The Leprechaun's Loot

by Constance Barker

  “How do we know you didn’t steal it yourself?” Verny leveled. Good ole' Verny...I could always count on her to make a bad situation worse. “You’ve mentioned how valuable it is and how it’s your prized possession enough that it wouldn’t be too crazy to think that you have insurance for it. Insurance that might pay out well if it were to be stolen.” Oh Verny, you outdid yourself this time.

  “How dare you?” Lightning started.

  “How dare you?” Verny replied. “If we can all be done throwing useless accusations that we know aren’t true around, I’d like to get on with my day.” Surprisingly Lightning nodded at her instead of arguing. Maybe it was because he was tired, but part of me wondered if Verny might have stumbled onto something. I’d have thought it impossible, but one could never be too sure of anything or what someone might do if they were in dire need of money. I didn't think Lightning had a problem with money, but then again, I didn't know his financial situation.

  “Would you like a shot of espresso?” I offered, hoping that if he felt less tired, he might be in a better mood. Lightning glared but nodded none the less. He didn’t speak again until he thanked me for his coffee and grumbled about going to the station. Part of me felt sorry for the old codger, but another part of me wondered.

  Chapter Six

  It was hard for the day to get back to normal after Lightning left. With the morning starting the way it did and Lightning’s baseless accusations it felt more like a strange dream than an actual day. It was hard not to think about the missing dagger, everyone who came in was talking about it. Verny was now telling people that he deserved the dagger going missing, which didn’t make her seem very innocent or sympathetic. Some people were beginning to give her the side eye.

  “I just don’t think he should go on and on about something so valuable and then leave it lying around for everyone in town to look at. What did he think was going to happen?” She said to a customer while handing out their food. His accusation had bothered her and any sympathy she’d had for him was gone, or at least she was pretending it was out of spite.

  “Well, I don’t know,” the customer replied. “He’s had it at the dance for years and nothing has happened before.” They shrugged. Verny was definitely in the minority. The general vibe I’d picked up was sympathy for Lightning, disappointment that the dance ended early and a little bit of excitement over the scandal. I’d heard at least six different theories about where the dagger had gone. Most of them were even more outlandish than Lightning’s mob theory.

  “Hmmm,” Verny replied to the customer before walking away from the table. I shot her a look, just because she was grouchy did not mean she could be rude to the customers. “Do you need anything else?” She asked turning back to the table, feigning some pleasantness.

  “We’re all set, thanks.” She turned to me an gave me a look that said 'I'm trying to be nice.' I was glad for the business, as I always was. I was also flattered that everyone seemed to want the corned beef sandwich I had on the menu. A lot of people said that they hadn’t been able to get enough since the dance was cut short. The only problem was this meant I wouldn’t have many leftovers for the police station. I'd make some special for Gideon.

  “I just can’t believe it happened right under our noses!” Caroline exclaimed. She was grinning from ear to ear, more than just a little excited about the gossip. I wasn’t surprised to see her, the only times she came into The Lucky Dill was when there was something to talk about. It made sense considering that the deli was a popular gathering site, especially since Verny, Cookie and myself had been near the center of a lot of town gossip lately.

  “It’s terrible,” I said. I meant it, knowing how distraught Lightning was about the dagger going missing.

  “That security guard should be fired,” she pursed her lips and shook her head. She stood at the end of the counter waiting for her sandwich. I had no choice but to make small talk with her while she was stuck behind it.

  “Well, I don’t know about that,” I said uncomfortably. The idea of a kid losing his job made me feel bad, even if he should have been paying better attention.

  “What don’t you know about it?” Caroline exclaimed as if I was the silliest person she’d ever spoken to. It was one of the qualities that made her so very difficult to get along with. I tried to enjoy her company, but it wasn’t something I thought I was capable of. Especially considering Verny and Cookie’s issues with the woman.

  “I would hate for him to lose his job, I mean he’s just a kid. Lightning was hovering around the dagger all night, I can see why he stopped watching it so closely,” I shrugged. It was a weak defense and truthfully, I just didn’t want anyone out of work. I’d been through that more than once and it was never an easy situation to be in.

  “I think he was completely irresponsible. I can’t believe what that poor man must be going through. I have a ring with half as many emeralds and I’d be devastated if I lost it.” Caroline showed off the ring on her finger. It was incredibly nice, with three circular emeralds and small diamonds dotted around them. Verny’s head snapped up from the table closest to where Caroline stood.

  “You like emeralds?” She asked. Oh boy, I knew where this was headed. Right down accusation alley.

  “I love them,” Caroline said, emphasizing every word. “They’re my favorite jewel. They’re just so regal, don’t you think?”

  “They’re very beautiful,” I agreed. “So is your ring.”

  “When did you get it?” Verny asked innocently. I shot her a look. Lightning’s accusation had certainly made her irritable.

  “Not too long ago,” Caroline answered, catching onto Verny’s thought process. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her. If I were being honest, Caroline was probably the more civil of the two of them.

  “How long ago?” Verny pressed. Cookie noticed what Verny was doing as well and looked like she was debating whether to get involved. On the one hand she never minded Caroline being put into an uncomfortable situation, but on the other....oh heck, I don't think there is an other when it came to Caroline and these two.

  “The other day,” Caroline replied, crossing her arms. I tried to get her sandwich done as quickly as possible. It was a to-go order, which was a blessing. Once I was done, she’d be gone, and we could all avoid a scene.

  “It’s really lovely,” Cookie said, stepping in. “I’d love a ring like that.”

  “Thank you,” Caroline said, smiling once more.

  “Here’s your sandwich,” I said, as I finished wrapping it up with parchment paper and closing it with a personalized sticker. I handed it to her, almost shoving it into her hands.

  “Thanks, Josie,” She said, taking the sandwich as though she was glad to have an excuse to leave. “Have a good one.” Her glare at Verny didn’t escape any of our notice as she left.

  “What did you have to do that for?” I asked.

  “What?” Verny asked rolling her eyes.

  “You know what,” Cookie backed me up. “Caroline didn’t steal the dagger.” The few customers left in the dining room were talking amongst themselves, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were listening in as well.

  “I didn’t say that she did.”

  “No, but you implied it. I do remember someone being very salty about getting accused of the same thing earlier,” I said crossing my arms. I was younger than Verny, but sometimes I felt like she was a teen and I was scolding her for misbehaving.

  “I mean, she wasn’t wearing that ring at the dance and I haven’t seen it before,” Verny shrugged. “She does love emeralds.” She mimicked Caroline.

  “A coincidence,” Cookie shrugged. “I don’t get along with her either, but let’s not throw around accusations like that.”

  “Lightning didn’t seem to have a problem with it,” Verny shrugged. I knew this was all a symptom of his words from earlier.

  “He didn’t mean it, you know that,” I said. Verny shrugged again but didn’t say anything else. It suite
d me just fine, we still had more than enough customers to take care of and no shortage of new customers coming in.

  After the lunch rush and things calmed down, I felt like I was finally able to breathe. Making myself a fresh cup of hazelnut coffee I took a moment to relax.

  “You know you can’t always stir the pot like that?” I asked Verny rhetorically.

  “I guess,” she responded, more contrite than before. “At least I shouldn’t be stirring the pot while we're open and have customers.” She recited this as though she were a toddler apologizing for something they didn’t really want to apologize for.

  “Thank you,” I said with a nod. I wouldn’t push it anymore, she knew that she had stepped over the line. I passed her a cup of coffee and gave one to Cookie as well. This was the way of the deli, we’d get a huge rush and then there would be maybe one or two more customers between now and dinner. The phone rang, making us all jump a little in our moment of peace.

  “Hello?” I asked into the receiver. My phone hadn’t rung this much in a while, at least when it wasn’t either Verny or Cookie on the other end.

  “It’s Abel,” Abel responded. Once again, I felt like I was in middle school passing notes between two crushes. “Don’t say it’s me, if Cookie is around you.”

  “How can I help you?” I asked, giving Cookie a raised eyebrow so she might be able to figure out who was calling.

  “I just don’t want to jeopardize anything or make it awkward if I asked Cookie out to dinner.” Abel sounded almost distraught, like he had been agonizing over this decision for a while. “I thought that I might be able to figure out how she felt at the dance, but then the dagger went missing.”

  “That would be doable,” I answered, still trying to be subtle. I was going to tell them Abel had called once he hung up, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “So you think she would say yes?” He asked, sounding both relieved and more nervous simultaneously. I couldn't believe this poor dude was so star struck he had to resort to calling Cookie's friend to see if he liked her or not. Men!

  “I think so,” I nodded. Cookie looked confused, but I could tell that Verny had figured out what was going on. “It sounds like a good idea to me.”

  “Then I’ll ask her,” Abel said with a huge sigh. “Thank you,” he added before hanging up.

  “You guys will never guess who just called,” I said as soon as he hung up.

  “I think we'll be able to guess,” Verny said rolling her eyes.

  “Who was it?” Cookie asked.

  “You really don’t know?” I asked. Cookie shook her head. “It was Abel.”

  “Oh,” Cookie replied looking uncomfortable. She looked between me and Verny and then sighed heavily. “Oh,” she repeated. What the freaky dink! I thought she'd be all swoony. Why do these girls do a switch and dump on me like this?

  “What?” I asked.

  “I’m just not sure about this whole Abel thing,” she said with a sigh.

  “What whole Abel thing?” Verny asked. “It’s a thing now?” She looked scandalized that she didn't know it was a thing.

  “No,” Cookie replied quickly. “I mean, I don’t know. I think he likes me, and I think I like him, but I have no idea, really.”

  “I'd say you’re better off without him, or anyone,” Verny said bitterly. “Men will use you until they find a younger version and then they’ll leave you in the dust.” Verny’s own experience with her ex-husband had disillusioned her to the entire dating scene.

  “That’s not true of all men,” I jumped in. “Abel seems like a nice guy, he’s been nothing but a gentleman the entire time we've known him.”

  “I don’t have any objections to him as a person,” Verny defended herself. “Just men in general when it comes to dating.”

  “Your experience isn’t everyone’s,” I reminded her. This was a conversation that we would have more than a few times in the coming weeks.

  “I do like him,” Cookie said surer of herself now. Knowing that I was on her side made her more confident. “I think I’d like to get to know him better.” Verny scoffed.

  “I’m glad to hear that considering I told him to ask you out,” I said with a smile. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Yeah, that’s okay,” Cookie said with a smile and a nod. “I’m going to be cautious,” she assured Verny. “But I would like to see where this might go.”

  Chapter Seven

  There wasn’t much more time to gossip after that. It was around time for the dinner rush, which kept us occupied. Cookie was more than enough occupied with thoughts of Abel. She was a ball of nervous energy, and the customers could tell.

  “Are you alright?” One of them asked her after she nearly overfilled their coffee cups, which happened just after she had brought them the wrong order three times over.

  “Who, me?” She asked. “I’m great. Fit as a fiddle,” she replied smiling before walking away.

  “Cookie, you have to pay more attention,” I said to her quietly while passing her an order. There were only a few customers left, the rush was almost over. If she could pull it together for only a little longer, we’d get through the supper rush even faster.

  “I’m trying,” she whined. “I’ll pull it together.” The far off look in her eyes told me otherwise, but she was still doing fine. Most people just assumed that she was concerned for Lightning. A few customers had come in saying that they had seen him leave the police station in a fit. He was shouting at the station, throwing his arm up and pointing his cane in a very threatening manner. Obviously, this was concerning, but I knew Cookie’s thoughts were all about Abel. Lightning was always one for a dramatic exit. Likely he was only mad that they hadn’t already found who was responsible.

  Once things calmed down, the phone rang again. “Really?” I said, hoping it wasn’t Abel. I didn’t want to be constantly giving him advice, I mean we were all in or around our forties. He should be able to ask someone out, regardless of how shy or uncertain he was.

  “If that’s Abel, tell him to grow up,” Verny said shaking her head. Cookie shot her a look. It did seem that whoever was calling knew the general schedule of the rushes at the deli. The phone rang almost as soon as we died down each time.

  “Answer it on speaker,” Cookie suggested.

  “Hello?” I said after answering and putting the phone on speaker.

  “Hi, Josie,” Lightning replied. “Are Verny and Cookie there?” He asked. I almost nodded in reply before remembering that he couldn't see me.

  “We’re here,” Cookie replied for me. Verny had crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

  “I just wanted to apologize for what I said this morning, I didn’t mean it,” he said, sounding so chagrined I could almost see his ears turning pink. “It wasn’t very nice of me to say.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” Verny said with a nod. She always appreciated a straightforward apology. “I accept your apology.”

  “I need your help,” he said.

  “With what?” I asked.

  “You need to come over after you close the deli and help me figure out who stole my dagger.” He sounded on edge, even more than he had earlier. He wasn’t one to ask for help at least not this directly.

  “Aren’t Gideon and Abel on the case?” I asked, wondering why he wanted our help. The police can do a lot more than the three of us could.

  “I don’t trust them,” he replied. Verny gave a little noise of approval, as if he was backing up her point about Abel earlier. Neither of them had any reason not to trust either of the men. I trusted Gideon implicitly.

  “Why not?” Cookie asked him. Gideon and Abel had proved themselves more than once in the last year alone. Our once sleepy town had been host to more than one murder in recent times, both solved by Gideon and Abel. I was sure they could handle a stolen dagger.

  “They won’t find the thief,” Lightning insisted.

  “Why do you think that?” I asked.

  “I don’t want to ta
lk about it over the phone,” Lightning said as if he was worried, we were being listened to. “Just come over after you close.”

  “We’ll come,” Verny said, surprising me. I thought she’d be the first to say no. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. I was still exhausted from the days of prep work I had done before the dance. Momma needed a nap.

  “Thank you,” Lightning said and hung up. If he wasn’t one to ask for help, he certainly wasn’t one to thank people.

  “What do you think that was about?” Cookie asked. “I wonder what they said to him at the station. Clearly they upset him.”

  “I don’t know,” I said shrugging. My curiosity was definitely stronger than my exhaustion. I wanted to know what Lightning was going to have to say for himself and what Gideon did to upset him. Those two had butted heads before.

  “I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out,” Verny shrugged as well. His apology seemed to be enough for her to forgive him or she was like me and her curiosity was getting the better of her. None of us could pass up a good mystery, and Verny was least able to pass one up. She devoured mystery novels and television series like they were candy.

  “You still open?” A man asked startling all of us. It was after the dinner rush, so none of us had really expected anyone to come in. Morning was our busiest time of day, and it got slower as the day went on.

  “Yes, how can I help you?” I asked pulling myself together. I didn’t recognize the man, which was odd considering that we knew almost everyone in town, and it wasn’t a popular tourist season. He had a thick, brown handlebar mustache that covered his top lip completely. His belly was large, and round and he wore a tan suit that you might see in a film like Jurassic Park. I was sure that if I had seen him before, I would remember.

  “My name is Horace Grant, I’m a private collector of artifacts and an affiliate with some museums. I’ve heard that this town has some unique history and a lot of artifacts.” I stared at the man, a likely stupid look on my face. “Here’s my card,” he said after none of us replied. He passed us a thick white card.