After she got off the phone with Reid, she decided that it was time to tackle the rest of the project and finish the cookies. With such a unique recipe, she figured it would be a good idea to make a small batch first. That way, if anything needed to be tweaked, she wouldn’t have wasted all of those ingredients.
Lilah grabbed one of the balls of dough out of the fridge, unwrapped it, and placed in on a cutting board that she had sprinkled with flour. She began tackling the dough with the nice marble rolling pin that she had bought during her shopping trip the previous night, occasionally dusting the top of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking. After some trial and error, she had a reasonably thin slab of dough rolled out on the cutting board. She put the rolling pin to the side and pulled a drinking glass out of the cupboard. The one thing she had forgotten to buy was a cookie cutter, but this should work just as well.
She cut two circles of dough and used a spatula to transfer them from the cutting board to a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Careful not to spill any, she took a small spoonful of the apple pie filling and placed it on top of one of the dough circles, then added a dollop of the homemade caramel on top. She covered the entire thing with the second circle of dough, crimped the edges with a fork, carefully slit the top with a knife, then put the single cookie into the preheated oven to see how it turned out.
The caramel apple pie cookie was not a disappointment. She ate it gingerly just as it came out of the oven, and burnt the roof of her mouth on the filling in the process. It was well worth it. The cookie was easily better than any full-sized apple pie she had ever had. It would take her a while to make the rest of the cookies for Reid’s work event, but she no longer regretted choosing the recipe. Who could resist these bite-sized apple pies? She had a feeling they would be the party favorites. The other two kinds of cookies were good, but were nowhere near as unique as these.
It was late afternoon by the time she finished baking the rest of the cookies. It was a wonderful feeling to drizzle homemade caramel on the very last cookie and know that for better or for worse, she was done. Whatever happened the next night, she knew that she had made her best effort, and she was proud of every single one of her cookies.
After tidying up the kitchen and putting the cookies up and out of reach of Winnie, she was beginning to feel a little bit stir crazy. She had been cooped up in her house all day. What she really needed, she decided, was some fresh air. It had been far too long since she’d gone on a nice long jog through town. Now that she had her car back and in working order, she hardly walked anywhere.
It felt good to get back in her running shoes and exercise pants. She did a few stretches in her house before leaving through the front door and setting off at a slow pace down the road. Before she managed to find her rhythm, she was halted by the sound of her name. Margie had come out of her house and was waving her down. Lilah noticed that the minivan was absent from the driveway; her family must have gone somewhere without her.
“I was just about to go over to your house and see if you needed any help preparing for tomorrow,” her friend said when Lilah met her on the walkway up to her house.
“Actually, I just finished with the last of them,” she told the older woman. “Thanks for the offer, though. How’s everything going for you?” She wondered if Margie would make mention of her argument with Eliza, but her friend just smiled and told her things were going very well.
“Now, I thought we ought to talk about the schedule on Thanksgiving. I know we had dinner late in the evening last year, but this year I was thinking we would do it a bit earlier in the day, since the children are here,” Margie said. “Do you think two o’clock would work on your end?”
Lilah gazed at her friend in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting to be invited to Thanksgiving dinner this year not with the older woman’s family in residence. She had vaguely planned to crash Val’s party, but had been too focused on getting through her first big cookie order to give it much thought. “You want me to come over this year?”
“Yes, of course,” Margie said. “Though if you have plans with your own family…”
“I definitely don’t,” Lilah said, thinking back to the terrible dinner with her parents a few nights before. “I’d love to come, if you’re sure everyone else is okay with it.”
“They’ll love to have you,” her friend said with a smile. Lilah thought that might be an exaggeration, but she didn’t push it.
“What do you want me to bring?” she asked instead.
“Oh, just bring yourself. Come over a little early, and you can help me cook if you’d like. I’ve got the meal all planned already. I’m going to do the last of the shopping today.”
“I’ll come over in the morning and help you put everything together,” Lilah promised her friend. “Thanks, Margie. I can’t wait.”
She meant it. Even though the older woman’s daughter-in-law disliked her, she thought she would enjoy having a big family Thanksgiving for once.
CHAPTER TWELVE
* * *
Lilah began preparing for Reid’s work event as soon as she got home from work the next afternoon. Her car wasn’t exactly designed to carry such a large load of cookies, but she made do with some creative stacking and very careful driving.
Reid met her at a side entrance to the office building where the event was being held, adjacent to the machine shop. He was wearing a black dress shirt with the top button undone, and looked undeniably attractive. Lilah felt suddenly grungy in her boot cut jeans and pink blouse. She had dressed down on purpose in hopes that he would get the message and not ask her to stay; besides the fact that she wanted to keep her relationship with Reid purely professional at this point, she wasn’t exactly inclined to spend the evening with a bunch of stuffy business types. Still, she almost regretted her decision to turn down his invitation when she saw what waited for them inside.
“Wow,” she said. “You guys really go all out for Thanksgiving, huh?”
Reid smiled. “This is our annual employee appreciation dinner. It’s a nice way to kick off the long Thanksgiving weekend. There’s food, drinks, a raffle, and an award ceremony. It really isn’t like the boring work events you’re probably thinking of.”
She looked down, not wanting to admit that she had expected it to be exactly that. “Where do the cookies go?” she asked, changing the subject.
“On that table over there.” He gestured to an empty table on the other side of the room. “Some of the office ladies said they were going to pay for a cake together, so we should probably leave some space on one side of the table for that. I’d like about half of the cookies set up on platters. The other half can go in the other room for now; I’ll have someone put them in little bags for people to bring home if they want.”
With his help, Lilah carried the cookies in and arranged them on platters on the table. When they were done, she took a step back and gazed down at their work. The cookies looked just like something a professional catering service would have provided.
“Let me know how it goes,” she said, grabbing the empty containers that she had brought the cookies in.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked.
“I’m not really dressed for it,” she pointed out. “Besides, tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and I’m helping Margie cook. I’d better rest well tonight, or I won’t be able to keep up with her.”
He laughed. “All right, I suppose you’ve got a point. Thanks for all of this. The cookies look wonderful, and I’m sure people will enjoy them.”
“Thanks for being my first customer,” she told him. With a wave, she backed out the door and headed for her car. “I’ll see you later.”
With the stress of the big cookie order over and done with, Lilah felt like a different person. For the first time, it hit her that Thanksgiving was tomorrow, and just a month after that, Christmas would be there. Then came the new year and with it, a whole new future for her… if she ever found a suitable place fo
r her cookie shop, that was.
Instead of going home, she decided to drive by Talbot’s Sandwiches. Maybe there would be something posted on the door about it still being for sale. With any luck, the bank would decide to auction it off. She still held out some hope that she would be able to buy it. Despite the fact that its previous owner had died a violent death, she still felt a fondness for the store. Pete, she was sure, would want his family store to end up in good hands.
There was no sign on the door when she drove by. Instead, she saw something surprising; there were lights on inside.
“Who in the world could that be?” she muttered as she eased her car around the corner. It didn’t take her long to park and walk back around to the front of the building. She peered in through the display window, but the front room was empty. She was debating on if she should knock, or whether it would be rude to interrupt whoever was inside when she heard raised voices coming from inside.
She hesitated for only a moment before pushing the front door open. One of the voices was a woman’s and the other sounded like a very angry man.
“I know he’s dead. I still need the money he owes me. C’mon, Beth, I got your brother out of a tight spot. You need to do the same for me.”
“No, you need to leave, Andrew. I’m not discussing this with you.”
Lilah gasped. Andrew. The same man she and Reid had seen when they came to look at the sandwich shop. And Beth… why did that name sound so familiar?
“I am not leaving!” Andrew shouted. “I’m not taking no for an answer. You get me that money, or else—”
“Or else what? You’re going to call the police? Everyone knows you saw him just hours before he died. Do you really want to draw more attention to yourself?” Beth snapped. “My brother’s gambling problem is not my concern. You’re going to have to take a loss on this just like everyone else does.”
There was the sound of footsteps. Lilah just had time to duck back outside before a woman with mouse-colored hair and a pinched face appeared. Trailing behind her was the same man Lilah had seen with Reid. He looked sober now, but his face was flushed with anger. Beth yanked open the door. Her gaze flitted over Lilah before she looked back over her shoulder to Andrew.
“Leave, Drew. Now.”
With a huff, the man left, brushing past Lilah on the way out as if she wasn’t there. He smelled strongly of stale cigarette smoke, and she recoiled reflexively.
“The sandwich shop’s closed,” Beth said. She began to shut the door.
“Wait. Are you Pete’s sister?” Lilah asked. She was beginning to remember her conversation with Randall the week before. She was certain that was where she had heard the name Beth before.
“Yeah,” the woman said, eying her cautiously. “Did he owe you money?”
“No, nothing like that. Actually, I was interested in buying the store from him. My name’s Lilah Fallon. I saw Pete the same day he died.”
“Really?” Beth gave her a curious look. She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door wider. “Do you want to come in?”
Lilah followed her back to the kitchen, where the woman had a pot of coffee waiting. There was a mess of papers and manila file folders on the counter.
“I’ve been trying to figure out the financial mess my brother left behind,” Beth told her. “I knew my dad made him a mistake when he left him the store.”
“He seemed to really care about the sandwich shop, from what I saw,” Lilah said.
The other woman shrugged. “If you say so. So, you saw him the day that he committed suicide? What was he like?”
“Well, I don’t know. I mean, it was the first time I’d ever met him…”
“Did he say anything odd?”
“No,” Lilah said. “Not that I remember.” She hesitated. “Beth? I don’t want to over step any lines here, but how well do you know Andrew?”
“Drew? Pete and I went to high school with him. He’s always been a little bit… out there… but he seems worse than ever now. Why?”
“It’s just that, from what I heard, your brother was on the verge of being able to pay off his debts. A friend of mine mentioned that it doesn’t make sense for someone who’s about to be debt free, someone who’s been working toward getting his life on track, to kill himself just hours after making arrangements to sell his restaurant. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through right now, but I know if it was my family, I’d want to know if there was even the slightest chance that their death wasn’t quite what it appeared to be.”
“Are you saying you think my brother was murdered?” Beth asked. “And you think Andrew did it?”
“I don’t know,” Lilah said, “but after what I just saw, well, Andrew definitely seems like the sort of guy who could lose his temper. Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have brought any of this up.”
“No, it’s fine,” Beth said, turning her coffee mug slowly in her hands. “Andrew does have a short temper, and he’s not exactly reasonable. Have you spoken to the police about this?”
“A friend of mine—he knew Pete, too—went to the police after he found out more about how close Pete was to being able to pay off his debts. I haven’t spoken to them since the day after his murder.”
“He told them about Andrew?”
“I think so,” Lilah said.
“Good.” Beth said. “I’ll be sure to keep away from him if he comes around again. Thanks, Lilah.”
“No problem. I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“You’re a good person.” The other woman gave her a tired smile. “What was it that you came by for? I think you mentioned something about buying this place before we got off topic.”
“Yeah, Pete gave me a tour that day and I fell in love with this place.”
“What sort of business do you have?”
“I’m opening a cookie shop,” Lilah told her. “It’s all still in the beginning stages.”
“Hmm.” Beth glanced toward the messy pile of papers, her brows drawing together as she thought. “If you’re still interested in it, would you consider a lease instead?”
“A lease? For how long?” she asked, her heart beginning to beat faster. Was she going to be able to use this building for her cookie shop after all?
“I’d have to think more, but a few years at least. I don’t want this store to leave the family for good, but right now things are so bad that I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep it open. It’s no wonder Pete kept blowing me off when I wanted to meet him to talk about the store; he was probably embarrassed. He’s been buying supplies on credit for months, and I don’t have the cash sitting around to pay it all off before the collection agencies start coming around. If I could lease this place out for a couple of years and save up enough money to get out of the financial hole that Pete dug himself into, then I might be able to reopen and run the sandwich shop myself eventually… debt free.”
“So I’d lease this place for a couple of years, then I’d have to find somewhere new for the cookie shop to move to?” Lilah asked. It wasn’t exactly what she had been hoping for… but it just might be better than nothing.
Beth nodded. “I’m sure you’ll want a larger store front after a couple of years anyway.”
“I’ll think about it,” Lilah said. “There are some people I have to talk to first. Is it all right if I have someone else come and take a look at this place?”
“That’s fine. Would you be able to come out tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, shoot. I completely forgot,” Beth said. She rubbed her temples. “With everything that’s been going on, I hadn’t realized… If a different day works better, that’s fine. But I need to figure out what I’m going to do about money as soon as possible.”
“I understand,” Lilah said. “I’ll talk to my friend and see how soon we can get out here.”
The two women exchanged phone numbers and bid each other goodbye. Lilah looked back at the sandwich shop a
s she walked out. She did love the place. Maybe she could figure out a way to make the lease work. At least it would be less money and less risk if things went wrong. She was glad that she had decided to drive past the little restaurant that evening. Talking to Beth had been a stroke of unexpected luck. Now all she had to do was see if Margie fell in love with the sandwich shop the same way she had.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
* * *
Margie’s kitchen smelled like cranberry sauce and stuffing when Lilah walked through the front door to her friend’s house the next morning. The kids were running amok, and Lilah had to dodge two of them on her way over to the sink to wash her hands. Eliza, thank goodness, was nowhere to be seen.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Margie said. “There are some cinnamon rolls on the counter over there. Help yourself, but don’t wreck your appetite for dinner.”
“Thanks, these look great,” Lilah said. “So, where should I start?”
“Could you do the mashed potatoes? I’ve got to finish the pies.”
“Sure.”
With her, Margie, and the three kids coming and going out of the kitchen, the warm room was unusually crowded. It was a big difference from the way her friend’s house usually was—quiet and peaceful. Somehow, though, all of the activity just added to the festive feeling of the day.
Lilah set to work peeling the potatoes without complaint, keeping an eye on the older woman as she prepared two perfect-looking pies to go into the oven. The pumpkin pie reminded her of the very first cookies that she had helped Margie bake—pumpkin spice cookie cups—and the apple pie made her think of the cookies she had made for Reid’s event. She had gotten a text from him late the night before, telling her that the cookies had been a hit and thanking her again, but she wanted to know more. Which cookies had people liked the best? Had anyone asked him who made them? It was too bad she hadn’t thought of the perfect name for the cookie shop yet, because it would have been a great way to advertise her business without spending a dime.
Killer Maple Cookies: Book 3 in Killer Cookie Cozy Mysteries Page 6
