The Crêpes of Wrath: A Pancake House Mystery (7 page)

“Thank you.”

Chloe elbowed her brother in the ribs. “Did you invite her?”

“Not yet,” Brett said. “I was getting there.”

“We’d like to have you over for a barbecue tonight,” Chloe said. “We understand you might not be in the mood to socialize, but we also thought you might like to have some company.”

“Company would be great,” I said, liking the idea since the alternative was to be alone with my melancholy thoughts. “I’d love to come.”

“Perfect!” Chloe took a step back, smiling again. “I have to get moving or I’ll be late for work, but I’m so glad you’re coming tonight.”

“Do you want me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself.” She waved and hastened off down the hall in her high heels.

“She can be a whirlwind at times,” Brett said as soon as she was out of earshot.

“She’s sweet.” I realized that I had no idea where to go for the barbecue. “Do you live close by?”

“Just a few minutes’ walk away, on the corner of Saratoga Street and Sea Breeze Drive. White with green trim. You won’t have a problem finding it.” He fished his cellphone out of the pocket of his jeans. “But in case something comes up, I’ll give you my number.”

I grabbed my own phone and we exchanged numbers. Once that was done, I realized I didn’t want Brett to leave quite yet.

“Do you have time for some coffee or tea?” I asked.

He glanced at his watch. “Sure, coffee would be great.”

The reappearance of his smile—slightly lopsided—did something funny to my insides, something along the lines of sending thousands of butterflies into sudden flight.

“How about some breakfast?” I suggested. “On the house.”

“I’d be a fool to pass that up.”

“Any preference?”

“Whatever you choose. Anything Ivan cooks up is great.”

“I can’t argue with you there.” I gestured at the chairs in front of the desk. “Take a seat. I’ll be right back.”

I slipped into the kitchen and asked Ivan for two servings of maple pecan pancakes. His scowl never wavering, he gave me a curt nod in response. As I filled a mug with coffee and another with hot water for my tea, I glanced out the window to the dining area.

Although only a few minutes after seven, customers had already occupied two tables. Leigh appeared to have everything under control, however, so I returned to the office and handed the mug of coffee to Brett.

“Do you take cream or sugar?” I asked.

“No. Black is good, thanks.”

I set my tea mug on the desk and sat down facing Brett. “So, it’s really been eighteen years?”

“Yep.” He sat back in his chair. “How come I never saw you again after that?”

“After Jimmy’s wife died I stopped coming as much. My mom and I came over for a long weekend here and there, but I mostly spent my summers in the city after that.” I took an experimental sip of my tea but found it too hot, so I set it down again. “You wanted to be a lifeguard.”

“You remember that?”

I smiled. “I also remember that you had a thing for licorice ice cream.”

He mirrored my smile. “I still do, and I got my certification and worked as a lifeguard in the summers to put myself through college.”

Leigh appeared in the doorway, the redness gone from her eyes now. She entered the office and set two plates of pancakes and a handful of cutlery on the desk. “Here you go. Hot off the griddle.”

We both thanked her, and she flashed me a smile before leaving the office and shutting the door behind her.

“Where did you go to college?” I asked once we’d had a chance to sample the pancakes.

“The University of Oregon. I majored in business and then moved to Seattle for a few years.”

“You were in Seattle?”

All the times I’d thought of him over the years, I’d never imagined he was in the same city as I was.

“For a while. I worked for a company downtown.”

“Whereabouts?”

“Near Sixth and Union Street.”

“Really? That’s not far from where I work.”

“If only I’d known.”

I shared that sentiment.

He swallowed a bite of pancake before adding, “One thing I miss about downtown Seattle is the Mexican restaurant on Fourth Avenue.”

My face lit up. “Rinconcito Mexicano! I love that place. They have the best enchiladas.”

“And the best nachos rancheros.”

I realized I was smiling. “It’s kind of crazy that we never ran into each other there.”

“Crazy bad luck.”

I tried to keep my smile from getting out of control. To buy myself a few seconds, I ate another piece of pancake before saying, “But now you’re back here.”

He nodded and took a drink of his coffee. “I realized that a life behind a desk didn’t suit me, so I came home to Wildwood Cove and started my own business.”

“What kind of business?”

“Lawn and garden care. Cutting grass, trimming hedges, pruning trees, that sort of thing. It keeps me busy for about eight months of the year. During the winter I help out with my dad’s business. He’s a contractor. Home renovations, mostly. What about you?”

I tried my tea again and found it cool enough to take a long sip. “I majored in English at UW, but I wasn’t sure what to do with myself after I graduated. In the end I became a legal assistant.”

“Do you like it?”

I shrugged. “It’s all right when people aren’t yelling at me.”

“Does that happen a lot?”

“More than you might think. The firm I work at specializes in family law. A lot of the clients are stressed and angry. Unfortunately, they often take it out on me.” I took another sip of tea. “Some of them are really sweet, though.”

“Sounds stressful.”

“I guess it can be.” I glanced his way and opened my mouth to say something more, but then I closed it and shifted my gaze to the remains of my pancakes.

“What?”

I hesitated, unsure if I should say what was on my mind. In the end, I decided to go ahead. “We haven’t seen each other in almost two decades, but somehow this seems…” I chickened out then, wishing I’d kept quiet. I lowered my eyes to focus on my plate again.

“Natural?” Brett said.

My eyes shot up to meet his. “Yes.” He’d surprised me by knowing what I meant.

“I agree.”

Butterflies flitted about in my chest, partly because he felt the same, but mostly because of the way his gorgeous blue eyes held mine. Realizing that I’d stopped breathing, I broke eye contact and drew in a breath. Unable to sit still any longer, I finished off my last bite of pancake and checked Brett’s coffee mug. It was empty.

“Want a refill?”

“I’m good, thanks. And the pancakes were delicious.” He pushed back his chair. “I should probably get to work.”

I got to my feet and stacked our empty plates.

“Let me help you with that.” Brett grabbed the stacked plates and carried them into the kitchen for me.

From there, I walked with him to the front of the restaurant.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he put a hand on the door.

“What time?”

“Around six?”

“Sounds good.”

He gave me another glimpse of his smile as he headed out the door. “See you later.”

With a smile of my own, I watched him walk off down the promenade.

When I turned away from seeing Brett off, I found several pairs of eyes on me. Although The Flip Side had opened only half an hour earlier, a third of the tables had already been claimed by customers. Perhaps I should have expected that the pancake house would be busier than usual, filled with diners genuinely sad to hear of Jimmy’s death as well as a few curious souls seeking juicy tidbits of gossip.

I hesitated, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Leigh rushed over and put a hand on my arm. “I can take care of things out here if you’d rather stay in the back,” she said in a low voice.

I drew in a deep breath and gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Leigh, but I’ll be all right.”

“Are you sure?” She didn’t seem convinced.

“I’m sure. Besides, if this is how busy things are before the usual rush, you’re going to need me.”

I returned to the office, staying just long enough to retrieve my apron. Then I joined Leigh out front, as ready as I’d ever be to face all the questions and condolences that were bound to come my way.

Two of the first customers I served were Gary Thornbrook and his buddy Ed. Although I didn’t allow my hesitation to show, I felt uneasy as I approached their table, knowing as I did that the paintings stolen from Gary’s house had somehow ended up in Jimmy’s workshop.

“It’s a real shame about Jimmy,” Gary said as I filled his cup with coffee.

“It is,” I agreed.

“We’ll sure miss him,” Ed chimed in. “Everyone will. This town won’t be the same without him.”

“Sure won’t.” Gary added a generous dose of sugar to his coffee.

I set the coffeepot on the table and jotted down their orders for blueberry pancakes, sausages, and bacon. Before I could turn away and head for the kitchen, Gary spoke up again.

“I got a call from the sheriff yesterday.”

“Oh?” I tucked my pen into the pocket of my apron.

“Turns out a couple of my stolen paintings have been found.”

“You don’t say?” Ed took a sip of his coffee. “That’s some good news.”

“Yes. That’s great.” I tried to sound happy, but my stomach twisted as I wondered just how much information Ray had shared with Gary. “Did he mention where they were found?” Somehow I managed to keep my voice sounding normal.

“Nope,” Gary replied, and I relaxed with relief. “He said he couldn’t tell me much since the investigation is still ongoing. And he couldn’t return the paintings yet, but it’s nice to know I’ll be getting at least some of the stolen items back.”

“I’ll say.” Ed sat back in his chair. “If they found your paintings, they must be getting close to catching the culprit.”

“I sure hope so,” Gary said.

“I’m glad about your paintings, Gary.” I took a step toward the kitchen, wanting to escape from the conversation. “Your pancakes won’t be long.”

“Thanks, Marley. And I really am sorry about Jimmy.”

“Thank you.” I hurried toward the kitchen and relayed the latest orders to Ivan. As I delivered plates of crêpes to another pair of diners, I wondered if Gary would still feel as bad about Jimmy’s death if he knew where the stolen paintings had been found.

The Flip Side remained busy for much of the day. Although there were a few times when the crowd thinned out temporarily, Leigh and I barely had a moment to rest. As much as I wanted to question Ivan about any enemies Jimmy may have had, I didn’t get the chance. All my trips to the kitchen were hurried, and I couldn’t afford to linger and attempt to wrest answers from the reticent chef.

Toward the end of the lunch rush, Jonah walked in, this time without Goldie. I held my breath as he ran his eyes over the dining area and let it out only when he strode to the back of the restaurant and sat down at a table under Leigh’s care. I caught his eyes on me once or twice as he ate, but somehow I managed to hold back the shudders that wanted to run along my spine.

At one point he got up to use the washroom, and I stopped Leigh as I met her on my way to the window to retrieve a freshly made plate of churro waffles.

“Jonah is Goldie’s son, right?” I asked her in a whisper.

“Yes. And he’s got a thing for you.”

“Leigh!” I glanced over my shoulder, but Jonah was still away from his table. “Ugh,” I said, my voice barely audible. “Don’t say such things.”

“Why else would he be staring at you all the time?”

This time I couldn’t suppress my shudder. “Please.”

She gave me a sympathetic pat on my arm. “Sorry. I know he’s a bit creepy.”

“A bit?”

I carried on to pick up the churro waffles, and Leigh set off in another direction. Only minutes later, Jonah paid for his meal and left the restaurant, leaving me free from his unwanted scrutiny. I wondered if he and Daryl Willis were friends. They weren’t that far apart in age and they both had a high creep factor, but when I thought about it I somehow couldn’t picture the two of them hanging out together. Jonah seemed more likely to spend his time holed up with a computer or video games, while it was easier to picture Daryl hanging out at a bar or pool hall.

As thoughts of Jonah and Daryl still hovered in my mind, two young women came into the pancake house and claimed an unoccupied table near the stone fireplace where flames danced and popped, warming the restaurant. I’d never seen the brunette before, but I recognized her fair-haired friend from the previous day. She was the young woman I’d seen outside Johnny’s Juice Hut, the one I assumed was Daryl’s girlfriend, Tina.

Leigh approached their table and greeted them both by name, confirming for me that the blonde was indeed Tina. As I wiped down a neighboring table, I overheard Leigh say, “That’s a gorgeous bracelet.”

I glanced over in time to see Tina hold up her wrist to show off the piece of silver jewelry. Tiny red stones glinted in the light, catching my eye.

“Thanks,” Tina said. “It was a gift.”

“From a really great guy,” her friend put in with a knowing smile.

“He did well,” Leigh said with appreciation. “He must be a keeper.”

“He is,” Tina agreed.

They continued to chat, but I had to head across the restaurant to accept payment from customers on their way out. Once that was taken care of, I delivered several plates of pancakes to waiting customers. When I had a rare spare moment to linger near the cash register, my eyes strayed across the dining area to rest on Tina and her friend.

Although I hadn’t had a close-up look at Tina’s bracelet, what I did see of it led me to think that it was of good quality. I found it hard to believe that Daryl could afford to buy his girlfriend a gift in that league. It was far easier for me to suspect that he hadn’t paid for it.

I made a mental note to ask Sheriff Georgeson if a bracelet similar to Tina’s had gone missing from any of the burglarized homes. I didn’t have time to do any more than that before more customers arrived. As I took orders from a group of four, a woman with frizzy brown hair streaked with gray entered the pancake house. She paused inside the door, surveying the tables from behind thick glasses. I hardly noticed her until Leigh, passing me with a load of dirty dishes, muttered, “Oh no,” her eyes narrowed in the woman’s direction.

I glanced over at the new arrival in time to see a nasty smile spread across her face. Taking Leigh’s arm, I pulled her into the kitchen with me.

“Who is that woman?”

She set down her load of dishes. “Ida Winkler.”

Ivan looked up sharply but stayed silent.

I glanced through the window to the front of the house but couldn’t see the frizzy-haired woman. “More details, please,” I said to Leigh.

She heaved out a sigh. “Ida used to work here. Years ago. She’d been in jail for theft, and Jimmy was giving her a second chance.”

Ivan made a sound of disgust, and that only added to my anxiety.

“But?” I knew there was more to the story. I would have bet a hefty sum that Ida was the employee my mom had mentioned, the one who’d caused trouble in the past.

“But I caught her stealing money from the till. Jimmy fired her, but that made her mad so she started causing problems.”

“What sort of problems?” I asked, uneasy.

“Vandalizing the building, coming in to shout at people, that sort of thing. Jimmy had to threaten to call the police to get her to stop.”

“But she did stop?”

“She did.”

“Then hopefully she’s not here to cause trouble.”

“My advice?” Leigh said. “Don’t hold your breath.”

She pushed through the swinging door, leaving the kitchen. I followed in her wake, my nerves on edge. As we entered the dining area, Ida emerged from the back hall and headed for the closest unoccupied table. I hoped she’d gone in the back to use the washroom and not to find something to lift with her sticky fingers. I hadn’t bothered to lock the office, and I made a mental note to check that my wallet was still safely in my tote bag.

I came up behind Leigh in time to hear her say in a steely, low voice, “You know you’re not welcome here.”

Ida settled into her chair, her face smug. She snagged the laminated menu from the table and ran her eyes over it. “I’ll have the bacon cheddar waffles.”

“You won’t be having anything,” Leigh countered.

I cringed, not wanting the situation to escalate.

“Says who?” Ida slapped the menu down on the tabletop. “The king’s been tossed from his throne. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.”

A mixture of shock and disgust surged through me. How could anyone talk like that about Jimmy?

“So,” Ida went on, still smug, “he’s no longer here to get rid of me.”

“But I am,” Ivan’s voice boomed from behind me.

I jumped and Ida’s head jerked up, her eyes wide behind her thick glasses. Ivan stepped forward and I scooted to the side to stay out of his way. He loomed over Ida, his muscular, tattooed bulk even more intimidating than usual.

“Leave. Now.”

Ida didn’t move.

“Now!” Ivan bellowed, his voice booming through The Flip Side.

Ida’s chair screeched across the wood floor as she rose to her feet. She stomped halfway across the room before spinning around. “You’ll regret this.” She spat the words in Leigh’s direction. “You’ll see.”

With that, she charged through the front door and out of sight.

I realized that both my hands were balled into fists at my sides, all my muscles taut. Forcing myself to relax, I surveyed the other diners. They all stared at us, wide-eyed. I couldn’t blame them.

Shocked silence had settled over the room and everyone remained still, as if afraid to be the one to break it.

Ivan ran his dark eyes over the dining area and blew a breath of air out through his nose. “Eat!” he ordered the room at large.

As his one word resounded through the pancake house, the chef strode back to the kitchen and disappeared behind the swinging door.

One by one, the diners picked up their forks and resumed eating. Conversations started up again too, but I remained in the same spot, frozen. I couldn’t believe Ida Winkler. How could she hold such a grudge against Jimmy? I didn’t know whether to be angry or distressed. I didn’t even know what to do next.

Fortunately, Leigh came to my rescue. She took my arm and guided me toward the office.

“Come on, Marley. Sit down for a minute.”

As I lowered myself into the desk chair, I remembered my earlier concern about my wallet. I rummaged through my tote bag but found my wallet and all of its contents as I’d left them.

“Are you all right?” Leigh asked.

“Yes. It’s just…that was upsetting. Jimmy died only yesterday and it’s…” I trailed off, not sure what else to say.

“I know. But that’s Ida for you. She’s as mean-spirited as they come. Do your best to forget about her.”

“Good idea.” A woman like that wasn’t worth my time or energy. I stood up and smoothed the creases out of my red apron. “We should get back to work.”

“I can take care of things out there if you want a break.”

I shook my head. “Thanks, but I’d rather get back out there and get things back to normal as soon as possible.”

Leigh agreed with me and we left the office together. But as I refilled coffee mugs and took down orders, I had to wonder what normal meant now that Cousin Jimmy was gone.