by C A Phipps
“Oh! Yes, please, Mrs. Flynn. This is too perfect.”
“You can’t stay unless you call me Gran.”
Laura flushed with pleasure. “Thank you, Gran.”
Maddie smiled at them. “This is great. Now, if I could find a junior baker, this day would be perfect.”
Laura opened her arms. “Teach me. There’ll be times when no one wants coffee, and before the shop opens. I can work as many hours as you need me to for the same rate you’d pay a trainee.”
“You’d be willing to learn from scratch?”
“I’d love it. One thing Angel and I have in common is we’re useless cooks. We were talking about learning. She said you were going to teach her sometime and that I could learn from her. Maybe it could be the other way around.”
Maddie had never seen Laura so excited, and she had more to say.
“Baking would be a good start, and I love everything you make. Plus, I can wash dishes. I imagine by giving people coffee and tea, they’ll be eating in more, and therefore there’ll be all those plates and cups.”
“I love your enthusiasm. I anticipated a lot of dirty dishes, and I did put in a dishwasher when we redid the kitchen, so Gran and I wouldn’t always be at the sink. I think it’ll be earning its keep. This sounds too good to be true. When can you start?”
“Today?” Gran gave Laura a hopeful grin.
Laura laughed. “Much as I’d like to, I have to give notice, or my name will be mud around town. How’s next week? I’ll still come by and show you how to work the machine if you want to use it beforehand.”
“Perfect,” Maddie and Gran said together. “Tea?”
“What’s going on here?” Angel stood at the open back door.
“Maddie offered me a job, and I’m going to house sit at Grans until she sells.”
Laura’s excitement was catching, and Angel ran to throw her arms around Maddie, then the others.
“This is such good news. Although I did offer you my spare room ages ago.”
Laura blushed. “You would have had to suffer my parents visiting and I would have been mortified to have you hear how they talk about me. I don’t think they’ll be visiting anytime in the future now they know how I feel.”
“As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about, and a person would have to be blind not to see how happy you are!”
“I am. But I should go and get ready for work.”
“I’m off home for a bit to sort out your room, so I’ll walk you out,” said Gran.
Laura waited until they were alone before grabbing Maddie in a bear hug.
“Thank you, Maddie. You have made my day as well as Laura’s.”
Maddie blushed and squirmed. “It was purely selfish.”
Angel sat back and laughed. “Uh huh. Sure, it was. Anyway, I went over to see Anna at Mickey Findlay’s office.”
Maddie was astounded. “Already? Did you look at the typewriter?”
“I sure did. I asked Anna if it still worked and she showed me it did. Look.”
She handed Maddie a piece of paper with a rather smug expression. On it the words ‘two talented women,’ were typed.’ Half of the ‘t’ was missing.
“This is proof that the letters came from him.”
“Maybe, but how do we prove he was actually the one using it?”
Her heart sank. “You have a point. It’s a start though. Thanks Angel.”
“I have to run sweetie, but we’ll talk some more soon.”
After she left Maddie put the piece of paper with the letters. How could they tie everything together?
Chapter Twenty-Three
A slap across her face brought Maddie awake. Someone was in her bed. On her chest.
Slap!
She bolted upright, and Big Red let out a loud, outraged meow, as he rolled off her.
“Darn it. I was having the best sleep ever. What is wrong with you?” she coughed, then coughed again. A smell like something burning was wafting around her. Wait! It was smoke.
A loud wail made her leap out of bed. Thank goodness she’d installed the smoke alarm. The hall was narrow and took only a couple of steps to cross. Gran’s door felt cool, and Maddie couldn’t see any flames as she burst through into the room. She found Gran sitting up in bed, looking as disoriented as Maddie had been moments before.
“What’s happening, love? Is that the smoke alarm? Is it us?”
“It is. I think the fire must be downstairs.”
Gran got out of bed and put on a robe over her nightie. “Oh dear. Not your beautiful shop. I was sure we turned everything off.”
Maddie swallowed hard at the thought of what might be awaiting them. “Come on. We need to get out of here.”
She had to wait for Gran to put on slippers.
“Follow me while I see if it’s safe to go all the way down.”
“I darn well hope so. I’m not climbing out a window. No siree!”
Maddie took her arm and led her adamant Gran to the stairwell. There was a lot more smoke there, but still no flames she could see.
Gingerly, they went down the stairs and into the kitchen. The alarm was so loud there that they held their hands to their ears. Big Red’s hackles had risen to the extent that he looked like a ginger ball of fluff.
The back door was burning, flames creeping up the wall near the industrial oven. The fire extinguisher was on the wall opposite the door.
Maddie pushed Gran through into the shop with a damp dishcloth to her face and handed her the phone. “Get outside then call the fire department.”
While Gran did this, Maddie wrestled the extinguisher from its clips. Pulling the pin, she sprayed the flames closest to the oven, coughing so hard it felt like her lungs would burst.
She had managed to push the fire back when she heard the shop door crash open and Ethan came flying through the curtain like a superhero, minus the cape and leotard.
They stood gaping at each other in relief for a few seconds until he snapped out of it. Snatching the extinguisher from her grip, he continued to beat back the flames. He was still struggling when the fire department swarmed inside with heavy duty extinguishers and pushed the three of them outside through the shop before they set about dousing the last of the flames.
Ethan put down the empty canister and wiped his brow with his sleeve, smearing ash down his face. “Are you okay?”
Maddie retreated to where Gran was standing with Angel. She put her arm around her, thankful that she was safe but angry this had happened. There was no way this was an accident.
“After being wakened from a deep sleep by Big Red and being nearly burnt to a crisp in our beds? No, I’m not okay.” Then she calmed down a bit. “Still, I’m so glad he woke me and that the damage isn’t any worse. Imagine if after all our hard work, the whole place had burned to the ground.” Maddie began to shake, knowing she was babbling and unable to control it.
Gran had one arm around Maddie’s waist while her other hand held her robe tightly together. Maddie look down at her own flimsier attire, a long white t-shirt with Don’t wake me, I’m dreaming written across the front that barely skimmed her thighs.
Ethan saw her embarrassment and took off his jacket to put it around her. She didn’t refuse, even if it did smell of smoke. She almost laughed at the notion of being picky, because she could now smell her own hair as it fell around her face. The escaping blonde strands from her braid fairly reeked. Hysteria felt as close to her as the flames had been.
“Do we know how the fire started?” she asked, her voice higher than usual.
Ethan looked at the burly fire chief, Ryan Jones, who had left the dampening down of the area to his crew while he surveyed the damage. The chief seemed reluctant to answer the question, but Ethan motioned for him to speak.
“Arson?” he asked.
Still reluctant, the chief said, “It’s possible. There are traces of an accelerant near the back door. But we’ll need to do a full investigation before we can make a deter
mination.”
Ethan nodded. “Keep me informed.”
“The investigation will take a while,” Chief Jones said to Maddie. “We’ll need you to stay somewhere else for the rest of the night.”
“That’s not a problem, my house is just down the street, but could we go upstairs to get some clothes?” Gran asked him in a small voice.
“I’m sorry, the arson investigator will need to check the property to make sure the structure is safe, and the smoke will not clear properly for some time.” One of my men will go with you.”
“I can take Gran to the cottage, if you’re not ready Maddie.” Angel offered.
“Thanks. I won’t be long” She waited for Gran, Angel and the chief to walk away before she turned to Ethan. “Why are you here?”
“I was passing by and saw the fire.” His cheek twitched.
“Ethan, it’s too late for a casual stroll. What were you really doing?”
He looked around, avoiding her eyes. “Don’t be mad, but I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”
“Every night?”
“Mostly.”
She tapped her foot. “What do you mean?”
“I have a patrol come by several times, day and night.”
“Since when?”
“Since the murder. It felt like someone was framing you. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to alarm you any more than necessary.”
Now she was just plain mad. “You don’t get to tell me how or when to be scared. I’m a big girl, not the frightened one who went off to New York City on her own.”
“I know you’re not. The thing is, I can’t help worrying about you. We have a history, and it was mostly good. It’s not so easy to forget that you mattered.”
Maddie was struck by how he’d changed. He’d been a painfully shy and awkward, skinny kid, until high school, when he began to fill out. One of the things that had made it easier to leave him was that he’d never professed love for her or anything even close to that. Now he was a hunk, and he didn’t seem to have a problem with speaking his mind.
Her instinct to be grateful was stronger than the urge to throw something at him, but she was still annoyed.
“We were kids back then. Now we’re adults, and I can take care of myself.”
“Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but this is no ordinary thing that’s happened, and coming right after the murder, I don’t think I overreacted. Do you?”
If he hadn’t arrived when he had, could she have put out the fire before it spread? Probably not. Which meant she might not have had a shop to open tomorrow. “I guess not. I’d better check on Gran. Thanks for being here and helping with the fire, Ethan.”
Maddie felt bad for treating him this way, but she had no other choice.
Ethan took a step back. He had several streaks of ash running down his face, but she could clearly see he was just as annoyed as she was.
“Something’s going on with you, and I don’t like it.” He threw that into the space between them before he walked away.
She couldn’t think of anything to say to stop him that wouldn’t endanger him. What if the killer was watching them right now?
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was Monday, several days after the fire. Laura was starting work at the bakery today. The coffee machine was set up and ready to go.
Maddie had spent Sunday getting her new staff member up to speed with the cash register and prices, and Laura had christened the machine, making them both the most delicious lattes. Laura had given Maddie and Gran a tutorial on how to use it and surprisingly the results had tasted nearly as wonderful as hers.
Gran grudgingly declared that even though it wasn’t tea, it would be okay for the customers who didn’t know what was good for them—and it would also save some wear and tear on her tea sets.
It had actually been a lot of fun, and they had seen another side of the usually serious Laura.
When she arrived at six for her introduction to the baking schedule, Laura was excited and eager to begin. Maddie had been up earlier to make and set the bread dough to rest, and Gran had made the usual scones and muffins, so the timing was perfect.
“Thanks for coming so early,” Maddie said. “You won’t have to after today. Otherwise, it can be an awfully long day.”
Laura waved a hand. “I’m always awake by now. I guess that makes me a morning person, and I’m happy to be busy.”
“You sound just like me. Who would have thought?”
They smiled at each other.
“Say, the paint fumes have almost gone,” Laura noted happily.
“Thank goodness! When I had to repaint this part of the kitchen after the fire I was worried about how you’d cope if it was still lingering, but you seem a lot better,” Maddie said.
Laura smiled. “Honestly, I was too, but even since yesterday, there’s a huge difference in here. I didn’t like to admit it was affecting me because I really wanted the job. I haven’t ever been this enthusiastic about any job.”
Maddie could see and feel her sincerity. There was always the worry that if things turned sour it would upset everything with Angel, but she couldn’t think about that now.
If they got along as well as they had over the last week, Maddie would be delighted. Laura was much nicer than she’d thought, even after their heart-to-heart. It was funny what festered away in people’s minds, when an honest conversation and spending some time together could fix all that.
Now she felt guilty. She still hadn’t told Ethan about the last letter. To take her mind off that swing of the pendulum, she began to show Laura how to make basic cookies. As they took them out of the oven, Angel came through the back door wearing a yellow dress.
“Look at you, baking and everything. They look delicious.”
Laura grinned. “I made the uglier ones.”
“They look good enough to me.” Angel stole one from the tray, juggling it in her fingers, but the heat didn’t stop her from taking a bite. “Mmmm. So good,” she mumbled.
Gran was cleaning the counter they rolled everything out on, and she called out to Angel. “I don’t know how you manage to look the way you do first thing in the morning, but today you look like sunshine. You three come and have a cup of tea or make yourselves some coffee and sit down for a few minutes before we open. It may be the last chance anyone gets for a while.”
Gran stuck with her tea but Laura made the rest of them lattes. Angel was bubbling with happiness, and Laura couldn’t stop smiling. Maddie had a good feeling inside her. All her fears of this not working were melting away like butter on a griddle.
When they opened a little while later, she was pleased at how quick and efficient Laura was with serving, and was delighted with her customers’ reaction to the coffees. They would need more tables at this rate, since sitting down for a coffee appeared to encourage everyone to have a slice of cake or a cookie. It was a win-win situation, and that was uplifting after the last few weeks of turmoil.
When they both managed a break and a bite to eat mid-afternoon, Maddie took a few recipes out to one of the tables and they went over some of the easier ones. Laura couldn’t have been more eager.
“I know you’ve got enough going on right now, but if you did open a cooking class, you’d have a heap of people wanting to join. You should hear how they rave about your food.”
Maddie shook her head. “I’ve heard some comments, but you’ve seen what a day looks like for me. When would I get the time?”
“True,” Laura agreed with a disappointed sigh.
Maddie opened her mouth once more, although she should have known better. “Actually, I have thought about having a class for my friends. No charge. I think Angel mentioned it to you. It could be a fun night, and it wouldn’t be any pressure. If I didn’t feel up to it, we could cancel.”
Laura’s eyes lit up. “Angel did tell me about it. Are you including me?”
“Of course. You’re my baker-in-training. You could help.”
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“Really? How would it work?” Laura was sparkling with pleasure.
“It’s not like I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Maddie laughed. “Everybody brings their own ingredients and some wine. There’s plenty of room in the big oven, and we can use my pans and utensils.”
“You had me at wine. Count me in.”
“It’ll have to be after the Girlz and I capture Denise’s killer.” Shocked at herself, Maddie clapped a hand to her mouth.
Laura grinned. “I’m sorry to break it to you, but it’s hardly a secret you and the Girlz are hunting for suspects.”
“What do you mean?” Maddie failed miserably at putting together an innocent look.
“The word around town is that you have a list and you’re not afraid to use it.”
Maddie frowned. “Have you heard anything or know anything else?”
“Everything I know was pulled out of me by Angel. She didn’t want anyone thinking I was involved,” Laura said pointedly.
“Right. About that.” There was no way she was going to mention all the things on her “Laura list” but she did feel awkward.
Laura shook her head. “Don’t give it another thought. I totally get why you would have put me on your list. I might always be a little jealous of you,” she grinned
“Why on earth would you say that?”
“Seriously? Look at you, with curves like Marilyn Monroe, the sexiest guy in town hanging on your every word, and loved by everyone. Do you know how that makes us mousey people feel?”
Maddie did an impression of talking, but nothing came out.
“The fact that you have no idea how attractive you are, is even more frustrating,” Laura went on. “When I came to town and heard about you, I laughed. Not aloud, of course. People would have thought I was rude, or more likely crazy. I wondered how anyone could have all that going on. Then you came home, and I saw for myself what everyone said was true.” She sighed dramatically.
