Her phone rang, and her lips curved into a smile. Maybe all was not lost after all. There was room in the big claw-foot tub for two. When she reached for the phone and saw that it was Janine—not Andy—calling, she could’ve wept. There went not only her romantic evening but her hot bath.
Katie turned off the water, fearing what the conversation might portend. “What’s up, Janine?”
“I . . . ju-just . . . ca-can’t . . . do-do . . . this . . . anymore!” she sobbed.
The young woman had not seemed this rattled when they’d last spoken only hours before, and Katie forced herself to sound upbeat. “Janine? What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Katie, I’m sorry,” Janine wailed. “I used to love working at Afternoon Tea with Francine. That was fun. But now . . . now it’s not! I have to do everything!”
Trying to rein in her sudden ire, Katie counted to ten. Janine did not have to do everything. Granted, she had more responsibility than a waitress—and her paycheck reflected that—but she wasn’t responsible for the entire running of Tealicious. If that were true, Katie wouldn’t be called away from Artisans Alley so much that the vendors had started complaining . . . a lot.
“So, are you telling me you’re stepping down as manager?” Katie asked through clenched teeth. “That you’d prefer to be a server?”
“No. I’m quitting. I appreciate you giving me this opportunity, but I no longer feel that my future is in the food industry. I’m going back to school in the fall—with another major.”
“You won’t even stay on as a waitress until school starts?” Katie asked in disbelief.
“No, thank you. I’ll be leaving at the end of this week.”
Katie’s heart lurched. “Three days? You’re giving me three days’ notice?”
“I’m sorry!” She didn’t sound it.
Katie nearly hung up to avoid having to listen to Janine’s racking sobs. Instead, she steeled herself and said, “Well, I wish you the best, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Th-thank you. Good night.”
Katie ended the call and put down the phone, then strode into the kitchen. She could really use a glass of wine to go along with her bath and wondered if even that wasn’t strong enough.
* * *
—
Katie had just gotten out of the tub and wrapped herself in a white terry robe when a knock came at her door. She looked through the peephole and saw Andy standing there, looking downtrodden. She opened it. “Hello,” she said, her voice somber.
“Hello yourself.”
They looked at each other for a long moment.
“I’m sorry I walked out of the meeting,” Andy said finally, pushed past her, and moved to sit on the sofa. She joined him and he pulled her closer.
“I’m sorry it brought up bad feelings for you.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “I couldn’t help but agree with the vendors, though, that the tattoo parlor would be more successful somewhere near the pier where younger crowds tend to congregate.”
“Angelo’s Pizzeria is crowded with people of all ages most of the time,” he countered.
“That’s because you’re known far and wide for not only making the best pizza in the area but as the cinnamon bun king of Victoria Square, too.” She leaned forward and dropped a light kiss onto his lips.
“What does the Merchants Association plan to do?” he asked, his tone rather flat.
Katie shrugged. “Ray volunteered to talk to the building owner.”
Andy scoffed. “I should’ve known Davenport would throw himself in the middle of the fray.”
Katie couldn’t help but heave a rueful sigh. Andy had long believed that Ray had a crush on Katie. That was the main reason she’d never told him about Ray’s Christmas kiss. It would only confirm Andy’s suspicions and further strain the two men’s tolerance of each other.
“Could we please stop worrying about Merchants Association business and enjoy the rest of our night?” She wasn’t even going to mention the fact that Janine had just up and quit on her. She needed Andy to distract her, not try to help solve her problems.
“I don’t know.” He sported a crooked smile and ran his hands up her back. “I believe I’m going to need a little more convincing.”
She kissed his neck, then pulled back and smiled at him.
“I believe I’m convinced,” he said and grinned.
And then the terrible day improved by more than one hundred percent.
Two
Once again, Katie started the day at Tealicious. The cozy tearoom she’d lovingly redecorated and had spent literally months revamping the menu for was becoming a thorn in her side. Before leaving the house, Katie had printed off flyers announcing MANAGER WANTED and included her cell phone number on them. She placed one of the flyers in the Tealicious front window before heading to the kitchen to prepare more baked goods and salads for what she hoped would be a full lunch crowd, then she made sure everything was in readiness in the tea shop itself. She wanted to make sure standards wouldn’t slide now that Janine had turned in her notice.
Katie looked around at the pretty little tea shop she’d bought with the help of her former mother-in-law. The busy wallpaper that had adorned Afternoon Tea had been stripped so the walls could be painted a pale rose. A border stenciled at chair-rail height incorporated pink and blue forget-me-nots and greenery. The tables were white wrought iron, and clear vases filled with pink carnations and baby’s breath adorned each one. Matching bouquets of mixed, fresh flowers had been placed at each end of the main display case, too.
At last, Katie climbed the stairs to the second-floor office, gathered some paperwork, and placed it in her briefcase. Yes, she carried a briefcase now. She was a true entrepreneur.
Once back downstairs, she entered the kitchen to check the stock of teas. She was getting low on chai and kava. She made a note of it on her phone.
She raised her head when the door opened and in slumped Janine. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked as if she’d barely brushed her hair. Katie ground her teeth together, wondering if there was a way to nicely tell Janine to straighten up and pull herself together. The customers shouldn’t see Tealicious’s manager looking like that!
“Good morning,” Katie said, pasting on a saccharine smile. “Why don’t you go on into the ladies’ room and fix up a bit before the rest of the staff and the customers start arriving? I’m getting everything ready out here.”
“Y-you aren’t m-mad at me?”
“Of course not.” And, to her surprise, she realized she really wasn’t. What good would it do to be angry with Janine? The girl had made her decision. Now it was up to Katie to find a replacement—someone who would, hopefully, be a much better fit for Tealicious—as soon as possible.
“Thanks,” Janine said softly. “I’ll work as hard as I can . . . you know, for the rest of the week.”
For three whole days, Katie thought. “I appreciate that.”
Once everything was up and running and Katie was satisfied that Janine wouldn’t have a nervous breakdown—at least, not within the next few minutes—she hurried across the Square to Sassy Sally’s.
Sassy Sally’s Bed and Breakfast was located in a three-story Victorian home originally known as the Webster Mansion. Katie had once dreamed of buying the home with her husband, Chad, and turning it into an upscale bed-and-breakfast called the English Ivy Inn. Unfortunately, Chad invested their savings in Artisans Alley instead, and after his death, Katie was saddled with running the artisans’ co-op rather than her heart’s desire of a bed-and-breakfast.
That was all water under the bridge now. She’d come to love Artisans Alley, and she felt as if she’d reclaimed some of her former dream when she’d taken over the tea shop. And the fact was she adored Nick and Don, the couple who’d renovated the mansion and turned it into a spectacular inn.
She strode up to the kitchen door and knocked lightly. Nick, his sandy hair still damp from a recent shower, opened it.
“Hey, Katie, what’s going on?”
“I need to ask you and Don for some help . . . if you can give it.”
“We’ll certainly try.” He stood to the side. “Come on in. Had your coffee yet?”
“No, and I’d love a cup.”
“Coming right up.”
Don sat at the island with a steaming mug of joe and the New York Times crossword. “Hi, Katie.”
“Good morning, Don.” She joined him at the island.
Nick placed a cup of coffee in front of her along with a small pitcher of cream.
“Thanks.” Katie dumped the cream in the coffee and stirred. “Do either of you know of someone who might be interested in the manager position at Tealicious?”
Don wrinkled his nose. “Janine not working out?”
“No. She called me last night sobbing and said she’d work out the rest of the week but that she no longer thinks a career in food service is right for her.”
“Wow, that’s a bit extreme.”
“Yeah,” Nick said. “Thanks for the notice, kid.”
“I know, right?”
The bell at the reception desk rang, and Don hopped up off his stool. “I’ll take care of that.”
Katie sipped her coffee as Nick looked thoughtful. “I think I might know someone,” he said at last.
“Really?” She brightened.
“I might. I’ll give him a call, and then either he or I will give you a call later today.”
“Nick, you’re the best!”
“I know . . . but, still, don’t get your hopes up just yet.”
“Can you tell me more about him?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
“But he’s had restaurant—or hospitality—experience?”
Nick nodded. “Oh yeah.”
“And why do you think he’d be a good fit?”
“Because he graduated at the top of his class at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park and also earned a Diplôme de Pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu in London.”
Katie’s jaw dropped. “Then there’s no way in the world he’d be willing to work in my little tea shop. Talk about hiding your light under a basket.”
“Just let me talk to him. The last time we spoke, he was bemoaning the fact that life in Manhattan was simply too stressful for him.”
“Manhattan?” Katie shook her head.
“The worst he can say is no, right?” Nick asked. “And, hey, he might say yes. Let me call him.”
She raised her palms. “Be my guest.”
* * *
—
As soon as Katie entered Artisans Alley, Liz Meier, the stained-glass artist, practically collided with her and said, “Don’t you think it’s sweltering in here?”
Liz was working the main cash desk. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead glistened with perspiration.
“It does feel a bit warm,” Katie admitted.
“A bit warm? I heard that a caravan of camels is headed this way because this place is hotter than the Sahara.”
Katie laughed. “Have you spoken with Vance about adjusting the thermostat?”
“Yes . . . and more than once. I first spoke with him on Tuesday, and I mentioned it again yesterday. He’s apparently choosing to ignore me.”
“I’ll speak to him about it.”
“Thanks,” Liz called. “I wouldn’t want to collapse from dehydration.”
Katie headed toward the back of the building and her office, hoping it wasn’t quite as hot in there. She had a fan in her office, and she turned it on as she entered. The heat wasn’t unbearable to her but she could understand why Liz was unhappy.
A tap on her door caused Katie to look up to see her favorite vendor, Rose Nash.
“Good morning. I was doing my initial security walk and thought I’d stop in to say hello.” Rose made a point of standing in front of the fan, her arms raised so that the circulating air reached under the sleeves of her colorful summer dress.
“Have a lot of vendors been complaining about the heat?”
“Vendors and customers, too,” Rose answered ruefully.
Katie sighed. “If you see Vance, will you send him to see me, please? No rush—I’m still putting out yesterday’s fires.”
“Are you talking about the tattoo parlor guy?”
“You heard?” Katie asked.
“Pretty much everything that goes on in the Square is common knowledge.”
That was for sure.
“I wish that was my only problem.” Katie explained to Rose that Janine had quit the evening before and planned to work through Saturday—period.
“Wow. Nothing like giving you plenty of notice to find someone else.” Rose shook her head. “Young people: What’re you going to do?”
“Nick Ferrell said he might know someone, and I put a flyer in the window at Tealicious. I’m putting one on the bulletin board in the vendors’ lounge and hopefully at a few other spots around town. I thought I’d log on to a couple of online job sites and post the notice there, too.”
“If I can think of anyone who might be qualified and is looking for a job, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, Rose.”
“I’d better get back to work. I’m power walking on my security circuits.”
Katie frowned. Rose usually worked the main cash desk while Liz walked security. Why had they changed tasks?
After Rose left, Katie took a peppermint from the jar on her desk, unwrapped it, popped it in her mouth, and immediately bit it in half. She glanced around her shabby little office—the one at Tealicious was bigger and much more luxurious, but she was used to hanging out here. Plus, the vendors would really think she’d deserted them if she started working from that much more comfortable space. In addition to her desk, she had a file cabinet and one chair that squeaked when she leaned back. One thing she could say about the office—it wasn’t conducive to staying holed up in it working all day. It encouraged her to get out and walk around Artisans Alley to see what was going on.
She logged on to her computer and pulled up the first job site on her list. As she stared at the blinking cursor and tried to compose a persuasive ad for a tea shop manager, there came another tap on her door.
Katie called “Come in,” and looked up, expecting to see Vance. Instead, Ray Davenport stood in her doorway sporting a swollen eye that was rapidly turning black. For one insane instant, Katie wondered if Andy had punched Ray.
She stood. “Get in here and sit down. What happened?”
“Stop coddling me, woman. The creep got in a lucky shot, that’s all.”
“What creep? Can I get you some ice?”
He raised his bushy graying brows, and Katie sat back down.
“Suit yourself,” she said. “Is this a case of you should see the other guy?”
Ray blew out a breath. “No. I was trying to handle the subject of the building sale diplomatically. I saw Harper Jones’s pickup truck across the Square and went over to talk to him.”
“Wait, I thought Harper Jones was pretty old.”
“He is.”
“Wow . . . and he can still pack a punch?”
“Harper didn’t do this. His brother-in-law, Ken, did. He was there making repairs to the building.” He rubbed his forehead. “I asked Ken if Harper would be willing to rescind his offer to Paul Fenton and consider an offer on the building extended by the Victoria Square Merchants Association.”
“That does sound diplomatic.”
“I thought so,” Ray said. “But it turns out that Paul Fenton happens to be Ken’s younger brother, and he doesn’t appreciate the way Paul is being treated by the association. Ken said that sending a represe
ntative to buy the building out from under Paul seemed pretty low in his opinion.”
“So, you basically went over there and fell into the family viper nest. I thought you knew Harper Jones. How did you not know he was related by marriage to Paul Fenton?”
“For one thing, I believe I told you I was acquainted with Harper. I didn’t say I knew every member of his family. Heck, I didn’t even know the man had a wife until her brother socked me in the face.”
“I’m sorry,” Katie said. “Again, I’ll be glad to get you some ice from the vendors’ lounge.”
“I’m all right. But, now that we know that Harper and the Fentons are all related, they’re not going to budge on selling the building.”
“Maybe I can go smooth things over with Ken.”
“Good luck. If, after that meeting, you need some ice for your black eye, come on over to Wood U, and I’ll see what I can do.”
After a quick rap on the door, Vance poked his head inside. “Hey, Katie, Rose said you were looking for me.” He glanced at Ray. “But if you did that to Ray, I’ll come back later.”
“Very funny, Ingram.”
“Seriously, Ray, what happened?”
“I found out that there’s not a chance the Merchants Association will be invited to put an offer in on the building set aside for Paul Fenton’s tattoo parlor.”
“Did Paul do that? What happened?” Apparently, Vance was also included in all the Square gossip.
Ray gave Vance an abbreviated account of his visit to Harper Jones’s building. “And Katie thinks she might be able to go over there and smooth things over with Ken.”
“No offense, Katie, but the man is obviously a loose cannon,” Vance said. “You can’t go over there by yourself.”
“I can, and I will. I think he might be more amenable to a woman.” She shrugged. “Maybe he thought Ray was trying to threaten him.”
“Oh, yeah . . . I was threatening him.” Ray stood. “If you’ll both excuse me, I need to get back to work.”
Murder Ink Page 2