by Jinty James
“I’m afraid I must go now, girls. Let me know if you change your mind about the job offer, Maddie.”
“I will,” Maddie promised, knowing deep down she’d made the right decision in refusing the opportunity.
“Wow,” Suzanne breathed once Diana had walked across the town square and got into a silver Lexus.
“I know,” Maddie agreed.
“Mrrow!”
“At least now we know why Margot marked her higher than you in round one.”
“I wonder if she’ll tell Detective Rawson?” Maddie mused.
“If she doesn’t, we will on Saturday!” Suzanne’s expression was fierce, as if she thought Diana had deliberately cheated in the competition.
“Okay,” Maddie agreed. “I know we want to expand the business one day, but I don’t think I want to belong to that sort of business club.”
“Me either.” Suzanne’s ponytail bounced vigorously as she nodded.
“Mrrow.” Trixie looked like she totally agreed with them.
Suzanne sighed. “If Diana was telling the truth, then it seems she didn’t have a motive to kill Margot. Why would she? She was getting an unfair advantage. She might have even won the final round if Margot kept giving her higher marks than the other competitors.”
“True,” Maddie said thoughtfully, then grimaced. “If I’d known she was going to talk about the murder and her relationship with Margot, I could have cast the Tell the Truth spell.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Suzanne’s eyes widened. “It would have been perfect!”
“Apart from the fact I can only use it once per full moon cycle,” Maddie reminded her.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Mrrow,” Trixie agreed.
“Have you got the spell with you?” Suzanne asked.
“No.” Maddie shook her head. Last month, she’d copied the spell on a piece of paper, and it had come in handy when she’d been accused of killing the judge at the local coffee festival. But she hadn’t even thought she might need it today – she’d been so focused on her date tonight with Luke.
“But as soon as I get home I’ll put it in my purse and keep it there.”
“Good idea.” Suzanne smiled.
The rest of the day passed slowly and quickly at the same time. For once, Maddie clock-watched for the rest of the day, mentally going through her closet. What would she wear tonight?
Once, Suzanne had to wave her hand in front of Maddie’s face to get her attention.
“I think we should visit some of the suspects tomorrow,” Suzanne suggested.
“What?” Maddie said absently, checking the time on her watch yet again. One minute to four. Close enough. She started shutting down the espresso machine. “Okay.”
“Great! We can leave here as soon as we’ve handled the early morning crowd.”
Maddie stared at Suzanne’s beaming face, wondering what she had just agreed to. Whatever it was, it made her best friend seem very happy, and surely that couldn’t be a bad thing – could it?
CHAPTER 7
Maddie drove herself to work Thursday morning, wrapped in a fluffy pink cloud. She’d had the best time with Luke last night. They’d dined at a new bistro in town, and then afterward they’d walked through the brightly lit town square, before sitting in his car and just talking for a while.
Afterward, he’d driven her home, spending a few minutes petting Trixie who seemed to enjoy the attention, before promising to come and see her compete in round two on Saturday.
He hadn’t kissed her – yet. But that was okay, Maddie told herself. She’d been crushing on Luke for years, and now that her dream had come true and she was actually dating him, she didn’t want anything to ruin it, including moving too quickly.
But, she wondered, was there such a thing as moving too slowly? Or – did Luke feel the same way she did and didn’t want to rush things either?
Hi!” Suzanne greeted her as she got out of the driver’s side of the truck, then peered inside. “No Trixie?”
“I thought I should leave her at home today,” Maddie replied, “since it sounded like we were doing something later this morning.”
“That’s right.” Suzanne grinned. “I thought we could go and visit Ellie.”
Maddie stared at her friend. “We’re going to Seattle?”
“Don’t tell me you weren’t tempted by my offer yesterday,” Suzanne teased. Then she sobered. “It’s Thursday already, Mads. If we don’t try to do something, the killer could be running around the competition on Saturday, maybe looking for his next victim!”
“I know.” Maddie sighed.
“And while we’re talking to Ellie, we can try out her coffee,” Suzanne tempted.
“I would love to try her mocha,” Maddie admitted. “Or would that be sort of cheating, since we have to make mochas in the competition on Saturday?”
“Of course it’s not!”
“Maybe I’ll try her latte instead,” Maddie mused. “After all, she’s coming first in the competition after the latte round last Saturday.”
“Okay.” Suzanne began helping Maddie set up the truck for their first customers. “And I’ll try her mocha.” She grinned mischievously.
Maddie shook her head in mock-disapproval as she opened the serving window.
“How was your date with my brother?” Suzanne asked.
“Good,” Maddie replied, a dreamy smile on her face.
“Come on, you have to give me more than that.”
Maddie gave her the brief highlights – what they ate for dinner – pork medallions with a honey glaze for her and a rib eye steak for Luke – the stroll in the town square, and then going home. She wanted to keep part of her date to herself so she didn’t tell Suzanne about sitting in Luke’s car and just talking for a while.
She finished with, “And he’s coming to watch me compete on Saturday.”
“Awesome!” Suzanne high-fived her. “He can ride with us.”
Maddie wasn’t sure if that was going to make her even more nervous before the final round – spending two hours in an enclosed space with Luke – despite Suzanne chaperoning.
The first wave of customers approached the truck. This morning, there hadn’t been any thirsty joggers, but caffeine deprived employees made up for them. By the time the lull arrived, it was nearly ten o’clock.
“Perfect timing.” Suzanne closed the cash register with a little bang. “We can leave for Seattle now, visit Ellie and sample her coffee, then have lunch somewhere.” She held up her phone. “I was checking online reviews last night and I’ve found an “authentic”—” she air-quoted the word “–burger bar with grass-fed beef and all the trimmings.”
Maddie brightened. It would be fun to have lunch with Suzanne without the pressure of serving customers.
“My treat,” Suzanne added persuasively.
“Done.” This time, Maddie high-fived Suzanne.
“I hope Trixie doesn’t mind she’s going to miss out,” Suzanne said.
Maddie pressed a couple of buttons on her phone and showed Suzanne the screen. “I don’t think so.”
The live camera feed showed Trixie lying on the sofa, her furry white stomach offered up to the sun streaming in through the window, seemingly fast asleep. Wytchcraft for the Chosen lay next to her.
“So cute!”
They locked up the truck, Maddie leaving a sign in the window that stated they would be closed for the next few hours.
“Or maybe I should say closed until tomorrow.” Maddie made a face as she calculated the driving distance to the city. Two hours there, two hours to come home, plus talking to Ellie, and having lunch at the burger place. Probably around six hours, total. At that rate they’d be lucky to get back here for four o’clock, their usual closing time.
“I know,” Suzanne agreed. “But we’ve got to do something, Mads.”
“Like leaving it to the police?” Maddie suggested wryly.
“Pooh!” Suzanne waved a hand in the air.
“I thought we agreed that our – your – coffee knowledge could help crack the case. And all we’re doing is trying Ellie’s coffee and having lunch somewhere fun.”
“Okay,” Maddie gave in as she usually did with Suzanne. “But only today, agreed? We can’t keep closing the truck for hours – or even a whole day. We’re already going to be closed again on Saturday.”
“I know.” Suzanne sobered. “But I think it’s worth it if we can help the police solve the murder. Don’t you?”
Maddie nodded, knowing her friend was right, even if she tended to get a little overenthusiastic at times.
Suzanne brandished a car key. “We can take my car today. I even drove here this morning instead of walking, so we wouldn’t waste any time.”
They jumped into Suzanne’s sporty little red car. She’d bought it used a while ago, and Luke had fixed it up for her. But since she lived only a couple of blocks from the town square, she usually walked to work.
They listened to 1980s Brit Pop on the way to Seattle, the local radio station having a retro pop music day. The upbeat, infectious rhythms brightened Maddie’s mood, and by the time Suzanne threaded her way to a café near the hotel where the competition had been held last Saturday, she was glad she’d agreed to Suzanne’s plan.
Suzanne found a parking space right next to the café.
“I don’t want to know how: one, you know where Ellie works, and two, how you snagged that spot,” Maddie teased. Not for the first time, she wondered if Suzanne had some latent witchy abilities that she wasn’t aware of.
“It was pretty easy to discover where she worked,” Suzanne said airily. “She told Connor, remember? Plus I looked up the competitors on the website and it had their occupations, and this café was listed,” she admitted. “The parking spot was just luck.”
Maddie followed her friend into the small café. It had a hipster, serious coffee vibe enhanced by the scent of roasted beans and chocolate.
“Mmm.” Maddie closed her eyes in appreciation.
“If the coffee tastes half as good as the smell, I’m going to have a delicious mocha.” Suzanne looked guilty for a second. “Although I’m sure yours are better,” she added loyally.
“It’s okay.” Maddie touched her friend’s arm. “She’s coming first in the competition for a reason.”
They walked over to the counter and ordered. Maddie’s stomach started rumbling, but she was looking forward to sampling the “authentic” burgers at lunch that Suzanne had told her about. The latte should hold her until then.
Only half the tables were taken, but there were several office workers standing in the pick-up area, waiting for their to-go orders.
“I asked the server if Ellie was working today and she is,” Suzanne murmured as they threaded their way to a vacant table, world music playing softly from the speakers high up on the walls. “She’s going to come and see us in a few minutes when she has a break.”
“What are we going to say to her?” Maddie asked.
“We could ask her if Diana has approached her with a job offer,” Suzanne suggested. “And we can talk about coffee – well, you and Ellie can talk about coffee and I can tell her how delicious her mocha is – even if it isn’t.”
“Suzanne!” Maddie shook her head in jest.
A server at the pick-up counter called out their names. Maddie went to get them, Suzanne staying at the table in order to “save” it. When Maddie arrived at the counter she looked for Ellie in the back but couldn’t see her. Standing on tip-toes, she finally glimpsed a flash of blonde hair on the left.
Steam rose from the drinks as she carried them back to the table.
“Let’s see how good she is.” Suzanne cupped her hands around her mug.
Maddie stared down at the fancy glass holding her regular latte. Ellie’s barista skills had her coming in first place so far, making this very drink. What did it taste like?
She took a small sip, appreciating the foam, noting how the latte hadn’t split. High quality coffee beans, different to the ones she used, plus the skill of the barista, made it an excellent latte.
“Delish.” Suzanne settled back in the chrome chair. “This mocha is awesome.”
“So is this latte.”
“But I like yours better,” Suzanne added loyally.
Maddie smiled at her friend’s thoughtfulness, took another sip, then an idea hit her. She unzipped her purse, and checked inside.
“Do you think I should use the Tell the Truth spell on Ellie?” she whispered to Suzanne.
“Yes!” Suzanne’s eyes lit up. “Good idea. Otherwise, we might waste the opportunity of asking her questions.”
Maddie nodded, glancing at the piece of paper in her hand containing the spell.
The next second, Ellie walked over to their table.
“Janine said you wanted to see me?” she asked.
The oversized apron she wore emphasized her slight build. Apart from the fact Ellie wasn’t wearing fairy earrings, she looked just as she had on Saturday. Maddie decided that even without the earrings she still looked ethereal.
“We met last Saturday at the barista competition,” Suzanne began. “I’m Suzanne and this is Maddie. She’s coming third.”
“Oh yes,” Recognition crossed her face. “What can I do for you?”
“We couldn’t resist a chance to try your coffee,” Suzanne continued. “And this mocha is great!”
“I love your latte,” Maddie added. “Especially the beans you used.”
“They’re single origin beans from Ethiopia,” Ellie informed her. “I roast them myself.”
Maddie nodded, thinking if anyone deserved to win the competition it was Ellie.
Should she cast the Tell the Truth spell now? She fingered the piece of paper in her hand, hoping it wouldn’t crackle and draw unwanted attention.
Before she could make up her mind, they were accosted by a loud male voice.
“There you are, Ellie.” A blustery man in his sixties approached them. It was Fred Beldon, the mocha sponsor from the competition.
“Oh, hi.” Ellie’s cheeks flushed.
“Is your boss in?” the man asked, then seemed to notice Maddie and Suzanne. “Hi, I’m Fred Beldon.”
“We know,” Suzanne said. “We were at the barista competition last weekend. Maddie is one of the finalists.”
Fred nodded. “That’s great. Do you two gals run a coffee shop? I can give you a good deal on my MochLava. It’s going to be huge!”
“Thanks, but I like making mochas the old-fashioned way.” Maddie tried to gracefully decline.
“You tasted it last weekend, right? There was enough for everyone—” He grimaced, as if remembering what had happened “—before … the unfortunate incident.”
“Yes, we did.” Suzanne’s voice sounded extra cheery.
“What did you think?” he asked eagerly.
Maddie looked at her friend, wondering what she would say.
“It was certainly different,” Suzanne said.
“Exactly!” He pointed a finger at her. “That’s what everyone says. I’ve already got five coffee shops in Seattle signed up.”
“That’s great,” Maddie said politely, wondering if the owners knew how bad his mocha beverage tasted. Or were the proprietors like Claudine in Estherville – whose notion of good taste was totally different to Maddie’s and a lot of the other townsfolk?
“Sometimes I come in here for a cappuccino.” He patted his belly. “Ellie makes a good one.” He smiled genially at Ellie.
Ellie looked embarrassed, as if she wanted to escape. Before she could make an excuse, Fred called out:
“Hey, Rob, got a minute to talk?”
Maddie saw a harried looking man in his fifties stop in his tracks behind the counter, a resigned expression on his face. He beckoned to Fred.
“Gotta go, girls!” Fred bustled importantly toward the counter.
Ellie let out a sigh of relief.
“Do you know Fred?” Su
zanne asked curiously.
Maddie glanced at Suzanne, hoping she would pick up the unspoken message that Maddie would need to take the lead on the questioning if she cast the Tell the Truth spell.
Once again, she fingered the notepaper in her hand. A calmness descended as she focused. She could see the words in her mind. Silently, she uttered them, whispering, “Show me,” at the end.
“No.” Ellie shook her head vehemently, then paused. “Not really.”
“He seems to know you,” Maddie observed.
Ellie fingered her ear, as if expecting to find an earring – like the ones she’d worn last weekend? “He’s just a customer.” She hesitated. “Once he said I reminded him of his granddaughter, which I thought was a nice thing to say. But he mostly comes here to try and sell his mocha stuff to my boss.”
“What does your boss think about it?” Maddie asked.
“Yesterday he said it was awful,” Ellie replied. “But Fred keeps trying to sell it to him and … I don’t know. I sort of admire his tenacity.”
A deep knowing filled Maddie. The spell was working –Ellie was telling the truth right now!
“It’s a shame Fred doesn’t realize how bad it tastes,” Suzanne remarked.
“Uh-huh.” Ellie nodded.
“It was awful about Margot Wheeler – the judge – last Saturday,” Maddie pressed.
“I felt terrible when we found out what happened.” Ellie shivered. “You two found … her, didn’t you?”
Maddie and Suzanne exchanged looks.
“Diana Swift found her first,” Maddie admitted. “We were next on the scene.”
“That must have been truly shocking.” Ellie looked distressed.
Maddie wondered what would have happened if Ellie had been the first person to come across Margot. Would she have coped? Maybe it had been best that Maddie and Suzanne had arrived on the scene when they did.
“Congratulations on coming first after round one,” Suzanne complimented her.
“Thanks.” Ellie flushed. “I wasn’t sure whether to enter the competition or not, but my boss encouraged me. And now I’m glad I did.” Her pink cheeks deepened into red, and Maddie wondered if she was thinking of meeting Connor last Saturday.