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ZOE HUMMED AS SHE SLATHERED butter onto her toast the next morning.
“That movie was great last night,” she enthused. “We should have a girls’ night out and go see it, and have dinner after. Chris and I went to that Italian restaurant that you and Mitch have been to, and the meatballs were delish.”
“Yes, they do have good food there,” Lauren agreed. “Pick a time and we’ll go.”
“Brrt!” Annie said.
“They don’t let cats into the movie theater,” Lauren told her. “I’m sorry.”
“Brrp,” Annie grumbled, then turned around on the kitchen chair next to Lauren’s and curled up in a circle, nose to tail.
“Maybe Annie stayed up all night watching TV.” Zoe grinned.
“Maybe.” Lauren stroked the silver-gray tabby, the fur soft as velvet beneath her fingertips.
“Did you guys have a good time last night?” Zoe asked.
“Yes.” She told her cousin about the previous evening, and Mitch’s invitation to the winery today.
“It looks like you and me today, Annie.” Zoe winked at the cat.
“Brrt.” Annie sounded a little sleepy.
After breakfast, Lauren got ready for her date with Mitch. Annie watched her every move, sighing when Lauren waved goodbye to her at the front door.
“I promise we’ll have special TV time tonight,” Lauren told her.
“Brrt!” Annie brightened.
On her date, Lauren ended up buying a bottle of delightful Zinfandel, while Mitch bought a bottle of award-winning Pinot Noir. They enjoyed a simple lunch of freshly baked bread, cheese, and a green salad at the winery café.
They made plans to have dinner the following Thursday, Lauren wondering if she would finish knitting her hat by then. Maybe she could wear it if they weren’t going anywhere too fancy.
She spent the evening with Annie and Zoe on the sofa, watching TV, Annie curled up in her lap, all thoughts of the murder in a distant corner of her mind.
***
ON TUESDAY, LAUREN and Zoe opened the café on the dot of nine-thirty. They’d spent Monday doing housework, grocery shopping, and checking on Mrs. Finch. The senior assured them she was fine and planned to visit the café the following day.
“When are you seeing Chris again?” Lauren asked Zoe as they stood behind the counter, ready for their first customer.
“Next Saturday,” Zoe told her. “Although this time we might do something in Sacramento, like bowling or mini-golf.”
“That sounds fun.”
“Hey, maybe you and Mitch can double with us!”
Lauren stared at her cousin. The idea had merit.
“I’ll talk to Mitch about it.”
The faint banging of tins in the kitchen signaled Ed hard at work making his pastries.
A couple of customers came in, having problems deciding between a blueberry Danish or a triple chocolate ganache cupcake.
Helen walked into the café. Annie trotted to greet her at the Please Wait to be Seated sign.
“What a pretty girl you are.”
“Brrt,” Annie agreed, before leading her to a small table in the middle of the room.
Lauren and Zoe watched Helen peruse the small menu, then scrape her wooden chair back and walk over to the counter to order.
“What can we get you?” Lauren asked.
“Ooh, that is my bracelet.” Zoe pointed to the pink and turquoise beads decorating Helen’s wrist.
“This? I love it.” Helen patted the bangle, her hand resting on it. “My husband bought it for me as a little surprise. He’s always so thoughtful.”
“I thought I saw you wear it when we were at the salon,” Zoe said. “You know, when—” she lowered her voice “— Paula complained about her perm.”
“Yes, I wear it nearly all the time,” Helen said. “My hubby told me he bought it from here, but I don’t see any for sale now.”
“That’s because it was the only one that sold.” Zoe sounded disappointed. “So I decided only to make them for friends and family – and myself, of course.” She pointed to the gold beads around her wrist.
“What a shame,” Helen sympathized. “If you decide to make them again to sell, please let me know.”
“Will do.” Zoe cheered up.
Lauren made the large latte while Zoe plated the apricot Danish for Helen.
They left Helen to enjoy her order, while Annie checked on the other customers, hopping up onto a vacant chair at each table, and after a moment, hopping down.
“I wonder when Mrs. Finch will get here.” Zoe furrowed her brow.
“Soon, I hope,” Lauren replied.
A few minutes later, Annie ran to the Please Wait to be Seated sign.
“Brrt!” she greeted one of her favorite customers.
“Hi, Mrs. Finch,” Zoe called out.
“Hello, dears.” Mrs. Finch beamed at them. Today she wore a beige skirt with a dusty rose blouse, and a heavy navy coat.
Lauren watched Mrs. Finch follow Annie to a small table near the counter and sink down into the pine chair.
“Let’s go over.” She nudged Zoe.
“What can we get you?” Zoe asked as they approached.
“Brrt,” Annie answered, sitting opposite the senior.
“I would love a cup of tea today, girls,” Mrs. Finch replied. “And one of your lavender cupcakes, if you have any, Lauren.”
“Yes, we do.” Lauren smiled.
“Do you have an update on – you know.” Mrs. Finch lowered her voice. “I see Helen is here.”
“Yes, she is, but no, we don’t know anything else,” Zoe told her. “Unfortunately.”
“I’m sure you two will work it out. You always do.”
“You’re right. We do!” Zoe grinned.
Lauren wondered if it was sometimes the case of being in the right place at the right time – or the wrong time, when they’d found themselves confronting a killer. But she didn’t want to burst Zoe’s sleuthing bubble.
They brought Mrs. Finch’s order over to her, and chatted with her for a few minutes. More customers came in, so they made their apologies and tended to the newcomers.
The rest of the day was busy, and Lauren only had time to catch her breath at four o’clock, when the café was finally empty.
“Phew!” Zoe flopped onto a stool behind the counter.
“I know.” Lauren wiggled her feet as she sat next to her cousin.
“Brrt.” Annie patted something on the floor near her bed. She pushed it with her paw, a little turquoise ball that skated along the floor to the other side of the café. She ran after it, pouncing on it.
“What have you got there?” Lauren jumped down from the stool and hurried over to the silver-gray tabby.
“Brrt.” Annie pushed the bead toward Lauren.
“Have you lost a bead from your bracelet?” she called out to Zoe.
Zoe looked down at her wrist. “No.”
“Your bangle has gold balls on it today, hasn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Zoe came over to them and looked at the bead in Lauren’s hand. “Helen wore a bangle with this color bead, though. It was the two-tone one I made, turquoise and pink. Remember I thought I saw it on her wrist at the salon when Brooke trimmed your hair?”
“That’s right.” Lauren nodded. Something tickled in the back of her mind. She drew in a deep breath. “Did you say that Helen’s bracelet also has pink beads on it?”
“Yep. I really like that color combination.”
“I saw a speck of pink at the murder scene,” Lauren said slowly. “Like a small bead.”
“Like this bead?” Zoe tapped the turquoise ball.
“Yes. But pink.”
“It can’t be Helen.” Zoe’s eyes widened. “I thought we liked Jeff for the murderer.”
“She just said she wears that bracelet a lot,” Lauren told her. “And this bead came off it today, because it definitely wasn’t lying on the floor when we opened this morning. What if a bead fell off it at the murder scene?”
“Why are beads dropping off the bracelet I made?” Zoe frowned. “Didn’t I attach them properly?” She looked downcast. After a second, she snapped back to attention. “But why would she kill her friend?”
“Because Paula wasn’t such a good friend to her, if she made a pass at Helen’s husband.”
“But that happened a couple of years ago,” Zoe protested.
“I didn’t notice Jeff wearing a pink bracelet when he came in last, did you?” Lauren asked.
“And he hasn’t been in here today,” Zoe conceded.
They looked at each other for a moment, then spoke at the same time.
“Helen must be the killer!”