Dead Man's Hand

by Lorraine Bartlett

  Katie swallowed. “Yes. I did.” She couldn’t really blame Vance. She had told him to figure it out for himself. But then, why had Margo wafted in and made suggestions she had to have known Katie couldn’t afford? Furthermore, Vance should’ve known they wouldn’t be able to shore up the entire second floor. And what about the disruption? Were they going to have to empty all the booths and close down the business for a couple of weeks?

  Lesson learned, she guessed. Next time, she’d take a moment to hear Vance out. “We need to sit down and discuss the logistics.”

  “If you can spare the time,” Vance said tartly.

  Katie was in no mood to deal with the problem just then. “We’ll set up a meeting for later this afternoon. How is four o’clock?”

  “Fine.”

  But it wasn’t fine.

  At that moment, Katie wasn’t sure if things between them would ever be fine again.

  Chapter 12

  After her conversation with Vance, Katie was so rattled she needed to work off her upset and decided to do a couple of laps power walking around the Square. She was startled when someone fell into step beside her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw it was Andy.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, annoyed.

  “Walking.” He’d also stopped. “Or, at least, I was.”

  She shook her head. “You never walk. Your concept of exercise is only what takes place in a gym.”

  “Look, I wanted to talk with you. Come on.” He resumed walking, waiting until she joined him before continuing. “I considered coming to your apartment, but I didn’t want either of us to have to contend with wagging tongues and rampant speculation.”

  “You don’t think our walking the Square together will cause any gossip?” Katie asked.

  “Not as much as my coming to your apartment would.”

  She had to admit that was true. “What did you want to say?”

  “I wanted you to know I’m sorry about Jamie,” he said. “How’s Seth holding up?”

  “He was a basket case for the first few days, but he appears to be doing better now that we have a lead.” Oops. Didn’t mean for that to slip out.

  His steps faltered for a moment. “A lead? What kind of lead?”

  “Jamie could’ve been poisoned at a poker game,” she said.

  “Let me guess—you and Seth have found which poker game Jamie played at, and you plan to investigate.”

  She glanced over to see his expression settle into the disapproving frown she’d seen so often when they were dating. “Everything will be fine. We’re simply going to play a little poker and find out if any of the other players knew Jamie.”

  “I know that what you do is no longer any of my business, but it still concerns me when you put yourself in harm’s way for other people.”

  “I’m not only doing this snooping for Seth,” Katie said. “Traffic at Tealicious has come to a complete standstill.”

  “Business will pick back up, Sunshine. Give it a little time.”

  “I don’t have a little time! Not if McKinlay Mill residents believe our food is responsible for a man’s death.”

  “The story will die down,” Andy said. “Any minute now, something new will happen to eclipse the rumor of Jamie’s death.”

  She stopped and turned toward him with her hands on her hips. “Like what? A murdered body being found in an abandoned warehouse? Oh, wait, that happened already, and I’m the one who found the body. Should anyone forget that fact, the local newspaper will be happy to provide a refresher.”

  Andy rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. “I’m sorry. You’ve found yourself in one horrible situation after another these past few weeks. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Unable to bear his touch, she stepped back causing his hands to fall from her shoulders. “No, and don’t give me this ‘I care about you’ crap when you blatantly telegraphed to everyone at the partnership meeting that Whitney was your new girlfriend.”

  “That’s not true,” Andy protested.

  “Well, that’s the impression you gave. Everybody on the Square is talking about it.”

  Andy glared at her but didn’t refute the accusation.

  “Now, I really need to finish my walk,” Katie declared.

  Andy shrugged. “Fine. But if you need anything—or even just a friendly face—give me a buzz.”

  Not a chance, buster, she felt like saying. Instead, she turned away and continued walking.

  After her power walk, Katie stopped at Tealicious to meet with Margo and Brad before going to Artisans Alley.

  “There you are,” Margo said. “Brad and I have been waiting for you.” Her eyes raked over Katie. “We don’t mind giving you another few minutes, though, if you need to finish getting ready.”

  Katie took in her former mother-in-law’s perfectly creased black slacks, leopard-print blouse, and coral blazer. Then she held her arms akimbo to show Margo she was fine with the jeans and oversize sweatshirt she’d chosen for the day. “I’m good.”

  Margo frowned. “Right.” She placed a briefcase on one of the tables and opened it. “I’ve made a few fliers for the open house. We can choose one to copy and distribute, or we can opt for more than one.”

  All the fliers were beautifully designed, so Katie suggested they use them all. “That way people won’t think they’re seeing the same flier over and over and will hopefully read more than one. They do say you have to see a message seven times before it sinks in.”

  “Excellent,” Margo said. “We should make copies to put at the cash desks at Artisans Alley, and we should also enlist the help of other Victoria Square merchants—Ray, Andy, Nona.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll take care of that.”

  “Good luck,” Katie said, “but I doubt any of the other merchants will go out of their way to drum up business for Tealicious.”

  “Oh, they will.” Margo tapped the table. “I’ll remind them that if customers stop patronizing Tealicious, it won’t be long before they’ll take all their business to some other quaint town and everyone will be hurting.”

  Brad smiled, amused. “Ms. Bonner, did you kill that leopard and make it into a blouse yourself?”

  Grinning, she said, “Never. I’d never harm an innocent animal. These merchants, on the other hand…. And please, darling, call me Margo.”

  Just like that, Margo had Brad eating out of the palm of her hand. She had a way with people—Katie had to admit that. At least, the people she wanted to charm. Katie had never been one of those people.

  “Here are my ideas for a fall-themed tea,” Brad said. “First, a red-velvet cake, with white buttercream icing.”

  “What else?” Margo asked, sounding enthused.

  “What about pumpkin cupcakes?” Katie suggested.

  “And pumpkin martinis?” Brad asked.

  “No liquor license,” Katie reminded Brad.

  “I could make a cider Bundt cake,” he said.

  “That sounds good,” Margo said. “Maybe you could make a cider-based punch to go with it.”

  “I once catered a Halloween party where we bought a giant pumpkin, cut it in half, and slid a punch bowl into it,” Brad said. “Voila! It looked terrific. If we’re doing this in the evening, we might want to include some savory appetizers, as well.”

  “Why don’t I go on Pinterest to get some more ideas?” Margo volunteered.

  “Good idea,” Katie agreed. “Hopefully, we can follow up on a successful open house after the arrest of Jamie’s killer.”

  “Do you have any news?” Brad asked.

  Katie explained how she and Ray were going undercover at a poker game in an attempt to learn more about Jamie’s activities before his death.

  “Do you think that’s wise?” Brad asked. “What if you’re recognized as the proprietress of the tea shop where Jamie was potentially poisoned?”

  She hadn’t given that a thought. “I’ll simply have to disguise myself.”

  �
�Oh, darling, you’re always so frumpy,” Margo said. “But I can play up your finer features and make you unrecognizable.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Katie deadpanned.

  Margo either didn’t notice or chose not to acknowledge Katie’s sarcasm. “No problem. Come to Sassy Sally’s this evening and be ready to be transformed.”

  Realizing one disguise was as good as another, Katie reluctantly agreed.

  With their plans made, Katie returned to Artisans Alley. She paused in the vendors’ lounge to pour herself a cup of coffee when Rose came in.

  “Hey, there.” She smiled at the older woman. “Could you come by my office for a minute?”

  “Sure,” Rose said. “Let me get a cup, and I’ll be right there.”

  When they were both ensconced in her office with their coffee, Katie explained to Rose what happened with Vance the day before. “I know I should’ve taken time to hear him out about the floor, but I still think he should’ve gotten my permission to make such a costly move.”

  “Well, you did tell him you trusted him and to use his best judgment,” Rose said.

  From the way she answered, Katie realized Vance had already spoken with Rose about the incident and that Rose was in agreement with him.

  “Rose, do the Artisans Alley vendors think they’ve been slighted with this floor issue?”

  “No. Everyone understands that.” Rose pursed her lips.

  “What is it everyone doesn’t understand?” Katie asked.

  “Since you’re asking, more than a few vendors here feel that since Tealicious opened, Artisans Alley has become rather like one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters—she’s still at the ball, but no one is dancing with her. A little while ago, you brought in fliers announcing the Tealicious open house and expect us to happily hand them out and invite everyone to come.” She leaned forward. “Well, what about an event or party for Artisans Alley?”

  Katie bristled. “Need I remind you of the Harvest Festival—and the vendor appreciation party—that took place just weeks ago!” She raked her hands through her hair. “And, since the newspaper publicized Jamie’s dying after eating there, Tealicious’s business is suffering. I’ve got almost as big a financial stake in it as I do here.”

  “Oh, I understand all that,” Rose said. “It’s the others who are feeling resentful and overlooked. And they feel it’ll be even worse if your partnership buys the abandoned warehouse.”

  Katie sighed. What in the world did Rose and the rest of the Artisans Alley vendors want from her? “Thanks for letting me know. Right now, I’m dealing with all I can handle, but I’ll try to address their feelings. And soon.” But she knew from past experience that despite her best efforts, she wasn’t going to please everyone.

  At that moment, she wasn’t sure she cared. And she had what she expected to be an unpleasant meeting with Vance coming up.

  It was going to be a long afternoon.

  Chapter 13

  Vance arrived promptly for his meeting with Katie. His demeanor was as stiff as his starched shirt collar. He walked into the office and perched on the edge of the chair beside her desk.

  Katie tried to sound cheerful, but her greeting came out sounding forced nonetheless. “Thanks for coming. I spoke with Rose a little while ago. She says some of the vendors feel that I’ve let Artisans Alley fall by the wayside since purchasing Tealicious. Do you agree?”

  Vance leaned back in the chair, looking down his nose at her. “To a great extent, I do. Yesterday morning, you couldn’t spare me ten minutes to discuss the floor situation. Instead, you instructed me to use my best judgment—which I did. And then you were annoyed by my decision.”

  “I’m still upset about my friend Jamie’s collapse outside Tealicious, his death, and how it’s affecting his partner, Seth, who is one of my dearest friends.”

  “I guess I can see that,” Vance grudgingly agreed.

  “I’m dismayed because you’ve committed me to a lot of money for a cosmetic fix to the floor. It feels like we’re prepping for surgery when a simple bandage would suffice.”

  “I merely wanted to stain the floor and needed your opinion on the aesthetic since it is your establishment,” Vance said, his expression hardening. “When Margo arrived, I consulted her, thinking she would know your preferences better than me. She pointed out that no matter what we used, the new stain wouldn’t match the old and would look garish.”

  “While I’m aware of that concern, what we’re looking at now is a far more extensive undertaking for a space that’s, in many cases, unfinished.” Katie sighed. “I’m already giving all the upstairs vendors affected by the job a free month’s rent for their inconvenience. Now, in order to stain that section of floor, we’re going to have to close Artisans Alley and displace them for at least a day or more.”

  “No, we won’t. The upstairs vendors can move items to the lobby and the vendors’ lounge and set up there while their portion of the floor is being stained. Ray and I are working on it after hours anyway.”

  “Really? I’m surprised he has the time now that he’s squiring around Carol, the detective.” Katie was sorry she’d said the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.

  “Is that what this is about?” Vance asked. “Are you jealous of this woman? Everyone knows Ray is crazy about you. If you want him, all you have to do is let him know.”

  “My objections have nothing to do with Ray and his love life,” she said, hoping it was true. “My main focus is Artisans Alley.”

  He arched a brow. “Oh, really?”

  “Yes!” she said feeling exasperated. “Look, maybe I should see if the contractor who worked on the apartment over Tealicious, John Healy, can come in and take care of this. He’s a professional—”

  Vance shot to his feet. “So now you don’t even trust me to repair the floor?”

  Katie waved her hands as though to erase her last words. “I do trust you, Vance. Please sit back down so we can work this out.”

  He snorted a breath and sat, scowling. “Why are you making mountains out of molehills here? This problem is not insurmountable, and all I did was follow your instructions.”

  “You want mountains?” Katie asked. “I’ll give you mountains. There has been virtually no business at Tealicious since Saturday. Granted, the shop was closed Sunday and Monday; but after the newspaper article ran on Monday intimating that something Jamie ate at Tealicious on Saturday led to his demise, no one wants to dine there.”

  “Are you sure Jamie’s death wasn’t caused by something he ingested at Tealicious?”

  Rankled by his question, Katie tried not to show it. “I’m positive. Jamie was intentionally poisoned.” Taking a page from Margo’s playbook, she added, “Furthermore, if Victoria Square shoppers believe one shop is tainted, it could reflect poorly on the rest. And, of course, once shoppers learn I run Artisans Alley as well as Tealicious, all our vendors could suffer. I’m desperately trying to prevent that.”

  Vance frowned. “I hadn’t considered that.”

  “Please do. It wouldn’t hurt if the vendors thought about the long-term ramifications of this mess, too.”

  “Do you want me to come right out and tell them?” he asked.

  “No. But it wouldn’t hurt to try to encourage some esprit de corps.”

  Vance rose once again. “Okay. I’ll try and rally the troops.”

  “Thank you.”

  Now she just had to hope he’d truly gotten the message—and could also relay it to the sixty-plus Artisans Alley vendors.

  Moonbeam called close to closing time with a tempting offer. “Hey, Katie, I’m making homemade tomato bisque with the last of my garden bounty. Would you like to join me at The Flower Child for an early light dinner?”

  “I’d love to,” Katie said. After the day she’d had—and the evening yet to come—she was thrilled to have an excuse to get away from the problems of the day. Vance would be working on the floor. He could close down for the day.

  As she st
epped out of her office, Sue Sweeney entered the vendors’ lounge. It wasn’t that often that the Square’s confectioner visited Artisans Alley.

  “Hi, Katie,” Sue said brightly. “Have you got a minute?”

  “I was just heading out.” Remembering how much brushing off Vance had cost her, she said, “But, of course, I have a minute.”

  Sue leaned her butt against the counter near the coffee maker. “I’ve been thinking and it seems like we should have another meeting soon to discuss the warehouse the partnership is considering buying. Exactly what should we do with it? Would we want to rent it out, as we did with the shop currently leased to The Flower Child?” she asked. “Or would we want to use it as a venue to sell some of our own products? Obviously, we don’t need another sweet shop here on the Square, but my niece sells screen-printed T-shirts and—”

  “Oh, Sue, whether we buy the warehouse or not, please have her reach out to me,” Katie said. “I’m sure I could find her a space at Artisans Alley.”

  “Well, that’s the thing. She’d need more than just a booth. She needs a production area as well as a shipping station. If I owned a stake in the building, she wouldn’t have to pay rent. Right?”

  Of course, it isn’t right! Katie wanted to scream, but instead, she chose her words carefully. “That’s not the case, Sue. Anyone renting space in the building would have to pay for the privilege. If no one paid rent, then how could we pay our bills?”

  Sue sniffed. “That seems rather restrictive.”

  “It isn’t restrictive,” Katie said. “It’s business.” Katie looked pointedly at the clock. “I have another appointment. I really have to go. Maybe we can discuss this later—at a partnership meeting, as you suggested. I’ll prepare an email either later tonight or tomorrow to schedule it.”

  Sue looked less than pleased and without another word, left the vendors’ lounge in what could only be described as a huff. Katie locked her office for the night and left the building.