Scones and Scofflaws Read online

  She paused as she picked up the container of special spices she’d bought when she first came down here. She’d been so excited to find them: cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, all packaged in adorable little miniature Cape May Victorian houses with removable tops. She’d bought them at the kitchen store in town, convinced it was a sign that her dream was meant to be. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she tossed the whole thing into the bag.

  If something in her kitchen was poisoning people, it all had to go. And even if it wasn’t, people thought it was. She needed to be able to stand up in public and tell everyone that her kitchen was clean, refreshed and ready to serve.

  For the next hour, she moved through her kitchen like an incompetent burglar, tipping jars over, spilling out their contents, dumping everything. Eoin had offered to help, but it took only a few broken jars before she’d thanked him for his assistance and shuttled him back out to the porch with his book and a glass of lemonade.

  She kept moving through the kitchen, kept working, knowing that if she stopped, if she thought about what she was doing and how much it would cost to replace, she would break down in tears.

  “Are you okay?”

  She looked up at Luke’s soft voice from the doorway. He laughed when he saw her. She was sitting on the floor in front of two big cabinets, surrounded by empty containers.

  “Do you have any idea what you look like right now?” he asked.

  She shook her head and raised a hand to stop him, but he ignored it, stepping swiftly into the kitchen and kneeling down next to her. “Anna, what’s wrong?” He took both her hands in his. “Let me help.”

  She felt her resolve weaken as soon as she felt his touch and she pulled her hands away. He leaned back but didn’t stand. “What’s going on?” he repeated his question.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I’m just”—she looked around and laughed—“would you believe I’m cleaning out the kitchen?”

  “Is that what you call this?” he asked skeptically.

  “The police still think George might have been accidentally poisoned. And everyone in town thinks it, too.”

  “By you?” Luke asked. “That’s crazy. No way.”

  “I know”—Anna looked wildly around the kitchen—“I’ve gone through everything. There is nothing here. Truly nothing that could have killed him. For goodness sake, I’m a scientist. I think I’d know if I had poison in my kitchen.”

  “Of course you would know, Anna. Come on.”

  Luke took her hands again and gently lifted her from the floor, then guided her to one of the tall stools. “Sit here. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

  She watched as he moved about the kitchen, grinding the beans, filling the French press with boiling water. The earthy smell of the coffee brought her back to some semblance of calm and she accepted the mug he handed her gratefully.

  “You’re so good to me, Luke. I know I’m not great about accepting help, but I do appreciate it.”

  “I sure hope so.” he grinned as he perched on the stool next to her. “Now, tell me again what you’re doing in here?” His eyes scanned the mess she had created.

  “I went through everything.” She shrugged. “I thought maybe something had gone bad. Or maybe one of the plastic containers was leaching out BPA. I thought I’d bought everything BPA-free, but you never know. Labels aren’t always accurate.”

  “BPA? I’ve heard of that. I know it’s poisonous, but it wouldn’t kill someone, Anna.”

  “Oh I know.” Anna raised her voice as she rolled her head in frustration. “I know that. I know for a fact there is no poison in my kitchen.” Now she was yelling and Luke was staring at her.

  “Okay.” He spoke calmly, gently putting his mug down and taking hers from her shaking hands. “So maybe we should clean this up then?”

  She looked at him. So calm, so comforting, so ready to offer to help. What was wrong with her that she wasn’t jumping at the chance to accept everything he had to offer? She started laughing, first a giggle, then harder. Suddenly she was crying. Big, sloppy sobs racked her body and she felt her nose running.

  Luke leaned forward and pulled her close to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she sobbed, sniffling and coughing as she did so.

  “I’m so sorry, Anna. I wish I could do something to help. I really do.”

  “I know,” she mumbled through her sniffles. “I know, I do. And I’m sorry. This is so embarrassing.”

  He laughed and simply patted her head until she’d calmed down. When her sniffling had subsided, he pulled her away from him and looked her in the eyes. She could only imagine what they looked like, red and swollen for sure.

  “I’m going to help you clean this up, okay?” he said.

  She nodded and felt herself smile. It was good to have someone to help.

  Together, they set to work putting her kitchen back together.

  29

  The front doorbell jingled just as Anna threw the last dirty dishcloth into the hamper against the wall.

  “Saved by the bell?” Luke said with a laugh, looking around the now spotless kitchen.

  Anna rolled her eyes at him as she pushed through the door into the lounge, not sure what to expect next. Surprises recently had not been good.

  Fortunately, this one was.

  Sammy stormed into the lounge from the entrance hall, Eoin’s red head poking out from behind her, just as Anna and Luke came in from the kitchen. She triumphantly raised two stuffed shopping bags.

  “I brought the ingredients for a Scofflaw!” she crowed. “Since I didn’t get to try one the other night.” She placed the cloth bags on the coffee table, reaching in to pull out the various items. “Let’s see… bourbon, check.” She glanced up at Anna and grinned wickedly.

  Anna laughed and added, “Obviously.”

  “Vermouth… orange bitters… grenadine…” Sammy continued her recital of ingredients as she pulled each item out of the bags. “And of course, fresh lemons.” She ended her recitation with a flourish.

  Luke walked around the coffee table, examining the ingredients. “That’s quite a drink you’re planning to make there. Where did you pick up this recipe?”

  “Will you join us in a little day drinking?” Sammy asked as she folded the empty shopping bags. “I’ve heard this is a great drink. It’s called a Scofflaw.”

  “So that’s what it is.” Luke laughed and joined Anna, who had watched Sammy’s performance from where she stood near the door to the kitchen. “That sounds interesting, but I have to decline.” He glanced down at Anna. “I still have some more work to do, and alcohol and power tools definitely don’t mix.”

  “I’ll try some,” Eoin’s high pitched voice piped up from behind Sammy.

  Sammy ignored him and gave Anna and Luke a sideways look. “What have you two been up to?”

  “Just some cleaning.” Anna said, moving away from Luke without looking at him. “We went through everything in the kitchen. Just making sure, you know.”

  “I’m glad you’re here to help her relax,” Luke said to Sammy. “She was going at that kitchen like a madwoman when I found her.”

  Anna shrugged and sank onto the couch. “I just had to be sure, that’s all.”

  “Sure of what?” Sammy asked.

  Anna glanced back at Luke. “That I didn’t poison poor George. By accident,” she added quickly as Sammy opened her mouth to complain.

  “Of course by accident. But what on earth made you think it might be something from your kitchen that killed him?”

  “Well”—Anna looked down at her hands as she explained her reasoning—“the police are looking into the possibility that he was poisoned by something here and everyone in town thinks it was something I made for him. George brought his own toiletries so I know it wasn’t one of the little bottles I provide for guests. Plus no one else got sick.” She looked up at Sammy. “And George was the only person I served breakfast to that morning.”

  “Oh, honey.” Sa
mmy sat down next to Anna and put an arm around her shoulders. “But what if it wasn’t anything here in your house that got him sick?”

  “That’s what I keep telling her,” Luke said, leaning back against the wall next to the kitchen door.

  “I know.” Anna looked back down at her lap. “I guess I just feel responsible. And the more I get to know about George, the worse I feel. He seems like he was a really lonely guy.”

  “What the…?” Luke turned suddenly and pushed through the swinging door back into the kitchen.

  Anna and Sammy shared a confused glance then jumped up to follow him, Eoin close on their heels.

  “I thought I heard something,” Luke said, turning toward the women. “Look.”

  It took Anna a few seconds to identify the thing Luke indicated. It looked like a small mass of dirt. Or a really large dust bunny. Then it sneezed.

  Anna and Sammy both jumped. Eoin squeaked.

  Luke laughed. “It’s that old cat.” He looked back at the women. “She’s been around for a couple of years now. Just a stray. I think she lived in that old shed out back.”

  “The shed!” Anna thought with horror of what she had done to the shed. “Oh no, I didn’t know there was anything living in there.”

  She squatted down in front of the shivering animal. “You poor thing, what did I do to you?”

  Luke squatted next to her, putting a hand on Anna’s back. She felt comfort from his touch, but it didn’t change the overwhelming guilt she felt from having destroyed the cat’s home. “Why didn’t I know about her? I’ve been here for months.”

  Luke shrugged. “I guess she prefers to live on her own. I only see her every now and then.”

  The cat shook again, wood shavings and dust shimmering in the air around her then falling to the ground. Eoin stepped closer and put a small hand out toward the animal. It backed away.

  Anna stood, grabbing Luke and bringing him up with her. “Come on, we need to help her.”

  “How?” Luke glanced back at the cat. “She’s been doing okay on her own. She’s a pretty tough cookie.”

  “Tough cookie or not, she needs our help now.”

  “Will this do?” Sammy asked. She held up a large saucer, part of a set of soup mugs Anna had collected for the B&B.

  “Perfect. Grab another one, too.” Anna filled the first saucer with water, then held the second one as she looked around the kitchen. “Too bad I don’t have any cat food.”

  “Maybe tuna?” Luke asked helpfully.

  Anna shook her head. “I only serve breakfast for the guests. Oh!” She slapped a hand to her head. “I still have some smoked salmon that I was going to serve…” her voice trailed off as her smile faded. She shook her head determinedly. “Anyway, our little tough cookie might like that.”

  Anna filled both saucers then turned to approach the cat. She stepped softly, making small cooing noises as she moved closer. “It’s okay, honey, these are for you.”

  She placed the saucers within a couple of feet of the filthy cat. “I wish I could help you get cleaned up, too.”

  “Cats don’t clean themselves until after they’ve eaten,” Eoin said, surprising everyone else in the room.

  “That’s very smart. How do you know that?” Sammy asked him, walking over and draping an arm over his shoulder.

  Eoin looked up at her with a gaze of pure adoration. “I read about it. I like to read.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that about you,” Sammy responded with a laugh.

  Anna heard a quiet ripple of water and looked down to see the cat drinking greedily from the saucer. It then turned its attention to the salmon, tearing off tiny pieces and swallowing them daintily.

  “Come on.” She grabbed Sammy’s arm. “Let’s get those ingredients.”

  30

  “How’s she doing?” Anna whispered as she leaned over Sammy’s shoulder, trying to peer into the kitchen around her.

  “Careful… good, look, she’s cleaning herself!” Sammy stepped back to let the door swing shut and stomped on Anna’s foot.

  “Ow,” Anna complained, then shushed herself even before Sammy did.

  The two women fell back onto the sofa giggling. The cat had eaten all her food and was now busily twisting herself into a pretzel to lick herself clean.

  “What do you think, another round?” Sammy asked.

  Their empty cocktail glasses stood on the coffee table in front of them. Eoin occupied the chair closest to the doorway, both feet tucked under him, both hands gripping his almost-empty glass of pink lemonade. At least he’d been willing to accept the lemonade as an alternative, despite several attempts to join the women in trying a Scofflaw.

  Anna picked her glass up, sucking out the last drops of her Scofflaw. “Probably not,” she replied with regret. “I suspect we’ve had enough.”

  The two friends looked at each other and broke out into another round of giggles.

  Their laughter broke off as the front door slammed open, the bell swinging madly. It took Anna a second to recognize the man who burst in, his face red and his eyes wide. There was nothing feminine about Jason this afternoon. His sexy dress and blond wig had been replaced by jeans, T-shirt and sneakers. And an expression that could set wet kindling ablaze.

  “You set the cops on me? How could you do that?”

  Anna and Sammy both jumped up, terrified. Eoin slid of his chair and scuttled behind the sofa.

  “What are you talking about?” Anna asked. “We didn’t do that.”

  “Oh yeah?” Jason sneered, moving farther into the room. Anna grabbed Sammy’s hand as they both stepped behind the sofa, trying to create space between them and the angry young man without revealing Eoin’s presence there.

  “I swear,” Anna tried to speak calmly. “I never mentioned you to the police.”

  “Well the cop who talked to me said different.” Jason beat his hands together as he talked, one fist banging into the other palm. “He said he’d been tipped off about George coming to the Pink Passion and you’re the only person who’s come around asking questions about George.”

  “Oh.” Anna swallowed. Should she apologize or defend herself, she wondered. Whichever would most likely calm Jason down, for sure.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I did… I mentioned the club when I talked with the cops. But I didn’t mention you, I promise.”

  Jason threw his hands in the air. “Great. They’re cops, get it? It didn’t take them long to figure out I was the only one at the club who spent time with George.”

  “You told us you’d gone to his office and met his partner,” Sammy jumped in. “How do you know the partner didn’t mention you to the cops? Maybe it wasn’t us at all?”

  Sammy’s attempt to shift the blame away from them seemed to only make Jason angrier. He spun around, his arms swinging wildly. They made contact with a ceramic vase that stood on a cabinet near the doorway. Anna watched with growing fear as it smashed into the ground, breaking into multiple shards. One large piece skated along the floor toward them, sliding under the sofa and coming to a stop at their feet. She heard a squeak from Eoin, but hopefully Jason hadn’t noticed it.

  Anna swallowed. “Jason,” she tried to sound reasonable. “I’m sorry this happened to you. But I don’t understand why you’re so mad. The police don’t think you killed George, do they?”

  Jason shook his head as he sneered at her, but didn’t answer.

  “Did you want to keep your… pastime a secret?” Anna asked. “I really didn’t know that.”

  Jason blew out an angry breath. “It’s not a secret, but it’s also not your business telling anyone. Get it? Who I share my story with is my business, and my business only. You need to mind your own business.”

  He started moving again and his foot fell on one of the pieces of ceramic. He jumped at the cracking sound and looked down as if just noticing the broken vase. Then he looked back at Anna and his smile made her shiver.

  “I should break up your home like y
ou’ve tried to break into mine.” He picked up an umbrella from the stand near the door and waved it in the air in front of him. His eyes narrowed. “Where should I start? Hmm?”

  Thank God Jason hadn’t noticed Luke coming down the stairs behind him and crossing the front hall. As Jason waved the umbrella in the air, Luke jumped at him, grabbing Jason from behind and pinning his arms at his side.

  “What are you doing, Jason…” Luke spoke as he struggled with the other man. “You’re out of control.” Luke took a breath.

  Jason twisted against Luke’s grip. “Let go of me. What’re you doing? This isn’t about you, Luke. Let me go.”

  Anna and Sammy both slumped back against the wall in relief at seeing Luke, but their relief didn’t last long. Jason was clearly the stronger man. Anna could see that Luke was losing his grip as Jason struggled against him.

  Anna tried again, speaking as calmly as she could. “Jason, I didn’t try to break into your life. I’m really sorry if anything I told the police upset you. Please just leave.”

  “Ladies, can one of you please call the cops?” Luke grunted. “Like now?”

  With a final tug, Jason freed himself from Luke’s grasp. Luke grabbed at him, trying to wrestle him to the ground, but Jason again pulled free.

  “Enough!” He said, jumping out of Luke’s reach and heading for the hall. “I’m going. But you”—he pointed a finger at Anna—“stay out of my way, you got it?” He sneered at Luke one more time before storming out. “Not surprised you’re with them, you always were a traitor.”

  Anna and Sammy both sank onto the sofa as the front door slammed shut behind Jason. They had nothing to laugh about now.

  Luke came toward them, looking them both over. “You both all right?”

  Anna nodded and looked at Sammy, who said, “We are. Thank God you were here, Luke.”

  “What did you two do to piss off Jason? Everyone knows he’s got a temper he can’t control.” Luke wiped his hands along his jeans and started rolling up his sleeves, then paused to look at Anna. “I hope I didn’t overstep my role again?”