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The next morning, Lauren was still deciding what to wear for her date with Mitch.
“What about your plum wrap dress?” Zoe suggested as she unstacked the chairs in the café. “Or your teal one?”
“Brrt,” Annie agreed as she sat in her pink bed, watching them get the space ready.
“Mitch has seen those tons of times,” Lauren said. They were two of her favorite ‘date night’ outfits.
“And he likes them, doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” Lauren admitted.
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t wear something special underneath.” Zoe winked.
Lauren blushed. She actually had something “special” that she’d bought for their romantic weekend away that had turned out not to be so romantic after all. And since she hadn’t worn it since then, it was practically new.
“I think I’ve got it covered,” she told her cousin.
“Or uncovered.” Zoe giggled.
Lauren flapped a hand at her and hurried into the kitchen to check on the cupcakes.
“Hi, Ed,” she greeted her pastry chef.
“Hi,” he grunted, briefly looking up from his satiny dough.
The gingerbread cupcakes were now cool enough to frost. Lauren grabbed the bowl from the fridge and concentrated on making each swirl of frosting a work of art – so she wouldn’t have to think about Saturday night.
Of course she wanted Mitch to stay over. It was time. But she couldn’t help feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Before she knew it, all the cakes were iced and looked so tempting she had to stop herself from eating one – right now.
“I’ll take these outside,” she told Ed, who didn’t even grunt this time, so engrossed in cutting out pinwheels of his famous pastry.
“Ms. Tobin is out there already,” Zoe told her as she carried the tray of goodies into the café. “I’m going to let her in.”
“Okay.” Lauren carefully placed the treats inside the glass case. She’d already finished frosting the vanillas, and triple chocolate ganache cupcakes.
“Hello, girls.” Ms. Tobin swept in and strode to the counter. “Oh, you do have them!” She picked up a Christmas mug featuring Annie wearing a Santa hat.
“They’re my new creation,” Zoe told her as she zoomed behind the counter. “Only fifteen dollars.”
“I must have one.” Ms. Tobin pulled her wallet out of her handbag.
“Brrt?” Annie trotted to greet her.
“This is the only mug of yours I don’t have, Annie,” she told the cat. “I’ve bought all your others, including your showgirl creation.”
“Thanks, Ms. Tobin.” Zoe grinned as she rang up the sale.
“My friend at the senior center told me about them yesterday,” Ms. Tobin continued. “I must say, Zoe, your pottery skills are quite good now.”
Zoe’s grin widened.
“And now I will have my usual large latte and one of your gingerbread cupcakes.”
“Coming right up,” Lauren promised.
Annie led her to a table and perched on the opposite chair.
“I think Ms. Tobin is one of my biggest fans when it comes to these mugs,” Zoe said.
“I think you’re right,” Lauren agreed.
They quickly filled the order and brought it over.
“Thank you.” Ms. Tobin nodded as she surveyed the swan on top of the latte. “Very good latte art, Lauren.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Lauren smiled.
“I was just telling Annie I hope she has a wonderful Christmas. Are you going to be closed over the holidays?”
Lauren and Zoe looked at each other.
“Umm ... we haven’t really discussed it.”
“Yeah.” Zoe nodded.
“We won’t be open on Christmas Day, but I’m not sure what our plans are yet.”
“Of course,” Ms. Tobin replied.
“Are you doing something for Christmas?” Zoe asked her.
“I’m spending the day with my friend.” Ms. Tobin smiled slightly. “We will share the cooking – and the cleaning up. She makes a wonderful apple and walnut stuffing, and I think I make a very nice sweet potato dish, so it should work out well.”
“That’s good,” Lauren said, glad that Ms. Tobin wasn’t going to spend the day alone – unless that was what she wanted to do.
“That’s an amazing brooch.” Zoe gestured to the dainty red stones on the lapel of Ms. Tobin’s fawn sweater, depicting a poinsettia.
“Thank you.” Ms. Tobin fingered it. “I thought it rather pretty when I was shopping recently, so decided to treat myself.”
After a moment, they left her to enjoy her time with Annie, and headed back to the counter.
“It’s craft club tomorrow,” Zoe said.
“And I’m not doing anything crafty.” Lauren felt guilty.
“We can talk about your hot date with Mitch instead.” Zoe winked.
Lauren shook her head. “What are you going to do while I’m having dinner with Mitch?”
“Doing something with Chris,” Zoe said breezily. “I get to choose.”
“Again?”
“He knows I like choosing. And sometimes I let him choose.”
“That’s kind of you.” Lauren suppressed a smile.
“Isn’t it?” Zoe giggled. “Don’t worry, I won’t cramp your style Saturday night.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll just creep into the house after my date with Chris, as quiet as a mouse. You won’t even hear me. Or maybe I’ll stay over at his place.”
“You mean Mitch’s place.”
“It’s both their place at the moment,” Zoe informed her. “And I might not stay there, because it sounds a bit messy. Chris is crashing on the sofa.”
“That doesn’t sound comfortable.”
“Nope.”
***
THE REST OF THE DAY sped by. Lauren and Zoe started cleaning up as soon as they bolted the door shut.
Lauren had just plugged in the vacuum when she heard a knock on the entrance door.
“Who’s that?” Zoe looked over from stacking the last chair.
Lauren hurried toward the door, then stopped halfway.
“It’s Kyle.”
“What’s he doing here?” Zoe marched over to the door and peered through the glass panel. “We’re not open,” she called out.
“Need coffee.” He called back, and tapped his watch with a frown.
Lauren glanced at her practical white wristwatch. It was one minute after five. They had closed up a few minutes early because there hadn’t been any customers.
“What should we do?” Zoe asked.
If it had been one of their regulars, she would have gladly let them in. But it was Kyle ...
“Maybe I can grill him while you make him coffee,” Zoe suggested, pulling back the bolt.
“Zoe ...” But it was too late. Kyle strode into the café.
“Thanks,” he told them.
“What can we get you?” Lauren gestured at the glass case. “I’m afraid all the cupcakes and pastries have sold out.”
“Not a problem. I only wanted a latte. I had a tough day at work.”
“I’m sorry,” Lauren said awkwardly.
“Yeah, ordinarily I would have asked for some more time off, but since I’m new there – Jay was, too – I need the income.”
“What do you do?” Zoe asked.
“We – I – work at that new warehouse outside town. I’m one of the supervisors and Jay is – was – a packer there.”
“I’ll make you that latte.” She hadn’t turned off the machine yet.
“Did Mitch talk to you about the eyewitness who saw you enter the theater on Monday?” Zoe jumped in, ignoring Lauren’s warning frown.
“Yeah.” He laughed shortly. “The guy was totally mistaken. I only went into the theater after I grabbed the burgers for me and Jay.” He swallowed hard. “Monday was our day off. We thought we’d do something good for the community, show we meant well, but instead ...” His voice broke.
“Sorry,” Lauren murmured, the espresso machine growling as it ground the coffee beans.
“Who do you think killed your brother?” Zoe persisted.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “We haven’t lived here long, so I don’t think Jay made any enemies – not that I know of, anyway.”
“Where are you from?” Zoe continued.
“LA.” His eyes narrowed. “What is this, an interrogation?”
“Not really,” Zoe replied, but her tone implied otherwise.
“I could ask you two more questions about why you were backstage at the theater so early, but I believed you when you said you didn’t kill my brother,” Kyle told them. “It works both ways, you know.”
“How’s your mom doing?” Lauren asked as she created a tulip on top of the foam.
“She’s holding up well,” he told them. “Although it’s a shock for her because she didn’t expect to outlive her kids.”
“I can imagine,” Lauren murmured. “Here you go.” She handed him the latte in a to-go cup.
“Thanks.” He gave her some cash and put fifty cents into the tip jar. “I definitely need this today.” He took a sip, keeping the lid in place, so he didn’t even see the artwork Lauren had crafted.
“We have to clean up now.” Zoe moved toward the entrance door.
“Oh – right.” He nodded, and strode out of the door she held open for him.
Zoe shot the bolt as soon as he stepped outside.
“Brrt?” Annie called from her cat bed. She’d stayed there the whole time. Was she tired from her hostess duties, or did she not care for Kyle?
“I don’t think we should have let him in,” Zoe mused, “although I did try to grill him.”
“I noticed,” Lauren said dryly. She’d felt uncomfortable during the whole encounter.
“Brrt?” Annie called again
“What is it?” Lauren walked over to the silver-gray tabby.
“Brrt!” Annie flipped up the corner of her pink cushion. A glint of red sparkled in the overhead light.
Lauren reached in and picked up the object.
“What’s Annie got there?” Zoe zoomed over to them.
“It’s Ms. Tobin’s poinsettia brooch.” Lauren turned it over in her hand. The dainty red stones formed the petals of the festive flower.
“What’s it doing in Annie’s basket?” Zoe scrunched her nose.
“Maybe it fell off when Ms. Tobin was here earlier,” Lauren suggested
“Brrt,” Annie agreed.
“Thank you for looking after it, Annie.” Lauren smiled at her fur baby. “I’ll keep this in a safe place for Ms. Tobin.”
“Brrp.”
“Let’s call Ms. Tobin and let her know.” Zoe pulled out her phone from her jeans’ pocket. “Remember when she wanted to order some extra cupcakes and gave us her number?”
“Good idea.” Lauren watched her cousin’s fingers fly on the phone.
Zoe spoke briefly with Ms. Tobin. “She’s coming over right away.” She stuck the device back into her pocket. “She didn’t even notice it had fallen off her sweater.”
“I’m sure she’ll be pleased to find out you were minding it for her,” Lauren told Annie.
“Brrt!”
Ten minutes later, they let Ms. Tobin into the café.
“Here you are.” Lauren handed her the brooch.
“Brrt!” Annie trotted to greet her.
“Thank you, Annie, dear.” Ms. Tobin looked harried. “I’m so glad you found it.” She studied the back of the ornament. “I’ve noticed before this silver pin is a little flimsy. That must be why it fell off.” She re-attached the brooch to her sweater. “There.”
“It looks lovely,” Lauren complimented.
“Thank you, Lauren.” Ms. Tobin smiled at her. She looked around the café, spotting the chairs stacked on the tables. “I must let you get on with things.”
They waved goodbye to Ms. Tobin as she left.
“Well, that’s one mystery solved,” Zoe declared as she resumed stacking the chairs.
“And one we didn’t even know needed solving.” Lauren smiled.
“Now we just have to find out who killed Jay!”