A Crouton Murder Read online

  “That’s a description I’ve not heard lately,” I said with a laugh. “Explain.”

  “His face closed like a book. Snapped shut, bang.” She smacked her palms together.

  “No shit. I can’t believe it. How did you approach the subject?”

  “We were eating tortellini with a delicious cheese sauce, kind of like an Alfredo sauce. I buttered a roll and casually said how pretty Corinda was and that they made a nice-looking couple. When I looked up, wham, his face was cold as ice, his eyes, too. He even had that pinched look around his mouth. It’s the look he gets when he’s unwilling to discuss a subject and thinks you’ve overstepped your bounds by mentioning it. Cripes.”

  “So, your take on the whole thing is?”

  “I think there may have been something going on between them, but it’s over, very over. If I had to guess, he figured she was out for his money. Of course, I have nothing to back up that theory. What do you think?”

  I hedged. “I don’t know either of them well enough to judge. I saw how she tried to get close to your father at the dinner you held, but before we could get the evening underway, it ended. Did he mention seeing me with Aidan?”

  “He was quite vocal about your being at that party. Not with Aidan, mind you, but there, at all. He can be such a snob. He calls my business a ‘little business’, which sends my blood pressure out of sight with anger hot on its trail. Imagine? A ‘little business’?”

  Her indignant remark made me smile. I’d heard that before from other people who had come into the bakery. I was never sure if they meant it as a slur, or had called it a little business because the shop was small. Mentally, I settled for the latter, rather than the former.

  “Don’t listen to him. He’s upset that you aren’t a mega-banker like he is. I think we have good shops with lots of customers. I don’t care about being rich. I care about feeding people. You care about their futures. You and I are good, caring folk.”

  “I agree with you. We are.” BettyJo sat quietly for a few seconds. “How can we find out more about Ezra and Corinda since Dad won’t open up?”

  “I think you should bring him here tomorrow evening. We’ll gang up on him and tell him our suspicions. If nothing comes of it, at least we’ve given him something to consider.”

  “You’re sure about that? You want to tackle my father?” BettyJo asked with wide eyes.

  I gave her a look and a nod. What was I thinking? That I had nothing to lose by inviting the lion into my territory, which was always better and more secure than being in his. At least I could tell him to get out if he was rude and obnoxious. Right?

  “A-all right, I’ll ask him to come by after work. You’ll be here, then?”

  “I’ll make sure I am,” I said.

  As she gathered her handbag, BettyJo asked, “Do you think I was foolish to invite trouble from the stalker?”

  I let out a breath and said, “I worry about you, you know. I’d feel so responsible if anything happened. If you want to try and get this guy into the open, then we’ll do it together. From now on, you’ll keep me on speed dial and call if there’s any problems at all, got it?”

  With a smile, BettyJo headed home. I watched from the doorway until I heard the click of her lock. In turn, I locked up and finished bagging bread.

  Chapter 7

  Her father was unavailable for the next two days, BettyJo said when she called. I considered how it might go when and if he did come by. It might not end up being the best idea I’d had lately, but what-the-hell, win or lose, there was no time to waste when it came to finding out who was supposed to be murdered.

  Delighted to see him, when Carl had picked up his order, Seanmhair gave him an extra couple of rolls and chatted him up. I listened from behind the swinging door. She had charm, that grandmother of mine.

  I snickered softly and went back to cleaning my kitchen just before Aidan came through the back door. His wide smile and gorgeous blue eyes left me to wonder what he was up to. In case he didn’t say, I asked, “What brings you by?”

  “I have been remiss in stopping by to see you, so I thought I’d better do so in case that detective sweeps you out from under my very nose.”

  I laughed. The word nose sounded like noos and detective definitely didn’t contain the letter ‘a’. “Glad to see you, too. Don’t worry about Porter. He has better things to keep him busy.”

  “Are ye sure, lass?”

  With a nod, I asked if he wanted a cup of tea. I poured one for me, another for Seanmhair, and when he agreed, I poured a mug of it for him.

  “How are your business connections going?” I asked.

  “Good, more ale is being shipped in as we speak. The first order arrived and has been distributed. Would you be interested in joining me later this evening for a taste-test?”

  Cheerfully, I agreed to go out and drink his brand of ale as long as I didn’t have to drive my car. Ale is much stronger than beer, and I’m not a heavy drinker to begin with. One large mug of brew could put me under the table. I said as much and watched the laugh lines crinkle around Aidan’s eyes. Gosh, he was gorgeous.

  The doors opened and Seanmhair strutted through them, a happy smile for Aidan. “Glad to see you, Aidan. Where have you been?”

  “Busy with shipments. I apologize for neglecting you, Sean,” Aidan murmured as he kissed her cheek. “Melina and I are going out for a taste of my ale tonight. You wouldn’t care to join us, would you?” he asked.

  Seanmhair glanced at me and then said, “Thank you, but I have a date with my own Scotsman. You don’t mind, do you?”

  I breathed a light sigh of relief and waited for Aidan to charm her some more. “Should I be jealous over you finding another Scot, and all?” he bantered.

  “Nah, get on with you,” Seanmhair said with a pleased expression.

  While she readied to leave, Seanmhair coolly told me she’d locked the shop door and the daily proceeds were in the deposit bag on the counter. I thanked her and watched as she waddled out the rear door with a wave of her hand.

  “What’s this about?” Aidan asked.

  “Seanmhair kept going on about moving to Scotland. I was quite short with her, and she didn’t take it well.”

  “And then what?” he asked. His keen stare saw more than I’d thought.

  I shrugged. “I said if she wanted to relocate to Scotland with her new man, she was welcome to do so, but I have no intention of going. End of story.” Guilty over my actions, it renewed its pressure on me as I explained what had happened.

  “You didn’t say those things, tell me you didn’t,” he remarked with surprise.

  “Aidan, she kept going on and on, every other minute, about the possibility. No matter what I said, she wouldn’t let up. When she told me about this Graham fellow, I’d had enough.”

  “You two need to sort this out. As soon as possible,” he said.

  “I know. She’s been quiet around me since then. I know I hurt her feelings, but by gosh, enough already.”

  “She’s your gran and there’s no excuse for your actions, Melina. Clear it up, while you still can. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to talk about.”

  Chastising was the last thing I needed. I’d beaten myself up over it without having someone else add their opinion. He was right, of course. I gave him a nod, said I’d get together with her and thanked him for his opinion. Which had left me feeling worse than before, but I left that out.

  With a kiss to my forehead, Aidan said, “Good, you’ll both feel better when you’ve cleared the air. I’ll come round for you at seven.”

  “See you then.” His departure left me with an emptiness that I’d come to feel whenever he was away from me. I shook my head, muttered about getting a life, and picked up the phone to call Seanmhair. Her voice came across the line.

  “Is everything all right, Melina?” Sean asked.

  “Can I come by for a bit? I think we need to talk,” I said.

  Her hesitation left me
holding my breath. Suddenly, she said, “Come by now. I’ll be going out soon, so hurry along.”

  “Sure thing. Be right there, Seanmhair,” I answered and hung up. Yep, this would be harder than I’d anticipated. Crow was on the menu at the moment and I had no taste for eating it. We all have to give a little to gain some, right?

  I whisked my handbag off the coat hook and made a beeline for my car. The distance to Sean’s apartment complex wasn’t far and I was there before I knew it. I pressed her apartment number button and waited until the door unlocked, so I could enter the building. These security measures were mandatory in all senior citizen complexes and I was glad for it.

  I took the elevator to her floor and forced my reluctant feet to approach her door. My will to get this issue out of the way propelled me forward. How would the conversation go? I was about to find out and knocked on Seanmhair’s door.

  When she beckoned me in, it was with a slight smile and questioning eyes. I took a seat in the tiny living room and waited for her to do the same.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “I’ve come to apologize for being short with you over Scotland. I mean it, Seanmhair, I’m very sorry.”

  “Bah, you’ve nothing to apologize for. I know I was pressuring you and it was unfair of me to do so. Your words cut me to the quick, but I had it coming. Never fear, Melina. I won’t leave you here in America alone. If there’s a move on the horizon, we’ll do it together.”

  I went to her loveseat, hugged her heartily, and heard her soft laughter. When I drew away, I saw the huge smile on her face. “I was feeling guilty for having been a nag, Melina. I’m sorry, too. Don’t let us have another misunderstanding like this, okay?”

  I nodded as relief flooded my system. I smiled at the sweet woman who’d given her life to me throughout childhood. All these years after my parents died so unexpectedly in a car crash, I’d grown to love her like a mother. I promised myself silently that nothing would come between us again.

  Seanmhair served me a cup of tea. We chatted while she readied for her date. I lingered long enough to meet the new man in her life. Mr. Graham, white-haired, blue-eyed, and gingerly in his gait, came in with a wide grin and a sparkle in his eyes. I couldn’t help but smile when he shook my hand, kissed Seanmhair’s cheek, and asked if she was ready to go. The transformation in my grandmother’s personality left me wondering if she’d fallen in love with the still handsome Scotsman. She was actually giddy. I hid my smile, said my goodbyes, and left them at the front door.

  My spirits soared. The sun shined on me as I crossed the parking lot and life was good. I drove home with happy thoughts, until I saw a man loitering near the front of Tingly Tarots, BettyJo’s reading shop. Dang, was this her stalker? I waited until the red light changed and scooted across the intersection in my Fiat. I’d nearly reached the row of shops when Franklin Seever pulled to the curb one shop down from BettyJo’s. The lurker hurried to enter Franklin’s car. Once inside, they drove east, farther into Providence’s historic east side of the city.

  Bewildered, I swung into the rear lot, parked my car, and scanned the other cars parked there. BettyJo’s sat among them. Had the stranger harmed her? Maybe even killed her? Panic stricken, I ran across the lot, leaped the stairs two at a time, and headed for the rear entry of her shop.

  Bursting through the door, I heard BettyJo reading someone’s cards. She never acknowledged my presence, or the fact that I’d entered her shop at all. I backed out, quietly closed the door, and slunk back to my bakery. At the least, my friend wasn’t dead. It was a red-letter-day all the way round. Seanmhair wasn’t angry with me, I had a date with the man of my dreams, and my best friend was safe. The thing that niggled me was Franklin Seever’s actions.

  Bread supplies filled the surfaces of both work tables. I dumped ingredients into the floor mixer and got the Boule bread started. There’d be enough time to mix a variety of breads before Aidan arrived. My first batch had finished mixing and rested in a huge bowl to rise while I began the next.

  The door flew open, BettyJo marched in with a thunderous expression on her face, and my heart sank. “What the hell were you thinking? You knew I had clients all day,” she exclaimed.

  I put my hands up and said, “I can explain. Just give me a minute to get this dough going and I’ll tell you what happened.”

  She plunked onto a stool and waited. I set the mixer to run and took a seat across from her.

  “This better be good,” BettyJo warned.

  “I’m sorry, I really am. There’s a good reason I burst in without warning. What does your stalker look like?”

  Surprise covered her face. “He’s tallish, wears a hoodie sweatshirt and a ball cap. I never get to see his face or hair. His pants are baggy, too, and hang down a bit. Makes me want to run up to him and yank them up to his friggin’ neck,” BettyJo remarked.

  I nodded, I was right, he was her stalker. “I caught the red light at the intersection across the way. While I waited, I saw a man, like you just described, lingering outside your shop. Before the light changed, and I could get closer, I saw him picked up by someone and they drove off.”

  Her mouth agape, she asked, “Do you know who picked him up?”

  I hesitated, then said, “That’s where it gets tricky. Your father picked him up.”

  “You’re joking, right? My father wouldn’t set a stalker on me. Good grief.”

  “I’m not sure what the deal is, but I’d be on the phone inviting your father and his new-found friend here for a chat.”

  “That bastard. I’ve been scared out of my mind, and all the time my father’s been paying some asshole to stalk me? What the hell is wrong with him?” BettyJo yelled.

  “I know this comes as a shock and all, but you need to calm down. There’s no use in getting angry until we know the facts. Give him a call. Tell him you need to speak with him in person. We were going to gang up on him anyway, so now is the perfect time.”

  The phone in her hand, BettyJo dialed her father’s number. She took a few deep breaths and waited until he answered.

  “Dad, could you come over right away? I have to talk to you, it’s important.”

  She waited a few seconds and then insisted, “Now, Dad, right now. I don’t care what else is going on in your life. I need you here, immediately.”

  Abruptly she cut off the conversation by pressing the button on the phone. She slammed it onto the worktable and huffed like a dragon. I truly expected to see flames and smoke come from her mouth and nostrils. Yep, BettyJo could be formidable. Maybe the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree on that count.

  “He’s on his way,” she snapped.

  To change the subject and soothe her anger, I said, “If you’re hungry, there’s a couple empanadas in the fridge. Warm them in the microwave and I’ll have one with you while we wait.”

  “Good idea. I haven’t eaten all day.” BettyJo checked her watch, went toward the fridge, and moments later brought heated empanadas to the table.

  We ate in silence, each with our own thoughts. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was certain BettyJo didn’t, either. We’d gotten done at the same time and spoke at once. I laughed, and said, “You first.”

  “I’m curious as to why my father would sic a creep on me. Maybe to scare me into returning home to live with him? He does tend to try and control me. No wonder my mother walked out. Christ, she probably couldn’t take his autocratic behavior.” BettyJo shook her head and sighed.

  A knock on the door produced Porter Anderson. My day took a faster downturn as I stared at his approach.

  With a glance at me, BettyJo said, “I’ll wait for my father and then bring him over here. Whether he likes it or not.”

  Porter gave her a keen look before he focused on me. I gave him a shrug, told BettyJo that I’d be waiting and watched her scoot out the door.

  “You’ve invited Mr. Seever here?” Porter asked.

  “More like BettyJo summoned him with no
chance of refusal. She’s had a stalker problem as of late. I wanted to pass that by you, but you haven’t been around. Vinnie Esposito recommended that I tell you about the guy who’s been following BettyJo and get your take on how to handle it.” I went on to explain the man, adding the scene I’d witnessed earlier, and BettyJo’s demand of Mr. Seever’s visit.

  Porter smirked, then turned serious. “I think I’ll stick around for that. I wanted to speak with Seever, anyway. He hasn’t been willing to make time for me, at work or at home, so this will be perfect. Besides, he might need protection from the likes of you two.”

  “So, what brings you by, then?” I asked with a heaping measure of curiosity. I’d managed to get a few batches of dough ready, and knew Aidan’s arrival time was close. I still had to change clothes.

  He opened his mouth, but abruptly closed it when BettyJo and her father entered my kitchen. I wiped my hands on a towel, covered the bowls, and invited everyone upstairs to my apartment.

  Mr. Seever looked affronted, and about to refuse, when BettyJo took his arm and ushered him forward. Porter followed me as I followed them. We’d taken seats, though Porter remained standing, when BettyJo blurted, “What the hell are you thinking by setting a stalker on me, Dad?”

  “What are you talking about? Has Melina been filling your head with nonsense?”

  His mean-eyed stare landed on me. Unwilling to let anger drive me, I remarked drily, “I saw him get into your car earlier today. After describing him to BettyJo, she confirmed he was the man who’s been following her everywhere. Really, Mr. Seever, you should be ashamed.”

  His mouth hung open for a second. “Is that why you’ve called the police? Because I gave someone a ride?” he blustered as he glanced at each of us.

  “You really should move home, away from this woman and these other people who rent shops here. Such riff-raff, BettyJo, I brought you up better than this,” Seever directed at his daughter.

  Her face filled with anger, BettyJo stood up, paced the room for a moment, and then said, “You didn’t though, did you? Bring me up, that is. Instead, you shuffled me off to a boarding school. Melina is the best friend I’ve ever had, the shop owners are good folks, and you owe me an explanation. Now give it up.”