Chaos And The Caper (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 10)

by Leona Fox

  Although she couldn't trust her instincts about Maggie, with nobody else around, Ellen had little choice but to go to her. Maggie was once again in her cafe, glistening with sweat as a result of all her hard work.

  “Ellen! How are you doing today?” she said with a beaming smile.

  “I'm okay, just missing Andy and my friend. I could use a friendly face.”

  “Well you've got one here. I have to say I'm looking forward to meeting these people, you've spoken so much about them. How's the case going?”

  “That's part of why I'm missing them. Usually we work on these cases together and I guess we've been doing it for so long that it all just fits. I'm not used to working with Jimmy, with Sergeant Lister,” she quickly corrected herself, “and I've been going through some of my own stuff lately as well, which isn't helping.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really...I don't know...have you ever had a time when you felt as though you couldn't trust your own instincts? Especially when you've prided yourself on them?”

  “Can't say that I have, darling, but we all go through periods where we lose sight of who we are and what we're doing here.”

  “I thought that being in East Pender I'd have said goodbye to all those doubts. It's just that with Andy and Kelly gone I feel alone. I don't usually mind my own company but this is different.”

  Maggie reached over and rested a calming hand on Ellen's arm. “Don't you worry, you're not alone for as long as I'm around. Sounds like it's lucky I showed up when I did,” she said, chortling.

  “Yes, yes, it is rather fortunate isn't it?” Ellen said, and despite herself she couldn't stop thinking about what Richard and Longthorne had said.

  She thought about the warnings and the fears and how Maggie had just turned up to open a cafe right near hers, and how she was so friendly and personable, but was that the real Maggie? Was this just a way to lull Ellen into a false sense of security so Maggie eventually could try undermining The Chrome Cafe? Ellen had missed things before, was she going to make an error again?

  “I'm still amazed that out of all the places in the country you found East Pender.”

  “Well, maybe it was fortune, maybe it was fate, either way I'm here now.”

  “I still find it funny...I mean, I know we've joked about it before but didn't you see that there was already a popular cafe here?”

  “Well, yes,” Maggie said, her tone shifting for she did not like this line of questioning, “but there's room enough for two. I've never been one to shy away from competition. You're not getting worried, are you?”

  “No, of course not, I just find it strange that you wouldn't have gone somewhere that actually needed a cafe. It's not like you had any ties to this town in particular.”

  “I made a vow that I would go wherever the map said, and I don't break my promise. Besides, maybe the town does need a new cafe.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I did do some research Ellen, and if you want some professional advice you need to work on your place. It's stuck in the past, and you've been comfortable for too long. The menu is generic, the drinks are old hat and there's nothing unusual or unique about the place. I'm sorry for saying this but you know that I don't pull my punches with anything. I came to East Pender because I think I can offer something to these people that no one else, including you, can.”

  “You're starting to sound like Longthorne,” Ellen said softly. Maggie glared at her.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I'm just saying that maybe this place wasn't so random after all. It's quite the coincidence that the two of you showed up around the same time. Maybe you actually were hired by Longthorne as well, to try making it so I would be more preoccupied with you and turn a blind eye to his schemes.”

  Maggie raised both eyebrows and glared at Ellen, the full Southern fury raging in her eyes. “I don't know where you get off saying things like this Ellen but I am no man's puppet. I think you've been spending too much time investigating these crimes. Too many conspiracy theories are going around in your mind. I've been nothing but honest with you and that's the truth, but I think right now it's best that you leave.” She walked over and opened the door, waiting expectantly for Ellen to exit. Ellen didn't make her wait long.

  Ellen left with mixed feelings. There was guilt at having accused Maggie of working with Longthorne but there was still the nagging feeling that Maggie reacted that way because Ellen had been right. In all the cases she had investigated it always had been prudent to be suspicious of newcomers, but there was such conflict in her mind that she was unsure of what to believe.

  So, instead, she turned to the people of East Pender and covertly talked to them about Maggie, asking them about their impressions of the newcomer. First she started in her own café, sidling up to people, talking about Maggie innocently at first, gauging if they had the same impressions of her as Ellen did. One of the telltale signs would have been if they described a different persona than what Ellen had been privy to.

  After the first few conversations she went to neighboring stores and spoke to the people who were available. They all knew of Ellen's reputation and started to wonder if Maggie was under investigation for something. When asked about this, Ellen shook her head and laughed, claiming she only was asking for personal reasons. She also asked them to keep the details of their conversations secret. But in East Pender secrets were difficult to keep, as people were free with their lips and spread gossip around with no qualms. So it was that word reached Maggie and she stormed into The Chrome Cafe with a face looking like thunder.

  “How dare you talk about me behind my back with all these people who don't even know who I am,” she began, pointing her finger at Ellen.

  “I don't know what changed in you or what started you down this path but I can't believe you are the same woman I've been speaking to for the past week. I thought we were friends. Sure, we were business rivals but we could have worked together and helped each other out. I don't know how long it took before your mind got twisted by all these crimes but you should take a long, hard look in the mirror. Not everything is a conspiracy and if you really thought that I wouldn't hear about this then you were sorely mistaken. Maybe you aren't as smart as you or this town thinks you are. You can talk about the values of this town as much as you want but there's only one thing I care about and that's honesty. You knew this and yet you still went behind my back! I'm not going to stand here and tolerate that kind of behavior. If you had a problem with me then you should have come and talked to me about it properly, not spread gossip around. I'm starting to see you in a new light, though. Maybe you are more worried about my business than you thought; maybe this is just a way for you to spread bad news about me. Yeah, see, it's not nice when people start to theorize about you, is it? But I can tell you one thing for sure Ellen, we never are going to be friends. You just made certain of that.”

  All through Maggie's speech Ellen wanted to apologize or explain that it wasn't what she intended but Maggie never gave her a chance. Now that she was gone Ellen wished she had handled things differently, and that she could make up for it somehow. By the look in Maggie's eyes she knew it was not going to be possible. Rarely had she seen such venom, and there was no doubt in her mind she had been in the wrong. She went to bed that night feeling worse than she ever had, for not only had she betrayed the ideals for which she stood so strongly, she also had pushed away someone who could have been a valued friend.

  The anger cursing through Maggie took a while to settle down as she returned home. But while she was absent from the cafe something stirred. A lithe figure, all dressed in black, broke into the cafe and took what little money there was, as well as a few supplies she had been using to decorate. When Maggie returned the next morning her hands were clenched and she burned with rage. Every step was heavy and with every moment that passed her thirst for revenge increased. The burglary had set her opening back, and as far as she was aware, t
here was only one person who would benefit from that.

  Chapter 7

  When Ellen first heard the news about the burglary she rushed around, hoping that Maggie would have calmed down and have had enough goodwill to let Ellen apologize to her. However, as soon as Maggie laid eyes on Ellen she began yelling at her, and demanded for Ellen to be arrested. There was already quite a crowd, as people were often drawn to such scenes, and Ellen felt the glare of all of them on her.

  “She did this, I'm sure of it! You've all been fooled by what she is. She's just a petty person and she doesn't want me to open this cafe. She knows it'll be the death of her business. I know you're all fond of her but I'm sure of it. Arrest that woman!”

  Jimmy glanced at Ellen, who was shocked by the accusation and so stunned she couldn't even respond.

  “And what's more is that your hero has been lying to you. There's a company called Longthorne that is trying to open a mall here. I think Ellen is a part of the project, trying to sell out all of you. She's a fraud and she's taken you in for too long!”

  The accusation spread through the crowd like wildfire and they all began talking hurriedly. Ellen and Jimmy shared another worried look as they both knew that this knowledge would cause panic among the people of East Pender. Those who already had been burgled had frayed nerves, and it didn't take much to push them over the edge, while others looked upon her with disappointment.

  “Is this true?” they called out.

  “I'm not part of any scheme! I didn't do this!” Ellen said, caught in the middle as a circle formed around her, turning her around, making her dizzy with all the judging voices crashing like lightning.

  “But you knew about the scheme? Why didn't you tell us?”

  “It wasn't my place! It's not finalized yet. Please, we have to be calm, we have to remember who we are. You know me. You know I never would do something like this. I only have your best interests at heart,” Ellen pleaded. Her voice cracked as she felt the trust she had built with the town crack under the weight of these accusations.

  “If that were true then you would have been honest with us and not kept something like this hidden. We deserved to know about this,” she heard.

  She wasn't even sure who said it but it didn't matter. They may as well have been speaking as one entity. Ellen felt her knees grow weak and she wished the ground would have just swallowed her up. Maybe she had been at this for too long and finally had reached her breaking point. Maybe she had lost whatever it was that made her special and never would get it back. Maybe she would be better served returning to an ordinary life. Scampy remained by her side, as loyal as ever, growling and barking at all those people who were yelling at his owner.

  As her head spun and her vision blurred she saw Jimmy trying to placate the crowd but he lacked the authority to make any real difference. His gesticulations went unnoticed, his soft voice fading into the background. Ellen also saw Maggie, who looked upon her with a stern gaze, eyes made of iron; firm and uncompromising. She folded her arms and wore a smug look on her face.

  But then, out of the crowd came another figure, another voice that was loud and strong. Richard Robins came up to Ellen and supported her, holding her up.

  “Are you really so quick to believe that Ellen could have done such a thing?” he yelled, his voice booming out, dominating the crowd.

  “After everything she's done for you are you really going to forsake her now? There is not one person among you who she hasn't helped. Sure, she may have made an error by not telling us the truth about this big company but are we not going to allow her to make mistakes? Are we going to hold her up to a higher standard than we would ourselves? Ellen has done so much for this town and I can't believe she would do something like this. I don't see how any of you could. I for one will not stand by and watch this witch hunt take place!”

  His staunch defense of her rallied some more people to his cause and the crowing of the crowd abated. Ellen, feeling weak, rested against Richard and thanked him. The police were able to get everyone under control, and Richard walked Ellen away. Jimmy came up to her.

  “I'm sorry about that. I tried to get them under control but they just wouldn't listen,” he said.

  “I know. I saw, thank you. They're just scared, that's all.”

  “Did you want to come and look at the crime scene?”

  “I don't think that's the best idea, considering what just happened,” Ellen said. She had no urge to be in close proximity to Maggie at the moment either.

  Now she knew there was no hope of ever getting back on Maggie's good side. Whatever chance they had of being friends was gone, and it had been her fault, but she had to deal with that. She was breathing in deeply, trying to recover her strength after the shock of having everyone turn on her. Richard had gone away again, but she was glad of his intervention because she had been feeling light-headed and who knew what would have happened had he not talked some sense into the crowd.

  “You can handle it, Jimmy. I have faith in you,” she said, squeezing the man's arm, “besides, there's somewhere else I have to be.”

  Ellen made her way to the best restaurant in town and found Tom and Stephen Longthorne enjoying lunch. It hadn't taken much to track them down. She knew they still were hanging around town and there were few places that would cater to the specific needs of wealthy businessmen. It wasn't as though they were trying to hide their movements either, which also made Ellen consider the possibility that she had indeed been mistaken in accusing the elder Longthorne of the break-ins.

  On the way to the restaurant she reflected on what just had happened. Her heart was buoyed by Richard's defense and the way other people had followed his lead, but deep inside she felt guilty and ashamed that she had betrayed Maggie's trust. Looking back on it, it wasn't something that was true to her nature and she didn't like how she had trusted other people's opinions before her own. Maggie had done nothing to suggest she was anything other than genuine and true with her intentions. Ellen should have believed her, and now she would have to pay the price for not doing so.

  It made her think about herself and the way she had been ever since she had discovered that Edward Carrey had been stalking her, and she knew she couldn't go on like this. She also thought about Jimmy and the advice she had given him, to act like he was confident and eventually it would become a reality.

  It had been difficult to function in the absence of Andy and Kelly but perhaps the independence was needed as she couldn't use them as a crutch. When the people of East Pender needed her she stepped up to the plate, and that had to count for something. So, when she burst into the restaurant, she projected a confident aura and strode up to the table where the two men were sitting. Tom Longthorne eyed her with curiosity, intrigued by her brashness, while his son glowered, his leg shaking with nervous energy.

  “Ah, Miss Thatch, so lovely to see you again. Would you care to join us?” Longthorne said, gesturing to an empty chair.

  He picked up a napkin and brushed a few crumbs away from his mouth, then took a sip of water. His son stared at him incredulously.

  “No, I don't have time for that, and I don't think you do either. They know about the deal, Longthorne. Everyone knows now.”

  Longthorne sighed, “Well, that is a rather unfortunate turn of events. The truth does have a way of squirming out though, doesn't it? And were they as panicked as you imagined they would be?”

  “There's...a lot going on. But you know what this means, don't you? Your deal never is going to go through, not now that people know your plans. The mayor never would go against public opinion. So it doesn't matter if you were responsible for the burglaries or not.”

  “I've already told you, Ellen. I was not-”

  “We can't afford to miss out on this deal! It's too important,” the younger man at the table said.

  He leaned forward and his voice was so loud his words were carried throughout the room. There were only a couple of other customers in the restaurant, but they t
urned their heads, startled at the sudden noise. The elder Longthorne glared at his son, a reaction that was all too instinctive.

  It conflicted with the measured approach Ellen had been used to during her admittedly few interactions with him. She watched with curiosity as the elder man leaned forward and glared at his son, his amicable demeanor disappearing, replaced with a cruel and foreboding countenance that instantly made his son wilt.

  “Shut up you fool! You say too much,” Longthorne said in a harsh whisper.

  He then turned to Ellen. The dark cloud dissipated and he wore the same false smile that she had been used to.

  “I must apologize for my son. It is difficult to control the impetuosity of youth,” he said.

  Ellen noticed that Stephen blanched at this remark, evidently not appreciating being treated like a child. It was an odd relationship the two of them had. Ellen always had wondered how people mix family and business and, looking at the two Longthornes, she saw a prime example of how it wouldn't work. Stephen obviously resented his father and only was waiting for him to retire so he could gain control of the company. Meanwhile, Tom didn't trust his son, and had been in power for so long he would not relinquish control easily. It only would spell doom for the future. Power struggles were never easy things to deal with, let alone when they were between father and son. At least, Ellen thought, that's what her instincts had been telling her, and for the first time since the Edward Carrey incident she believed she could trust them.

  “Of course, I understand. But it would seem you have no reason to stay in East Pender now. I'm sure men of your character won't find much amusement in the offerings of our little town.”

  “So it would seem,” Longthorne said through a thin smile.

  “Besides, I don't think you're going to prove to be very popular characters around here. So, for your own sake, you probably should make a hasty exit before everyone finds out where you're staying and starts harassing you.”