Joe sat across from me and Uncle Jack sat to my side. “I just want to say, I hope you don’t judge our quaint little town by the recent events,” Joe said. “Any updates, Jack?”
Uncle Jack shook his head. “Not much. There’s been a few clues found. It’s pointing to someone involved in kite flying from what I can see. But Barney is keeping the good stuff close to his vest for now.”
“I’m sure we’ll know soon. On to happier stuff.” Joe smiled at me. “Why don’t you go first, Tilly? I’d love to have your input before I bombard you with my hairbrained schemes.”
“Joe, you’re too modest. You’ve got excellent business sense, from what I can tell,” Uncle Jack interjected. He looked at me. My turn. OK brain, please click in so I don’t look like a total fool.
I scooted my chair forward and put my hands in my lap. “I haven’t gotten everything worked out yet.” Joe sat forward with his elbows on the table, the notebook and pen pushed aside. “But I’ve got a few ideas. I’d like to offer options for pastries that are locally sourced and organic, along with the classic items. But I’m very open to what you think would sell.” There. I didn’t totally flub it, I hoped.
“Great,” Joe said. “That’s just about what I was thinking.”
“I knew you two would be a great match,” Uncle Jack said. Joe and I swiveled our heads toward him. “In business, I meant.” He held up a hand.
My face was now on fire. I needed to quickly exit. “How about I bake up some samples and bring them by? You can choose a few you like to start with and we can go from there.” Somehow I was able to carry on a sane conversation.
Joe stood and held out his hand. “I should get back to work,” he said.
I shook his hand, holding it just slightly longer than socially acceptable for a platonic shake. Oh boy. “Thank you for your time. I’ll be in touch.” I touched Uncle Jack’s arm and guided him outside. The fresh air hit my face for a reality check. I quickly took off toward the antique shop.
“Whoa there,” Uncle Jack said, jogging to catch up to me. “I have to say, you’re already getting in better shape.”
I kept silent and tried to retain my brisk pace. If I did so, I might just keel over by the time we got back. I slowed down a notch. “I think that went well.” I was grateful he pushed me outside my comfort zone, but I didn’t want to say that to encourage him further.
“I agree. I think he likes you,” Uncle Jack said.
I stopped, mostly for emphasis but also to catch my breath. “Uncle Jack. Do not go fixing me up. It will be a long time before I want to pursue a romantic interest.”
He held up his hands. “OK. Message received. It might not be on my timeline, but Cupid has his own.” He snickered and took off.
Oh boy. Well, I said my piece. We continued silently on our walk, Uncle Jack considerately slowing to match my pace.
“You just never know when the love bug will hit,” he said. His tone implied he had something up his sleeve.
I didn’t want to get into a disagreement with the man who had so lovingly taken me in during the worst time of my life. His heart was huge and always in the right place. Perhaps with fewer years left on the earth, he was becoming more of a romantic. I let his comment go by. He was quite insightful, but I more than had my hands full with the bakery.
As we neared the antique shop, he stopped and pointed to the end of the harbor. “Do you see the lighthouse?”
I looked in the direction he indicated. “Of course.”
“The top level has been converted to a small, charming restaurant. Just perfect for two lovebirds,” he said and sped off for the final distance to the shop.
“Uncle Jack!” I admonished and shook my head, following him.
Inside the store, he busied himself in the corner opposite the bakery.
I said to him, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” We both smiled, and I bounced over to the kitchen to fill my cooled cupcakes with cream. This time, I would taste it to be sure it was the right stuff. Lesson learned. My mind wandered to Joe. I just couldn’t let myself go there yet. But could I be disciplined to remain focused on my business? Time would tell. I smiled as I finished preparing the cupcakes. If I could spend every day like this, I would be in heaven.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I stopped and looked in the small mirror that hung next to the door in my cottage. I pinched my cheeks, wanting to make sure this was all real. My life was nothing like it was just a few short months prior. I had my own adorable place to do just as I wanted. My eye for design had so far garnered me a bed, a small table and chair to eat at, a love seat, and a television. The TV had only been on a bit each morning as I got ready for work. I couldn’t bring myself yet to just be in the quiet. My brain needed some background noise.
The stress lines around my eyes had noticeably diminished since I had moved to Belle Harbor. I chalked it up to the sea air. But spending time with one of my favorite people on the planet contributed significantly to my disposition. Today, I had to walk to the shop since the moped was still being repaired. I cherished the time to gather my thoughts along the way. They had settled down after Joe and I had made several pages of notes last night. My plan for our collaboration was coming together. If this was successful, I had even more ideas percolating about other business deals.
At this hour, the beach was sparsely dotted with the early risers. Experiencing life in a vacation venue had to put a positive spin on things. If it didn't, why would you live here?
The door to the store was open, and Uncle Jack and Justin were deep in conversation. “And speak of the devil.” Uncle Jack lifted his head when he saw me enter. I ignored his comment.
“Hi guys.” I waved. “You’re here early, Justin.” I slipped off my backpack and stood next to them.
“Yeah, I’m looking for that little rascal again. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how he continues to escape,” Justin said. He started weaving through the aisles, looking under tables. “I just hope he’s not causing any trouble.”
“He’s welcome anytime after what he did finding those clues to Cal’s death. Barney wouldn’t say, but I got the feeling that may have broken the case wide open.” Uncle Jack was a bit dramatic. I didn’t see how a piece of a kite or some footprints in the dust could lead to anything. But a kite flier who was used to always winning? Would that be enough to make someone angry to kill the judge? I shuddered. It sounded like Cal may not be well liked with employees bad-mouthing him and his business. It did explain a bit about why my moped pooped out. I only hoped Uncle Jack hadn’t wasted his money on a lemon.
“We can keep looking for him if you need to get to work,” I offered.
Justin looked at Uncle Jack and back at me. He came around the table and stood next to us. “Nah, Justin makes his own hours,” Uncle Jack said and winked at Justin. “That’s how it is in the agriculture business.”
Justin giggled. “Sure, Jack. But Tilly’s right. I should be going. I’ll stop in later to see if you’ve found my little guy.” He headed to the door and almost collided with a customer rushing in.
The man’s clothes were disheveled, and I suspected that he may be a homeless person. His wool plaid shirt was overdressed for the weather. His construction style pants were worn and dirty. He turned to see Justin leave and came further into the store. I pulled out my phone in case I needed to dial 9-1-1. Big city life had taught me well in situational awareness. The man reached into his pants pocket and pulled out something he gripped in his hand with a chain dangling. He looked at the open door again, and back at Uncle Jack.
“What do you have there?” Uncle Jack inquired.
The man looked at me, then around the room. “A watch. Do you buy these types of things?” he asked. He held his arm out, cupping the timepiece.
I took several steps toward the duo, my phone remaining at the ready.
“May I?” Uncle Jack asked.
The man looked at him and nodded. He carefully transferr
ed the watch to my uncle. I could see an intricate design along with writing on the cover of the watch. Uncle Jack clicked it open and some type of red jewels sparkled from inside the watch. He gently closed it and handed it back to the man. He rubbed his chin. Pointing to the watch, he said, “That’s a bit above my pay grade, but I have a lot of dealers that I can contact to see if they’re interested.”
The man jammed the watch back into his pants pocket. “I don’t need to see a dealer. What could you give me for it?”
“Well.” Uncle Jack crossed his arms. “The problem is if I buy it, I don’t really have a clientele that could afford it.”
The man took two steps toward the door. My instincts said Uncle Jack was slow-dancing this guy somewhere. “OK. When can you get in touch with the dealer? I’m kind of in a hurry.”
“Give me a day or two. Just a sec.” Uncle Jack turned and headed to the cash register.
The man’s eyes darted around, scanning the other items on the tables.
Uncle Jack returned with pencil and paper. He handed it to the guy and said, “Write down your name and number, and I’ll let you know when I have something for you.”
The guy looked down and shook his head. “I’ll come back. I need it soon, though. My mother is sick and she needs the money for her treatment.” He turned and almost ran from the store.
“Uncle Jack,” I said.
“Don’t worry, Tilly. I’ve been doing this long enough. That’s the exact watch the woman was looking for the other day.” I followed him back to the cash register. “There’s obviously something fishy between the both of them.”
He picked up the phone, dialed, and grinned. I think he was maintaining calm more for my sake. My heart raced just as if the guy had come to rob us with a gun. This was not the life I had envisioned in a happy, little beachside town.
“Yeah. Barney. Jack. Got a lead on that watch. Guy just came in with it. I put him off, but I’m sure it won’t be for long. He wants to dump it ASAP.” Uncle Jack nodded. “All right. See you soon.” He hung up the phone and rubbed his hands together. “We’re going to nail that jerk. Nothing much peeves me more than people stealing. Well, that and murder.” He gestured to the wall we shared with the bookstore. “I got a feeling Barney is going to make an arrest soon.”
It wouldn’t be soon enough for me. The not knowing was hard. From my perspective, the crime against Cal was personal. That gave me the smallest amount of solace that I wasn’t in danger. But if someone killed once, would they do it again? And this sketchy watch gave me concern for Uncle Jack. If he did this guy wrong, no telling what people desperate for money would do.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I headed back to the kitchen and my happy place. Cupcakes never stole or murdered. The worst thing they did was add to my weight, and I’d take that risk all day long over fear for my life. I got the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and spooned it into a pastry bag. I squeezed a dollop onto my finger and tasted it, just in case. I closed my eyes and swallowed it. Mmm. Sweetness. I lined up the cupcakes on the counter and started at the left end, poking a hole in each cupcake and squeezing it full of filling. I continued on until I had the two dozen cupcakes filled and ready for the icing. I had made a batch of chocolate ganache to top them off. Never too much chocolate in my book.
“Hey there,” I heard Uncle Jack call out as Barney arrived. Our little town police chief seemed to be a regular at the antique shop. Never mind that he and Uncle Jack were old friends and poker buddies. This had to be the most excitement in Belle Harbor in quite some time. “Thanks for coming so quickly. You know, my memory for details ain’t what it used to be.” He chuckled.
“What are you thinking, Jack? Is the watch hot?” Barney asked. “Hi Tilly.” He waved to me in the kitchen.
I waved back. “I’ll have fresh cupcakes to sample in a bit.”
“Barney, I don’t know if you’re more interested in the stolen watch or getting dibs on the cupcakes,” Uncle Jack said. “I think Tilly’s bakery is going to be good for my antique business too.” He looked at me and smiled.
“That is, if we don’t eat all of her profits.” Barney chuckled.
Uncle Jack pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Barney. He pointed at it. “Here’s the watch the guy brought in. I found this online. Likely worth about twenty Gs.”
Barney whistled and looked up. “I might be in the wrong business.”
“Has anyone reported it missing? A woman was in here a few days ago looking for that same watch,” Uncle Jack said.
Barney headed back to the kitchen, followed by Uncle Jack. They watched me frost the cupcakes. “Nope,” Barney said. “I think I’d remember that. But there’s a lot going on. That investigation into Cal’s death is keeping me and my deputy pretty busy.”
“What’s the latest?” I asked.
He continued his observation of my work. “Well, for starters, we’ve interviewed the other judges in the kite competition. And with Cal’s shady business dealings, there’s a lot of people that appear to have a beef with him. It’s more complicated than I expected.”
I handed him a cupcake. There wasn’t going to be any further progress on the investigation until he got one of these in his belly. He put almost half of it in his mouth, leaving a cream-covered mustache.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Barney.” Uncle Jack handed him a napkin. I handed my uncle a cupcake, and he followed suit, taking a huge bite.
I gave him a napkin. “I’m going to have to put a quota on you two.”
Barney rolled his eyes. “These are just too good. One more? Then I promise I’m done. For now.”
“OK.” I slid one across the counter with another napkin. “But I need some left over to take next door.”
Barney snapped his head up. “You mean to Flo?”
“Don’t let her hear you refer to her that way. She made it clear that it’s Florence,” I said. I finished icing the last cupcakes and began loading a dozen of them into a box for delivery.
“Of course,” Barney said, wiping his salt-and-pepper mustache again for good measure. “Do you know what her situation is?” He looked back and forth between Uncle Jack and me.
“Barney, you old devil,” Uncle Jack said. “Don’t tell me you’re smitten with her?” He reached for another cupcake, and I tapped his hand and shook my finger at him.
“Smitten? What are you? Out of the 1920s?” Barney replied. “I’m just asking. I didn’t see a ring on her finger.”
“Well, maybe you haven’t lost your investigative skills after all,” Uncle Jack said. “That’s very observant of you.”
Barney headed back to the front of the store and started mindlessly picking through items on the tables, picking up an antique schooner and holding it up high. “Maybe I’ll buy this. I have just the perfect spot for it,” he said.
“Don’t try to dodge the subject, my friend.” Uncle Jack followed him. “Spill it,” he said.
“She seems nice enough. And I like to read. So I think we would have something in common,” Barney said, avoiding all eye contact, continuing to look the ship over from all angles. He moved to the cash register, set it on the counter, and got out his wallet. I didn’t know if he really wanted that, but he was willing to spend money to get the subject changed.
“Barney. You old dog. Good for you,” Uncle Jack said. He played along with Barney, took his money, and packaged up the ship to go. “I hope that looks just like you want it to in your house.” Uncle Jack smirked.
Barney took a couple of steps in my direction. “Tilly, why don’t we go out to celebrate you opening your business?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I haven’t done much yet. Except make Uncle Jack sick with the first batch of cupcakes,” I said.
Barney looked at Uncle Jack and back at me and grimaced.
“Don’t worry. There was a mix-up in the cream filling. But as you tasted, that’s all been corrected,” I assured him.
He nodded. “Well, I t
hink that’s a success.” He looked at Uncle Jack. “Why don’t we take her to Fiona’s? She could stand to meet someone her own age since she’s just been hanging out with us two old codgers,” Barney said.
“Hey, speak for yourself,” Uncle Jack countered. I was convinced he didn’t think of himself as old. And he certainly didn’t act his age. “But yes, Fiona’s would be great. And I think they would get along well.”
“Now that you two have my social calendar filled, why don’t we pay Florence a visit and deliver these cupcakes?” I asked.
I held out the box for Barney to take. He looked at Uncle Jack and said, “Not a word.” He took the box, and we followed him out the door. For the life of me I couldn’t see Florence as much more than an eccentric cat lady. But beauty was in the eye of the beholder. I tried to imagine Barney and Florence as an item, but my brain wouldn’t go there. I hoped for Barney’s sake that she didn’t break his heart. He was a gem, too, and one of Uncle Jack’s best friends. The two of them had been inseparable since Uncle Frank had passed. And I was grateful to Barney for that. Maybe I would whip up a batch of cupcakes just for him. We hadn’t started off on the right foot with Florence, and I hoped the cupcakes would be a sufficient peace offering. And if she had any interest in Barney, his delivery of them would just sweeten the pot.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The appearance and ambiance of the bookstore had been transformed from the cluttered mess of moving day. Walls held shelves lined with nicely arranged books, nothing out of place. In between the shelves were overstuffed chairs with ottomans and side tables holding rustic lamps. Each little nook looked like a cozy reading corner where you could cuddle up and spend hours with a good book.
The center of the room was dotted with small round tables holding books on display. The tea corner in the back of the room still looked ready to host the first gathering.
Barney led the welcoming committee boldly into the store. Florence had her head in a box and looked up as we approached. Barney held the box of cupcakes in outstretched arms to show that we came in peace. She looked from Barney to Uncle Jack and me and back to Barney. She raised up and asked, “Can I help you?”
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