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“You’re a genius!” Zoe blinked at Lauren. “Yeah, if she had a bad pre-nup and she knew he was looking around for wife number two – or three or four—”
“Because Crystal mightn’t have been his first wife.”
“Then she might have run over him herself! So she wouldn’t be broke and homeless when he divorced her. If she doesn’t inherit anything, she could contest the will.”
“But we don’t know yet if his death was deliberate, or an accident,” Lauren pointed out.
“But we might tomorrow.” Zoe grinned. “When you ask Mitch.”
The two of them continued to speculate on the short walk home.
“Brrt?” Annie greeted them in the hall when Lauren and Zoe entered the cottage. A furry toy hedgehog dangled from her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” Lauren told the feline. “I didn’t get you a burger tonight.”
“You’ve already had your dinner,” Zoe pointed out.
“Brrt.” Annie’s lower lip stuck out, the hedgehog at a precarious angle.
“Mrs. Finch is coming to the café tomorrow,” Lauren tried to cheer her up.
“Brrp?” Annie looked at them enquiringly.
“That’s right,” Zoe added. “And you can tell her about everything you did today.”
Annie looked mollified as she strolled to the living room.
“I hope we’re forgiven,” Lauren said as she followed the cat. Mrs. Finch was one of Annie’s favorites, and Annie usually stayed with the elderly lady the whole time she was at the café, communicating with her usual “brrts” and “brrps” as Mrs. Finch told Annie her news.
“Me, too.”
Lauren and Zoe went to bed. Annie hopped up on Lauren’s bed, turned around in a circle, and settled down for the night. Lauren smiled as she stroked the silver-gray tabby’s soft fur. She must be forgiven.
***
THE NEXT DAY, MRS. Finch was one of their first customers.
Annie ran to greet her, choosing a small table near the counter.
“No protestors yet,” Lauren said, as she approached the duo. She quickly told Mrs. Finch about yesterday’s protest outside the café.
Zoe joined her. “Don’t forgot to tell her we bumped into Crystal last night.”
“The new landlord’s wife?” Mrs. Finch looked interested.
Zoe related the story while Lauren made a latte and plated a vanilla cupcake. It had been a bit of a rush job this morning to make the batter and bake the cupcakes before they opened, but she and Zoe had managed it. And right now, Ed was proving his second batch of dough in the kitchen.
“And she said she caught a taxi back to Sacramento,” Zoe related to Mrs. Finch as Lauren returned to the table with the order.
“My goodness,” Mrs. Finch exclaimed.
“It must have cost a fortune,” Lauren added as she set the coffee down in front of Mrs. Finch.
“It sounds as if the police will be able to verify that,” Mrs. Finch said as she picked up her cup with wobbly hands.
“She must know they would check up on something like that,” Zoe mused. “So I guess she must be telling the truth.”
“Probably,” Lauren agreed. She’d learnt this past year that sometimes what sounded like the truth could be a lie – or something that just skirted the edge of veracity.
“Brrt!” Annie’s ears pricked up and she jumped off the chair next to Mrs. Finch’s. She scampered to the Please Wait to be Seated sign.
Lauren turned. “Hi, Hans.”
“Hello, Lauren, and Zoe. Hello, Liebchen.” He bent stiffly to stroke Annie.
“Hi, Hans.” Zoe waved to him from Mrs. Finch’s table.
“Where should I sit today, Annie?” he asked.
“Brrt!” she said importantly, leading him to Mrs. Finch’s table.
“You want me to sit here?” He smiled at the elderly lady.
“Please do, Hans,” Mrs. Finch told him. “If Annie wants you to join me, she must have a reason.”
“That is true.” He sank down on the vacant chair. “But where will you sit, hmm, Annie?”
“Brrt!” Annie jumped on a neighboring chair, then looked appealingly at Lauren.
“You want me to bring the chair over to Mrs. Finch and Hans?” Lauren couldn’t help smiling.
“Brrp,” Annie replied. Yes.
“Okay.”
Annie hopped off the chair so Lauren could pick it up and carry it the short distance.
“There is plenty of room, Liebchen.” Hans indicated the side of the small table.
“Brrt.” Annie jumped onto the chair again and surveyed Mrs. Finch and Hans, looking pleased with herself.
“Maybe Annie wants Hans to fill in Mrs. Finch about the meeting last night,” Zoe suggested.
“Brrt!”
“What can we get you, Hans?” Lauren asked.
“A cappuccino, please. And one of Ed’s pastries if they are ready.”
“The first batch are. Blueberry Danish.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Hans smiled at Lauren and Zoe.
“We’ll leave you three to it.” Zoe grinned as she accompanied Lauren back to the counter.
From her vantage point, Lauren heard Annie “converse” with Mrs. Finch and Hans by a series of “Brrts” and “Brrps” while Hans told Mrs. Finch about the church hall meeting last evening.
“Now Annie will know all about the meeting as well.” Zoe giggled.
More customers trickled in before lunch but there was still no sign of any protestors. Hans and Mrs. Finch departed, Hans telling them he would accompany Mrs. Finch home.
“Brrt,” Annie sound approving as she watched them stroll out of the café.
“Now you know as much as we do about what’s happening with the senior center,” Zoe joked to the cat.
“Brrp.” Annie ambled to her cat bed, turned around, and sank down into its cushiony depths.
“I wish I was a cat.” Zoe sighed.
“Me too,” Lauren told her.
A short while later, Annie woke up from her snooze, her ears pricking. She padded to the door that led to the private hallway of the cottage.
“Would you like to take a break?” Lauren headed over to her.
“Brrt!”
“There you go.” Lauren unlocked the door. “I’ll be coming into the cottage for lunch soon.”
“Brrp,” Annie replied absently, as if she were thinking of something else. She ran down the hall and pushed her way through the cat flap.
Lauren and Zoe served a few more customers before Ed poked his head through the swinging kitchen doors.
“Lauren,” he said gruffly, “I need you to come in here for a minute.”
Lauren looked at Zoe, mystified. “Okay,” she replied.
When she entered the kitchen, her eyes widened. “Annie, what are you doing in here?”
“Brrt!” Annie said proudly, turning around so Lauren could see behind her.
A small brown tabby kitten mewled softly.
“I know animals aren’t allowed in here.” Ed picked up the scrap of fluff and cradled the creature. “But Annie was making a noise right outside the back door. I opened it and there she was, with this little—” he checked the sex “—girl.”
“Mew!” the kitten cried. Her fur was fawn with dark brown stripes. In the middle of her forehead was more dark brown fur in the shape of an M.
“How old do you think she is?” Lauren asked softly.
Ed shrugged. “Not sure, but maybe about six or eight weeks?” He frowned. “She might be the runt of the litter.”
“How do you know so much?” Lauren asked curiously.
“My grandmother. She fostered cats for years.” He cracked a smile. “I’m going to call her AJ – April Junior. She looks just like a cat Grandma had when I was young – and her name was April.”
“Where did you find her, Annie?” Lauren asked.
Annie pawed at the back door. Lauren opened it and Annie led her to the small herb garden. Lauren followed the feline to a bush near the waist high white picket fence – the boundary between the café backyard and her cottage.
“Here?”
“Brrt.” Annie tapped her paw on the grass beneath the bush.
“You are so clever.” Lauren stroked her. “Is that why you wanted to take a break? You must have come out here through the cat flap in the cottage’s back door.”
“Brrt.” That’s right.
“Did you know there’s a kitten in the kitchen?” Zoe called out. She stood near the herb garden.
Lauren and Annie headed over to her, Lauren filling her in on what happened.
“Oh, lucky Ed.” Zoe’s brown eyes softened. “A kitten to look after. It’s Annie’s lost and found at work again!”
“We’ll have to check if anyone is looking for her – AJ,” Lauren amended.
“He’s named her already?”
“Yes.”
“He’s in trouble,” Zoe said.
They returned to the café kitchen, Lauren feeling guilty allowing Annie to come in as well. She was allowed on the café floor with the customers but because of health regulations, she wasn’t permitted to be inside the actual kitchen.
Zoe made a fuss over the kitten Ed held, patting it and talking in baby tones to it. Lauren and Annie looked at each other as if both of them were trying to stifle a smile.
“Watch out Ed, or Zoe might catnap her,” Lauren joked.
“Nuh-uh.” Ed shook his shaggy head. “AJ is all mine.”
“We’ll have to check the lost and found section of the local newspaper,” Lauren said. “And inquire at the vet’s. Just in case someone is looking for AJ.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Ed replied reluctantly.
“She is so adorable.” Zoe sighed. Her glance settled on Lauren – and then Annie. “But you’re the most adorable one ever, aren’t you, Annie?”
“Brrt!” She looked as if she nodded.
“I guess we’d better get back to work,” Lauren said. “The customers will be wondering where we are.”
“There were only three when I went to find you,” Zoe said. “I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“I’m going to take AJ home,” Ed said. “Get her settled in, and then come straight back.”
“No worries.” Lauren smiled at him. “She’s lucky to have you to look after her.”
He nodded, then still cradling the kitten, departed the kitchen.
“Wow,” Zoe said softly. “Even if I’d wanted to, I wouldn’t have had a chance getting the kitten away from Ed.”
“Maybe they’re meant to be,” Lauren mused, as she gazed fondly at Annie. “Just like Annie and I are – and you, of course.”
“Yep, I’m like the fun aunt.” Zoe grinned.
“Annie, you’d better go back to the cottage through the back garden,” Lauren lowered her voice. “So no one will know you were in here.”
“Brrt,” Annie replied. Lauren opened the rear door and Annie walked sedately toward the cottage, her plumy silver tail waving in the air.
“I wonder if Ed will actually come back today?” Zoe posed the question.
“I’m sure he will.” Lauren checked her watch. “Would you like to grab lunch first?”
“Okay,” Zoe agreed. “Do you want me to feed Annie?”
“That would be great. There’s beef in gravy in the fridge for her.”
“I won’t be long,” Zoe promised.
Lauren stepped into the dining area and surveyed the room. Her cousin had been correct – only three customers. None of them looked like they needed assistance. She sat down on the stool behind the counter, her thoughts drifting to the little kitten AJ, and Ed’s reaction. She hadn’t known he was a cat person.
“Hi.” Mitch stood at the Please Wait to be Seated sign. He wore charcoal slacks and a pale blue dress shirt.
“Oh – hi.” She stood up, flustered. She’d been thinking so hard that she hadn’t even noticed him enter. Surely that was a first?
“Where’s Annie?”
“Taking a break.” She came around the counter to greet him.
“Are we still on for tonight?” he asked. “I thought we could go to the bistro.”
“Sounds great.” She led the way to the counter. “What can I get you?”
He leaned over it. “You,” he said softly.
Her cheeks heated, and she caught her breath.
“But I guess right now I’ll settle for a large latte and one of your vanilla cupcakes.” He smiled.
“Coming right up.” She ground the beans, her pulse racing. Usually Mitch was pretty businesslike when he visited her at the café.
“I’ve got some news,” he said as she steamed the milk, the wand hissing.
“What’s that?”
He looked around the café but the three customers weren’t sitting near them and looked absorbed in eating and drinking.
“It was a deliberate hit and run. They’re going off the time of death as the time on his smashed watch.”
Her eyes widened. “I thought you were off the case.”
“I am, but it’s general knowledge at the station,” he explained.
She poured the milk into the cardboard cup, taking the time to make a swan design on the surface.
“So it is murder then.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t sound happy. “The car tires were slashed as well.”
Lauren took a second to process that, then told him how she and Zoe had run into Crystal the previous evening. “Does she have an alibi for the time of the murder if she caught a cab?”
“Yes. She’s already been interviewed and the cab driver confirmed her story. It’s all there in the cab records, anyway. He was pretty happy because she gave him a large tip.”
Lauren was glad Crystal hadn’t lied to them. She’d felt sorry for the other woman. What would it be like to be married to someone you didn’t love? She knew if she ever got married, it would be for love, nothing else.
Peeking at Mitch from under her lashes, she wondered if one day Mitch would be the one. It’s too soon to go there.
“Hey,” Mitch said softly. “Where did you go?”
Lauren blinked. “Oh, sorry.” She couldn’t tell him what she’d been daydreaming about – could she?
Grabbing a vanilla cupcake, she placed it into a paper bag, and popped the lid on his latte.
“I’ll pick you at seven.” He smiled at her.
“I’ll be ready,” she promised.
His phone rang. With a grimace he answered it, and mouthed “Work” to her. He nodded goodbye as he strode out of the café.
Lauren gazed after him.
“Mitch?” Zoe appeared next to her.
“Yep.”
“Lucky you. Do you want to take your lunch break now?”
“Okay.” Lauren grabbed a panini and made her way to the cottage.
“Brrt?” Annie wandered into the homey kitchen.
“Did you eat your lunch?” Lauren looked down at the cat’s bowl. A faint smear of gravy decorated it.
“Brrt!” Yes.
“Good.” Lauren unwrapped her turkey and cranberry sandwich. “Ed’s taken AJ home but he’s coming back to finish his shift.”
“Brrp.” Annie jumped onto the chair next to Lauren. She nudged her arm to see what she was eating.
“Want a bit of turkey?” Lauren broke off a small piece of the meat that didn’t have any cranberry sauce on it. “Not too much.”
Annie delicately took it from her fingers and munched on it.
“I’m going out with Mitch tonight,” she reminded the feline, “but Zoe will be here with you.”
Annie nudged her arm again, but this time Lauren took it to mean that she understood. When Lauren had finished her quick meal, Annie trotted off to the living room.
“I’ll see you afterward.” Lauren paused and stood in the doorway. “What are you doing?”
Annie batted a spool under the blue sofa. She repeated the action with another one, this time with red thread wound on it.
“Ohh.” Lauren clapped a hand to her mouth. “Those are Zoe’s string-art threads.”
“Brrt.” Yes. Annie continued to push the spools under the sofa.
“Where did you get them from? Did you go into Zoe’s room?”
“Brrp.” Not telling.
“Are you playing a game with her?” Lauren tried not to laugh. “I’ll see you later.”
Still chuckling over Annie’s antics, Lauren headed back to the café.
“Ed’s back,” Zoe told her as she made a cappuccino.
Lauren hurried into the commercial kitchen.
“How’s AJ?” she asked.
Ed looked up from spooning blueberries onto pastry rounds. “She’s settled in already. I found a cardboard box and lined it with newspapers and some old towels – clean ones – and she was out like a light.” He smiled. “I’ve bought her some kitten food as well.”
“That’s great,” Lauren replied.
“Tomorrow I’ll ask at the vet’s and read the lost and found column in the newspaper.” He frowned. “But if someone does try to claim AJ, I’ll definitely be checking them out and making sure they can give her a good home.”
“Of course.” She left him to his pastry and returned to the café floor.
A few more customers had arrived, and Lauren had no time to tell Zoe about the hide and seek game Annie was playing. In fact, it soon slipped her mind completely.
“Hi, Lauren, and Zoe.” Around three o’clock, Denise from the senior center approached the counter. “I was lucky enough to get a parking spot right outside.”
Lauren looked through the large plate glass window and saw a shiny blue compact car. It looked familiar.
Denise looked around the room. “Where’s Annie?”
“Taking the afternoon off,” Lauren replied, switching her attention back to the other woman. She’d planned to check on Annie to see if she wanted to come back to work or stay at home, but they’d been busy since lunch.
“Oh, what a shame. Maybe next time she’ll be here.”
“Probably,” Lauren replied with a smile.
“What can we get you?” Zoe asked. “I can make you a latte with a peacock design on it.”
“That sounds interesting.”
“How’s the crowdfunding research coming along?” Lauren asked.
“There are several different sites.” Denise sounded a little frustrated. “And they all take different amounts of commission. If we do go down this route, I want to make sure Barry and I make the best decision for our members.”
“Of course,” Zoe replied as she steamed the milk.
“Would you like a cupcake or pastry?” Lauren asked.
“I wasn’t going to have anything to eat,” Denise admitted. She gazed at the glass counter where vanilla, raspberry swirl, and blueberry cupcakes displayed their temptations. “But they look so pretty.”
“Thank you.” Lauren smiled.
“I’ll have vanilla.”
“Coming right up.” Lauren plated the cupcake.
“Sit anywhere you like.” Zoe waved a hand in the direction of the tables as she finished off the peacock design on the latte.
Denise leaned over the counter toward them.
“Do you have an update on the ... accident?” she asked in a low tone.
Lauren hesitated. Mitch hadn’t told her not to say anything and she knew if he’d given her confidential information earlier, he would have.
“It looks like it was deliberate,” she told Denise.
“You didn’t tell me that,” Zoe scolded.
“Sorry – there hasn’t been time.” Lauren gestured to the half-full café.
Zoe nodded.
“So someone ran Ralph over – on purpose.” Denise sounded shocked. “How dreadful.” She pursed her lips. “I don’t know what this world is coming to. His behavior wasn’t the best at our party, but that’s no reason to kill someone. Is it?” She looked at Lauren and Zoe as if expecting an answer.
“Definitely not,” Lauren replied.
“Nope.”
“Let us help you with your order,” Lauren said, placing the coffee and cake on a tray. “I can bring it to your table.”’
“Thank you.” Denise led the way to a small table in the middle of the room. “This should do nicely. Are you two coming to the meeting at the center tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Lauren replied. She knew Zoe wouldn’t want to miss it.
“Wonderful. I’m sure you two can come up with some more notions in case the new heir – whether it’s Ralph’s wife Crystal or someone else – is of the same mind and won’t renew our lease.”
Not too much pressure then.
Lauren related the conversation to Zoe as they took a few minutes to flop on the stools behind the counter.
“Maybe we should run a senior center.” Zoe’s brown eyes sparkled. “Since they keep asking us for ideas.”
“Oh – remember the dusty blue car we saw in the parking lot at the senior center the night of the party?” Lauren made sure to keep her voice low.
“What about it?” Zoe screwed up her face in concentration.
“I think it’s Denise’s car. Except now it’s all washed and shiny.”
“No way!” Zoe stared at Lauren. “Where is it?’
“Right outside.”
Zoe jumped off the stool and sauntered nonchalantly to the window. She peered out.
“OMG!” she whispered when she got back to the counter. “Do you think she ran over Ralph and that’s why she washed her car? So she wouldn’t be a suspect?”
“If she did, then why did she park her car right outside?” Lauren furrowed her brow.
“Because she subconsciously wants to show off?”
“Shh – we don’t want anyone overhearing.” Lauren slanted her cousin a warning look.
At five o’clock, Lauren was more than ready to close up. All she wanted to do was relax under a hot shower, and have dinner with Mitch.
Ed had already left for the day, saying he wanted to check on AJ.
“And then there were two.” Zoe joked as Lauren locked the front door.
Lauren quickly filled her in on her conversation with Mitch earlier that day, and the fact that Ralph Lapton’s tires had been slashed. As she did so, she realized she’d forgotten to tell Denise about that part.
“I shouldn’t be late home tonight,” Lauren told her. “Mitch and I have both got early starts tomorrow.”
“That’s the only thing I don’t like about working here.” Zoe smiled so Lauren knew she was teasing. “Getting up at the crack of dawn.”
“I think Annie’s the only one who enjoys that.” The Norwegian Forest Cat usually woke up Lauren in the morning by nudging her, or sometimes licking her cheek.
They made quick work of cleaning the café.
“I still can’t quite decide what to make next with my string-art,” Zoe said as they trooped to the cottage. “Maybe inspiration will strike tonight, when Annie and I watch TV. I could get started on it tomorrow, maybe.”
Annie’s antics in hiding Zoe’s spools of thread arose in Lauren’s mind. But if Annie and Zoe were playing a game, she didn’t want to spoil it for either one of them.
Lauren hurried to take a shower, wondering what to wear. She finally settled on her plum wrap dress that Zoe said brought out the natural golden highlights in her light brown hair and her hazel eyes. She finished off the outfit with black kitten heels.
“Have fun!” Zoe called out from the living room.
“I will.”
The doorbell rang and Lauren answered it.
Mitch stood in the doorway wearing onyx slacks and a navy dress shirt, under a matching charcoal jacket.
“I’m ready,” she said, a little breathless as she admired his appearance.
“Then let’s go.” He took her hand as they walked down the porch steps.
They drove to the outskirts of Gold Leaf Valley were the restaurant was located. Lauren enjoyed her new favorite dish of pork with four varieties of apples, while Mitch ordered steak with mushroom sauce.
Lauren told him about Annie finding the kitten, and how Ed had transformed into a cat man before their eyes.
“I hope nobody claims AJ,” she finished. “I don’t want Ed to be disappointed if he has to give her up.”
“You’ve got a good heart.” Mitch clasped her hand. His thumb stroked hers.
Electricity raced up her arm.
After they finished their meal, they left the restaurant.
“What about dinner and a movie on Saturday night?” Mitch asked as he held open the car door for Lauren. “We could go to the theater at Zeke’s Ridge.”
“I’d like that,” she told him.
“I’d suggest Friday night but I know it’s your knitting club evening.” His eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled. “What exactly do you do there, anyway?”
“Knit,” she replied. “Or in Zoe’s case, string-art at the moment. And we have coffee – and chat.”
“I’m sure Mrs. Finch enjoys you coming over to her house.” He started the engine.
“I’m not sure if she prefers our company or Annie’s,” she joked, but thought the elderly woman liked all of them coming to visit her.
Mitch drove her home. “I’m working on finding another blind date for Zoe,” he told her as they walked up the porch steps. “My friend’s been overseas for a while, but he’s just gotten back. I’ll see if he’s interested.”
“Thank you.” Lauren reached up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. “Until Saturday,” he murmured.