BlueBuried Muffins (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) (9 page)

“That wasn’t so bad with everyone pitching in. Let’s take a ten minute break for some coffee and a blueberry muffin before we make the final push before the doors open at seven,” Leona said as she poured three cups of coffee and sank down into one of the booths. “Annie, bring your photograph out here so we can take a good look and figure out where to hang it.”

As soon as Annie was out of earshot, Leona whispered to her sister. “We need to put the past behind us and get along for Annie’s sake. She’s counting on us now more than ever before.”

Mia nodded. “It’s way past time for that.” She reached out and put her hand on Leona’s. “We both love Annie. I don’t know why I ever felt competition for her love, there’s enough to go around.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Annie saw their hands intertwined and smiled. “Never mind, none of my business.” She held up the photograph. “What do you think?”

“Wow!” Leona exclaimed. “That’s perfect for the café. A black kitty and my signature blueberry muffins. Quite the modern still life. You are extremely talented, Red.”

Annie walked around the café holding the photograph up in different places and waiting for thumbs up or down from Leona and Mia. Finally, when she held it directly across from the door, they both smiled and gave the thumbs up sign.

“That’s perfect. Everyone will see it when they come in, right next to the French doors with the view of the lake.” Leona got up to hold it so Annie could step back and get a better perspective.

She nodded in agreement. “It looks like it was always meant for this spot. I’ll tap in a picture hook, it will only take a minute.”

As Annie straightened the frame on its new home, Roy walked in. “I hope you aren’t putting nail holes in my new walls.”

“Of course not,” Annie replied without turning around. “This hangs here by magic.”

“Very funny.” He glared at Leona. “Are you ready to open at seven?”

“Right on the button. Would you like a cup of coffee? On the house?” she asked with a voice dripping with fake sweetness.

He glared at each woman before turning and leaving without the courtesy of a reply.

“What’s up his butt?” Leona asked to no one in particular.

Mia answered, “He’s been like this ever since Annie got back. Something is bothering him but he sure hasn’t told me.”

Detective Jaffrey showed up next. “Am I too early to get some coffee and granola?”

Leona checked the time on her watch. “Yup.” Then she laughed. “Go ahead and help yourself, but don’t tell anyone we’re giving you preferential treatment.”

The detective nodded toward Annie’s photograph. “Great photo. Was it there yesterday?”

“I just put it up. We’re definitely cutting close to the wire getting everything done.”

“I like it.” He tilted his head sideways. “I think it’s hanging a little crooked.”

“Darn, this wire needs to be adjusted. It keeps listing to one side.” Annie brought the photo into the office where she could lay it down safely and check the wire on the back.

Leona finished setting up the breakfast cart with the granola, juices and milk. She checked to be sure the coffee pots were all set and the tea selection was varied. Smiling to herself, she felt the satisfaction of hard work paying off. Her goal was to make everything as self-serve as possible to cut down on labor for herself and Annie.

Detective Jaffrey helped himself at the granola cart and poured himself a big cup of coffee. As he slid into the booth across from Mia, his right arm bumped into the corner of the seat back and he winced in pain, almost dropping the coffee.

“Here, let me help you.” Mia jumped up to take the coffee and granola so he could massage his arm. “Did you hurt yourself?”

He rubbed his arm before picking up his coffee. “Yeah, one of those stupid things that happen that’s too embarrassing to talk about. It sounds so much better if you end up with an exciting story to go with an injury,” he joked.

“Any leads with the investigation?” Mia asked.

He smiled his charming, dimpled smile. “Can’t share those details, sorry.” He watched Leona and Annie hustling around, with only minutes left before the café would open for the first day of business. “This café is full of charm with the shelves filled with books, and all the mouthwatering smells. I predict a big success.” Draining his coffee and finishing the last of the granola, he wiped his mouth. “I’ll get out of your hair before the rush starts.”

No sooner than he uttered those words, the café door swung open and an older couple walked in. The woman sniffed the air. “Sure smells mighty delightful in here. Oh, look, sweetheart, that wall is covered with books. Why don’t you go get us a couple of coffees and I’ll browse.”

The man stuck his cap in his back pocket and shuffled to the coffee cart, taking his time to study the choices before helping himself to two black hazelnut coffees. He brought them to a table and returned to the pastry case. “Don’t mind if I try a couple of those fruit thingies and maybe two blueberry muffins.”

Annie placed his choices on a plate and handed them over. “Enjoy. And tell your wife that the books are for trading—take one and leave one.”

“Thank you. This is a cute little town you have here. Mind if we sit outside and enjoy the view?”

“Not at all.”

He paid and walked out the French doors to the deck. His wife was lost at the book shelves, muttering to herself before she chose a mystery. “I have some paperbacks in my car. When we finish our coffee, I’ll bring one in to replace this,” she said, holding up her newly found treasure.

Annie elbowed Leona in the side. “I told you so. These books are a big hit.”

Customers came in slowly for the first half hour, then it was like the floodgates opened. Mia manned the cash register, Annie kept the pastry display stocked and Leona chatted with customers while refilling the coffee and other beverages.

Both Martha and Jake came in for coffee before they opened their shops but it was too busy for any conversation. Jake acted a little brusque and Martha waved and said she’d come back when it quieted down.

By mid-morning, a lull gave Leona and Annie a window to get the lunch food organized. Fortunately, the new batch of chili was done and all the sandwich fixings were good to go.

“I’m going to work on fixing that photograph so it will hang properly,” Annie told Leona.

Flipping the frame over, Annie examined the paper covering the back. One side bulged so she ripped up a corner of the backing to see if there was something weighing down that side. Annie gasped as she pulled the object out. “Leona, come take a look at this.”

Chapter 13

Annie held up a bag. “This was hidden inside, between my photograph and the backing.”

“Holy tamoly! Let’s show this to Detective Jaffrey. This must be what he’s been looking for,” Leona shouted. “Was Max a drug dealer?”

Annie searched her memories for any indication that Max could be involved with the evidence she held in her hand. She tucked the bag into her apron pocket. “No. We aren’t showing anyone. Yet. Just you, me, Mom and Martha. This still doesn’t tell us who killed Max. It just tells us what that someone might be after and it makes more sense why Max, Vincent and Detective Jaffrey ended up in Catfish Cove right behind me. I still don’t know why Max hid it behind my photos without telling me.”

“Maybe someone else put it there, did you think of that?”

“No, but anything is possible.”

“Where should we hide it?”

Annie was busy reattaching the backing on the frame of her photograph. “Let’s ask Martha to make some kind of a pouch and she can hide it in her shop. No one will suspect her. I’m going to hang this up and let Mom and Martha know what’s going on.”

Customers were trickling in for the noon rush so Annie had to postpone her visit with Martha. Her hands were busy making paninis, wraps and sandwiches in a constant stream of requests. The chili and chicken noodle soup were on the self-serve cart where the granola had been for the morning. All in all, Leona’s organization was working perfectly. Mia took the cupcakes out for the decorating booth on the deck for the kids. Without her help at the cash register, Leona and Annie had to jump around in double time to keep everyone served and happy.

Tyler, JC and her son, Dylan, arrived at the counter to order lunch. “This is the cutest café, Annie. Leona sure did get her act together quickly after the fire,” JC said. “I would like a veggie wrap, Tyler wants a turkey and cheese panini and Dylan wants a roast beef wrap. Just roast beef, no cheese or tomatoes, lettuce is okay. We’ve been walking around town and Catfish Cove is swamped with tourists and the fishing derby isn’t until tomorrow. That will bring in a ton more people,” JC predicted while looking around the café. “Where’d all the books come from?”

“Like it? That’s my brainstorm. A freebrary—take one and leave one.” Annie pushed toothpicks into the wraps to hold them together and set them on the counter. “Here you go, three lunches. Do you want chips too?”

JC looked at Dylan who nodded his head vigorously.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Annie chuckled as she added a large pile of chips to Dylan’s plate.

Leona came around from the back and pulled Tyler off to the side. She told him about the chili disaster and that Annie had photos of the mess.

“You should have called me this morning.”

“I know but I was in a panic to get everything cleaned up so we could get back on track to open on time. I’ll tell Annie to show you the photos.”

“Do you have any idea who would vandalize the café?” Tyler asked.

Leona shrugged. “The same person who burned down the old Take It or Leave It Café?”

Tyler nodded. “Maybe. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything yet to point to a perpetrator. Do you have surveillance cameras here?”

“Roy had them installed but they aren’t functional yet.”

“That’s too bad. It would help a lot if we had images from those cameras. You and Annie be extra careful.” Tyler glanced around the café. “I’ve got some new leads on Max Parker’s murder, but it’s going slower than I would like. I’ll be sure to check out Annie’s photos later when she has some free time.”

Annie smiled as her friend, JC, and Dylan walked out to the cupcake decorating booth. She had to admit to herself that JC and Tyler were a good match and Tyler would make a great male role model for Dylan.

A sneering voice rang in her ear, distracting her from her thoughts. “I’ve seen that photograph before. It’s supposed to be hanging in my art gallery for the Food for Thought show.”

Annie turned around and looked at Vincent, balling her fists at her side. Every time she saw him her blood started to boil. “Unfortunately, I had to withdraw my entries.” The words flopped out of her mouth with the hopes of somehow protecting Max if he was involved with the drugs she found.

“And why was that? Hiding something behind the photographs?”

“What are you talking about? That’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard.” She turned and walked away so her face didn’t give her shock away.

“I’ll find it, Annie. Max knew he’d never get away. His high and mighty attitude, always helping those starving artists . . . that never brought money into the gallery.”

Annie walked back and stopped mere inches from Vincent’s face. “Is that why you killed him? You two fought right here in the café and he stabbed you. Maybe it’s your blood on the awl the detective found,” she hissed so only he could hear her words. Her lips curled at the edges as she watched the color drain from Vincent’s face. “I plan on finding Max’s killer. It’s the least I can do for him.” She kept her eyes boring straight into Vincent’s dark pupils. “That’s a promise.”

Vincent retreated from the café and walked across the hall into Clay Design.

Something’s fishy with that relationship, Annie thought. She wondered if Jake was involved with hiding and shipping drugs too.

Customers flooding into the café made Annie rush back behind the counter. It was all she could do to make sandwiches fast enough and keep everyone moving through. Change and bills were stuffed into the tip bowl and she overheard many tourists commenting on the café and how good the food tasted. She chuckled every time someone pulled a book from the freebrary like they found the best treasure of all.

Three o’clock arrived before Leona or Annie even had a chance for a bite of lunch. The chili pot was scraped clean, the pastry case wasn’t empty but had been picked over and most of the sandwich fixings were gone.

Mia came back in and offered to help in any way needed. “Let’s keep the ice cream window open,” Leona suggested. “If you can handle that, Mia, Annie and I will restock for tomorrow. First, let’s take a breather and refuel ourselves so we don’t crash and burn.”

“Is there any food left for us?” Annie asked, pushing a few stray red curls behind her ear. “How about I whip up three Chubby Chickpea sandwiches?”

“With a name like that, it has to taste delicious.” Mia said as she slid onto a stool at the counter.

Annie laughed. “Max’s son visited us every other weekend. He had a knack for putting words together.” Annie got busy slicing wheat bread, roughly mashing the chickpeas and adding scallions, carrots, hummus, lemon juice, garlic and mustard. “Here you go, ladies. I hope you enjoy my creation.”