by Jinty James
“Wow,” Zoe murmured.
“At least Cindy won’t have to worry about that creep anymore.” He looked at them in satisfaction. “She’s a real sweet girl and my best employee. I’m just sorry she didn’t feel she could tell me about the incident yesterday.”
“I don’t think she wanted to upset you,” Lauren said gently.
“Knowing what that jerk wanted in exchange for writing a good review is what upsets me.” He screwed up his face in disgust. “I just hope this situation never happens again. I’m going to tell all my employees if a customer or critic ever hassles them, to come directly to me and I’ll take care of it.”
“I bet they’ll be glad you’ve got their back,” Zoe said.
“Definitely.” But was there a little too much zeal in Gary’s voice? Lauren remembered what Cindy had told them yesterday – that his restaurant was his baby.
Gary ordered a latte to go and waved goodbye to them as they left.
“Wow,” Zoe murmured after checking no one was likely to overhear them. “Maybe Todd is lucky someone else killed him. Because Gary looked like—”
“I know,” Lauren broke in, keeping her voice down. “But we don’t know exactly who killed Todd, do we?”
Zoe was silent for a second, then her expression reflected shock. “You don’t mean that Gary killed—”
“I didn’t say that,” Lauren said hastily.
“What did you mean?” Mitch asked.
Lauren had been so engrossed in her conversation with Zoe that she hadn’t noticed his presence – which might have been a first.
Surprised, she took a step back, accidentally stepping on Zoe’s foot.
“Ouch!” Zoe muttered, hopping on one leg.
“Sorry,” Lauren apologized.
“What did you mean, Lauren?” Mitch repeated, his gaze zeroing in on her.
“Just what I said,” Lauren replied, refusing to feel flustered. “We don’t know who killed Todd.”
“Do you?” Zoe challenged him.
“Not yet,” he admitted tightly. “But it looks like the brass lamp was the murder weapon. We’re sending it off for analysis.”
“Would you like a coffee, detective?” Zoe gestured to the espresso machine. “Or one of Ed’s pastries? There are a few left. And look!” She peered at the glass counter. “Lauren made vanilla cupcakes today.”
“Zoe!” Lauren hissed. A few weeks ago she’d learned that Mitch enjoyed her cupcakes, especially vanilla.
“I’m afraid I’ve got some more questions for Lauren.” Mitch glanced over to the empty cat bed. “Where’s Annie?”
“Relaxing,” Zoe said quickly.
“I thought she might need some time to herself after this – this morning,” Lauren told him.
“I see,” he replied.
But did he? Mitch had told her when she’d first met him that he didn’t have much experience with cats.
“Why are you here?” Lauren blurted out, her face flaming as she realized what she’d said.
“I’ve got some follow up questions for you.” He whipped out his notebook.
Lauren was suddenly conscious of interested glances from her customers.
“We could go outside in the garden,” she suggested.
“Great idea!” Zoe grinned at both of them. “I can hold the fort here, no problem.”
“I didn’t know you had a garden.” Mitch frowned.
“It’s a small backyard,” Lauren told him. “We can access it via the kitchen.”
“Lead the way.”
Lauren ducked into the kitchen, aware of him following her. What was it about the man that made her feel so self-conscious? There was no sign of Ed making a last batch of pastries, so he must be on his lunchbreak.
She pushed open the side door and gestured to a small garden. A white picket fence marked the boundary between the café and her cottage. An herb garden to the left contained basil, rosemary, and sage, while a shaggy green lawn dominated the rest of the garden.
“We can talk here,” Lauren said breathlessly.
“Okay.” He flipped through his notebook, then looked at the grass. “Your lawn needs cutting.”
“I know.” Lauren felt guilty she hadn’t gotten around to doing it. “Zoe and I have been busy with the café.” Which was true. The back lawn behind her cottage was almost as bad. “Maybe I can find some time this weekend to take care of it.”
“You look after the lawn yourself?” He seemed surprised.
“Yes. There’s a lawnmower in the shed.” She gestured toward her cottage. “But I’m afraid I don’t find yardwork very interesting, although I admire the results afterward.”
He nodded, as if he understood. Clearing his throat, he flipped through his notebook.
“Paul, the owner of the motel, said you told him this morning that you had something for Todd Fane.”
“That’s right. Ed’s pastries.”
“Nothing else?” He looked at her searchingly.
“No.” She furrowed her brow. “I was holding Annie’s lead with one hand and the pastries in my other.”
Mitch made a notation. “And he said that you didn’t tell him that Todd was dead.”
“That’s right. I was going to, but after I called 911, Brandon and I stood outside the room and spoke for a minute. Then the paramedics arrived, and you ...” she trailed off.
“What did you and Brandon talk about?” He looked at her keenly, his dark brown eyes intense.
“We introduced ourselves. He came into the café yesterday with Todd, but I had no idea who he actually was. That was when he told me he was Todd’s intern.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“I don’t think so.” Lauren closed her eyes. Maybe it would help her to mentally go over the conversation with Brandon, and it would also shield her from Mitch’s assessing gaze. Even with her eyes shut she was aware of the detective’s presence.
“No.” She slowly opened her eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“That’s all I need for now.” He tucked his notebook away.
For some reason she felt disappointed. Why wasn’t she glad he didn’t have any more questions for her?
She headed toward the kitchen door.
He cleared his throat. “Maybe I could get a coffee to go.”
“Of course.” She turned back to face him, and smiled.
CHAPTER 4
Lauren and Zoe didn’t have a chance to talk until after lunch.
“So what did Mitch want?” Zoe asked when they were both at the counter.
“Not much.” Lauren tried to keep her tone casual. “Just if I’d brought anything else for Todd apart from the pastries.”
“What a weird question.” Zoe scrunched up her nose. “It’s not as if you had a brass lamp tucked away in your purse and you hit him over the head with it.”
“I know.” Lauren furrowed her brow. She hadn’t had time to think about Mitch’s extra questions until now. Had Paul, the motel owner, said something about her to Mitch? But what? Surely he would have seen her clearly through the open office window.
And why on earth would Paul even think she had anything to do with Todd’s death? Todd hadn’t given the café a bad review, and hadn’t asked anything of her or Zoe in exchange for a good critique. Not like he’d asked Cindy ...
“We’ll have to talk about this later,” Zoe said as a couple of customers came to the counter, ready to pay.
Lauren nodded, already giving change to the first person in line.
Half an hour later, an elderly lady shuffled through the front door, her cane tapping along the wooden floorboards.
“Mrs. Finch!” Lauren hurried to greet her. “Zoe and I were going to check on you after work today if you hadn’t dropped by.”
“I’m fine, Lauren.” Mrs. Finch’s wrinkled face wreathed into a smile, highlighting a spot of orange rouge on each cheek. Her pink lipstick was a little smudged, and her gray hair was twisted in a slightly untidy bun, but otherwise
she looked well.
“Let me show you to a table.” Lauren walked slowly, not wanting to rush her.
“Where’s Annie?” Mrs. Finch inquired.
“She’s having a rest today,” Lauren replied. “I’ll tell you about it in a minute.”
Lauren scanned the room, her gaze alighting on a small table that wasn’t too far from the entrance. Perfect. She thought Annie would have chosen the same table.
She waited until Mrs. Finch was seated, then sank down into the chair opposite.
“Annie is alright, isn’t she?” Mrs. Finch asked anxiously.
“She’s fine,” Lauren replied. “But she – we – had a disturbing morning.” She quickly told Mrs. Finch about their trip to the motel and what they had discovered. Mitch hadn’t warned her not to tell anyone. And she wanted to put the senior’s mind at rest about Annie.
“Oh, my.” Mrs. Finch put a trembling hand to her mouth. “That’s terrible, Lauren.”
“Yes, it is,” Lauren replied soberly. She hadn’t told Mrs. Finch about Cindy’s experience with the food critic, though.
“How are you holding up, dear?” Mrs. Finch asked.
“I’ll be okay.” Lauren gave her a reassuring smile. She didn’t want the elderly lady to worry. “I gave Annie lunch when we got back from the motel, and gave her the rest of the day off to just relax and play with her toys.”
“You will give her a pat from me, won’t you?”
“Of course. And we’ll be coming to your house on Friday night for knitting club. Annie too.”
“That will be lovely.” Mrs. Finch smiled.
Lauren took the senior’s order for a pot of tea and a vanilla cupcake – one of the last cakes left in the glass counter.
“I’m glad Mrs. Finch is here,” Zoe murmured as she looked up from the cappuccino she was making.
“I know.” Lauren plated the cupcake and grabbed a small white teapot. “I worry when she doesn’t come in.”
One of their most regular customers, Mrs. Finch enjoyed chatting with Lauren and Zoe, but Lauren thought Annie was the big drawcard. The feline usually sat with her the whole time she was in the café.
“I told her we’re on for knitting club this week,” Lauren informed her cousin.
“Good.” Zoe wiped the milk wand with a damp cloth. “But I think I’m tired of knitting.”
“What?” Lauren spilled a little of the loose-leaf tea. “You knitted Annie two blankets.”
“I know.” Zoe nodded as she sprinkled chocolate powder on top of the cappuccino. “And the second blanket looked pretty awesome. That’s the problem. Now I’ve mastered garter stitch, I’ve gotten a bit bored with it.”
“But there are so many other stitches to learn,” Lauren argued. She still struggled with knitting her scarf in garter – at this rate, it wouldn’t be ready until winter next year, but she was determined to finish it.
“True.” Zoe picked up the tray with the steaming beverage. “But I was thinking ... maybe I should try crochet instead.”
“Crochet?” Lauren mouthed after her cousin. Zoe threaded her way through the tables to a sophisticated woman studying a laptop screen.
Lauren took Mrs. Finch’s order over to her.
“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Finch smiled at her. “I do so love your tea, Lauren. Somehow it tastes better than when I make it at home.”
“Thanks.” Lauren smiled. “How’s your coffee machine?” A few weeks ago, Mrs. Finch had begun using a pod machine.
“I think I need some more capsules.” She frowned. “I looked in the grocery store but I wasn’t sure which ones to buy. There were so many to choose from.”
“I’m sure Zoe and I can help you.” Zoe had bought the first box of pods for Mrs. Finch, and she and Lauren had set up the machine for the elderly lady.
“That would be wonderful.” Mrs. Finch picked up her teacup with a wobbly hand. “Perhaps you could write me a list of which ones I should get when you come over for knitting club.”
“Will do,” Lauren promised with a smile.
When she returned to the counter, Zoe was already there.
“What did Mrs. Finch say?” she asked.
“She needs some more coffee capsules.”
“We can buy her some on the way to knitting club,” Zoe said.
“Good idea. And you can tell her all about your crochet plans.” Lauren paused. “Do you know what you want to make?”
“I’ll think I’ll make a scarf.” Zoe giggled. “Not like yours, though. I saw this amazing looking yarn in the handmade shop the other day. It’s multi-colored. And there was a ball that had pink, orange, jade, and turquoise colors. I can just imagine wearing a scarf like that when it’s cold!”
Lauren could already see her cousin wrapped up in one like that. Now her work-in-progress red scarf sounded dull in comparison.
“So, are you going to start it tomorrow?”
“Yep. Maybe Mrs. Finch knows how to crochet as well as knit! Otherwise I can watch some videos online – and find a pattern, of course.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lauren smiled. Her cousin had held a variety of temp jobs over the years, until she’d joined Lauren in Gold Leaf Valley. Maybe exploring hobbies was now Zoe’s way of trying new things.
Lauren and Zoe kept an eye on Mrs. Finch, Lauren hurrying over with the bill when it looked like she had finished. She didn’t want to burden Mrs. Finch with expecting her to walk over to the counter to pay.
“I can take your payment,” Lauren said.
“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Finch pressed some money into her hand.
“Zoe said we’ll bring some coffee pods over to you Friday night.”
“You two do look after me.” Mrs. Finch patted Lauren’s hand. “And Annie, of course.”
“You two can catch up at knitting club.”
“We definitely will,” Mrs. Finch said in all seriousness.
Lauren escorted her to the door. Mrs. Finch waved away her offer of walking her home.
“I’ll be fine, Lauren. I only live around the block.”
Lauren and Zoe watched her walk along the street, until she was out of sight.
“She seems okay,” Zoe remarked.
“Yes.” Lauren gave a relieved smile. “I just hope I’m as independent at that age.”
“Me, too.” Zoe nodded.
The rest of the afternoon rushed by, giving Lauren no time at all to think about what had occurred that morning. Which was probably for the best.
CHAPTER 5
The following day, they had just opened when the mother from yesterday arrived, pushing her blonde toddler in the stroller.
“Hi!” Lauren greeted her.
“Brrt!” Annie trotted over to the Please Wait to be Seated sign.
“Cat!” The little girl waved her hands and feet in the air. One chubby hand clutched a small brown teddy bear.
“Molly wouldn’t stop talking about you two.” She pushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face. “The first thing she said this morning was ‘cat’.”
“Annie will choose a table for you.” Lauren gestured to the feline.
“Really?” The thirty-something mother’s face lit up. “That’s certainly something different.”
“Brrt!” Annie agreed. She led them to a four-seater table in a secluded corner.
“Maybe I should go over and take their order,” Lauren murmured to Zoe.
“Good idea. They’re our only customers, but she mightn’t want to leave her little girl on her own, even if Annie’s there.” Zoe gave an amused glance at the trio. Annie had jumped up on one of the chairs and was staring at the toddler in fascination.
Lauren and Zoe both ended up going over.
“What can we get you?” Lauren asked with a smile. “I’m Lauren, and this is my cousin Zoe.”
“I’m Claire,” the mother replied.
“Cino! Cino!” the toddler chanted.
“Our babycinos are awesome,” Zoe told the little girl. “T
hey have chocolate sprinkles on them and come with a marshmallow.”
“Yeah!” Molly beamed, hugging her teddy bear.
“I’d love a double shot latte.” Claire pointed to the laminated menu. “What sort of pastries and cakes do you have? I can go over and take a look.” She began to rise.
“Our cakes and pastries are made fresh every day,” Zoe replied. “Today, Ed is making apricot Danish.”
“And I’ve baked lemon poppy seed cupcakes, cinnamon coffee cake, and my new triple chocolate cupcakes,” Lauren added.
“Triple chocolate ...” Claire’s voice trailed off as a dreamy look crossed her face.
“I use a chocolate cake batter, then add Belgian dark chocolate chips as well as white ones. Each cupcake has a generous swirl of dark chocolate ganache on top,” Lauren informed her.
“I have got to try that,” Claire murmured.
“Choccy, choccy,” the toddler sang.
“You can have a little bit of mine,” Claire told her daughter.
“Won’t be long,” Lauren promised. She hesitated. Annie had been quiet during the exchange. “Are you okay with Annie sitting with you?” She gestured to the silver-gray tabby. So far, they didn’t have many small children as customers.
“Mind?” Claire grinned. “She’s the main reason we came.”
“Awesome.” Zoe beamed.
“Cat, cat.” The toddler held her hand out to Annie.
Annie sniffed it, then bunted the girl’s palm.
“I think Annie would like it if your daughter patted her,” Lauren said.
“Gently, darling,” Claire told the toddler. “Fairy pats.”
Molly nodded, giving Annie feather light strokes on her shoulder.
“Brrt,” Annie chirped.
“That means she likes it,” Zoe told them.
“This place is just wonderful.” Claire gazed around at the pale lemon walls, and the pine tables and chairs. “I can’t believe I haven’t been here before.”
“We’ve only been open for a few months as a cat café,” Lauren told her. “Before that, my grandmother ran it as a regular café.”
“We’ve just moved here a couple of months ago from L.A. We wanted to get out of the city and live somewhere quieter,” Claire remarked.