Gingerdead Man (The Early Bird Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 6)

by Ginny Gold

  “I thought you might show up,” Kori said, breaking off a piece of bacon and giving it to her dog. “But that’s all you’re getting.”

  Kiera did the same and Kori smiled. Kiera had become like family in the few months since she started working at the café. She put work first and always went out of her way to help Kori even when she didn’t ask.

  “Okay, I’ll be back in a few.” Kiera got up and only put on her jacket, leaving the rest of her layers on the hooks. The sun streamed through the front windows so Kori hoped that meant it was warmer than this morning.

  “Just ask for Jay. He’ll take care of you,” Kori said. Then she picked up Ibis’ leash and put on her own jacket. They stepped out the back door into the blinding sun

  Ibis was happier out in the fresh air than she’d been in days. Instead of just taking care of her needs the moment she got outside, she actually took the time to sniff around the parking lot. She even walked up to Kori’s car like she wanted to get in, probably to go visit Nora and her two dogs, Milo and Otis.

  “Not today, Ibis. But you do need a play date soon or you’re going to be a real pain at night.”

  Kori followed Ibis around the parking lot and out to the sidewalk. She didn’t want to go far in case anyone showed up early, but she also felt bad keeping Ibis cooped up so much lately. It could be a long winter if Ibis never got used to the cold. Maybe she needed a sweater or some booties.

  As they turned around to head back inside, something glinted in a snow bank, catching Kori’s eye. Ibis pulled to go back inside, but Kori couldn’t contain her curiosity. The shiny object was not far from where Donnie’s truck had been parked, but was outside of the area the police had searched with a fine toothed comb.

  Kori dropped the leash because Ibis wouldn’t follow her and headed toward whatever had caught her eye. She was shocked to spot a gun sticking out of the snow, like it landed there after someone threw it.

  ***

  Kori hurried back inside without touching the gun. She’d been close to enough murders to remember not to leave any traces of her DNA or fingerprints anywhere near a crime scene. She found her phone in the apron she wore all morning and called Zach.

  “Hey Kori. I was just thinking about you. Sorry I didn’t make it to the café this morning for coffee.” Zach was regularly one of the first customers when the café was still mostly empty and Kori could enjoy at least a cup of coffee with him, sometimes breakfast if they were lucky.

  Kori was caught off guard by his cheery voice. She nearly reverted back to the crippling shock she experienced yesterday but managed to stay just on this side of sane. “Yeah . . . no problem,” she stuttered. “Um, that’s not why I called.”

  “Well I’ve missed you too,” Zach said, laughing.

  Kori smiled, returning even further from the cliff of panic. “I did miss our morning coffee. But I think I found something you should come get. Can you come over to the café? Right now,” she added.

  “Be there in less than five.” His tone turned from happy go lucky to serious and businesslike in a flash.

  Kori took those few minutes to clean up the dishes from lunch and place the extra muffins and buns on a tray. Then she started heating up plenty of milk to make hot chocolate for everyone coming this afternoon for Secret Santa.

  Thankfully, when the door opened Zach walked in. Kori didn’t want to have to explain to everyone about a further police investigation at the café when they were supposed to be kicking back and enjoying the holiday spirit.

  “What’d you find?” he asked, Detective Lani Silver coming in behind him. She was already wearing gloves and carrying evidence bags.

  Kori headed toward the back door and motioned with her hand for them to follow her through the kitchen. “This way.”

  She didn’t put a coat on this time and walked straight toward the snow bank, oblivious to the cold air.

  “I saw this when I took Ibis out. I didn’t touch it.”

  Zach and Lani approached the snow bank and Lani reached in with a gloved hand. It was indeed a gun.

  “You’re sure you didn’t touch it?” Lani asked.

  Kori kept herself from rolling her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. I saw it and came straight inside and called Zach.”

  Lani nodded. “Good.”

  “Thanks for calling me,” Zach said, giving Kori a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’ve gotta go look into this but I’ll try to stop by on my way home from the office.”

  “Great. Can’t wait.” Zach’s presence and touch took all of the nervous energy away from Kori and she could almost forget why she’d been so panicked before.

  Zach and Lani walked to their car without going through the café. Kori walked back inside and found Kiera returned from the auto body looking relaxed. “Everything must have gone okay,” Kori said.

  Kiera nodded. “Yup. Jay is gonna look at it and they even gave me a loaner since it’s supposed to get cold again tonight.”

  “I really could have driven you home and picked you up,” Kori reminded her.

  “That’s so early. And I know you’re busy here before I get in. Now you don’t have to worry about it.”

  Kori was secretly relieved so she dropped the subject, just as the door opened again and Vera Joy, owner of Furry Friends Animal Shelter, walked inside with Mel Styles.

  “We come bearing gifts,” Vera called happily, taking her hat off and fluffing her short brown hair to get rid of any lingering hat head.

  Kori walked out to meet them with the tray of goodies. “Sit wherever. And help yourself to a snack. I’m making hot chocolate—”

  “I’ll finish it,” Kiera interrupted her. “Why don’t you stay out here with your friends?”

  Kori smiled and took the offered break from the kitchen. She brought her gift out from behind the cash register and sat down with her friends.

  “We’re still waiting on Nora, Anita, Betsy, my mom and Jenna,” Kori said.

  “No rush. I think everyone took the afternoon off and started their holiday break early. Or at least I did,” Mel said, laughing. “I even had some eggnog before coming here.”

  “Do you want more?” Kori asked, jumping up.

  “Only if I can put rum in it.” Mel laughed again and pulled a bottle of rum from her purse. The three women laughed some more.

  “I think we can make that happen.” Kori went into the kitchen and got a half gallon of eggnog from the walk-in fridge. She brought glasses out and even some peppermint schnapps for the hot chocolate. If everyone was already on vacation, she may as well join them. At least for one drink. She planned to research some of the new suspects later and try to uncover a link to the gun in the police’s possession. She didn’t want to be intoxicated and get herself into trouble.

  “Okay Kori, you’re not allowed to get up one more time to serve us. You do that all morning every morning, so now we get to take care of you,” Mel said, starting to pour the eggnog and rum.

  Kori smiled and sat back, taking the offered glass and sipping it. “I’ll drink to that.” Everyone joined her.

  The door opened, interrupting them as they turned, and in walked Jenna, Nora, Betsy and Anita. Gale was the only one missing.

  They fell into easy conversation and Kiera, a generation younger than everyone, joined them with a tray of hot chocolates covered in whipped cream. Finally, Gale showed up and they all held drinks in their hands and wore smiles on their faces.

  As the first empty glasses got refilled, Kori suggested they start the gift exchange. Everyone had drawn a name from a hat a couple weeks ago and bought a gag gift for whoever they drew. They were limited to spending no more than ten dollars, and creativity was encouraged.

  “I’ll start,” Gale piped up, leaning forward and putting her elbows on the big table they’d created by pushing three smaller ones together. “I drew Kiera’s name, which I thought was perfect since I’m the oldest here and she’s the youngest.”

  Gale handed a long box to Kiera and she careful
ly unwrapped it. Kiera blushed when she realized what it was.

  “I thought you might enjoy something age appropriate,” Gale teased.

  Kiera held up a beer glass that doubled as a shot glass when upside down. “Thanks Gale. I’ll use it often,” Kiera teased.

  The gift giving proceeded and by the time they were all finished, Kori’s cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. Kori had drawn Nora’s name and made her a t-shirt that said ‘Keep Calm and Hug a Farmer.’ Kori knew Nora would only wear it at home so she wouldn’t be on the receiving end of unwanted hugs.

  In return, Anita gave Kori an apron with the image of a sexy man’s body on the front wearing only a Speedo. Kori promised everyone that she’d use it, but only at home . . . or at Zach’s.

  “When is that man going to propose to you anyway?” Nora asked.

  Kori shrugged and blushed. She was starting to think the same thing. They spent nearly every night together, or at least dinner. She would never be happier with anyone else. But they hadn’t really talked about it directly, they always skirted around the topic.

  “But you all will be the first ones I call,” she promised.

  As everyone was leaving, just before it was dark out, Kori pulled Anita aside. If Gale knew Victoria DeLeon from spin class, maybe Anita knew more details.

  “Can I ask you about Victoria DeLeon?” she asked.

  Anita stayed behind after everyone else left. “What do you want to know?” Anita asked.

  Kori decided to jump right into it. “I heard that she found out her husband had an illegitimate son.”

  Anita nodded slowly, her face encouraging Kori to continue.

  “And that son’s name was Donnie Reynolds, who was killed yesterday in the café’s parking lot. Do you think Victoria could have done it?”

  Anita didn’t give any expression away on her face. It seemed like a practiced skill that probably went along with pushing her body in workouts every day. “What makes you think Victoria killed him and not her husband, Jordan?”

  Kori had only briefly considered that angle since Gale referred to Victoria by name yesterday. “Do you know anything about Jordan?”

  “Only that he works at a shooting range. And wasn’t Donnie shot?”

  CHAPTER 10

  Anita left to get home before dark and Kori was alone with those words ringing in her ears. So far she knew about three suspects but did not possess enough information about any of them to follow a strong lead.

  Cecilia motive was the strongest, and she definitely didn’t think very highly of Donnie. Jordan had opportunity with his easy access to guns. Victoria seemed like the longest shot. Why would she go after Donnie instead of Jordan? Donnie didn’t do anything wrong, at least that Kori knew about, but Jordan had certainly cheated on Victoria, and Derek saw their car early on Wednesday morning, just before the murder took place.

  Kori decided to wait until Zach showed up to see what he found out about the gun. Maybe that would lead somewhere else.

  In the meantime, she went back to the kitchen to make dough for tomorrow morning’s caramel pecan rolls. When she finished and the rolls were in the fridge to rise overnight, she started making cookies for tomorrow’s Christmas Eve cookie exchange at the library. She planned to make gingerbread men, cookie dough truffles and chocolate-peppermint pinwheels. She could at least get the cookie dough for the truffles made before Zach showed up—hopefully with dinner—so they’d be ready for their chocolate coating tomorrow.

  Kori got out butter, sugar, vanilla, flour and chocolate chips—everything for regular chocolate chip cookies except eggs since she didn’t bake these. She heated the butter only until it was soft enough to mix well and put it in her stand mixer with the sugar. Once they creamed together, she added the vanilla, mixed again and removed the bowl. She mixed in the flour by hand and added the chocolate chips. She used mini ones so the small truffles wouldn’t be overwhelmed with big chips.

  With the dough made and no Zach in sight, Kori put the cookie dough in the fridge and moved on to the chocolate-peppermint pinwheels. For those, she needed to make two kinds of dough—a chocolate one and a peppermint one. She would roll each out into a flat rectangle, layer one on top of the other, roll them up and slice them into circles before baking. She knew the butter filled batters would make delicious cookies.

  To be sure she stuck to her self-imposed rule of not adding harmful chemicals to her foods, Kori had made beet juice earlier in the week which would be used for red food coloring in the peppermint dough. Of all three kinds of cookies, she was most excited about these.

  Finally, just after six thirty, Kori’s cell phone rang and she checked her new text. On my way. Bringing dinner.

  Zach had finally finished with work and Kori started cleaning up. She had just put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher when she heard him let himself in the unlocked front door. Kori immediately smelled the pad Thai he’d brought her.

  “Sorry I’m so late,” he said, walking toward the kitchen, a big brown bag in his hand.

  “Don’t worry about it. I got cookies ready for tomorrow’s cookie exchange. Are you going to be able to come with me?” she asked hopefully. He’d promised her earlier in the week he would, but with the murder investigation still ongoing she wasn’t sure he’d even be able to take off Christmas Eve. Or Christmas.

  Zach grimaced. “I don’t think so. Sorry. It’s at four?” he asked, following Kori upstairs to her apartment above the café, Ibis trailing behind.

  “Yeah, but it’s okay if you can’t. I know you have a lot going on at work right now. I’d rather you caught whoever killed Donnie than spend time at the cookie exchange when you should be following leads.”

  Upstairs, Zach set the bag on the kitchen counter and Kori took out plates and silverware. Before she started spooning the food onto plates, Zach turned her around and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  Kori smiled. “Of anyone, I think I understand the most. I was the first to see him dead.”

  Zach nodded. “Good job with spotting the gun today. That opened up a whole new path.”

  Kori tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” She waited for him to offer any information, but he didn’t. Instead, he let go of her waist and she turned around, filling their plates with the fragrant Thai food.

  “How did the Secret Santa go this afternoon?” he asked. Kori could tell from his voice he’d retreated to the other side of the kitchen island and sat on a stool.

  “A lot of fun,” she answered, deciding not to press details about the gun. The time would come but she’d let him think she wasn’t dying of curiosity. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Did you have anything particular in mind?” she asked, turning to face him and placing the two plates on the island.

  “Anything with alcohol.”

  Kori chuckled. He always drank more when he led an investigation. “How about a White Russian?”

  Zach’s eyebrows shot up to the top of his forehead. “Fancy.”

  “It’s almost Christmas.” In truth, Kori had some milk nearing its expiration date in her fridge and she wanted to finish it. But that wasn’t a romantic answer so she left it out.

  “It’s like I’m having dessert with my dinner,” Zach said, taking the first sip of his drink.

  “Cheers to that.” Kori smiled. She had to admit the drink did not go well with the pad Thai, but she didn’t care. Both were delicious in their own right.

  After a few minutes of easy silence where Kori happily filled her stomach, she finally asked, “So, are you going to tell me anything about this path the gun brought you down? Is Jordan DeLeon in the spotlight? I hear he works at a shooting range.”

  Zach looked up quickly. She caught him off guard. “Kori, I told you yesterday, this isn’t something you should be getting in the middle of. There’s more at stake than only a murder.”

  Kori furrowed her brow. �
��What do you mean?”

  Zach sighed. He definitely didn’t want to tell her but she couldn’t hold back on her questions. “You knew Donnie at work.” Kori nodded her agreement. “He led a whole different life that had nothing to do with you which ended up getting tangled in his deliveries.”

  Kori started thinking about what that life could have included while Zach paused. Was he having an affair with someone he made deliveries to? Was he scamming Addie? Was he scamming Kori?

  No, it couldn’t be that last one. Zach said it had nothing to do with Kori.

  What could be so bad Zach couldn’t tell her?

  She looked up at him expectantly.

  “He was involved in dealing drugs.”

  Kori was confused. If Donnie was dealing drugs, what did that have to do with the gun? Why wouldn’t Zach tell her anything about it?

  Zach seemed to read her mind. “And no, the gun had nothing to do with Jordan or the shooting range where he worked. I just don’t want you getting mixed up in this because there are too many unknowns around the drugs.”

  “What about the gun? If it didn’t belong to Jordan or the range where he works, then whose is it? Can’t you arrest them?”

  Zach sighed again. “I wish it was that simple. The gun belonged to Thomas Worth. I really can’t tell you anything else. I shouldn’t even be telling you this much, but if this will keep you from putting your nose further into our investigation, then that’s what I had to do.”

  Kori was even more confused. Who was Thomas Worth?

  CHAPTER 11

  Kori lay in bed that night, thinking. Zach left for his house well after dinner, wanting to be able to sleep later than Kori’s alarm. So now she was alone and running through all of Donnie’s possible killers.

  Cecilia Blake; a heartbroken ex-fiancé.

  Victoria DeLeon; a jilted wife and possibly on Main Street right around the time of the murder.

  Jordan DeLeon; even though Zach didn’t seem worried about him, Kori kept him in the back of her mind.

  Thomas Worth; owner of the murder weapon.