by Jinty James
“So what? She’s not on my radar anymore. And never tell her where I am again, okay? She came down here and made a big scene. Scared off customers.”
“I don’t know why you had to be so cruel to her,” Scott remarked. “What was I supposed to do when she begged me to tell her where you were? You should have seen her, man. It wasn’t good.”
“Leave Jessica to me. Or not.” Jason chuckled. “It’s definitely over between us. So forget about her. What we need to concentrate on is buying another van. Then you can drive it and sell these cakes to more ladies.”
“What?” Scott sounded shocked. “But you know I’m waiting to hear back about my college application.”
“You can go to college anytime,” Jason said. “Right now we’re making money with these cupcakes. I told you the ladies would go for anything that looks good.”
Lauren stepped back from the truck. She thought she’d heard too much to now clear her throat and announce her presence. The dog hadn’t barked or growled, so maybe Sweet Boy was having a day off?
She strode back to the café, mulling over what she’d just heard. Jason didn’t sound like a nice person, but maybe he had a point about his cupcakes – females had seemed to go wild over them with the huge dollops of frosting and blingy edible decorations – at least, until the last couple of days. Had they finally realized Jason’s cupcakes didn’t taste as good as they looked?
“IT WILL BE FUN,” ZOE enthused to Ed.
Lauren had just returned to the café and found her cousin in the kitchen, chatting to Ed. Mitch had already stopped by and picked up his favorite vanilla, as well as the new salted caramel cupcake – and a kiss from Lauren.
“I don’t know,” Ed said doubtfully. He looked up in relief as Lauren entered. “What do you think, Lauren?”
“About what?” Lauren was instantly alert. Was it another one of Zoe’s wild schemes? Which sometimes worked, she reminded herself.
“I was telling Ed that AJ could come in tomorrow to train as Annie’s assistant,” Zoe told her.
“Without discussing it with me first?” Lauren asked.
“Oh – sorry. Yeah, I guess we should have talked it over properly first, but I thought what a good opportunity it was to grab Ed while there weren’t any customers, and tell him all about it.”
“I think Annie is still considering it,” Lauren told her.
“And AJ should have a chance to consider it too,” he told Zoe. “Maybe she won’t like working here. Maybe she only likes playing with Annie.”
“But being here at the café is like playing to Annie,” Zoe told him. “She has such a good time with the customers, especially her favorites.”
“True,” Lauren allowed. “But sometimes she likes going home and taking a break, particularly if it’s super busy and it becomes a bit overwhelming for her.”
“We could try it tomorrow with Annie and AJ,” Zoe wheedled. “Please?”
Ed sighed. “I guess it won’t do any harm – if AJ wants to do it. She’s only eight months old, remember?”
“And Annie has to agree to it,” Lauren said quickly.
“I’m sure they’ll both want to do it.” Zoe brightened. “You’ll see!”
LATER THAT DAY, LAUREN filled in Zoe on what she’d overheard at the cupcake truck.
“So smirky Jason is an all-around jerk,” Zoe commented.
“It seems like it,” Lauren agreed.
“I just hope the permit officer comes this afternoon and tells him to get lost.”
A customer departed the café, the door open for a moment.
“These cupcakes are no good!” A red-faced man approached the truck parked outside. He brandished a wrinkled pink bag.
“Calm down, man.” Jason appeared at the serving hatch.
Lauren and Zoe stared at each other, then hurried over to the door. From their vantage point, they could see and hear everything from the truck.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Lauren said doubtfully.
“We totally should!”
“My wife bought me these awful cakes.” The angry man shoved the paper bag at Jason.
Sweet Boy growled, his head appearing in the serving hatch, baring his teeth at the disgruntled customer.
So the canine had been there that morning, Lauren thought. Perhaps he’d been napping when she’d overheard Jason and Scott talking inside the truck.
“I told her not to try anything new. That I wanted Lauren’s cupcakes.” He jerked his thumb at the café. “But she came home raving about your pink truck and the cute dog and how much frosting you put on these – these – things. I thought she was trying to poison me!” He shuddered.
“So you want a refund?” Jason asked.
“Yes, I want a refund!” The man glared at him.
“Do we know him?” Zoe muttered to Lauren.
“No.” Lauren shook her head. From the way the man was behaving, she didn’t want to know him. Maybe he’d never entered the café, and instead his wife bought the cupcakes and brought them home to him. She felt sorry for whoever his wife was, if he was blowing up like this about baked goods. The samples she’d tried of Jason’s cakes hadn’t been that bad, surely? Bad enough to put someone in a rage like this?
“Here.” Jason shoved some bills at him. “Don’t come back and tell your wife not to, either. Or else I’ll call the cops.”
“You’ll call the cops?” The man laughed incredulously. “You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that.” He stuck the money in his wallet and walked away, shaking his head.
“At least he’s not coming in here.” Lauren closed the door.
“Good. We don’t want customers like that.”
“No.”
As Lauren turned away from the door, she noticed Jason glowering at her. She bit her lip, sorry that he’d noticed them taking in the scene.
As she went to take payment from a customer, she realized she hadn’t seen Jason’s friend Scott during that exchange. Had he already taken off? Or had he been a silent observer inside the truck?
CHAPTER 6
The next day, Lauren, Zoe, and Annie entered the café from the private hallway.
“Look!” Zoe pointed to the large window. “Smirky Jason’s here already, parked outside our cottage.”
“I didn’t hear him pull up.” Lauren frowned.
“Maybe he came super early. We could have had the microwave on or been in the shower,” Zoe suggested.
“That’s possible.”
“Let’s not worry about him,” Zoe said.
“Agreed. I’ll go and bake the cupcakes.” Lauren entered the gleaming commercial kitchen and set to work. Once the cakes were out of the oven, she joined Zoe and Annie in the café area.
“AJ is coming to work with you today, Annie.” Zoe grinned.
“Brrt,” Annie sounded a little unsure.
“She doesn’t have to come and help you if you don’t want her to.” Lauren bent down to the cat. “Zoe thought you might enjoy having her around, but the decision is up to you.” She gave Zoe a pointed stare.
“Of course,” Zoe said hastily. “Everyone knows you’re in charge of seating the customers, Annie.”
“And talking to them,” Lauren added. She knew some of their regulars valued their interaction with Annie, especially Annie’s favorites, whom she spoke to in a series of brrts and chirps, and appeared to listen to them as they told her about their day.
“Brrp.” Annie wandered over to her cat bed and curled up in it.
“Oh, dear.” Lauren turned to Zoe. “Perhaps AJ coming in isn’t a good idea.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Zoe replied, doubt flickering over her face. “Maybe we should tell Ed—”
There was a frantic banging on the glass entrance door. Lauren and Zoe turned around. Jessica, Jason’s ex, swung her arms wildly in the air.
“He’s dead!” she wailed, loud enough for them to hear her through the glass.
“What?” Lauren rushed to unlock t
he door. “What’s wrong?”
“Jason’s dead!” Tears streamed down Jessica’s face. “And the police are going to think I did it!”
LAUREN AND ZOE RACED out of the café.
“Are you sure he’s dead?” Lauren tossed over her shoulder as they neared the van. Bits of litter lined the gutters – a tell-tale sign it had been windy the night before. Jessica’s red car was parked in front of the pink truck.
“I – I think so,” Jessica stumbled after them.
Annie stood in the doorway of the café, watching, her green eyes wide.
“Hello? Jason?” Zoe jumped up on her tiptoes at the serving hatch.
“I can’t see anything.”
“That’s because you have to get inside.” Jessica wrenched open the back door of the truck and pointed. “See?”
Jason lay on the floor, a big bloody gash on his head. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, the blood staining some of his blond hair. But for once, he didn’t have a smirk on his face.
The coppery scent of blood mixed with Jessica’s cloying rose perfume hit Lauren’s senses.
Lauren quickly reached for his wrist, trying to find a pulse. There wasn’t one. She closed her eyes, hoping she wasn’t going to be sick.
“Well?” Zoe asked.
Lauren shook her head, opened her eyes, and gently released Jason’s wrist.
She avoided looking at the body and instead focused on the interior of the truck. White cupboards lined each side of the vehicle, apart from where the serving hatch was. A small refrigerator was also included in the layout.
“We have to call the police,” Zoe said in a subdued voice, her brown eyes huge.
Lauren dug out her phone from her jeans pocket. And dialed 911. She quickly gave her details.
“Someone will be here as soon as they can,” she told them after she ended the call. “We mustn’t touch anything.”
Jessica’s face crumpled, her mascaraed eyes clogged with tears.
“Why don’t you come to the café and I’ll make you a hot drink?” Zoe placed an arm around her
“I’ll guess I’ll guard the scene,” Lauren said reluctantly. “Make sure Annie stays inside the café.”
“Will do.” Zoe nodded.
Lauren watched her cousin usher Jessica inside the coffee shop.
What was Jason’s ex doing here, anyway? And where was Sweet Boy, and Jason’s friend Scott? Although, Scott hadn’t seemed to be here every day. Maybe he had another job?
Not that it was any of her business, she told herself.
Mitch. She could call him. Lauren speed dialed him, relief flowing through her as he answered. She quickly told him what had happened, relaxing her grip on the phone a little when he said he’d be there right away.
Lauren paced in front of the truck, careful not to get too close. They’d closed the back door after discovering Jason’s body – even though she hadn’t liked the guy, she didn’t want anyone coming over to gawk at him.
Finally, just when she thought she couldn’t stand being out there any longer, a police vehicle pulled up.
After giving her details to the officer, she was allowed to return to the café. She’d just opened the door to go inside when Mitch arrived.
“Are you okay?” Worry creased his face as he strode over to her.
“I’m fine.” She allowed herself to nestle in his arms for a moment, then pulled back. “Zoe and I didn’t discover the – victim this time. It was his ex-girlfriend Jessica.”
“Where is she?”
“Inside.” Lauren gestured to the café behind them. “Zoe’s looking after her.”
“Good.” He nodded. “I don’t know if I’ll be assigned this case. We’ve finally wrapped up the string of burglaries, but since you’re my girlfriend and you’re involved ...”
“But I’m more of a bystander this time,” she protested. “Jessica banged on the café door and told us she’d found Jason in ... there.” She pointed at the truck, shuddering at the memory of seeing his dead body.
“I’ll talk to the officer and tell them to come and see you in the café.” Mitch pressed a swift kiss to her forehead.
“Okay.” Lauren entered the shop.
“What did Mitch say?” Zoe pounced on her the moment she walked inside. Luckily – or was it? – there weren’t any customers, besides Jessica.
“Not much.” Lauren sank down on a chair beside Jessica and smiled wanly at her. “How are you holding up?”
“I think I’ll be okay.” Jessica lifted her tear-streaked face to her. “Zoe’s been making sure I have lots of sugar – she gave me a large hot chocolate because she said there aren’t any cupcakes ready yet.”
“Good.” Lauren nodded.
“And now I’m making you a big hot chocolate.” Zoe started steaming milk. “I had a small one when I made Jessica’s, but I think I should have another one as well.”
“How’s Annie?” Lauren looked over at the cat bed.
“Brrt!” Annie ran over to Lauren and demanded to be cuddled.
Lauren lifted the feline onto her lap and gently stroked her. Annie purred, closing her eyes.
“I wish I had a cat like that,” Jessica said.
“You should definitely get one, Jessica,” Zoe told her as she brought over the drinks. “Would you like something else?”
“No, I’m good – thanks.” Jessica stared through the large windows to the scene outside.
Lauren followed her gaze. Mitch spoke to the uniformed officer, then followed him inside the truck.
“Maybe we shouldn’t look,” Lauren told her gently.
“Yeah.” Jessica grimaced and focused on Annie purring away on Lauren’s lap.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Zoe asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
“Not really.” Jessica shivered. “It all happened so fast. I couldn’t see Jason standing there at the hatch even when I called out. He wasn’t in the driver’s seat, either. So I went around to the back of the truck and knocked. He didn’t answer. I tried the handle and the door just opened.”
“Really?” Zoe exchanged a glance with Lauren.
“Yeah.” Jessica nodded. “But who would do such a thing to him? He had it all!”
“Really?” Now it was Lauren’s turn.
“I know some people say – said – he was a jerk.” Jessica sniffed. “But he was awesome – so good looking, and smart. Even though he had a manual job and wasn’t a CEO or something like that. But he could have been if he’d wanted to.” She sounded convinced.
“Didn’t you say he hurt his hand working construction?” Zoe probed.
“That’s right. He complained to the foreman but instead of helping him, they laid him off instead. Said the job was coming to an end anyway and they didn’t want complainers. Then he got this idea for the cupcake truck – well, it was really his and Scott’s idea.”
“Oh?” Lauren asked.
“Yeah. Scott told me he was just joking around one day with Jason and said what a hoot it would be if they made money selling cupcakes. But Jason took the idea seriously, and look!” She pointed to the truck outside. “He even knew to paint the truck pink and put the gold lettering on it. Pink’s my favorite color, you know. I told him that once and he must have remembered. That’s why I found it hard to believe him when he said it was over between us. Because why would he paint it that color if he didn’t want to see me anymore?” She buried her face in her hands.
Lauren and Zoe looked at each other. To get female customers, seemed to be the same thought they had.
The door opened and Mitch strode in, coming over to their table.
“This is Jessica.” Lauren gestured to the weeping girl.
“Another detective is going to come out and question you,” Mitch told them. “Can you keep Jessica here until then?”
“Sure.” Lauren nodded.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Mitch asked her, indicating one of the rear tables.
Lauren got up
awkwardly, still cradling Annie. She followed him to the back of the room.
“What is it?” she asked.
Annie opened one sleepy eye, saw it was Mitch, and shut it again.
“Is Annie okay?” He frowned at the cat.
“I think so. She’s had something else to deal with despite – Jason. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Okay. It looks like Jason died immediately – blunt force trauma to the head. But we won’t know officially until the medical examiner confirms it.”
“What sort of weapon was it?” Lauren asked. She couldn’t remember seeing anything obvious.
“Tire wrench. We found it under one of the cupboards.”
Lauren shuddered.
“Yeah.” He paused. “When the detective questions you, it might get a bit detailed. We don’t know why Jason had picked this location for his truck, or why he targeted your café.”
“Zoe and I don’t know, either.” Scenes from last week flashed through Lauren’s mind. “What about Scott, Jason’s friend? He was with him in the truck yesterday. And Sweet Boy, the dog. We didn’t see him there today.”
“There was no one else in the truck just now,” he told her. “No animals, either.”
“Jessica knows Scott,” she told him.
“Good.” He nodded. “I’ll pass that on to the detective who’s coming. I wish they’d assigned me, but because of our relationship ...”
“I understand,” Lauren told him. And she did.
Mitch told her he’d stop by the cottage after work that evening and check she was okay. His phone rang, and he answered it.
“I have to go.” He grimaced. “The burglar we arrested only wants to talk to me.”
“Go.” She shooed him away.
She returned to Zoe and Jessica, Annie still in her arms. Was Annie still out of sorts about AJ coming in for a training session? Or had it been the discovery of Jason’s body, even though the feline had only watched from a distance? Or did she know that Lauren needed comforting?
Perhaps it was all three, she mused as she sat down again at the table, nursing the cat.
Zoe had visited the kitchen, informing Ed of the morning’s events, then zoomed back to the café area.