Tea, Treats & Terror

by Carolyn L. Dean

  Ruben’s face sagged in dismay. “Oh, I can assure you, Lisa, that I have every intention of getting along with my neighbors. It sounds like those poor boys are doing everything they can to stay out of trouble, and as a concerned citizen of Ravenwood Cove I consider it my personal responsibility to help.”

  There was something in his response that sounded odd and kind of fake to Amanda, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the over-solicitous tone in his voice, or maybe it was the way he glanced across the street when he said the words ‘poor boys’, but whatever it was, it made Amanda aware that she and Ruben Bishop were probably not going to be good friends.

  Unaware of her thoughts, Ruben turned to Amanda with a fresh smile. “I see the rumors about your beauty were all true, Mrs. Landon,” he said in a syrupy tone. “It’s always personally inspiring to meet a great lady of the town, who works so tirelessly for its promotion and prosperity. I’m sure we can discuss some cross promotions that will benefit the other vendors in town. After all,” he said with a broad wink,”—our tea shop is now the best place to eat in Ravenwood Cove, and that’s something to be telling people about.”

  Amanda’s mind instantly flashed to the places to eat in town and their amazing food: Cuppa’s fresh cinnamon rolls, Jennifer’s etouffee, Heinrich’s Pizzeria and its fabulous crust dotted with butter and garlic, Ivy Café’s luscious clam chowder.

  She tamped down a sudden urge to slap the man in front of her and put a canned smile in place instead.

  “That would be lovely.”

  They stayed long enough to try the pastel-colored assortment of teacakes that Ruben had offered, and for Lisa to ask Ruben some basic questions. Using a small digital recorder, she also jotted down some notes from time to time, nodding her head in understanding as Ruben talked. The more he responded to Lisa’s questions, the more Amanda realized that her first impression was probably correct. Every sentence out of his mouth seemed to either passively criticize someone or was designed to try to flatter or brag. Both behaviors set Amanda’s teeth on edge.

  After about fifteen minutes, Lisa gathered up her things, stood up, and shook Ruben's hand vigorously. "Thank you for the interview, Mr. Bishop," she said. "I'd like to take a few pictures on my way out, if that's okay with you, and I expect to have your article published in the Tide tomorrow or the day after, at the latest."

  Ruben ran a single finger across one side of his mustache, grooming it, then smiled smugly. “That sounds acceptable. If you need any more information, please just let me know."

  As soon as the door was shut behind them and Lisa had all the pictures she needed, she turned to Amanda, who'd been keeping her mouth shut. "Geez, have you ever met a man so full of himself? I don't think that guy’s going to make a lot of friends around town with that sort of attitude."

  Amanda chuckled as she opened her car door, then gave a deep sigh. “I'm not very good at hiding my feelings, but I feel exactly the same way. If Ruben Bishop wants to get along with people in Ravenwood, he’s going to have to learn not to talk badly about people behind their backs. I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to help him with his business." She took a last glance up at the cheerful exterior of the little tea shop.

  "Or that I really want to."

  Chapter 3

  Life as a newlywed definitely had its moments. Being married to a handsome detective who made her laugh and who loved her even on days she didn’t use makeup was great, but no one had warned Amanda of some of the more basic things she’d have to contend with. She’d gotten used to sharing her morning coffee, him hogging the covers from time to time and an occasional bout of snoring. She’d laughed at his hair when he got out of the shower, made him soup when he had a head cold and still had to go catch bad guys, and proudly listened while he went in a back room and practiced a newly-discovered Irish jig on his fiddle.

  She just hadn’t considered the pet issue.

  “I’ve never had a dog, and I’m not so sure we should get a dog. That’s all there is to it,” Amanda said, not unkindly, as she clapped the reservation book closed. “It’s not because I don’t like dogs. It’s just Oscar would have a fit and I’m not going to put him through having to deal with a mutt that would want to chase him all the time.” She looked up at James, her mouth a line of determination. “He’s a great cat, and the Ravenwood Inn is his home. I’m not going to have him terrorized so he has to hide to keep away from a barking dog. Besides, some of our guests might have allergies to dogs.”

  James looked dubious. “I can understand your concern about the guests, but I think you may have things backward when you’re worrying about Oscar. That cat is huge, and if you keep feeding him tidbits like you’ve been doing lately he’s going to get even bigger.” He followed his wife’s retreating back toward the Inn’s huge kitchen, his coffee cup still in his hand. “Oscar’s starting to look like that cartoon cat, Garfield. If it came down to a fight between some dog and Oscar, my money would be on him every time.”

  The big orange cat had been snoozing in a padded dog bed in the kitchen, but after hearing his name, he cracked one eye open and peered up at his humans. It had taken a bit for him to get used to James always being around after the wedding, because he’d grown very attached to Amanda after she’d taken him in as a skinny stray. A year later and obviously several pounds heavier, Oscar was definitely the official greeter at the Inn, and Amanda had even said she thought Oscar just let the humans stay in the huge Victorian building because it suited him.

  Or maybe it was because Amanda fed him tuna. That may have had something to do with it.

  “You know how people have been pestering us to have kids ever since we got married? Maybe a dog would be a good…practice for the real thing.” The words sounded weak to James the moment he said them, and he actually winced as soon as his wife turned to stare at him, wide-eyed.

  “You’re equating having a new pet with having a baby?” She started to chuckle, much to his relief. “Honey, I’m not so sure you’ve got your comparisons right. When we start our family I’m pretty sure it’s going to be entirely different than putting a bowl of kibble down for a puppy.”

  “Okay, okay, that was lame,” James admitted. “I’m just trying to pull out all the stops. Is it working yet?”

  Sliding onto one of the tall chairs around the marble-topped kitchen island, Amanda gave a resigned sigh. “You’re missing your dogs from your folks’ ranch, aren’t you?” she asked, and James sat down beside her.

  “I am. If I can’t bring my horses with me to our new place, how about just a dog?”

  Amanda looked at him sideways. “You don’t think a horse would fit in the new house?” she asked, and James laughed.

  “You ever seen the size of a horse bed? I think a dog bed would work better in the laundry room.”

  Their new house was under construction next door, and her contractor, Roy Greeley, said they were still at least two months away from the newlyweds being able to move in. So far, the Inn’s guests hadn’t complained about the sounds of whirring saws or pneumatic nail guns, but it had been stressful to balance between running the bed and breakfast and stopping by the construction site to answer any questions that might come up.

  James’ father, Donald Landon, had been stopping by to oversee things as often as he could. There was almost no sign of the stroke that had made him an invalid months before, except for a slight slur to his speech when he was tired. The family’s horse ranch seemed to be running more smoothly with Donald at the helm, and the family had breathed a sigh of relief when he’d recovered enough to show an interest in managing things again. James’ job as a detective for the sheriff’s department kept him very busy, but he kept a careful eye on how much work his father was doing, and Amanda knew he’d stepped in a couple of times and tried to get Donald to rest as often as possible. Both men were stubborn and independent, and more than once she’d heard the frustration and anger in her father-in-law’s voice when James had objected
to what his dad was doing.

  “Dog for the house or dog for the Inn?”

  James thought about it. “House. Oscar can have the Inn all to himself.” He turned on his most charming smile, knowing how it normally affected his wife. “Besides, I need a dog for the Mutt Marathon. Most of the deputies from the sheriff’s office are going to be running, and I don’t have a buddy to run with. It’s in the rules, you know,” he added. “No dog. No runner. I could adopt a dog from the pound. Don’t you think those dogs should be given good homes?”

  Amanda grinned in defeat, knowing that he was expertly working her emotions. The truth was, she liked dogs just fine, and the thought of having a companion and guard dog at the new house sounded like a good idea.

  Besides, how could she say no to helping some poor stray?

  She leaned over and kissed James. “Okay, I’m in. Until the new house is built we’ll just have to keep the dog away from Oscar, though.” She glanced at the huge orange cat, who was watching them with interest. “I don’t want to see the new dog’s nose get shredded.”

  He got up and went to the sink to rinse out his coffee cup, then walked to the door, his cowboy boots thudding a bit on the floor.

  Amanda watched him go, curiosity on her face. “Where are you off to?” she asked and wasn’t surprised when she heard the gleeful answer.

  “Humane Society. I should be back in a bit.” James’ grin was huge as he blew her a kiss from the doorway and jogged outside to his car. There was no doubt in her mind that he was planning on coming back with a new, furry friend.

  She could hear the broad, main staircase of the Inn creaking as someone slowly came downstairs. Peeking around the corner, she saw one of her new guests, Arlo Chase, gripping the hand rail with one hand and holding a nylon day bag with the other.

  "Hello, Mr. Chase. Heading out to explore?" she said with a friendly smile, and he nodded in affirmation.

  "Do you realize that this part of the Oregon Coast is almost unspoiled? There are bird habitats here that you just don't see in the more heavily trafficked towns. I'm so glad that I brought my best binoculars, because I saw a bunch of nesting sites up on the bluffs and I think I'll go check that out today."

  "Your wife’s not going with you, or is she not a birdwatcher?" Amanda asked. She walked quickly over to the industrial -sized fridge in the kitchen and pulled out the gourmet sack lunch that she or Jennifer always made for her guests. "I made two lunches for you, but I think I heard her leaving earlier." She handed one of the bags to Mr. Chase and was turning to walk away with the other one when the heavy-set man stopped her.

  "That's okay," he said. "I’ll, uh, take the second bag with me just in case I get really hungry." He smiled sheepishly and patted his ample belly. "You never know when this big boy’s going to need extra fuel."

  Chapter 4

  Owning a centuries-old Inn came with many joys and a lot of work. It seemed like just when Amanda had fixed one thing on the sprawling Victorian beauty something else would break or need to be fixed. She'd gotten used to calling her contractor and getting help for the big things, but she'd also done her best to learn how to do small repairs and upgrades herself. It wasn't easy, balancing the budget for improvements with how much money was coming in from guests, but so far she was solidly in the black, and she was proud of that.

  Amanda had gotten used to not having a huge mega-mart nearby, with its 'one-stop shopping', and often had to plan her errands in town carefully to make sure she stopped at all the stores on her list. Driving from the Inn, down the curved road leading to the main street, was a pleasure. From the top bluff, where the Ravenwood Inn was, there was a far-off view of the Pacific Ocean, and when the wind was right the sounds of the pounding surf could be heard through the Inn's open windows. The level most of the town was set on was below that, and the main street was lined with wide sidewalks and two rows of maple trees, their branches naked due to the time of year.

  Amanda parked her car in front of Madeline Wu's fish shop, then pulled her canvas bag and purse off the back seat and headed into Kazoodles, the local toy store.

  Just as she'd expected, Grace TwoHorses was there to greet her. It was obvious she was in the middle of something fun because she was scooting down the main aisle of the toy store on a narrow skateboard, moving her body from side to side to make it go faster.

  "Hey, Amanda! What do you think?" she asked, stopping in front of her suddenly. "I'm considering stocking these. Think they'd sell?"

  "Absolutely," Amanda said with a smile. "I think I want one for myself!"

  Laughing, Grace stashed the skateboard behind the counter. "I'll let you know when they come in," she offered. "What can I do for you today?"

  "I'm checking to see if you have any good kid books about animals in the area, especially whales," she said, walking toward the bookshelves in the back. "I think I need something for the younger guests at the Inn, because I've been getting a lot of questions about sea life nearby. Sea lions, otters…that sort of thing."

  Grace nodded and pulled out several books for Amanda to look through. When she'd chosen the ones she wanted, a wide board book with beautiful watercolor pictures of whales, she headed up to the counter, where Grace was waiting.

  "Looks like you've found a winner," Grace said happily, ringing up the purchase. "So, what's new with you, 'Manda? Have you tried out that new tea shop in town yet?"

  "Yep. The little cakes I tried there were really good," Amanda commented, trying to be diplomatic.

  "I hear the owner's a real peach of a guy." Grace looked warily at Amanda as she slid the book into a paper bag. "Meet him yet?"

  "Yes." She wasn't sure what else she could say. She certainly couldn’t tell Grace about the argument in the back room, or the way he'd snapped at the young woman who brought them tea.

  "Uh huh," Grace commented, finally handing the bag over to Amanda. "You know, from what I hear that guy, Ruben Bishop, has told several people he's going to go to the Town Council and see if he can get Bad Boy Motors shut down. Says it's too noisy and terrible for the neighborhood."

  Amanda gasped in surprise. "Are you kidding? Sage's repair shop? He's been doing great work for his customers, from what I hear. That old building had been empty and falling apart ever since Mr. Bower retired."

  Crossing her arms and then leaning on her elbows on the counter, Grace shook her head. "I don't know all the details about it, just that Ruben's been talking to some of his customers about how much trouble those teens are across the street." She eyeballed Amanda carefully. "Does Lisa know about this yet?"

  Amanda was sure that if Lisa had caught a whiff of this rumor she'd have been on the phone to Amanda immediately. "I don't think so, but I'll give her a heads up. I'm meeting her for lunch today. Sage's a great kid, and I know Lisa would want to protect him." She stuffed a couple spare dollars into the Meals on Wheels donation box Grace always kept by the cash register.

  "Thanks for letting me know, Grace. I'll pass along the news."

  As the shop's front door shut behind her, Amanda could feel her blood pressure go up. It seemed like as soon as sleepy little Ravenwood Cove settled into an easy, comfortable routine, someone would come along and throw a monkey wrench in the whole thing. True, it was only a rumor that Ruben wanted to close Bad Boy Motors, but she knew Grace well enough to know that she wouldn’t pass along idle gossip. If she felt she had to tell Amanda, it was because she believed what she'd heard.

  Walking down the sidewalk, Amanda scarcely saw the decorated display windows or colorful sandwich boards set out by the shop doors. Lisa's heart was just healing from the last ordeal she'd had to go through, when a boyfriend she'd really cared about turned out to be a stone-cold killer. The embarrassment was bad enough, but when it was compounded by falling in love with the wrong person it was doubly hard. In the past couple of months, Amanda had seen a whole new side of her serious-minded friend. Lisa had been giddy when the relationship started, then crushed and emotional when it ended
.

  The decadent smell of butter and garlic wafted her way on the ocean breeze, and she followed her nose toward Heinrich's Pizzeria. It may have been the only pizzeria she knew that was owned by a man with a German heritage and name, but his pizza was absolute heaven on a plate, and she'd been glad to make the lunch date to meet Lisa there.

  Now, thinking of the news she was going to give her, she wasn't so sure.

  Chapter 5

  Whenever Amanda needed real news, the kind that wasn’t printed in the local paper, she knew right where to go.

  Petrie’s General Store.

  It seemed the small space near the old woodstove in the store was the favorite hangout for some of the older ladies in town. Between the lot of them, all of the news that was fit to gossip (but not hurtful) got spread around Ravenwood Cove.

  She’d only needed some garden twine and a bag of chicken feed, but as soon as Amanda walked toward the back she was instantly flagged down.

  “You won’t believe what I heard!” Mrs. Granger’s lined face was lit up with excitement, her voice a conspiratorial whisper.

  Amanda tried to suppress a smile. She was used to Mrs. Granger’s love of gossip and willingness to share the local news whenever she could. To be honest, it was kind of fun to have the ninety-year-old lady relay what she’d heard around the woodstove in Petrie’s General Store. It was the perfect place for the little cotton-haired widow to spend her days. She’d sit on the padded wooden bench and knit, the wheeled walker she used to get around tucked to the side, and both of her ears wide open. The checkout counters were near enough that Mrs. Granger, who looked so small and innocent while her needles clicked along quietly, could eavesdrop on conversations around her, and she was thrilled when she picked up the newest tidbit of news. Between what she heard and knowing everyone in town, she was a font of knowledge about Ravenwood Cove.

  Petrie’s was also one of the stores Amanda liked best, and she made sure to give Brian Petrie as much of business as she could, especially for the larger purchases, like materials she needed for fixing up the century-old Inn. Brian took great pride in the wide variety of hardware and tools he had, as well as kitchen and yard supplies. When he’d opened an old-fashioned soda fountain next door, exactly based on the original one that had been torn down, it was an instant success.