StrawBuried in Chocolate (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 2)

by Lyndsey Cole

  “Exactly what I decided.” Annie bustled around the kitchen dumping partially defrosted chili into pots.

  Mia picked up one of the warm muffins. “We have a lot in the freezers right?”

  “Yup. I have meat and vegetarian chili warming up on the stove. There’s plenty of sliced meat for Paninis and wraps and I’m making a batch of Chubby Chickpea Salad. Since it’s only the two of us, I’ll keep the food moving and you can make sure the coffee cart is always fresh and handle the cash register.”

  Annie pushed the coffee cart into place. “These five new thermal coffee carafes that Leona bought let us have more hot drink options. Today we can keep it simple; French roast, regular and decaf, French vanilla, hot water for tea and I’ve made up a new option.”

  “Of course you did.” Mia laughed. “Can’t wait to hear what it is now.”

  “I know some people like hot chocolate so I made my regular hot chocolate with whole milk and added about a quarter cup of coffee to each two cups of hot chocolate. I love it. But it is filling.”

  “Is there any whipped cream for the hot chocolate?”

  “Good idea. Set it in a bowl of ice to keep it cold.”

  “I can handle that.” Mia filled the five carafes and added a selection of teas to the tea basket. She pushed the breakfast cart over with granola and a selection of fruit juices.

  Leona’s favorite oldies station played softly in the background as Mia and Annie got everything ready to go.

  The door jingled open exactly at seven and Danny walked in twisting his Red Sox baseball cap in his hands. “Where’s Leona this morning?”

  “We haven’t figured that out yet. Help yourself to some coffee,” Annie told Danny. “Are you going ice fishing today?”

  “Yup. Can I have a blueberry muffin, too, please? With that sweet streusel topping? That’s my favorite.”

  Annie chuckled to herself as she put a muffin on a plate for Danny. He always had the same thing, black coffee and a blueberry muffin and always told Annie it was his favorite.

  “I have a favor to ask you, Danny,” Annie said after she gave the simmering chili a quick stir. “One of the book shelves is a little bit loose. Could you put in longer screws or something so nothing crashes down on an unsuspecting customer?”

  “Of course. I’ll fix it before I go fishing.”

  Roxy got up from her pillow, stretched and stood in front of the French door leading directly out to the deck. “Need a little fresh air?” Annie opened the door for Roxy to take a walk around the deck and check out the smells from the night before. With her eyes turned to the big clock, she started to pull the door closed but Jason stuck his boot inside, squeezing the rest of his body through the closing space.

  “Hey, are you trying to keep me out?”

  Annie jumped. “I didn’t see you coming in.”

  “I thought you might need an extra hand today, being shorthanded and all.” Jason smiled and left his offer hanging between them like a question. He knew he was treading on thin ice with Annie.

  She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled before answering. “We could use some help. You can have the coffee cart duty.”

  She turned to get back to the stove but his hand held her arm. “You have to trust that what I’m doing is the best option.”

  “Okay. But you need to know that I don’t like it.”

  “I know you don’t, and I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but it’s what—”

  Annie cut him off with a slight shake of her head as she looked to the doorway connected to the main hallway. “Good morning, Tyler.”

  Tyler’s eyes searched beyond Annie’s face. “Where’s Leona?”

  Annie’s stomach twisted in a knot as she tried to keep her face friendly. “I don’t know.” Jason moved to the coffee cart and Annie let Roxy back in. “Any news on that glove I found?”

  Tyler’s eyes returned to Annie’s face. “Yes. That’s why I’m here.”

  She squared her shoulders and didn’t look away from his piercing stare. “Honestly, Tyler, I don’t have any idea where Leona is.”

  “I’ve never known you to lie and I hope you aren’t starting now. Leona is in a heap of trouble and I need to find her.”

  Chapter 10

  Tyler left Annie standing with her mouth hanging open. Jason’s lip twitched up at the corner as he bent close to Annie’s ear. “You can thank me later for saving you from an awkward situation. He would have seen right through a lie from you.”

  Mia replaced the breakfast items on the cart with the lunch options as a family of tourists came into the café. Three kids ran to the pastry case, putting their hands on the glass as they stared at the goodies inside. The youngest boy licked the glass.

  “Gross,” said his older sister. “You are so gross.”

  “What a lovely town you have here,” the young mother said as she pulled the boy away from the glass and buffed the spit off with her sleeve. “Could we get a half dozen of those blueberry muffins and another half dozen of the chocolate covered strawberries? Everything looks delicious. Do we help ourselves to the coffee?”

  Jason pointed to the mugs. “Yes, help yourself. These mugs with the black cat on them are for here or use the cardboard cups for take out.”

  “Oh, I think we’ll sit here for a bit and enjoy the view. And look at all those books. My goodness, this is like a dream come true for me. Coffee, muffins, books and a view.” She leaned closer to Jason. “Now, if I could only get rid of my kids for an hour, I could really relax!”

  Her husband gathered the kids together at a booth. “Once you’ve had your muffins I’ll take you out for a walk around the lake so Mommy can relax by herself.”

  Jason winked at the mother. “Someone wants to make you happy. I hope you find a good book.”

  She smiled from ear to ear as she looked at the coffee selections. “Oh, and you have a hot chocolate-coffee mixture. I’ll try this for a change. And real whipped cream. This is my lucky day.”

  She joined her husband and three kids after pulling a mystery from the freebrary. “Guess what I found, honey? A new mystery that I haven’t seen before. I love it when I discover a new author.”

  The kids were quiet for as long as it took them to gobble down their muffins, about twenty three seconds. “Can we go outside now?”

  Their dad gulped his coffee and herded them out the door with a smile for his lovely wife. “I’ll be back.”

  She waved without looking up from the book she was already lost in.

  Business was steady but not unmanageable. Roxy greeted everyone politely if they showed interest in her. The chili was disappearing and Annie was busy keeping up with sandwich orders.

  Once the lunch crowd dwindled, she checked the time, getting impatient about visiting Mrs. Dodd. Maybe she would try to sneak out early if Mia and Jason could do the closing.

  Jake sauntered in for a cup of coffee. “Where’s Leona? Not working today?”

  “No,” Annie said, not offering any more of an explanation.

  He shrugged. “That’s odd. Great dance last night.”

  Annie found Jake to be peculiar and difficult to read. Maybe it was the artsy side of his personality but he didn’t seem to be able to read other people’s feelings and he often made some awkward statements.

  “So, who was that cute girl you were talking to last night? And can you give me a blueberry muffin and a chocolate covered strawberry?”

  Annie gave him a blank stare while she put his treats in a bag.

  “You know, the girl that Brad was arguing with way before he went after Leona?”

  “You must mean Tess Harrington, Lacy McGuire’s niece? She’s the one that cut your hair.” Annie rolled her eyes feeling like she was talking to a child whenever she had a conversation with Jake. Maybe he was always high from smoking pot, she decided.

  Jake bit into the strawberry. “Oh yeah. I couldn’t remember where I saw her before. She told me she was staying at Lacy’s house. I wonder i
f she’s homeless now. Thanks for the goodies.” He held up the bag and walked back to Clay Design.

  Annie thought about Jake’s comments. She had to dig deeper and find out why Tess and Brad didn’t get along.

  Annie hung up her apron, relieved that Mia was staying to clean up. Jason was long gone, being secretive about his errand. Whatever, she thought as she neatly packed six chocolate covered strawberries into a box for Mrs. Dodd.

  “Come on Roxy, you’ve been such a patient girl today.”

  Martha popped out of The Fabric Stash when Annie and Roxy were walking by. “Quite a dance last night. Those two Crowley boys were fighting over me all night. Well, except for when Leona butted in and danced with Harry. What a hoot. I haven’t had so much fun since, hmmm, can’t remember when.” She winked at Annie. “Find yourself some twins if Jason doesn’t treat you right.” She jabbed Annie in the side. “Where was Leona today? Partied too much last night?”

  “No one seems to know where she is. Gotta run, I’m going over to Thelma Dodd’s house for a chat.” Annie started to walk away.

  “She can be kind of loopy. You must be feeling in need of punishment to willingly visit her. Have fun,” Martha said sarcastically.

  “She can’t be that bad,” Annie said to Roxy after they left Martha laughing about Thelma. “Do you want to come with me?”

  Of course Roxy wagged her tail, always happy to be included.

  Thelma Dodd lived four houses past Cobblestones Cottage but it was the first house that was occupied through the winter. Annie turned in, hoping Martha had been exaggerating about Thelma being loopy. She remembered her as a strict music teacher way back when Annie was in elementary school.

  Annie heard the sound of the television so she knocked loudly on the door. Holding her gift box and with Roxy at her side, she heard the sound of the T.V. get softer and footsteps approach the door.

  “Who’s there?” A voice shouted from behind the closed door.

  “Hello Mrs. Dodd. It’s Annie Fisher.”

  The door creaked open. “Annie Fisher? I remember that name. Oh, and who do you have with you? Come in. Come in.”

  Annie followed Thelma as she slowly shuffled to the living room. A perfect spot to keep an eye on the Lake Trail.

  “What a lovely view you have. I bet you spend a lot of time out here,” Annie said as she sat in a chair opposite Thelma.

  “I do. Especially in the afternoons. I like to sit right here and work on my crossword puzzle.” She picked up her paper. “What’s a six letter word that starts with K and means murderer?”

  “Does ‘killer’ work?”

  “Yes! You’re a clever girl, Annie.”

  “How about another six letter word, second letter is L and the last letter is Y and it is a red liquid?”

  “Maybe, bloody?” Annie guessed, starting to feel a little uneasy with the words in the crossword puzzle. “Mrs. Dodd? I brought you something.”

  “Oh, isn’t that nice. What is it, dear?” She set the newspaper on the table next to her chair.

  Annie handed her the box. “I made you some chocolate covered strawberries.”

  “What a nice surprise. Would you like to have some tea with me?”

  “I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

  “I’m a stickler for my routine, always was and always will be and it’s no trouble at all. Everything is all set if you can go into the kitchen and pour the hot water. I’ll wait here with your puppy dog if you don’t mind. Oh, there should be some dog biscuits on the counter too. I always keep some for when my son drops by with his little dog, Harry.”

  She took a bite of one of the strawberries and called to Annie’s retreating back, “These are absolutely scrumptious.”

  Annie returned carrying a tray with two mugs full of hot water and a selection of teas.

  Thelma patted the table next to her. “Put it right here and help yourself. Now, get comfy and tell me why you stopped to visit an old lady.” She put a green tea bag into her mug and blew on the steaming tea. “Oh, look, there goes Johnny Robbins.” She pointed out the window to a figure walking along the lake trail. “He always goes by between two and three.”

  “Every day?”

  “Well, between two and three on Sunday.” She had a crease between her eyes when she turned to look at Annie. “Today is Sunday, isn’t it? Sometimes I lose track of which day it is.”

  Annie nodded. “You are right. It’s Sunday. How about the other days?”

  “What other days, dear?”

  “The other days of the week. When does Johnny walk by on the other days?”

  “Oh, silly me, of course.” She put her finger on her cheek. “Most days I see him at four, but on Friday it’s closer to five. Or, do I have that backwards?” She reached down to a notebook next to her chair. “I write it down because, at my age, it’s just too easy to get confused.”

  Roxy decided it was the perfect moment to put her head in Thelma’s lap, much to Annie’s annoyance. She didn’t want Thelma to be distracted from her memories of when people walked by.

  “What a sweet dog. Would you like a cookie?” Thelma put the notebook on her table and took a dog biscuit from the tea tray. “Here you go. Dogs have always had a special place in my heart.” She patted Roxy’s head. “Now, what was I talking about?”

  “You were checking your notebook about when Johnny walks on the Lake Trail,” Annie reminded her.

  “I keep track of everyone who walks by. I see you and your doggy friend every day too.” She put the notebook in her lap and settled back in her chair. “You know, I don’t get out in the winter. My son tries to stop by every day with Harry, and I work on my crossword puzzles, but winters up here do drag on. I’m already looking forward to springtime when I can at least sit out on my deck and get some fresh air.” She gazed out the window, lost in some memory.

  Annie handed her a chocolate covered strawberry. “Here, have another one.”

  “Lovely. They do look so pretty, almost too pretty to eat. But, yes, I’ll have another one.” She bit into the strawberry while watching the world go by through her window. “Look. Here comes Johnny Robbins, heading back to his house. Just like clockwork.” Thelma waved even though Johnny walked with his eyes focused straight ahead.

  “Do you mind if I look at your notebook? I’m curious who might have walked by last Friday. You know, when Lacy McGuire was killed?”

  “So tragic. Didn’t that happen at Cobblestones Cottage?”

  “Yes. My aunt discovered the body. I think the murderer may have left and fled on the Lake Trail.”

  Thelma’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh dear. You think I may have seen the murderer?”

  Annie nodded her head.

  Chapter 11

  Thelma handed her notebook to Annie with trembling hands. “I keep track of what I see for a bit of fun. I like to pretend the people walking by are friends that will stop in for a visit when they aren’t in such a rush. Sometimes, I make up stories about where they’re going, maybe a romantic rendezvous or something like that.” Her eyes twinkled with that thought. “But I never considered in my wildest imagination the possibility of one of my ‘friends’ being a murderer.” She let go of the notebook and smiled. “It’s kind of exciting, for an old lady like me.”

  Annie opened the notebook to the previous Friday, two days ago, and skimmed the page. “Unidentified person, probably a female, heading east at two thirty. East is heading left looking out your window toward the lake?” Annie wanted to be sure Thelma didn’t have her east and west mixed up.

  “That’s right. Toward Catfish Cove. I remember that person. She was all bundled up so I couldn’t see her face but her blond hair was showing at the bottom of her hat and she was walking briskly.”

  Annie turned her attention back to the notebook. “Johnny Robbins walking west at three.”

  “It wasn’t his normal Friday time. If you look at the previous Fridays, he always walked by closer to five o’clock,” The
lma explained.

  “Unidentified woman walks west at three fifteen and Johnny walks east around four thirty.” Annie put the notebook down. “So Johnny and this mystery woman walked back and forth on the Lake Trail during the time frame when Lacy was killed. Can you remember any more details about the mystery woman?”

  Thelma closed her eyes. “She was wearing a black parka and a white hat. She looked to be a petite little thing and a bit of blond hair stuck out from under her hat.”

  Annie’s stomach lurched. When Jason pulled Tess from the lake, she was wearing a black parka. That image was seared in her memory. Blond wet hair but no hat.

  “You didn’t see anyone else?”

  “No, but Sherry Miller stopped by and brought me some homemade valentine cookies. She tries to swing by every Friday on her way home and she visits for at least an hour. The cookies were the prettiest hearts with pink frosting. I still have some. Would you like one?”

  “No thanks.” Annie closed the notebook. “This has been so helpful. Did the police chief talk to you after the murder?”

  “Oh yes. But he didn’t ask me if I saw anyone walking on the Lake Trail.” Thelma put her gnarled hand on Annie’s knee. “He acted like he already knew who the murderer was and only asked me if I saw anything suspicious. Of course, nothing seemed suspicious at the time so I told him no.”

  Annie’s heart thumped. Tyler was only looking for evidence to pin on Leona. His mind was already made up. Suddenly, she wasn’t so angry with Leona for disappearing. She had to protect herself and give Annie time to find the real killer.

  “This has been a lovely visit. Thank you, Mrs. Dodd.” Annie stood up and Roxy took that for a signal for her to stretch.

  “It was all my pleasure, Annie. Stop in anytime and don’t forget to wave when you’re walking on the Lake Trail.” She lowered her voice. “Let me know if I can help you catch the killer. I can feel my adrenaline flowing more than it has in a long time.”

  “I will be sure to visit more often.”

  Annie let herself out. Roxy bounded after a gray squirrel as soon as the door opened. A row of cedars made a boundary between Thelma’s house and the house to the east. Annie noticed a well-worn path that followed the tree line from the lake to the road but there were no fresh footprints.