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Lauren and Zoe enjoyed their burgers. They had such a good time that Lauren temporarily forgot about their interaction with Wayne that evening.
Once they returned home, Lauren fed Annie, the Norwegian Forest Cat brrting with pleasure at her supper.
“We’ll definitely have to go back for more burgers soon.” Zoe sipped a glass of water. “I’m going to have that smoky barbecue special again!”
“Me too.”
“How about next week?” Zoe’s eyes sparkled. “I should have enough in tips by then – hopefully. And we’ll tell Gary not to take that burger off the menu – ever.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lauren smiled. She’d enjoyed their meal tonight a lot more than their fancy steakhouse dinner. Perhaps she just wasn’t a fine dining sort of girl.
Or maybe it was the fine dining food that had been the problem.
Lauren pushed that thought aside. She didn’t want to think about bad reviews, the steakhouse, or Wayne’s slightly scary attitude that evening. She just wanted to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.
“Let’s do some crochet!” Zoe headed toward the living room. “Or in your case, knitting!”
Lauren stifled a groan.
***
“PERHAPS WE SHOULD TALK about suspects,” Zoe said the next day. They were in the middle of opening up the café.
“Now?” Lauren looked at her cousin in surprise.
“Well, maybe not right this minute,” Zoe replied. “But this case is going nowhere. Why haven’t the police – or Mitch – made an arrest yet?”
“Maybe they have and they’re keeping it hush-hush,” Lauren suggested, wondering why she felt a need to defend Mitch.
“But why would that be?” Zoe pouted. “Besides, I don’t think much stays secret in this town for long. Not everyone keeps their lips zipped.”
“You’ve got a point.” A smile edged Lauren’s mouth.
“Annie, who do you think killed Todd? The food critic.” Zoe turned to the feline, who sat up in her bed.
“Brrp?” Annie asked.
“Maybe we shouldn’t ask her,” Lauren said, remembering the effect finding Todd’s body had seemed to have on the cat. “Maybe Annie doesn’t like thinking about it.”
“Sorry.” Zoe looked contrite. “You’re right. Forget I asked you that, Annie. You just have fun with your favorite customers today.”
“Brrp.” Annie settled down in her pink bed, looking as if she might have a little snooze before any customers arrived.
“We know it’s not Brandon.” Lauren unlocked the front door. “Not now we know why he didn’t hear the killer when he was in the room next door.”
“True.” Zoe nodded, her brunette pixie bangs hitting her forehead. “And I like him.”
“Me too,” Lauren replied.
“So that leaves—” Zoe counted on her fingers as she headed behind the counter “—Claire, who worked with Todd years ago on the same newspaper, Cindy, Gary, Wayne, Kimberly—”
“But why would any of them murder him?” Lauren frowned. “Todd gave Wayne a good review last year.”
“That’s true.” Zoe nodded.
“So if we’re looking at people who had a problem with Todd, that leaves—”
“Gary and Cindy. Do you think it’s strange she hasn’t come into the café since the murder? And there are all the other people he’s given a bad review to. Whoever they are,” Zoe finished in a rush.
Lauren peered out of the front door. No customers. She didn’t feel comfortable continuing the discussion if there were people around. Ed was already in the kitchen, concentrating on his pastry.
“I don’t want it to be Cindy,” Lauren said. “I like her.”
“Me too. And I don’t want it to be Gary. If he was in jail, who would make his burgers or think up new ones, like the smoky barbecue special we had last night?”
“His kitchen staff, I suppose,” Lauren replied. “He probably has a trusted right-hand man he depends upon. But I don’t want it to be Gary because I think he’s a nice man—”
“Apart from when he got angry about Todd harassing Cindy,” Zoe put in.
“True.” Lauren nibbled her lip. “Do you know anyone who’s received a bad review from Todd?” Lauren asked.
“I’ll have to check. I can’t remember reading one recently.” Zoe pulled out her phone from her apron pocket. “I’m looking – and scrolling – and looking.” Zoe pressed her phone screen. “I can’t find anything right now.”
“Hi, Hans.” Lauren sent her cousin a warning look, then turned her attention back to the senior.
“Brrp.” Annie scampered over to him.
“Hello, Lauren.” The older man beamed. “And Annie. Where should I sit today, hmm, Liebchen?”
“Brrt,” Annie said importantly, leading him to a small table near the counter. Over here.
***
LAUREN, ZOE, AND ANNIE were busy all day. A steady stream of customers came into the café, which was good for business, but left no time for Lauren and Zoe to talk about suspects.
At four o’clock, Lauren sent Annie home, accompanying her down the private hallway. “We’ll close in an hour,” she told the silver-gray tabby.
“Brrp,” Annie replied, padding into the cottage. Lauren guessed when she and Zoe returned later, Annie would be curled up on the sofa, or perhaps playing with one of her toys.
“Phew!” Zoe flopped onto the stool behind the counter when Lauren returned to the cafe. “I can’t believe how busy it’s been for a Tuesday.”
“You might have enough in tips for another smoky barbecue special.” Lauren eyed the bursting to the brim tip jar. Silver coins glinted in the afternoon sun.
“You’re right.” Zoe perked up. “Awesome!”
“I think we’ve run out of cupcakes. And pastries.” Lauren eyed the glass counter. Ed had baked some extra pastries when they’d realized today was going to be busy, but they’d sold out, along with her cupcakes.
“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!”