Tea Cups and Carnage. Lynn Cahoon
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I wrote out the check, I blessed Miss Emily for the unexpected inheritance she’d left me. Right now, the money was keeping my business afloat. I ripped the check from the holder and handed it to my aunt. “Don’t deposit this until tomorrow. I need to transfer money into that account.”
She reached for the check but I held it firmly as she met my gaze. “And don’t lose it.” Aunt Jackie’s face flushed as I released the check. Immediately, I felt bad. “Just kidding.”
We made plans to sit down on Sunday morning to go over the event details and by the time Toby stuck his head into the office, her color was better.
“Do you need me to stick around late tonight?” He looked back and forth from Aunt Jackie to me, a frown growing on his face. “Something wrong?”
My aunt took a breath and shook her head. “Nothing. Let me get this computer shut down and I’ll be out to relieve you. I don’t want you going to patrol on an empty stomach.”
Toby shrugged. “I’ve already got my order called into Lille’s for dinner. I was going to pick it up on the way home.” He looked at me. “You want a ride back?”
I glanced at my watch. Greg would be at the house in an hour. I could walk the distance home in ten minutes and it would take Toby at least that long to stop to get his food. “I’ll walk.”
Toby closed the door, but not until he divided one more look between the two of us.
I watched my aunt close the laptop. “Let’s just keep this between us. Well, us and Amy.”
She nodded. “Believe me, I don’t want to admit to anyone that I’d left money lying around, waiting to be stolen.”
“The money’s not stolen.” I left the shop hoping that my words were true.
By the time Greg arrived, I’d worked myself into a tizzy. I couldn’t believe that either Sasha or Toby would have taken money from the store. Or, for that matter, from me. I’d offered Sasha money more than once to help ease a financial problem she’d been having, but she’d always waved it off, explaining she needed to solve the problem herself. I’d been proud of her determination, I couldn’t believe now that it was all a sham.
Greg knocked on the screen but when he saw me sitting on the couch, he let himself in. “You should keep the screen locked at least. What if I’d been some drifter off the highway?”
“Then you would have killed me and put me out of my misery.” I saw the surprise flare in his eyes from my answer, so I stood and folded myself into his arms. “Sorry, I’m just worried about something.”
“Tell me, maybe I can help.” Greg stroked my hair as he held me close.
Sure, he could help. He could start an investigation on the missing money and then arrest the guilty party, which appeared to be one of our friends. Sighing, I sank deeper into the hug. “Just hold me for a minute. Then we can head down to the restaurant. I’m starving and I’m sure I’ll feel better with some food in me.”
“Whatever you need.” He tipped my head up and kissed me, long and slow. I let the warmth of his kiss seep through my body and wash away all the stress I’d felt since I’d talked to Jackie. Afterward, he gazed into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re hungry?”
I breathed a quiet laugh. “I’m starving. Do you mind?”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’m a patient man. Besides, I’ve seen you hungry. It’s not a pretty sight.”
I let Emma in and closed up the house. Toby would be leaving soon for his evening shift, so I didn’t want to leave her outside after dark without anyone around. In reviewing the town’s security feeds, Greg had seen packs of wild dogs roaming the streets at night. My luck, they’d wander our way and Emma would think they wanted to play.
As we turned off onto the highway, I could see the lights the city had strung all around the beach area. Even though the area was empty, the lights illuminated it like some abandoned carnival show.
I hoped the festival would bring in the customers Mary had promised the group. The Business-to-Business group could get a little grumpy when they’d spent money on an activity that didn’t bring in people. Or as Josh had said, the wrong type of people.
“Have you had any complaints about speeding motorcyclists?” I turned away from the beach and watched Greg drive.
He turned down the music. “How did you know?” He shook his head. “Never mind, sometimes, it’s like you’re in my head. Or do you have a bug placed in my office?”
I smiled. “Maybe I’m just psychic, like Esmeralda?”
“I didn’t think you believed in her gift?” He slowed for a set of tight turns in the road. “Don’t answer that, I’m not sure I want to know. Anyway, yes, I had three different reports of some guy racing through Main Street at three different times of day. But never when Tim was anywhere close to be able to find him. Esmeralda was ready to shoot the guy herself.”
“I saw him during the meeting and then again after lunch. The guy was huge! He about ran over an old lady with a walker. And she was a tourist.”
“The reports we got were for a skinny kid. Most of the callers thought he was in high school.” He took my hand in the dark. “Heaven forbid, we wouldn’t want a tourist to be hurt on our streets. You’re beginning to sound like Marvin. It’s kind of creepy.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.” Okay, maybe I had, but the woman had been using a walker, for gosh sakes. Didn’t the rider have a grandma somewhere? “But I saw the guy, he was football defensive lineman big. I don’t know how he didn’t blow out a tire.”
“Eyewitnesses are typically a little off, but this is kind of crazy.” Greg pulled the truck into the parking lot tucked between the highway and the mountain. He turned off the engine and turned to look at me. “You ready to forget what’s been worrying you and have a relaxing dinner with the handsomest man on the South Cove police force?”
“I didn’t know Toby was meeting us here.” I rubbed my finger over the stubble on Greg’s face. When he had meetings at night, he typically shaved twice a day. I kind of liked the rough look being unshaven gave him.
“Funny girl.” He slid out of the truck and shut the door, walking around to my side to let me out. He caught me halfway down and let my body slide down skimming his own. The guy knew all the right moves. He led me toward the front door. “Let’s get some food now, I’m starving.”
Chapter 4
On the first day of the Summer Beach Blast Party, I’d arrived at the shop early, but I wasn’t the first one there. Kathi Corbin sat at one of our outside tables, looking at her phone. Her blond hair shimmered in the morning sunlight and I wondered if she had been born with that color or had she gotten it under the hand of an excellent hairdresser. She glanced up as I approached and slipped her phone into her Coach bag. If the purse was a knock-off, it was a great imitation.
“Good morning, darling,” she crooned in her Texas twang.
“Officially, we don’t open for another ten minutes, but come on in.” I unlocked the door and held it open for her. “I have a feeling today’s going to be crazy, I might as well get a jump on it.”
“Your group is so creative with all the little festivals to bring in customers. Back home, we only had the fall homecoming party and the spring shindig. By the time we got done planning for those, we were D-O-N-E, done.”
“Did you manage a business before?” I turned on lights and the coffee machines as I walked by the different areas. “I thought Tea Hee was your first venture into the land of retail?”
“Oh no, I worked at my uncle’s general store for a few years and then summers during college. I learned a lot about people working the counter there.” She stared up at the menu, then looked around. Satisfied they were alone, she