Two Scoops of Murder

by Gretchen Allen

  Chapter 3

  Is everything okay?” Stella asked as Yvette came through the back door of Sundae Afternoon.

  “Yes, and no.” Yvette sighed. “The kitchen is a disaster. Smoke damage galore. They need to replace the oven and probably do some serious work on the walls. But the place is still standing.”

  “That smell will be tough to get rid of. I remember a kitchen fire we had back when I was a kid. No real damage from the fire itself, but the smoke was a whole ‘nother story.” Stella shook her head. “What a shame. When were they set to open?”

  Sundae Afternoon had three, almost four, shops. The one in Townsend, Connecticut had caught fire earlier that morning. Emma was all the way in Florida, her brother, Mark, probably would have been able to make the trip if he hadn’t had an emergency of his own at the farm, and the manager of the Townsend shop was at his winter job and couldn’t leave. The shop was closed for the season and typically didn’t open until after the last snowfall of the year. It would have opened last week if Henry had been able to get out of his seasonal job, but he’d been required to train the person taking over for him. That left Yvette responsible for getting to Townsend and talking with the fire marshal. She supposed the silver lining was that Henry wasn’t able to open earlier and that the fire occurred while there was no one in the building. Things certainly could have been much worse.

  “Not for a couple of weeks probably,” Yvette explained the situation to Stella. “But now, who knows? No one gave me a date, and even if they did, I’m not so sure I could do anything about it. Emma usually takes care of that part.”

  Yvette realized that if Emma wanted her to be there for the Vermont opening, then she’d probably want her there for the Connecticut opening. Thoughts of keeping everything organized were taking over her mind. Should she just do it? Plan the opening on her own and try to help Emma out, or was that too big of an undertaking? She didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but she did want her boss to be proud of her, no matter how Yvette felt.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Stella asked graciously.

  “I’d love one of your masterpiece shakes.” Yvette looked through the window on the kitchen door and into the dining area. “My shift starts in about forty-minutes so take your time, and if you get busy, I’ll be in my office working on the order for next week so don’t hesitate to call me.”

  Once Yvette got settled in at her desk, she turned on her computer. She figured she’d have a few minutes before Stella was back with her shake, so she would use that time to check her email and various personal social media accounts. She mindlessly scrolled through her newsfeed, quickly skimming the statuses of her old high school friends. After finding a whole bunch of nothing that interested her, Yvette switched over to her email inbox. She deleted several junk emails and noticed one from an old friend that she hadn’t seen since the last National Ice Cream Convention. They’d emailed back and forth occasionally, but always for a specific reason. Opening the email, she found herself a little excited, and a lot confused.

  Yvette,

  It’s been too long. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Just checking in with you regarding the information I sent to you via snail mail. I wanted to try to keep it quiet, but I just couldn’t manage to help myself. I hope you will seriously consider the VP position- you would be a great fit.

  As I said in the letter, please keep this to yourself. I was asked not to say anything to you, but you know me…

  Anyway, you should be seeing the board soon enough. Get back to me when you can.

  P.S.

  A little birdie told me the convention will be held in Heritage this year… coincidence? They must really want you on the team. Play nice, and don’t forget, you haven’t heard a thing from me.

  Artie

  VP position? Addition to the team? Snail mail? Yvette had more questions than she did answers. Artie was a retired member of the board for the National Ice Cream Alliance. He still had more connections than the current members did, and he’d taken a liking to Yvette. Artie had always told her that he found her inspiring. Her loyalty to Emma and Sundae Afternoon astounded him, and if Yvette was thinking properly, the VP position that he was referring to was for the National Ice Cream Alliance. Were they really considering her for the job? Yvette knew that the previous VP had left the job and moved across the country with his family, so the reality was that if Artie was right, the board was in Heritage for the convention and to potentially offer her a job.

  “Here ya go, sweetie,” Stella’s voice sang through the office, interrupting Yvette’s thoughts.

  “What is that?!” Yvette exclaimed.

  “Nothing fancy.” Stella winked. “It’s got two scoops of caramel cookie crunch, with cheesecake chunks that I dipped in white chocolate and let harden before adding them in. I left them whole at the bottom, so you could have them after you drank the shake. Wasn’t sure what sauces would go well with it, so I just added a dollop of marshmallow and a swirl of mocha on top of the whipped cream.”

  “Right. So, nothing fancy,” Yvette teased.

  The older woman had one of the best eyes for creativity when it came to making shakes and sundaes. Even several of the regular customers that came into the shop had begun asking Stella to make them whatever she felt like making. Everyone trusted her to come up with something delicious, and this time was no different.

  Stella shrugged. “No biggie. This is all just such fun for me. Who woulda thunk it?” She chuckled. “I find out when I’m sixty some odd years old that my dream job involves scooping ice cream.”

  “You do so much more than scoop ice cream, Stella.” Yvette stood. “You’ve been such a fantastic addition to the team, and we are all so lucky to have you here with us.” Yvette felt a tear slide down her face.

  “Jeez. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Stella stepped closer to embrace Yvette in a warm hug.

  “You didn’t.” Yvette laughed. “I just got some interesting news, and I’m emotional.”

  “Hope everything is okay. I’ll let you be for now. Don’t forget your shift starts in thirty.” Stella tapped her watch-less wrist and cackled away as she turned on her heel and left the office.

  Crying in front of an employee. Well, that was awkward, Yvette thought to herself, sitting back down in her chair. She brought the frosty glass closer to her and read the email from Artie again. She wasn’t sure whether she should reply to the email, call him, or race home to see if she’d accidentally overlooked a letter from him that had come in the mail. As Stella said, her shift started in thirty-minutes, and she really didn’t have time to accomplish any of those things. For now, she’d let her mind take over, and let herself feel some excitement at the possibility of what Artie had said.

  Was she really going to be offered the Vice President position for the National Ice Cream Alliance? And if she was, what did that mean for her life at Sundae Afternoon, or in Heritage at all, for that matter?

  Chapter 4

  Yvette sipped the last of her coffee before rinsing out her mug and setting it in the empty sink. Normally, she hated to have even one dish in the sink, despite her hatred for washing dishes. It drove her crazy when her sink didn’t shine and sparkle. Today, however, she was entirely too eager to get to work to worry about it. Glenn had contacted her just before she’d ended her shift the previous evening. He’d requested a meeting with her and the other members of the board she hadn’t met yet so that they could go over some important information. Glenn didn’t offer much more than that. Important information could mean anything. It could mean he wanted to chat about the shop, or maybe he’d be formally asking her about the VP position. Yvette was going to have a hard time not mentioning it to him, but in case Artie was wrong about it, she didn’t want to embarrass herself and, therefore, wouldn’t say a word.

  The ten-minute ride to the shop was a breeze. There was basically zero traffic, she’d had her windows down the entire time, and the music blaring. Yvette didn’t thin
k there was anything that could ruin her day. As she pulled her SUV into the parking lot of Sundae Afternoon, she looked around. She only saw one vehicle in the lot, and it belonged to her newest employee, Leslie. Vanessa was supposed to be here already, Yvette thought to herself as she pushed her door shut with her hip. There was a delivery order, a catering order, and they’d been super busy lately, so Yvette had made sure to have both of the women scheduled for the day. She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake on the schedule.

  “Good morning!” Yvette called as she turned the knob on the back door to the shop, expecting it to open.

  Sighing, Yvette dug in her purse and pulled out her keys and let herself in the door.

  “Mornin’, boss.” Leslie turned away from the prep table to greet her.

  “Hey,” Yvette said, turning the volume knob on the radio. “Where’s Vanessa and why was the door locked on a delivery day?”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I locked it when Vanessa left. She got a call from the school saying that her son wasn’t feeling well. She left a bit ago to pick him up and said she’d be back as soon as she could, but that she’d need to find someone to sit with Felix first. She didn’t call you?” Leslie asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Yvette said, fishing around in her purse for her phone. “Wait. Yes, she did call. I totally forgot that I put my phone on silent last night while I was having a late dinner with Nate.”

  “Ohhhh. How are things going with you two?” Leslie asked eagerly.

  “We’re doing well. We try to make a habit of seeing each other for dinner or a movie or even just a little walk around town a couple of nights a week. With both of us being so busy with our jobs, we really try to carve out time for one another. It doesn’t always work, but we do our best.”

  Nate Briggs was Yvette’s boyfriend. At least that’s what she’d been calling him. Not to his face, of course. Not yet. Things were going well between them, but they hadn’t titled their relationship or anything. She’d known him since they were children, and while they were comfortable with each other, they were still in that sweet little honeymoon, courting one another phase.

  “Glad to hear it. Nate seems like a good man.” Leslie nodded her approval.

  “He is,” Yvette agreed. “So, where are you at with things? I need to see what else there is to do before I decide if I should call Vanessa and tell her not to bother coming back in. I hate to see her stressing out looking for someone to watch Felix, but at the same time, we might need to have the extra hands today.”

  “I got the waffle cones and bowls made already. The sauces should be just about good to go. I have a dozen cookie bowls in the oven right now, and I was just heading out front to start opening up the shop.”

  “No one has been out front yet?” Yvette looked surprised.

  “I’m sorry. No. Vanessa had just gone out there when she got the call. Next thing I know, she popped her head in here to let me know, and then took off out the front door. I was starting to get a little backed up here, so I wanted to get this stuff done first,” Leslie spoke, not making eye contact.

  Yvette knew that Leslie was a little skittish and she didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. She didn’t have the best experience at her last job, and she always seemed a little nervous. Hoping that Leslie didn’t think she was upset, Yvette tried to ease her worries. “No big deal. I can head out there now. I’ll try giving Joey or Stella a call as well to see if they can come in a little early. If they can, then I’ll just call Vanessa and tell her to stay home with her son. We can make it work.”

  “We always do,” Leslie said quietly, turning back to her work at the prep table.

  Yvette hoped that Leslie was going to snap out of her sudden odd mood. The shop was going to be busy, and Yvette was too excited to wonder if her staff was going to be able to keep up for the day. Not even bothering to flip on the lights, Yvette went straight to her office to drop off her purse. She tried to make sure it stayed safe inside her desk. Even though she’d never been concerned with any of her employees stealing, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

  Before making her way back out to the dining area, Yvette turned the radio out front on to one of her favorite country music stations, turning it up a little so she could sing along while she worked. She’d turn it down once they officially opened for the day. Yvette flipped on the light switches and swore she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned around, prepared to tell Leslie that she could go back into the kitchen to finish up while she took care of the front, but what she saw wasn’t Leslie at all.

  A blood-curdling scream escaped Yvette’s mouth before she even realized what was happening. A body of what looked to be a young woman was slumped over at one of the tables that sat in the corner of the dining area. If Yvette didn’t know better, she’d guess that the woman was asleep. However, there was no mistaking the pool of blood. Unable to take her eyes off the body, Yvette yelled again, this time for Leslie to stay in the kitchen, but to call the police.

  Chapter 5

  I’m so sorry you have to go through this again,” Amelia said, frowning.

  “I guess it gets easier the second time around,” Yvette shrugged, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  The police had declared Sundae Afternoon a crime scene, and the shop was closed until further notice. Yvette’s best friend, Amelia, had raced over to be with her friend the moment she’d heard about what happened. After all, it hadn’t been that long ago when then two women went to have a girls’ weekend at Amelia’s lake house and found a body. For Yvette, it felt as though life was repeating itself. Amelia, having been her friend for as long as she had, knew exactly what she needed. It was the company of someone else, so Amelia had stayed the night with her friend. It was easy for Yvette to let her mind swirl with thoughts that could get her into trouble. She may have successfully solved a few other murders right there in Heritage, and even one in a completely different state, but this time felt different. Someone was found dead right in Yvette’s shop, and no one knew quite what that meant. As it was, the identity of the body had not yet been revealed, and even though Yvette had seen the woman herself, she had been too shocked to let it register in her mind who it could have been. Or, for that matter, how they even got inside the shop to begin with.

  “Have you heard anything yet?” Amelia asked.

  “Not a word. I’m totally clueless, and you know how much I hate that.”

  “Well, I already told you how I feel. I really think you should just let Heath and his team take care of this.” Amelia playfully wagged a finger.

  “You always say that,” Yvette pointed out.

  “And I always mean it. But there was a dead woman inside your shop. I know you were questioned, and I know that you didn’t kill anyone, but from what you said about the body, it was pretty clear that it was a murder and not just some random freak accident. I worry about you is all.”

  Yvette knew what her friend was saying, and she was trying hard to agree, but she just couldn’t. There was absolutely no way that she’d be to blame for the death of whoever that poor woman was.

  “I left the shop last night and closed everything up myself. I actually stayed about an hour after closing because I had plans to meet Nate when he got out of work. I spent the time cleaning my office floor, and then I met Nate at his house. He drove us to Merryville, and we ate dinner at Seafood Charlies. All of that is pretty easy to prove.”

  “Good. I’m glad you have an alibi and don’t have to worry about being considered a suspect,” Amelia sounded relieved.

  “I want to know who she was. I’ve tried asking Heath three different times what the security camera footage had on it, but he’s refused to tell me. I just keep thinking how badly I wished that I thought of looking at it before I called the police.”

  “Umm. That’s a little morbid, even for you.” Amelia cringed.

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. “But if I did that then I’d know who the woman was, and
maybe even who killed her.”

  “Let me state the obvious here… If you were to have seen the video, and could have potentially seen who the killer was, wouldn’t that mean that police would have as well?”

  “I suppose.” Yvette nodded.

  “See, so all is well. The police probably already have the person in custody, and I’m sure the shop will be open before you know it. For now, you can just take some time to yourself.”

  “Meh. Is all really well? The shop is closed, so I get a few days off, and that’s great, but will people want to come back? Would you? I mean, who in their right mind wants to enjoy an ice cream cone at a table where a person died?”

  Amelia sighed. “I’m sorry. I know I keep saying that, but I’m not sure what else I can say. I just want to make things better.” Amelia’s eyes were trained on her friend.

  Yvette stood abruptly. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To Gavin’s. Remember when I told you about the email from Artie and how he said he’d sent me something in the mail?”

  “Yes?” Amelia replied quizzically.

  “Well, what if this is all a huge sign from the universe? What if everything is happening because I’m meant to take the VP job?”

  “That’s a bit of a stretch…”

  “Perhaps, but it’s still worth looking into. I don’t recall getting anything from Artie, but the other day, Gavin got my mail for me, and he had to leave quickly for an emergency with a tenant. He told me he’d left the mail on the table in his entryway. I never ended up getting it from him. I’m going over there now to look. Wanna come?”

  “Sure. Is he home? I didn’t notice his car when I went out for breakfast this morning.”

  “No, but I have a key. I’ll just let us in, grab my mail, and go.”

  Yvette went to the desk in her dining room and grabbed the key that she had for Gavin’s place. She knew he wouldn’t mind if they went inside. They’d been friends for years, and trusted one another. She waved the key and nodded, indicating that it was time for Amelia to follow her over to Gavin’s side of the duplex.