A Cuppa Trouble

by Angela Ruth Strong

  Tandy fiddled with the messy knot on top of her head. “I think he could. He’s got the skills to break into a car and start the ignition without getting caught. But his whole life is about preventing car theft. Even if you thought he stole the Corvette because he wanted it, where’s the motive here?”

  “I’ll present two motives to make my case.” You could take the lawyer out of court, but you couldn’t take the court out of a lawyer. “One, perhaps his job is in trouble or he has some new anti-theft device he wants to sell. This could be a scare tactic to get car theft back in the news so his employers see his role as more valuable.”

  While an interesting concept, Vic’s career was more important than ever. Theft prevention had to stay on the cutting edge of technology to remain relevant. “What’s the second motive?”

  Greg studied her with somber, dark eyes. “Maybe he is after you.”

  Tandy shook her head. Now Greg was talking like a gossip columnist. “Last night you suggested his interest in our former relationship was only a cover for illegal activities. Now you’re suggesting he’s breaking the law to win me back?”

  “He’s setting himself up to look like a hero, and if it’s not for his job, then it has to be to get your attention.” Greg’s expression was that of pity. “The whole thing with stuffing Marissa in his trunk literally had you chasing after him.”

  Tandy quirked her lips “If Vic wants someone’s attention, all he has to do is smile.”

  Greg crossed his arms. “Really?”

  “Yes.” Tandy blew out her breath and stood. As much as she’d wanted more time with Greg, this wasn’t the Greg she knew. “He even charmed Opal with it this morning.”

  “He was here this morning?” Greg spun his stool to watch her as she walked around him and behind the counter. “See? He’s trying to get your attention.”

  Tandy stopped and chose to face off this time. “Well then, how about I give it to him?”

  Greg’s mouth opened but nothing came out, which had to be a first for him. It felt kinda nice to be the one who left him speechless. Wait until he heard what else she had to say…

  “I’ll go out with him and look for evidence that he’s the perp.” She leaned forward, as if joining him as a conspirator. “I could look through his stuff for the rock that killed George.”

  Greg shook his head slowly and reached over to cover her hand with his. “I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t want you going out with him even to help me prove my case. I would never put you in danger.”

  He looked so sincere while making such a ridiculous statement that Tandy couldn’t keep one corner of her lips from curving up. “That’s probably the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “Hey.” He gave a derisive chuckle. “I bought you flowers yesterday.”

  She smiled her forgiveness. “And a coffee mug.”

  He squeezed her hand and stood. “On that note, my coffee break is over. I gotta get back to work.”

  Tandy slid her hand away. Of course, he had to get back to work. But so did she. And hopefully Marissa and Connor would return soon too. She needed Marissa’s help to prepare for the after-school crowd and for Connor to hopefully finish the tea room upstairs. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Greg nodded then paused. “Do we have plans tomorrow?”

  She bet Vic knew tomorrow was Valentine’s. If he truly had come back to town for her, that might have even been his motivation. “Valentine’s Day?”

  “Oh, right. The Dating Game.”

  They didn’t have a chance, did they? “Yep.” Maybe one day they’d actually get to go on a date again.

  Greg saluted, grabbed his briefcase, and headed toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Tandy saluted his retreating back. Not her usual sassy response, but the sass had been missing lately. Could it be due to her recent tea drinking?

  The front door opened before Greg reached it, ushering in Connor and Marissa. Undoubtedly, Connor would be switching drinks with Tandy before he returned upstairs. Her mouth watered at the thought, and she mentally agreed to succumb to a few more hours of sasslessness in order to soothe her insides. At least until Vic left and she could be herself with Greg again.

  Greg spun to follow Connor and Marissa who walked toward her. Did he really have more time for them than her? Or were his relationships only based on what could bolster his career? Tandy pressed her lips together to keep the sassy comment from spilling out.

  Tea. She needed tea.

  With a meaningful look Connor’s direction, she grabbed a paper cup and moved toward the espresso machine. “Is your mom okay?”

  Connor hooked his thumbs in his toolbelt. “Yeah. She’s decided to believe the note was left by Susan Snodgrass. That scares her less than to think there was a killer at the farm.”

  Greg leaned a hand against the counter. “What do the police believe?”

  Connor ran a hand through his hair and glanced up at the loft, probably calculating how late he’d have to work to make the next day’s deadline. “They are still questioning everyone.”

  “Who is everyone?” Greg asked.

  Tandy gritted her teeth. The sooner she could drink a té con leche the better. “Hey, Marissa, are you going to make Connor some tea before he goes upstairs?”

  Marissa shrugged out of her jacket, gazing dreamily into the distance. That seemed even more out of character than Tandy’s lack of sass. “Yeah,” she breathed.

  Tandy popped the lid on her drink for Connor and leaned close to Marissa. “You okay?” Apparently Connor hadn’t yet told his girlfriend about kissing Tandy.

  Marissa retrieved a bin of loose-leaf tea and lowered her voice. “I think Connor is going to propose.”

  Tandy arched her eyebrows. For some reason she’d assumed that if Connor planned to pop the question, she’d be in on the plan. “Really?”

  “You know about it, don’t you?” Marissa swatted her. “You’re such a bad actress.”

  Tandy blinked. “I’m not acting. I have no idea about this. What makes you think he’s proposing?”

  Marissa glanced over her shoulder toward the men then steamed milk with a smile. “He wants to talk to me in the loft.”

  Tandy knew what Connor planned to say in the loft, and it was more likely to result in a funeral toll than wedding bells for him. “That could mean anything.”

  Marissa mixed the milk with her brew, and Tandy inhaled the scent of creamy comfort. Marissa cut off the aroma by popping a plastic lid on the drink.

  She turned to face Tandy, thankfully still so much in her fantasy world that she didn’t notice the drool in the corner of Tandy’s lips. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s. The tea loft is my dream come true. What could possibly be more romantic than proposing in my tea loft on Valentine’s Eve?”

  Tandy gripped Marissa’s arm to keep her from returning to her boyfriend only to have her bubble burst. Connor had once ruined her previous dreams of a tea house, so it would be better this time if it came from Tandy. “Valentine’s Eve is not a thing.”

  Marissa smirked. “We’re going to make it our thing. Then we’re going to kick your butts at The Dating Game tomorrow night because we won’t only be dating anymore. We’ll be engaged.”

  Tandy let go. Allowing Connor to crash and burn was probably her only chance to win The Dating Game.

  Marissa sashayed past with the tea, which was quite a feat for her.

  Tandy grabbed the espresso she’d brewed and chased after her partner. She wouldn’t really let Marissa have her heart shattered. Though the importance of switching cups with Connor added extra incentive to prevent her partner’s pain.

  The men still discussed the local car thefts when Tandy reached them. “What did I miss?” she asked overenthusiastically. She really wasn’t a good actress.

  Greg looked at his watch. “It sounds like the FBI have two other suspects besides Susan and Vic. I’ve got to follow up on this lead. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”<
br />
  Tandy tossed Greg a tight smile though he didn’t even look up to catch it. Which bothered her more—how Connor had apparently told Greg something that implied there was still a murderer on the loose, or how Greg cared about it more than he cared about her?

  Connor took his drink from Marissa. “What’s going on between you two?” he asked Tandy. Apparently he’d noticed her expression. “Everything okay in the romance department?”

  “No,” she answered shortly, unsure whether she was referring to her own romance or his.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tandy led the way toward the stairs. “Come on, Connor. I’ll catch you up while you work. And you can tell me what you told Greg.”

  Marissa followed, eyes bulging with unspoken meaning. “I was going to help Connor upstairs.”

  “I know.” Tandy waved her away. “But I need a short break since I’ve been running this place all morning.”

  Marissa shrugged in surrender while gazing lovingly at Connor. “I’ll come join you when Tandy’s done with her break. In fact, I’ll bring you up a surprise, since I know you have a surprise for me too.”

  Tandy climbed the stairs with a wince. She’d have to interrogate Connor for his news first before she told him Marissa was expecting him to propose. Otherwise, he’d probably go into shock, and she’d never find out about these other suspects besides Vic.

  She paused at the top of the stairs to wait for Connor. He took the steps two at a time without spilling a drop of her precious tea. Maybe he should propose to Marissa. She needed his steadiness.

  Checking to make sure they were out of Marissa’s eyesight, Tandy reached for his cup to make the switch. They sipped in unison. Satisfaction had never tasted so smooth.

  Connor set his cup down and grabbed a can of paint. The gold brocade wallpaper didn’t need work, but Marissa wanted the iron fencing running along it to be painted white rather than match the “puppy corner” fence downstairs. She’d make it look even more girly by decorating it with vines and flowers. As for all the gilded mirrors and paintings of English gardens that needed to be hung above the fence, they still rested haphazardly on the round glass tables, covered in sawdust.

  Tandy casually brushed sawdust from the closest painting to reveal a portrait of her dog sitting on a chaise lounge. She was sure Cocoa had never sat on a chaise lounge before, but this was probably the only way Marissa would allow him in her loft. “Hey, it’s Cocoa.”

  “You weren’t supposed to see that.” Connor squatted over a drop cloth and pried open a can of paint. The fresh scent held the promise of new beginnings. “Greg commissioned that piece from my mom to give to you on Valentine’s Day. Can you pretend you’ve never seen it before?”

  Greg had done this for her?

  “Uh…yeah.” Tandy had been doing a lot of pretending lately, so this should be no big deal. Except it was. This was how Greg pursued a woman.

  He didn’t just show up out of the blue and flirt. He planned. He worked. He went deeper than the surface. Because he really did care.

  Connor glanced up from his position on the floor. “Are you crying?”

  Tandy sniffed away her emotion. “No.” Tea-drinking really was making her soft, wasn’t it? “I didn’t know your mom painted.”

  Connor’s shoulders relaxed at her diversion tactic. “Like mother, like son.” He slathered his first white strip along black metal. “Actually, painting is part of her whole mid-life crisis. Along with the Porsche.”

  The Porsche. That’s why Tandy was here. The same reason Greg had left so abruptly. Maybe she shouldn’t be hurt by his hasty departure. He was doing what he did best, and he was doing it for his friends. “You said Susan isn’t the only suspect. Who else does the FBI suspect?”

  “Not the FBI so much as Griffin.” Connor shrugged. “McNeil questioned our two new farmhands in Spanish and left, but since Griffin couldn’t understand what was said, he is staying behind to use a translator app and interview them all over again.”

  A vision of Griffin trying to interrogate foreigners played in her mind like an old Chevy Chase comedy. “Do you think they are guilty?”

  Connor returned to his work. “Farm hands usually don’t know much about breaking into cars.”

  As much as Tandy didn’t want to stereotype anyone, she had to admit the typical migrant worker didn’t fit the profile of a high-tech car thief. “You think Griffin is being overly zealous in order to impress the Feds?”

  “Our sheriff? Overzealous? Whaaat?”

  Tandy gave a sad smirk. It would be funnier if not for the possibility of Griffin being right about there still being a murderer on the loose.

  The door below burst open. Griffin strode in, eyes scanning the room. “Where’s Vic Whitaker?”

  Connor nodded toward the floor below. “Okay, he’s overzealous.”

  Tandy would have loved to agree with him, but knowing Vic, her ex had done something to rile up the police. Either that or Greg had found new evidence to point Vic’s way and turned it in.

  She walked to the loft railing. “What’s wrong, Griffin?”

  The good sheriff stepped wide like he was ready to draw his weapon in a duel before looking up and meeting her gaze. “He left his vehicle running out front with the doors unlocked. That is against the law in these parts.”

  Was he kidding? First of all, nobody said “in these parts” unless they were auditioning for a wild west film. Second, Vic would never leave his car unlocked. Third, that was the most preposterous crime she’d ever heard of.

  It was like one of those silly laws shared as entertainment at a theater before the movie started: In Juno, Alaska, it’s illegal to take your pet flamingo into a barber shop.

  Even if flamingo-hating barbers had the power to create such laws, what kind of lawman would uphold them?

  She was going to need her tea for this. She pivoted to grab the cup from the table, noticed Connor spattered in paint, and realized that if she went downstairs, Marissa could very well come up, expecting a wedding proposal and instead learn that her boyfriend had kissed her best friend. Even caffeinated, Tandy could only handle so much craziness in one day.

  “I’m going to go deal with Sheriff Insano, but you should know that your girlfriend thinks you are going to propose.”

  Connor shot to his feet. “I am.”

  Tandy paused mid-sip. This was great news. Marissa would be thrilled. Except… “I thought you wanted her to come up here to tell her about kissing me.”

  “Should I?” Connor rubbed his jaw. “I’ve been trying to tell her, but stuff keeps getting in the way. And now I’m planning to propose tomorrow after our horse drawn carriage ride. I bought this teaspoon that says, ‘Will you marry me?’ and I thought that when we came back inside to warm up, you could serve us tea with the spoon inside. But if she’s still seething over you kissing me, that could ruin the moment. And I want it to be perfect.”

  Tandy had thought her painting of a dog was romantic, but to each their own. She smiled encouragingly. She didn’t want to be responsible for destroying his big moment. “I’m sure tomorrow is going to be the best day of Marissa’s life.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “I hope so.”

  Good night. Tandy was going to get to be a bridesmaid. Maybe Cocoa could even be the ring bearer. She held her cup in front of her like a bouquet and took the stairs regally while humming the wedding march. “Dum-dum-de-dum.”

  Vic swung the front door open before she could stop humming.

  He stomped in. “Two questions. First, Tandy, did you finally figure out that I’m your Mr. Right?”

  If her cup had really been a bouquet, she would have tossed it over her shoulder that moment. “No.”

  “Fine.” Vic turned his focus to Griffin with even more passion than he’d sent Tandy’s way. “Why is there a boot on my car?”

  Tandy paused mid-processional. There went her hopes of Vic leaving town.

  Griffin crossed his arms. “You left the keys in your
ignition. Even if you’re warming up your car, that’s against the law. How am I supposed to maintain order in this town when citizens are tempting criminals into crimes of opportunity?”

  Vic groaned. “I wasn’t tempting them. I was baiting them.”

  Griffin’s eyes narrowed. “Baiting? Like in a sting operation?”

  Vic threw his arms up. “Exactly.”

  Griffin nodded slowly. “Not a bad idea…” His eyes narrowed. “…If you’re a detective.”

  Tandy glanced toward heaven in disbelief. Griffin needed as much help as he could get, but he’d probably arrest her for saying as much. So, she’d help Vic instead. She descended the rest of the stairs with resolve. “Sheriff, obviously Vic had pure motives. No reason to punish him for fighting on your side. You should take the boot off his vehicle. Then he can head home before he gets too involved…”

  Vic’s unblinking gaze shifted her way. She felt its heat like an oven door being opened. “I’m already involved.”

  She’d never met a man so persistent. It would be an admirable quality if he’d had such commitment before they’d broken up. “Vic, we’re not involved.”

  “Oh, I know that.” He motioned with his head toward Greg’s law firm across the street. “Your ex involved me in this investigation when he called my boss to ask if my job is in jeopardy.”

  Tandy clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to believe it. “Why would he do that?”

  Vic’s smile started at low beam before turning on the brights. “It would seem that he thinks the only way you’re not going to go out with me is if he puts me in jail for murder.”

  Marissa wrinkled her nose at Tandy’s ex. Or was she wrinkling her nose at the realization that Tandy had to go out with Vic?

  She still despised the man the way all women should, but for some reason, Greg felt threatened by him. The only solution was to get Vic arrested or cleared so he would leave town, and the best way to do that was with a spy. Tandy needed to go on a date to gather evidence one way or another.