Cruel Candy (Cozy Corgi Mysteries Book 1)

by Mildred Abbott

  Katie rolled her eyes. “It is. But it’s still a process. Believe me, I’ve heard about it in detail. She goes to this homeopathic hairdresser. First there’s an oatmeal bath, next they do something with mayonnaise, but it’s the homemade, egg-free kind, of course. After that—”

  “Okay, I got it. That makes sense. Sort of.” I winked at her. “If you’re really conjoined twins all of the sudden, I’m surprised you’re not getting an oatmeal treatment for yourself.”

  She shivered. “Oh, she tried. Even broke down and cried a little bit. But I had to put my foot down at something.” Katie fingered her spiral locks, leaving a trace of flour behind. “My hair was that something. But you would’ve thought I was killing her. I’m telling you, Fred. I take back every bad thought and word I’ve ever had about Opal. No wonder she was angry all the time. Lois is sweet, but the woman is possessive! I dated a guy like that once, for about two weeks. Worst two weeks of my life. It’s like she owns me.”

  I couldn’t even fathom it, but a horrible thought entered my head. “Did you know Opal and Sid were dating?”

  Katie smacked both her dirty hands down on the counter and gaped at me. “You’re kidding? Opal hated him.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Although, I didn’t know she was making edibles either, and if she was doing it in Sid’s kitchen… who knows? Opal acted like she hated everyone except for Lois. And I’ve heard she’d been married several times, so maybe it was just her idea of romance.”

  Katie popped a small glass pan into the oven and returned to the mixer and began beating some eggs, before looking up at me suddenly. “Where did you hear about Opal and Sid? I never would’ve suspected.”

  “From the guy who owns the Green Munchies in Lyons. I drove down to talk to him the day before yesterday.” I wasn’t sure if it was residual from my conversation with Branson the night before or not, but as I made my admission to Katie, I was surprised to find myself a little embarrassed. “I’ve been asking around. I thought maybe I could find something that would help clear Barry’s name.”

  To my surprise, Katie cocked her jaw and grinned. “Doesn’t surprise me at all. No wonder I like you.” She let out a girlish laugh, one that didn’t quite fit her. “I actually went and saw Eddie myself yesterday.”

  “You did?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I snuck out of the house for a couple of hours. Came back to Lois being a complete sobbing mess. I can’t even say why I went there, but I just felt so stupid, all this coming to light and it’s been right under my nose. I know people think that I knew about it, about Opal making edibles. But I swear I didn’t. Lois didn’t either. She’s completely devastated. I just needed to know how big a fool I’d been to not notice. Eddie was sweet. Assured me the way things had been set up, there would’ve been no way I could’ve known. And he didn’t have one good thing to say about Opal.”

  “Tell me about it.” Guilt bit at me at the thought of Eddie. I had no doubt that I’d caused him some sort of trouble with what I’d told Branson. Maybe I’d drive down later in the afternoon and apologize. Or give him warning.

  “Did you know a few years ago, in North Carolina, a bunch of newborns were testing positive for being addicted to marijuana?”

  Katie’s question was so out of the blue it drove Eddie out of my thoughts. It was almost as though she was trying to distract me. “You know, I can’t say I did know that.”

  Katie nodded sagely as she zested a lemon. “It’s true. And then the nurses would have to call social services, of course, because the newborns had to have become addicted to marijuana from someone, and it had to be their mothers, obviously.” She looked at me expectantly.

  “Obviously.” If she was playing me, her acting skills were stellar, and I couldn’t shake my innate sense of fondness for the woman.

  “Well—” Katie dipped a finger in the bright yellow mixture, stuck it into her mouth, and gave a pleased smile. “—it turns out, that none of those baby mamas were using drugs of any kind. After an investigation, they discovered certain brands of baby soaps and shampoos, while not actually getting the babies high at all or even containing THC, were causing the babies to give false positive on drugs tests.”

  I waited for the story to continue. It didn’t. “Oh, that’s… something.”

  Katie nodded again. “I know, right.”

  Again I hesitated, but no further explanation was offered. “Katie, does that have something to do with Opal?”

  “I don’t think so.” She seemed to consider as she removed the crust from the oven, then peered over at me expectantly. “Do you?”

  I shook my head, trying not to laugh. “I doubt it, but I thought maybe you did since you brought it up.”

  “No, that was just a little tidbit about marijuana for you.” She shrugged. “Sometimes, when I get a topic on my mind, I do a lot of research. Granted, with Lois over my shoulder, I’ve not been able to do as much as I normally would, but I managed a little. It was just one of the interesting stories I found out.”

  “Well, okay then. You never know when you might need a random fact. They might make all the difference.” The lady was a hoot.

  Katie poured the lemon mixture over the baked crust, and shoved it into the oven with a contented sigh. “I can’t thank you enough, Fred. I almost feel like myself again.”

  “I’m the one who should be thanking you. I get fresh-baked goodness, have a pleasant memory in this kitchen, and someone to bounce ideas off of.” It would be silly to say out loud, but I truly did feel like I’d made my first friend in town. “And maybe this sounds horrible, but as nice as it is to do what you’re doing for Lois, surely you can’t take it all upon yourself to stay with her. That’s too much for any person. Even if it was a role Opal filled for her.”

  Instant guilt cut across Katie’s features, and embarrassment weighted down her tone. “I have a confession.” I lifted my eyebrows, and she continued. “Commercial rental property isn’t easy to come by in Estes. Especially the kind I need, since I’m a baker. Opal and Lois are listed jointly on both shops’ leases, Sinful Bites and Healthy Delights. I’m hoping Lois will let me take over Opal’s side of the lease. I can finally open my own bakery like I’ve dreamed.” She grimaced. “I truly did like Lois, and I’m sure I will again when I don’t want to strangle her, but the lease is one of the main reasons I’m still staying with Lois. That makes me horrible, doesn’t it?”

  I laughed. “For some reason, Katie dear, it makes me like you even more.” It was true. But, it also could be a reason for Katie to want Opal out of the way. Though I simply couldn’t see Katie doing such a thing.

  She beamed in relief, but her eyes widened, and she turned and set the timer above the oven. “Barely remembered.” She moved to the sink and began to wash up as she continued to speak. “Any other fun factoid you’d like to know about marijuana? I discovered a ton. I can even tell you what wattage of lights is best for optimal growth.”

  I sat up straighter, Katie’s words triggering something. “I forgot, I haven’t checked out the basement, where Opal and Sid were growing all their product. Barry said it was nothing more than a crawl space.” I motioned to the door. “Want to check it out with me?”

  “You know I do!” She gave little more than a cursory wipe of her hands with the dishtowel, and we hurried down to the main floor.

  Near the back, in a hallway close to the storage room, another door led down to a long flight of steps. I flicked the light switch by the doorframe, and we wandered down. I gaped as we arrived into a huge room, nearly half the floor space of the level above, with the ceiling two inches above my head. I lifted my hand, touching the underside of the floorboards of the main level. “They’ve put some work into this place. Maybe Barry didn’t remember, but a crawlspace definitely doesn’t have six-foot ceilings.” The room was empty, nothing but the lights overhead, no trace of plants, pot or otherwise. A tingle of excitement went through me, and I looked over at Katie. “You want to hear what makes me a horrible pe
rson?”

  A smile spread across her face, and she nodded.

  “I love that whatever Opal and Sid did, they did all the backbreaking work, and I now have an actual storage room.”

  Katie cut the cooled lemon bars and sprinkled powdered sugar over the top before choosing four of them to bring over.

  “It’s a good thing I’m not a salad kind of girl. There’s gotta be two days’ worth of calories in this thing.” I picked up one of the lemon bars, sniffed it, and managed to offer up a cloud of powdered sugar which combined with the snow lightly falling outside the window and made a perfect holiday moment, despite all of the turmoil.

  Katie chuckled. “Nah. I almost made my gingerbread recipe, which I serve with ice cream. Lemon bars almost count as dessert.”

  I started to laugh, but the sound turned into an awkward orgasmic groan as I took a bite. Bright, tart, and sweet, and even better than it smelled. “Oh my God. I think I’m in love with you.”

  “Just wait until you try more of my savory dishes. They’re my specialty.” She giggled. “You’ll be asking me to marry you.”

  “I’m close to that already.” I took another bite; it was just as good as the first.

  Watson had already devoured his chicken, and was staring up at us expectantly. I pretended not to notice.

  “Do you think it says horrible things about us, when we’re able to enjoy eating in here where Opal passed?”

  Katie shrugged. “Not at all. The kitchen is for cooking and eating. Not for killing someone. Or for dying, for that matter. It’s the killer and Opal who made the faux pas, not us.” She took another huge bite as if to prove her point.

  “All right, seriously now, where have you been my entire life?”

  “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” She started to giggle and then cut herself off. “Okay, even I have to admit that’s a little too far.”

  Our gazes met over our perfect desserts, and we both burst out laughing. God, it felt good to laugh. Felt good to be normal and happy. A wave of affection washed over me, and I reached out to squeeze Katie’s forearm. “Thank you for this. I can’t tell you how much I needed it. It feels like I haven’t laughed in ages.”

  “You’ve been under a lot of stress since the moment you moved into town. I’d say that’s understandable.”

  “It’s been a lot longer than that.” A hint of shadow filtered back into my mind. “Part of why I came here to begin with. So thank you.”

  A pleased blush rose to Katie’s cheeks, and she smiled. “I’m thankful too. Trust me, there weren’t any moments like this with Opal. Whatever brought you to town, I’m glad you’re here.” She started to take another bite, then paused. “Still… I must admit, I’m curious why you chose Estes Park. I know your mom is here, but we don’t get many single women in the prime of their lives moving to Estes.”

  “You’re here, aren’t you?”

  Her kind eyes flashed panic, and for the first time, her smile seemed forced. She shook her head, curls bobbing. Despite what I noticed, when she spoke, Katie was back to her normal, cheerful self. “Oh no you don’t. This is about you, and I asked first.” Her brown eyes sparkled. “And I told you when I’m curious about things, I like to find out stuff. So far, I’ve discovered you founded your own publishing company. Is your bookstore an offshoot of that or something?”

  For a moment I was thrown off at the thought of Katie researching me on the internet. Then I remembered her odd factoids about marijuana. Maybe this was just part of Katie.

  She backpedaled quickly. “Not that you have to tell me, of course. I’m sure it’s none of my business.”

  It wasn’t any of her business, but suddenly, I needed it to be. Or at least needed to share with someone who wasn’t obligated to take my side through the bonds of family. There was something off about Katie, or something she was hiding. Maybe it made me as big a fool as Barry with Gerald, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I could trust her. “No, it’s okay. I can talk about it. And no, the bookshop is not an offshoot of the publishing house. My partner and I had a falling out. I’m no longer a part of the company.”

  Katie hesitated like she was judging if she should ask the next question or not, but I already knew her well enough to know that she would ask whatever it was. Sure enough, she proved me right. “I have to say, I’m surprised. Honestly, my guess was that you’d gone through a divorce. Felt the need to have a life switch or something.”

  “You’re closer than you know.” Goodness, was I that much of a stereotype? Single woman moving across the country to start her life anew. “The divorce was six years ago. It’s the other version of the tale as old as time. Husband replaces his wife for a younger model, complete with enhanced features.”

  Katie chuckled, but more in commiseration than humor. “I can just imagine.”

  “I did a life change then too.” Yes, it seemed I truly was a stereotype, in duplicate. Might as well own it. “I was a college professor, specializing in American and British literature. After the affair, I left teaching. My childhood best friend, Charlotte, and I joined together and opened a publishing house. To both our surprises, within a year, it was a smashing success. To this day, I can’t tell you why, when so many other small publishing houses are closing. Maybe just dumb luck. Whatever it was, those six years working with Charlotte were the best of my life. I was honestly grateful Garrett had the affair and wanted a divorce. It made my life so much better.” A sense of loss cut through me. I really had built such a beautiful life. I hadn’t wanted anything more.

  “I’m sorry, Fred.” This time Katie reached across with the companionable squeeze. She let a few moments pass before asking more questions. “You said you and Charlotte had a falling out?”

  I couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. “That was a polite way for me to put it. It turned out, I was a fool, and Charlotte found fortune much more enticing than friendship.”

  “No!” Katie’s tone grew defensive. “Don’t refer to yourself like that. Just because someone is a horrible person, doesn’t make you a fool.”

  “In this case, it does. Long story short, Charlotte was better with the numbers. I was better with the creatives. It was part of what made us such a great team. She handled contracts and finances. I handled going over submissions and choosing the writers and books I thought had the best chance of being successful. We were both extremely good at what we did. She’d formatted our business agreements in such a way, from the very beginning, that when the time came, it was easy to push me to the side. I should’ve had a separate lawyer look over our contracts when we founded the company. But she was my best friend. It never entered my mind she only had her own interest at heart. A much larger publishing house came along and wanted to incorporate us into their business. I resisted, not realizing I didn’t have much of a say. Now Charlotte and our company are part of the big five, and I’m here, opening a bookshop.”

  Katie looked furious. “You should sue!”

  I laughed again, once more there was no humor. “The past nine months have been nothing more than litigation. But that’s part of why I showed up so much sooner than expected. All of the sudden, I was just done. I could see the lawsuit spreading out for the next years of my life. It’s no way to live. So I settled. For a very good chunk of money, to be sure, but nothing compared to what should have been.” I motioned around the kitchen. “I can’t say I’m glad it happened, but I am glad I’m here. And I’m excited about what the Cozy Corgi will become. I’m ready for a simple, beautiful, easy life. Just Watson and me, my family, my bookstore, a beautiful mountain town—” I gave Katie a heartfelt smile. “—new friends. The perfect life. True, a different version than what I had envisioned. But who knows, maybe it will be a better one.”

  “I hope so.” Katie returned my smile, but then hers became teasing. “Not to be a naysayer, but I’m not sure what it says when your new adventure begins with a murder. I’m impressed you’re still here. I think I would’ve tossed my little b
undle of fur in the back seat and got myself right back down the mountain.”

  This time, my tone was genuine once more. “Like I said. It seems I like to play the part of a fool. And even though there are no books yet, I’m going to fight for this little place. Whatever it takes, I’m going to make it work. You wait and see. The Cozy Corgi is going to be the best little bookshop you’ve ever seen in your life.”

  “You know, Fred, I don’t doubt you in the least.” She eyed my empty plate. I didn’t even remember finishing it. “Want another piece?”

  “Are you kidding? The first two were the size of small icebergs.”

  “Well, I want a third.” She narrowed her eyes. “I think you should have another, just to make sure that ex-husband and ex-best friend of yours know you’re going to enjoy every second of your new life.”

  Who could argue with that? I slid the plate forward. “Fill me up, my friend. This new life doesn’t come with the calorie counter!”

  I enjoyed my time with Katie so much I nearly suggested she stay as I continued making plans for the layout of the shop. I didn’t. Not because I didn’t trust or like Katie, but I needed this store to be my own. For better or worse, I wanted every decision to be mine. No more business partner. This shop would be entirely Winifred Wendy Page, and no one else. Well, no one else besides Watson in any case.

  Between the early hour of sunset, thanks to winter, and me losing track of time, it was dark by the time Watson and I left the Cozy Corgi.

  After my time with Katie, Eddie continued to be on my mind. I didn’t count him a friend, definitely not in the same way I did Katie, but I truly did feel guilty about selling him out to Branson so quickly. Or maybe the emotion had very little to do with Katie and revolved more around Charlotte. Not the same thing by any means, but it was most definitely not the type of person I wanted to be.

  Though the early evening was dark, it had quit snowing, and the roads were clear. I was halfway to Lyons when I realized I should’ve at least called. I had noticed Green Munchies stayed open until ten every evening, but it didn’t mean Eddie would be there. As there was no cell reception between Estes Park and Lyons, Watson and I just kept going.