by Beth Byers
What had Roberta been thinking to just paw Simon like that? Was she some sort of praying mantis looking for her next victim and upset that Simon had escaped? Maybe she really loved him? If she really loved him, did she hate me because of it? In her eyes, I’d be the other woman even if they had been separated when Simon and I got together.
And George. Stupid, copycat George. Oh man. I wanted to…do something to him. I didn’t tend towards violence, but he was tempting me.
Roberta spun and faced off with George. Her face was red, but she wasn’t yelling at him. If she had been, I’d have heard something. However…she was clearly angry. Her nail was jabbing into George’s chest, and she was right in his face. I imagined she was probably hissing her fury at him.
I stared; surprised that she let herself get out of hand. I could only imagine what Zee would do if she got to witness this. In fact…I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of them. Which was why Roberta never went beyond collected and controlled if anyone could watch her. I blinked and then rubbed my brow. Letting my eyes glaze, I considered maybe journaling or meditation as a way to find peace despite the actions of people I couldn’t control.
I had stopped really seeing what Roberta was doing but I hadn’t stopped staring. I snapped out of my daze when I noticed that Roberta was staring back at me. Her assistant had left and I vaguely remembered seeing Jake go into the diner. But the troll, George was still there. He was staring at me in unison with Roberta. I flinched. The way they were both looking at me made me feel like I had been doing something wrong, and a part of me wanted to move.
No, I told myself. I wasn’t the one arguing on the street. They shouldn’t be surprised if people noticed. If they wanted privacy for their fighting, they should have moved to somewhere off the street.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I scowled at George. He glanced at the diner, his gaze dramatically moving between the diner sign and her. I still couldn’t believe that George Lavender had used my name in the title of his diner. He’d even laughed in my face when I called him on it and said he’d named it after his grandmother. He’d then gone on to tell me that it wasn’t his fault my name was an old lady’s name. He’d had the gall to follow up that statement by assuring me that I hardly looked old enough to have the name. His tone, however, said otherwise.
Roberta started to cross to me but George said something to her. Was he reining her in? I’d love to believe that, but I seriously doubted it could be the case. Roberta was the alpha dog of every relationship. Maybe that was why she and Simon had broken up? He was a mild man. He was kind and he was loving and he loved to care for the people he loved. He was not, however, a pushover. I could see him putting up with Roberta but only for a while.
I wanted to ask him about it. Maybe that was why they had broken up? Maybe I should find out why so that I didn’t make the same mistakes? I’d rather know the problem in advance and see if that was something, but today was not the day to do that if I valued the peace in our relationship. I still hadn’t bought a house and Simon still wanted me to move in with him. It was past time to make a decision for real. It just felt so soon. I realized as I stared at beautiful Roberta that I needed to keep in mind Simon’s wants and needs into account.
Simon called me while I was staring at her. Roberta had turned from me to George and whatever she was saying made the man’s ears turn red.
“Hey honey,” I said as I answered the phone. My gaze was still fixed on Roberta and George.
I could feel the pause as Simon caught his breath. Perhaps I had been too cold since I found Roberta pawing Simon. It hadn’t been Simon’s fault he was manhandled by Roberta. “I’m sorry I got so upset.”
He chuckled, but it was the relieved sort of chuckle that made me feel like a crazy girlfriend, and then he said, “Rose, I don’t mind when you get jealous over me. I don’t want to be the only one who is jealous about you.”
I gasped and then leaned back against the bench, dropping my feet to the sidewalk. “What do you have to be jealous about?”
“How about the fact that Az is about one dose of encouragement from falling in love with you? And you spend all day with him? And you love him as much as you love Zee?”
I blinked stupidly before I sputtered out, “He is not.”
“Oh he is,” Simon said with a sigh. “He’s not actually in love with you I don’t think. But all he would have to do is think about it too long, and he’d slide into love with you.”
“Simon Banks,” I said, laughing in shock, “I think you’re only saying that because you love me. You seem to think that everyone else sees all my pluses when only you do. Only you ever have.”
“It’s not my fault that men are blind in Portland or Gresham or wherever. But, Rose…don’t think that the men of Silver Falls are.”
I had to admit I was stupefied by his surety but all I said was, “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m right.”
“Hey,” Maddie called and I looked up to see her bypassing Jake to come out with cinnamon rolls. “I got some for the morning too. And extra frosting.”
She handed me one of the three bags she was carrying as well as a box and a plastic fork. I opened my box and said, “Simon, I love you and love that you think anyone else is interested in me, but Maddie and I are going semi-drunk shopping after we eat these cinnamon rolls, so I have to go. Extra frosting is calling my name.”
He laughed as I hung up and I told Maddie, still a little blurred from the wine, “I love him.”
She grinned at me around a massive bite of pastry and said, “I know you do. These are as good as yours.”
They were very reminiscent of mine, I thought. A little orange extract to add a brightness and brown sugar topping plus cream cheese frosting. It was odd, really, how close they were. Most places just used bread dough with sugar filling and either icing or cream cheese filling.
I sniffed and noted the doughy middle with a grin and then followed Maddie to every shoe store in Silver Falls. I bought an overpriced pair of lace-up red boots, sandals with rainbow straps, and then Simon took me home.
He seemed lighter as he made dinner, telling me about his day with Carver who had just got back from a conference in Florida. He’d decided to visit with Zee, and they’d go deep sea fishing and see the alligators.
“The crocodiles?” I asked. I hadn’t gotten fully drunk, but the blurriness faded as Simon cooked and talked about his day. “I can’t really see Zee liking that so much. Or really deep sea fishing. But she might like a cruise that included that?
“You know I’d never cheat on you, right?” He said suddenly. He’d placed a plate in front of me and once again, cupped my chin. I loved the way he held my face as if I were precious to him. I loved the way he took any chance to touch me. Just to tug a strand of my hair or to hold my hand or to drop a kiss on my forehead.
“I know that,” I said, and realized I really did. I was sure of him. The entirety of my relationship with Simon had been one where I was surprised to discover how I felt. I hit the next stage before I was even thinking of it and then my feelings knocked me in the back of the head.
I fell asleep on his chest next to the fire and slept through him getting me to bed. I vaguely remembered being lifted and then the phone ringing. It felt as though only moments had passed, but it must have been longer.
I slept through my own phone ringing later. I thought at first it was because the wind was in the trees. With the sound of the ocean in the distance combining with the sound of raining against our windows combined with how comfortable I was, I might have slept through anything at all. What woke me wasn’t a noise. It was how the bed had chilled.
“Simon?” I called, pushing back my hair and flinching away from Mama Dog and Daisy kissing my face. “Simon?”
He didn’t answer, so I grabbed my phone to see if he’d messaged me. When Simon was called into work as a police officer, he normally texted me, so I could read his note in the dark.
/> I had been flooded with messages.
Simon: Got called into work. I’ll see you at the diner for breakfast. Love you.
Zee: I called you.
Zee: I called you again.
Zee: Answer your phone.
Zee: Carver got called in too. What is happening?
Zee: Wake up.
Zee: I said to wake up!
Zee: I talked to Pearl Lacey. I have news.
Zee: Why are you sleeping?
Zee: OMG, Rose, I’m going to kill you.
Zee: Simon says you were semi-drunk. This is not an excuse for ignoring me.
Simon: I’ve heard from Zee. Don’t let her suck you into anything. I love you.
I knew what that meant, and I closed my eyes against what I already knew was going to happen. Someone had died and Zee had already decided that we were going to investigate. I didn’t see how this one could involve us. Surely it wasn’t another customer of 2nd Chance Diner? Zee wouldn’t have been so thrilled if it were one of our friends. It had to be someone that she thought we knew though. I skimmed the rest of the messages hoping for a name and that I wouldn’t be spending the day fighting tears.
Zee: Hey.
Zee: Hey!
Zee: I said hey!
Zee: Answer me!
Zee: I’m done with you.
Zee: Probably forever. I might quit.
Zee: OMG again and again. I can’t even… call me when you get up, you lazy lush.
I wasn’t sure how I slept through all of the buzzing those messages would have caused let alone Zee’s repeated phone calls. I examined my phone and realized that Simon had silenced it completely. Next to my phone was a bottle of water and two painkillers. I thought back to dinner and realized I’d been pretty giggly all evening, a sure sign I’d drank too much wine with Maddie. He’d driven us both home and then fed me, forced a bottle of water down my throat, and put me to bed. I smiled as I remembered the feel of him lightly kissing my forehead and laughing at whatever had sent me into what had been, no doubt, inane laughter.
Rather than calling Zee, I decided to shower and dress. The diner would be opening soon, and I wanted to get in to help Az prep the kitchen before we opened. If we didn’t have too much of a rush, I’d do the rest of the baking for the day. We needed several pies and to put together a couple of cakes before I would be comfortable that we wouldn’t run out of desserts. We could also use a basket or two of muffins for our yogurt and oatmeal crowd. Of all customers, it was those healthier initial orders that were likely to end with a cappuccino chocolate chip or blueberry crumble muffin.
I focused on baking rather than Zee because I could already feel Zee’s nails digging into my plans and yanking me along another murder investigation. As per usual.
THREE
Zee had a bit of a smirk about her lips which, quite frankly, terrified me.
“Listen,” I said, holding up my hands in a placating gesture. “Just listen…”
Zee grinned widely. Her eyes were shining with fire, and I could already feel the impending doom of her revenge for ignoring her.
“I’m going to buy a place in Lincoln City,” I muttered. “You’d think that Silver Falls wouldn’t attract so much mayhem. Pretty little shops. Gorgeous waterfall. Nice people. Magnets for trouble! All of them!” The mutter had risen to something of a squeaking roar and Zee was laughing.
“Haven’t you heard the term, it’s the quiet ones you have to look out for?”
I eyed my friend and then scowled before asking, “You’re saying that in reference to this whole town?”
Zee’s wicked grin was my answer. I flopped onto the bench next to one of the booths and let my face fall into my hands.
“Tell me,” I moaned. I could hear Az laughing in the kitchen as Roxy was failing to hold back giggles while she put silverware and napkin bundles on all of the tables.
“I don’t think we should get involved on this one,” Zee said. She sniffed righteously and added, “It’s the busy season. We have enough to do. You have to commit all the way to staying with Simon and not buying your own place. Probably he’ll be extra worried. Especially because you’ve been hedging and then there was that stuff with Roberta. Simon’s probably on edge. I know Carver prefers when we stay out of these things.”
My jaw dropped. Literally. It was hanging open as Roxy, Az, and I all stared in shock at Zee. She raised her brows and shrugged as though she weren’t the one to pioneer each and every investigation previously.
“She’s up to something, Rosie luv,” Az said with a wide grin. “Beware.”
Simon’s comments from the day before flashed through my mind, but Az didn’t feel that way about me. Simon was wrong. Az loved me like a sister which was how I felt about him too.
“Az, I need waffles to make it through Zee like this,” I said.
He winked and nodded, and I pushed myself to my feet. The doorbell of the diner rang as our first customers came inside. Normally the early customers used to only be locals. But combined with losing some of them to Rose’s Diner and the early, busy season tourists we no longer had the same crowd every morning like we used to.
“Am I dreaming? That was Zee speaking wasn’t it?” I asked Az as he poured the batter into the waffle iron. He shook his head as baffled as me. “I must be dreaming.”
“Then we both are, Rosie luv,” he said in that perfect voice of his. I grinned at him, remembered, yet again, what Simon had said, and felt my face freeze. Az looked at me quizzically and then shot me an expression that I couldn’t quite read. I headed to the kitchen to see what was on his mind when someone took my arm.
“Wait.”
I knew that cool, commanding voice, and I could hardly believe she was in my diner after Zee had dumped coffee on her. The good news for the mayor was that we had barely started the coffee, so there wasn’t much of it. The bad news was that it was piping hot.
I turned slowly to face her, prepared for a lawsuit for Zee’s actions yesterday or perhaps a good slap for staring at her, but what I saw stopped me in my tracks. Roberta, the Mayor of Silver Falls, and woman who tended to wear a dress and heels every single day of the year with a full face of makeup was standing in my diner wearing flannel pajama bottoms, a hoodie, her hair was in a ponytail that had clearly not been brushed.
“Um,” I stared at her and then glanced over at Zee who was smirking. Suddenly, I thought I might know why Zee didn’t want us to have anything to do with the murder.
“I need your help,” Roberta said.
She didn’t say it nicely and her nails were starting to dig into my bicep. I twisted away from her and backed up a few steps before she tried something else.
“With what?” I asked afraid I already knew though I didn’t have any details about what had happened. If Roberta was a suspect in whoever had been killed…of course, Zee wasn’t all that interested in helping investigate. My gaze met Az’s, and I could see he’d realized the same thing.
“Don’t play stupid,” Roberta snapped.
I crossed to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup of coffee adding cream and sugar almost thoughtlessly as I repeated, “With what?”
“You live with Simon. It’s just mean to…to…make me spell it out.”
“You don’t have to put up with her, Rose,” Zee interjected meanly. She snorted and then poured herself a cup of coffee not bothering to offer one to Roberta. I didn’t either. If Roberta wanted coffee, she could order it and pay for it.
“I was sleeping when Simon left,” I told Roberta. I closed my eyes for a moment, wondering why I was bothering to explain and then added, “I haven’t talked to him yet this morning.”
“And I suppose you can say the same for Zee?” Roberta’s voice lashed at me and I scowled back.
“I thought you were here to ask for help,” Zee almost purred. She was loving this.
I shot Zee a look, but she just smirked at me. I…well, now that I thought about it, I didn’t really object to Zee tormenting Robe
rta a little. Even if it was in poor taste since she was surely somehow involved with whoever died.
“I am,” Roberta snarled back to Zee.
“Probably you should stop being so rude to Rose then. It was just pointed out to me recently it was Rose who solved all those murders.”
Roberta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. You could almost see her fight back her desire to lash out before she carefully said, “Please help me, Rose.”
I took a long sip of coffee, debating in my head. The truth was that I didn’t want to get involved in a murder investigation. All the things Zee said about me and Simon and the diner were true. But…there was a flash of real desperation in Roberta’s gaze, and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to say no. Not even to her. She was probably the one person in Silver Falls that I truly disliked, and I wasn’t sure I could do it.
I glanced at Zee whose smirk had grown into a full feral grin. She knew me too well. I glanced at Az whose expression of sympathy said he could see my struggles and had a pretty good idea of what was going through my head. I looked at Roxy who seemed utterly surprised that Roberta was even talking to me let alone asking me for help, but Roxy was young and didn’t know me quite so well. I could tell that Roxy thought I would tell Roberta no.
I certainly wanted to tell her no.
“Who died?”
Roberta sniffed before she said, “George Lavender.”
There was a crack to her voice as she said his name, and I was surprised to see actual sadness on her face. I’d seen her yell at him the day before and watched him storm off in fury, I was shocked she cared all that much. Maybe this was just about her keeping herself out of trouble? But why would she cry about that?
George Lavender, owner of Rose’s Diner was dead? Oh my goodness, I thought. I was actually kind of surprised that no one thought I had killed him. I despised the man. Everyone knew he was trying to overtake the diner business in Silver Falls by patterning his new diner after my successful one.
I had actually daydreamed about burning his diner down. I had joked with Zee that the only thing keeping me from it was that I liked my life here, and I could outlast George. He didn’t know that I didn’t need the money from The 2nd Chance Diner. I could have kept the diner open forever and not blinked. I wouldn’t have, but it would have taken a lot for me to throw in the towel. Simon had cheered me up by telling me all the facts about new restaurants failing until I could quote the statistics with him.