Trifle and Trouble (No-Bake Cozy Mysteries Book 2)

by Ramona Ransom

  “I do. They were so good, and you are so right. Adding slices of those to the trifle would be absolutely perfect. What a great idea, Daniel. Thank you.”

  Before they knew it, their food had arrived, but unfortunately, Nessa’s eyes had been bigger than her stomach. She managed to finish almost all of her steak and steamed vegetables but had to quit on her sweet potato. Daniel, on the other hand, had finished every last bite of his steak and both of his sides. They finished their wine and decided to go for a short walk in the park before heading home.

  Daniel saw Nessa shiver and offered her his coat, which she happily accepted. “Were you going to tell me about Bizzie?”

  Nessa flung her head backward, looking to the starry sky. “I hoped never to have to think about it again,” she joked. “I just didn’t want to ruin our date, is all.”

  “She wasn’t thrilled either when she found out. I know you love that house, but do you really want to live next door to her? I mean, I’m sure you can take the high road and be just fine, but I’d hate to see either of you miserable.”

  After that, Nessa knew she was right. She was going to have to be cautious when it came to the relationship she and Bizzie had. She didn’t ever want to make him uncomfortable. Granted, he was a grown man and could feel however he pleased, but there was no way dealing with the two of them at the same time was easy.

  “I don’t know what I want. I do love the house, but it needs work that I’m not sure I have the time for. I guess I have to keep thinking about it for a while.” She pointed across the park. “Isn’t that Mallory from your work?”

  “Sure is. She’s with her ex-husband, though, which is odd. Last I heard, they hadn’t spoken in quite a while.”

  “Mallory told me that Ellen is her ex-mother-in-law.”

  “I don’t even want to begin to know why she’d have told you that. Ellen is…” Daniel began.

  “A lunatic?” Nessa asked, filling in the rest of the sentence.

  “Yeah, pretty much. Tell me you didn’t have a run-in with her.”

  She told him about her time at The Shack as they made their way back to their vehicles, remembering just how crazy Ellen had acted.

  “Gee, I wished I got to see you, but I guess I’m not too sad that I had the day off. Seeing Ellen is never fun.” He looked at Mallory and her ex again. “I wonder why they’re together.”

  Nessa shrugged and linked her arm into Daniel’s for extra warmth. “Please promise to tell me if I ever start acting like Ellen.”

  “The same goes for me.” He laughed. “Hey, do you want to meet for coffee or something tomorrow?”

  “I have to work, but maybe we can hang out after,” she suggested, feeling hopeful he’d agree and sad they were already at the end of their date.

  “How about I stop by the bakery? It’s been a while since I’ve been there.”

  “I love that idea,” she said, hugging him before getting into her Jeep. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

  Chapter Six

  Nessa looked at the clock for the third time. Daniel should have been there already. She wasn’t so much sad that he didn’t show up but worried that something was wrong. Their date had gone well, and she couldn’t think of any reason he’d willingly not show up.

  Thankfully, the bakery was busier than ever, so she’d spent most of her time running around working and thinking about how badly they needed another employee there. She had no idea how her grandfather had done it on his own after his two employees both left. She felt run ragged and was about half his age. Though, for whatever reason, she either kept putting off looking for someone or found every excuse in the book why a candidate was wrong for the job.

  Together, they got the job done, but it was obvious that they needed someone else, so she’d have to stop being too picky. If either of them ever got sick or had an appointment, the other would be on their own. Lex might be able to handle it alone, but there was no way Nessa was ready for that yet. Not for more than a few hours at a time, anyway. They had Faye, but her responsibility was to Shelfies, and while she was helpful, they couldn’t count on her to be a full-time member of the team.

  As she cleared some of the tables and swept the floors of crumbs, she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. She typically tried hard to avoid it when she was at work, but since Daniel was a no-show, she wanted to check to see if it was him calling. She answered, but it was only a spam call. Now that the floors were swept, the tables clean, and everything else glistened and was ready for another inevitable rush, Nessa sat, inviting her grandfather to join her. She planned on telling him about how Bizzie would be her neighbor if she got the house she loved so much when the door to the bakery whipped open.

  “Well, it’s happened again. Right under my nose this time. I guess I’d better hang up my hat. No one is going to take me seriously ever again.”

  Nessa didn’t even need to look up to know that the rambling man was none other than Ranger Shine. The owner of Ranger Shine’s Residential and Commercial Cleaners, as well as the head of the Rangerhood Watch. She suspected by his declaration that it had something to do with the latter.

  “Hello to you, too, Ranger,” Lex said, slowly kicking out a chair for him to join them at the table.

  “Lex. Nessa.” He sighed deeply. “What am I gonna do?” Ranger took off his baseball cap and rested it on his knee.

  “Maybe you should start by telling us what’s going on,” Nessa suggested.

  “You haven’t heard?” He perked up, seeing them both shake their heads.

  “Let us have it,” Lex said.

  “There’s been another murder. And I was there! Can you believe it?” he asked.

  “What?!” Lex exclaimed.

  Nessa, much calmer, asked, “You found the body?”

  “Lordy, no. That’s the problem,” Ranger muttered.

  “So, you’re upset that you didn’t find a dead body?” Nessa said, trying to clarify. “I thought you said you were there.”

  “Pay attention, girl,” he said. “I didn’t want to find the body, but I should have. I was right there and missed it. It’s my fault that that poor young woman and her dog had to find it.”

  “You were right where?” Lex asked.

  “The old activity shed by the lake,” Ranger answered. “Sometimes I go back there just to check things out now that it’s been abandoned. I hate to get rats or snakes comin’ around.” He shuddered.

  Imagine big, tough Ranger Shine, afraid of a few little vermin.

  “I didn’t even know it was abandoned, but I guess that’s a story for another time. Do you know who was found?” Nessa asked.

  “Sure, enough do. That pesky Ellen Asher.” Ranger slapped a hand over his mouth. “Talkin’ ill of the dead, now. What’s the matter with me?” He asked what was hopefully a rhetorical question.

  Nessa closed her eyes and rested her hands on the table, suddenly feeling woozy. After everything she’d seen and heard about the woman, she knew it wasn’t going to be an easy case to solve. She hated to admit that multiple people disliked Ellen, but it was the truth.

  “Do you know how it happened?” she asked, wincing as the words came out, unsure if she really wanted to know.

  “Well, I’m guessing it had something to do with the stab wound in her chest.” Ranger frowned and put his head down. “It’s a mighty shame what’s happened. And that poor woman and her dog who found her. I was steps behind them. Steps. Had I not been lollygagging around all morning, I’d have gotten there first. My watch as head of the committee has come to an end, I’m afraid.”

  She felt bad for Ranger. He seemed to be down on himself because he didn’t find the body first. She didn’t know if that made him unstable or kind, but either way, she worried about him.

  “You know that it doesn’t mean you failed at something you enjoy just because you didn’t get there first, right? No one could have predicted that Ellen’s body would be by the shed. That woman might walk her dog by there every day, and
there are probably a bunch of others that do, too. Heck, it could have been me. I almost went for a jog this morning before work since I didn’t need to work the early shift. You simply can’t blame yourself.”

  “Stop being so wise. It’s annoying.” Ranger offered a half-smile.

  “Do you want any coffee or something to eat?” she asked. Sometimes offering food was the most comforting thing you could do for a person.

  “I’ll take a coffee, if you don’t mind,” Ranger answered, pulling out his phone from his shirt pocket.

  Nessa went to get a cup of coffee for Ranger. As she did, she let her mind wander, suddenly remembering that Daniel had never shown up or even called her to let her know he wasn’t coming. Before Ranger showed up, it had been all she’d thought about. She hoped it had nothing to do with Ellen’s murder but desperately wanted to know either way. One thing that was for sure, it had nothing to do with her. The last time something like this happened, the business at the bakery had slowed down to a screeching halt. The old activity shed wasn’t exactly next door to The Shack, but it wasn’t far away.

  She poured a second cup of coffee for her grandfather and put a few muffins on a plate for her and Ranger. She delivered everything to their table and decided to let them chat while she got back to work. The only thing that was going to distract her from reality on the outside of the bakery was the bakery itself.

  Chapter Seven

  “Ranger left,” Lex said, coming into the kitchen where Nessa was rinsing the dishes.

  “How’s he doing?” she asked, turning off the water and running a stack of plates through the commercial dishwasher.

  “He’s struggling. You’d think a big, burly guy like him wouldn’t have such intense emotions, but he’s really down on himself about this whole thing. I guess he was running behind schedule and should have been at the old activity shed fifteen minutes before he actually got there. Needless to say, when he arrived, he was surprised to find out what had happened. He said he got a glimpse of the body just as the police were showing up and closing off the crime scene.”

  “Do you think it’s because he feels bad for the woman or because he didn’t meet whatever strict schedule he set for himself? The man’s gonna give himself a heart attack if he isn’t careful.”

  “I agree. He gets himself all wound up over every little detail,” Lex said, digging around in a cabinet.

  “What are you looking for?” she asked.

  “I noticed you left the recipe you’d written up for your next creation on the coffee table at home. I didn’t mean to snoop, but I couldn’t help myself. I thought I might have one of those chocolate oranges around here somewhere.”

  Nessa beamed. “I was going to go out to see if I could find one after our meeting with Bizzie later. It’d be great if we do have one here already.”

  “Speaking of going out,” Lex began. “What are you going to do with your things? I have to admit that I’m feeling a little worried that you haven’t made the move official yet.”

  “I haven’t even been here that long, but aside from that, I figured it might be better if I wait until I find a place to live here. What’s the sense in going all the way back to Granger, packing my things, bringing them here, only to have to move them again once I find a house?”

  “I understand, but what about your house there? Have you put it on the market yet?” Lex asked, pressing for information.

  “A friend from the bank’s husband was my realtor when I bought the house, so I’m having him list it. I don’t anticipate a long wait on that end. It’s a popular area, and I’m betting it will sell quickly.”

  “Shouldn’t you sell that before you buy here?”

  “Ideally, yes, but I don’t have to. Between the money I have saved and what Grandma left for me, I think I can buy first if I’m smart about it.”

  “Well, if you need any help, please ask. I don’t mind if you want to store some things at my house while you wait to find the perfect house for yourself, either. For that matter, you’re more than welcome to stick around there for as long as you want. You don’t have to leave.”

  Nessa appreciated the offer but knew that it wasn’t right for either of them. They both enjoyed the freedom of living alone.

  “Thanks, Grandpa. That’s really good to know. Honestly, I may just see if I can find someone to pack up my things for me. My neighbor has a college-aged daughter that I got along with really well, and I’m sure she could use the money.”

  “Isn’t that rather unconventional? You’d want some stranger going through your things?” Lex shuddered, and Nessa wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not. Knowing her grandfather, he probably actually thought the idea was worthy of a shudder.

  “I have no idea if it’s normal or not since I’ve only moved once in my life, and I did all the work myself, but like I said, she’s my neighbor, not a stranger. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  Lex raised a brow, showing his skepticism. “If you say so. At first, I thought you weren’t sure about living here for good, and that’s why you weren’t going home for your things.”

  “But then?” she asked.

  “Now I have to wonder if you aren’t going because you don’t want to leave here for some reason.”

  Nessa smiled. “Do you like being right?”

  Laughing, Lex pulled out a chocolate orange. “I do like being right,” he said, waving it around. “Now, you don’t have to go hunting for one. If the recipe works out, I can order these from an old supplier. We haven’t used them since your grandmother has been gone, but I know for a fact they have them.”

  “Perfect!” Nessa said, stacking the washed plates to put away. “Wait. If you haven’t used them since Grandma was still here, does that mean you’re trying to give me an expired product?”

  “Of course not. Faye and I took a road trip to that little restaurant with the attached country store. They sell them there, and the minute I spotted it, I knew I had to pick it up. This was only about a month or so ago.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. She had enough issues all on her own without adding using expired chocolate into the mix. As Nessa worked, she thought about what her grandfather had said about why she hadn’t left yet. She didn’t want to. Now that she was there, she worried about leaving him alone with the bakery. It was a lot of work, and now she knew that first-hand.

  As though he’d read her mind, Lex took a stack of plates and passed them to her to put on the shelf. “Do you think it’s about time we start buckling down and looking for a new employee?”

  “Yes,” she answered simply. She hadn’t said much to her grandfather about the applications she’d looked through but hoped he didn’t want to pick from them.

  “I’m glad you agree. I love having you here because you’ve been such a big help, but it’s important we have time to live our lives outside of the bakery, too. Maybe we can talk more about it after you meet with Bizzie?” he suggested.

  “That sounds like a good idea. Maybe she knows someone looking for a job,” Nessa added the last part hesitantly. Bizzie knew a lot of people in town, but just because she knew them didn’t mean they were similar to her. It couldn’t hurt to ask, even if she’d probably enjoy making it a complicated process for Nessa. Bizzie just loved to see her squirm. Even though she tried hard to keep her head high, sometimes it was tough.

  “Can’t say I expected that response,” Lex teased. “How about you work on your recipe now? I don’t mind going back out front to handle the customers. Not that there are any out there, but I expect a small rush once school lets out for the day.”

  “It’s okay. I think I’ll finish up with the dishes and then sit down for a little while to plan out some ideas for Bizzie’s cookies. Since we changed her meeting day from Sundays to accommodate her plans, I got behind on a few things.”

  “You know you didn’t have to do that for her. You told her to meet on Sunday afternoons, so for her to immediately change that because she had something else to do
makes it seem like she can walk all over you. You know how I feel about that.” Lex worried for his granddaughter in the same way he had about his wife.

  “She’s not walking all over me. I assure you that I’m not a doormat. Bizzie had something to do, so I offered to have her come in at a different time. I’m still going to make a large order, and she’s still going to have to work hard to make it happen.”

  “Right, so not only do you let her have her way, but you give her a ton of business. It looks to me like she wins on both ends.”

  “As do we. If she meets the order, then we get her cookies, and we can sell them or add them to our recipes. There won’t be a huge profit, but there will be one. If she doesn’t meet the order, then we have the ability to no longer work with that supplier.”

  Lex paused and looked at her. “You made it all about business. Are you saying you’ll fire her if she doesn’t get the order complete? That ought to be interesting.”

  “I’m saying that if she doesn’t get the job done, then the next order will be smaller. Bizzie wants to do well, and I think she will. She’s ruled by money. She’ll notice the difference in her check from us going from a large order to a small one. She won’t like it, and that will make her work harder.”

  “I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere, but as long as you believe you aren’t being taken advantage of, then I guess I’ll just mind my own business.”

  “No! Grandpa, it’s not like that. I love how you protect me, but I promise I won’t let Bizzie or anyone else take advantage of me or this bakery. Plus, she may end up being my neighbor, so both of us will want to tread very carefully.”

  Lex cleared his throat. “Neighbors?”

  She told him about the house and how much she loved it, despite not actually going inside.

  “But yes, Bizzie lives next door to the house of my dreams.”

  “So, then you think seeing if Bizzie wants a job here is out of the question?”