by Lyndsey Cole
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright © 2016 Lyndsey Cole
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Behind the scenes with Lyndsey
A Note from Lyndsey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY LYNDSEY COLE
CranBuried Coffee Cake
A Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series
by Lyndsey Cole
Copyright © 2016 Lyndsey Cole
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author and/or publisher. No part of this publication may be sold or hired, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the writer’s imagination and/or have been used fictitiously in such a fashion it is not meant to serve the reader as actual fact and should not be considered as actual fact. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Chapter 1
Annie Fisher, squished between her mother and aunt at her father’s funeral, felt her stomach drop when her mother elbowed her in the side and whispered, “What is she doing here? I can’t believe she came to Roy’s funeral. I told her she wasn’t welcome.”
“Who are you talking about?” Annie’s head swiveled around to see who walked into the church.
Leona, Mia’s sister, sitting on the other side of Annie, leaned over and whispered, not as quietly as Mia, “What’s she doing here?”
Annie caught a glimpse of Alice Wolfe with a black scarf tied around her head as she slid into the back pew. Alice Wolfe? Owner of the Book Worm? What did Mia and Leona have against her? Except how she always pushed the romance authors even when she knew a customer was more into a good mystery.
The rest of the service for Annie’s father finished in a blur with Annie sandwiched between the two restless sisters; the last place she ever wanted to be since it always put her in a no win situation with Mia pulling her in one direction and Leona needing something different. And, at the moment, Annie was much more interested in focusing on her own direction—the path down the wedding aisle with Jason Hunter at her side.
Her head swirled with theories about Alice Wolfe but she had no idea what either her mother or aunt had against the woman. Annie decided it must be an old feud from way back that, in her opinion, was better forgotten.
But, apparently, that wasn’t the common sense path that Mia and Leona were planning to follow. They both kept turning their heads to glance toward the back of the church.
When the service was over, Leona invited everyone to the Black Cat Café for refreshments. What Annie thought to herself—the invitation surely meant everyone except Alice Wolfe. And if Annie was lucky, maybe she would get an explanation of what was going on during the drive to the café. She knew that was probably wishful thinking at best.
Before Annie, Mia, and Leona made it to their car, Annie saw trouble headed their way.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Mia. To lose your husband in such a terrible car accident. Well, I can’t imagine.” Alice extended her hand toward Mia’s arm but Mia stepped back, out of Alice’s reach, as if a hot torch was about to burn her.
Mia’s mouth opened but Leona pulled her to the car, opened the passenger door, and pushed her inside before turning back toward Alice. “You’re not welcome at the Black Cat Café. Haven’t you already done enough damage?” Leona said to Alice, each word oozing hatred. “Come on Annie, unless you’re planning to walk.”
Annie bolted into the back seat. “What is going on with you two?”
She was met by silence.
“Okay. Don’t tell me why I just witnessed one of the rudest exchanges I’ve seen from you in, well, I can’t remember how long.” Annie turned her face to the window and watched the blur of scenery. All the fancy Christmas decorations barely registered in her distracted brain. It was bad enough that Roy was involved in such a tragic accident so close to her bridal shower, but now, something else was on the horizon to ruin what should be her day. She didn’t want to be selfish, but wasn’t it okay to put herself first when planning her wedding?
“I didn’t want to have to tell you about this Annie,” her mother said, breaking the heavy silence hanging in the car. “I thought it would all blow over and disappear.”
“What would blow over? You’re talking in riddles.” Annie slouched in the back seat, feeling like a little kid on the outside of an adult conversation.
“I was paying Roy’s credit card bill. Normally, he took care of that, but now I have to.”
“So you’re telling me that you can’t manage the bills? I’ll help you with that.” Annie’s voice softened.
For once, Leona kept her mouth shut. She gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles as white as the new dusting of snow outside, and stared straight ahead.
“No, honey, I can pay the bills, it’s just that I thought there was a mistake on this one statement.”
Annie sat up straighter. Roy’s death was turning her mother into a mess. Understandable, but not what Annie expected from her normally calm and capable mother. And Leona’s silence was unnerving since Leona always had something to say about everything.
“You know how Roy always sent me roses on the first of December? A little something special to remember our first date—at least that’s what he always told me.” Annie could hear the wistfulness of memory in her mother’s voice.
Annie leaned forward. Where was this crazy talk headed? “What kind of problem with the statement?”
“I went to The Enchanted Florist because there were two charges for flowers on December first. The same amount for both of them, and I thought it had to be a mistake; that they double charged Roy’s card.”
Annie’s hand reached forward to her mother’s shoulder. She didn’t like where thought this story could be going. Leona pulled into the parking lot for the Cove’s Corner building before her mother continued.
Several people were already milling around, waiting for Mia before heading inside to the Black Cat Café.
“Oh dear. I can’t finish this now. I can’t talk about it in front of all these people.”
Annie scowled and added more pressure to Mia’s shoulder. “You can’t stop now, Mom. What happened?”
Mia’s hand reached for the door handle. “Your father sent flowers to Alice Wolfe, too.”
All the air rushed from Annie’s lungs and she sank back into t
he seat. “You didn’t confront her, did you?” Not exactly the best response Annie could have made, but there it was, out in the open.
Mia stepped out of the car. “We’ll talk more about it after everyone leaves the reception.”
Leona led the way into the Black Cat Café. By the time Annie walked in behind their friends, Mia and Leona had their normal smiles in place.
She scanned the room. Martha and Camilla had all the food set up that Leona had prepared ahead of time. Martha, the grandmotherly type, could always be counted on to lend a hand, and Camilla, with her artistic flair, arranged everything beautifully. The counter had a brunch feast of quiches, cranberry coffee cake, drinks, and as a nod to the holiday, a plate of beautifully decorated Christmas cookies.
Annie felt the warm touch of a hand on her shoulder. Jason leaned close to her ear. “Something’s wrong. I can see it written all over your beautiful face.”
“I can’t keep anything from you.” She leaned into Jason’s strong chest as his arm encircled her. “Mom seems to have uncovered a secret from Dad’s past— something to do with Alice Wolfe. The strange part is that Leona hasn’t said anything and you know how opinionated she usually is. I don’t want to get sucked into this drama.”
A shadow passed over Jason’s face just as Annie lifted her eyes to look at him.
“What? Do you know about this, too? Am I the only one in the dark?” Annie blinked away tears that threatened to overflow. All the stress of Roy’s death, combined with planning her wedding, was clashing and crashing down around her.
Jason held her so she couldn’t squirm away. “No, I don’t know anything, but I’ve heard rumors. And no, I won’t tell you those rumors. You’ll have to wait until Mia is ready to tell you the truth. Any new wedding ideas?”
“Nice try, Mr. Hunter, but I’m not falling for your attempt to change the subject so easily.”
“Well then, I won’t share my latest idea with you,” Jason said with twinkling eyes.
“What are you two lovebirds talking about over here in the corner? Come get some food before it’s gone,” Martha said. “And what’s going on with your mother? In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen her so distracted. I just heard her say she’s leaving soon.”
“Did she say anything about Alice Wolfe?” Annie asked.
“Alice? That woman is only interested in one thing. Herself. And other women’s husbands. Why on earth would Mia be talking about her? Years ago, if I remember correctly, she had a thing for Roy.” Martha’s hand flew to cover her mouth. “Oh no, is that what’s got Mia so upset? Something from the past has surfaced?”
As soon as those words were out of Martha’s mouth, Mia marched toward the café door. She looked neither left nor right but the stony glare had I’m on a mission written all over her face.
Annie started to follow but Jason reached out and held her back. “Let her go. If she wanted you with her, she would have invited you. And don’t forget, you said you don’t want to be sucked into the drama.”
With Mia gone, Annie became the focus of everyone’s sympathies about her father. With Jason at her side, she got through it all, making all the right responses as if on autopilot. Worrying about her mother distracted her, but of course, all her friends thought she was focusing on memories of her dad.
Finally, with the crowd thinned out, Annie relaxed in one of the booth seats. Jason slid in opposite her. “So, I’ve been thinking. How about we spend a weekend at the Heron Inn. You can relax, move past this sadness, and finalize plans for our wedding.”
Annie reached across the table and covered Jason’s hands with hers. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Good, because I have reservations for tonight and tomorrow night.” He looked out the window instead of at Annie.
“Uh oh, there’s something you haven’t told me yet.” Annie’s mouth puckered into a grimace.
“Yeah, well, um, Mia and Leona will be there tomorrow, too.” With a smile, he quickly added, “They insisted on coming to help with the wedding plans. But not tonight. Tonight it will be just you and me.”
Leona plopped down next to Annie. “Did Jason tell you the plans yet?”
“Uh huh.” She decided to keep her real thoughts to herself. Saying she much preferred to spend the whole time alone with Jason was on the tip of her tongue, but Mia’s sudden arrival made her keep her mouth shut.
“What’s going on?” Mia asked in her normal tone.
“Where did you go?” Annie asked, ignoring her mother’s question.
She flicked her wrist. “I needed to get some fresh air. Walk. Think. I’m feeling much better now. And I’m especially looking forward to spending Saturday night at the Heron Inn with you.”
Annie groaned to herself. She knew she wouldn’t win this argument with Jason, Mia, and Leona all staring at her as if she had to be thrilled with the extra company.
Officer Tyler Johnson, the Chief of Police in Catfish Cove poked his head around the door of the café. “Is Mia here?”
Annie noticed Mia’s eyes dart back and forth.
Officer Johnson approached the table. “Where have you been for the past hour, Mia?”
“Nowhere. Just out, walking around.” Her hand fluttered back and forth.
“Did you go to Alice Wolfe’s house?”
Mia clenched her jaw but didn’t answer Officer Johnson’s question.
“Mom?” Annie questioned out loud as her eyes searched her mother’s stone face.
“You need to come with me. Edwin Fleming, Alice’s neighbor, found her. Dead. He said he saw you at Alice’s house.”
Mia left with the Police Chief. Everyone in the café sat in a stunned silence.
Annie paced a path on the café floor waiting for her mother to return. “Leona. What do you know about this?”
Leona, normally full of drama, quietly said, “All I know is that Mia went to talk to Alice yesterday. She wanted to find out why Roy sent her flowers. Mia wouldn’t tell me anything about the conversation except that she told Alice not to come to the funeral.”
“Do you think she killed Alice?” Annie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The question hung in the air unanswered. The café door opened and Mia entered—slowly, shoulders sagging.
No one said a word. Mia walked to the coffee pot and filled a mug before she sat on one of the stools at the counter. Talking more to her coffee than the others behind her, she said, “This isn’t looking good for me.”
Chapter 2
“What happened?” Annie asked, forcing herself to breathe as she ignored her racing heart. No sense in adding to Mia’s anxiety; she already had too much on her plate.
Mia swiveled the bar stool around to face everyone — Annie, Jason, Leona, Martha, and Camilla. “Crotchety old Mr. Fleming, who probably couldn’t see a moose standing ten feet in front of him, swears he saw me come out of Alice’s house before he went in and found her body.”
She sipped her coffee. “And no, since I’m sure you are all dying to ask me—I didn’t go inside Alice’s house today. I walked up to her door, raised my hand to knock, but just couldn’t stomach seeing her again. It is what it is, I told myself. Just let it go. I turned around and left.”
Everyone started to talk at once. Leona’s voice drowned out the others. “So, you didn’t go in. That’s all that matters. There won’t be any evidence from you being in her house.” Leona wiped her hands, indicating that was the end of that silly problem.
Annie, with her expression calm, watched her mother, knowing instinctively there was more to come. It wasn’t going to be good. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to ignore what was coming unraveled around her and run away with Jason for their romantic weekend.
Mia sucked in a deep breath. “I was in Alice’s house yesterday. She made tea for me while we talked about Roy.”
Camilla, unable to hold her tongue one minute longer, sat next to Mia. “You know me, always getting into trouble with men, exce
pt, of course, so far, everything is going well with Dusty, but that’s beside the point.” She rambled on and put her hand on Mia’s arm. “It’s not your fault. Whatever happened, it’s not your fault, Mia.”
Mia stood up. With her hands on her hips she glared death rays at everyone. “Of course it’s not my fault! Are you all thinking I killed Alice? Sure, the thought crossed my mind when I was holding that porcelain black cat that she said Roy had sent her, but, really? Me? I’m not a violent person.” She stared from one pair of skeptical eyes to another until she forced everyone to look away. “Or a murderer.”
Annie finally managed to get a word in. “What happened at the police station? Did you find out any more details?” She knew, with that question, she could no longer pretend her mother would be able to manage without her. As much as Annie wanted to be doing anything else besides worrying about Alice Wolfe’s murderer, she couldn’t ignore what was happening. Her mother was a suspect in the murder. Or worse.
Mia leaned back against the bar stool. “Not much. I guess I’m a person of interest based on what Mr. Fleming said he saw.”
“What about your visit yesterday? Does anyone, besides who’s here,” Annie swooped her arm around the room, “know about Dad sending Alice flowers? I mean, I guess that could be considered a motive. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and ignore that possibility. We have to look at it the same way the police will.”
Another sigh from Mia. “Well, there could be a problem with that. When I went to Alice’s house yesterday, I brought the receipt for the flowers. I’m not sure what I did with it, but I think I may have forgotten it in her house.”
Leona turned her radio on to her favorite oldies station, looped a red and green Black Cat Café apron over her head, and turned her oven on. “Enough of this sitting around moping and worrying. Today is Friday and I’ve got a lot of work to get done before Annie’s bridal shower Sunday afternoon. First,” she looked at the others, “who wants more of these quiches before I wrap them up and put them away?”