Leo had sat back on his haunches when I’d begun to use my phone, and he was still staring across the street. I lifted my gaze only to find out why he’d been asking me so many questions regarding what Mr. Amereldine had been wearing when he’d left the inn.
“Oh, my! Leo, why didn’t you tell me that the chef was standing in front of the salon? Mom is in there right now getting a manicure and a pedicure!”
I quickly looked both ways before beginning to cross the street, figuring it would be faster to reach the chef if I cut through town square. It wasn’t like we had a lot of time to figure out who was trying to extort Mom out of her wedding day. I’d confront the chef and pay close attention to the palm of my right hand.
It was hard to figure out if the tingling in my palm at the inn had been due to Gertie and the possibility of her knowing about the Marigold legacy or if I’d been reacting to Cecelia’s presence. Being out in the open like this, I was sure to get a read on the man who was currently keeping close tabs on my mother.
“Leo, you should pay Mom a visit and let her know that—”
My familiar was nowhere to be found.
I had glanced down twice, but there was no feline by my side. It was a good thing that I’d made it to the edge of town square before having to stop and look back over my shoulder.
Sure enough, Leo was still sitting on the corner with his left eye bulging and his whiskers twitching a million miles a minute. He appeared to be irked about something, but we had a lot on our plate today. I just didn’t have time for his theatrics.
How in the world were we going to ferret out who was trying to extort Mom into calling off the wedding if we didn’t get a move on?
I sighed in resignation as I began to retrace my steps. There were a few residents milling about, but none so close that I couldn’t continue to carry on a conversation with Leo.
“What are you doing?” I asked in exasperation, leaning down and looking him directly in the eyes. I’m pretty sure that they were as green as mine. “Mr. Amereldine is in the perfect spot for us to ambush him about this so-called crush on my mother. Plus, I can get a sense if he’s dangerous or not.”
My problem involves science, Raven. I’d rather not discuss it. Just bring me a heating blanket pronto or leave me here until Spring.
“What on earth are you talking about?” I asked in disbelief. The gusts of winds were making it hard to continue kneeling and balancing in front of him. “Leo, I promise you that your blueberry-filled edibles will be here on Monday. I doublechecked the delivery shipment this morning before we found ourselves involved in another mystery.”
Science, Raven. Science. Go fetch me a heating blanket before I chip one of my incisors from all this shivering.
“Not without you telling me why,” I replied stubbornly, knowing that there had to be something else that I could say or do to get him to leave this spot. I quickly checked behind me to make sure that the chef was still standing in front of the salon’s window. “We’re running out of time and—”
I’m stuck, Raven! Stuck! The fur of my buttocks is stuck to an ice spot, and now I can’t move. Are you happy now?
I was very happy, because I suddenly realized that this unfortunate situation could be turned around to help with our current problem. Leo must have been cleaning his fur before leaving the inn, and the wet strands stuck to the ice spot when he sat down to give me one of his infamous lectures.
I quickly stood before Leo could say anything that would prevent me from using this awkward state of affairs to my advantage. With my one glove still clutched in my other, I began to wave my arms across the street in hopes that I caught the chef’s attention.
“Help! I need help!”
What in the catnip gods are you doing? Stop that, right this instant! Have you lost your mind? My rump is stuck to the pavement! Raven, stop—
“Trust me, Leo,” I muttered softly, breathing a sigh of relief when I finally caught the chef’s attention. I’d also caught the notices of others, but I made sure that Mr. Amereldine was well aware that I was looking at him. “Your predicament is to our advantage. We all have to make sacrifices in the name of love. Beetle and Mom will be married tomorrow, despite this grey cloud that is hanging over them.”
Sacrifices? You did not just go there, Raven!
I winced when I realized that my choice of words hadn’t been the best in this situation. Leo had sacrificed more than his fair share when he’d agreed to stay behind with me while Nan had crossed into the afterlife. The necromancy spell had made a complete mess of his formerly perfect feline form.
I was still keeping an eye on the chef as he cautiously began to make his way across the cobblestone intersection. Instead of cutting across town square, he’d opted to go around the small roundabout walkway. He was probably hoping that I would change my mind about needing his assistance if he walked slow enough.
When I was sure that the chef wasn’t looking at me, I waved away Eugene and Albert who had veered their slow steps to come to my aid. They’d opted to take the table that they used to play chess in front of Monty’s hardware shop and place it underneath one of the heaters. Being outside, even in the winter, gave them the sense of being part of the community.
I gave the two older gentlemen the all-okay sign, turning back around toward Leo so that Mr. Amereldine didn’t witness my deceit. I was actually a horrible liar, but there were times that I had to force myself for the greater good—in this case, my mother’s pending nuptials.
I just want to go on record that karma is a—
“I’m sure the word that you were about to say rhymes with witch, which is what I am.” I feigned consoling Leo with a pat on his head. His top lip curled in disdain right as I caught sight of movement out of my peripheral vision. The chef was almost upon us, so I had to act quick. “Don’t worry, you handsome tomcat. We’re going to have you unstuck in just a few minutes.”
“Ma’am? Is there a problem?”
I stood quickly and turned, wanting to see the man’s reaction to my appearance. I wasn’t disappointed, either. Seeing as all the Marigold women had the same features, I was basically the spitting image of my mother, only years younger.
I’d like to also point out that your looks might not be the only thing that resembles the Mistress of the Dark. That wasn’t simply an observation, either. This is exactly something that your mother would do, you know.
“Thank you so much for walking over here,” I began, having caught the sound of chattering of incisors from Leo. “I was hoping that you would…oh! You’re Chef Amereldine, aren’t you? I believe that we’ve met before, though it’s been a very long time. My mother has spoken so highly of you. Believe it or not, Leo and I were just coming back from the inn after looking for you.”
Don’t mind me. My hind quarters are just stuck to the ground. I want you to know that you are very lucky that this did not happen after hibernation season.
“You must be Raven!” Mr. Amereldine exclaimed with a big smile underneath his bushy mustache. “You were knee-high the last time that I saw you. So, tell me. What is happening here with this poor little fellow?”
Mr. Amereldine leaned down and began to run his black gloves over Leo’s head soothingly while murmuring reassurances that all would be okay. It became very clear that he had misunderstood the situation.
What does he think he’s doing, Raven? Tell him to stop! Stop it! Right this minute!
“I have a soft spot for felines,” Mr. Amereldine admitted before following up with what sounded suspiciously like kissing sounds. I bent closer to see Leo’s left eye bulging even more in incredulity. “I will help you take him to a vet, of course. I take it the car didn’t stop after the impact? There are some truly rotten people in this world.”
“Oh, Leo didn’t get hit by a car,” I replied hastily, not wanting there to be any misunderstandings.
Really? You could have fooled me. Now might be a good time to tell you that I’ve lost all feeling in my back
end. Whatever you do, don’t let that quack vet take off my hind quarters.
I doubt that Dr. Jameson had ever removed an animal’s buttocks from frost bite, but I get that Leo had to be getting pretty cold sitting in one place for so long. Well, I was about to take care of that pesky little problem.
“Leo had licked his fur before sitting on a spot of ice,” I divulged with dismay, patting Mr. Amereldine on the shoulder with my right hand. I was still holding my leather glove in my left grip, but I didn’t get any prickling sensation that this man posed any type of threat. “If you don’t mind staying with him for a brief moment, I’ll just run into the nearest shop for a cup of warm water. That should do the trick.”
What do I look like to you? A winter science experiment? Hey! Where do you think you’re going? Get back here right this minute! You can’t leave me alone with someone who might have committed unspeakable acts with your mother and attempted murder on…
I quickly continued on my way until I reached the local realtor’s office. It didn’t take me long to explain why I needed a warm glass of water. Within seconds, I was out the door and heading back to…
Was that Leo laughing?
His hearty chuckles actually sounded more like a hairball being coughed up from the depths of his body, but I’d come to know the difference.
Now, I was officially worried.
I’d literally been gone less than two or three minutes. How had this city chef, who possibly had unrequited feelings for a woman who Leo basically despised, ended up getting Leo to laugh about such an embarrassing situation?
“You just wait, little fella,” Mr. Amereldine practically crooned, having taken off his glove so that he could give Leo some chin scratches. “I do believe you are the one that Regina mentioned being a ringbearer. I thought she was joking, of course. Now that I see what a personality you are, I can understand why she would entertain the thought of a cat with a bowtie. Anyway, I will make you the most delicious tuna catnip souffle that you’ve ever tasted in your nine lives. Not to judge, but I’d definitely say that you are on your ninth life by your rough exterior appearance, good sir.”
Raven! Raven! Did you hear that? I have my own personal chef! Listen, it’s obvious that we were completely wrong about this guy. Did you know that he loves cats? He goes out of his way while in the city and makes sure that as many of the stray animals as he can find are well fed. For all we know, this chef could be an angel in disguise!
It appeared that Mr. Amereldine was speaking Leo’s language when it came to tuna catnip souffles. I’d let Leo have this moment, because right now?
We had both won.
Leo’s itsy-bitsy awkward situation had gotten us a private one-on-one conversation with the chef himself.
Have I mentioned that I’ve been thinking that Paramour Bay needs a higher-end restaurant? Well, I have. The logo should have a cat pawprint somewhere in it, since I’m the one who’s going to convince this fabulous chef to move here. Now for a name…
While Leo continued to ramble on about having his own personal chef, I leaned down next to Mr. Amereldine.
“This water should do the trick,” I said with a smile, trying to suppress a shiver of cold from being outside a bit too long. The brief heat from the local realtor’s office hadn’t helped any. “I have your payment with me, Chef Amereldine. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it with someone who so clearly dislikes my mother.”
What in Hades is wrong with you, Raven? Are you trying to drive this chef out of town before he even has time to turn on a burner?
I’d been watching the chef’s expressions very closely, having achieved my goal of catching him off guard. I wasn’t a rude person, by any means, but the wedding was tomorrow. My mother was being blackmailed, Beetle’s life was being threatened, and Otis had already been attacked in the middle of town square.
This situation that my mother had found herself in was escalating, and we needed to solve it fast before anyone else got hurt.
We need to solve something else fast, especially before I lose all feeling in my hind quarters. Pour that water on my haunches, Raven. I’m ready to be free from this unbearable mortification.
“You are talking about my Cecelia,” Chef Amereldine responded with what appeared to be a fond smile. He had taken the Styrofoam cup from me and began to gently pour the warm water on the tuft of fur that was keeping Leo attached to the spot of ice. “One of the reasons that I hired her was for her no-nonsense attitude. It helps to have that type of personality in the trenches back in the city, and my Cecelia keeps everyone in line. I do apologize if she came across as somewhat crass. You are right in that she and your mother have a disagreeable history.”
Look at that, Raven! Not only have I found us a personal chef, but my completely intentional snafu with the sidewalk worked according to my plan. As I said before, give the good ol’ sheriff a call and let him know that we’ve wrapped up this case!
Chapter Six
Did you cross off making that call to the good ol’ sheriff, Raven? I don’t know how you got things so wrong, but it looks as if we’re back to square one on your list of things to get done today.
I rolled my eyes at Leo’s commentary, but he was right about us having the situation all wrong and my to-do list even longer. A quick glance over at the other side of the bakery showed my mother sitting at one of the tables with Chef Amereldine and Cecelia. It was clear that Mom was stressed about the threat to Beetle’s life, but she was doing a great job in covering up her concern as she laughed at whatever Cecelia had said in their private discussion.
The only reason that I could tell Mom wasn’t entirely invested in the three-way conversation was that she was tapping her nails against the table. She never drummed her freshly painted fingernails on a hard surface unless at least three days had passed by since her appointment.
Go figure. A memory is coming through clear as could be from your mother’s time in high school. Did you know that she set the science lab on fire because she was tapping her nails in aggravation over the fact that Cora Barnes put her name in for homecoming queen? The energy that she had gathered in the room had ignited one of the Bunsen burners and…well, you get the idea.
I didn’t know such a dreadful thing had happened to my mother in high school, and I made a mental note to ask Leo more about her early years at a later date. I loved to hear stories about Nan and my mother, mainly because the two of them hadn’t had the best relationship after my mother had decided to raise me without any knowledge of the Marigold family secret.
Seeing as I now found myself in Paramour Bay practicing witchcraft regularly, my mother’s scheme hadn’t exactly gone according to plan. Leo and I always managed to find ourselves involved in some sort of clandestine activity, as well. Unfortunately, my mother just so happened to be smack dab in the middle of this one.
How had we been so far off base in our assumptions about the chef and his assistant?
I’m working backwards in the elimination process, Raven. Maybe it’s my new go-to method.
“I can’t believe that Mr. Amereldine was talking about Cecelia’s irritation that Mom had moved away from the city,” I murmured before taking a sip of the coffee that I’d ordered while waiting for the manager of the band to arrive at the bakery. The warmth of the beverage spread through me, and I sighed in satisfaction as the caffeine hit my system. “Go figure that the two of them seem like long lost friends right now. It’s clear that Cecelia blames me for the fact that Mom left the city for life in a small town.”
Mom had caught me talking to Mr. Amereldine after her salon appointment. She’d probably known immediately what I was up to, but the chef had somehow ended up steering all of us toward the bakery. Bree, the owner, always allowed Leo to come in out of the cold with the promise from me that he would stay near the table next to the door. Considering this was my next stop, we’d gone along with the suggestion of grabbing a cup of java.
The manager of the band had yet to arrive,
but I wasn’t worried about Mom paying any attention to us. From my understand, the manager had taken over her duties of overseeing bookings of the band after my mother had left the city. It was highly doubtful the two of them had ever met, so I sat back in my chair at the table to observe my mother and our immediate surroundings.
The fresh smell of sweet pastry dough mixed with the delicious aromas of flavored coffees hung in the air. The low hums of conversations were almost like its own form of energy within the cozy shop, and a little bit of the previous tension faded from my shoulders.
It was nice to have a moment of normalcy.
I think it’s just the warm air coming from the heater above us. We need to get us one of these for the teashop, Raven. Clearly, you’re not paying attention to the wants and needs of your customers.
Leo began to stretch on the chair beside me where I’d flattened my jacket for him to lay on until our meeting was over. I’d already warned him about kneading the material. He was liable to put a few snags in the fabric, and then I’d have to buy my second winter jacket so far this season.
Anyway, we would then finish up the rest of the errands on my to-do list after I was able to give the manager of the band her payment and finalize the play list. Leo should be able to get in a least a twenty-minute nap before we had to venture back outside. Right now, I was just grateful that I had a minute to myself to think things through.
Mom had been left a couple of notes, basically threatening Beetle’s life if she didn’t call off the wedding. Otis had been knocked in the side of the head from behind. So far as I could tell, the objective was to make sure that he couldn’t officiate the ceremony tomorrow.
Had Mom been telling us the truth, though?
Had she left out any details that could change the way that Liam was investigating this case?
Frosty Blend (A Paramour Bay Cozy Paranormal Mystery Book 15) Page 5
