Chapter 58

 

Sam couldn’t believe two weeks had passed. Tansy Montoya was home from the hospital—the doctors were calling her quick recovery a miracle—although she’d be doing physical therapy and it would be awhile before she could return to her job at A-1. The company’s insurance would cover everything and provide the young mother and her kids with what they needed in the interim.

Beau had taken a call at home this morning during breakfast that improved his mood even further. Matt Cook would, indeed, have to serve some jail time but he’d pleaded to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony against Kurt Blake.

“Matt thought if he had enough money to buy them a new house and get them out of the dingy apartment they live in, it would fix their situation and improve his mother’s health.”

“What about the younger sister—Sara, wasn’t it?” Sam asked as she put the milk away in the fridge.

“There’s an aunt, her mother’s sister, who hadn’t realized how bad their situation was. She’s coming from California to stay with them through the mom’s chemo treatments. It sounds like Sara will be able to go back to Los Angeles with the aunt if need be. No one knows how long the mother might live, how long Matt will be away, so it’s kind of up in the air.”

Sam almost offered to give young Sara a job at the chocolate factory. She could use an additional packager, but decided it might be best for the family to get settled with their new changes before suggesting yet another.

“There’s a reward,” Beau said. “The armored car company’s insurance posted it back when only part of the money had been recovered. Bubba Boudreaux at the café will have a fit, but I’m going to make sure Sara Cook gets it. It’s plenty to take care of her college education.”

“Oh, Beau, that’s fantastic. Such great news.”

“She deserves it. Leaving that bag of cash at the café was what let us know the perps were probably local. And her coming to me with their names, well, it’s what broke the whole case wide open.”

Sam had hugged him for his thoughtfulness and they parted on the front porch—he going back to finalize the paperwork for the reward, she going to her new production facility.

Now, she looked around the chocolate factory with satisfaction. Benjie was a quick learner and was turning out pieces nearly as nice as Bobul’s, with instruction from the master chocolatier, of course. Lisa’s job at the seed company was coming to its seasonal end so the girl would go full-time just before Thanksgiving.

A delivery truck had just offloaded a bunch of supplies and Sam was out in the carriage house going through them, separating what needed to go to the bakery from the items that would remain here. When the stacks were organized, she went inside and called out.

“Bobul, I need your help with something, please?”

He dusted cocoa powder from his hands and started toward the back door.

“Bring your coat. You can help me unload this at the other end,” she said, opening the doors of her van.

In truth, she could have easily loaded, delivered and reorganized the supplies at the bakery but she needed a conversation with him. Several hints about his staying through the holidays had not given her a definitive answer. She waited until they were on the road before bringing it up. Okay, not fair making him a captive audience, but really. She needed to know whether she could count on him.

“Bobul like new factory,” he said.

She may have imagined he squirmed in his seat. “You’ll stay, then?”

“Bobul have no other plans for holiday season.”

“You’ll stay, right?”

He gave a barely-committal nod of his head, and then they arrived at Sweet’s Sweets.

Becky and Jen were chatting at the worktable, Jen showing the decorator the details on a new order. Julio was pouring cake batter from the big mixer into pans. He had his back to the door and worked with his usual quiet efficiency.

Sam and Bobul each carried a large carton. They had boxes and bags for their bakery products, and Sam had already ordered a few special items for Christmas. She showed him where to set the big box. When Bobul turned around, Sam heard a gasp from Julio.

“Oh, sorry, I guess I’ve never introduced everyone.” Her first Christmas in business she’d had no other kitchen help. It had been only Bobul and herself to accomplish the work.

Jen remembered him and said hello before hurrying to the front when the doorbells chimed. Becky stared at the large man but gave him a friendly smile. Julio’s reaction was tough to read. He turned directly back to his work, making himself too busy to greet the other man. She got the feeling he didn’t want to be seen. Why?

The silence grew awkwardly long.

“Well, we have more things to bring in,” Sam said.

They finished carrying and stowing the items and she told the crew she needed to get Bobul back to the chocolate factory.

During the ride, the Romanian was quieter than usual—hard to imagine, yes, since non-communication was his normal mode anyway. What secret signal had passed between him and Julio?

Finally, as they made the last turn toward the Victorian, she came right out and asked. “Do you and Julio know each other?”

His eyes were entirely innocent. “I never see this man before.”

“Okay. Maybe it was him—he thought you resembled someone he knew, that sort of thing.”

No comment. Bobul hopped out of the van the moment it came to a stop, went inside and by the time Sam walked in he’d removed his coat and was already resuming his work. She’d thought she would pitch in and work the chocolate alongside the men but found herself preoccupied. She went upstairs and sat at her desk.

Neither Bobul nor Julio was exactly outgoing. Both preferred to work alone, neither was expressive. But whatever passed between them back at the bakery was more than mere shyness. If she had to name it, she thought it was almost animosity. And yet, neither man had ever shown such an attitude before. What the hell was going on?