by Jenny Kales
“Viv says she saw them together at the dance class,” Callie said. “I was thinking that we could join the dance class and see if we find out any information. So even though we’d be socializing, you’d be investigating Natalie’s murder. I looked into it and there’s a lesson this Sunday afternoon.”
Sands gave her a look that was equal parts irritation and admiration. “Well, well Ms. Costas. Very enterprising.” He was silent a moment, mulling it over. “I don’t see the harm in it. But it’s a pity Natalie wasn’t in a football-watching club.”
“You mean soccer?” Callie said, thinking he was talking about the British usage of the word.
“No. I mean football, the American kind. I may be from the UK but I live in Wisconsin, don’t I? And that’s where my heart is now.” He crinkled his hazel eyes at her and she felt her stomach flip-flop and not necessarily in a good way. His heart was here? That thought was somehow simultaneously pleasing – and strangely uncomfortable.
“The Packers are playing the Bears on Sunday,” Sands was saying. “But in the interest of detective work – and ballroom dancing – I think we can work something out.”
“Great!” Callie hugged him spontaneously and he returned his embrace. Sands was just leaning down to give her a kiss when Max walked back into the room.
“Oh geez, can’t leave you two alone for a minute,” he mock-scolded and disappeared again. The bell over the door jingled, announcing another customer and reluctantly, Callie and Sands sprang apart.
“I’ll text you the details,” Callie said as Sands started towards the door.
He smiled at her, waved and walked back out into the snow. She watched him go, and then turned her attention back to her customers, cheerily directing them toward the day’s specials. But inside, she was in turmoil.
Was Sands starting to get serious about their relationship? Was she? And if she was, did she really want to be vulnerable again, after all that had happened in the last few years? Callie catalogued the disastrous romantic incidents that had comprised the last several years: separating from Hugh, Hugh’s remarriage, the untimely murder of her boyfriend, Drew Staven and his secret life.
It was all very confusing. Not for the first time, Callie was happy she worked with food. Food was usually predictable, provided you followed the recipe. It was too bad that the same couldn’t be said about relationships.
* * *
Business picked up a bit that afternoon and Max and Callie were busy. It warmed Callie’s heart to serve hungry customers. People seemed to be loading up on carbs in particular – cookies, quick breads and Callie’s Greek yogurt coffee cake were flying out the door. Max had put it down to people “stress-eating” after Natalie’s murder. Callie had noticed some customers looking askance at her while having whispered conversations, but luckily, no one had yet asked her about the fact that she’d found yet another murder victim. Could that be Max’s doing?
Callie glanced at her co-worker. With his imposing physique and height, he wasn’t someone that you necessarily wanted to cross. Of course, Max was a complete teddy bear at heart, but he could be fierce when warranted. Thank goodness for that, Callie thought. It never hurt to have someone like Max in your corner.
Callie had just wrapped up a ready-to-eat Callie’s Kitchen special – avgolemono, Greek roast chicken and lemon potatoes and handed it to a customer – when she noticed a commotion across the street. It was about 4:30 p.m. and nearly dark, but she could make out two figures that seemed to be shouting at each other. As the customer left her shop and opened the door, she heard an aggressive-sounding conversation, punctuated by shouting.
“Lexy! Please! Just forget about it. Nothing happened! Can you just please stop this!” Callie glanced at Max as she walked to the storefront window to get a better look.
“It’s Nick Hawkins and Lexy Dayton,” she told him, squinting for a better view. “Wow, they’re having a huge fight about something.”
“You think?” Max said, sarcastically, joining Callie near the window. “Poor Hawkins. She’s really letting him have it.”
Callie bit her lip, trying to decide if she should intervene. It really wasn’t any of her business, true. But it was devastating to see the young couple appear to be so miserable. Callie’s maternal instincts won out. “Max, I think I’m going to see if I can help.”
She dashed into the back room for her coat. When she emerged, shrugging it on hurriedly over her bulky sweater, Max was already wearing his ski jacket, his spiky hair covered by a wool knit cap.
“Let me go with you,” Max said. “You never know.”
“Fine,” Callie said, thinking about her earlier appreciation for his abilities as impromptu bodyguard. “But let me do the talking.”
The couple was still arguing heatedly as Callie and Max made their way across the street.
Callie was momentarily distracted by the fact that Nick and Lexy were fighting in front of a new gourmet tea shop. The month-old shop had opened after Minette’s Chocolates, owned by her two college friends, had closed. She’d meant to introduce herself to the new owner, but she’d just not had time. Or maybe, she confessed inwardly, it had been too difficult to face the new owner because of her painful experiences with the previous ones. Callie nudged Max and for a moment they both stared, helplessly, at the screaming couple.
Lexy had been crying. Black mascara oozed down her face and her eyes were puffy and red. Nick’s face was red and his breath was coming out in short, steaming puffs in the frosty air. He looked like a bull about to stampede.
“Uh, Lexy? Nick? Please. Is there anything we can do to help?” Callie asked.
“No!” Lexy said bitterly, barely glancing at Max and Callie. “Nobody can help.”
Callie and Max looked at each other and Callie nodded at Nick.
“Hey Nick,” Max said, gently steering him a little bit away from his fiancé. “Let’s go across the street. I’ll get you a coffee and you can take a break, calm down for a bit.”
Surprisingly, Nick agreed, but he didn’t look happy about it. Max gave Callie a look that said you should have let me do the talking.
Fair enough. “Great idea,” Callie said enthusiastically. “Max, give him something to eat, too. You guys can do me a favor and taste-test the new batch of Greek butter cookies that I just made. And Lexy, why don’t we go in here?” Callie was talking to the engaged couple like they were younger than Olivia, but they were so upset they didn’t seem to notice. She gestured at the new tea shop. The sign on the window said “Tea for Two.”
Lexy sniffled and wiped her eyes, but it only made the mascara mess worse. “I really don’t care what Nick does.” She sniffed again and turned her back on the two men. “Let’s go, Callie.”
Nick stared back at Lexy with a hangdog look on his face as he walked slowly away, but Max was already chatting to him, leading him back across the street to Callie’s Kitchen. Callie turned her attention to her charge. “We won’t stay long. Let’s have some tea and relax,” she said in what she hoped was a soothing, not patronizing tone.
“Ha!” Lexy answered bitterly, but at least she was going along with the plan, opening the door to Tea for Two, and stomping over the threshold. Once inside the warm and fragrant shop, she turned to Callie with a sneer on her face. “Would you be relaxed if you found out your fiancé was in love with someone else?”
Speechless for a moment, Callie looked around helplessly, trying to find a suitable answer. As she did, she noticed something she hadn’t seen before in all of the confusion. Mrs. Dayton, mother of the bride, was parked outside of Tea for Two in a snow-covered SUV. She was looking right at Lexy and Callie, a smirk on her face.
Eight
Callie sipped at her tea, a delicious blend that the owner, Christy, told her was from Greece. It was herbal and slightly floral and she found it calmed her frazzled nerves.
Lexy, who had fixed her face in the ladies room, was looking more normal, but it was obvious that she was still highly agitated.
She twisted her long wavy hair around her finger as she sipped her Earl Grey and couldn’t sit still. Callie had decided to wait until the tea came before bringing up the argument but she’d waited long enough.
“Why do you think Nick’s in love with someone else? Do you have proof?” Callie asked gently, bracing herself for another crying episode.
Lexy set her teacup down with a bang. Earl Grey sloshed over her cup and onto her pink sweater. She muttered under her breath as she dabbed at the stain with a paper napkin. Finally, she turned her attention to Callie.
“Proof? I don’t need any. Nick’s been totally depressed since Natalie was murdered. He’ll barely look at me. They dated, you know. Nick and Natalie.” Lexy narrowed her eyes and Callie was taken aback by the look of anger and hatred in them. “Nick and Natalie,” Lexy repeated in a sing-song. “Too cute for words, isn’t it?”
Callie took another sip of soothing Greek tea and tried again. “It could be just the shock, Lexy. If he did know Natalie and dated her for a bit, then he probably just feels terrible about it. It doesn’t mean that he was in love with her.”
Lexy sighed and the tears slid down her face again. Callie offered her another paper napkin.
“I know,” Lexy squeaked. “That’s what I want to believe. It’s just that my mom is driving me crazy. She’s putting all sorts of thoughts into my head, telling me that Nick isn’t good enough for me and that I shouldn’t marry him.”
I can relate to that, Callie thought, although, thankfully, George’s over protectiveness didn’t extend to unkindness.
“Well, Lexy, I know you want to please your mother, but at the end of the day, it’s your life. If you love Nick, that’s really not for your mother to decide.”
Lexy sipped her tea and put the cup back on the saucer, gently this time. “I don’t mean to be like this. So nasty. And babyish. It’s just that – after my last fiancé left me, I have a hard time trusting my judgment. You know?”
“I get it,” Callie said. Did she ever. “But you and Nick need to talk, heart to heart. Forget about everyone else, just for a minute. It’s not about them. This is about you two and the rest of your life.”
The two women sipped their tea while Christy, the owner, rang up orders and tidied up her shelves. The new tea shop was adorable, with exposed brick walls painted white, beautiful teapots for sale and loads of packaged gourmet teas. In addition, the shop served brewed tea but thankfully, no food. At least, not yet. Callie wondered what she would do if Christy started to offer baked goods and sandwiches. No doubt the competition would be hard on her business, especially since she had just found her footing again.
On the bright side, Christy, owner of Tea for Two, seemed perfectly nice. Blue-eyed with dark, chin-length hair, fair skin and rosy cheeks, she looked exactly as you would imagine a tea shop owner to look: Sweet, pretty and kind. Callie hoped she was the latter. You couldn’t open a small business in Crystal Bay without a will of steel – it was still hard to make a go of things.
Never mind, Callie thought. That worry could wait. It was enough that she was playing amateur relationship counselor. Fleetingly, she wondered if Max was getting any info out of Nick.
Despite her attempts at helping Lexy and Nick, she wasn’t getting paid to counsel couples, Callie thought ruefully. And who knew? She could be doing more harm than good. In any case, she’d accomplished one small mission: she’d calmed Lexy down. Now, it was time to get back to work and wrap things up so she could get home at a decent hour. Snow was coming down at a rapid pace, and she fretted as she thought about Viv, who was watching Olivia for her. She wanted Viv to get home safely.
Finishing her tea, Callie stood and pushed back her chair. “Lexy, I’m glad we were able to talk, but I’ve got to get back to work, then home to my daughter before this blizzard gets any worse. I hope I’ve helped at least a little bit.”
Lexy, who had also finished her fragrant cup of tea, walked around the table and gave Callie a hug. “I’m so embarrassed about what happened between Nick and me. Thanks for talking. I’ll…I’ll try to take your advice.”
“Good. Keep me posted, OK?” Lexy nodded in agreement.
Callie and Lexy waved goodbye to Christy and then the two women parted in front of Callie’s Kitchen. Mrs. Dayton’s SUV was gone. Callie wondered where Mrs. Dayton had gone and why she’d been parked nearby, watching the couple fight without trying to stop it. It seemed an evil thing to do to a beloved daughter.
Max was alone when she returned to her shop. “Well?” Callie asked, taking off her coat. “Did you find out anything from Nick? Lexy says she thinks he was in love with Natalie.”
“Yeah, he told me. He also said that’s not true, but that Mrs. Dayton has been trying to get rid of him for months.”
“That’s what Lexy said, too. Any idea why?”
“Well, I’m not sure.” Max frowned. “Between you and me, Nick seems a little bit unenthused about getting married. Not that he would admit to it. He just said that Mrs. Dayton doesn’t like him. Personally, I think he could be using his mother-in-law to be as an excuse. Something seems a little bit off about him, if you know what I mean.”
“Hmm. That’s troubling,” Callie replied. She liked Nick but she hadn’t had the heart-to-heart that Max had had with him. “In his defense, I don’t think Mrs. Dayton wants to let go of her daughter. She seems a little, um, controlling?” Callie rolled her eyes.
“Yeah.” Max looked skeptical. “Maybe he doesn’t want to get involved with a bad family situation.”
“It’s definitely possible,” Callie said, thoughtfully. Was she behaving that way as well – not wanting George to have a social life with whomever he chose? Perish the thought.
A few late stragglers came in for ready-to-go meals, so Callie cleared up the kitchen and finished some more food prep while Max rang up the customers. Finally, they were ready to lock up and go home, both of them promising each other to drive safely on the slick roads.
Callie was almost at home when her cell phone rang. Emma. Sighing, she answered her phone, which was hooked up to a hands-free system. No way was she holding a cell phone on these slippery roads – that was asking for trouble.
“Callie!” Emma’s voice crackled over the line. “How are you? Is this a bad time?”
“I’m in the car and it’s a little icy, but I can talk. How’s the snow in Arizona?” Callie decided to go for a weak joke.
“You’ve got me there. But snow is causing a different sort of problem for me. I still can’t get a flight. There’s some type of major blizzard that’s blanketing the Midwest. In fact, it’s headed your way.”
“Isn’t there always a major blizzard headed our way?” Callie quipped. “It is December, after all.”
“You’re right. But that’s not why I called. Do you have any info for me? I’m going crazy with worry out here.”
Callie decided to pull over for just a few moments so that she could concentrate on the call. “Just a second.” She parked on a side street just off of Main.
Also, she was buying time. She did have information to report, but she wasn’t so sure that it behooved her to burden Emma with all of it, if it didn’t pertain directly to Natalie’s murder. After fierce internal debate, Callie decided to tell her what she knew – well, most of it.
“I’ve found out a few things.” Callie hesitated.
“Well? What is it?” Emma asked.
“Remember, these are just observations,” Callie hedged.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Emma replied impatiently. “What’s up?”
“First of all, Bix Buckman seems to be a little volatile. I witnessed him having an altercation at The Elkhorn Supper Club.”
“In other words, a fight. What happened?”
Callie gave her the bare details, leaving out the part about Samantha and Bix dating. What good would that do?
“That’s just great,” Emma grumbled after Callie finished telling an abbreviated version of the bar fight story.<
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“There’s more. A very good source revealed to me that Natalie and Bix were most likely in a relationship at some point.”
“You don’t think he killed her, do you?” Emma gasped. “I don’t even…I mean, I can’t….” Callie interrupted her friend.
“I don’t know, either Emma. I just thought I should mention it.”
“Yes, thank you. You definitely should have. I almost hate to ask – but is there anything else?”
Callie decided to skip the part about the supplier non-payment mix-up Melody Cartwright had told her about. That was an issue for Melody to take up with her boss and anyway, as a fellow business owner, Callie didn’t want to embarrass Emma.
“There was a newspaper story. It said the murder was causing people to stay away from your inn. But when I spoke to Melody Cartwright the other day, she said everything was normal and that she was very busy with the guests. I have no idea who spoke to the reporter, by the way. She didn’t say a word about that.”
“Yes,” Emma answered, her voice low. “I already heard about the newspaper article. I get the Internet edition of the Courier sent to me via e-mail every morning – unfortunately. So you’re saying that Melody lied? I can easily check on that.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Maybe she just didn’t want me to know. She could have been protecting you – and the inn. Plus, she’s got a book coming out. She might not have wanted bad publicity surrounding anything she’s involved with right now.”
“Yes….that makes sense.” Emma was sounding more defeated by the minute. “Well, thank you, Callie. You’ve certainly been busy. I do appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” Callie decided that Emma needed a little cheering up, so she changed the subject. “Melody asked me to contribute to the Christmas Tea – did she tell you about that?”
“No! But I think it’s a wonderful idea. Will you do it?”
“I told her I would.”
Emma sounded more chipper. “Please make those snowball cookies. You know the ones. They’re not exactly a British teatime cookie, but that’s all right. They’ll be perfect for the party.”
