Murder by the Cup

by Abigail Thornton

  “I can help who’s next!” a perky voice broke through Wynona’s concentration.

  She smiled and walked up to the counter. “Hello,” Wynona said. “I’d like a chicken gyro, please.”

  “Sure!” The young woman began to punch buttons on her register. Her ultra delicate features and the way her hands fluttered led Wynona to assume she was working with a bird shifter. After what seemed like far too many buttons for the amount that was ordered, the young woman looked up. “Would you like a salad or fries with that?”

  “Uh...fries,” Wynona said. Tonight wasn’t a night to cut calories. She had a feeling she would need the energy.

  “Would you like feta on your fries?”

  “That’d be great, thank you,” Wynona responded.

  “What would you like to drink?” the girl chirped.

  Good heavens, this was turning out to be much more intensive than Wynona had planned on. No wonder the line was so long. “Just water, please.”

  Another dozen buttons were pushed.

  Wynona pulled out her credit card, but before the girl could give her the total, a plate was set in the window behind the front counter. “OPA!” a sprite screamed before turning around and flitting back into the kitchen.

  Wynona froze when the entire staff returned the call. “OPA!”

  The shifter helping Wynona grabbed the plate and the ticket attached. “Kevlun! Your moussaka with vegan beef and organic eggplant is ready!”

  Wynona moved to the side when a gnome shoved his way past her thigh. He grunted as he climbed a set of steps next to the front counter and took the plate from the shifter, then made his way back down. Wynona made sure she was out of the way this time before the small man could push her again. She wanted food, not a stain on her clothes.

  “Miss? Miss?”

  Wynona spun. “Me?”

  The shifter gave her an incredulous look. “You haven’t paid yet.”

  “Sorry,” Wynona murmured, handing over her credit card. One of these days, she would get used to the hustle and bustle of city life, but apparently, today was not that day. The more she experienced, the more she seemed to shake her head at what she saw. It was absolutely nothing like the television shows she had managed to sneak when no one was keeping track of her.

  Once done paying, Wynona went to the far corner of the cafe, wanting to stay out of the way of the other patrons. She went back to work on her notes app to pass the time, and the twenty-minute wait went quickly.

  “Thank you,” Wynona said, after grabbing the bag of food.

  “OPA!” the sprite screamed again.

  “OPA!”

  Wynona ducked her head and wound through the waiting crowd to get outside. Once in the night air, she filled her lungs and bent over to stop the claustrophobia pounding on the edge of her mind.

  “I see you’ve experienced the joy of Greek legends during the dinner hour.”

  Wynona stiffened. Slowly, she stood, getting control of herself as she went. “Hello, Rascal.”

  He grinned at her. “Long time no see.”

  Wynona smiled, then sobered. “You didn’t get in trouble, did you?” she asked softly. “Oof!” Someone ran into her from behind, knocking Wynona into Rascal’s broad chest.

  His arms came up to steady her. “Careful,” he said, his voice softer than she’d ever heard before.

  “Sorry.” Pulling back was much harder than it should have been for a guy she was barely getting to know. He felt a little too strong and the feeling to lean in, letting him bear her weight, was enticing. Wynona straightened her shirt and made sure her food bag was still intact.

  “What have you been up to this evening?”

  Rascal’s question could very well have been completely innocent, but it immediately set Wynona on edge. It wasn’t like she could tell him that she had been breaking into Droxon’s office building and trying to figure out what Delila wouldn’t tell them. Her pulse sped up with her guilt and she crossed her fingers that he couldn’t smell deceit. “Oh...this and that...” Wynona hedged. “What about you?”

  She pushed back the desire to close her eyes and hang her head. He’d been booking an innocent woman all afternoon, that’s what he’d been doing. Wynona already knew that. She was such an idiot.

  He chuckled, shoving his hands in his front pockets. “Oh, this and that,” he teased.

  Wynona gave him a reluctant grin. “Sorry. I spoke before thinking.”

  He shrugged. “No biggie. We all do it.” He took in a long breath, his eyes fluttering for just a second.

  Wynona watched, fascinated. It had to be a shifter thing. She tried to discreetly take in her own sniff, but all she could smell was the usual mix of bodies and restaurants. It wasn’t near as pleasant as he made it out to be.

  Rascal rubbed the back of his neck, the moment growing slightly awkward between them. “So...” He nodded down at her bag. “You have dinner?”

  Wynona followed his gaze. “Yep. Just picked it up.” His words were kind of weird. Was he trying to get an invitation to eat with her? The idea would normally appeal to her, but right now she was too worried about him finding out about her earlier activities. She felt like a guilty child who was trying to hide that they’d been performing magic behind their mother’s back.

  Rascal had warned her to steer clear and Wynona had gone directly against those orders. There was no way she could admit that to him.

  She nodded, shifting her weight from one side to the next. “It’s probably getting cold,” she said, holding up the bag for evidence. “I’m gonna head home.”

  “Right.” Rascal stepped back a little. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have kept you.”

  “No, no, it’s fine,” Wynona assured him, but it didn’t matter. There was no saving this encounter. It was doomed to be weird. “Okay, then...” She started walking toward her scooter. “I’ll...see you later?”

  Rascal’s adorable grin broke out on his face. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.” He gave her a playful glare. “But not in the police station, right?”

  Wynona did her best to smile naturally and held up her free hand. “Nope. Not in the police station.” Unless she figured out what she thought she was going to figure out. Then she’d be in the police station again and Chief Ligurio would not be happy about it.

  “Night,” he called out as she got herself seated.

  Her smile was real this time. “Goodnight.” Her words were soft enough that she worried he wouldn’t hear her, but the way his eyebrows and lips twitched let her know he’d heard and the gentle tone hadn’t been missed either. Strapping on her helmet before her blush could hit her cheeks, she started the scooter and merged into traffic.

  As much as she wanted to go home, the food was getting soggy and Wynona hated that. The shop was much closer than home, so she headed there instead. The shop normally felt warm and familiar, but ever since the murder, Wynona had been struggling to put the eeriness behind her.

  She turned on every light in the front room and studiously ignored the hallway that still boasted bright yellow police tape.

  Wynona had barely set up her dinner before Violet came rushing up her leg, squeaking in indignation.

  “Sorry,” Wynona said with a short laugh. “Did you want to join me?”

  The purple mouse sniffed and gave a curt nod.

  Their interactions were getting more and more human-like, but Wynona couldn’t say she wasn’t amused by it. “Let’s open these up and we’ll get settled.”

  She opened the Styrofoam, breathing in the wonderful scent of tzatziki and red onions. “So good.” Her stomach rumbled in response. Picking out a few pieces of vegetable and chicken, Wynona made a pile of food for Violet and the two of them gorged until they were stuffed like a taxidermied unicorn.

  Wynona patted her stomach. “Done?” she asked Violet.

  Her companion chattered lazily and lay down, closing her eyes.

  “I’m ready for bed, too,” Wynona said. “But first I need to figure
this out.”

  Violet’s ears perked and she raised her head.

  “I think I found something significant tonight,” Wynona said.

  Violet was on her feet in a flash, her nose twitching crazily.

  “Okay...” Wynona pushed aside their dinner. “Here’s what I’ve got.” She folded her hands in front of her and leaned down closer to Violet’s level. “The police have arrested Delila.”

  Violet chattered and shook her head, tiny hands waving wildly through the air.

  “I know, I think she’s innocent too.”

  Violet calmed and sat down, waiting.

  “Rascal said they found Droxon’s black binder in Delila’s home.” Wynona held up a finger. “But it could have been planted.”

  Violet’s ears twitched.

  “So I think that’s circumstantial at best.” Wynona tapped her lips. “Delila lied about her alibi, and I think tonight I figured out where she was.”

  Violet chirped.

  “I found a restaurant receipt with two dinners on it.” Wynona frowned. “Every receipt had two entrees,” she said more quietly. “That means every time she went out, Delila had a companion.” She focused on Violet again. “But who? She said it wasn’t Chef Droxon, and I believe her.”

  Violet turned in a circle, lying down again.

  “And all those bank statements. Something about them was off, and what in the world is KAD?” Wynona slumped in her seat. “Is there a bank named KAD? I’ve never heard of it.”

  Violet’s tail twitched.

  “No...it can’t be a bank. The initials were hand written. If that was the name of the bank, it would have been printed on the statement.” She paused. “Initials...” Wynona’s eyes widened and she scrambled for her phone.

  It only took a few moments to find the number for The Goddess’s Table. The line rang twice while Wynona drummed her fingers against the table.

  “The Goddess’s Table, this is Ivaran speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Hello,” Wynona responded. “My name is Wynona Le Doux.” Now was definitely the time to throw her name around. “I have a friend who dined at your fine establishment a few nights ago and I think she had a man with her.”

  “May I ask what this is about, Ms. Le Doux?” the voice responded cautiously.

  “You see, my friend is being very secretive about her new boyfriend and I’m trying to win a bet by figuring out who it is.” Wynona bit her lip and crossed her fingers. It was too bad she didn’t have a four leaf clover at the moment. Luck was sometimes hard to come by.

  “I see, and how may I help you?”

  “Do you happen to remember a woman by the name of Delila Caseis?”

  There was a pause and Wynona began to grow worried.

  “She’s a siren. Stunning, of course, with long red hair and bright hazel eyes?”

  “Yes, Ms. Le Doux. Ms. Caseis was here just a couple of nights ago.”

  “Oh, good,” Wynona said breathlessly. “Do you happen to know if she had a friend with her? A male friend?”

  There was another pause.

  “Hello, this is Adum Magmis, head manager of The Goddess’s Table. How may I help you, Ms. Le Doux?”

  Wynona held back a groan and settled with rolling her eyes. She explained her fictitious situation all over again, hoping against hope that they would cooperate.

  “I’m not sure I should be giving out names...” the manager said, trailing off indecisively.

  “Perhaps you could just describe him for me?” Wynona pressed, feeling like she was losing her chance. “In fact, I have a guess. Would you be willing to simply confirm if I’m right or not?”

  “I believe that would be alright,” the manager replied.

  “Wonderful!” Wynona gushed. “I knew I could count on you.”

  “Anything for our presidential family,” the man responded.

  This conversation went against everything Wynona believed in, but she was growing desperate. Not to mention, Delila’s freedom was at stake. “Did her companion have long, blond hair, blue eyes and a very regal bearing?” Wynona asked.

  “I believe that would be a very accurate description,” the manager said.

  Wynona’s smile was big enough to split her face. “I knew it!” she whispered loudly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said, that’ll do it,” she scrambled to reply. “Thank you so much for your wonderful help. I’ll be sure to pass on how wonderful you all are.”

  “Any time, Ms Le Doux. We aim to serve.”

  Shutting off her phone, Wynona let out a barking laugh. “That’s it,” she said to Violet. “That’s the clue we’ve been missing.” Her eyes became unfocused as the pieces slowly fell into place. “Now the question is...how to prove it?”

  CHAPTER 22

  “Ms. Le Doux,” Officer Nightshade said with a wide smile. “You’re becoming a regular around here.”

  Wynona smiled in return, but inside, her stomach was clenched. “Hello, Officer. And you’re right. I’ve been around way too much lately. Hopefully life will go back to normal soon.”

  Wynona wasn’t exactly sure what normal was, since she hadn’t quite settled into a real routine before the murder hit, but she was excited for what she assumed her normal life would be, and it would not involve skulking around, trying to solve murders.

  The officer shrugged. “I don’t mind you coming.” She leaned in as if imparting a secret. “I don’t think Deputy Chief Strongclaw does either.”

  That stupid blush. Wynona tried to act as if the words hadn’t made her feel warm all over. He probably was upset at her today anyway, after she brushed him off last night.

  “But to be honest, I don’t think the chief feels the same.”

  There was the splash of cold water Wynona needed to rid her cheeks of her flush. “Oh, I can assure you he does not,” Wynona said with a sage nod. “Funny enough, he’s the one I was coming to see.”

  Officer Nightshade shook her head. “Good luck. He’s in his office and I don’t think he’s had his blood this morning.”

  Wynona gave the front desk officer a tight smile. This was not going to go over well. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” Some of Wynona’s tension eased when the officer preened at the praise. Even a small compliment could go a long way.

  Wynona nodded at a few people and smiled politely as she walked back to the chief’s office. Her eyes flitted to Rascal’s door, but Wynona shook her head. She wasn’t here to see him today, though she wanted his support. What she had to say needed to go through the chief and using Rascal as a buffer would only put him in an awkward position. That was the last thing Wynona wanted to do.

  She knocked on the chief’s door a little more timidly than she would like, but her shaking hands didn’t allow anything stronger.

  “Enter!” that deep voice growled.

  “Here goes nothing,” Wynona muttered as she turned the knob. “Good morning, Chief Ligurio.”

  His face contorted through several emotions, none of which were welcoming. “Ms. Le Doux. Just what do you think you’re doing here?”

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Wynona asked, waiting in the open doorway. “Have you had breakfast yet?” She studied him for a second, that calm feeling coming over her as she assessed his needs and formulated the perfect tea. She tapped her bottom lip while he sputtered in anger. “Passionflower for calm. Feverfew for the headache.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “St. John’s wort to help with the grumpiness and O-positive to help with your hunger.”

  The chief sat with his jaw hanging open, looking a far cry from the slick, predatory vampire he was. “How did you know I have a headache?”

  Wynona walked inside and sat down in the chair across from the desk, crossing her legs the way her mother taught her. There were only a few things she had learned from Marcella Le Doux, but how to be ladylike was one of the more useful ones. “My grandmother, Saffron Le Doux, taught me all about herbs. It’s why I bu
ilt and named the tea shop in her honor.”

  Deep red eyes glared at her. “But how did you know?”

  Wynona shrugged. “Lucky guess, I suppose. Anyone with a job as stressful as yours is bound to have one most days.”

  He huffed and leaned back with his arms folded over his chest. “What do you want, Ms. Le Doux?”

  “Well, first I’d like to make you that tea if you have the ingredients?”

  “An officer will bring my morning coffee in the next few minutes.”

  Wynona tsked her tongue. “Chief Ligurio, I don’t think all that caffeine is going to be helpful.”

  “Caffeine is a headache reliever,” he pointed out.

  “And a caffeine addiction causes one,” Wynona shot back. She relaxed even further when the edge of his mouth twitched. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  Clearing his throat, Chief Ligurio’s scowl slipped back into place. “I’ll ask one more time what you’re doing here before I have you forcibly removed,” he snapped.

  Or not.

  Wynona smiled and sat up straighter. “I want to talk about the case. I think I’ve figured something out.”

  Chief Ligurio groaned and rubbed his aching forehead. “Ms. Le Doux. What is it going to take to get you to leave this alone? We’ve found the culprit, and your name is off the suspect list, unfortunately. Now will you just let this go?”

  “I can’t,” Wynona said firmly. “Because you have the wrong woman.”

  “We found the binder in her apartment!”

  “Have you never experienced a case where someone plants evidence?” Wynona challenged. “How hard would it be to put that in her apartment? Don’t you think that was just a little too convenient?”

  “So you’re saying we should let her go because it was easy to pin it on her?”

  “Chief Ligurio,” Wynona said softly. She leaned forward onto his desk. “Casting Delila as your killer doesn’t make sense. Why would she kill the first man? The thief? She didn’t even know my shop existed and it would have been easier for her to steal the recipes from the workplace than to kill for them clear across town.” Wynona threw her hands in the air. “It just doesn’t make sense! Surely you can see that?”