. They both knew the owner of the local real estate business, and the thought of seeing Virginia Bolton, let alone discussing business with her, was enough to make Maddie’s insides turn to jelly.

  What a morning, and it wasn’t done yet.

  Chapter Three

  When Maddie walked through the door of the disgusting mess that was Glitter and Gold, the old pawn shop, her thoughts of taking a quick look then having a conversation about how it couldn’t work slipped bizarrely away. This was what she’d been dreaming of, although her dreams had a New York City setting.

  The store itself was a perfect size. She was able to visualize, despite the state of the place and the awful smell of mold and moth-eaten furniture, exactly where everything would go. That insight made her think of a recipe she might formulate. It would come together in her mind until she was able to visualize the finished product, without having baked it yet.

  This place was bigger than the New York City space she’d been planning to buy, and the front shop area here was big enough so there would be space for tables and chairs. She could serve tea and coffee rather than just food to go.

  “Obviously, it’s pretty messed up, with holes in the walls everywhere. It would be a mammoth job to make it good enough to house a bakery,” Virginia said with a sneer, as if the idea was ridiculous.

  Gran moved between them. “Maddie’s not frightened of hard work, are you, sweetheart?”

  Maddie flexed her patience muscle. “It’s bad, but not impossible.”

  Virginia shrugged. “I already have another interested party, so if you don’t buy it, there’s absolutely no problem.”

  Maddie couldn’t get a handle on what was going on with Virginia. By all accounts, she had a steady business, possibly due to the fact that hers was the only agency in town, but surely sales weren’t so good that she could afford to push people away. Did she want to sell the place, or was this one of those tactics she used to force a buyer’s hand?

  Whatever. Maddie wouldn’t be rushed.

  Something occurred to her. “Who else wants it?”

  Virginia looked down her Roman nose. “I can’t tell you that.”

  “I’m sure I can find out. Maple Falls can’t keep secrets.”

  Virginia laughed, which was what Maddie had intended, but it was a singularly unpleasant sight. The woman’s eyes went to slits, and her teeth clenched.

  “You have no chance of that. Besides, what good would it do?”

  Maddie wished she hadn’t bothered trying to converse. “I have no idea.”

  Virginia watched her carefully as she spoke. “I don’t suppose Gran told you that old man Willis’s body was found right over there.”

  Maddie felt the blood rush from her face, and Gran, who had known Mr. Willis very well, had taken him meals after his wife passed away, gasped loudly.

  “When you say ‘found’, what do you mean?” Maddie asked.

  Virginia shrugged. “He died. He was old, and he clearly couldn’t look after himself.”

  Maddie took exception to the way Virginia looked at Gran when she made the statement. “Still, it must have been a shock for his family.”

  “You’d think so, but they were pretty quick to put the shop up for sale once he was buried.”

  Things like that happened, Maddie told herself; it was natural. But it made her feel a little ill at the idea of living and cooking in a place where someone had recently died. Not that there was so much as a stain on the threadbare carpet.

  Gran retreated into the kitchenette, which, because of its lack of even a cursory cleaning, was the last place anyone would want to be, apart from the hideous orange bathroom. She gave Maddie a small, apologetic smile. If someone had turned on a light bulb—not that it was an option since they were all missing—it couldn’t have been clearer. The shop was just down the road from her house, and even if it hadn’t been, everyone knew about the comings and goings of Maple Falls. Therefore, Gran had known about Mr. Willis’s demise before Virginia delighted in telling them.

  Virginia was watching them again, perhaps expecting a full-scale war. She didn’t have a clue about their relationship, and Maddie wouldn’t spare the time to enlighten her.

  “I’ve seen enough,” Maddie said. “We’ll let you know soon. Let’s go, Gran. We have a lot to discuss.”

  She ignored Virginia’s glare as they left.

  Gran followed, meek as a lamb, and waited until they got back to the house before she said a word, as if by the time they got there, Maddie would have calmed down and made the right decision. Whatever that might be.

  “I know Virginia isn’t your favorite person, but the poor girl is dealing with a very sick mother right now.”

  Maddie hadn’t known that. “That’s rough, but she’s always been mean. Especially to me.”

  “Be that as it may. You could give her a little leeway. Why not pretend she isn’t a factor in your decision, then see what you come up with?”

 
; The fact that Virginia wasn’t her favorite person had Maddie scrambling backward (like Big Red did when it came time for his shots) at the idea of doing any sort of deal with her, just as Gran had intimated. However, it could also be said that the woman didn’t seem particularly inclined to sell her the place, either. She’d put out all kinds of negative vibes and brought up the death of Mr. Willis, encouraging Maddie to look elsewhere. That was odd behavior for someone whose life had always seemed centered around money.

  Maddie sat at the kitchen table. “Please sit down, Gran.”

  Sheepishly, Gran did so. “I should have told you about Clive Willis. But I knew you’d be squeamish, and really, you shouldn’t be.”

  “A person can’t help how they feel.”

  “But they can. Here’s the thing, sweetheart: people die all the time, and if we let it get the better of us… Well, half the population would probably be homeless if they chose not to live where someone had passed away. Maybe more.”

  Maddie was flabbergasted. “How did you reach that conclusion?”

  “Logistics. If I died tomorrow and you moved back here, would you sell my house?” Gran said patiently.

  “No, but that’s different.”

  “Is it?”

  Maddie thought about it. “I can see your point.”

  Satisfied, Gran leaned back in her chair. “I knew you would.”

  “You still should have told me.”

  Gran frowned. “I’m sorry. Is it a definite no, then?”

  Maddie pulled out her phone. “I need to talk to my friend in New York. We had plans to buy a place together. I hate to let her down.”

  “Oh. You never said it was a given.” Gran sounded concerned, then she smiled. “Still, if she’s your friend, she’ll understand. I’ll make tea.”

  Maddie shook her head at her back. How Long had she been devising this plan? And now Gran could see no reason for it not to work out as she’d anticipated, no matter what was thrown her way.

  Camille picked up at once, sounding delighted to hear from her. But from there, the call went as oddly as everything else that had happened today.

  They spoke for some time, with Camille having a lot to say after Maddie explained what was happening in Maple Falls.

  When they said their goodbyes, Maddie put her face in her hands, knowing what the outcome would be when she’d relayed all the news she’d just received.

  After a while, Gran came over and put a cup of tea in front of her. “What did she say, sweetheart?”

  Maddie rested her hands on the white tablecloth. “She said that when she told her family about our plans a couple of weeks ago, they were already negotiating with Camille’s bosses to open another store that the family’s going to run together. She didn’t tell me before I left, in case you were really sick. She’s delighted that I have a plan B and offered me a job any time if things don’t work out here.”

  Gran patted her hand. “There you go. Things are falling into place, which means it’s meant to be.”

  “But I only left New York last night. This is all surreal. Are you sure I’m not dreaming?”

  “Sometimes we have to take the hand life deals us.” Gran squeezed her arm.

  Maddie took a sip of her tea, then rested her chin on her hand. “Maybe.”

  “Why don’t you sleep on it? We won’t talk about it anymore today. You’re probably still tired from your trip, and I’ve selfishly dragged you over to the shop and given you much more than you’d bargained for. You need to have dinner and an early night,” she added.

  Maddie nodded but didn’t move. “Just to be clear. You really want this for us? Because it would need two people at least to make it work.”

  “I do, but only if it’s something that could make you happy. If it isn’t, then we’ll look at other options. But, since I’ll have plenty of time after giving up my time at the community center, it should work out fine. I’ll fix us some dinner while you ponder things.”

  True to her word, Gran didn’t mention the shop again, but she sang like a canary all evening until Maddie had to go to bed or go mad. She wanted her to be happy, but Gran was assuming an awful lot, and despite her eagerness, at her age would it be too much?

  As she sank into the cozy bed in her old room, she began to relax. Coming home was a tonic. Usually. Big Red liked it too. Having finally forgiven her for the trip, he snuggled up beside her, his tail draped across her arm.

  “What do you think? Should we move back home? It would mean living over a shop, but you’d have your own yard, so it’d be a lot better than our place in Manhattan. Plus, no litter box.”

  He stretched, yawned in her face, and curled up ready for sleep, as if he didn’t care one way or the other.

  So, the question remained: a shop in Maple Falls—or a job in New York City?

  Chapter Four

  Tossing and turning, Maddie weighed the pros and cons of buying a mess of a shop in this small town instead of getting her much-needed sleep. It would have been far easier to get up and make a list, but she didn’t want to wake Gran.

  Throttle her, yes, for scaring Maddie about how sick she was and for withholding important facts like Virginia’s involvement and Mr. Willis’s death, which had made the shop available. Gran wasn’t so sick or old that she wasn’t able to bake, pack, and more importantly, decide on a business venture.

  Regardless of how they’d gotten to this point, there were other things to consider. What would customers in Maple Falls want from a bakery?

  Maddie doubted she’d be making too many fancy things for the clientele she could expect. That wasn’t a bad thing, since that kind of baking was labor-intensive, and it would be just her and Gran to begin with.

  Residents dining out were limited to O’Malley’s Bar, Isaac’s diner, or going north to Destiny. If there were another option, one that excited them, they might be inclined to try it. Especially with Gran’s baking on offer.

  Maddie could offer celebration cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and so on, which would definitely help her sales.

  Finally, when sleep was clearly no longer on the agenda, she dressed and went downstairs with Big Red at her heels. Gran was already up, her eyes shining with interest, but she knew Maddie well and wouldn’t force the issue until they were both on the same page. The trouble was that Maddie’s page had been smeared into illegibility.

  “Morning, Gran. I think I’ll go for a walk before breakfast.”

  “Good idea, sweetheart. It’ll clear your head, since it looks like you didn’t get too much rest. I’ll have pancakes ready when you get back. Blueberry ones.”

  Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup was Maddie’s favorite breakfast. Gran wasn’t averse to cooking coercion, and her cheerfulness was catching.

  She had no destination in mind, but somehow her feet took her down Plum Place to the back of the shops with Big Red trotting beside her. Glitter and Gold was at the end of the block on a corner site, making the shop’s back yard much larger than the others.

  It too was a mess, but she could picture where she could grow herbs and other ingredients she’d need, to save on costs. It had been a long time since she’d spent any time in a garden, and her fingers were itching to get in there and make a start.

  Big Red jumped up on the fence that enclosed the space and over to the other side, where he gave the yard a thorough inspection while she pondered how she’d gotten to this point.

  She couldn’t deny the feeling that she was being forced into this, even though she knew that if she told Gran she didn’t want to do it, things would work out and their relationship would still be strong. Everything was falling into place, just like it had when she decided to go to New York City. Maybe Gran was right: maybe this was meant to be. Dead body or no.

  Maddie had always assumed she’d end up back in Maple Falls. The brash ways and the noise of a big city had been tough to get used to, but she was grateful for the opportunities she’d been given there. Now that Camille wa
sn’t going to share in the costs of a business, buying something there was off the table; there was no chance Maddie could purchase a shop on her own. Which meant she would have to work for someone else for a very long time, or find another partner.

  What better partner than a silent one, and one she knew? Plus, Gran could help out with the baking when necessary because Maddie wouldn’t be able to afford to hire another baker. Maybe she could hire an assistant and teach them the basics as a cheaper option.

  As Gran had said, the price was great, and the seller wanted a quick closing. If they decided on a 50/50 partnership, and using their savings, Maddie would need to top off her share with a loan from the bank. This way, it wasn’t as imperative that Gran’s house be sold right away, which meant that they would have a place to live while they did the makeover.

  Maddie’s mind whirled as she followed the path around the corner to study the tired storefront. It was jarring compared to the others: the secondhand shop, which was one of Gran’s favorite places, a butcher, and Angel’s beauty parlor, whose neat storefronts were all in keeping with the rest of the town and its pride in keeping things neat and clean.

  Maddie looked up to her best friend Angel’s windows, but the bedroom was at the back, so it was hard to tell if she was awake. There was no reason to tell Angel she was back. The town grapevine would have done that for her, plus she’d phoned her friend before she’d left the city to tell her she was on her way.

  In the middle of the intersection to her right, there was a small park with the biggest maple of all in the center. It was a wonderful place for picnics, with plenty of shade and a babbling brook nearby. She and her friends had spent a lot of time there, reading, studying and talking about boys.

  She’d missed her ‘Girlz’, a name that Gran had coined for their tight group, and which many others had adopted. The three of them, Angel, Suzy, and Maddie, had been inseparable since they’d started school, and although Maddie had made friends in New York City, it wasn’t the same.