Baking is Murder (A Bee's Bakehouse Cozy Mystery) (Bee's Bakehouse Mysteries Book 1) (2 page)

Jessie strode across the kitchen. She stared down at her feet, unable to meet Bee’s eyes. “I guess there’s something else I should tell you then.”

Bee slammed the oven closed and pulled off her oven mitt. “Go on,” she said warily.

There was no easy way to say it, so Jessie just spat it out. “I got laid off.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Bee said, taking her arm and leading her back to the café. “You really should have said.”

“Can’t we stay here?” Jessie pleaded. “I’d really rather not have half the town know. Especially if I’m going to be staying around a while.”

“Dearie, what did I tell you about the walls having ears in this place? No, I thought you could use a sugar injection. Come and choose something. We can sit out on the sidewalk—it’s much too cold for anyone else right now.”

Jessie smiled. She remembered when she was a young girl and it had always been the highlight of the day when Aunt Bee allowed her and Melanie the luxury of choosing a treat from the mouth-watering selection.

And now, all these years later, the choice was no less magical. She stared at the display in wonder.

“How on earth am I supposed to choose just one?”

The girl behind the counter left the register and came to join them. “I recommend the mint chocolate brownie.”

Jessie looked up at her and smiled. She hadn’t met this girl before, and it was easy to see why—she didn’t look a day over seventeen, so she would have still been in middle school the last time Jessie was in town.

“I’m Jessie, Bee’s niece.”

“Tania. My mom insisted that I apply for the job here. I
know
it’s so she has an excuse to come in every day.”

Jessie grinned. It didn’t surprise her in the slightest—Bee’s baking skills were legendary, not just in Springdale but in all of the surrounding towns. Jessie had tried to convince her to branch out and open more cafés, but Bee had been against the idea. She was Springdale through and through—she had no interest in setting up shop anywhere else.

“Come on, sweetie,” Bee said, tapping her arm and gesturing toward the door. She turned and nodded to Tania. “Two coffees when you get a chance, honey.”

***

Jessie clasped her arms around herself—Bee had been right about the biting cold. She smiled. Now that the truth was out, it seemed crazy that she’d ever been afraid to tell Aunt Bee. She guessed she’d worried that Bee might disapprove—not that she and Roger had had any alternative but to divorce.

It felt like a relief to have the truth out now. She glanced up and jumped to her feet. Bee was approaching the door holding two huge mugs of coffee.

“I can manage,” she said cheerfully as Jessie pulled open the door.

Bee placed the brimming mugs on the little iron table and took her seat.

“Thanks, Aunt Bee. You know it really is so good to be here. I’ll have to call Melanie; see if she can fit in a trip sometime soon.”

“Oh my goodness, I’m not sure if I could handle that. You two are responsible for most of this,” Bee said, pointing to her gray bob.

“Bee Martin! You’ll catch a cold sitting out in this weather.”

Jessie flipped her head around automatically at the sound of the bright, cheery voice she didn’t recognize. She’d been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard anyone approach them.

The two women couldn’t have looked more different. The one who’d spoken was tall and well-built, with ruddy red cheeks and a shock of blond hair cropped short. The other woman was slighter, with a pinched, serious face that suggested she was quieter than her companion. Her unruly brown curls were tied in a pony-tail at the back of her neck.

“Julia,” Bee said, with a wide smile. “Do you have time to join us?”

Jessie smiled at the two women. “Hi. I’m Bee’s niece, Jessie,” she said quietly. Her attention wasn’t focused on the two newcomers, though. She was too busy staring at the two huge eyes that stared out from behind the smaller woman’s legs.

“Oh my gosh, who’s this?” she gushed, unable to restrain herself.

The taller woman smiled and glanced at her friend. “No need to ask if Jessie is a cat or a dog person, right? I’m Julia. This is Clarice. And this here is Toby.”

“Go ahead and stroke him if you want,” Clarice said, obviously sensing Jessie’s excitement.

Jessie jumped at the invitation—literally. She leaped off her chair and hunkered in front of Toby. “Hey boy, how are you?”

Excited by the attention, he strained against his leash to get into her lap.

“Stop it, boy,” Clarice chided gently. “She’s just saying hello. I’m sure she doesn’t want her hand slobbered on.”

Jessie shook her head. “It’s fine. Honestly. I’ve wanted a dog forever. I’ve always lived in buildings where pets weren’t allowed. Plus my ex-husband is allergic, so there was no way I could have one. Isn’t that right, boy? Isn’t it? You’re such a cutie.”

“That’s a pity,” Clarice said. “You’re obviously an animal lover.”

Jessie smiled and looked up at her aunt. “Well I’m hoping to stick around here for a while, so I’ll be able to get a puppy just as soon as I’ve found a place to live.”

Julia nodded to Clarice. “Well, let Clarice here know when you do. She breeds these little pests.”

Clarice smiled. “And in the meantime, feel free to stop by and play with this little guy and his brothers and sisters. You can walk him if you like. He’s found a home but he won’t be moving to his new family for a while yet. He’d love the company.”

Jessie beamed. “Thanks. I might just do that.”

“I won’t hear of you staying someplace else,” Aunt Bee said. “You can stay with me for as long as you like.”

Jessie shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to intrude. I’ll find a little place nearby.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, girl. You wouldn’t be intruding. I’d love to have you.” She stopped folding the dishcloths and leaned closer. “You don’t want to bring boys over. Is that it?”

“I’m thirty-seven years old, Aunt Bee. It’s been a long time since I dated a
boy
.”

“How long since you’ve dated a man?”

Jessie shook her head. “It’s only been a year since the divorce.”

“A year’s a long time, sweetie. Gosh, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry,” Jessie said with a shrug. “Like I told you, I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.”

Bee stroked her arm. “I’ve never been disappointed in me.”

“Not even that time Melanie dared me to saran wrap your shower head and the water went everywhere?”

“Apart from that time. What satisfaction you girls got from that, I’ll never know. And you were the ones who had to clean up all that water and pay for the plumber from your allowance. Now. I’m glad you brought up dating.”

“Um… why?” Jessie asked, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“I’ve been giving it some thought.”

“You’re going to start dating?”

Bee glared at her. “Is that so hard to believe? Seriously, I’m not a hundred.”

Jessie shook her head. She’d never really thought about Aunt Bee dating; really she’d been trying to deflect what she knew was coming.

“So I was trying to come up with a list of eligible men in Springdale, and—”

“You’ve known about my divorce for all of fifteen minutes.”

Bee shrugged. “Like I said, I was thinking through all of the possibilities in Springdale. And then it hit me. Mayor Stevens.”

Jessie almost spat out the brownie she’d been chewing. “The mayor? No way, Aunt Bee. No. Way. You’ve got to promise me one thing. Will you?”

Bee looked away, a faint smile playing at her lips.

“Aunt Bee?”

“I don’t see why you’ve got to be so difficult. He’s young and you’re young. You two young people might—”

Jessie held up her hand. “No setups. Please. Promise? I’m not interested in dating. I want to relax and enjoy Springdale.”

Bee sighed. “Fine. I promise. You’re sure you want to do this? You don’t have to, you know? I may be an old bird but I can take care of myself. And it’s not like I’m lonely—it’s impossible to be lonely when you run the most popular café in town.”

Jessie smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. I love this place; I’ve got such memories of spending summer holidays here. And it’s going to be great to see more of you.”

Bee smiled. “Why don’t you head back to the cottage? I’ll finish up here; give you a chance to get everything set up.”

“I can help—it’s no problem. We’ll get everything done in half the time and then head to the cottage together.”

“Or you could call over to Clarice and see if Toby wants to go for a walk.”

Jessie shook her head. “No, it’s fine, honestly. I’ll help you close up and then we can cook dinner together.”

Bee smiled. Jessie had the sense that she was being coy about something. And then the penny dropped.

“Who is he?”

Bee flushed. “When I was your age, we wouldn’t have dared to ask questions like that of our elders,” she said with a grin.

“If you hadn’t been so adamant about setting me up with the mayor then I might not have asked.”

“No respect, you young floozies.”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “I’m about as far from a floozy as it’s possible to be.”

“And that’s why I wanted to set you up with the mayor.”

Jessie shook her head in disbelief. “You’re impossible,” she laughed. “You’re so different but that’s one way you and Mom are alike.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aunt Bee said, in a put-on innocent voice.

“Are you gonna tell me who he is?”

Bee pursed her lips, eyes shining. “Tell you what. If you can figure it out, I’ll take you to Lindemann’s for lunch.”

“Wow,” Jessie said, eyes widened. “I’d forgotten about that place. Is it still open?”

The older woman nodded. “It sure is. In fact, they renovated the whole place a couple years back. It’s not as snooty now, of course. Nowadays even regular folk like us can visit.”

Jessie grinned. “Great. I’ll have to find something to wear.”

“Only if you figure it out,” Bee said, tapping the side of her nose.

The bell rang, stopping Jessie from probing further. Remembering Tania was on her break, she rushed out to the front.

“Hi, how can I help you,” she said brightly to the scruffy young man on the other side of the counter. “I’m afraid we’re almost out of food, but we’ve still got some brownies left.”

He shook his head. “I’m not here for your brownies. I only eat cruelty-free food.”

Jessie frowned. “The only cruel thing about these brownies is you’ve eaten them before you even realize it.”

“
Animal
cruelty?” he said, glaring at her.

“All our produce is cage-free and organic.”

He sighed and shook his head.

“How can I help you then?”

“Can I put one of my flyers in your window?”

Jessie looked at him more closely and saw that he held a stack of bright orange flyers in his hands.

Jessie’s eyes widened. “You’d like to put one of your flyers in our cruel window?”

He cursed and stormed out. Jessie turned back to the kitchen in disbelief. When she entered the kitchen, Aunt Bee was standing by the door smiling thoughtfully as if she’d heard every word.

“What on earth was that about?” Jessie asked, jerking her head in the direction of the café.

Bee smiled. “Oh I didn’t see him, but I expect he’s one of the students from the community college. Most of them are lovely, but there are always a few who are… shall we say… very passionate about protesting?”

“But your products are made with such love. There’s nothing commercial about this place. I mean even the cookies are made in handmade tiny batches.”

Aunt Bee nodded and turned her attention back to the cupcakes she was icing, humming as she did so. “No matter what one does, there’ll always be someone who disapproves or disagrees.”

“Who could it be, Toby?” Jessie asked absently. “Who is my dear aunt sneaking off to date?”

She’d considered hanging around the café to find out, but she’d decided against it. Aunt Bee may have challenged her, but she was loath to snoop. Instead, she’d gone to Clarice’s home. There, she’d received a warm welcome and a standing invitation to come walk Toby any time she wanted. She almost wished his new owners would somehow forget about him and never come to claim him.

She’d barely spent any time with him, but already she’d fallen in love. Clarice had confided that he was the runt of the litter, but in Jessie’s eyes, he was the most gorgeous thing in the world, despite his slightly-crossed eyes and prominent overbite.

He stopped walking at the sound of her voice and stared up at her with his sad brown-black eyes. Jessie knew next to nothing about dogs—aside from the fact that she really wanted one—but she had immediately recognized the sad face that was so common to pugs.

“You got any ideas, Toby?”

Jessie was stumped.

“He could be someone who’s moved here recently,” she said, thinking. It wasn’t like she’d spent much time there in the past several years—she assumed there had been a trickle of new people in that time.

She stared down at Toby. All of a sudden his ear twitched. He froze, staring off into the distance.

“What is it, boy?”

Jessie hunkered down to scratch under his chin. Seconds later, he was straining at his leash, barking at something Jessie couldn’t see. 

She looked around. They had walked all the way along Spring Street and onto Courtney Road. There was no one in sight and Toby was still in a frenzy. Clarice had warned her that he was still a little wild, so she knew she shouldn’t take off his leash.

“What is it?” she asked, panicking. “Do you need the bathroom? Look, we’ll go over here.”

She untied one of the baggies from his leash and tried to pull him gently toward the tall tree at the side of the road. But he wouldn’t budge.

“What’s got you so tense?” she cooed, bending down again to rub his head. He jumped up on her leg, scratching and yapping as if she could understand what he was trying to communicate.

“Okay,” she said, wishing she knew better what to do. “Let’s get you a treat.”

Clarice had said he was only supposed to have a treat if he’d been obedient, but Jessie didn’t know what else to do. The thought of him going hungry on her watch was enough to make her feel sick with anxiety.

One treat wouldn’t hurt
, she thought, rummaging in her pocket book for the little foil bag Clarice had given her.
Where is it?

She put the top of the leash in her other hand and rummaged deeper, wishing she was more organized. Finally, her fingers closed around it. “Here they are,” she said, reaching down to pat Toby’s head and momentarily forgetting which hand was securing the leash.

He was gone like a flash, his leash trailing behind him.

“Toby! No!” Jessie said, darting after him as quickly as she could and praying he didn’t veer off into one of the overgrown lots.

He raced along the street and around the corner. Jessie rushed after him, screaming for him to stop. “Toby,” she screamed again, but he didn’t appear to have heard her—or if he had he didn’t respond. “Toby, come back, boy.”

Jessie couldn’t remember the last time she’d run, but she didn’t care. The only thing on her mind right then was getting to the pug before he got into trouble or escaped for good. She imagined herself telling his new family what had happened; pictured the disappointment in their little daughter’s face when she learned her companion was missing.

“Toby,” she screamed.

She was too out of breath to really register the wall of bright lights up ahead. All she cared about was that Toby was making straight for them. So that was where she was headed too. When she got closer, she saw the yellow police tape threaded through temporary metal barriers. Still, she didn’t slow. By now, Toby had widened the gap between them. He must have been a hundred fifty yards ahead of her. She was beginning to give up hope when a tall man moved away from the crowd and leaped after Toby. Jessie gasped in amazement. For such a small dog, Toby was surprisingly fast. But the tall stranger had managed to catch his leash and stop him in his tracks.

By the time Jessie reached them, Toby was safely wrapped up in the man’s arms.

“Thank you so much,” Jessie said, her voice jagged and cracking. She bent over and dug her fingers into her sides in an attempt to ease the pain of the stitch that had formed there.

“Put your arms behind your head.”

Jessie frowned and looked the man over again. He was about her age; maybe slightly older. He was wearing a suit and shirt, but she didn’t see a badge or anything else that would have marked him out as a cop.

“Who are you?” she asked as calmly as she could. It was difficult given her breathlessness. “Are you arresting me?”

His face broke into a boyish smile. “Arresting… oh no,” he laughed. “I meant you should put your hands behind your head to help get your breath back. You look like you’re struggling.”

“Oh,” Jessie said, feeling foolish. She pointed at the police tape. “I thought with the tape and all…”

His expression grew serious again at the mention of it. “Yes. It’s a nasty business. You should get home. I’ll give you a ride if you need.”

“What’s going on?” Jessie asked, peering in the direction of the crowd. It was difficult to do so for long thanks to the positioning of the glaring lights.

She wondered what could have drawn out such a large crowd of law enforcement officers. Springdale didn’t exactly have a high crime rate. She shivered as she ran through the likely options in her mind. She’d been too busy chasing Toby to notice that they had almost reached the town limits.

The man’s eyes widened. “They’ve found a body.”