Scene of the Grind (A Killer Coffee Mystery Book 1)

by Tonya Kappes

“I don’t know. I can’t remember her name. She actually came in.” I grabbed the two lunch quiches I’d taken out of the oven earlier and wrapped them in tinfoil, pinching the sides as tight as I could. “She owns Crooked Cat.”

  “Alexis Roarke.” Aunt Maxi groaned.

  I laughed and stacked the two quiches. “She said that you two are fond of each other.”

  “Don’t get me started on her because I don’t come with brakes.” Aunt Maxi picked up the quiches. “You know those left-over doughnuts you gave me yesterday?”

  “Yes. What about them?” I asked.

  “I took them to her last night. Sort of a peace offering,” Aunt Maxi said. “She was just fine. So there’s no need to worry about her. Those women love to worry. If they aren’t gossiping or worried about someone, they’re dead.”

  “They were happy to see her and that she was okay.” I was just about to ask her about Alexis’s claim that Aunt Maxi was going to raise the rent, but the bell over the shop door dinged, alerting me that someone had come in.

  Aunt Maxi and I looked.

  “Good morning, Maxine.” The man I’d taken coffee to took off his hardhat with his left hand, his right gripped the thermos.

  “Good to see you.” Aunt Maxi’s joy of seeing the man was evident all over her face. Even her eyes tipped up in the corners with giddiness.

  “I wanted to thank you for the coffee. My men appreciate your kindness.” His features were familiar. His big brown eyes were warm and matched the tender smile.

  “I’m glad to see the two of you have mended ways. You know I believe everything happens for a reason.” Aunt Maxi walked over to the door as she recited her favorite saying. “I’ll have these back to you in a couple of hours. See you later, Patrick.”

  Patrick? I took a deeper look at the man standing in front of me. Patrick Cane? I looked a little deeper. Patrick Cane.

  My heart sank.

  Two

  “I’ve got to get on my way,” Aunt Maxi had always been good at removing herself from sticky situations and coming face-to-face with Patrick Cane was a very sticky situation. “Oh, Patrick is more than capable to look at your stove while he’s here.”

  “Excuse me for one second.” I held up a finger at Patrick and tried not to make eye contact, rushing out the door like a lunatic after Aunt Maxi. I grabbed the handle of her bike before she could pedal off. “What was that?”

  “That is your answer to a lot of things.” She turned with a quick snap of her shoulders and jerked the bike handle back. The quiches jiggled in the iron basket on the front of the bike. “Your heart and your electrical issues.”

  “Electrical issues maybe,” I whispered between my gritted teeth. “Heart. I don’t think so.”

  My grip loosened, my hand fell to the side.

  “Mmmhmmm.” A twinkle lurked in her eyes. “I’ve never been wrong.” She balanced the bike before she pedaled off down the boardwalk. “I’ll be back before lunch,” she called over her shoulder.

  I stood there for a second, trying to gather my wits. Patrick Cane never crossed my mind when I decided to move to Honey Springs. Never might be a bit of a lie, but hardly ever. Um…rarely. Okay, he might’ve crossed my mind a couple of times when I moved to the cabin and realized the place still had knob and tube wiring that wasn’t up to code. Something I knew when I bought the place, but it was affordable, probably because of the electrical upgrades needed, but it was mine.

  “I guess you wouldn’t’ve brought the coffee if you’d known it was me,” Patrick’s voice came from the door of the shop.

  I turned around and walked back in, leaving him still standing at the door.

  “Thanks again, Roxy,” he said with his hand still curled around the door knob.

  Hearing my name coming out of his mouth brought back so many memories for me. Memories that I’d tried hard to forget and when I got married I did forget them. The only problem it seems was that forgetting those memories was only temporary.

  “Yeah,” I gave a slight wave and was a little embarrassed that the only word I seemed to get out was yeah.

  “Or I can take a look at that stove your aunt was talking about.” He nodded to the back of the shop. “I used to come in here and do service calls for the last owner.”

  The door pushed open, causing Patrick to drop his hand off the knob.

  “Hey, you about ready?” the man asked Patrick when he saw him.

  “Roxy, this is Steve Arpel. Steve this is Roxy Bloom, a longtime friend of mine,” Patrick did the introduction.

  Apparently not longtime enough. He had my pulse and heart beating so fast I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it.

  “Nice to meet you,” Steve said. “Thank you for the coffee this morning. It really hit the spot.”

  “Steve works for me. He’s new to Honey Springs,” Patrick said.

  When Patrick spoke, I couldn’t help but notice the man he’d become and the chiseled cheekbones he had.

  “I’m new to Honey Springs as well.” I made sure to take a sudden interest in Steve to take my mind off Patrick. “Are you an electrician?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Steve said with pride.

  “Do you do work on the side?” I asked.

  “I can, but I’m just now getting my feet wet around here so I don’t know many people,” he said.

  I slipped my hand in the crook of his arm and squeezed him. “You know me and I need an electrician.”

  I dragged him through the shop and he stumbled as he looked back over his shoulder at Patrick.

  “You can’t do that Roxy,” Patrick warned. “He’s on my dime right now.”

  “Fine, you pay him and I’ll pay you, but I want Steve to look at it,” I answered over my shoulder on our way back to the kitchen. “For some reason the stove was working yesterday just fine. This morning it baked a couple of my breakfast casseroles while I had my lunch quiche in the other oven and when I went to check on the breakfast casseroles, they were still runny and the oven wasn’t hot.”

  “Okay, let me take a look,” he said.

  I pointed to the broken stove and rushed over to the other one. I’d completely forgotten about the breakfast casseroles and they were clearly too done when I noticed the browning around the edges were a little too black. Let me make something very clear. I didn’t forget, Patrick Cane made me forget. See, I reminded myself, bad news. Patrick Cane had always been bad news.

  Steve pulled the oven out. The bell over the shop door dinged and I walked back out to see if I had another customer. Unfortunately no one was there and I could see out the window that Patrick had walked outside. Being a tad bit nosy, I walked over to the window, hiding in the corner. I pulled back the curtain and peeked so he couldn’t see me.

  There was a woman and a young boy. The woman had shoulder-length blond hair that hung in waves. She had a bright smile. She stood about five-foot-six, mainly legs that were covered in a pair of knee-high boots, skinny khakis and a long cream sweater. Perfect outfit for the early spring day we were having.

  I pulled back a little when the little boy with brown hair and brown eyes like Patrick’s curled his arms around Patrick’s legs. Patrick picked him up and the boy squeezed Patrick’s neck, giving him a big kiss on the cheek.

  I let go of the curtain. As it fell back in place, I leaned back and let my heart fall back in place.

  “Good news.” Steve caused me to jump when he walked into the shop. Luckily it didn’t seem like he noticed me snooping because he didn’t skip a beat. “There is a short in the plug of the stove. I’ll tell Patrick and he can get you worked into the schedule.”

  “So you can’t do it?” I asked.

  “You heard the boss. Right now he’s keeping me busy with all the shops here on the boardwalk.” Steve shrugged. “But it’s a quick fix and you’ll be back up and running in no time.”

  “Okay.” I forced a smile. “I guess it’s good I don’t have a lot of customers.”

  “You will.” Steve put
his hand on the door knob and turned around. “I have a feeling this entire town is about to turn around with all the new development going on. I even heard a strip mall is going up on the outskirts of town.”

  “Really?” My brows furrowed. His words made my heart dip.

  The one thing I loved about this town was the fact that there wasn’t a mall or any big-named stores.

  “Patrick will be in touch.” Steve shut the door behind him.

  When I noticed that Steve, Patrick, the woman and the boy were walking away from the shop and down the boardwalk, I scurried back over to the window and swung the curtain open.

  The little boy’s hand was entwined with Patrick’s. The silence of The Bean Hive was far from what I’d envisioned. I stood there trying to figure out if the hole in my heart was from the fact my coffee shop didn’t have the crowd I’d anticipated or the fact that the little piece of my heart that had Patrick Cane’s name on it seemed to realize someone else had already claimed his.

  Roxy’s Favorite Breakfast Casserole

  Ingredients:

  1 package (16 oz.) of bulk ground sausage. I like a little spice to mine so I get a mild or hot sausage.

  1 onion (chopped or you can buy a bag of the frozen already chopped)

  1 red pepper (chopped or you can buy a bag of the frozen already chopped)

  3-4 cups frozen square hash browns

  2 cups cheddar cheese

  3/4 cups Bisquick (I use gluten free Bisquick because Eddy is gluten free and it's the same measurements)

  2 cups of milk

  6 eggs

  Optional black pepper

  Directions:

  I preheat my oven to 400

  Spray a 3 quart baking dish (13 x 9 inches) with cooking spray

  Over medium heat, cook the chopped onion and red pepper along with the sausage until the sausage is cooked with no pink. Drain the meat. Add the meat mixture, frozen hash browns, and 1.5 cups of the cheese in the baking dish.

  In a bowl, combine the milk, Bisquick, eggs, and pepper (optional). Pour over the sausage mix in the baking dish

  Bake for around 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top and bake another five minutes or until the cheese has melted. I'm a big believer in letting the food stand for 5-10 minutes after taken out of the oven. Enjoy!

  Three

  Most of the day I spent leaned over the counter and staring out the window at the lake. Every once and a while someone would walk by, but didn’t bother coming in. What was left of one of the quiches was in the scalloped platter with my fork still in it.

  “Why so doom and gloom. The grand opening isn’t for a couple of days. Then you’ll be wishin’ for a break like this.” A lady with a long-sleeved denim dress that hit just above her knees and had the cutest ruffled ending on the sleeves walked into The Bean Hive. Her chin-length silver bob with blunt bangs looked great against the blue and the silver accessories. “I’ll take a basic chai and I don’t want it out of one of those machines.” She wagged her pointer finger. The turquoise silver ring took up half of her finger. “At least that’s what I hear you do best.”

  “Ahh.” I pushed myself up to standing. I pushed the half-eaten quiche toward her and pulled out a fork and napkin from underneath the counter. “You must know my aunt Maxi.”

  “I do, Roxanne. Louise Carlton.” She eased herself down on one of the two stools I had at the counter and picked up the fork. She carefully chose the bite she wanted and put it in her mouth. “Mmm, mmmm” She licked her lips. “Goat cheese and spinach?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I instantly liked her. Anyone who loves my food, I instantly love. Everyone but Patrick Cane. “With a little sundried tomato.”

  “Magnificent.” She smacked her lips together. “What about that tea?”

  “You got it.” I snapped my fingers and headed back to the kitchen. “It’s going to be a minute or five,” I warned.

  My chai tea wasn’t like most coffeehouses. I actually boiled it on the stove. I used cardamom. The leafy tea came from the ginger family and went perfectly with some cinnamon powder, star anise, fennel seed, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and peppercorns.

  “That smells heavenly.” Louise walked back into the kitchen. “It’s a little lonely out there.”

  “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.” I stirred the boiling mixture, letting the aroma fill the kitchen. “But it’s much better than where I was a year ago. I’ll take the loneliness.”

  “Oh, honey. You aren’t lonely.” She walked with grace. There was a sense of maturity about her that I really liked. A friendly sort. “Lonely is when no one cares. You have a lot of people who care for you. And I just might have the perfect thing to cure your loneliness.”

  “You aren’t here to play matchmaker are you?” I asked Louise and poured the milk into the boiling pot.

  “If you mean with the four-legged kind,” she shrugged, “maybe.” She winked. “I run the Pet Palace. It’s what some towns call the SPCA but since we don’t have funds or run it like an SPCA we all chip in and find homes, clean, and volunteer where needed. I have the perfect four-legged companion to cure that loneliness.”

  “I can barely take care of me and all these repairs I’m going to have to do in the cabin and in here.” I pointed to the other stove where the oven was broken. I took out the strainer and put the tea in the water, bringing the temperature down to simmer.

  “Why don’t you just come by and look after you close.” She pulled the sleeve up on her left arm and looked at her silver watch. “Which is about now.”

  “Now?” I laughed. “I’m not supposed to close until later.”

  “Honey, there isn’t anyone coming down here right now.” She told me something that I already knew. “But if you have another slice of quiche, I’ll take it to go. I’d like to take it to Alexis Roarke.”

  “She came in here today.” The fond memories of Alexis and Crooked Cat warmed me. “But not without hearing from Bunny and Mae Belle about her candles.”

  “I see you’ve already been introduced to the gossip.” Louise patted my back and she looked into the pot. “That smells so good. Why don’t we put that in a to-go cup and check out some four-legged companions?”

  Roxanne Bloom’s Famous Chai Tea

  3 cups water

  5 green cardamom pods (crushed)

  ½ tsp cinnamon powder

  3 pieces star anise

  2 tsp fennel seed

  ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (or 5 shaves of fresh grated)

  ¼ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tbsp fresh grated)

  ¼ tsp ground cloves (or 1 tbsp whole cloves)

  8 black peppercorns

  1 ½ cups milk

  6 tsp Assam loose leaf tea

  sugar (to taste)

  cinnamon stick and star anise (for serving)

  1. Bring water, cardamom pods, cinnamon powder, star anise, fennel seed, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and peppercorns to a boil over medium high heat.

  2. Add milk and return to a boil.

  3. Add tea and simmer for 2 minutes.

  4. Strain, sweeten with sugar (to taste). Serve with cinnamon stick and star anise.

  Four

  The Pet Palace was located on the north end of Honey Springs. I recalled maybe one other time I’d been there with Aunt Maxi. From what I remember and gathered from Louise, Aunt Maxi still volunteers there every Saturday.

  Since my cabin was pretty close to the lake, I didn’t have to drive my car to the boardwalk where The Bean Hive was located. Most of the citizens of Honey Springs rode a bicycle and since there was one left behind at the cabin, I’d pumped up the tires and had been riding it to work.

  I’d told Louise that I’d meet her at the Pet Palace. Even though business hadn’t been blown out of the water the first week at the coffee shop, I was okay with that and really looked forward to the big Honey Festival coming up which coincided with the grand opening of the boardwalk shops. After all, they’d moved it from Central Park, which w
as literally in the middle of Honey Springs, to the boardwalk. All the new shops or remodeled shops were having a grand opening and The Bean Hive was no different.

  I was excited to visit the new spa, diner, and boutiques and revisit the bookstore. All of those stores screamed “me time” and that was something I didn’t do when I was married. Me time, I thought with a smile as the sun warmed my face and the breeze swept through my hair as the bike rattled down the wooden planks of the boardwalk.

  The late afternoon sun was staying out a little longer since the spring season was almost here. A much needed welcome that would also bring in business. The two-lane country road from the boardwalk to the cabin was pretty much desolate on most days. It was nice to be able to relax and take a ride after a long day of watching the door and maybe Louise was right. A dog might be a good companion for me.

  I gripped the plastic handles of the bike and looked at the wire basket that was screwed on the front of it. It wasn’t a small basket but it wasn’t oversized. It’d be a perfect size for a small to medium sized dog so I could still ride the bike to work. Only I wasn’t sure how I could get a dog to stay still. I guess I could take a dog obedience class or ask all the other residents of Honey Springs that ride with their dogs on their bikes. Plus it was only a five-minute bike ride from the cabin to the boardwalk. Surely a dog could sit still that long.

  The shadow of the sun’s rays played tag with me through the newly grown leaves. When I’d moved here a month ago, the leaves were just little buds and remnants of the winter weather were still lingering.

  The bike hugged the road as it went around the two curves I had to take to get to the cabin before I came upon the gravel driveway. The bike veered to the right and left as the gravel spit up underneath the tires.

  Pop! I weeble-wobbled and tried to hold the bike steady as the busted tire flipped and flopped off the rim. The bike had another idea and down I went.