by Jinty James
“Mitch is out of luck if he comes in now,” Zoe teased. She tapped her chin. “I haven’t seen him the last few days – have you?”
“No.” Lauren had wondered at his absence, then told herself not to be silly. He was a busy police detective. He probably didn’t have time to come in for cupcakes and coffee, even if they were free right now, as a thank you for mowing her two lawns.
“I can’t wait for five o’clock.” Zoe stifled a yawn.
“I know what you mean.” Lauren smiled at two departing customers who paid their bill.
“But there aren’t any cupcakes to take home.” Zoe pouted.
Lauren felt like pouting as well. A cupcake for dessert tonight would really hit the spot. They hadn’t even had time for a proper lunchbreak.
“Maybe we should treat ourselves tonight.” Zoe wiggled her feet. “What about pizza?”
“Good idea.”
Zoe looked at the tip jar. “There should be plenty in there for my share.”
“We’ll order when we close up. We can have an early dinner.”
“Now you’re talking.” Zoe grinned. “And hardly any dishes to take care of tonight!”
Their last customer left at five minutes to five.
Lauren and Zoe locked the entrance door right on the dot of five p.m. and quickly tidied up.
“I’ll call for the pizza.” Lauren picked up her phone.
“Pepperoni for me. Mmm.” Zoe counted out some money from the tip jar and scrawled an IOU. “Here’s my share.” She pressed the dollar bills and coins into Lauren’s hand.
“Thanks.”
While Lauren put in the order, Zoe finished sweeping the floor.
Lauren ended the call. “It should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“Awesome.” Zoe grinned.
After they finished cleaning up, they headed to the cottage.
“We’re home!” Zoe called out.
“Brrp?” Annie lay on her back in the kitchen, her front and back legs disemboweling a toy mouse.
“We’re having pizza for dinner, Annie.”
“Brrt!” Annie dropped the plaything and sat up.
“You know I don’t think pizza is good for you,” Lauren told the tabby.
“Brrp.” Annie sounded sad as she looked appealingly at Lauren. She could have sworn the feline batted her eyelashes.
“Maybe you could have just a little of my Canadian bacon.” Lauren gave in. Who wouldn’t, looking at that sweet furry face? Surely just a tiny bit of cooked bacon would be okay for Annie?
Lauren, Zoe, and Annie relaxed while they waited for the pizza to arrive. Annie played with Lauren’s red knitting wool and Zoe’s multicolored crochet yarn, alternately batting each dangling fiber strand hanging down from the work in progress.
Ding dong.
“Pizza!” Zoe looked up from suspending the turquoise wool above Annie’s paw.
“I’ll go.” Lauren grabbed the money from the kitchen table and headed toward the front door of the cottage.
Her stomach rumbled, and she opened the old wooden door with a smile on her face.
“Here you go – oh!” Her outstretched hand holding the money froze.
“Hello, Lauren.” The man holding a large pizza box smiled at her.
“Wayne! What are you doing here?” Lauren frowned.
“I was getting pizza for myself before I started work tonight. You know when you have a craving that just won’t go away? So I called my sous chef and told him I’d be a little late.”
“Zoe and I were craving pizza tonight, too,” Lauren told him, still bemused as to why he stood there on her doorstep with the pizza they’d ordered.
“While I was in the shop, the driver had just called in sick, so I volunteered to drop off your pizza. Otherwise, the owner would have had to leave his teenage nephew in charge, who hasn’t been working there long.”
“Thank you.” Lauren handed him the money. “That’s very kind of you.”
“You’re welcome.” Wayne handed her the hot, fragrant box. “Half pepperoni, half Canadian bacon and mushroom, right?”
“Right.”
“I paid for your order myself, so I don’t have to stop back at the pizza place on the way to the steakhouse.”
“Thanks,” Lauren said again. “Zoe’s starving, so I’d better get this inside.”
“Sure.” He nodded, then turned to go. “Oh, by the way.” He swung around to face her. “Don’t forget to come by the steakhouse with Zoe when you get a chance. Twenty percent off and I’ll throw in a nice piece of steak for you to take home for Annie.”
Lauren wasn’t sure what to say. “I’ll make sure to mention it to Zoe – and Annie.”
“You do that. My steak is the best. Todd said so.”
“Right.” Lauren nodded, just wanting to take the pizza inside and shut the door, but she didn’t want to be rude, either.
“Hey, did you see that Gary got a new review by that Brandon guy?”
“He did?” Lauren stared at Wayne. “When was that?”
“This afternoon. I was reading some news articles on that site and a pop-up appeared saying that Brandon had posted a new review. So I clicked on it to see what it was about.”
“What did the review say?” Lauren asked. She’d have to tell Zoe about it.
“He got a good one.” Wayne’s mouth twisted. “So Gary must have done something right. Yeah, his burgers are good, but it’s not quite the same as having an Ang – wagyu steak.”
Was Wayne about to say Angus – as in Angus steak?
Lauren’s eyes widened as a snippet of conversation flashed through her brain – Brandon telling them that Wayne’s wagyu steak reminded him of Angus. Lauren knew that Angus, although good quality, was a far cheaper variety of meat than wagyu.
Surely Wayne hadn’t—
“You know, don’t you?” Wayne snarled. He pushed her into the cottage, the corner of the hot pizza box hitting Lauren’s stomach.
“Know what?” Lauren attempted to bluff as Wayne marched her down the hall and into the living room.
“I substituted Angus steak for pricey wagyu steak.”
“You didn’t!” Zoe jumped up from the sofa and stared at him.
“Brrt?” Annie looked from Lauren to Wayne, concern on her furry face.
“It’s okay, Annie.” Lauren tried to speak soothingly. “Why don’t you go to my bedroom for a bit?” She didn’t want Wayne to hurt her.
Annie first looked at Lauren, and then at Zoe. “Brrp.” No.
“Annie’s not the problem here.” Wayne pushed Lauren forward. She stumbled.
“Brandon didn’t think you served wagyu,” Zoe told him. “Now it makes sense why I didn’t think your wagyu should have been so expensive. I couldn’t taste much difference between it and ordinary steak.” She turned to Lauren. “I’m sorry I made us try it.”
“It’s okay,” Lauren said, still holding the pizza box. The savory aromas of pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and mushroom now made her stomach churn. She was about to place it on the coffee table, then had second thoughts. It might come in handy as a weapon.
“Yeah.” Wayne grimaced. “I had a good thing going with Todd, and then he had to spoil it. When he reviewed my steakhouse last year, he knew right away that my “wagyu” wasn’t wagyu at all. But it didn’t bother him. He came to the kitchen afterward and requested to talk privately. So we went outside. He told me if I paid him five hundred dollars per month, he’d keep my secret – that I was serving up Angus beef and calling it wagyu. He’d also throw in a glowing review which would increase my customer base.”
“He didn’t!” Zoe’s mouth parted. “Brandon said he was a stickler for good food and—”
“It was an act,” Wayne informed her. “According to Todd, Brandon didn’t have a clue about his side business. Todd was just out for what he could get.”
“Like you?” Lauren asked, her heart hammering.
“I didn’t start out trying to deceive people
.” Wayne’s shoulders slumped for a second. “It’s my wife Kimberly. She’s got a shopping addiction. She just won’t stop spending money. I already took out a second mortgage on the house. Her spending is the reason I started the wagyu scam in the first place.”
“What gave you the idea?” Zoe asked.
“I watched a show about wagyu on TV. It said how much places charge for a genuine steak. I’d just received the latest credit card bill – over the limit again – and I was desperate. I was already having problems making the payments on the second mortgage as well as paying the minimum off the credit card every month.” He shook his head. “As soon as I pay the monthly bill, Kimberly spends up again.”
“I’m sorry,” Lauren replied. She was. But she also didn’t want Wayne to feel so desperate that he thought he had no choice but to hurt them.
“What about marriage counselling?” Zoe asked.
“We saw someone.” He snorted. “Kimberly promised she’d try not to spend so much, but after a few weeks she said it was just too hard and didn’t she deserve nice things? Of course she does. She’s my wife, and I love her. And then we got the bill for the counselling and, well ...”
“So what happened after Todd wrote you that good review?” Lauren asked, wondering if she was doing the right thing in keeping him talking.
“Business was great.” A brief smile. “I was able to pay down the credit card – some of the balance, anyway. Then Todd contacted me and said the price had gone up. I now had to pay him one thousand dollars per month.”
“No!” Zoe blinked.
“And then, every couple of months after that, Todd would call me and up the price again. When he came to town a couple of weeks ago, he increased the price to two thousand.” Wayne shook his head. “It was too much.”
“What happened?” Lauren asked.
“Brrp?” Annie seemed to ask as well.
“I went over to his motel room to talk to him, asking him to be reasonable. I’m not getting as many customers now. Not like when his review first appeared in his column.”
“That’s because they’re not impressed with the ‘wagyu’,” Zoe said. “Like we weren’t.”
Wayne glared at her.
“Oops.” Zoe mimed zipping her lips shut.
“He said because I told him he was getting greedy, forget about paying him two thousand. It was now going to be three thousand. And if I didn’t give him the money, he would report me to the police for fraud. I didn’t have a choice.” Wayne looked pleadingly at them, as if expecting them to understand his position.
“If you explain it to the authorities, and tell them the financial stress you were under, maybe they’ll understand,” Lauren said.
“I can’t.” Wayne’s face twisted. “What will Kimberly do if I’m in prison?”
“Get a job?” Zoe suggested.
“She doesn’t have any skills. She’s been a housewife for the last twenty years. She can’t even balance her checkbook. That’s one of the reasons we’re in a hole financially.”
“Maybe she could be a personal shopper,” Zoe said in a helpful tone. “She’ll get her shopping fix but she’ll be spending other people’s money.”
“Graah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Anger flashed across his face. “I mightn’t have needed to kill Todd after all!”
“There’s still time to turn yourself in,” Lauren urged. “Zoe and I will tell the police that you didn’t hurt us.”
“It’s too late.” Wayne clenched his fists. “Too late to do anything! Except make sure nobody knows it was me!”
He lunged toward Lauren.
She shrieked and opened the pizza box. As he loomed over her, she smashed the pizza in his face.
“Ow!” he screamed, clawing at his face. “Hot!”
“Run!” Before Lauren could pick up Annie, the feline pushed the pizza box a couple of inches in front of Wayne’s large feet. He stumbled over the cardboard, falling to his knees, the melted cheese and sauce from the pizza obscuring his vision.
“Quick!” Zoe vibrated with urgency as Lauren snatched up Annie.
They ran out of the cottage.
“Lauren?” Mitch’s vehicle was parked outside her gate. He looked at her in concern, then sprang into action, his hand going to his hip holster. He strode toward her front door.
“It’s Wayne,” Lauren gasped, Annie held securely in her arms. “He killed Todd.”
“And he’s got hot pizza on his face,” Zoe told him.
“Stay there,” he ordered.
They watched him enter the cottage.
“I wonder why Mitch is here.” Zoe crinkled her brow.
“I’m just glad he is.” Lauren pressed a kiss on Annie’s forehead. “Aren’t you?” she asked her.
“Brrt.” Yes.
Lauren and Zoe stepped onto the sidewalk and stood right next to Mitch’s car.
“In case we need to make a quick getaway,” Zoe said, trying to make a joke of the situation.
“Brrt!”
EPILOGUE
Mitch marched a handcuffed Wayne out of Lauren’s cottage. His face was red and blotchy. Pieces of pepperoni and bacon stuck to his cheeks and chin.
“I’ve called for backup,” Mitch told them. “I’ll wait until they get here.” He helped Wayne into the car and locked the doors. “Tell me what happened.”
They did, Annie wide-eyed during the conversation. She kept sneaking glances between Lauren and Mitch while she nestled in Lauren’s arms.
“And then Annie pushed the pizza box toward Wayne so he would fall over it.” Zoe giggled. Lauren thought it might be from reaction. “And he did!”
“That’s one clever cat.” Mitch sounded sincere.
“Brrt!”
Once assistance arrived, Mitch departed with Wayne, while a uniformed officer took Lauren and Zoe’s statements.
When he left, Zoe locked the cottage door behind him.
“Phew!” She flopped onto the living room sofa. “I’m bushed.” She checked her watch. “I can’t believe it’s not even eight p.m.!”
“I know.” Lauren nodded. She’d just given Annie something to eat and now she held paper towels in her hands. “What are we going to do about this mess?” She looked in dismay at the oyster hued carpet, a large section covered in red sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the pizza toppings.
“I’ll help.” Zoe sighed and kneeled on the carpet.
“I hope Wayne’s face didn’t get burned.” Lauren swiped at the carpet with the paper cloth.
“If he did, it was his own fault.” Zoe stabbed at a cheesy stain. “He shouldn’t have threatened us like that.”
“Brrt!” Annie trotted in from the kitchen and seemed to agree. “Brrt!”
“You were a big help, Annie,” Lauren told her. “If Wayne hadn’t lost his balance tripping over the pizza box—”
“Don’t.” Zoe shuddered. She reached for the cat and gave her a gentle stroke. “We all played a part in saving the three of us – well, you and Annie did.” She looked downhearted. “I didn’t get to do anything.”
“You made sure we were all together when we ran out of the house,” Lauren told her.
“Brrt!” Yes.
“That’s what family is for,” Zoe replied, her expression cheering slightly.
“Brrt!”
LAUREN DIDN’T DISCOVER why Mitch had arrived at her cottage that evening. He stopped by the café the next day to inform her that Wayne was pleading guilty to the murder of Todd Fane.
“Good,” Zoe replied.
“What will happen to Kimberly?” Lauren asked.
“Wayne swears that she didn’t know anything about substituting Angus steak for wagyu, or that Todd was blackmailing him,” Mitch answered. “It looks like she’ll either have to run the steakhouse herself or sell it.”
“Poor Kimberly,” Lauren said.
“She could always ask Gary for advice,” Zoe mused. “I know he specializes in burgers, but food is food. Or she could always ask
us for help – like with desserts.”
“Good thinking,” Lauren replied.
“I’m talking to her again this afternoon, so I’ll pass on your suggestions.”
“Brrt!” Good idea.
“Can I make you a latte?” Lauren said, her hands poised at the espresso machine.
“That would be great.” His lips tilted upward in a smile.
“I’ll just see if Ed needs me in the kitchen.” Zoe faded away with a stifled giggle.
Lauren forgot what she was about to do – she was too busy gazing into Mitch’s dark brown eyes. And he seemed to be gazing back at her.
After a few seconds, Annie enquired: “Brrt?”
Lauren blinked, the spell broken. Latte. Right. The machine growled as the ground beans filled the portafilter, the scents of dark cherry and chocolate permeating the air.
“Have you got any vanilla cupcakes?” Mitch asked.
She peeked at the glass case. “Just one.”
“Just one is all I need.” His gaze locked with hers once more.
“Brrt?”
Mitch cleared his throat. Hesitated. “Would you like to go out with me sometime, Lauren?”
“Yes.”
“Brrt!”
THE END
AUTHOR NOTE and TITLES BY JINTY JAMES
Annie is based on my own Norwegian Forest Cat, who is also called Annie.
I hope you enjoyed reading this mystery. Sign up to my newsletter at http://www.JintyJames.com and be among the first to discover when my next book is published!
Have you read:
Purrs and Peril – A Norwegian Forest Cat Café Cozy Mystery – Book 1
Maddie Goodwell Series (fun witch cozies)
Spells and Spiced Latte - A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery - Maddie Goodwell 1
Visions and Vanilla Cappuccino - A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery - Maddie Goodwell 2
Magic and Mocha – A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery – Maddie Goodwell 3
Enchantments and Espresso – A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery – Maddie Goodwell 4
Familiars and French Roast - A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery – Maddie Goodwell 5
