by Mollie Bryan
“Anytime,” Viv said, even though the subject had changed quickly.
“How about Monday?”
Monday was a few days away.. Surely she’d be ready to work again for Mourning Arts by then. But as she took in the beautiful Irene, gathering her purse and preparing to go, dread swept through her. Or maybe it was...foreboding.
Chapter 18
As Viv walked past the cemetery, she wondered if she’d ever be able to walk there again. She used to find such comfort there. A feast for her eye, and air for her spirit.
She turned and headed toward the B & B, and spotted Esmeralda, standing as still as a statue on the wraparound porch. Viv opened the gate and walked toward her. “Esmeralda? Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond.
“Esmeralda?”
She blinked her eye. “Yes?”
“What’s happening? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” She stiffened. “I was waiting on my fiancé. I told him to meet me here. He said he’d be here...but...something must have come up...again.”
A subtle breeze blew. Viv shivered. “Shall I walk you back inside? Let me get you a nice cup of tea or something.”
The poor woman had been stood up and Viv knew why. He was with Irene. She saw it with her own eyes.
Esmeralda blinked her eyes. “No, thank you I need to get back to my room. I’m so tired.”
“Okay, well, I’ll walk with you.” Viv opened the door and led her inside, following her upstairs and opening her door for her. Esmeralda turned and looked at her before shutting the door. “You’re so kind. Thank you.”
Viv’s heart sank at her tone—it was as if nobody had ever done anything nice for the woman. “No problem. If you need anything, please let me or my aunt Libby know.”
She nodded. “You work here?”
“Yes.”
“Well, thanks again for your kindness.” She gently closed the door.
Viv imagined her falling into bed, weeping over the man who just stood her up. What a cad.
She turned to go downstairs, just as Mr. Jack Paul was coming up the stairs. “Oh hello,” she said. “Can I help you?”
“No. I’m here to see Esmeralda.”
“Is she expecting you? Because she seemed exhausted and a little, I don’t know, upset.”
His face reddened. His fingers played with a piece of paper he held in his hands. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He paused. “It’s just that there’s been a huge misunderstanding, and I’d like to clear it up.”
Misunderstanding? Is that what you call dumping your fiancée?
Viv crossed her arms.
“Why don’t you just give this to her? I was going to slip it under her door. It’s a note explaining I’m getting a restraining order. She is to stay away from me. I don’t know what she’s even doing here. She lives right outside of town.” He handed her the note. “Don’t just stand there with your mouth open. She’s been stalking me. We dated briefly last year, and she thinks we’re going to be married. She texted me last night wanting my opinion on wedding invitations.”
Viv took the note from his trembling hands. The man was angry. Scared. And she couldn’t blame him. What was going on here? She’d bought into Esmeralda’s story. What else had she bought into? She tried to find words. “Um. Ah. She’s been here a few weeks. I bought potion from her. I thought Eliza might have bought some from her. She was poisoned and I...”
“Come with me,” he said, reaching for her elbow.
She pulled away from him. But followed him down the stairs, where Aunt Libby stood. “I’m sorry, sir. If you’re not a guest and you’re not expected by one of our guests, we ask that you don’t go upstairs,” she pointed to a needlepoint sign clearing stating the policy.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, red-faced.
“Aunt Libby—”
“What’s going on here?” she said.
“Is there someplace we can sit down?” he asked.
Aunt Libby glanced at Viv.
“I think you will want to hear this,” Viv said.
After he explained everything to Aunt Libby, he turned to Viv. “Now what did you do with the potion?”
“I gave it to the police. They ran a test and said there was nothing harmful in it.”
He frowned. “Eliza purchased potion from her.”
Chills ran down Viv’s spine. “How did you know Eliza?”
“She was a student of mine a few years ago. I ran into her in town frequently, bought her coffee a few times. Esmerelda concocted a complete fabricated story about Eliza and me. She saw us talking one time and threatened her.”
Aunt Libby sat forward. “Did you tell the police?”
“Yes. I thought for sure they’d get a search warrant, but they were more concerned about my identity being mixed up with this other man at the cemetery that morning. I don’t think they took me seriously at all.” He paused. “I supposed it does seem far-fetched. And I think they need to be careful about search warrants.”
“Search warrants?” Libby’s voice rose. “Police here? Searching one of my rooms? I’m not sure I like that.”
“I think we need to go to the police again,” Viv said. “Just because there wasn’t anything in the potion I bought doesn’t mean she didn’t poison Eliza.”
“Let’s go,” Jack said.
“The Spring Fling is over,” Libby said, “but I still have several guests here. Viv, see if this can be done quietly, please?”
“I will.”
Viv and Jack exited the house. As they walked along the streets of Victorian Town, she sorted through the twists and turns she’d experienced since discovering Eliza’s body. But the last one was a doozy. She knew that Esmeralda had problems, but it turned out she had more than “problems.” Viv said a silent prayer of thanks to the universe that Esmeralda had mostly been staying in her room and not lashing out at anybody.
On the way to the police station, Viv and Jack ran into Irene, who was heading into the chocolate shop.
“Hello, darling,” she said to Jack, making Viv cringe.
No please don’t kiss.
Which of course, they did.
“We’re on our way to the police station. I’ll fill you in later,” Jack said.
“Stop by and have a hot chocolate with me,” she said, as Viv and Jack walked away.
“Will do,” Jack said, as he kept moving.
After the Jack and Viv filled Detective Jacobs in on what they’d learned, he told them it was not enough for a search warrant.
“What? Come on man,” Jack said.
“Just because she accused you of seeing Eliza doesn’t mean she killed her. You’re making way too many assumptions,” Jacobs said. “Besides, we’ve already tested her potion—or whatever it is. A judge would laugh us out of the courtroom if we brought this forward.”
“But there are two different recipes,” Viv said. “I didn’t know that when I brought the first batch to you.”
Jacobs paused, took a breath. His eyes were puffy and sleepy looking. A new baby in the house did that to a man “Okay. Bring us the other potion. Then maybe we can talk about a search warrant.”
“How will I get a hold of the potion now?” Viv said. “She said it’s only for special customers.”
“Leave that to me.” Jack blinked hard several times, as if holding back tears.
Viv had misjudged him, which wasn’t the first time she’d done such a thing. He’d been hounded and stalked by Esmeralda, and his story was all over his face.
“So what do we do?” Viv asked.
“Go back to the B & B and go about your business,” Jacobs said. “When you get the other batch of whatever it is, bring it in and I’ll fast track it. “
The walk home was somber and quiet. As they started by the hot chocolate shop, Irene’s red hair caught Viv’s attention. She sat at a table beneath a window. She was not alone.
Who was she with? Viv and Jack stopped walking.
“Do
you see who I see?” Viv asked.
He nodded and head for the door.
“Wait,” Viv grabbed his arm.
But Irene had spotted them. As she looked up to wave, Esmerelda poured something into her drink.
“Oh no!” Viv said and ran for the door, Jack on her heels.
They zoomed to her table, making enough of a commotion that Irene sat her drink back down.
“Jack, Viv, so good of you to join us,” she said. “Look who I ran into. Your cousin.”
A look of confusion came over Jack’s face. But Viv figured quickly that Esmerelda had to have lied about something to be sitting with Irene. She had told her she was Jack’s cousin. The color drained from Esmeralda’s face.
“Don’t drink that hot chocolate,” Viv said.
“What’s going on over here?” Cee-Cee, the shop owner , ran over. “Can I help you with something?”
Viv’s face heated, as she realized they’d caused a scene. “Yes, you need to call the police. Ask for Detective Jacobs.”
“Police?” Esmerelda said, starting to get up from her chair.
Cee-Cee leaned in closer. “Sorry Madam, I’m going to insist on your staying until we get to the bottom of this.”
Viv folded her arms. Creds to Cee-Cee—bad-ass chocolatier.
Esmerelda’s eyes darted back and forth, as if she were looking for a way out.
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Irene said after a moment. “But it better be important enough for this rude interruption.” She reached for her drink.
“Don’t drink that, Irene. She slipped something into it.”
Esmerelda stood and darted for the door.
“Come back!” Viv yelled after her, chasing her.
But she flew out the door—only to run smack into Detective Jacobs.
Chapter 19
Later, Viv recapped what happened with her aunt. “Detective Jacobs took her and the drink to the station right then and there.”
“How did she know about Irene?”
“She overheard our conversation, of course. You and me and Jack?”
She nodded. “We’ve had a deeply troubled woman staying with us.”
“We knew something was wrong, right?”
“Yes, but to kill someone? Eliza? It’s just dreadful. I don’t know what to say or do. Her grandmother is a very good friend of mine...and I was giving her a killer a soft place for her head at night.” She teared up.
“You had no way of knowing any of that,” Viv replied, as she slipped her arm around Libby’s shoulders. “And you can’t do background checks on all your guests.”
“No, but we knew something was off. But the Spring Fling was very distracting.” She paused. “It was a great event. I’m hoping people will continue to talk about that, rather than the fact that we had a killer staying with us!”
###
A week later, all was well at Sweet Victoria’s Bed and Breakfast. The police found the evidence they need to arrest Esmeralda—aka Joan Rogers, a woman with a long troubled past. Viv pulled out her laptop and searched under her proper name—bingo! She’d been arrested her for stalking three times. Viv supposed she’d served her time or paid her fines and then went on to the next victim. Why hadn’t anybody helped her?
These thoughts tugged at Viv while she brushed her hair, readying herself for her first day at the new job. She thought about how many ill people there were in the world not getting help, and she shuddered.
But no matter how ill Joan was, Eliza hadn’t deserved to be killed by her. Poor girl thought she was playing a game, enacting the ritual outline in it—placing “magical” objects around herself, drinking the potion, and lying on the dewy grass in the cemetery. According to the police, this was the first time Joan had killed a woman she blamed for breaking up her and Jack. A man she’d only dated twice.
Viv took one last glance at herself in the mirror. She wore a gold-and-black striped corset with a black jacket over it. Her lover’s eye pendant added an authentic touch. Mourning Arts. A butterfly tingle. A deep breath. And down the stairs she went to breakfast.
The scent of sugar and chocolate permeated.
“Chocolate chip pancakes,” Aunt Libby said as she placed the plate on the table.
Viv’s stomach growled, and she rubbed her hands together. “Brilliant way to start the day.”
“Indeed.” She sat at the table across from Viv. “You look nice....Are you nervous?”
Viv shoved a bite of pancake in her mouth and nodded. She swallowed. “A bit. But mostly I’m excited. I love the shop, you know. And I can really use the money.”
“Speaking of money,” Aunt Libby said, sliding an envelope across the table. “Here’s your paycheck.”
Viv’s mouth dropped. “But...”
“I know we said you’d be working for room and board. But I made a little extra during the Spring Fling, so I thought I’d share. You helped me out so much. So please take it,” she said.
“Okay,” Viv said, waiting for the next thing. The lecture about how Aunt Libby had been ashamed of her hacking, of her taking her excellent education and using it in a bad way, and how she hoped Viv could turn her life around. Knowing Aunt Libby, she’d try to end on an optimistic note and say that Viv’s hard work at the B & B showed she was on the right path.
But all she did was smile at her.
“Thank you,” Viv said.
She nodded, her eyes watering. “I think you’ll do okay.” She reached out and patted Viv’s hand. “I’m proud of the way you’re turning your life around. Keep at it, girl.” She pierced a chunk of pancake with her fork, while Viv’s heart raced.
She was proud of her? “Thank you,” Viv said again, her voice cracking. Her throat tightened.
They sat in silence, eating.
When Viv stepped outside, she sneezed. A million floral scents hung in the air. She sneezed again. Great, just what she needed on her second first day of work. As she continued, eventually her nose settled down, for which she was grateful. She walked past Fans & Feathers, still despising the pink and lacey fans in the window. Viv went by the Elizabeth’s Custom Corsets and Cee-Cee’s. Soon enough she stood in front of Mourning Arts. She reached down to turn the knob—and it was locked. Was she too early?
She tried to peer in the windows, but the black shades were drawn. A tingle traveled along her spine. This felt like déjà vu. She was not down with it. Maybe she should just go back to the B & B.
She turned around to see Irene and Jack kissing at the corner.
They disentangled and saw her. He waved to her. “Good morning, Viv.”
“Good morning,” she replied, swallowing a sick feeling in her stomach. Would she ever be able to look at him without feeling a mix of creepiness, regret, and shame? Her initial feelings of not liking him remained, even though she knew he was innocent of killing Eliza. He rubbed her the wrong way.
She doubted it—and she doubted it mattered. After all, he was Irene’s first boyfriend after losing her husband. Viv was sure she’d move on from him. She was totally out of his league.
Even if Jack was the most innocent man alive, Viv would always associate him with that morning in Rosethorn Cemetery. She’d not gone back there. She missed her walks. But every time she thought about walking there, Eliza’s image came to her. Not yet. Maybe never.
Irene and Jack embraced one more time, and Irene came over to her and slid the key in the door.
Irene stepped inside first, with Viv following her. She flicked on the light.
“Wow,” Viv said, taking it all in. “You’ve redone the place...and it’s amazing.”
“Thanks.” Irene beamed.
Gone was the counter and registers in the center of the store. There was a small glass standing desk with a computer screen on it. The mourning clothing section had been expanded, as had the jewelry.
“I think that’s what it’s all about—the clothes and the jewelry,” she said. “I’m still planning to sell the rest
of it, the crape, the candles, you know. But the clothes and jewelry are the best sellers, so I thought why not expand those lines? I found the most amazing supplier in England.”
If Viv were a dog, her ears would have perked up. “That’s very cool.”
She studied the place. It would be easier than she thought to move forward in here—it almost didn’t even look like the original store.
“Give me a few seconds in the office and then we’ll start training on the computer. I’m sure you’ll have no problem with it.” Irene slipped off her coat, revealing a dark-purple velvet dress. It was modern but with a Victorian flavor. “I made it myself. That’s the next step. Designing and selling my line of modern Victorian-inspired wear.”
Viv’s mouth dropped. “I love it.”
“Good,” she said, walking off. “You’ll get a chance to wear some of it.”
Viv stood astounded. Could this get any better?
She meandered over to the computers. A slick Mac. Nah, it could not get any better. Was she dreaming? Should she pinch herself?
Irene came back into the room. “After we’re done with the computer, please clean the jewelry cases. And the next big project will be taking stock.”
Ah well. Viv would take the good with the bad. As she looked around the shop, excitement waved through her. Here she was again. A new start.
Recipes
French Hot Chocolate
Yield: 2 large, intense cups or 4 smaller ones prep time:3 minutes cook time: minutes total time:8 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder — optional, but delicious for intensifying chocolate flavor
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate — at least 70%, chopped
Giant bowl of whipped cream — for serving
Instructions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around the edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
