“I ’m sorry about Veronica ,” Maddie said awkwardly.
Trixie sat on her stool and stared at Claudine with narrowed eyes, but didn’t say anything.
“Yes.” Suzanne nodded.
“I just spent all yesterday afternoon being interrogated.” Claudine scowled. “I don’t know what you told that detective, but he didn’t believe a word I said.”
“What did you say?” Suzanne asked curiously.
“None of your coffee beans,” Claudine snapped. “But I did not have anything to do with Veronica’s death. How could I? She was my cousin!”
“Family members have killed before,” Suzanne observed.
“Suzanne!” Maddie hissed out of the side of her mouth.
“Sorry.” Suzanne looked abashed.
“We didn’t say anything to Detective Edgewater,” Maddie told Claudine as gently as she could. “He asked if we knew if Veronica had had an argument with anyone and we told him how you told Veronica to take down her iced coffee stand.”
Maddie could tell by the look on Suzanne’s face that she wanted to chime in with “illegal iced coffee stand” but to her friend’s credit, she didn’t say anything.
“What else?” Claudine demanded.
“That’s it,” Maddie told her.
“Then why did he question me over and over?” Claudine growled.
“Search me.” Suzanne shrugged. “But we don’t know anything else.”
“I didn’t kill her,” Claudine told them. “But I don’t know about you two. Do you have an alibi for the time of Veronica’s death?”
Maddie and Suzanne looked at each other, their eyes wide. Detective Edgewater hadn’t asked them that question.
“None of your business,” Suzanne finally told her, but the snap was missing from her voice. “Do you?”
“Ha! As if I’d tell you.” Claudine glowered. “But I know you two didn’t like Veronica and I made sure I told the detective that.”
“What?” Now it was Suzanne’s turn to scowl at their nemesis. “You must know we didn’t kill her.”
“I don’t know anything of the sort,” Claudine huffed. “Just stay away from me – and my café. I don’t even want to see you walk past the front or the back entrance.” She turned to leave, a tiny tear glistening from her eye.
“Now I feel terrible,” Maddie said when they were alone.
“I know what you mean.” Suzanne sank on a stool. “I wish I hadn’t been so ... so ... with her.”
“She must have liked Veronica,” Maddie continued. “Did you see Claudine’s face just now?”
“Yeah.” Suzanne nodded, her ponytail not bouncing. “I feel like a heel.”
They turned to look at Trixie, but she just sat on her stool looking thoughtful.
“We don’t even know when Veronica was killed,” Suzanne said. “Detective Edgewater didn’t tell us.”
“We couldn’t possibly be considered suspects, could we?” Now it was Maddie’s turn to flop on a stool. It wouldn’t be the first time if they were.
A wave of customers came toward the truck.
“Let’s try not to think about it right now.” Suzanne stood, her fingers poised over the register.
“Good idea,” Maddie agreed. Veronica hadn’t seemed like a nice person, but no one deserved to be murdered.
“VANILLA CAPPUCCINO, detective?” Suzanne asked later that morning. They were enjoying a welcome respite from customers. Today’s business had already made up for the downturn in sales that week. Iced mochas were a hit!
“Not today, thank you, Suzanne,” Detective Edgewater said, plucking his notebook from his coat pocket.
“Mrrow,” Trixie said quietly.
She’d hardly said anything all morning – ever since Claudine had visited them. Was she thinking about the murder? Or had Claudine distressed her in some way? Maddie didn’t think the Persian had forgotten the way Claudine had treated her when she’d appeared in the café over a year ago.
“Hello, Trixie.” The detective’s solemn face lightened a little as he looked at the furry white cat.
Trixie lifted a paw in his direction, then settled on her stool.
“Have you two forgotten to tell me something?” he asked enquiringly.
Maddie and Suzanne looked at each other in puzzlement.
“No sir,” Maddie replied.
“Nope.” Suzanne’s ponytail swished.
“I’ve been told that you hated the victim and wanted her dead,” he continued.
“Who told you that?” Suzanne’s eyebrows climbed to her hairline.
“It’s not true,” Maddie said quietly.
“Where were you around seven o’clock yesterday morning?” he asked.
“At home,” Maddie answered. “And then Trixie and I left around 7.20 and drove the truck here.”
“And I left my house about that same time and arrived just after Maddie,” Suzanne added.
“We open at 7.30 Monday to Saturday,” Maddie said.
“Sometimes a few minutes earlier,” Suzanne chimed in.
“Okay.” He wrote something down. “I hope you know I didn’t like asking you that, but it’s my job.” He frowned. “And you’re sure you don’t have anything to add to what you told me yesterday about the victim?”
“Like what?” Suzanne crinkled her brow.
“Did you have a reason to hate Veronica? I know she was encroaching on your territory.”
“Claudine was also trying to,” Maddie told him.
“But we put a stop to it,” Suzanne said. Her mouth dropped open as she realized what she’d said and she paled. “Not like that,” she said hastily.
“Suzanne wouldn’t harm a fly,” Maddie said loyally. “After Claudine set up her iced coffee stand, the mayor stopped by and said he’d received a complaint – not by us–”
“Although we were about to complain to him,” Suzanne interrupted.
“The mayor told Claudine she couldn’t set up outside her café,” Maddie continued. “And then Veronica tried to set up next to us and that’s when Claudine came over to tell her to pull down her stand.”
“And that’s all the interaction we’ve had with Veronica,” Suzanne said.
“That tallies with what you told me yesterday.” The detective tucked his notebook back in his pocket.
“So Veronica was killed at seven a.m.?” Maddie asked.
“Around that time, it looks like,” he agreed.
“Claudine’s café isn’t open that early,” Suzanne said thoughtfully.
“Mmm.” He nodded. “So I’ve been told.”
After advising them once more to stay focused on their own business and not Veronica’s murder, he departed.
“Phew! I think he believes our alibis,” Suzanne said.
“I hope so.” Maddie nibbled her lip.
“Mrrow,” Trixie said quietly.
“He has to – because they’re true,” Suzanne declared. “I think I need an iced mocha. Want me to make you one too?”
“I’ll make them,” Maddie replied.
Suzanne knew how to work the coffee machine, and she made a decent coffee, but her friend was the first to admit that Maddie had far better barista skills.
“I’ll squirt the cream on them.” Suzanne smiled, then sobered. “I feel guilty even smiling. I can’t believe Claudine threw us under the espresso machine like that.”
“She probably thinks we did that to her,” Maddie said thoughtfully as she turned her attention to the machine. The familiar hissing and grinding soothed her nerves.
“We didn’t tell Detective Edgewater anything that wasn’t public knowledge – if members of the public were out in the town square and overheard what happened with Veronica and the coffee stand.”
“I know,” Maddie agreed. “But Claudine probably doesn’t see it that way.”
“Mrrow,” Trixie agreed.
“Are you okay, Trix?” Suzanne gently stroked the Persian. “You’ve been very quiet this morning.”
“Mrrow.” Trixie seemed to nod. Then she curled up in a ball, tucked her nose to her tail and closed her eyes.
“Maybe she’s thinking about things,” Maddie suggested as she handed over two icy concoctions to Suzanne.
Suzanne picked up the stainless-steel canister and squirted a mound of cream on each drink.
“Suzanne!” Maddie’s mouth parted as she stared at the huge pile of cream on top of the beverages. “Is there any cream left for the customers?”
“Yep.” Suzanne opened the refrigerator door. Three cartons of cream stared at them. “Plenty. And it’s not so hot today, so we might sell more hot drinks than cold. Ooh! Maybe we could offer whipped cream on top of the hot coffees.”
“In this weather?” Maddie wrinkled her brow. “It might appeal in winter, but in summer ...?”
“We can make it a special.” Suzanne stuck two straws in the iced mochas and handed one to Maddie. “Drink up before we get any customers and I’ll write it up on the specials board, under our new iced mochas.”
The rest of the morning went smoothly. Word must have gotten around about the two new additions to the menu, because by mid-afternoon they were out of whipped cream.
“I’d better run to the store and grab some more cream.” Suzanne grinned. “I think we’re making more money with these two new drinks than with health balls!”
“But people love your healthy treats,” Maddie said. “Someone usually asks at least once per day about them.”
“I know.” Suzanne sobered. “And I’ll get back to making them when the weather is cooler. In the meantime, I’m going to think up some new variations.”
“Good idea.” Maddie smiled at her bestie.
Since they didn’t have any customers at the moment, Suzanne dashed off to the grocery store. A lot of their regulars had spoken about the murder, still curious as to who could have done such a terrible thing. Maddie had wanted to ask a couple of them some questions, but had held back, mindful of Detective Edgewater’s warning. Surely the sheriff’s department could handle the investigation?