by Tonya Kappes
“Just curious. That’s all.” I shrugged. “But I’ll stop.” I really did want to believe my words.
For now, I was going to stop and just enjoy the moment with Patrick before I had to get back to The Bean Hive where I’d left Aunt Maxi and Bunny Bowowski alone. At least I’d hoped there was a coffeehouse to go back to.
Twenty-two
“Where have you been?” Bunny asked after I walked back into the shop.
“Shut your mouth!” Aunt Maxi bounced on her toes from behind the counter. She lifted her hands to her mouth. “You!” She screamed and ran around the counter to greet me. “I’ve not seen that face since you and Patrick were together.”
I nodded and smiled.
“Thank you, Lord!” Aunt Maxi lifted her hands in the air. “Bunny, get us a cup of coffee.” Aunt Maxi dragged me to the stool. “Tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”
“You get your own coffee.” Bunny plopped down next to us. “I want to hear every word.”
“I’d love to fill you ladies in.” Patrick had walked up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.
“You do that while I get some cookies going for the Southern Women’s Club.” I’d spent a little too much time at Patrick’s house and needed to get on the cookies. If I was going to be on the dot like Low-retta told me, then I had to let Patrick fill them in on the details.
There was nothing better than a good old-fashioned southern tea cookie to bring with me. They were quick and easy to make, not to mention how delicious they were. I grabbed the self-rising flour, bag of sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, sugar, and eggs, balancing them as I walked over to the kitchen table before I set them down. With the apron tied around me, I started making the sweet treat that Low-retta wouldn’t be able to resist. The cookies were cut in a perfect circle and placed on the cookie sheet and ready to go in the three-hundred-fifty-degree oven. It only took about ten to twelve minutes to bake and I had to make sure to keep a close eye on them. Not too overcooked and not too undercooked. The simple sugar cookie had to be perfect.
“I think your aunt has already booked All About The Details for the wedding.” Patrick smiled at me so lovingly that my insides flipped. “I even think she set the date.”
“Oh boy.” I pushed the oven light and looked at the cookies. “I guess I better tell my mom before she hears about it from someone else.”
“You know, I’ve never met your mom.” He looked over my shoulder and into the oven. “Those look great.”
“Mom is off on her own adventure.” I didn’t blame her. She’d spent years taking care of me and Dad. When Dad died, I think a little part of her died, so I was happy she’d discovered a new life outside of her old one.
“She’ll be able to make our wedding, right?” There was a concerned tone in his voice. I turned around and looked at him.
“It’s not like we’re getting married tomorrow.” I laughed and moved around him to get the oven mitts.
“When were you thinking?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Can we enjoy being back together for a few minutes?” I opened the oven door and pulled the sheets out.
The cookies were slightly brown around the edges and I knew if I left them in any longer, they’d be overdone. Leaving them on the cookie sheet would continue to bake them a little longer.
“Okay.” Patrick pinched a smile. “I’m going to get out of here and do some work since you interrupted me earlier,” he joked and gave me a kiss.
After he pulled away, I reached out and grabbed a fistful of his shirt and tugged him to me for another kiss to hold me over.
“Call me on your way home from the fancy women’s get together thingy and maybe Sassy and I’ll come by.” He winked at me on the way out.
I didn’t make any promises. It all depended on what I found out, if anything.
“Sometimes you have to put the customer first, Maxine.” Bunny pushed through the kitchen door butt first. “Your aunt,” she tsk’d and untied her apron. “She wants to continually fight with customers who don’t agree with her about every single item you sell.”
“Huh?” I asked and carefully took the cookies off the sheet, placing them neatly on a silver tray I’d scored from Wild and Whimsy.
“One customer loved the muffin over the quiche and she about lost her marbles.” She tried to sneak a cookie when I turned away. With a mouthful of cookie, she continued, “She said that everything was good and they didn’t know good food if it was shoved down their throat.”
“Are you kidding me?” I asked. “I knew better than to have her help.”
“Are you talking about me?” Aunt Maxi shoved into the kitchen with the leftover pastries that hadn’t sold. “I’m not going to put up with anyone not loving your stuff.”
“Aunt Maxi, not everyone has the same feelings for me that you do. Though I do love how you feel about me.” I held out one of the southern tea cookies, knowing it was one of her favorite things because it was her recipe that I’d tweaked to make my own. She’s probably who I blamed for my love of coffee.
When Daddy and I would visit, they’d be drinking coffee and I loved how they talked around the kitchen table. One day I’d had a small headache and she gave me a little coffee telling Daddy it would help get rid of my headache. After that, I’d fake a headache just so I could get coffee and take part in their table talk.
That spilled over into my adult life and was accompanied by good pastries. When I’d gone to law school and lived in a house with many other students, we’d be up all night chugging coffee. It was then that I learned to bake, letting my mind create all sorts of desserts. It was a sort of therapy that let my mind relax and I found it helped me absorb the stuff I was studying.
“You’ve got to let that stuff slide off your back.” I suggested knowing it was only a suggestion and she’d do what she’d want to do.
“It was only Verdie Digby.” Aunt Maxi scoffed.
“Who’s that?” I asked and ripped off a piece of tin foil.
“Oh, you remember old Verdie from the doctor’s office.” She reminded me of the receptionist that would diagnose me in the waiting room before the doctor would see me. Her diagnosis was always right too.
“Still. Verdie or not. We want everyone to come back.” There was no way I wanted to give up my dream now that I had it. Patrick and The Bean Hive.
Life was good. It’d be great if I could paste the clues together why someone killed Alexis, I thought as I crunched the edges of the tin foil around the silver tray.
Coffee Soufflé
Submitted by Andrea Stoeckel
Ingredients:
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee, cooled 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup white sugar, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided 3 eggs, separated 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Combine gelatin and cold coffee in a small bowl; set aside for 5 minutes to soften. In a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler, combine coffee mixture, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and the egg yolks. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until sugar is dissolved and gelatin has melted. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and the egg yolks. Cook and stir until mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Whip the egg whites (with a pinch of salt, if desired) until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites and vanilla into slightly cooled custard. Pour into a serving dish or lightly greased mold and chill until set, at least 4 hours
Special Instructions:
Substitute cream or half and half for milk. May be served with whipped cream or topping. This recipe is one of the first my grandmother taught me over 50 years ago.
Twenty-three
After Bunny left, Aunt Maxi and I quickly cleaned up the rest of the coffeehouse. We filled the coffee and tea bar along with the table condiments in anticipation for the last day of the Honey Festival, which was tomorrow. Sunday.
I’d already decided befo
re the coffeehouse opened that it wouldn’t be open a full day on Sundays since it was mostly a traveling day for many of the tourists as well as a church day for the citizens of Honey Springs, including me. The hours were noon to four which gave enough time for the after church citizens to come down and have a cup of coffee. After four gave me a few hours to bake and plan out the next week. Tomorrow was a special occasion with the festival, so I’d planned to keep normal hours.
My phone chirped just as I’d given Aunt Maxi a tray of cookies to carry. She’d planned on taking me to the Southern Women’s Club and dropping me off at home afterward.
“It’s Mari,” I said as her name scrolled across my phone.
“She’s good at changing her mind.” Aunt Maxi quipped and stacked two of the trays.
I clicked my tongue to the top of the roof of my mouth to get her attention. I shook my head and pointed to the trays, letting her know not to stack them.
“Hi, Mari,” I answered the phone.
Aunt Maxi grumbled under her breath and walked over to the bar near the door, taking a seat on one of the stools.
“Can you come by tonight and look at my house because I’m worried tomorrow night just won’t give us enough time.” There was concern in Mari’s voice. “I figured you were closing shop now and if you wouldn’t mind driving over before you went home, that’d be great.”
“Actually I was just heading over to Loretta’s,” I wanted so badly to say “Low-retta” because that was what I heard in my head every time I said her name, but used some restraint, “for the Southern Women’s Club.”
“You can miss the first half hour.” Mari wasn’t taking my answer as a polite no. “They don’t do anything but gossip, then they sit around eat and drink with their noses and pinkies up in the air.”
I was beginning to get the sense that Mari wasn’t fond of the SWC.
“Besides, this meeting on Monday is very important. We will find out just how much money the festival made and if we can keep it on the boardwalk. This is very important and it’s up to me to make it presentable.” There didn’t seem to be any budging by the sound of her voice.
“I guess I can. Can you give me your address again?” I asked knowing she’d dropped off that card, but I had no idea where it was and didn’t want to look for it.
There was a scribble sheet next to the register where I quickly wrote down the address before we hung up.
“What was that all about?” Aunt Maxi asked.
“Mari wants me to come by now and get a feel for her house so I can make the proper food, I guess.” I shrugged. “Can you take me home so I can grab my car?”
“You ain’t coming to the SWC?” Her jaw dropped. “You won’t be asked back,” she warned. “Loretta isn’t of the forgiving type.”
“Loretta isn’t paying my bills either.” There was a bit of regret. It wasn’t like I was really going to be a member of the SWC; I was going to get some answers about Leslie. “Say,” I remembered the banned books I wanted to ask Aunt Maxi about. “Do you know anything about the banned books section in Crooked Cat? That was the only thing out of place when I found Alexis that morning. The shelves were empty and the books were all over the floor, not to mention the banned book stamp she had was used on her forehead.”
Come to think of it, Officer Spencer never even mentioned the stamp on Alexis’s head.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” Aunt Maxi walked out The Bean Hive’s door as I held it for her. Pepper followed. I locked the door behind her. “I’d overheard her talking to someone on the phone at the Pet Palace about her banned books and something about Drew.”
“Mari’s Drew?” I asked, thinking it might not be a bad idea to sort of snoop while I was there.
“Only Drew I know.” Aunt Maxi stopped in front of a couple shops down on our way to her car. “Now, I’m not the gossiping type,” she assured me.
Sure you aren’t, I thought but kept it to myself. She was like a megaphone when it came to gossip. In fact, I’d gotten a message on my phone from Morgan and Crissy that I’d not listened to yet, but I could guarantee it was about me and Patrick.
“But I’d heard a few months ago that Leslie had a secret and was holding it over Alexis’s head. Alexis mentioned something when we were volunteering together, but decided not to tell me what it was. She just said that her and Leslie were feuding, again, and that this secret could destroy some people.”
It had to be the same secret Big Bib knew.
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but I did see Leslie and Drew over at the bee farm.” We continued to walk to her car. It was the only car left in the lot.
“That’s not unusual for folks to commiserate.”
“It was more of an argument of sorts.” The details didn’t matter. What mattered was the secret. “I’m wondering if Mari is in on this little secret?”
“I do know that Drew had spent some time down at Crooked Cat.” Aunt Maxi gave me a little bit of gossip that might be of use.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“When I was down here with Patrick getting The Bean Hive up to code and trying to get it somewhat ready before you moved here, I’d see Drew and Alexis in front of the shop and a couple of times in the shop.” Aunt Maxi pulled the car out on the road and headed toward the cabin.
“Leslie said something about the bookstore and when she did open it back up, she’s getting rid of the banned books.” There was something there between the banned books and Alexis’s death. I just knew it.
“Don’t you be meddling over at Mari’s,” she warned as she pulled the car up to my cabin and let me and Pepper out. “You do your job of getting catering clients and you let Spencer do his job of catching killers. Besides, when Leslie called me about the store and the lease, she told me she was probably not going to open it back up and would move back to wherever it was she came from.”
Pepper jumped over my lap and out of the car before I could even get the door fully opened.
“Alright.” I reluctantly agreed and got out of the car. “I’ll be over to Loretta’s as soon as I can.” I shut the door and waved Aunt Maxi off.
I pulled out my cell phone and pulled up Mari’s number.
I’ll be over shortly. I texted. I’m finishing up a few things for the shop and need to check on a couple of Aunt Maxi’s rentals before I head over.
I didn’t technically lie to either Aunt Maxi or Mari. I was going to run by a rental of Aunt Maxi’s. Crooked Cat. Maybe there was something there that Spencer didn’t see.
Twenty-four
Before I left the cabin, I gave Pepper some kibble and let him out. He needed to stay home while I went to snoop before heading over to Mari’s and then the SWC. Or maybe not the SWC. I’d yet to decide. If Aunt Maxi was right and Loretta was a stickler for timeframes, maybe I too, like Mari, wasn’t a good candidate to be a member.
I jumped in my car and drove to the boardwalk. When I got there, I pulled into the closest spot to the boardwalk since the parking lot was empty. A light night breeze was coming off the lake causing the flags to snap in form. All the little pop sounds along the boardwalk made it seem a lot scarier than it was. Or it was the fact that I was about to break and enter into a crime scene. Used to be crime scene. I’d overheard someone in line at The Bean Hive say that the council had begged the police to take down the crime scene tape so it wouldn’t taint the festival.
Technically it didn’t say not to enter. I jiggled the door handle and it opened. So was it really breaking and entering when the door was unlocked? I brushed it off as not and walked in. The familiar smell of books curled around me and though I was there to snoop, the books somehow comforted me in a strange way. What Aunt Maxi said about Leslie not keeping the bookstore open made me sad. I couldn’t imagine Honey Springs without Crooked Cat.
I took my cell phone out of my pocket and turned on the flashlight part. It didn’t give off too much light which was good. No one needed to see me in there. That was t
he last thing I needed.
The sound of people laughing as they walked by put a halt to my steps. My hand folded over the top of my phone to shield the light. I looked out the window. The group of friends was heading down to the entrance of the Watershed.
Even though the rest of Honey Springs was closed, The Watershed didn’t close most nights until ten p.m. Their last dinner boat ride was at eight p.m.
For a second I got lost in my thoughts and imagined my rehearsal dinner on one of the Watershed boats. That’d be fun, especially since Patrick loved the lake so much.
Once the group was out of sight, I let my flashlight lead the way to the banned books section. It look liked someone had stacked the books neatly on the floor, not like they were when I’d found them all scattered. I headed back to the room where I’d found Alexis. My adrenaline surged. More sounds of laughter on the boardwalk, the sound of a boat zooming by and the snap of the flags seemed to intensify around me.
I sucked in a deep breath and continued on my search putting all the sounds in the back of my head. I needed to hurry if I was going to make good on all my promises to people.
The chalk outline of Alexis’s body was still visible and I made sure to step around it. It appeared to me that she’d been sitting at her desk, maybe working on the computer. I tapped the spacebar on the keyboard and her computer powered up. Luckily there wasn’t a login password.
I got on her internet and checked the history. Nothing but book orders, libraries, and some book blogs came up. Nothing I’m sure the police hadn’t already checked into. There were a few emails, but nothing alarming. Mostly about the Honey Festival and the new boardwalk lease from Cane Properties. I did read that one and downloaded the document out of curiosity.
The download files on her computer were filled with folders with different book genre labels. I’d clicked on the mysteries and she’d had lists of books she wanted to read and to order for the shop. There were some invoices from the prior months. Nothing that I found to be a reason to kill her.
