by Esme Addison
Her finger felt as if it was vibrating, and then a burning sensation engulfed her entire hand. Silently trying to bear the pain, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. She must have cut close to a nerve.
Minka straightened. “Wash it off. You’ll be fine.” She tossed the glove into the trash bin and patted Alex on the shoulder before turning and hurrying back to a customer standing at the counter. “So sorry to keep you waiting.”
Alex was stunned. She had blood all over her hand, and Minka hadn’t even offered a Band-Aid? She could very well need stitches. “That’s okay, I’ll just find the first-aid kit myself.”
She turned on the small sink in the corner and braced herself for pain as water hit the wound, but it wasn’t bad. Maybe she didn’t need stitches after all.
Carefully she washed the wound with an herbal wound wash made with manuka honey, yarrow, and water. Once she’d cleaned up, Alex turned off the water and dried her hands with a paper towel, avoiding the injured tip of her index finger. She brought her hand closer to examine the wound, and—she frowned. She didn’t see much at all. Barely a sliver of a cut, let alone the gaping wound she’d feared. Her finger was fine. It didn’t even hurt. “Huh.”
She glanced over a shoulder at Minka, who was chatting with a customer as she bagged her purchases. There were drops of blood on the cutting board and counter, and some of them had even hit the wall. She had definitely been bleeding. Now she poked at her finger with a paper towel, trying to locate the spot where the skin had opened. When she came up empty, she examined her entire hand. Nothing. Not a single mark.
Just to be safe, Alex wrapped a paper towel around her fingertip before cleaning and disinfecting the counter area. The peppermint she’d chopped would have to go into the trash now, but she wasn’t going to chop any more today. She’d find another herbal tea to serve instead. When the counter was clean, Alex removed the paper towel on her finger to check for blood. The towel was perfectly white. “What the heck?”
She wasn’t losing her mind. She wasn’t. Alex dropped to her hands and knees and dug through the trash, pushing aside the peppermint leaves and paper towels as she sought her glove. “Aha.”
She pulled it out and unrolled the purple glove. It was bloody, and there was an unmistakable slice where the knife had penetrated. This had been no paper cut. Alex frowned as she crumpled up the glove again and tossed it back into the trash can. She was not at all sure what to make of this.
She didn’t have more time to dwell on the injury because Lidia swept out from the back room carrying blue bottles of cough syrup in a basket. “I heard we’re running low. Alex, would you mind helping me with these?”
“No problem,” she said, but she felt oddly disoriented, and her knees were shaky as she joined Lidia. “This is a best seller.” Alex was trying to sound light, but her laugh sounded choked.
“Manuka honey cough syrup. It’s a family recipe,” Lidia said proudly. “You know what manuka honey is?”
“Not really.”
Lidia sorted the bottles by size as she spoke. “It’s honey made from bees that have pollinated tea trees. Tea tree oil has known antibacterial properties. I use it in several of my products. Works well on oily skin. Creates a lovely lather in soap.” She rose up on her toes to slide the new bottles of cough syrup behind the bottles already on the shelf. “So we start with manuka honey, which is sweet and soothing. Then we add some peppermint and oregano oils. Peppermint is antibacterial, but it also helps to numb a sore throat. Oregano oil is the most effective antibacterial ingredient in nature.”
“It must work very well if so many people are buying it.”
“I hear good things.” Lidia shelved the final bottle, brushed her hands on her apron, and picked up the empty basket. “I’m a little behind on candle production, so I’ll be in the back for about an hour.”
She reached up to touch a lock of Alex’s hair. “There’s a gentleman at the door,” she whispered. “He appears lost, but I suspect he’s looking for you.”
“Who?” Alex moved toward the front door. Sure enough, Jack had just entered and was staring like a deer in the proverbial headlights. “Oh.” She turned back to Lidia, her cheeks warming. “Yes, I kind of know him.”
“I thought so. You should go see him. He looks frightened.” Lidia winked before turning and walking away.
Alex approached with a friendly smile, noting that his fresh, crisp cologne of tangerine, ginger, and pine was as bright as his grin. “Hey, Jack.”
“Hi, Alex.” He looked relieved to see her. “I, uh …” He glanced around at the shelves of bottles and lotions. “You know, I’ve never been here before. I don’t know what any of this is.”
That explained his panicked expression.
“Well, there’s a lot to see,” she began. She was brand-new to the world of herbal remedies—could she actually explain any of this to him? “Are you looking for some aftershave? Maybe a shower gel?” She caught his amused gaze. “Not that you … I’m sure you’re clean.”
He chuckled at that. “How about some tea?”
She snapped her fingers. “Right. Tea. For your mom.” She pointed to the jars against the far wall. “Is she a customer? Does she have a favorite?”
He paused to turn a bottle on top of a display pyramid. “She’s never mentioned coming here, but she doesn’t leave the house much. She has a difficult time getting around. It’s why I moved closer.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
But Jack didn’t respond. He was reading the label on the display bottle. “You busy here?”
“Yeah, really busy. Today has been hectic.”
He set down a lotion for eczema and turned another one for poison ivy. “Can I be honest?”
Alex paused. “Of course.”
“I don’t know how a place like this stays in business. Not with so many pharmacies around.”
Alex’s shoulders tightened. That wasn’t the kind of honesty she’d been hoping for. Still, his question was reasonable. “I didn’t understand at first, either. But people seem to really like it. It’s an alternative to traditional medicine, I guess.”
“Medicine?” Jack had picked up a bottle of perfume called Seduction. “Find love where you least expect it,” he read from the label, then arched a brow at Alex. “You’re selling love potions?”
“Okay, so it’s not all medicine,” she said.
“Sounds like snake oil to me.”
Alex took a breath as her defenses began to rise. She might not know much about the products at Botanika, but she was certain she didn’t like what Jack was insinuating. “It’s perfume,” she replied, and lifted the bottle out of his hand as politely as possible. “My aunt makes it herself, and it’s very pretty.”
He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I don’t mean to pick on your aunt.” His blue eyes softened as he studied her guarded posture. “I guess skeptical guys like me aren’t your demographic.”
“Yeah, my aunt doesn’t have a product line for hardened detectives.” Alex found her smile again. “You should try some of the tea. Maybe you’ll change your mind. I’ll make you a cup—”
“No thanks. I’ll just find something for my mother. If you could just point me in the right direction?”
“Of course.”
She led him to the tea shelves and walked him through the different flavors. He steered clear of the functional teas, finally settling on a blend called Summer Garden, a combination of jasmine and rose, two of his mother’s favorite flowers. “I hope this brightens her day,” Alex said as she scooped the leaves into a bag.
“Thank you.” His voice revealed a sadness. “It’s ironic. After my parents divorced, my mother moved down here to be close to her best friend from college. But she was diagnosed with dementia about six months ago and no longer remembers her.”
“Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Alex glanced around the shop. “I think we have a tea or tonic that could help with her—”
Alex sealed the bag and pressed it gently into the palm of his hand. “I’m sure she’ll enjoy this tea.”
She brought him to the counter and rang up his purchase. “Thanks for stopping by, Jack. It was nice to see you.”
Jack looked down at the counter. “There was something else.”
“Oh?”
Alex paused as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and cleared his throat. She thought she heard him say, Go ahead and ask her out. But his mouth hadn’t moved. At least she didn’t think it had. She gave him a strange look. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Oh, I thought …” Alex’s voice trailed. She could’ve sworn she’d heard him. “Never mind.” It must have been her imagination.
Jack shifted his weight. “I was … actually wondering if you would like to have dinner with me.”
“Oh. Oh.”
“Or lunch. Just as friends,” he added quickly. “I mean, we’re both from New York, and so I thought we might have a lot to talk about. I don’t know many people in town. But if you don’t want to, it’s fine.”
He eyed her like a hopeful puppy, and Alex didn’t see the harm in having dinner with him. “Well, when did you want to have dinner?”
He smiled. “How’s Saturday?”
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin as she pretended to think. “And where would we go?”
Jack shrugged. “There’s this place off Main, some Japanese-Southern fusion restaurant. I’ve been hearing rave reviews.”
Alex was intrigued. “All right.” And then she told him her aunt’s address. “Pick me up around seven.”
“Yes ma’am.” His smile broadened. “Looking forward to it.”
Alex returned the grin. “Me too.”
* * *
After Jack left, Minka wanted all the details. Who was he? Where were they going? How had she met him?
“He is so cute.” she said, nearly bouncing on her toes. “And I am so proud of you for finding a date your first week in Bellamy Bay.” Minka sighed and shook her head. “You really are a Sobieski.”
“What? No.” Alex laughed. “It’s strictly friendly. He’s a nice guy.”
Minka cocked her head to one side and gave her cousin a knowing smile. “Uh-huh.”
The rest of the afternoon passed in a flash. Nothing could get Alex down. It wasn’t until closing time that she noticed her aunt standing quietly in the back of the shop. Lidia kept looking at her watch and watching the door.
“Ciocia? Is everything okay?”
Lidia had been unusually quiet, but since she’d mentioned she was behind on her work, Alex reasoned that she was feeling some pressure to finish on time. “Do you need some help making candles? I’m happy to stay late.”
Her aunt smiled tightly. “Thank you. I need to leave on time. Do you two mind closing tonight? I have somewhere to be.” She checked her watch.
“Of course not,” Minka said. She had already begun to empty the till.
Alex grabbed a broom from the closet.
Purse in hand, Lidia gave Minka and Alex a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be home later. Have dinner without me.” With that, she stepped into the evening.
Chapter Five
Alex hadn’t seen Kamila since dinner when she burst through the door of Botanika just after opening on Wednesday morning. Her eyes were wide and her usually smooth ponytail looked messy, as if she had been raking her hands through her hair.
“Did you hear? Randy Bennett is dead.”
“What?” Minka gasped. “What happened?”
“They found him in his home this morning. The coroner hasn’t issued an official cause of death yet. The autopsy is being completed now.”
“An autopsy?” Minka winced. “Does that mean they think it was murder?”
“Shh,” Kamila hissed with a furtive glance around the shop. “Don’t jump to any conclusions yet. He was a middle-age man who died alone. I wouldn’t say autopsies are routine, but it’s not unusual under the circumstances. We won’t know anything until we get the results.”
Lidia came out from the back and joined the three women, her face pale. “Oh my. Randolph,” she whispered.
Alex shivered. She hadn’t known Randy Bennett well, but this tragedy struck a little too close to home. “He was just here. He bought that tea,” she murmured. “Today was supposed to be the day he got his luck back.”
She felt a nudge on her hand. Athena, sensing a change in her mood, was at Alex’s side to reassure her. She patted the dog’s soft back.
Kamila leaned her back against the counter. “It looks like Bennett’s luck officially ran out.”
Alex replayed Randy Bennett’s visit to Botanika in her mind. He had definitely seemed agitated, and he’d complained about his ex-wife and his business partner. Would someone in his life have actually murdered him?
Or … Alex and Minka shared a glance. What if something in the tea had killed him? Perhaps a toxic ingredient had crept into the mix? As if reading her mind, Minka shook her head, and Alex could have sworn she heard her thoughts. No way. It wasn’t the tea. Still, her skin tingled. “This is so unsettling.”
“I know,” Kamila agreed. “This stuff never happens in Bellamy Bay. It’s usually the most boring place in the world to be a police officer.”
“The coroner won’t find anything,” Lidia declared. “Randy was overweight and he had high blood pressure. He must have died from natural causes. Sad, but not suspicious.”
“We’ll know soon enough.” Kamila pushed off the counter again. “Anyway, I wanted you to hear it from me first. You know how gossip can spread, especially when there’s any kind of investigation.” She held her mother’s gaze. “And I know he was in here this week, Mom. Minka told me that you had an outburst.”
Lidia raised her chin. “So what? He knows—he knew—he wasn’t welcome here.”
Kamila set her jaw, assuming a position of authority. “You can’t behave that way. People are going to talk. If the coroner finds anything unusual, you may be questioned about Bennett’s death—”
But Lidia lifted one hand, halting the lecture. “Thank you for stopping by, Kamila. I’m sure this must be a busy day for you.” She rolled the sleeves of her navy sweater to her elbows. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.” And with that, she retreated to the back room.
Minka stared after her mother. “I don’t—wow. Poor guy.”
Kamila shrugged. “It happens.”
“He wasn’t a terrible man,” Minka continued. “He didn’t deserve to die.”
Alex nodded toward the back room and lowered her voice. “What happened between Randy and your mom, anyway?”
“She won’t say. And believe me, we’ve asked,” Minka said. “Whatever it was, it happened a long, long time ago.”
“It must have been very serious,” Alex remarked. “From what she said to me, it sounded like he betrayed her in some way.”
“By Mom’s standards, that could mean he got a coffee order wrong,” Kamila snorted.
“Kam,” Minka warned. “That’s not fair.”
“Maybe not. But Mom’s got to watch her temper or she’s going to land herself in hot water.” She narrowed her eyes at Minka. “I don’t know why you continue to defend her conduct. You know as well as I do that she’s got anger issues.”
“No, she’s just … passionate. Are you really so perfect?”
“See, there you go again. Rationalizing her behavior.” Kamila lowered her voice so that her words were barely audible to Alex. “If you don’t find another apartment soon and move out of that house, you’re going to end up just like her.”
Minka’s blue eyes flashed. “You know I’ve been looking. I can’t help it that my landlord sold my last ap
artment building.”
Alex stood abruptly. “You know, I’m going to make some tea. Something to calm the nerves,” she said. “Anyone else?”
Minka turned her body away from Kamila. “I’ll take one,” she said. “Heck, we should brew a bunch of it. Customers will be coming in, and everyone in town knew Randy Bennett.”
Alex filled the teakettle at the sink. “Kam? You want tea?”
“No thanks. I’ve got a ton of paperwork to do.” She brushed invisible dirt from the front of her uniform pants. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer. “I’ll try to be around for dinner tonight, but who knows. This thing might blow up, depending on what the investigation reveals.” She blew a piece of hair out of her face.
Minka set a hand on Kamila’s arm. “Listen, I don’t want us to fight about this.”
Her sister took a moment to reply. “Okay. I don’t either. Just forget it.”
“I’m sure that Randy Bennett died of natural causes,” Minka assured her. “But I think you’re secretly hoping for some excitement. No offense. I mean, I’m sure traffic stops are great.”
Kamila rolled her eyes. “And on that note.” She gave them a little wave. “Love you both. See you later. Maybe.”
The shop was still quiet, but they’d been open less than twenty minutes. As Alex waited for the teakettle to whistle, her thoughts turned to Randy Bennett. He’d seemed so desperate when he’d entered Botanika looking for his so-called potion. What had been happening in his life that would lead him to believe that tea leaves could actually change his fortune?
* * *
Of all the products her aunt created, Alex found soap the most relaxing to make. Ciocia Lidia had already shown her how to read recipes and use the scales, and now she expected Alex to prepare her own batch of detoxing soap using gifts from the ocean: seaweed, wild spirulina, and sea kelp.
“It’s a basic recipe,” Lidia explained. “Nothing fancy. And I’ll be right over here if you need me.” Her aunt was busy making products to stock up for the summer season.
The quiet focus that the craft demanded was a welcome change from the busy, angsty storeroom floor. All anyone wanted to talk about that day was Randy Bennett, and Kamila was right, the rumors were flying. In under an hour, Alex and Minka had heard—definitively—that Bennett had died of a heart attack. And that he’d fallen down the stairs. And that he’d been robbed and shot.