2 A Christmas Wedding To Die For (8 page)

"It's a beautiful location," her mother said. "Who wouldn't want to sit here and enjoy a small treat before shopping? And the shop itself is gorgeous. It must've cost a fortune to decorate."

Maxine smiled, pleased with her mother's comments. "Most of it was myself and some friends with lots of elbow grease. I wanted a clean, modern look, with a touch of old world charm. And with the harbor right there...."

"It's a beautiful location," Walt said appreciatively.

"And in summer it's in the path of everyone coming over from the Clipper or the Anacortes ferry-to say nothing of cruise ships. But you must be paying a fortune for the lease."

"Not as much as you'd think," Maxine said carefully, "It is high though. We need traffic to keep going. And because the chocolate making part of it is upstairs we save on having to keep staff going for each location. Today for instance everyone will be working but mainly in the kitchen making cakes and other orders we've got for this week as well as more chocolates to re-stock the store."

"If the rest of your chocolate truffles and chocolates are as good as the ones I've had business won't be any trouble," Walt said, rubbing his stomach appreciatively.

"Oh Walt, just be careful you don't overdo it," her mother said, a touch of worry crossing her face. "You know what the doctor said..."

Maxine looked concerned. "Is there anything I should know about?"

"No," Walt said quickly.

"His doctor's just concerned that his blood sugar is on the high side," her mother said.

"You should've said," Maxine said, mortified. "We do have sugar-free chocolate you know. And I have diabetic customers who swear by it."

"I like the real chocolate," Walt growled. "And as long as I'm careful about it the doctor said it wasn't a problem.

Maxine knew when not to push a subject. Clearly this was a sore issue for Walt so she led them upstairs quickly. Heath was busy tempering a large pot of chocolate.

"Hi," he said as he measured the temperature with a thermometer. "It's close."

Walt appeared fascinated so she told them a little about the tempering process.

"Chocolate has to be tempered to produce a professional appearance and 'snap'. To do that it needs to be heated up to approximately 85 degrees. That's what Heath is doing right now. Bigger operations use automatically controlled tempering machines. They're super expensive and you don't have as much control over the finished product."

Ally was busy making batches of truffle filling. Her mother looked at the huge container of cream she had beside the bowl of truffle filling and the flavors.

"I didn't realize there was as much cream in the truffles you make."

"That's what gives them their creamy, velvety feel in your mouth."

Meanwhile Marcus was emptying trays of chocolate molds filled with delicious treats while Sara and Danielle were busily filling boxes of candies. Sara seemed to have settled in Maxine thought with relief.

Walt moved over to talk to Heath in more detail while Maxine's mother asked if she could go shopping. "If you need to stay here I understand," her mother assured her holding up her hands to show she meant it.

"If you can brave the Boxing Day sales so can I," Maxine said, surprising herself. Not that long ago she would've taken any opportunity she could to avoid spending a day shopping with her mother.

Then again, a year ago her mother would've driven her crazy wanting to know everything from her latest boyfriend's career and bank account to letting her know what she could do to improve herself. If this was Walt's doing she approved. Unless he did something to hurt her mother.

"Are you looking for anything in particular," she asked her mother as they headed in the downtown Bay Center. With nearly a hundred shops to browse through there was more than enough to keep them busy.

"I just want to look," her mother said. They stopped in at Anne Louise Jeweler's with her mother insisting on buying her a new Pandora's bead in recognition of her chocolate shop's success.

In the Bay, Maxine found a mother-daughter pendant she liked and bought it for her mother.

"Darling, I want you to spend the money on yourself," her mother complained, although not for too long.

About to go into the Aveda Salon for a quick mani/pedi, they ran into Julianna, her sister and a young shopper in training.

Looking vibrantly happy it was hard to believe her life had ever been in danger. Maxine was more interested in the young girl she had with her.

"Angelina! "she cried, her face lighting up.

Angelina beamed. "I know you. You were at the Christmas party! That was the bestest party EVER!"

Maxine laughed while looking at Juliana.

"My dad invited Angelina and her mother to Christmas dinner. And then since I was going shopping today anyway I thought what could be more fun than to bring Angelina with us!"

Her sister looked less than charmed.

"And Mommy's got a new job. She's going to be working in, in... in an Office," Angelina said, eyes wide.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, as excited as Angelina was herself.

"Dad said he'd pay for her to upgrade her skills and then get a job in AC Games," Julianna said beaming.

"We're going to able to afford a real home," Angelina said. "And Mom said I can help make it all pretty and I'll have a room of my own."

As their feet relaxed in foot baths while there hands dried under hand dryers her mother commented wryly. "Zeke and Julianna may be happy but sister dear looked like she wanted to spit bullets."

"Maybe I'll pick up something at the party. If the police don't figure it out before then." She'd noticed two in the mall, one discreetly behind the girls, another further down the mall.

"It would be so much easier if she could just remember what happened."

"Even if she can't you'd think she'd have said something to someone before dashing off." In fact, if memory served Maxine correctly she had. Kevin had said something about that...She just couldn't remember what.

Even as Sherri filed her nails, offering her a tray of exotic sounding colors such as Tahitian orange and Crimson tide to choose from Maxine had lost interest in the mani/pedi and was thinking of an excuse to talk to Kevin.

Something her mother noticed immediately. "What are you planning to do?"

"Me, nothing."

"You've thought of something. Come on. You might as well tell me."

She gave her mother another look. No matter what she said her mother wasn't going to believe it anyway. "I thought I'd see if Kevin could remember who Julianna talked to last."

"Oh, good," her mother said almost ruining her manicure as she sat up suddenly looking more excited than Maxine had seen in a while. "Have you decided how we can do that?"

"We?"

"It will be a mother-daughter bonding experience!"

Oh God. Now her mother wanted to go with her? Somehow she liked it better when she was just telling her not to do stuff like this and let the police do their job. This new mom was getting just a little too – enthusiastic.

"It might be better if I dropped in on Kevin by myself Mom," Maxine said gently. "If he thinks I'm making casual conversation while I'm getting something for the New Years' party he'll be a lot more relaxed than if he thinks I'm pumping him for information."

"Don't worry. I'll act as if I'm there to help you with your catering." She looked Maxine full on. "I know how to be discreet."

Her manicurist finished repairing the damage done when her mother had sat up bolt upright with no warning.

"Or I could drop you off at the shop," Maxine suggested.

"No way," her mother declared.

Yep, nosiness definitely ran in her family. If it wasn't Grandma Ellie it might as well be her mother.

"What's Grandma Ellie doing today?"

"She said she was going to tidy up a bit and then she was getting together with some friends. Personally I think she's trying to give us time together."

"You're probably right."

She called Kevin. "I'm starting to prepare for the New Year's party and I was hoping I could borrow some supplies from you."

"I'll be happy to help you in any way I can," he said graciously.

"Only if you're not using them of course but I don't usually cater the whole party, just the dessert." And crowning glory she couldn't help thinking although she knew that wasn't something Kevin wanted to hear. "Are you at the shop today...Oh good. We can drop by within the hour."

"You know, you don't have to do this," she said giving her mother a chance to back out.

"I've enjoyed every minute of shopping with you and mani/pedis –but this is way more exciting. Besides I'll feel better about it if I'm there with you."

Because the family that spied together stayed together. Kevin's shop was in Langford, twenty minutes away. He'd had a shop in downtown Victoria but decided that with all the new building going on and better prices Langford was the place to be.

Her little red smart car fit in a tiny corner of one of the parking spots, hugely different from parking it on Victoria streets and lots. And when she went in she saw a space at least three times as big as his old shop.

Staff busily prepared all manner of tasty foods.

"I thought today would be a slow day for you."

He smiled. "It is slower than usual but we do have a few Boxing Day dinners. Apparently if you spend a busy day fighting Boxing Day crowds for sales, making dinner is just too difficult. Luckily I can help you out with that."

"How thoughtful of you," she said laughing. "This is my mother, Sheila Peters. We were having a mother daughter afternoon. I thought I'd check and see if we could borrow some skewers from you as well as a few warming pans. I don't really want to go out and buy a bunch of new supplies when I usually don't need them for the events I cater."

"Sure, no problem. You haven't heard any more about a new date for a wedding have you?"

"I think she said spring. You can't blame her. I don't even know if she's going to have it at Butcharts again."

"I'd think she would. After all it's nothing to do with them at all and I happen to know they were told Bucharts would do the wedding free there anytime they chose, after what happened."

"Well, for most of us that would be a deciding factor. Not for Julianna though. Money really doesn't seem to be an issue when she decides she wants something."

"Clearly if I die and am reborn I need to come back as a games designer."

Maxine laughed. "You and me too. Although I don't envy Julianna at all with what she's been through."

"Dreadful," Kevin agreed, a small shiver going through him.

"You don't remember who she talked to last do you?"

He shrugged. "Her bridesmaids. I'm not sure which one or maybe all of them."

"If she'd told all of them, especially her mother, they'd probably never have let her leave."

"True," Kevin said speculatively. "Well, I know who the bridesmaids are – but then I suppose you do too."

"Just for fun refresh my memory."

"It's public knowledge so I suppose there's no harm," he said. "There was Kerry, her BFF, her younger sister, Gemma and then Rohan's two sisters, MJ and Celeste, no surprises there."

"No. I suppose not," Maxine said thoughtfully. "Anyway, thank you old friend."

Back in her little red smart car her mother said, "well, then it was definitely Kerry."

"I'd put money on the sister."

"They probably fight but who do you confide in if you're going to do something like ditch your wedding party?"

She thought for a minute but she had to admit her mother was right. "Bestie," she said.

"Exactly. So now we just need an excuse to talk to her bestie."

"Not today," Maxine said firmly. "Walt is going to wonder where you are and Grandma Ellie said she was looking after dinner tonight."

"Oh, all right," her mother said. "We should talk to her as soon as possible, though. Before she forgets."

"If she hasn't already," Maxine said.

Only when Maxine talked to her the next day under the guise of wanting some suggestions for the New Year's Party, Kerry claimed she'd been as surprised as everyone else when Julianna had suddenly taken off.

"Honestly, I went into the bathroom for one minute, one minute – and when I came out she was already gone. And I don't trust her sister for one second but I really can't see why she'd lie about something like that."

"I'll still run it by Patrick," she told her mother, "even if it looks like another dead-end."

As they rejoined Walt, up in the kitchen her mother had to agree even if she wasn't happy about it. She gave Walt a kiss on the cheek as they joined them.

"Have you learned the secret of how to make all these fabulous chocolates," she said brightly.

"Maybe not all of them," he said laughing, "I've learned enough. Prepare to be impressed the next time I make a special dinner. What have you two been up to?"

They showed him their nails and the jewelry, and talked about their afternoon. Somehow neither of them felt it necessary to share their trip to Kevin's in detail.

Heath raised an eyebrow when Maxine said they'd had to make a stop there to pick up supplies for the party but he didn't call her on it.

"They're having a games night at Julianna's tonight. Anything you want me to check out while I'm there."

"They're having a games night tonight?" She could feel her jaw drop and hoped Heath hadn't noticed.

Of course he had. He grinned at her. "Yeah, they're in the final phases of beta testing it so they want serious gamers." He shrugged good-naturedly. "Apparently I made the cut."

"I thought they were supposed to be keeping visitors to a minimum while-while-"

"The police try to figure out who was behind the attack," Heath said drily.

"Something like that," she said trying to regain her composure and failing miserably. "I mean whoever attacked her on her wedding day is still out there. I can understand why the police want her to be careful."

"They've got security watching the house twenty-four seven and her family's watching for anything out of the ordinary in the house. Apparently the 'plain clothes' policeman are driving her crazy."