Magic and Mocha

by Jinty James

  “Congratulations on coming first after round one,” Suzanne complimented her.

  “Thanks.” Ellie flushed. “I wasn’t sure whether to enter the competition or not, but my boss encouraged me. And now I’m glad I did.” Her pink cheeks deepened into red, and Maddie wondered if she was thinking of meeting Connor last Saturday.

  “Oops!” Ellie checked her watch. “I’ve got to go. It’s my lunch break soon.”

  “Sure.” Suzanne smiled.

  “Good luck for round two.” Maddie smiled as well.

  “Good luck to you too,” Ellie replied, hurrying back to her barista station.

  “Well,” Suzanne said, lowering her voice and looking around the café to make sure nobody was paying any attention to their conversation. “What do you make of all that?”

  “She was telling the truth,” Maddie replied.

  “To all of it?” Suzanne sat back in the chrome chair, a combination of relief and disappointment on her face.

  “To everything we talked about after I cast the spell,” Maddie replied. “Which was after you asked her if she knew Fred Beldon.”

  “Huh.” Suzanne tapped her cup with her finger. “But don’t you think it’s weird that she knows Fred and he was the sponsor of the competition? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

  “Like the one Diana had when she discovered Margot was one of the members of her business club and was judging the competition?” Maddie asked dryly.

  “Huh.” Suzanne said again. “Although... Fred wasn’t a judge, like Margot was. So even if Ellie knew ahead of time that Fred was going to be the sponsor for the competition, I don’t see how that would give her an advantage, do you?”

  “Not unless Fred had a quiet word with the judges and asked them to mark her higher.”

  “I can’t imagine Margot agreeing to that.” Suzanne’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said. “Do you think that’s why she was killed? She refused to give someone higher scores?”

  “If that’s the reason, then I don’t think Ellie is involved,” Maddie replied. “I know she told us the truth about everything after I cast the spell.”

  “Or—” Suzanne looked excited. “Do you think she told the truth as far as she knew it? Like, what if she didn’t know Fred wanted her to win the competition? What if Fred asked Margot to mark Ellie higher and she refused, so he killed her?”

  “But we saw him in the café eating around the time of the murder,” Maddie pointed out.

  “Oh, yeah.” Suzanne looked deflated.

  “And why would Fred want Ellie to win the competition?” Maddie asked. “Because she reminds him of his granddaughter?”

  “Hmm.” Suzanne scrunched up her nose. “I think we’ll have to ruminate some more on this aspect of the case.”

  Maddie giggled. “You sound just like Sherlock Holmes.”

  “Don’t forget he always discovered the solution.” Suzanne laughed too.

  Maddie’s stomach grumbled, reminding her it was time for lunch. “Where’s this burger place you promised me?”

  “Not far.” Suzanne’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. We can talk more about this while we’re munching on burgers.”

  They got up from the table, then Suzanne stopped in her tracks, Maddie nearly bumping into her.

  “I can’t believe we forgot to ask Ellie if Diana offered her the same job she offered you.”

  CHAPTER 8

  SUZANNE WAS RIGHT – they’d forgotten to ask Ellie that. But there had been other questions to ask, and Maddie had focused on casting the Tell the Truth spell as well.

  Besides, as she’d already pointed out to Suzanne, they weren’t professional investigators.

  They walked out of the café, this time Maddie stopping in her tracks as she recognized the man heading in their direction.

  “Suzanne,” she hissed, nudging her friend.

  “Oh, it’s Connor.” Suzanne stood stock still for a second, then moved forward, her lips turned up into a smile.

  “Hi, Connor,” she greeted him.

  “Hey.” He looked at her for a moment as if he wasn’t quite sure where he knew her from, then recognition flickered across his face. “You’re Maddie’s friend – from the barista competition last weekend.”

  “That’s right.” Suzanne nodded.

  “Hi, Connor.” Maddie spoke.

  He looked exactly the same as he had last Saturday – wearing light blue denim jeans and a plain black t-shirt, his forearms bare apart from the tattoos covering them.

  “Hi, Maddie.” He smiled, then nodded toward the café they’d just exited. “Have you checked out their coffee yet? Ellie’s on today.”

  “Yep,” Suzanne said. “And I had a wonderful mocha.”

  “I can see why she’s leading the competition,” Maddie said. “Her latte was great.”

  “Yeah, she has a real talent,” Connor replied, rocking back on his heels. There was a faraway look on his face and Maddie wondered if he was thinking about Ellie’s coffee – or Ellie herself.

  “You must be good, too,” Suzanne remarked. “You’re coming second.”

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “The competition was stiffer than I expected, though.” He looked at Maddie in a way that made her wonder if he included her in the “stiff” competition.

  “Well—” He checked his watch. “I’ve got to go. Ellie and I are having lunch next door.” He gestured to a narrow storefront that advertised fresh sushi. “Hey, do you want to join us?”

  “Thanks, but we were going to have lunch at a burger place near here that’s supposed to be awesome.” Suzanne dug out her phone and tapped the screen. “It’s only a couple of blocks from here, isn’t it?” She showed him the display.

  “Oh yeah.” Connor nodded. “That place has the best burgers. Mmm.” For a second he looked like he’d rather have a burger than sushi for lunch. “Make sure you order the curly fries.”

  “Will do.” Suzanne waved goodbye to him as he headed into the café. Maddie and Suzanne turned the corner.

  “Don’t you think they make a cute couple?” Suzanne mused.

  “Ellie and Connor? Definitely.”

  “He’s so big and tough looking and she’s small and delicate, but they have coffee in common at least,” Suzanne added.

  They concentrated on finding the restaurant, Maddie silently cheering as it came into sight. Through the large glass window they could see that most of the tables were taken, but she spied two vacant ones in the back.

  “Come on.” She touched Suzanne’s hand and hurried into the restaurant, where the aroma of grilled beef and fries filled the air.

  The hostess seated them at a table for two, and left them to peruse the menu.

  “I’m starving.” Maddie scanned the menu, the sounds of diners talking to each other and rock music adding to the atmosphere. The wood paneled walls were covered in photos of cows in green pasture.

  “I guessed.” Suzanne giggled. “I am, too.”

  Maddie finally decided on a select your own burger, choosing a toasted brioche bun, large beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and barbecue sauce.

  “We’ve got to get those curly fries Connor recommended,” Suzanne reminded her.

  The waitress came and took their order, arriving again in a couple of minutes with two glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade.

  “Mmm,” Maddie murmured, savoring the tart yet sweet beverage.

  “I know.” Suzanne sighed in pleasure. “I’m always telling myself I should make it at home, but I never get around to it.”

  When their burgers arrived, the large beef patties almost overwhelming the toasted buns, Maddie peered at Suzanne’s plate. Her friend had ordered a burger with practically everything on it, even pickles, making it almost a mile high!

  They didn’t talk for a while, concentrating on their food instead. When almost all of the golden curly fries had vanished, Maddie leaned back in her wooden chair with a sigh of satisfaction.

  “That was good.�
�

  “Uh-huh.” Suzanne plucked the last fry from her plate and popped it into her mouth. “We have got to come here again,” she said when she’d finished swallowing.

  “My treat next time,” Maddie offered.

  “You’re on.” Suzanne grinned.

  The waitress stopped by with the check, Suzanne flipping through her wallet for the right amount of cash.

  Suddenly, a movement on the left side of the restaurant caught Maddie’s attention. Was that ...?

  “Suzanne.” She kept her voice low, her gaze darting to that side of the restaurant.

  “What?” Suzanne looked up from her wallet, her brow crinkled. “I’ve got enough money, Mads.”

  “It’s not that.” Maddie jerked her head to the left. “It’s Brad.”

  “OMG,” Suzanne whispered. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Having lunch?”

  “Yes, but ... don’t you think it’s strange he’s the third person from the competition we’ve seen today?”

  “Not really,” Maddie replied. “We specifically visited Ellie, and if Connor and Ellie are now seeing each other and they both work in nearby cafés, it’s really not that surprising we bumped into Connor. But,” she allowed, “I didn’t expect to see Brad today.”

  “We’ve got to go and talk to him.” Suzanne looked excited. She threw some cash on the table and scraped her chair back.

  “What are we going to say?” Maddie asked Suzanne as her friend strode over to the other side of the busy restaurant.

  “Hi, Brad,” Suzanne greeted the man, who looked just as grumpy as he had last Saturday. He wore a light blue shirt and black trousers – not the “lucky” shirt he’d worn then.

  He looked up in surprise. A half full shot glass of golden liquid was on his table.

  “Hi.” He frowned. “Do I know you?”

  “I’m Suzanne and this is Maddie. We met last Saturday at the barista competition.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He nodded, then pointed a finger at Maddie, gun style. “You’re coming third, right?”

  “Yes,” Maddie replied.

  “Don’t you two live hundreds of miles away?” His frown deepened. “What are you doing in the city?”

  “We live one hundred miles away,” Maddie told him. “In Estherville.”

  “So what are you doing here?” he persisted.

  “Having lunch.” Suzanne eyed his shot glass. “Just like you are. Except we enjoyed the freshly squeezed lemonade.”

  “I’m waiting for my order,” he informed them, lifting the glass to his lips. He swallowed, satisfaction flickering across his face. “You can’t beat a good bourbon – unless it’s a good coffee.”

  “Are you looking forward to round two on Saturday?” Maddie asked politely.

  “Yeah.” A smile crossed his face. “Mochas are my specialty. How about you?”

  “Maddie’s great at making them,” Suzanne said loyally.

  “This is my first big competition,” Maddie admitted. “Do you compete often?” She wondered if she should have saved the Tell the Truth spell for this man – but she’d had no idea that they were going to run into him today. Perhaps she should have cast a Coffee Vision spell before they left for Seattle.

  “I used to but now I’m too busy running my coffee shop. It’s four blocks away.” He jerked his thumb to the right of the restaurant. “You should stop by some time and check me out.”

  A thought seemed to occur to him. “Hey, I’m looking for a new barista. One of mine just up and quit on me.” He shook his head as if in disgust. “Want to audition?”

  “No, thanks. I have my own coffee truck – with Suzanne.”

  “We’ve got our own coffee business.”

  Maddie and Suzanne spoke at the same time.

  “Pity.” He looked disappointed. “If you’re good enough to come third so far, you might have been good enough to work for me.”

  “Um ... thanks,” Maddie finally said, unable to decide if he was complimenting her or just being obnoxious.

  “Keep me in mind if you want a change of scene. I’ve got a good chance of winning on Saturday since I’ll be wearing my lucky shirt, and then it’s on to the nationals. I’m looking to expand my brand – before long I’ll have a few more cafes around the city.”

  “Just like Diana Swift,” Suzanne observed.

  He snorted. “Fancy coffee for fancy people. Yeah, I heard about her idea last weekend. If you ask me, it will never get off the ground. People in this city want real coffee, not flavored this and flavored that.”

  Maddie and Suzanne exchanged a wide-eyed look. Brad’s face had grown red with his vehemence. Maddie just hoped she and Suzanne didn’t say anything else that would upset him further.

  Saved by the waitress!

  The same waitress who had served them earlier now bustled to the table, carrying a plate with a burger even bigger then Suzanne’s, and French fries.

  “We won’t take up any more of your time,” Maddie said as the waitress departed. “Good luck on Saturday.”

  “You too,” he mumbled around a mouthful of fries.

  Maddie and Suzanne hurried out of the restaurant.

  “Did you see that?” Suzanne breathed as they reached the sidewalk. “He couldn’t wait to start eating and stop talking to us.”

  “Maybe he was hungry.” Maddie tried to be fair.

  “I hope he doesn’t win the final round.” Suzanne frowned.

  Maddie looked at her watch – it was two o’clock already.

  “We better leave for Estherville – unless there’s somewhere else you wanted to check out?”

  “No.” Suzanne shook her head. “After talking to him, the only thing I want to do is go home.”

  THEY ARRIVED BACK IN Estherville just after four o’clock. At the town square, Maddie jumped in the coffee truck and drove home, Suzanne right behind her.

  On the drive back to Estherville, they’d decided that they should fill in Trixie on their outing to the city. Maddie hoped the Persian wouldn’t be cross at being left at home.

  “Trixie,” Maddie called as she unlocked her front door, Suzanne standing behind her.

  “Mrrow.” Trixie walked down the hallway toward them, blinking sleepily at them.

  “Did you sleep all day?” Suzanne asked. “Lucky you, Trix.”

  “Mrrow?” Trixie rubbed her face against Maddie’s jean-clad legs, then stretched up against her knee.

  Maddie crouched down and Trixie jumped into her arms.

  “Ohh,” Suzanne murmured. “That’s so sweet.”

  Trixie turned her head toward Suzanne so she could pet her.

  “I don’t think she’s mad – yet,” Maddie said as she headed toward the kitchen, the cat still in her arms.

  Trixie jumped onto the kitchen chair that Maddie privately labeled “Trixie’s” and looked at them enquiringly.

  “Wait ‘til you hear what we found out today, Trix,” Suzanne informed her.

  “Want something to drink?” Maddie pulled out two mugs and looked at her friend.

  “Maybe just some water.” Suzanne patted her stomach. “I’m still full from that awesome burger and lemonade.” She sighed in satisfaction. “And those curly fries.”

  “I know the feeling,” Maddie admitted with a smile, coming back to the table with two glasses of water. “Would you like something, Trix?” She cast a glance at Trixie’s bowl of kibble and water – there was still some dry food in it, and the water bowl looked good – Maddie had filled it that morning.

  She swore Trixie had just shaken her head – ever so slightly. Was she imagining it? On the other hand, she could certainly believe that Trixie was able to answer her that way.

  “Let me know if you do, Trixie,” she said, sitting down at the table. “I’ve got some chicken in gravy for you.”

  “Mrrow.” There was a pleased look on Trixie’s face.

  They told Trixie about Ellie’s coffee, bumping into Connor, and then Brad after they’d had lunc
h at the burger place. At the mention of hamburgers, Trixie’s ears pricked up and she seemed to pout when she realized they hadn’t brought any home for her.

  “Next time, Trix,” Maddie promised.

  Trixie answered with a grumbly “Mrrow” but seemed to continue listening to their conversation.

  “I can’t believe Brad had the nerve to offer you a barista “audition”.” Suzanne shook her head.

  “You can’t expect him to offer a job to anyone without knowing how good they are at making coffee,” Maddie said reasonably. “But I wasn’t even tempted to try out – like I told him, we have our own coffee truck.”

  “Yeah.” Suzanne’s ponytail bounced as she nodded. “I don’t know why anyone would want to work with him.”

  “Uh-huh.” Maddie grimaced. “When he offered me that “audition” I couldn’t help thinking back to what it was like working for Claudine.”

  “Yikes!” Suzanne shuddered. “Thank goodness we’ve got our own business and don’t have to work for anyone else.”

  They smiled at each other in perfect agreement.

  “Mrrow!” Trixie seemed to concur.

  “And,” Suzanne mused, “if Brad is such a skilled barista, why is he the last person to make the finals? He didn’t seem bothered about it at all, did he?”

  “Not if his abrasive personality is his normal one,” Maddie replied.

  “Maybe he’s right and his mochas are super awesome,” Suzanne continued. “But they’d have to be totally spectacular for him to beat you – and Ellie – and Connor – because the scores for round one are added to the round two scores. So how can he hope to finish in the top three?”

  “I don’t know. Unless he’s bribed a judge?” Maddie said slowly. She didn’t like to think a competitor would do that.

  “OMG!” Suzanne hit the table with the palm of her hand. “What if he killed Margot Wheeler so he could put his own judge in – and what if that judge was able to convince the other two judges to mark him super high – that way he could win the competition and go on to the nationals!”

  “Do you really think that’s possible?” Maddie’s tone was skeptical.