Coup de Glace Read online

  Erin looked out the window toward Vic’s loft again. She should have noticed if the light had been turned on, but she had been deeply interested in what she was reading. The apartment was still dark.

  “I don’t think she’s going to make it back tonight,” Erin told Orange Blossom. “They must be having too good a time.”

  Blossom sat up and yowled at her, a long, mournful sound that he made when she left him alone or took him in the car to the vet. Erin laughed and scratched his ears.

  “We’ll be fine if she stays away overnight. She doesn’t sleep in the house anymore anyway.”

  Erin yawned, scrubbed at her eyes again, and decided it must be more than the dust from the journal that was making her eyes feel gritty. She needed to be up early in the morning for the bakery. Not as early as usual, because it would be Sunday, which was just the ladies’ tea, and she didn’t have to have everything baked that she would on a regular day. Just a few cookies and treats and an assortment of teas at the ready for when the women got out of their church services.

  “It’s my one night to sleep in,” she told the cat, “I’d better take advantage of it.”

  Chapter Three

  T

  hings went well at the ladies’ tea. It was pretty routine after a year, with no unexpected bumps in the road. Erin and Bella were cleaning up when Erin heard the jingling of the bells at the front door. She had a pretty good idea who it would be. Everyone knew that the tea would be over, and she would be closed. Erin looked out the kitchen doorway to the front of the shop.

  “Come on in,” she invited Officer Terry Piper.

  He locked the front door for her and walked around the counter and through the kitchen door to join them. K9 panted at Terry’s side.

  “Do you want some water?” Erin suggested. “As Vic would say, it’s almighty hot out there.”

  “Vic would not,” Terry countered, “since this is still pretty mild for late spring.”

  “Fine, then I’ll say it’s almighty hot. Does K9 want a drink?”

  Terry looked down at his partner.

  “I’m sure he does,” he agreed. “And a cookie. But you go ahead,” he motioned toward the sink, “you finish cleaning up. I know where everything is.”

  Erin would protest that he didn’t have to serve himself, but if she let him do it, she would be out of there all that much earlier. She shrugged. “Okay. Let me know if you need a hand with anything.”

  Erin went back to work and Terry got himself and K9 water and a cookie each. K9 seemed just as happy with his doggie biscuit as Terry was with his Bella’s Dream cookie. Terry walked into the kitchen munching on it.

  “Great idea, Bella,” he told the girl, toasting her with the cookie. “I love them.”

  Bella turned pink and fanned herself with her hand. “Thank you, Officer Piper!”

  “I’ll be happy to test new combinations for you anytime.”

  Erin looked over at him. “Charley suggested that we try crickets in the protein bars.”

  A little wrinkle appeared between Terry’s eyebrows. “Crickets? Is that some nickname for some kind of dried fruit or seed?”

  “Nope. Crickets. Like she feeds to Iggy.”

  Terry made a face. “Don’t even talk to me about crickets while eating. And remind me not to try anything labeled high protein if she ever reopens The Bake Shoppe. I’m not going to be her guinea pig.”

  “They are supposed to be very good for you. Low in fat.”

  “Well, so are a lot of things I don’t intend to eat.”

  “K9 would eat them, wouldn’t you, boy?”

  K9 looked up at Erin with a little whine. They all laughed. They finished the clean-up together and Erin was free for the afternoon.

  “Do you need a ride?” Terry asked Bella, as Erin locked the back door.

  Bella shook her head. “No, it’s okay. My mom is picking me up. She’ll be here any minute.”

  “You’re sure? Call Erin if you get stranded and we’ll come back for you.”

  Bella waved him off. “I’m fine. Mom’s coming.”

  Erin and Terry left her waiting in the back parking lot. They got into Erin’s car; Erin knew his would be at the police department and they could pick it up later.

  “Everything quiet this morning?” Erin asked.

  “Like a Sunday morning in a small town.”

  Erin looked in her rear-view mirror at Bella. “Are you worried about her? Did you want to wait?”

  “No, she’ll be fine. I’m surprised she doesn’t have a car of her own. Doesn’t she have a license?”

  “I don’t think so. Her mom strikes me as a little… overprotective. She probably doesn’t want Bella to be driving around on her own.”

  “Most kids out in the country are driving as soon as they are fourteen and have their licenses and their own cars as soon as they can. No parent wants to be driving around all over the county with them.”

  “I’ve noticed. I see kids who look like they’re barely out of kindergarten with their own cars. I had my license when I was eighteen, but I didn’t have enough money to get my own vehicle yet. And when I did have money to get my own…” Erin patted the steering wheel of the Challenger, “it was always a beater.”

  “With Bella living out of town, I would have thought she would have her own little beater by now. Maybe she’s saving up for one.”

  Erin nodded, but secretly she wondered about Bella’s mother. Erin hadn’t seen Cindy very often, usually just a wave from behind the wheel when she dropped Bella off or picked her up. She didn’t strike Erin as a very happy person.

  Erin had been out on her own when she was eighteen. So had Vic. There was no reason Bella had to leave home when she was eighteen. Her part-time salary certainly wasn’t enough to support her. Erin couldn’t afford to give her more hours and pay her more, so she was glad that Bella wasn’t too independent. She didn’t want to lose Bella, but she wondered if Bella would be happier if she took a bit more initiative and stood up for herself.

  “Family style for dinner?” Terry asked.

  “Yeah, that sounds good.”

  Terry turned his head to look over at her. “You sound very far away.”

  Erin forced herself to look at Terry and smile, bringing her attention back to him. “Sorry. Just tired at the end of the week, I guess.”

  “Maybe Bella needs to take a few more hours on so you can cut back a little.”

  “Mmm. Maybe. Vic would agree with you.”

  “Where is Vic today? Did she and Willie have a good time?”

  “I don’t know. Haven’t heard from them yet.”

  He looked at her, raising his eyebrows. “Oho? Is that so?”

  “They didn’t come back last night. Unless they went to Willie’s. They didn’t end up at Vic’s.”

  “Well. That’s a step forward in their relationship.”

  Erin nodded. “Hopefully, that means everything went well. He’s stayed over before when bad things have happened… when she was being harassed. I just hope it wasn’t anything like that.”

  “Not likely. Away from home, no one would know anything was different about her. She looks just like any other girl.”

  They pulled into the family restaurant and seated themselves on arrival. After ordering, Erin tried to relax and decompress from her day.

  “What do you know about Bella’s family?” she asked Terry. “She’s never mentioned her dad and I’ve never asked.”

  “There’s never been a man in the picture. It’s just been Bella and her mom. Her mom had been away, but she moved back here before Bella was born. I don’t know if her father was someone here in town or from somewhere else. I’ve never heard any explanation.”

  “Poor kid. It’s tough being raised without a dad.”

  Terry shrugged. “These days, lots of kids are.”

  “If it’s just the two of them all alone on the farm, I guess that’s why her mom is so protective.”

  Terry nodded his agree
ment and had a sip of water.

  “And probably why Bella is scared of her own shadow,” Erin added. “I mean, not literally of her own shadow, but she’s certainly got a thing about ghosts.”

  “Haints,” Terry said with a teasing smile.

  “Haints?”

  “That’s the local word for ghosts. Learn the lingo.”

  “I haven’t heard that before. Well, maybe a couple of times, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

  “Haints. Haunts. What haunts a haunted house.”

  “Oh, I see.” Erin smiled and shook her head. “I don’t remember Clementine ever using that one. But then, I haven’t exactly been around for a long time.”

  “Bella is afraid of haints?”

  “Mortally. Scared as a… I don’t know. What’s really scared?”

  “A long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers?”

  “I think that’s jumpy, but it will have to do. She is really terrified of gho-haints. I don’t think I can say that without cracking up! She’s afraid to go downstairs to use the loo. She has to run down the street, where she doesn’t have to go down to the basement. She’s sure that my basement is haunted because that’s where Angela died.”

  “But since we solved her murder and sent the culprit to prison, doesn’t that mean she would be at rest now? Why would she be haunting you now?”

  “Don’t ask me. I don’t know how it works.”

  Terry chuckled.

  “She asked me to look into her grandmother’s death years ago,” Erin told him.

  “Why would you do that? You told her no, right?”

  Uh-huh,” Erin nodded. “I told her I’m no detective.”

  “Her grandmother’s death?” Terry stared off into space as if trying to remember what had happened.

  The waitress brought them their plates, and Terry and Erin ate in silence for a few minutes.

  “I only have a vague recollection,” Terry said. “I wasn’t with the police department back then. I was just a kid, but I remember there being talk about something happening to her grandmother.” He shook his head. “I’ll have to look it up. Why does Bella want you to look into it?”

  “Because I gather her grandmother haunts the barn. So Bella can’t go in there. She’d like to be able to go in there without being scared.”

  “Oh.” Terry shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth. “Okay, then.”

  “Like I said. She’s scared of… haints. Really scared.”

  When Erin got back, she saw Willie’s truck in front of the house and breathed a sigh of relief. Not because she’d been worried anything had happened to Vic. Not really. But she couldn’t help being a little concerned when Vic didn’t return when she was expected to. Erin was like a mother with grown children who still worried about them, just a little, and wondered where they were and what they were doing.

  Erin parked her own car and went into the house, not sure whether Vic would be there or in her own apartment in back. She smiled when she heard Vic’s voice addressing Orange Blossom.

  “There she is, Blossom. There’s your mommy, home again.”

  Marshmallow, the toasted-brown and white rabbit, hopped up to Erin before Orange Blossom got there, so he got the first scratches and pats.

  “Hello, you soft, fluffy, beautiful bun!” She scratched behind his ears and let the rabbit snuffle her toes, investigating all the smells she brought home with her.

  The cat sat on his haunches a few feet away, looking tall and regal and completely unconcerned with the attention his fellow was getting. Erin knew it was all an act. They had a strong rivalry going. Erin kept an eye on the cat while patting Marshmallow and giving him attention, until the rabbit decided he’d had enough for the moment and hopped away. Erin looked at Orange Blossom.

  “I know. You aren’t looking for any attention, are you? You just live here. You’re a cat, not a lap dog.”

  Blossom gave her a long, slow blink. Erin stepped over to him and picked him up, pulling him to her chest and cuddling him. Orange Blossom immediately began to purr, loud and satisfied.

  “Now are you going to talk to me?” Erin asked, not used to his being so quiet. He was always so chatty. The silent treatment was something new. Maybe it was a sign he was growing up and wasn’t a needy kitten or adolescent anymore.

  Orange Blossom chirruped in response. Erin talked nonsense with him for a few minutes, scratching his ears and chin. Vic stood in the doorway and watched them, her eyes sparkling.

  “You ended up being longer than you expected?” Erin asked.

  “Yes. A little,” Vic agreed. She smiled.

  “Are you going to tell me all about it?”

  Vic considered, then shook her head. “Not all about it, no. Just… that we had a really nice time. It was a great break, I feel like I had a week-long vacation. I’m so relaxed. How did everything go here? Any trouble at the bakery?”

  “No, everything went smoothly. Bella was there, and we didn’t have any unexpected problems. Had dinner with Terry.” Erin shrugged. “And now you’re home safe and sound, so I’m happy.”

  “Good. Cuppa tea before bed?”

  “That sounds good.”

  Erin followed Vic into the kitchen, the animals trailing them to get their treats. Erin put out some bread and jam while Vic put the kettle on and looked through the supply of teas to pick something out.

  “I don’t know if we’re ever going to get through all of Clementine’s teas,” Vic said. “She must have put up a ten-year supply!”

  “All the leftover inventory from when she shut down the tea shop. I don’t think it will take ten years, but maybe a couple more, anyway.”

  While they waited for the kettle to boil, Vic got a stick of celery out for Marshmallow and Erin flicked a couple of kitty treats across the floor for Orange Blossom to chase. Vic giggled when the cat nearly skidded straight into the cupboards after galloping after one. Marshmallow kept one eye on Orange Blossom as he nibbled sedately on his celery.

  They sat down at the table and Erin breathed in the lemon balm scent carried by the steam. Vic looked over the jars of Jam Lady jam and picked out the blackberry. Erin snagged the strawberry.

  Vic shook her head. “I can’t believe you can still eat strawberry jam after getting poisoned.”

  Erin looked down at it. “It’s really good.”

  “You’re not afraid that Mr. Jam Lady put poison in another one?”

  “No.” Erin didn’t point out that if Roger had poisoned another jar of jam, it didn’t have to be the strawberry. It could just as easily have been the blackberry that Vic had chosen.

  “I guess this will be the last of the Jam Lady jam,” Vic sighed.

  Erin spread jam on her bread. “Unless Mary Lou or the boys take over. Or if Roger gets out.”

  Vic looked at Erin over the rim of her teacup. “They wouldn’t let him go, would they?”

  “I don’t think so. Even if they decide he wasn’t responsible because of his brain damage… they still can’t just let him go free, because of the danger he could hurt someone else.”

  Vic nodded her agreement. “I feel bad for Mary Lou.”

  “Yeah. Things are going to be tough for them.”

  Erin smothered a yawn. “Sorry. I slept in, I shouldn’t be tired.”

  “You work hard. Of course you’re tired. You can head to bed as soon as we’re done. Sooner, if you want.”

  “I’ll want to read for a few minutes. Write a few things down.”

  “Read…? Oh, Clementine’s journal? Come across anything interesting?” Vic was always careful not to ask anything too intrusive. She didn’t ask specifics, like whether Clementine knew what had happened to Erin’s parents or had said anything about the possibility of taking care of eight-year-old Erin.

  Erin nodded. “She mentioned a missing woman. Strange, because I never saw anything in the local papers about it. And it’s not like I would have missed it. I was looking for information about a missing man, I would definitel
y have noticed a missing woman.”

  “Maybe she was found again before the weekly was published. Or maybe it wasn’t widely known. Just because Clementine knew about it, that doesn’t mean the local media would have gotten ahold of it. We don’t know.”

  “True,” Erin agreed tentatively.

  “Or they might have decided it was unsubstantiated gossip and they couldn’t print it. Who was it?”

  “I’d have to check the names again. Proust? I don’t remember their first names.”

  Vic raised her eyebrows. “Proust? Or Prost?”

  It wasn’t until then that Erin made the connection. “Prost? You mean Bella?”

  Vic nodded. “That is Bella’s last name, isn’t it?”

  The pieces started to click together. “Oh, no…”

  “What?”

  “Bella asked me if I would look into her grandmother’s death, a cold case. I told her no, I’m not a private investigator… and then Clementine’s journal… I never made the connection. This missing woman must have been her grandmother.”

  Chapter Four

  E

  rin didn’t normally have Bella in on a Monday, unless it was to take the afternoon shift when she or Vic had a doctor’s appointment or another errand that couldn’t be put off. She didn’t quite know what to say to Bella. She dithered around until it was late enough in the morning to make calls without waking people up, and then tried Bella’s number. The number Erin had was, luckily, Bella’s cell phone, so she wouldn’t be waking the whole family by ringing the landline. Though ‘the whole family’ only meant Bella’s mother. It wasn’t like there would be sleeping children.

  “Hello? Erin? Is everything okay? Didn’t Vic get back? You should have called me last night.”

  “No, everything is fine. Vic did get back, and she’s working today; we don’t need you to cover an emergency shift.”

  “Oh. Okay… so what did you need me for, then? I put in my timesheet. I left it in your basket.”

  “Yes, I saw. It looks fine. I’m just… I’m having a staff meeting at the end of the day today, and I wondered if you would like to join in. Help us to make some decisions.”