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LATER THAT EVENING, Dana hummed as she mixed the eggs and sugar and butter together in the cake mixer to start her new batch of creamy cupcakes.
Katie was still at the café and would be home much later. She really appreciated all the help her cousin gave her in carrying on Grandma Rae’s business. But she told Katie to take it easy, too. Long days could take its toll. Katie had told her that she really didn’t want to leave everyone on their own, since Ma Rae was no longer there.
Ma Rae used to pull in crazy hours too, from open till close.
Dana wondered how on earth her grandmother could have the strength to do all that.
My goodness, she thought to herself. Did working overlong hours shorten her lifespan? But then again, she loved what she did and often said it wasn’t really work because she was hanging out with friends all day.
Hmm. Katie was very sociable with all the customers, too. Well, Dana was grateful for that. Perhaps, she really needed to unwind more herself. After all, the café was called Cozy for a reason, right?
Dana inhaled the scent of the vanilla extract as it whipped through with the creamy batter. She loved baking to help her to relax. Even in the evening. Just then the lights flickered again and Truffles let out a meow.
“I know, sweetie. That darn old electrical panel. Hopefully, Echo will be here soon to fix it. “
Just then, the power shut off.
“Oh, no.”
“Meow!”
“I hear you, Truffles. I hear you. Talk about bad timing. Now the batter has to be thrown out. No power. No baking.”
She quickly walked over to the cabinet and reached out for the flashlight. Back in New York, especially after the great blackout of 2003, Dana always kept flashlights around her apartment just in case a blackout happened again and she was at one end of the apartment.
One didn’t want to really go searching in the dark for too long, for light. She also had emergency lights that would kick in once the power was out, but she’d forgotten to bring them to Berry Cove. Great. That was one more thing she would have to add to her list.
She tried to flick on the flashlight but nothing happened.
“What? But I just placed new batteries in.”
She could feel the silky fur of her little Truffles curling around her leg, softly purring. “It’s all right, Truffles. I’m sure there must be another flashlight somewhere close by.”
Dana walked carefully, feeling in front of her with her arms stretched out, walking slowly, careful not to bump into anything when...
“Ouch!” her foot struck a heavy wooden object she didn’t realize was there.
Dana reached down to rub her throbbing foot. The ache was unbearable.
She then stumbled over to the side table to try to find another flashlight. Nothing.
Just then, she heard the door creak.
Her heart stopped.
“Who’s there?” she cried out, eyes wide open. Not that it made much difference in the dark.
She then got an idea and moved over to the window and pulled the drapes open to get some street light inside the dark home. She thought she saw a shadow move and someone ran out of the house as quickly as they came in.
Just then the doorbell rang and startled Dana.
She made her way over to the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Echo.”
“Oh, Echo,” Dana said, opening the door. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“What’s wrong, Miss Dana. Why are you panting like that?”
Dana hadn’t realized she was panting. Her heartbeat raced in her chest like a galloping horse on a racetrack.
“I...I don’t know. It’s nothing.”
“How come it’s dark in here?”
“The power’s out.”
Echo took out his large flashlight from his toolbox and shone the light inside. “No problem. Let me go to the electrical panel.”
He walked to the back and down to the basement. Dana followed him. Truffles was close behind her.
While Echo placed his box down and started working on the fuses, Dana asked him, “Echo, did you see anyone leave from here?”
“No. Why?”
“Oh, nothing. I just...it’s nothing.” Dana didn’t want to sound as paranoid as she had before. “I thought someone had broken into my house.”
“You did? Did you call the police?”
“No. Not yet I...” She thought of what happened the last time when it was a false alarm and the former detective Markson had suspected she was a trouble maker. Of course, that was not true and Troy was at her defence.
Dana’s eyes then swept across a cardigan hanging near the door. It was Grandma Rae’s and Katie had it washed and hung to dry yesterday. She was going to give it to the nursing home that was running a drive for the needy and needed old clothes.
She sighed. That was what she’d seen. A shadow of the cardigan with the arms dangling by the side.
Maybe it was all just her imagination.
Two hours later, Echo had finished up what he was doing and the power was back on. Dana had already tossed out the old batter and was preparing to make a fresh batch.
“Can I get you some coffee and some pastries, Echo?”
“Oh, no ma’am. I’m good, thanks.”
“I really appreciate what you’ve done, Echo.”
“No trouble, Miss Dana. Anything for you and your family. Ma Rae was a good woman. Always looked out for me, she did.”
“Good to hear. Yes, she was kindhearted, wasn’t she?” Dana missed her more with each passing moment.
“Say, you heard anything about that case there with Karla’s death?” Echo asked.
For some reason, Truffles started to hiss. Dana looked at Truffles and scooped her up in her arms. “Hey, what’s wrong, sweetie?”
“Aww, she’s probably tired.”
“Probably. It’s her bedtime. I’m going to get her something to snack on and then get her ready for her nap.” Dana took the kitty to the kitchen and grabbed some cat snacks and placed it in a bowl along with some milk and got Truffles all comfy by her basket by the fireplace.
She then went back to the kitchen to get two mugs of coffee for Echo and herself. “You were asking about the case?”
“Yeah,” Echo said, twisting his hat in his hands. He was often quite confident, but not this time.
“Why? What’s wrong, Echo?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just a shame about that nice lady, you know. She was really nice, that Miss Karla.”
“Yes, she was. It’s shocking what happened to her really. But I believe my uncle is innocent. I think someone’s trying to...”
“Trying to what?”
“Oh, nothing...” Dana didn’t want to say too much.
After she finished pouring a cup of hot steaming freshly brewed coffee for Echo and herself, she held it up for a toast. “Here’s to new power, in the home,” Dana toasted.
“Yes to power. We all want power, don’t we?”