| |
“I can’t believe Veronica has riled so many people,” Suzanne said, slurping on an iced coffee. It was almost four o’clock – closing time – and there weren’t any customers.
“I know,” Maddie said, adding some chocolate powder to her icy concoction. If it worked, she’d add it to the menu tomorrow.
“Mrrow!” Trixie said in agreement.
“I’m just glad we didn’t go to school with Veronica,” Maddie commented. She closed her eyes and took a sip of her icy mocha. Mmm. “But let’s not talk about her anymore today.” She opened her eyes and grinned at Suzanne. “I’ve just made an iced mocha and I think it’s good enough to put on the menu.”
“If you say it’s good, then it must be awesome,” Suzanne teased. “You can be very critical of your own barista skills.”
“Mrrow,” Trixie added knowingly.
“See what you think.” Maddie stuck another straw in her cup and offered it to Suzanne.
“OMG.” Suzanne’s eyes widened. “That is good.”
“Mrrow?” Trixie looked toward the icy cup.
“Chocolate is bad for cats, Trix,” Maddie said regretfully. “So is coffee.”
“Broomf!” Trixie’s mouth settled into a pout.
“I know what will cheer Trixie up,” Suzanne said to Maddie. “When’s the next full moon? I’ll definitely be over at your house to see what new spell you’ll be able to do.”
Maddie looked at the small calendar on the truck wall. “It’s in two days.”
“Awesome.” Suzanne looked excited. “Do you think Maddie will learn a new spell then, Trix?”
“Mrrow,” Trixie said, which sounded like, “Of course, with me helping her.”
“Keep your voice down,” Maddie muttered, a little uneasy about how much they were talking about magic in public – even if they were in the van and there was no one meandering about outside.
“You know I’m careful,” Suzanne told her.
“I know. Sorry. I think Veronica being here and everyone seeming to have a problem with her in the past has put me a little on edge.”
“It’s strange how many people she betrayed years ago, isn’t it?” Suzanne mused. “Why would she want to come back?”
“Perhaps she thought people had forgotten about what she did,” Maddie replied.
“Instead they seemed to have remembered better than ever.”
“Mrrow!”
***
THE NEXT MORNING, MADDIE arrived at work with Trixie. The first thing she did after setting up was to write Iced Mochas on the little blackboard they kept for their specials.
“Hi,” Suzanne arrived, out of breath. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Only by three minutes,” Maddie teased. “Look!” She gestured to the blackboard set up on the counter.
“Cool!” Suzanne grinned. “Hopefully this will attract more customers, since business was down a little yesterday.”
“Maybe it was just one of those days,” Maddie said.
“Or maybe Veronica’s been bad mouthing your coffee.”
“What?” Maddie stared at her friend.
“Mrrow?”
Suzanne shrugged. “It’s just a theory I came up with last night to explain yesterday’s sales – or lack of them.”
“You mean you weren’t dreaming about Ramon?” Maddie teased gently.
“Yeah.” Suzanne didn’t even have to think about it. “But anyway, I’m going over to Claudine’s café and see if there’s anything funny going on.”
“No, you’re not.” Maddie shook her head. “The less we have to do with Claudine and Veronica, the better. Even if they are saying untrue things about our coffee, confronting them isn’t going to work. They’ll probably deny it. And,” Maddie said, taking a breath to continue, “all our customers know what our coffee is like. So I think we should just chalk up yesterday’s slow sales as one of those blips we occasionally get.”
“You’re right.” Suzanne sighed. “Maybe I’m just trying to take my mind off the fact that I haven’t heard from Ramon since our lunch date.”
“Oh.” Maddie didn’t know what to think. “But that was only yesterday. He could be busy with clients, just like we’ve been busy here.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling myself.” She shook her head, her ponytail jiggling. “I’ve decided I’m just going with the flow, and not stressing about it. If he calls, fine. If he doesn’t, fine.” Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Maybe Trixie could help me with a love potion.” Then her shoulders sagged. “That’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“Yes!”
Maddie waited for Trixie to chime in. When she didn’t, Maddie looked at her familiar enquiringly.
“Mrrow,” Trixie sounded a little reluctant to agree.
“I noticed you didn’t ask me to help you with a—” she cast a glance through the serving hatch but there was no one around, not even an early morning jogger “—love potion.”
“That’s because you don’t know how to do one,” Suzanne told her. “But I thought Trixie might.”
“Well, that’s honest.” Maddie saw the funny side and stifled a reluctant giggle.
A sudden influx of exercisers asking for water and the occasional latte kept them busy and chit chat to a minimum. After the early morning crowd, employees needing a shot of caffeine on the way to work kept Maddie and Suzanne occupied until a welcome lull around nine o’clock.
Suzanne sighed as she stared out at the now empty town square. “I wonder when I’ll see him again.”
Maddie guessed she was talking about Ramon.
“Why don’t you pop by his salon?” she suggested. “You could always book another massage with him.”
“I could, couldn’t I?” Suzanne brightened, then hesitated. “But that won’t make me look ... desperate, will it?”
“How many times has he stopped by here for coffee?” Maddie posed the question.
“A lot.” Suzanne smiled, then her mouth pulled down. “But everyone knows if you want a good caffeine experience they need to come here – unless they’re awesome at making it themselves at home.”
“Which I think Ramon is,” Maddie replied. The Spaniard’s knowledge of coffee kept Maddie on her toes to make him the best coffee every time – something she endeavored to do for all her customers, even the ones she’d seen patronizing Claudine’s café.
“So ...” Suzanne said slowly.
“So, there must be a reason he comes by so often, and it’s probably not to help support Brewed from the Bean.”
“You think?” Suzanne brightened. “Maybe I will stop by his salon at lunch – if you can spare me.”
“Of course.” Maddie nodded.
“Mrrow,” Trixie agreed.
“But ...” Maddie smiled. “I don’t think you’ll need to.” She glanced at the serving hatch.
A tall, dark-haired man strode up to the counter.
“Hello, Suzanne.” A faint Spanish accent.
“Ramon.” Suzanne smiled as she walked sedately – not bounced – to the counter.
Maddie wondered at it, but her friend looked happy to see him.
“I am sorry I have not been in touch,” he told her, “but I have not had a moment to myself.”
“I understand.” Suzanne nodded.
Maddie busied herself at the machine, not that she had any orders to fill. But she didn’t want either of them to think she was eavesdropping, although it was practically impossible not to hear their conversation.
“I enjoyed our lunch very much,” Ramon continued. “Perhaps we could do it again – on Saturday?”
“I’d like that.” Suzanne’s ponytail bounced.
“I shall look forward to it.” He smiled. “What time do you finish here on Saturday? I shall come for you.”
“One o’clock.”
“Then I will be here,” he promised.
After he left, Maddie realized he hadn’t said hello to her or Trixie as he usually did. He’d only had eyes for Suzanne.
“Eeek!” Suzanne spun around, a grin on her face. “I’m seeing him again!”
“Mrrow!” Trixie sounded approving.
“I wasn’t trying to,” Maddie said, “but I couldn’t help overhearing. I’m so happy for you!”
“We’ll both have dates on the weekend!” Suzanne looked excited. “Me with Ramon and you and Luke on your picnic.”
“And Trixie,” Maddie added.
“Mrrow!” Trixie chimed in.
“Sorry, Trix,” Suzanne apologized.
“I’ll make sure we close up by one o’clock on Saturday,” Maddie pledged.
“Awesome!” Suzanne high-fived her.
The rest of the morning passed without any more excitement. And, to Maddie’s relief, no sign of Claudine or her cousin Veronica.
At lunchtime, Suzanne stifled a yawn.
“Up late last night?” Maddie teased.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “I was too busy thinking about Ramon. Maybe I should buy one of those power salads for lunch for an energy boost.”
“Good idea,” Maddie said. She hadn’t heard her alarm that morning, and Trixie had slept in a little as well, which meant she hadn’t had time to make a sandwich for lunch.
She looked out at the town square. No customers lining up for a lunchtime caffeine fix.
“Why don’t we go now?”
“Mrrow!” Trixie hopped off her stool, pawed open a drawer, and picked out a turquoise harness.
“Yes.” Maddie smiled as she took the harness from her familiar. “You can come with us, Trix.”
Once she’d buckled the harness on the Persian, the three of them left the truck and headed to the other side of the square to the salad shop.
“The only thing I hate is having to walk past Claudine’s café,” Suzanne grumbled.
“Me too.”
“Mrrow.” Trixie pulled on the harness, directing them to a small laneway near the coffee shop.
“You want us to go this way?” Maddie peered into the gloomy alley. She’d walked down it a few times when she worked for Claudine, but hadn’t ventured down it for a while.
“Mrrow.” Trixie pulled again on the harness.
“This goes around to the rear of Claudine’s café. That means she can’t confront us like she did the other day when we walked past,” Suzanne mused. “Why don’t we try it?”
“Mrrow!” Trixie agreed.
“All right.”
The trio walked down the laneway, then turned right at the end. Another lane – this one more like an alley – allowed them to walk behind Claudine’s café. There were trash cans lined up in a row, all looking very tidy – the lids on properly, and no mess on the ground, either. Maddie was impressed at Claudine’s neatness. When she’d worked for the woman, she hadn’t had to deal with the garbage much – at the time, Claudine had taken care of it.
All tidy except for the last trash can. The lid was slightly ajar, and black hair like strands were strewn over the rim of the can.
“That’s weird.” Suzanne stopped and stared at the anomaly.
Intuition suddenly hit Maddie as her friend took a step toward the trash can.
“I don’t think we should touch it,” Maddie said.
Trixie pulled on the harness toward the can.
“No, Trixie.” Maddie and her familiar shared a knowing glance. “I think we should leave this to ...” She couldn’t think of who they should call. The sheriff? Claudine?
“What are you two talking about?” Suzanne lifted the lid – and screamed.
Veronica’s dead face stared back at them.