A Twist of Murder

by Gretchen Allen

  The Townsend shop was opening in about forty-five minutes and no one was there. She knew her shop was quite a bit busier than this one, but Yvette had always scheduled one of her staff to arrive at least an hour before the official opening time. Someone needed to be there to make sure that there were fresh waffle cones and whipped cream made, and that all the ice cream tubs were set out and rotated properly.

  Realizing that she didn’t even have a key to the building, Yvette pulled out her phone to call Henry. She’d felt terrible about calling him on the first day of his vacation and could only hope he’d answer his phone. Yvette was saved when an old white pickup truck came zooming into the lot.

  “Sorry about that. I was running a little late this morning. I’m Gina,” the petite, dark-haired woman spoke as she climbed out of her truck.

  Yvette breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh good. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get inside. I’m supposed to be picking up my own set of keys today. I guess Henry left his in the office for me. He said someone would be here to open this morning. I’m guessing that’s you?”

  “Yup. That’s me. I’m the only one with keys besides Henry. I come in and open every day but sometimes I get here a little later on the slower days. I pretty much have the hang of everything, so I can get it all done pretty quickly.”

  “You work every day?” Yvette tried to ignore the woman’s comment about how she basically showed up whenever she wanted.

  Gina pulled a set of keys from her purse and opened the back door, letting Yvette in ahead of her. She pulled the door shut and locked it behind her. “Every darn day. I’m usually only here for a few of hours, though. I come in and clean up anything left over from the night before then I make the cones, sauces, and other toppings and head out whenever the next person is scheduled. Sometimes I work on putting the delivery orders away too.”

  This time Yvette had a hard time reserving her judgments. She knew it was her first day in a new shop and that everyone did things differently. Yvette was thankful that Emma let each of her managers run their shop how they saw fit, but she had to say something. “You clean up from the day before? What about the staff that’s here to do the closing duties?”

  “That’s not how it works around here. Henry’s the boss and decides how it goes. I wish I was scheduled a few more hours and sometimes he’s a little hard to work for but it’s a job.” She shrugged. “You’ll see how we do things and catch on quick.” Gina walked around the kitchen flipping on all the lights.

  “Okay. I guess I’ll just jump in and help, then. Where do you want me to start?” she asked, placing her purse on one of the built-in shelves by the door.

  Gina beamed. “Well, I like to think of myself as the best waffle cone maker around, so I’ll do that. You can go check out the dining room and make sure it looks decent.”

  Yvette always considered herself to be pretty laid back and a go with the flow kinda girl, but this was a little over the top. She couldn’t figure out why the people that worked the evening before didn’t feel like they had to pick up after themselves and be certain that the shop was in pristine condition for opening the next morning. “Decent” simply wasn’t going to cut it. Gina may have been late, but Yvette found herself feeling a little bad for the woman being scheduled for so few hours.

  After searching for the light switches that would illuminate the dining area, Yvette was afraid to really look around, not knowing what kind of mess she would find. Coming from behind the counter to where the booths and tables were, she noticed some crumbs on one of the seats and leaned over to brush them away. Yvette knew she’d have to at least cleanse all of the tables and sweep up a bit before she’d feel comfortable enough to open. Aside from that, everything looked pretty good. Everything else looked to be in excellent condition so maybe Gina had exaggerated a bit.

  Yvette made her way back to the kitchen and saw Gina bopping around with headphones over her ears. From the doorway, she watched her work for a few moments hoping that Gina wouldn’t notice. She certainly was quick and seemed to be efficiently making waffle cones and bowls, three different types of whipped cream, and crushing chocolate sandwich cookies and peanut butter filled candies nearly simultaneously.

  Walking up closer to where she worked, Yvette tapped Gina on the shoulder to get her attention.

  Gina jumped and pulled her headphones off. “I almost forgot you were here!”

  “It’s been five minutes,” Yvette laughed. “I was looking for a towel to clean up the tables out front with and maybe a small bucket to put some sanitizer water in?”

  “In the stockroom.” Gina waved her hand toward the other side of the kitchen. “May want to put your purse in the office too. You don’t want it getting all icky back here.”

  “Okay, thanks. Do you have any reservations or orders for today?” Yvette asked.

  “That’s not really my thing. I don’t think we get many reservations this early in the day, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that. Henry or Max usually take care of any preorders or catering jobs that come in. They are on top of that sort of thing so if there are any, I’m sure they’ve gotten them taken care of already.

  “You’re responsible for the opening duties and that’s it? Don’t you serve customers?”

  Gina sighed. “I’m generally always done with my work and out of here before a customer even thinks of coming in but even if that weren’t the case, I guess I prefer being in the background. I like to work in the kitchen the best. Something about new recipes and the chance to be creative gives me a thrill.”

  “I see. Well, I guess I have some things to learn, then. Anyways, thanks. I’ll get started cleaning out front and if there’s anything I can do to help you back here just holler.” Yvette forced a smile and went on her way.

  4

  About an hour after she’d gotten to Sundae Afternoon, Gina was already headed out for the day. The next employee on the schedule had arrived and Yvette was thrilled to see him. She’d met Max when he was helping out at the Heritage shop a few weeks back.

  “Hey, Yvette. How was your morning?”

  “It was…interesting?” she said slowly.

  “Uh oh, what did Gina do?” He laughed.

  “She makes a mean batch of waffle cones but at the risk of sounding like a big jerk, why does she work here?”

  Max laughed, nearly spitting out the water he’d been sipping. “It’s something we just recently started doing. She’s pretty close friends with Henry and that’s how she got the job. I think she prefers staying away from customers and that’s why she’s only here for a little while each day. Henry is the one that closes every night, so he doesn’t have to worry about doing anything but counting the register and going home. Gina comes in and does everything for him the next morning.”

  “It’s very strange. Is there a reason that whoever comes in after Gina doesn’t just come in a little earlier and take care of that stuff? Or why Henry doesn’t have someone else close if he doesn’t want to do it himself?” Yvette knew she was probably overstepping but she felt comfortable with Max.

  “Gina is… was a professional baker. She used to work for Clyde’s Patisserie but was fired for something that no one will talk about. After she lost that job, Henry offered her the spare bedroom at his house then hired her here, so she could have some money. I think part of the reason she helps clean up after him is because she feels obligated since he gave her a place to live. And why he doesn’t have someone else close is beyond me, I’ve offered several times.”

  “Clyde’s Patisserie. Weren’t they on Bakery Wars?”

  “Yup. Gina represented Clyde’s and was one of the finalists.”

  “What a shame she didn’t win. Now that you mention it, I think I remember her from the show. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her,” Yvette said, shaking her head. “I don’t understand though, if she’s that good at her job and needs to pay her bills why does she only work for a few hours a day?”

  “Like I said,
I have no idea what they’re up to. She and Henry insist on having it be this way so we all just stopped asking questions.”

  “So, besides the three of you, who else is on staff?”

  “One other girl, Twila. She’s really nice. It’s her first job, and she’s pretty young. At first, I wasn’t sure how it’d she’d do but she’s eager and works very hard. She’ll be in later today. I’m usually alone here until about five then Twila and Henry come in and I leave. Then they work together until eight when Twila goes home and Henry closes up at nine,” Max explained.

  “You all work seven days a week?!” Yvette’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah but the shifts aren’t long so it’s not so bad. If we were constantly busy or open year-round like you guys are in Heritage, we’d never manage, but for now, I guess it’s okay.” He shrugged.

  “Speaking of being busy. When is your afternoon rush?” Yvette looked around at the empty shop.

  “We don’t have much of a rush here anymore. After the Pop-Up Dessert Bar came back to town, we seem to be getting fewer customers in.” Max gave a small huff and looked at the ground as if he was ashamed of his answer.

  None of this was making any sense to Yvette. If the store wasn’t as busy as normal, then why had Henry been coming to her shop to borrow ice cream? She knew he’d been ordering it from conversations she’d had with both the owner of the farm, Mark, and the ice cream production manager, Millie. He’d been spending money on the delivery orders but still borrowing from her. He didn’t have a huge staff, so it wasn’t as if payroll made him unable to afford another delivery. Yvette was sad to hear that they were losing business from competition especially since Emma had told her previously that sometimes Henry’s sales would exceed the ones from the Heritage shop in the summer months.

  “Well, let’s see what we can do about that,” Yvette said, an idea occurring to her. “Why don’t we run a special and get the word out on social media.”

  Gesturing for Max to take a seat at a nearby table, Yvette pulled her tablet from underneath the register before joining him.

  “A special? What did you have in mind? Nothing we’ve been trying lately seems to draw in very many customers.”

  “Something as simple as a buy one get one free deal might work. In Heritage, if business slows down, we do a Create Your Own Sundae special. The customer can choose their flavors and toppings, then we serve everything to them separately. That way they can build their own creation, exactly how they like it.”

  “That sounds pretty cool. I can look around to see what we have for smaller dishes for the toppings if you want.” Max grinned, clearly on board with the idea.

  Yvette typed away on her tablet for a few moments before turning it around to show Max. “What do you think?” she asked.

  “I think you’re a genius!” Max exclaimed when he saw the advertisement Yvette had placed. “It’s a set price, though. Do you think that will be okay? What if they ask for one of every topping?”

  Yvette held up her palms. “Some might do that but not everyone will. The point is to get some customers in the shop and sometimes that means it’ll cost a little extra for the company. We want to build the clientele and give them a reason to come back next time.”

  “This is awesome. I’m so glad you’re here,” Max’s eyes lit up. “I’m going to check in the back for some supplies, so we can make this a little easier in case people actually come in for it. I hope they do since we could really use the business.”

  “Sounds great. I’ll get this ad shared all over social media and be eagerly awaiting some customers,” Yvette called to Max as he headed for the stockroom.

  5

  Yvette stood in front of the drink cooler, planning to make herself an ice cream float, when she heard the front door of the shop close. Yvette turned around and observed one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. She shut the cooler door and rushed forward to greet him.

  “Good afternoon. Thanks so much for coming in. You can have a seat wherever you’d like if you’re dining in, if not, I’ll meet you at the counter.”

  “Hello. What a wonderful welcome. You must be new here. I know I’d remember a face as beautiful as yours,” the customer replied, sauntering toward the counter.

  “I’m Yvette. It’s my first day here,” she smiled brightly, seeing no need to explain her role at the shop to the man.

  “Damien,” he said, adjusting his tie.

  “Nice to meet you.” Yvette slipped through the half door that led behind the counter and let it swing shut behind her. “What can I get started for you today?”

  “I’d love to try and build my own sundae,” Damien said, peering at the ice cream flavors.

  “Wow, you saw that already? I barely sent out the advertisement twenty minutes ago!”

  “What can I say? I’m a lover of all things sweet.” Damien gave a sly grin.

  Yvette knew she was standing across from a good-looking man, but something about him rubbed her the wrong way.

  “Choose your favorite flavors and check over the menu for any toppings you want,” Yvette said, passing Damien a menu and gesturing for him to take a seat. “I’ll be over to get your order soon.”

  Yvette dashed to the back of the shop, looking for Max. She wanted him to be there to see the first Create Your Own Sundae served.

  “Max, we’ve got a customer. He asked for the special! Do you want to come up front and help me set it up?”

  Looking up from the box he had his head nearly buried in, Max’s eyes widened. “Already? That was quick! Maybe this idea of yours will work after all,” he teased.

  The duo hurried out front to take Damien’s order and were pleasantly surprised when they saw two more guests had arrived while they were in the back. Making a mental note to suggest adding a bell to the door so the staff would know when someone entered the building, Yvette straightened her apron and instructed Max to take care of Damien while she went to greet the new customers.

  “Welcome to Sundae Afternoon,” Yvette announced once she’d arrived at their booth.

  “Can we have a few minutes with the menu?” one of the women asked.

  “Certainly. Let me know if I can answer any questions,” Yvette offered.

  “Well, honestly… we were supposed to get dessert at that Pop-Up down the road, but they were so busy that we decided not to wait. We had our hearts set on one of their ganache lava cakes but since we can’t have that, we’ll settle for this.”

  Yvette tried not to let her shock reach her face. “I completely understand. It’s a lovely place. I tried it for the first time yesterday and couldn’t have enjoyed my dessert more. Hopefully, though, we can offer you something just as delicious. I’ll give you some time,” Yvette said before leaving the booth.

  “What was that all about?” Max asked. The two stood in the kitchen, placing butterscotch chips, candied walnuts, and dried bananas in soufflé cups.

  “You heard that?” Yvette cringed. “I know there’s only one other person in the shop, but I was hoping that no one was paying attention.

  “It was kind of hard not to. She didn’t even try to hide that fact that this wasn’t the place they wanted to be.”

  Yvette poured the hot fudge that Damien had ordered into a small bowl and laid a honey dipper over the top, so that he could drizzle the sauce over his ice cream.

  “Add a few chocolate-covered cherries and bring it out. I think it looks amazing,” Yvette gushed. “Make sure to walk by the booth where the other customers are so they can see everything. Maybe they’ll be inspired to try it themselves.”

  Yvette knew first-hand how well that worked.

  “What do you mean? Just walk by them?” Max asked, raising a brow.

  “Exactly. When a server passes by a table, it allows the customer to see and smell the dish they are serving. It’s a surefire way to entice them or at least help them decide what to order.”

  Max double checked the tray he was carrying for perfection and follo
wed Yvette out the kitchen door to deliver Damien his Create Your Own Sundae special.

  “Whoa, what the heck?” he asked when Yvette stopped abruptly in front of him.

  “Sorry. I’m just surprised to see that those women left.”

  “Really? I’m not.” Max shrugged.

  “Oh, my. Does this look exquisite or what?” Damien observed when Max arrived at his table.

  “Thank you.” Max beamed. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

  “This is great. I must apologize though. I couldn’t help but overhear the two lovely ladies that were in here say they had hoped to get their dessert at Oh Hey Ganachery today. I sent them over there with a personal invite.”

  “What do you mean you sent them?” Yvette asked, taking a few steps closer.

  Damien smirked. “I’m the owner. I was merely trying to help.”

  “Help send our customers away?” Max blurted.

  “Of course not. They had their minds set on something, so I made it happen. I don’t see the problem.”

  “I appreciate your kindness. I’m sure the women were thrilled,” Yvette said, taking the high road. “Enjoy your sundae. Hopefully, it’s as delicious as everything you serve at your restaurant.”

  Yvette left Damien to his sundae and gently pulled Max away from the table. They cleared the menus off the booth from where the women had previously sat and hurried back to the kitchen where they couldn’t be overheard.

  “Is that guy serious?” Max jerked his head in Damien’s direction.

  “Apparently so. I don’t think I’ve ever been so annoyed. I got a weird vibe from him the minute he started speaking.” Yvette rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself.

  “No wonder our business isn’t doing so hot.”