by Leona Fox
“What was your dog called?”
“Caesar, but not named after the emperor. My dad was a huge Planet of the Apes fan. He died of cancer. In the end, he had tumors all over his body, the poor thing. We had to put him down. Caesar that is, not my father.”
“That's tough. I'm hoping Scampy has a few years left in him yet.”
“He certainly seems full of life!” Alexander said, laughing as he petted Scampy and rose from the floor.
“I'd love to play some more,” he said to the dog, “but I'm afraid your mom won't be very impressed if I just fool around with you all day!”
“I certainly won't,” Ellen said in a warning tone. Scampy cocked his head toward her and then ran away on his little legs to entertain himself.
“So tell me a little bit more about yourself. Have you always lived in East Pender?”
“Born and raised. I did think about leaving when all my friends did, but I guess I missed my chance.”
“There's not a time limit on these things. I'm sure there are still opportunities out there, not that I'd suggest leaving now since you've just started working here.”
Alexander flashed her a smile. Now that it was just the two of them together in the cafe Alexander was more relaxed. She pleased to see the tension in his body must have come from the fact that interviews were daunting.
“Don't worry, I don't have any plans to leave. I'm glad you gave me this opportunity, by the way. I thought I'd blown the interview. I was so nervous. It's been a long time since I've had a job.”
“I have to admit, I like that you're so open about what you've been through. A lot of people would be ashamed.”
When she said this there was a certain look that flashed in Alexander's eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. “I spent a lot of time trying to fight it, trying to ignore it. Because of that I lost a lot of people who were close to me. The best thing I did was accept my condition. It's a part of me and it's pointless to deny it. I just have to try living my life as best I can, and try being the best person I can be. It's not always easy, but I feel like I've made a lot of progress.”
“That's great, and if there's anything I can do to help don't hesitate to ask.”
“Oh, you've done more than enough! Having this job is going to do wonders, I think. I'm going to feel like a productive member of society again. It's been a long time since I've felt a part of the world.”
“Well, you're going to have that feeling a lot. Now, I have to ask, though, are you sure you're going to be alright here on your own? Part of the reason why I wanted to hire someone to help is because of my work with the police. So a lot of the time you'll be working independently.”
“Oh yeah, that's fine, I'm sure once I learn the ropes it'll be easy. Do you like working with the police then?”
“Like you, I find it pleasing to be able to make a difference,” she said with a glint in her eye.
The two of them spoke some more as they turned on the coffee machine and pulled the chairs off the tables. Ellen was glad to find they were getting on well, as nothing would have been worse than if the two of them didn't have a rapport. Before too long it was time for the cafe to open and Ellen allowed Alexander to turn the sign around, signaling the cafe was open for business. The first hour was a little quiet, but people soon started trickling in. Ellen let Alexander take the lead in serving them, observing what he did and how he interacted with them. Most of the people knew Ellen had been looking to hire someone. So they congratulated Alexander, although not all of them felt he was the best person for the job.
After about the first hour Ellen had a few little tips for Alexander, which he took on board without any sign of ego. She was impressed at how he handled the customers. A few of them thought he was strange because he wasn't Ellen, but as the day progressed she was sure she had made the right decision.
They talked about many subjects that day, although she found it was she who did most of the talking. She tried asking him about his childhood and his life in East Pender, but he changed the subject or deflected the question. This intrigued her, for she liked nothing more than a mystery. It obviously wasn't anything to do with his depression because he was so open about that. So it had to be something else. He had made a casual reference about losing someone who was close to him. She inferred from this that perhaps he had had a relationship that went bad but there were few other details coming from him. They mostly spoke of general things. He was inquisitive about the cafe and always wanted to learn about why things were done a certain way. He had the sort of mind where Ellen only had to tell him something once for him to get the hang of it. She appreciated that greatly as she did not like repeating herself.
The only truly awkward moment of the day came when Pippa popped in, and walked up to the counter with ice in her voice.
“Congratulations,” she said.
“Thank you,” Alexander replied, and Ellen watched from afar as the two of them talked. Pippa's body language was tense and confrontational. After she ordered her drink she turned and walked past Ellen, and stopped in front of her.
“You know, you're making a big mistake. I was the best person for this job,” she said.
“I'm sorry that you feel I made a mistake but there were a lot of factors I had to take into consideration. It was a hard decision,” Ellen replied, trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing.
“There's something strange about him. Maybe you can't see it but there's something not quite right.”
“Pippa,” Ellen said in a disappointed tone, “I know you're disappointed but there's no need to insult him, he's a good man.”
“That he may be, but I'm telling you there's something wrong. I'm sure you know that I know a lot about people around here. Some people call me a gossip. I just like to say I have a healthy interest in the community.”
“Sure,” Ellen said.
“And, to be honest, there's always things around. There's always people talking about other people, but I haven't heard anyone talk about Alexander recently. Don't you think that's strange? That he's been a part of this town for years but there's barely any evidence he's been a part of the community? It doesn't even have to be bad things. You're practically a paragon of virtue but there's still gossip about you.”
Ellen shrugged and ignored the pointed remark. “He just likes to keep himself to himself, that's all.”
“Think what you will, but don't say I didn't warn you,” and that was all Pippa said before she walked off.
Ellen glanced over at Alexander and watched as he collected empty plates and dishes, then cleaned a table, ready for another customer to sit down. Through the day he had become more used to speaking with people and enjoyed a rapport with them. A few people came up to Ellen and said they approved of the new man, but what Pippa had said echoed in her mind. Coupled with her own observations about how secretive Alexander could be, doubts started to form in her mind. But for the time being she decided to ignore them, putting it down to an irrational fear of detaching herself from the cafe. For so long it had been hers and hers alone, but now she was going to share it with someone. As with most things, she had to go with her instinct. She told herself if Alexander didn't want to talk about a certain period of his past then he didn't have to do so. It plainly was none of her business. All she could do was judge him on how he performed in his role, and so far, he was excelling.
“So how do you think that went?” Ellen asked at the end of the day as they were clearing up, doing the opposite of what they had done in the morning.
“I can't believe it's the end of the day already. Time flew by!”
“Yeah, it gets like that,” Ellen said, smiling.
“Especially in the evenings when you get the rush in. Of course, it used to be even busier, but since Maggie's has opened, well, you can see for yourself how many people go in there.”
“I wouldn't worry about that too much. It's still new and I'm sure people will enjoy coming to both. This cafe is
almost like an institution in East Pender. They should put it up as a landmark or something.”
Ellen had to laugh at this. “That's sweet, but I really don't think it's all that important. At the end of the day, it's just a café,” She sighed, resting her hand against a wall.
“That it may be, but it's your cafe, and even though I haven't been that involved in day to day life around here, I know of the great Ellen Thatch.”
“None of that talk,” she scolded.
“I'm just an ordinary woman who happens to be able to help the police. And you're just an ordinary man who is able to help me. So thank you for that. Now, let's get this place cleaned up and we can go home.”
“Sounds good to me. I tell you what, though, my legs are aching already. I'm not looking forward to the walk home.”
“I'll give you a lift,” Ellen said.
“Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden.”
“Nonsense, it's fine. I'm surprised you don't drive.”
“I do drive; I just don't have a car at the moment. It was one of those things that, well, it was difficult to keep up the payments without a job and I guess I just didn't really feel like being out on the road.”
“You know, if you ever want to talk to me about anything, you can. I won't judge you or anything.”
“I know, but it's all good. I'm focusing on my new beginning right now. I think this is going to be good for me,” he said, and the two of them continued cleaning the cafe.
With the two of them working together it took less time than usual. Ellen was glad for the help, and even wished she had hired someone else a long time ago. She locked the door and walked to the car. When Alexander opened the passenger door Scampy looked at him expectantly.
“I hope you don't mind him riding on your lap. He's kinda used to riding in the front,” Ellen said with an apologetic look in her eyes.
Alexander just laughed and said it was fine, then lifted the dog on his lap as he got in the car. It was a short drive, perhaps ten minutes or so, but after a hard day's work it would have been a big effort to walk back, especially since Alexander hadn't been used to working such long hours.
“So, do you think you'll be able to cope with everything?” Ellen asked.
“Yeah, sure, it's pretty simple. I think I know how to fill out the order forms for suppliers and things, but with that stuff you may have to double-check what I do until I've got it down properly.”
“For the moment I'll probably keep doing those. We'll just get you used to actually working in the cafe for now.”
“Other than that it's just a matter of getting used to working again and having a schedule. It got to the point where doing nothing was so normal I wondered how I ever had the time to have a job. I do want to thank you, really, for taking a chance on me. I've applied for some other jobs, but when they've seen the huge gap in my resume they've politely told me that I'm not suitable for the position.”
“I try taking people as they are, and understanding the reasons behind their past or the choices they've made. I think it's stupid when I hear a lot of people aren't getting jobs because they don't have the right kind of experience, but then they can't get the experience because they can't get any jobs! I wanted to hire the best person for the job, no matter what.”
“Well, I'm glad you feel that's me,” he said, smiling with a little look of embarrassment upon his face.
“I'll try my hardest not to let you down.”
“Damn straight,” she said, winking at him.
“I'll be around a fair amount anyway. The thing is that I never know when a crime is going to happen. Really, I hope I don't ever have to work with the police again. That will mean there are no more crimes being committed, at least none that require my attention, but sadly, given human nature, I don't think that's going to be the case.”
“Yes, we are capable of some terrible things.”
“Some of us are, but most people are happy to help, at least in my experience,” Ellen said, too focused on the road to notice the slight shift in Alexander's voice.
“For now we'll both be at the cafe. So I'll be able to shadow you and make sure you're comfortable in all areas of the business.”
“And then we can start planning how we're going to steal business back from Maggie,” he said, cocking an eyebrow. Ellen looked shocked, but a smile soon followed.
“I never would suggest such a thing...but it would be good to plan a few events and show people we're more than just a traditional, quiet cafe.”
The car drove around a corner onto Alexander's street. He was just about to reply to Ellen with some ideas he had for events when he caught sight of his house and his face fell. Ellen soon saw what he was staring at as well. As they approached the house the car’s headlights illuminated the message that had been spray painted over his doorway.
“Oh my word,” Ellen said, disgusted by the expletives used.
She got out of the car and walked toward the door, leaving the headlights on so the message was still lit up. Alexander followed with a somber look on his face. The paint was yellow and smelled fresh. Ellen dabbed it with her finger. It was still wet and sticky.
“I'm assuming this wasn't here when you left this morning?” Ellen asked, turning to Alexander. He pressed his lips together and shook his head. He looked haunted, not that Ellen could blame him.
“Do you have any idea who could have done this?” she asked.
Alexander shook his head, but although Ellen trusted him with the cafe she felt as though he was hiding something from her now. She wondered if perhaps Pippa was right and that there was more to him than met the eye.
Chapter 3
Ellen waited around for Andy, and told Alexander not to go into the house as it was now a crime scene. Alexander looked despondent as he sat on the small wall that ran around his front yard. The house was picturesque, although at that moment it was framed in the black cloak of night. Alexander lived on a road that was away from the town’s main street, and the air was quiet. The good thing about living in East Pender, at least in Ellen's opinion, was that it was so quiet. At night you could hear a pin drop and the sky was aglow with glittering stars, unlike the city, which blinded you with its artificial lights. However, this did have a downside since people could walk around quiet neighborhoods like these and spray paint graffiti on unsuspecting people's houses.
Alexander's house had a small front yard that was kept well, although there were only a few flowers around the edge. The small wall was made of brown brick and Alexander was sitting like the ancient sculpture, The Thinker, with his elbow on his knee and his chin on his hand. Ellen looked at him and wondered what was on his mind. Did he feel threatened? Was this the continuation of a feud he had had with someone?
Ellen had many questions but few answers. Before Andy arrived she had a look around the house to see if she could see anything. The concrete path ran from the front down the middle of the front yard, so there weren't any boot prints on the grass. There were no flecks of paint anywhere else either, suggesting the person knew what they were doing, and had a very specific message to deliver. But was this just for Alexander's benefit or was it the start of a crime spree that would once again throw the people of East Pender into chaos?
The vulgar words were etched into her mind and she wished that she could blink them away. Ellen was far from a prude and had used expletives on occasion in her life, but to think that anyone in East Pender would want to spray paint that kind of language was a saddening thought. Once again she was faced with the stark reminder that a lot of people were unpleasant.
She ordered Scampy to stay with Alexander while she walked carefully around the house, although she didn't see any sign of anything untoward. None of the windows were broken, suggesting this wasn't a burglary, and there were no other messages written anywhere else. When she got back around to the front of the house Alexander was unmoved, and Scampy was sitting with his ears pricked up, ready to leap into action if he was needed.
“Alexander, are you sure you don't know anything?” she said softly.
“Whoever did this wanted you to see that message, that's why they put it over the front door. Can you think of anyone who would want to say these kind of things about you?”
For a moment Ellen was unsure if he even had heard her words, as he only responded with a slow shake of his head. His eyes looked past her into another realm, and she was unable to see whatever it was he was seeing.
Soon enough a car pulled up. Andy and Iris got out. Ellen updated them on what was happening and introduced them to Alexander.
“Do we have any suspects?” Andy asked.
“Not yet,” Ellen said, and glanced at Alexander, who still was lost in his own world. Ellen tossed her head to the side and moved out of Alexander's earshot, speaking in a low voice so he couldn't hear.
“So far there's nothing. I took a look around the house and there's no sign of anyone. As far as I can tell this is the extent of the crime.”
“And he doesn't know anyone who would be capable of this?” Andy asked.
“He's not saying he does, but with the way he's acting I think he's hiding something. He's barely said two words since we got here but before that he was chatting away happily. We spent all day together in the cafe and it was going really well. Then he saw that and he's just clammed up. He's been sitting like that ever since we got here.”
“It has to be a shock, seeing your home disgraced like that,” Iris added, looking with sympathy in Alexander's direction.
“You know him the most out of all of us. What can you tell us? Do you think he's the type to have enemies?” Andy asked, a determined look in his eyes, the look he always got when he was faced with a new crime.
“I wish I could tell you. I'm afraid I don't know him that well. I interviewed him and I was with him today but that's about it. From what I know he's a very open man. He's honest, and he's friendly,” she began.
“But...?” Andy prompted, sensing that Ellen was trying to decide if she should say something or not. She furrowed her brow and glanced over at Alexander.