Dairy-Free Death

by P. D. Workman

  “Joelle?”

  “I guess so. She’s the only one who knows him and anything about his life these past two decades.”

  “Chicago? Is that where he went?”

  “That’s where he came from. I don’t know if that’s where he went from here. No one from here ever found him.”

  “It’s weird, isn’t it?” Erin shifted her position and stretched out a bit in her reading nook. She was starting to get drowsy. In spite of how hyped up she had been after Mary Lou’s visit, it had been a long day, and her body was starting to insist that she get some rest. She smothered a yawn. “I mean, it must be really weird for you. You knew them both twenty years ago, and then they were gone. And now… whoever thought that either of them would ever come back here, let alone both of them.”

  “I wish they’d both just stayed away.”

  “Davis too?”

  “Yes. Both of them. Davis wasn’t the same as Trenton, with his out-and-out meanness. He was different. Trenton was the outgoing guy who knew and controlled everyone around him. Like Angela. Davis was different. He was darker. Depressed. He was just… there was so much going on under the surface. Tortured.”

  “You sound like he was more your type.”

  “My type?” Melissa snapped. “What makes you think I like the moody, depressive type? Does that sound like me?”

  Erin bit her lip. She was tired, and she was making mistakes. “Opposites attract? I don’t know. It was just the tone of your voice. Like maybe you liked him, back then. It doesn’t mean anything. Who can predict who a teenager will crush on?”

  Melissa scowled and didn’t answer.

  “You clearly knew the family. There weren’t a lot of prospects around here. Maybe you liked the younger brother better.”

  “I didn’t like either of them. So, you can just put that right out of your mind. I had plenty of prospects. There were lots better than the likes of the Plaint boys.”

  “Prom King and valedictorian rolled into one? I guess not everyone aspires to that. Some of us like someone more down-to-earth.”

  “That’s right,” Melissa agreed. “There were plenty of other boys around Bald Eagle Falls. I didn’t need Davis.”

  And yet, she never had married, and Erin never even heard her talk about dating anyone.

  Chapter Twelve

  THERE WAS A SOFT noise on the stairs, and Erin turned her head to identify it. She had thought that maybe it was Orange Blossom creeping up to investigate the attic, finally getting over his fear of the stairs, but it was Vic. Though she was holding an alert and anxious-looking Orange Blossom in her arms as her head and shoulders appeared through the access hold.

  “Are you done?” Vic asked. “I could hear you talking to someone…”

  “Just on the phone with Melissa Lee,” Erin motioned with her phone. “Just… talking about Trenton and Davis.”

  Vic stood on the stairs, only halfway up, scratching the kitten’s ears. “What about them?”

  “Just about… how weird it was, both of them showing up here when no one knew where either one of them was. How different they were from each other. About Joelle and who gets the bakery now. Just…”

  “Trying to solve the case?” Vic prompted.

  “No, there is no case. I’m just curious about it, that’s all. I should just mind my own business, I know. Curiosity killed the cat.”

  “Shh,” Vic covered up Orange Blossom’s ears, making him look cross and owly. “Don’t say that around him!”

  Erin chuckled. “It’s not like it’s up to me to decide who gets the bakery or what they do with it. I just… would like to know.”

  “You’re curious,” Vic summed up.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re going to be dead tired in the morning.”

  Erin pressed the button on her phone to bring it back to life. She grimaced at the time on the lock screen.

  “Shoot. I didn’t realize how long I was on. I’d better get moving.”

  Vic descended the stairs and Erin shut off the light and was close behind her.

  “I get the feeling people know what’s going on,” she told Vic with a sigh. “I feel like everyone knows everything about everyone else, and I’m the only one who doesn’t know all of the connections. Like they’re all shutting me out.”

  “Well, I imagine they are, to some degree.”

  “Somebody knows what happened to Trenton and where he went. Someone kept in touch with him. And someone knew where to find Davis, too. I want to know… if someone knows what happened to their father. And where to find him.”

  Vic shifted uneasily. She put Orange Blossom down. The cat wrapped itself around Erin’s ankles, purring and coating her pant legs with orange and white fur.

  “Who needs to buy furs when you’ve got a cat,” Erin said ruefully.

  “Erin…”

  “Mmm-hmm?”

  “I think… you should be careful about asking people questions.”

  “I am,” Erin said. “Trust me, I don’t want another situation where someone thinks I’m a threat and that they have to take me out. No more of that.”

  “It’s just that… you don’t know who is or isn’t dangerous. Or what the truth is. You could stir up a hornet’s nest. And those suckers sting.”

  Erin laughed, but Vic’s expression was earnest. Erin tried to read her eyes. What it was she wasn’t saying.

  “Vic… do you know what happened to Angela’s husband?”

  “That was long before my time,” Vic said. “I wasn’t even born yet. I wasn’t even born yet when Trenton disappeared.”

  “No. But your parents were. You grew up in that family, and you know what their secrets are.”

  “We didn’t have any family secrets. The biggest secret my parents had was that their little boy liked to wear dresses.”

  Erin didn’t let herself be distracted.

  “Vic. Do you know? Or have you guessed? Things are said, people hint around… until you know the truth without having to be told.”

  “You already know. It’s just like Melissa told you before. Aunt Angela would say, ‘before I got rid of my husband’ and stuff like that. Sort of a joke. But everybody sort of believed it, too. That she had just gotten rid of her husband when he got in her way one too many times. It was always sort of the family joke, how Angela would take care of someone if they got in her way. But too often, it was true. People who crossed her… didn’t stay around long. Things happened to them, and they decided to leave.”

  “Do you think she killed him? Or gave him an ultimatum about leaving town?”

  “I don’t know. But like I said… don’t stir things up. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  Erin went to bed, but her mind was whirling with all that had happened during the day. It had been full of new experiences and information, and her brain wouldn’t settle down, trying to process it all. She got up after an hour to take a few of the herbs that she had that were supposed to promote sleep. It always felt like a bit of a cheat, taking something to help herself sleep.

  But it didn’t seem to help. Erin continued to move around, trying to find a comfortable position and just turn her brain off so that she could get some rest. She considered checking if Vic was still awake and asking for one of her Ambien. She’d never taken anything that strong before. She needed to get some sleep. But when she looked at the clock, she realized there were only three hours before she had to get up, and she didn’t want to be dopey driving to the shop or managing the equipment after taking a sleeping pill. She turned on her lamp and sat up with a book, waiting for her eyes to get drowsy and close of their own accord. Orange Blossom didn’t know why she was up when she was supposed to be sleeping, and walked all over her, sniffing her and trying to figure it out.

  Her head hurt. She closed her eyes to rest and found herself drifting. She tried to remain in that dozy, floaty space, and not let any real thoughts or worries creep into the free-flowing nonsensical dream-state thoughts swirling a
round in her head.

  It seemed like she had just finally slipped into real sleep when the alarm went off. Erin didn’t let herself rest for even a second, forcing her feet over the side of the bed and going to the bathroom to splash water on her face. If she let herself go back to sleep, just for one more minute of rest or to reconnect with the end of a dream, she’d still be there in bed when it was time for the bakery to open.

  Orange Blossom yowled and chirped as Erin made her way into the kitchen, turning on the lights. Erin cocked her head but didn’t hear any signs of Vic getting out of bed. Erin determined to give her ten minutes, and then she’d go wake Vic up. Vic probably hadn’t slept any better than Erin. She was the one who had to face the gossips and self-righteous know-it-alls who would be flocking to the bakery to preach hell-fire and call her down to repentance. Erin’s brain had been more occupied with the mystery of her parents’ death, and Angela’s husband’s disappearance, and how everyone in town knew more about the Plaints than she did. Even Vic, who wasn’t even from Bald Eagle Falls.

  Erin started the coffee, fed the cat, and popped some muffins into the microwave to defrost. She put some Jam Lady jars out on the table and looked at the clock on the wall. She couldn’t let Vic sleep much longer, or they would be late getting to the bakery.

  She knocked on the door, open just a couple of inches, but there was no response. She opened the door and knocked again, poking her head in.

  “Vic. Vic, you slept through. It’s time to get up.”

  There was a groan from the dark depths of the room. Erin hesitated. She had always respected Vic’s privacy and never entered the room while she was sleeping or when the door had been shut.

  “Vic!”

  Erin took a few steps into the room. The air was close, sweaty, and stale. Vic shifted around in her sleep, but didn’t sit up or answer Erin. Erin tiptoed over to the bed, and tentatively gave Vic’s arm a shake. She was always surprised by Vic’s muscles. She didn’t look muscular, but they lay under the surface of her pale skin like iron.

  “Vic.”

  Vic groaned louder.

  “It’s time to get up. We have to get to the bakery,” Erin said firmly. She could remember doing this with foster siblings. Trying to get them out of bed when she was told to. She always danced between being persistent enough to wake them up, but not obnoxious enough to get smashed in the nose for it.

  Vic cleared her throat a few times. Erin saw her push up to look at the clock. Vic groaned again. “I can’t.”

  “Come on. Rise and shine. You’ll feel better once you’re up.”

  “No. I can’t today.”

  “I know you probably didn’t sleep very well. I didn’t either. But we still need to—”

  “I can’t,” Vic insisted. “I’m calling in sick.”

  Erin stood there. It had never occurred to her that there would be days when Vic wouldn’t be available to help her. She’d always been a faithful worker.

  “Are you sure?”

  “You’ll have to cover,” Vic insisted. “I can’t.”

  “Okay… Go back to sleep, then.”

  “Uh-huh.” Vic turned over and started snoring almost immediately. Erin stood there listening to the low rumble for a few seconds, then sighed and left Vic alone, closing the door again, just far enough ajar that Orange Blossom could squeeze through. If he knew that Vic was home and he couldn’t get in to cuddle with her, he would howl loudly enough to wake the whole neighborhood, and it was still before dawn.

  “You’ll have to take care of Vicky today,” she told Orange Blossom as she ate her muffin over the sink. “She’s not feeling well, so she’ll need lots of cuddles.”

  Orange Blossom stopped his morning wash to regard Erin with round, serious eyes.

  “I don’t know if she’s actually sick, or if it’s just the dread of putting up with everyone knowing about her… the whole transgender thing. But either way, kitty cuddles always help.”

  Orange Blossom sneezed and went back to washing. Erin ate the rest of the muffin too quickly. It felt like a big lump of it lodged in her esophagus. But she knew she had to get to the bakery as quickly as possible to have time to set up without Vic. She could eat later if she needed to, having a little nibble between orders, but she had to get there and get to work to open on time. People might forgive her for Vic being away, but not for opening late.

  William Andrews wasn’t one of the usual early-morning rush. Erin didn’t usually see him until partway through the day. More often in the afternoon, washing windows, delivering flyers, or a dozen other odd jobs that he was contracted to do by the various town residents. He wasn’t usually one of those who stood outside her door with a cup of coffee, waiting for her to flip over her sign and open the door. Erin gave him a smile of greeting. On one hand, she wondered how he could manage to look so grubby that early in the morning, but she knew that his mining activities left him almost permanently blackened. He would probably have to scrub off three layers of skin to reveal a clean, pink layer. He was more stained than dirty.

  “Come on in,” she invited. “What can I get for you today?”

  His eyes went to the counter, but Vic wasn’t there. No one was there but Erin. She waited expectantly. The other early-morning customers filed in behind him. Erin stood waiting for him to make a comment or decide what it was he wanted to buy.

  “Where is Vic?” he asked, eventually turning his gaze to Erin.

  “She wasn’t feeling up to it today. I’m sure after an extra day in bed she’ll be raring to go.”

  “I wanted…” He wasn’t sure what to say to fill the silence. “I wanted to be here to help her… give her some support.”

  By which Erin assumed he meant that he had heard the latest juicy tidbits spread by her angry parents, and knew how the majority of the town was going to react.

  “That’s very sweet of you. I’m sure she’d appreciate it. But she didn’t manage to make it in today. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Well… it’s probably for the best. Let things… cool down a little.”

  “You can give her a call later on. I’m sure she’ll be too restless by mid-morning to sleep any longer; we’re so used to getting up early. I’m sure she’ll be happy to know that there’s someone else in town who isn’t going to turn on her.”

  Willie cast a glance back at the other customers who were waiting to be served and spoke in a slightly lower tone. “I know what it’s like to be an outcast around here. Have people look down on you. I can’t say I understand exactly what she’s going through, but… I’ll be there for her.”

  Erin wondered if Willie’s attitude would be any different if he realized that Vic might have romantic feelings toward him. It was one thing to say that he supported her when she was just a friend going through a tough time, but things would be a lot more tangled if he knew that she was transgender and had feelings for him. It was a lot to ask of a guy. And Erin herself felt traitorous for her own attraction to Willie. Why couldn’t she just have feelings for Terry and leave Willie to Vic? It would be a lot neater and more logical than the two of them competing for Willie, especially when Willie wasn’t Erin’s only prospect.

  “Would you like a muffin to go with your coffee?”

  “Uh…” he looked over the products in the display case. “Sure. Are those blueberry?”

  They were clearly labeled blueberry. Not as clearly as Vic would have labeled them, maybe. Erin’s handwriting left a little to be desired. But she had printed it as best she could. And he could see blueberries speckling the muffin.

  “Blueberry is one of my favorites,” Erin said. “I make them pretty often.”

  “I’ve always liked blueberries,” he said, as Erin retrieved one for him. “We used to go picking blueberries when I was a little tyke. There are a few really good places to pick around here.”

  Erin rang up the purchase for him. “I appreciate you coming by. Thanks for being there for Vic. We’ll have to talk more later, okay?”
r />   Willie smiled at her, his teeth very white against his darkened skin. “You bet.”

  Erin didn’t feel like having lunch alone in the kitchen. It seemed too quiet and empty without Vic. She wondered whether Willie had called Vic or gone over to see her, or whether Vic was out of bed yet. Was she sick, or just tired and anxious about facing the townspeople now that they knew what she had hoped to keep a secret?

  She decided to go over to the family restaurant for lunch instead of staying in. Vic usually wanted Chinese or hot chicken when they went out to eat, so Erin hadn’t been to the family restaurant before. It was too early for the lunch rush, so the restaurant was nearly empty, and the young hostess showed her immediately to a table. Erin checked her messages, emails, and neglected social networks while she waited for her meal.

  A figure approached in Erin’s peripheral vision, and she looked up, expecting to see the waitress who had brought her coffee, returning with a plate of dinner.

  But it wasn’t. It was Davis.

  He gave her a stiff smile and dropped into the chair across the table from her without invitation.

  “Bit early for lunch, isn’t it?” he asked. “Or late for breakfast?”

  “Early lunch. There’s a lunch hour rush at the bakery, so we take our lunch before that. And we’re up so early, it’s a long time between breakfast and lunch otherwise.”

  “We? I don’t see your friend today.”

  “No.” Erin looked around the restaurant as if Vic might show up at any moment. “She’s not feeling well today, so it’s just me.”

  “You eat here often?”

  “No. Never been here. Thought I would try it out.”

  The waitress returned at that moment and settled the plate in front of Erin. Erin nodded at Davis and picked up her cutlery, waiting for him to leave.

  “Okay, well… it was nice to see you again,” she tried. But he didn’t budge.

  “What’s that?” he questioned, looking at the bun on the edge of the plate, pushed into the mashed potatoes and gravy, his nose wrinkled. “Commercial brand buns? When I get The Bake Shoppe reopened, I’ll make sure they use our buns.”