by Tonya Kappes
I gulped.
“What? You regret putting your nose into it? Don’t.” She winked. “We all have a way to die, and I believe this is your way. Just like Ryan. He was so stupid. I told him exactly where Alvin Deters kept all the stuff we needed, down to the freeze-dried food. But Ryan had to have donuts.” She laughed. “He was so eager to get his hands on the money after I told him about the robbery. I had no idea Jay was going to tease him, but it played perfect.”
“You killed him?” I asked.
“Jay? Ryan? Yes. Both.” She moved to the right when Rosa took a step back. “Easy girl.” She patted her with the free hand. “Ryan and I had come to town. I had him do all the dirty work like breaking in the shop while I found our perfect camping spot near Dottie so I could get that gun. I’d already heard about the hoedown, so I had Ryan break in and get it.”
“Did Dottie know about the money?” I asked.
“Not that I’d stolen it, but like she said, I made her believe all these years that Jay had dropped hints.” She waved the gun. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I guess I just want to tell someone how genius I am, and since you aren’t going any further than this…” she paused, “I figure you can take it to your grave. As for Jay. He didn’t know I was back in town. It was going to be fine. I was going to get the gun from Ryan. Jay was going to the hoedown. The stupid storm.” She shook her head. “I should’ve remembered Rosa was scared of thunder and knew he’d come back in here to check on her. That’s when he found me.”
Paulette continued to tell her story as my mind tried to think of a million ways to get out of the stall.
“We had an argument. I had the gun and ran out of the stable, knowing he’d run after me.” She took her eyes off me for a second, and when I started to shift, she jabbed the gun back out in front of her. “It was pouring down rain. I’d forgotten about that stupid electric fence. I stopped, and he laughed at me. That’s when I pulled the gun out, and suddenly we changed positions. He was standing next to the fence. He was scared. In that instance, I knew he had no control over me, and I was free to get my money, leave town for good.” Her eyes narrowed. “He took a step toward me, and I shot him. He wasn’t dead but close.”
“How did he get between the electric fence wires?” I just had to know.
She smiled. “Ryan. He was in the stable. He’d brought me the gun, and that’s where we were meeting. He picked up Jay’s upper half, and I picked up his feet. We tossed him in the fence.” She shuddered like she had a memory of it.
“Why kill Ryan?” I understood about Jay.
“He had come to the stable to look for the money the day before. I didn’t exactly tell him where it was since I didn’t know if he would try to come without me. I was right. It was perfect, though.” An evil grin slipped across her lips. “Jay caught him, immediately making him a suspect. I never figured Ryan would leave our little camp and go around asking questions.” Her face stilled and grew serious. “That’s when I knew I had to go back to camp after you recognized him, and well, you know how that ended.”
Rosa took another step back, rearing up on her back legs, making Paulette stumble enough for me to dart out of the stall.
“Get back here, or I’ll shoot!” Paulette screamed at my back when I took off running down the middle aisle toward the door.
“No, you won’t!” There was another scream, a thud, and another yell that made me stop and turn around.
Dottie Swaggert was standing with a cigarette dangling between her fingers and a shovel in the other hand with a knocked-out Paulette Russel on the ground.
“She ain’t gonna hurt no one anymore.” Dottie put her cigarette in the corner of her mouth and stared at me. She put the shovel down and reached around to her back pocket.
“Dottie, please don’t.” I put my hands out, thinking she was going to pull a gun on me. “Don’t kill me.”
“Huh? Kill you?” Her lip curled. She took out her cell phone.
“Yeah. You knew about the money.” I gulped. My insides were shaking like a leaf. “Did you come here to help her get the money?”
“I didn’t know if Jay stole the money or not.” She didn’t know. “I was coming to check on you. You being scared of horses and all.”
“You didn’t know that Paulette had been the bank robber this whole time and hid the money in Rosa’s stable?” I was stunned.
“I had no idea.” She swiped her finger on her phone screen and brought it up to her ear. “Hank, it’s Dottie Swaggert. You gonna need to come down to the Old Train Station stables and pick up Paulette Russel for killing Jay Russel and Ryan Dunn. She’s also the bank robber.”
I leaned my back against one of the stall doors and slid to the ground. I buried my head in my hands and cried as relief poured out of me.
“I’ll explain when you get here.” I heard her tell Hank before she hung up. “Mae, you gonna be alright?”
“Yes.” I looked up and smiled. “I’m going to be just fine as long as I’ve got you by my side.”
“Don’t you worry. Hank will be right here.” She looked down at Paulette who was still knocked out. “He’ll haul her sorry you-know-what off to jail, and we can get back to our lunch.”
Dottie Swaggert and I were the unlikeliest of best friends. No matter what happened to my real blood family, I have come to know that family wasn’t always blood related, and Dottie Swaggert was my real sister.
RECIPES AND CLEANING HACKS FROM MAE WEST AND THE WOMEN OF
NORMAL, KENTUCKY and HAPPY TRAILS CAMPGROUND
Campfire Baked Apple Dessert
Ingredients
Apples
Oatmeal cookies
Granola
Granola bars
Cinnamon
Sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the core out of an apple through the stem end, leaving the base intact.
2. Fill the cavity with granola or crumbled oatmeal cookies or granola bars.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and wrap well in two layers of foil.
4. Tuck into the embers and turn occasionally for about 10 minutes; when the package is cool enough to handle, unwrap and eat – preferably warm, with ice cream.
Campfire Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Can of cinnamon Rolls
Stick
Campfire
Directions
1. Twist the dough around the top of your stick.
2. Pinch the ends to prevent the cinnamon treat from falling off the stick during roasting.
3. Roast over a fire, just like you would a marshmallow. Hot coals are best---not a flaming fire. You'll have to be patient, because they don't cook up as fast as a marshmallow. So, keep watching it until the outside is golden & the inside is cooked.
4. When it's done & looking' tasty, slide the cinnamon roll off the stick.
5. Cover with the frosting.
Enjoy
Coconut Curry Soup
INGREDIENTS
30 grams coconut cream powder (1/2 a packet)
1-2 cubes vegetable bouillon
1 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch of cayenne
A handful of rice noodles
A handful of dehydrated veggies
2 cups water
Directions
1. At home, combine coconut cream powder, bouillon, curry powder and cayenne in a small zip top bag.
2. In another bag, portion out your noodles and dehydrated veggies.
3. At camp, boil the noodles and dehydrated veggies in the water.
4. Once the veggies are re-hydrated and the noodles are tender, stir in the coconut cream mixture.
RV Essential Checklist
Outdoor Camping
Tent
Sleeping bags
Camping chair
Picnic blanket
Beach towel
Hammock
Cooler
Flashlight/headlamps
Citronella candles
>
Insect repellent
Firewood
Compass
Water bottles
First Aid
Vitamins
Prescriptions
Pain Relievers
Antacid
Imodium
Allergy medication
Antibiotic ointment
Hydrogen Peroxide
Band-Aids
Gauze
Scissors
Thermometer
Hobbies & Entertainment
Fishing gear
Hiking gear
Bicycles/ helmets
Binoculars
Camera
Board games & puzzles
Playing cards
Frisbee
Clothing Items
Bathing suit
Hats
Rain jacket
Umbrella
Sunglasses
Hiking boots
Read on for a sneak peek at the Tonya Kappes’s
Bestselling Killer Coffee Mystery Series
SCENE OF THE GRIND
Now available!
Welcome to Honey Springs, Kentucky where the gossip is as hot as the
coffee is served at the Bean Hive Coffee Shop!
One
Drip, drip, drip.
There is something about coffee that brings people together. And they don’t even have to like coffee. Is it the smell? Is it the comforting sound of the drip? I don’t know. All I did know was that my new coffee shop in the touristy lake town of Honey Springs, Kentucky, The Bean Hive, was opened for business.
“Seven a.m.,” I muttered after I’d glanced up at the clock and drew my eyes back out the front doors of the coffeehouse located in the best spot on the boardwalk that ran along Lake Honey Springs.
The boardwalk held fond memories for me since I used to spend my summers here with my Aunt Maxine. Maxi for short. For the past year my life was stalled in a little bit of what I’d call a fork in the road, so after hearing Aunt Maxi talk about all the revitalization of the boardwalk and not really knowing what to do, it sounded like a splendid idea to open a shop. At the time.
The annual Honey Festival was in a couple of days and all the vendors and the new shops on the boardwalk were holding a grand opening. I’d already had the coffeehouse ready to open since when I moved to Honey Springs a few weeks ago, I made it a point to no longer sit around resting on my laurels, so I opened the shop a few days early. Which might not’ve been the best business plan since my only customers had been a few stragglers here and there. Mainly construction workers who were working day and night to get the shops ready for the big festival.
The Bean Hive was located in the middle of the boardwalk, right across from the pier. It was a perfect spot and I was beyond thrilled with the exposed brick walls and wooden ceiling beams that I didn’t have to touch. Luckily, Aunt Maxi owned the place. The rent was a little steep, but I’d watched a few DIY videos on YouTube to figure out how to make the necessary repairs for inspection. I couldn’t be more pleased with the shiplap wall I’d created myself out of plywood painted white to make it look like real shiplap.
Instead of investing in a fancy menu or even menu boards that attached to the wall, I’d bought four large chalkboards that hung down from the ceiling over the L-shaped glass countertop.
The first chalkboard menu hung over the pie counter and listed the pies and cookies with their prices. The second menu hung over the tortes and quiches. The third menu before the L-shaped counter curved listed the breakfast casseroles and drinks. Over top the other counter the chalkboard listed lunch options, including soups, and catering information.
On each side of the counter was a drink stand. One was a coffee bar with six industrial thermoses with different blends of my specialty coffees as well as one filled with a decaffeinated blend, even though I clearly never understood the concept of that. But Aunt Maxi made sure I understood some people only drink the unleaded stuff. The coffee bar had everything you needed to take a coffee with you. Even an honor system where you could pay and go.
The drink bar on the opposite end of the counter was a tea bar. Hot tea, cold tea. There was a nice selection of gourmet teas and loose leaf teas along with cold teas. I’d even gotten a few antique tea pots from Wild and Whimsy Antique shop, which happened to be the first shop on the boardwalk. If a customer came in and wanted a pot of hot tea, I could fix it for them or they could fix their own to their taste.
A few café tables dotted the inside along with two long window tables with stools butted up to them on each side of the front door. It was a perfect spot to sit, enjoy the beautiful Lake Honey Springs and sip on your favorite beverage.
Which just so happened to be where I was sitting this morning enjoying the view until I realized I’d been here since four a.m. to get the casseroles made and coffees brewed before the opening time of seven a.m. and no one was here.
“You did open a little early,” I said to make myself feel better and hooked my finger in the mug of freshly brewed coffee.
Curling both hands around the mug, I leaned my hip up against the counter and took a sip. Even if no one showed up today, it was better than where I was a year ago. My chin lifted as the first rays of sunshine popped through the large front windows. I closed my eyes and let the breaking of the dawn fill my soul.
It was spring in Kentucky and the leaves were starting to get their deep green color back, filling in the tree line along the lake. A few fishing boats had trolled by since it was a no wake zone. Good fishing started around five a.m. around here and they were usually back by seven. At the far end of the pier was a marina with boat slips and a really neat little restaurant, The Watershed. It was probably the fanciest restaurant in Honey Springs.
With my mug in my hands, I decided to get a whiff of the fresh air.
The bell dinged over the front door when I opened it. Cool air swept in reminding me that spring in Kentucky was cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. Dressing was always a problem, but with the few uniform pieces I’d picked to go with my black pants and sensible shoes I’d handle the change easily. Besides, the black apron with The Bean Hive logo was amazing and I’d gotten several of those.
Today I’d decided on the thin long-sleeved crew neck and had tied the apron over it.
Since there wasn’t anyone in the coffeehouse, I’d decided to stroll to the right of the coffeehouse on the boardwalk and do a little window shopping, even though most of them weren’t opening until the grand opening this weekend. I walked all the way to the end and looked as I made my way back, enjoying my cup of coffee and the morning sunrise as it dripped in many colors in the lake. It was funny how water could turn the orange and yellow rays different colors as it mirrored in the lake.
The shops were really coming along. All the shops were butted next to each other with a different awning to boast the name of the shop. Every few feet there were a couple of café tables where visitors could shop and stop to enjoy each other or just the view the boardwalk gave.
Wild and Whimsy was the first shop on the boardwalk. It was an eclectic shop of antiques and repurposed furniture. Beverly and Dan Teagarden were the owners. Their two grown children, Savannah and Melanie helped them run it. Instead of the regular shingled roof, Dan had paid extra to put on a rusty tin roof to go with the store’s theme. They’d kept the awning a red color but without the name. The Wild and Whimsy sign dangled down from the awning.
Honey Comb Salon & Spa was located next and it was a fancy, for Honey Springs, salon. Alice Dee Spicer was the owner and from what I’d overheard through the gossip line Alice had really gotten some new techniques from a fancy school.
Next to Honey Comb Salon & Spa was the Buzz In and Out Diner owned by James Farley. Honey Springs’s very first tattoo parlor, Odd Ink, was next to the diner. I wasn’t sure who owned that. In fact, I didn’t know any of the owners. It was all just idle gossip from Mae Belle and Bunny’s morning coffee run that kept me in the know. The
y’d also said All About The Details, a new event center, was going in next to the tattoo place along with a bridal shop, Queen For The Day. Then there was me.
The Bean Hive.
The bait and tackle shop was the only shop that was on the pier. It was perfect for the tourists who wanted to fish for the day off the pier. They’d never closed like most of the past shops since the lake always had fishermen. This year was different.
The annual Honey Festival was also in a couple of days, hence the grand opening of the shops, and it did bring visitors far and wide to get a good sampling of our fine Kentucky honey and festival activities. This year the town council, of which my Aunt Maxi sits on the board, decided to move the festival from Central Park in downtown Honey Springs to the boardwalk. Vendors were going to be setting up along the boardwalk across from the shops. I was especially excited to purchase some fresh honey and honeycombs for the coffeehouse.
I’d yet to venture past my shop, but I did know there was some sort of clothing boutique, a knick-knack shop, a spa, a bar and at the very end was Crooked Cat Bookstore, which was an independent bookstore I’d spent many hours in during my summer visits. I fondly remembered a cat that snuggled up to me in the bean bag.
The smell of fresh coffee drifted out of the coffeehouse exactly how I’d envisioned it would. The warm scent filled me with joy where I wasn’t sure I could have joy anymore.
When I opened the door to head back in, I smiled. The Bean Hive was a dream only a year ago and now a reality; I’d created it in my head and had worked hard to make the dream become real. After I filled my cup again, I walked back into the kitchen to check the casseroles I’d put in the oven for the afternoon lunch. I only cooked one thing a day for breakfast and lunch. I baked several things for the customers to enjoy and take home. The Bean Hive was a coffeehouse, not a restaurant, but we all know that food goes well with teas and coffee. It was my way of offering something for everyone.