Gingerdead Man (The Early Bird Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 6)

by Ginny Gold

  Back downstairs, she grabbed one of the last clean aprons with The Early Bird Café’s logo on the front and knew laundry was in order this afternoon. Ibis curled up under Kori’s desk and Kori got to work on the morning’s preparations.

  She started with the hot cross buns since the yeast had to sit for a few minutes in the warm milk. While that was working, she got all of the other ingredients out, turned on the ovens, and made some coffee. She’d have a pumpkin latte later since it was one of the holiday specials today, so she poured herself only a small cup of coffee now to help wake up.

  When the yeast and milk were slightly frothy, she started adding more ingredients. She let them rest before putting them in the oven to bake and then got started on the peppermint mocha muffins.

  She was trying a new recipe but didn’t think it could fail. If worse came to worst, adding more peppermint would mask any mistakes. The batter smelled delicious and her mouth watered with anticipation.

  When the muffins and buns were in the oven, she heard the front door open and peeked in that direction to see Kiera coming in, bundled up with only her eyes showing.

  Kori chuckled and called, “Morning.”

  A muffled reply came back. “Morning.”

  “You walk to work? I didn’t think it was that cold.”

  Kiera unwrapped the scarf that covered her face and neck and said, “The heater in my car broke. It was a cold drive. Good thing I live nearby and it’s supposed to warm up later today.”

  “I would have picked you up,” Kori offered, horrified at the thought of a freezing car.

  Kiera shook her head and started hanging up her many layers. “The car’s not broken. I’m bringing it to the auto body this afternoon anyway, so it’s easier to keep it here until then.”

  “Okay. But if they keep it overnight, I can pick you up tomorrow morning.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know.” Kiera hung up her winter coat and grabbed another apron from a hook. “What can I do? It smells like breakfast is already cooking.”

  Kori looked around, quickly taking stock of what was ready and what still had to be done. “Oh, the menus! I forgot to do those.”

  Kiera didn’t need any more instruction. She grabbed a damp cloth and headed to the dining area where she wiped the three wall chalkboard menus clean and started adding the new items from the paper in her hand. Kiera was always more creative with them than Kori, adding drawings in the corners and using fancy handwriting. Kiera’s graphic design skills carried over to the café and Kori was happy for the flair.

  While Kiera finished the menus, Kori got the pumpkin lattes ready. She made one for herself to make sure everything was exactly as she wanted it and added some whipped cream on top. The only thing that would have made the drink better was not having to work.

  She poured the last of her first cup of coffee down the drain, knowing she wouldn’t be able to go back to black coffee after indulging in the sweetness of the latte. It was the perfect morning drink for Christmas. Especially after her perfect evening drink last night with Zach.

  “All set,” Kiera said, coming back into the kitchen and catching Kori with her eyes closed, enjoying the scent and warmth of the latte.

  Kori opened her eyes and laughed. “Can I make you one?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Kori set her mug down and immediately felt the warmth leaving her hands. She suddenly couldn’t wait until Saturday—Christmas—when the café would be closed and she could thoroughly enjoy her morning.

  Not that she didn’t enjoy her work, but she was definitely ready for a break.

  “Any word on the Donnie situation?” Kiera asked when she had her latte.

  Kori picked hers back up and took a sip. She shook her head. “Not really. Zach is warning me to stay out of it. But he probably knows I can’t. I mean, I found the body. Donnie’s body. I’d only talked to him ten minutes before he was dead. I still can’t believe it.” Kori stared into space.

  “Sorry I brought it up,” Kiera said quietly.

  Kori shook her head again. “No, it’s okay. I talked to Addie Winter at Red Barn Foods yesterday and she was helpful. I’m hoping I can pick her brain some more and maybe get her help with more leads. Even if I’m going to take Zach’s advice and not follow any of her leads, I could at least let Zach know about them.”

  Kiera nodded. “So you think you’ll be able to stay out of this one?”

  Kori shrugged. “We’ll see. Oh, I forgot the waffles.”

  The timer rang on the oven and Kiera took the muffins out. They looked and smelled perfect with just the right amount of peppermint. Kori started making plain and pumpkin waffle batters and heating up the waffle irons. They were only minutes away from opening the café and the holiday season was unpredictable with when the morning rush would start. It could start right away, or not until the normal six o’clock, or it might not start until seven or later. They just had to be ready.

  With the muffins on the counter, Kiera headed out front and turned the sign around to open. Immediately, the door opened and in walked their first customers. Kori glanced at the front door and wondered how long they waited in the cold for her to open. Her mother, Gale, and Gale’s new husband, Lucas, walked in. Kori knew they could take care of themselves and she got back to work.

  “Good morning, good morning,” Gale called, twirling in circles. Kori had no idea how her mom was such a morning person. Kori was, but not with the same enthusiasm as her mother.

  “Hi Mom, Lucas,” Kori said, leaning through the window from the kitchen into the dining area and waving. “I missed you yesterday.” That wasn’t a total lie. She’d gotten into the habit of looking forward to her mom’s quick visits on Wednesdays on her way to spin class, and with yesterday’s events, the positive energy her mother brought everywhere would have been welcomed.

  “I was so disappointed. Anita emailed around midnight the night before and cancelled the spin class. So I slept in instead.” Gale laughed.

  “Anita came in so I figured it was cancelled.”

  Gale’s hand flew to her mouth. “I can’t believe she ate here when her classes were cancelled. She’s so health conscious. If she’s not exercising, she hardly eats anything.”

  “What do you mean? I don’t serve healthy food?” Kori teased. Gale blushed and waved her hand in the air while stuttering to get a sentence out so Kori let her off the hook. “Well, I’m sure she still worked out, she just didn’t teach a class,” Kori speculated.

  Gale nodded. Ever since she’d married Lucas, she’d stayed out of the kitchen and Kori handed her the glass of orange juice she always drank when she visited.

  “So what brings you by so early this morning?” Kori asked.

  Gale exchanged a glance with Lucas that Kori couldn’t read. Her brain told her not to have any expectations about what came out of her mouth next, but she was still almost knocked off her feet.

  “I’m pregnant!” Gale shouted, arms wide open.

  Kori almost fell over before she heard her mother’s next words.

  “I’m just kidding. I just wanted to get a reaction out of you.” Kori was relieved. She didn’t want to know anything about her mother’s sex life. “We just stopped by to see how you’re doing after Donnie’s murder yesterday,” Gale said in a sympathetic voice, uncharacteristic for her.

  Kori nodded. “I’m doing okay.”

  “Well, I don’t know if you’ve met Victoria DeLeon, but she’s in my spin class, and if you’re going to investigate this like in the past, I would talk to her.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Kori’s face must have given away her confusion because Gale kept talking.

  “She was saying the other day that she found out her husband had an illegitimate son named Donnie. I don’t remember the last name, but it all seemed too coincidental to not be connected. I’m just saying, in case you need somewhere to start.”

  Kori was floored. How had Donnie kept so many skeletons in his closet if he always seem
ed so happy? First, leaving Cecilia at the altar, now a complicated family history. Sure, Kori didn’t know him well, and they didn’t really talk about those things, but he never let on that anything was ever wrong. He was a good actor if he had been able to hide all of this.

  “Thanks,” Kori muttered. “Are you staying for breakfast?” she asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

  “I think we just might.” Gale led Lucas to a table, who remained completely silent throughout their whole conversation, and Kori wondered if that was how their home life was too—Gale doing all the talking and Lucas listening, or not.

  “Coffee, tea, lattes or hot chocolate?” Kori asked from the kitchen, ready to get back to work rather than think about who this Victoria DeLeon person could be.

  Gale and Lucas exchanged a few words before Gale ordered, “Two lattes, please. Plenty of whipped cream.”

  Kori got to work and her mother and Lucas checked over the menu on the wall.

  In the kitchen, Kiera asked Kori, “Have you met Victoria?”

  Kori shook her head. “She shouldn’t be too hard to find if she’s in my mom’s spin class. That means she’s a local. So as long as she’s not going anywhere for Christmas, she’ll be around.”

  Kiera nodded. “I’ll bring these out.” She picked up the two lattes and brought them to Gale and Lucas. Kori got everything out for the final menu item, eggs benedict with a side of bacon. Or hash browns for those who didn’t eat meat.

  By the time Kiera came back with orders, the door opened again and Kori was surprised to see Addie Winter walk in with the same woman she’d been arguing with in her office yesterday—Cecilia Blake. Kori watched them take a seat at a window booth and then she headed over to get their drink orders.

  “Hi Addie,” Kori said, hoping that by using her name she would be inclined to introduce her to Cecilia.

  “Kori, I was just telling Cecilia about you.” Kori was happy to get the introduction, but she wasn’t sure what Addie had been telling Cecilia.

  Kori tilted her head. “Oh? Nothing bad I hope.”

  Addie chuckled. “Of course not.” She seemed much more relaxed than yesterday when Kori visited her office. “I told her how you worked with Donnie.”

  Kori turned to Cecilia and decided to play dumb. “Addie mentioned that you knew him too,” Kori said. She wanted to listen to the details from Cecilia so she could read her expressions.

  Cecilia nodded, her lips a tight line on her pale face. Everyone was pale this time of year except Addie, but Cecilia looked like she hadn’t seen the sun in months, the only color, a whisper of red on her cheeks from the cold air outside. “We were quite close,” she said, leaving out the detail that Kori wanted to hear.

  “For very long?” Kori pushed.

  “Yes.”

  This wasn’t going the way Kori wanted, but she didn’t want to come across as too curious about their relationship either. Instead she asked, “Can I get you started with something to drink?”

  Both women turned toward the wall, not having had a chance to read over their options before Kori approached them. Cecilia ordered a hot chocolate with skim milk and no whipped cream—Kori thought how boring life would be to always count calories—and Addie ordered a pumpkin latte.

  “You should make these all fall,” Addie suggested.

  “I’ll probably add them to the menu more often now that I’ve finally mastered a recipe I’m happy with. I hate adding all those fake ingredients that taste so good but just put chemicals into your body.”

  Addie nodded her agreement and Kori walked away. She’d try to ask Cecilia more about Donnie when she brought their drinks and took their food order. She would tread lightly so she didn’t scare her away.

  Kori took a few sips of her quickly cooling latte before she made two more drinks for Addie and Cecilia. She brought them to the table and greeted the other customers who came in just as she passed the front door. She didn’t recognize them so assumed they were visiting from out of town.

  She placed the lattes on the table between the two women and asked Cecilia, “Did Addie tell you I who found Donnie’s body yesterday?”

  Cecilia looked up quickly and paled even more. She shook her head and said, “That would be awful.”

  Kori wondered briefly if she thought it would be awful because she’d been the one to shoot him so she knew what the scene looked like. “Yes,” Kori agreed. “Can you think of anyone who might want him dead?”

  Cecilia’s face relaxed and the little bit of color she had from the cold morning returned to her cheeks. She took a sip of the hot chocolate and her face showed pain. It was still too hot so she put it back down and faced Kori’s question. “No one,” she said coldly with no emotion in her voice at all.

  “You knew him well?” Kori pressed, still wanting Cecilia to tell her the true nature of their relationship. “Did you know about his father?” she asked, thinking about what her mother told her this morning.

  “Jordan DeLeon? Of course. I encouraged him to find his dad. When we were engaged, it didn’t feel right to not know his father.” Kori smiled inwardly, this had been too easy. “So we tracked him down. And Jordan paid Donnie off to keep his mouth shut.”

  “So, you were engaged but didn’t get married?” Kori asked.

  Cecilia was flustered. Her eyes darted everywhere but at Kori. “Yes. Haven’t you ever heard of someone being left at the altar?” she snapped. “I’d like the eggs benedict with bacon. Thanks.”

  Kori turned to Addie who kept her mouth shut while Cecilia talked. Kori wasn’t sure if she’d brought Cecilia in on purpose, but she was thankful either way. “And for you, Addie?”

  “Pumpkin waffles, thanks. This latte is delicious.”

  Kori walked calmly back to the kitchen, happy that her list of suspects was growing and starting to fill in with clues. Cecilia clearly hadn’t smoothed things over with Donnie before he was killed, although, could a jilted bride ever smooth that public rejection over? Kori thought not.

  Now she had another name to check out—Victoria DeLeon. She even wondered if Donnie’s father, Jordan, might be involved. If he’d paid Donnie to keep quiet, Donnie could have gotten greedy and the only way to get rid of him was to kill him.

  Kori thought Chip Gordon, Donnie’s colleague, might be a good place to look for more clues.

  CHAPTER 9

  Kori and Kiera struggled to keep up with the steady flow of customers all morning. Kori didn’t know tell if the popularity of the café was due to yesterday’s unintended publicity, being the only café in town, or the holiday season, but she was happy with whatever the reason. Taking the weekend off worried her, but the rush up to Christmas made it all worth it.

  Just before one, Kori wanted to close early and get off her feet but before she got the chance, Derek Spears walked in. She hadn’t thought about him since she saw him yesterday morning plowing, but now she couldn’t have been happier to see him.

  “Hi Derek,” she greeted him cheerfully. His eyes hung heavy from all the extra work of the past couple days and he sported a healthy stubble like he hadn’t shaved since before the snow storm.

  “Hi Kori. What’s on the menu today? Just something quick. Winter’s way too busy for me.”

  “How about a latte and a muffin? On the house. I need to keep you fed so you keep plowing out the café’s parking lot.” Kori didn’t wait for a reply and started getting everything ready.

  “I can’t let you always be giving me free food,” Derek protested.

  “Well, I won’t take your money today. Not when you were up as early as me, making sure Hermit Cove would be safe for drivers yesterday.”

  Derek finally smiled and took the offered muffin and latte. “Thanks,” he said shyly and started turning to leave.

  “Before you go,” Kori started and he turned around again. Kori quickly glanced around and saw that no one was looking in their direction so continued. “Did you notice anything unusual yesterday morning?”
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br />   Derek took a bite of the muffin and didn’t seem to understand why she was asking. He shook his head.

  “You heard about Donnie Reynolds, right?” she asked, her voice getting quieter and quieter.

  “Oh yeah. I can’t believe it. I was plowing you out not even an hour earlier,” he answered, a few crumbs falling from the corner of his mouth.

  “Did you see anyone on the road around then?” Kori asked, hoping he could give her something.

  Derek thought about it for a few seconds before answering. “Actually, a big town car. I’ve seen it before. I think it belongs to the DeLeons. Thanks for the muffin and latte. I’ve gotta get going.”

  Kori was flabbergasted. That name kept coming up today and she didn’t know anything about Victoria or Jordan. They were quickly surpassing Cecilia as her prime suspect and she wanted to talk to both of them as soon as possible.

  At one, Kori turned the sign back over to closed and she started cleaning up while the last few customers finished eating. Kiera handled the dishes and Kori made them each a BLT sandwich for lunch, trying to put everything Derek had told her out of her mind. She needed to focus on her job.

  When the last of the diners had left and they could sit down for their own lunch, Kiera asked, “What time is everyone coming?”

  This afternoon, Kori was hosting the Secret Santa gift exchange for her friends who were regular customers. Kiera had also decided to participate since she was a regular, in some sense of the word.

  Kori looked at the clock on the wall. “About twenty minutes. When do you want to bring your car to the shop?”

  “I think I’ll go now. I can walk back. I think it’s warmed up quite a bit.”

  “Okay. I’ll take Ibis for a walk while you’re gone.”

  They finished their meal in silence, a rare happening in the café, but one that Kori enjoyed. Eating with Kiera but not talking was some of the best company all day.

  Ibis must have smelled the bacon because she came out of Kori’s office before Kori finished her sandwich.