Ginny Gold - Early Bird Café 05 - Smashed Potatoes and Gravy (6 page)

Kori still had the rest of the morning to get through. After Kyle’s visit, the café seemed to have a never ending stream of customers, which Kori certainly wasn’t complaining about.

Just before noon, Mel Styles and her daughter, Jackie, came in and took a small table in the middle of the dining area—the only place available. “Hi Jackie. How’s it going working for your mom this week?” Kori asked when she brought water to their table. She hadn’t seen the teen since the summer’s Strawberry Festival when Jackie had proved indispensible to helping Kori get her booth setup. And had then disappeared to pursue a boy.

“Not bad. At least she’s paying me now. No more child labor,” Jackie answered, shooting her mom a teasing look.

“But that’s all going into a college fund,” Mel added. “So really I’m still getting free labor.” Mel and Jackie laughed and Kori joined in.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” Kori offered.

“Coffee,” Mel answered, looking at Jackie who shook her head to the unasked question from her mom. “And orange juice for Jackie.”

“Great. Take your time ordering, I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

Kori left to fill their order and found Kiera frantic in the kitchen. Kori didn’t panic and stood next to her, pulling poached eggs out of the boiling water that were unusable.

“I’m so sorry,” Kiera said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

“Don’t worry,” Kori reassured her. “Here, bring coffee and orange juice to Mel and Jackie. I’ll work in here for a while. You’ve earned a break to go talk to customers.”

“Oh thanks.” Kori could hear the sigh of relief as Kiera poured juice into
the glass she’d been handed and filled a French press with fresh coffee grounds and water.

Kori t
urned the water down to a gentle simmer, knowing that when it was at a full boil the eggs would break apart on impact. When it had cooled to the right temperature, she dropped in some more eggs and waited patiently as they poached. She used a spoon to keep the whites together and then scooped them out with a slotted spoon, let them drain for a few seconds, and added them to the plates Kiera had already assembled.

Kori fell back into the routine of cooking meal after meal and the time completely got away from her. Again. Until her stomach alerted her that she was starving. Then she looked at the clock and saw that it was already after one.

Kiera walked into the kitchen and sighed as she sat on a stool. “The door is locked. Today was busy.”

Kori chuckled. “It was. Sorry I abandoned you this morning.”

Kiera shook her head. “You didn’t. I just didn’t ask for help soon enough. Do you have everything ready for tomorrow? I can stay and help with that.”

“No. You’ve worked hard enough this week. Don’t come in until Monday. Unless you’re here to eat.”

“Monday? Are you sure?”

Kori nodded. “I won’t open on Saturday. Shoot, I have to get that sign up. My mom’s getting married. Maybe I’ll just close Sunday too and give myself a break. We’ve both earned it, I think. You hungry?”

Kiera nodded.

“I’ll make you lunch. Eggs
Benedict?”

“That sounds great. Veggie for me. On a bagel.”

Kori set to work on more eggs while Kiera started cleaning up. After her morning bagel she didn’t want another bagel with her lunch so she toasted an English muffin and added the rest of the ham that hadn’t been eaten. When the eggs were on top, she drizzled on the hollandaise sauce and broke her yokes with her fork, letting them run over everything. They both sat in the kitchen and enjoyed their lunch in silence.

By the time their stomachs were full—Kori ate so fast she wasn’t sure she even remembered what it had tasted like—they both
finishing cleaning up, never once getting in each other’s way. Then Kiera left, wishing Kori a happy Thanksgiving and thanking her again for the time off.

Finally, Kori called Kyle and he was at the café within minutes, ready to interrogate anyone who might have information
about Lou’s family, and his death, that could lead them to the actual killer and get Jenna out of jail.

“Why don’t we drive together?” Kori asked. “And don’t be too aggressive. Remember that we’re not talking to a potential suspect, but someone who could help lead us to one.”

Kyle nodded. “I guess you could tell that I was ready to really lay into someone.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” She led the way to
the parking lot behind the café, pausing to let Ibis relieve herself before opening the back door for her. Ibis happily jumped in, probably thinking they were going to Nora’s and she’d get to play with Milo and Otis again. Kori knew she’d be disappointed when she had to leave her in the car at Kiera’s parents’ house so she decided to take her for a walk down by the lake after.

“Tell me again who we’re going to see,” Kyle said once they had pulled out on to Main Street.

“You know Kiera Bell who works for me?” Kori turned to look at Kyle and he nodded. “Her parents, Bill and Eve, knew Lou. Kiera was the one who told me Lou had a brother. She didn’t know anything about him but thinks her parents might know more.”

Kyle nodded again. “I hope whatever they know is helpful in getting Jenna released.”

Kori agreed and turned on to the Bells’ street. She used to ride her bike there in high school and couldn’t remember a single time she’d driven. She felt old suddenly.

When she parked across the street from their house, Ibis stood up, ready to get outside. “Sorry Ibis,” Kori said and cracked the windows for her despite the cold. “We’ll try not to be too long,” she promised.

Kori could feel Kyle’s nervous energy beside her as they walked up the stone path toward the front door. She rang the bell and suddenly wished she’d let them know she was coming. Maybe Kiera had told them.

They stood on the stoop and listened to the doorbell echo through the house. Moments later, the door was opened and a curious face appeared from behind it. The scrunched forehead and narrowed eyes of Bill Bell quickly transformed into a smile, showing off all of his pearly white teeth that Kori knew were dentures.

“Kori, what are you doing here?” he asked, opening the door the rest of the way and wrapping her in a hug. She knew she’d always be welcome here. They were almost like second parents to her, since she’d taken such a large role in Kiera’s childhood, and now in her early adulthood.

“Hi Bill,” Kori greeted him when he let her go. She ignored his question and introduced Kyle instead.

“From the market, right?” Bill asked, shaking Kyle’s hand.

“Yup. And the auto body,” Kyle added.

“Right. Yes. Eve had some work done there not even a month ago. Maybe she’ll remember you from there. Come in, come in.” Bill ushered them into the comfortable living room that hadn’t changed in the twenty years since Kori had come so often to babysit. The matching furniture looked like they’d been recovered, but in the same floral material she remembered from her teen years. “Let me make you some tea. And I’ll let Eve know you’re here. She’s just reading upstairs. I’ll be right back.”

Before Kori could tell them that they didn’t need any tea and what the real purpose of their visit was, Bill was gone through the doorway into the kitchen, leaving Kori and Kyle to stare at each other and wait even longer to get any answers to their questions.

What felt like a half hour later but was likely only five minutes, Bill walked in with Eve. “Kori? What are you doing here?” she asked, concern coming through on every word. “Is everything going okay with Kiera at the café?”

Kori stood and hugged Eve and Bill retreated back to the kitchen to rescue the screaming kettle. “Of course. She’s the perfect employee. I’m here with Kyle Rhodes—”

“Oh yes. Bill said someone from the auto body was here. Is my car okay? Did I underpay?”

Kori had to chuckle at Eve’s questions. She wished that their visit was about something so simple.

“Hi Mrs. Bell,” Kyle said, shaking her hand but doing nothing to dispel the look of worry on her face. “Everything is fine with your car. And your bill.”

Eve sat and breathed a sigh of relief, only to be followed with another question. “Then what’s going on?”

Bill came back in with four steaming cups of water and a bigger variety of tea bags than Kori offered at The Early Bird Café. Everyone helped themselves to something and got comfortable on the well loved furniture.

“Kyle and I wanted to ask you about Lou McKay,” Kori said matter of factly, blowing on her hot cup of tea while Bill and Eve digested her statement.

“Lou McKay?” Bill asked. “He was found dead on Monday. What do you want to know about him?”

Despite Kori’s earlier request to let her do the talking, Kyle spoke up, “My wife, Jenna, found his body on our property by the lake and she’s been arrested for his murder. Kori is helping me find anyone who might know who might have actually killed him since I know Jenna couldn’t have.”

“She’s way too pregnant, and doesn’t have a mean bone in her body,” Kori added for good measure.

Eve nodded slowly. “She’s the
one with the daycare, isn’t she?” Recognition came over her face as the realization of the situation dawned on her.

Kyle nodded. “And she’s been in jail for over twenty four hours now. I need to get her out. Do you know anyone who might have wanted him dead? Kori thought you knew him better than anyone else in Hermit Cove.”

“And Kiera mentioned that he had a brother who he might have had a strained relationship with?” Kori added.

Bill exchanged a look with Eve that Kori couldn’t read. Were they trying to hide something? Or were they just hesitant to get involved in a murder case? She could certainly understand that.

“We did know Lou well for many years,” Bill started. “His father and I were roommates in college so it only made sense that we kept in touch. And when his son, Lou, moved to Hermit Cove, it was natural that we helped him get settled.”

Bill paused and Kori saw Kyle lean forward slightly, anticipating whatever was coming next.

Eve continued, “He did have a brother, Victor. We don’t know him well. And I’m not completely sure on Lou’s relationship with Victor, but their parents had disowned him.”

“Why?” Kori asked, wanting every morsel of information she could get.

Bill shook his head. “Their parents were very traditional. And when Victor fathered a son with a woman he wasn’t married to, nor who he wanted to marry, they gave him an ultimatum. I encouraged them to be a part of their grandson’s life anyway, but they couldn’t see reason. They told him that the only way they would remain in Victor’s life was if he married the mother of his child.”

“He refused,” Eve said sadly, cradling her mug of tea as if it was warming the cold place this truth left in her body. “And ever since then, they’d talked about their
one
son, Lou.”

“Would Victor have held that against Lou?” Kori asked.

“I don’t know,” Bill said, glancing at Eve and wringing his hands together in his lap, his tea forgotten on the table beside him. “But what worries me more is that both of their parents recently passed and all of the inheritance went to Lou. Victor received nothing.”

Kori looked to Kyle who had moved even closer to the edge of his seat. She knew exactly what he was thinking, and she had to agree. Victor could easily be the killer.

Kori tried to gather her thoughts and remain calm. It was clear that Bill and Eve were both thinking the same thing Kori and Kyle were. Could Victor really be the killer? And if their parents were dead, that black SUV she’d seen at Lou’s yesterday couldn’t be theirs. It must be Victor’s.

“Do you know anything about Victor?” Kori asked hopefully. This was the most promising lead she’d been down and wondered if she should tell Zach. Probably.

“Not a whole lot. Since he was disowned, I didn’t hear anything else about him from his parents, and we lost touch with Lou once he was established here and didn’t need our help anymore.”

“Do you know how to get in touch with him?” Kyle asked, sipping his tea a bit more calmly than before.

“He’s in town now. Staying at Lou’s place. Probably cleaning it out,” Eve explained.

That sealed it for Kori.
The car Kori and Kyle had seen yesterday with Michigan plates
had
to have been Victor’s, not their parents’.

“Thanks so much,” Kyle said, standing and offering his hand. Bill and Eve did the same.

“Are you going to tell the police what we shared?” Eve asked, concern returning to her voice.

“I think we’ll have to,” Kyle said. “Anything to get my wife out of jail for something I know she didn’t do.”

After a brief pause Eve said, “We’ll be happy to talk to them and tell them everything we shared with you.”

The smile that statement brought to Kyle’s face was one of pure happiness and hope. Kori could tell that he was starting to see the end of his involvement in this investigation and thought Jenna might be home in time for Thanksgiving
, just like Kori had thought was possible yesterday.

Kori hugged both Eve and Bill and promised to visit again sooner than the last time she’d seen them—twenty years ago. Then she drove Kyle back to the café where he could get his truck.

“You’re not going to come to the police with me?” he asked Kori.

She shook her head. “I think you’ve got this one. And I’ve gotta take Ibis for a walk. She’s been cooped up all day. But let me know how it goes. I expect Jenna to be home in time for a huge family Thanksgiving tomorrow.”

Kyle smiled again, his eyes even lighting up. “I hope so. Her mom’s been cooking enough for it and Jenna would love to be there. I’ll have her call you when she’s out,” he promised and then sped off to spring his wife from jail.

“I hope we’re right about this one,” Kori told Ibis, getting back into the car and heading toward the lake. There was an easy trail to the west of the main public beach that would bring her along the shore for about a mile, and even past Jenna and Kyle’
s property.

It was still early enough in the afternoon that they had plenty of light left.
As they approached the beach, Ibis stood in the back seat and turned in anxious circles, even whining to get out of the car. When Kori parked, she thought her dog might actually try to jump through the closed window.

“Sorry, buddy. Gotta wear a leash today,” Kori said, cracking the door open and clipping the leash to Ibis’ collar. Over the summer, she and Nora had had a not-so-friendly encounter when their dogs were unleashed and freely roaming. It had led to their
being questioned in a police investigation when the man showed up dead later that day. Kori didn’t need a repeat of that.

The beach was mostly deserted, only a few brave souls soaking up the late fall sun. One family, who Kori recognized as Jenna’s frien
d from out of town, had matching jackets that they’d probably had to buy in town. It was easy to forget how cold it could get next to a large body of water, chilling them to their bones.

Ibis’ nose immediately went to the ground, finding a trail and following it. Kori decided that since this was really her first chance to get out today, she’d let Ibis lead the way. Within reason, of course. She didn’t like going off the trail too often and disturbing the other animals that called the woods home. If she was alone she’d be more inclined, but then she wouldn’t be following random scents that only a dog could smell.

Ibis led Kori past the beach and along the trail to the west. It hugged the water and Ibis followed several dead end scents to the water’s edge, getting her toes wet and retreating. Kori knew the water would be frigid by now and didn’t expect Ibis to want to go in.

As Kori was taken further from the beach, her mind drifted to tomorrow’s afternoon meal
s. She was looking forward to having Zach in the kitchen with her again. She loved it when he cooked for her at his house, but they fell into an easy rhythm in the café.

The menu she’d created was very traditional with a few variations that she hoped everyone enjoyed.
She’d been able to get almost everything locally. Pumpkins, apples, and other vegetables had been bought from Nora. She’d only had to buy oranges—used as a sweetener in the cranberry sauce and a glaze on the carrots—from out of state.

Kori was so caught up in her own daydreams of Thanksgiving that she hadn’t noticed Ibis had stopped and wanted to play fetch. When Kori’s arm was suddenly pulled backwards by the weight of Ibis’ body no longer walking along the path with her, she stopped and turned around.

“That’s quite the stick you picked up, Ibis.” Kori laughed at the sight of her dog with a massive branch in her mouth. One end was even dragging on the ground, the other sticking high into the air above Ibis’ head. “I hope you don’t expect me to throw that,” Kori said, feigning a lunge at Ibis.

Ibis backed up and growled. Kori knew she was only playing, so she lunged again, this time getting a solid hold on the
end of the branch that was above Ibis’ head.

Ibis made a quick jerk backwards and Kori’s hand was released, bark coming off on her palm. She quickly checked her hand for any splinters and saw none. But she did notice some blood so took a closer look to see if she’d been cut.

She gingerly wiped her hand on her jeans and the blood was gone. She couldn’t find a cut, so she grabbed the branch again. Ibis tried to twist her head from side to side to win the game of tug-of-war, but Kori had gotten a better grasp on it this time.

As Ibis continued to pull, Kori finally had to let go. Ibis’ body was no match for only one arm.
More bark came off, and even more blood.

Kori’s first thought, again, was that she’d been cut. But upon further inspection, she saw that it still wasn’t her own blood. She looked around to see if there was a dead animal nearby that might have left traces of its blood on this branch. And that was when she noticed where she was—just on the edge of Jenna and Kyle’s property.