Hospitality and Homicide

by Lynn Cahoon

  “Angie Hartman said you may be looking for assistance in your shop. I’ve worked in bookstores most of my adult life. My husband and I retired and sold the business ten years ago. Now that he’s gone, I’m looking for something to fill my days.” She glanced around the shop. “Your book area is very small. Have you thought about taking out the coffee shop and adding more floor space?”

  “Actually, I like having both the coffee shop and the bookstore together. That’s part of the draw for most people.” Why was I explaining my business strategy to a woman who was applying for a part-time position? I focused back on her possible, but not likely, job application. “So, Angie’s right. I am looking for a new associate. Part-time, you’d be fill in so your shifts could change week to week. We’re open from six in the morning to nine in the evening during the summer months, closed on Sundays and in the winter, Mondays too.”

  “Would I be expected to pour coffee?” The sniff after the question told me all I needed to know. She wasn’t right for the job.

  “Make coffee drinks, keep the dessert case filled with treats, sell books, clean tables, yep, we do a little of everything here.” I took an application from the stack that Aunt Jackie had printed and had under the counter. “So, would you like to leave an application? I’m just starting to do interviews and I’ll review the application and call you.” Like probably never.

  She looked around one more time, then sighed. “I guess so.” She took the application and sat at one of the café tables, running her hand over the top to see if it was clean before sitting the paper on the table.

  Just like Aunt Jackie, I thought, although, in a way, she was my aunt’s opposite. When Aunt Jackie had joined the Coffee, Books, and More staff, she’d wanted to tear out the bookshelves and add more coffee shop space.

  The bell over the door sounded again and Josh Thomas, the owner of the antique store next door, sauntered in. I wouldn’t have said sauntered a few months ago. No, back then, Josh lumbered everywhere. Each step causing him to take a deep breath and his gait to be unsteady. The man was beginning to look like he lived the active California lifestyle rather than a funeral director. In fact, he wasn’t in one of his normal suits. Today he wore a pair of tan kakis and a blue polo shirt.

  “Is the store closed?” I moved toward the counter, figuring he came in for coffee. Josh hadn’t been a big dessert buyer before he started watching his weight, but now, he even turned down the free cheesecake at the business meetings.

  “No.” He frowned at me as he walked closer. “Why, does it look like it’s closed? I have Kyle to help out you know. I don’t have to be there all the time to watch him.”

  “Actually, I was talking about your clothes. Where’s the suit?”

  He looked down at his shirt and I realized he was wearing high price tennis shoes as well. “None of my suits fit, so when I went shopping, I thought I’d try something a bit different. Mandy helped me pick out several outfits yesterday.”

  “Mandy? The produce stand Mandy?” Somehow I kept the smile off my face.

  Josh shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Yes. That Mandy. She had some time and we took a drive to the mall outside Bakerstown.” He fingered the polo’s fabric. “You don’t think this is too bright for a work outfit, do you?”

  “No, you look great.” I peered closer. “You have blue eyes. I don’t think I’ve even noticed that before.”

  He blushed. “Mandy says the color of the shirt brings out my eyes.”

  “So, you and Mandy, huh?”

  He shook his head. “Friends. We’re just friends. I’m still dealing with…” He let the words hang as he looked up like he could see my aunt sitting in her living room in the apartment above us.

  “Sorry, I was being insensitive.” Josh was moving forward and I was glad to see that. “What can I do for you this morning? Coffee?”

  “Yes. A large black coffee for me and one of those mocha things for Kyle. I’ve told him he needs to be more thoughtful about the amount of sugar he’s putting in his body, but you know kids.”

  I almost dropped the cup I’d just picked up. I’d never seen Josh buy coffee for anyone but Aunt Jackie when they were dating. Now, he was treating his one employee to a morning treat? “No problem. I like a good mocha every now and then. Kyle probably burns calories a lot faster than us.”

  “Because I’m heavy, you mean?”

  Flustered, I focused on making the mocha. “No, I meant because he’s so young. What is he, twenty-two?”

  “Twenty-five. He just had a birthday last month.” Josh went on talking about Kyle’s plans and what a great antique dealer he’d make.

  This was a totally different Josh. He must have talked to the kid more than I’d believed possible, since he knew so much. A year ago, Josh thought due to Kyle’s tattoos and piercings, I was setting him up to be robbed when I assigned the kid to Antiques by Thomas as an intern. Now, they sounded like the pair were turning into friends. A lot can happen in a year. It had been a quick placement, but South Cove had gotten three new regulars out of the program. Kyle, Sasha, and Darla’s boyfriend/winery manager, Matt.

  I rang up Josh’s purchases and then ran his debit card. After the transaction finished, Josh didn’t leave, just stood there with his hands by his side.

  “Can I get you something else?”

  He shifted his weight from side to side. Not looking me in the eye, he stammered. “I wanted to ask you a question.”

  “Okay…” I didn’t like where this was headed. Not at all.

  He shuffled again. “So, you’ve met Mandy before.”

  Yep, exactly where I didn’t want the conversation to wind up. “I met her out at the olive farm.” I almost added, before the murder, but didn’t think it was appropriate.

  “You don’t think she had anything to do with Walter’s death, do you?” Now he did meet my gaze and the look on his face challenged me to say anything bad against the person who was apparently Josh’s new girlfriend. Or at least he was vetting her for the position. Just as soon as he cleared her of this murder nonsense.

  “Not unless she had help,” I mused on the size of the tree. I hadn’t seen the body, but from the way people described it, I thought I could imagine it. “I don’t think she has the strength to get him up there alive or dead.”

  Josh moaned and I realized I’d gone too far in my musing. Not everyone wanted to know what a dead body looked like or imagine how they were killed. “So you really think Mandy could be part of this whole thing?”

  Quickly, I shook my head. “Absolutely not. I was just musing aloud.” I peered at him. “Why, do you think she’s guilty?”

  “No way. No how.” Josh said the right words, but the pain behind his eyes felt more ragged than I’d ever seen.

  “Look, I’m sure she’s a sweet as she appears.” I didn’t want the man to start crying in the shop. That would drive away traffic for sure. Cold hearted of me? Yes, but I did have a business to run.

  The woman with the job application stepped to the side of Josh and handed me the paper. “I’ve left all of my contact information. I even have an e-mail address that my grandson set up for me, so feel free to use that to schedule my interview.”

  I took the paper and smiled, even though I didn’t feel like it. “Thank you so much, I’ll be in touch.”

  The woman hesitated, then held out a tiny hand. “I’m Peony Martin. I really would like to be considered for the position.”

  Now, I felt like a heel. I tried to put a little more warmth in my smile and gently shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Peony. I’ll be in touch for an interview time.” I would. Even though I knew she wasn’t my best choice. Now, I felt guilty for already writing her off.

  Josh waited until the woman had left the shop, then turned to me. “She’s a little old for your business, isn’t she?”

  “Age has nothing to do with who I hire. I just want the best candidate for the job.” I really wanted to get back to my reading, but as I lo
oked at the clock, I realized Toby would be here in fifteen minutes along with the job applicant I’d scheduled yesterday. Martin someone. And he’d sounded old too. What was happening to the golden years when people actually retired? I refocused on Josh. “Anything else I can help you with?”

  He hesitated for a minute, then leaned across the counter and whispered, “So back to Mandy. There’s probably a lot of reasons she has Walter’s wallet in her car, right?”

  CHAPTER 12

  I convinced Josh that he needed to call Greg and let him know about Mandy having Walter’s possessions. I couldn’t see the woman killing the guy, but maybe she had seen something. And how had she gotten the wallet anyway? Visions of her pulling it out of Walter’s pants as he was hanging from the tree made me shudder. It had to be innocent. Either that or Josh’s new girlfriend was a bit of a psycho. After he left with his coffees, I thought about the conversation we’d had at the farm. Mandy had been quick to mention the macabre history of the tree as a family suicide spot. Maybe she had been tired of waiting for another incident to just happen and killed Walter. Isn’t that the way serial killers thought?

  “She could be a witch and he was the coven’s sacrifice,” I whispered aloud to the empty shop, the thought chilling me.

  “Who’s a witch?” Toby’s voice boomed behind me and I jumped, spilling the coffee I’d just poured all over the cabinet.

  Putting my hand over my heart, I took several deep breaths as he grabbed a towel and wiped up the mess. “Where did you come from?”

  “I came in the back. I had to bring the squad car so I parked behind the building. Tim’s picking it up at noon and taking it in to get an oil change. He didn’t want to go to the station, since Nathan’s writing there today.” He grinned. “You must be reading paranormal again. I haven’t seen you this jumpy since you finished that horror book by that guy’s son.”

  “Joe Hill.” I added the author name absently. “I’m not reading paranormal. Josh just came in and told me something a little freaky.”

  “That guy is always the bearer of bad news. It’s in his nature to be a Debbie Downer.” Toby rinsed out the washcloth and then got ready for his shift. “What’s got him all freaked out today?”

  I filled Toby in on Josh finding Walter’s wallet. “He’s supposed to go tell Greg now, but do you think I should call, just in case?”

  “Give him some time. If he doesn’t report it by the end of the day, I’ll tell Greg when I see him tonight. Tim’s doing my shift so I can work the event tonight. Greg is coming, right?”

  “As far as I know. He’s pretty done with hanging out with Nathan, though.” The bell over the door sounded but I ignored it. Probably one of Toby’s frequent flyers. “I’ve got some things to do for Aunt Jackie, but I’ll be back at three to help set up.”

  “Gotcha.” Toby threw a towel over his shoulder. “What can I get for you today?”

  A man cleared his throat. “I’m here for an interview. I’m supposed to meet with Ms. Gardner?”

  I spun around. I’d almost left the shop before the guy showed up. I really needed to keep a to-do list on me during the day so I’d remember these appointments. Especially the ones I set up myself. I walked around the counter and held out my hand. “I’m Jill. Thanks for coming in.”

  “I’m very interested in the position. I’ve been retired for a few years, and now, well, let’s just say a little regular income wouldn’t be the worst thing.” He strongly shook my hand. “Mike Burns.”

  “Nice to meet you. What can Toby get you to drink while we talk?”

  “Tea would be lovely.” He shrugged. “I’m not much of a coffee drinker.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes, but we did serve several teas from Kathi’s Tea Hee special blends from the shop next door. This might turn out to be a good interview. At least it had to be better than the earlier impromptu one with Peony.

  We got settled over on the couch and I took his application out of the folder. “So you ran a corporation? Anything big, like General Electric or IBM?” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Actually, it was an accounting firm. We handled several large accounts but of course, I can’t divulge that information without a clearance from the customer. Is this something you’d need? I can contact my prior employment to get the necessary clearances.” He took a note pad out of his pocket and then held a high-end pen over the clean page, waiting for my answer.

  “No, that’s fine. I was just making conversation. So you were in accounting?” I thought about my final in basic accounting from last semester. Man, it was brutal and I had at least one more session to take. Maybe this guy could help me study if I hired him.

  “I ran the firm. I haven’t worked directly with a client’s books for probably ten years. Back in my day, everything was done manually. We really knew each customer’s needs and business. Now, it’s all computerized and no one knows anything.” He shook his head as he took a sip of his tea. “I don’t believe all this technology is good for the country. We need to go back to the three R’s.”

  I didn’t want to get involved in a discussion about the state of our educational system, but this gave me an in to discuss the youth book clubs. “One of the current assignments the woman who’s leaving handled for us was our youth book clubs. Have you worked with youth directly before?”

  He looked at me as if I was crazy. “The ad didn’t say I’d be working with children. I can lead a team, but I’ve never worked with youth. Not that I couldn’t. I was very effective as a facilitator for our weekly meetings at the firm. I got things finished and the staff back to their desks in 74 percent of our meetings.”

  “Well, a book club is more about encouraging discussion and talking, not so much about the speed of the meeting.” I looked at my carefully crafted list of questions going down to the next one. “Tell me about the last book you read. What genre, why did you like it, and how would you recommend it to a new customer?”

  Mike started talking about an ancient textbook on the theory of economics. He went on and on about the theories that weren’t taught in today’s college courses. Finally, when he slowed to take a sip of tea, I jumped in.

  “I meant something on the fiction side. We sell very few text books here, a few nonfictions but that’s mostly in the cookbook or general area history type.” I made a note on my list of questions, adding the word fiction to my second question.

  Mike shook his head. “I can’t remember the last fiction book I read. Probably something in college, but nothing’s sticking out. Isn’t that strange?”

  I didn’t think it was strange at all. What I did think was strange was why Mike had bothered applying for the position in my coffee house-bookstore. He didn’t seem to have a passion for either. I tried one more question. “Tell me about the worst situation one of your customers had and how you made sure they were completely satisfied when they left.”

  “Let me ponder that question. Oh, I know. I had a client who was submitting fraudulent tax forms for his business. We cooperated with the local IRS office and the man went to jail for tax fraud. Not sure what the sentence was, but that was the biggest problem I ever dealt with.”

  I pretended to glance over my questions, then his resume. Finally, I smiled and stood. “I believe that’s all I need. Thank you so much for coming in today. I will be contacting the successful candidates in a couple weeks.”

  He shook my hand vigorously. “I am so excited about the possibility of working with you.”

  As he walked out, I went behind the counter and threw the application and resume in the recycling can.

  “Not a match?” Toby took the cup from me, rinsed it, and put it into the dishwasher. Humor twinkled in his eyes. He must have overheard some of the conversation.

  I shook my head. “Not even close. Replacing Sasha is going to be hard if the quality of candidates we have are anything like the last two applications. Seriously, who applies for a job in a bookstore that doesn’t read?”

&nbs
p; “Maybe you could turn him into a reader?” Toby laughed, pointing at me. “You should see your face. You look horrified.”

  “There isn’t enough time in the world to do that.” I glanced at the clock. I had to pick up the refreshments from Bakerstown and it was already noon. “Sadie’s dropping off a cake for tonight, but I’ve got to get the rest of the food from the grocery store. Just put it in the back when she comes by.”

  By the time I drove to Bakerstown and got everything on Aunt Jackie’s list, the lines for the two open checkout stands were long. Seriously, who shops on a Friday afternoon? I pulled out my phone and checked for missed calls. Nothing. Then I opened the e-reader app and started reading a book I’d downloaded last weekend. I know, I own a bookstore and I should be anti-e-readers. But honestly, I’m more concerned that people read than exactly how they read. In addition, my store gets many impulse vacation buyers so it helps to be up on all the newest releases even if I don’t stock just the national bestsellers. I want to give my customer’s variety.

  “Caught you.” A hand rested on my shoulder and I dropped the phone into my purse.

  Turning toward the hand, my frantic gaze found a smiling Doc Ames. “You scared me.”

  “Must be a good book for you to be lost so deeply. That’s what I hate about people reading on their phones. You don’t know what they’re reading until you ask.” He looked into my overflowing basket. “You must be getting ready for Mr. Pike’s event tonight. I stopped by the store earlier and ordered a signed copy. I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the actual signing.”

  “Are you too busy at work? That’s a good excuse.” The words came out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. I stuck my foot into the deep further by explaining. “I don’t mean, that it’s good because people are dying.”

  He held up a hand. “No one knows what to say to me about my business so don’t worry. I don’t attend Bakerstown’s Open for Business meeting most months because I make people uncomfortable.”