Ghosts Beneath Us: A Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery (Spookie Town Murder Mysteries Book 3) (22 page)

“They won’t go to waste,” Frank piped up. “Abby, the kids and I will be here first thing in the morning to sample them. My mouth is already watering. I can’t wait.”

Kate’s smile grew. “Thanks Frank. I know I can depend on you guys if no one else.”

“Don’t worry, my friend,” Abigail said. “You’re going to be mobbed tomorrow morning, you’ll see. The people here love The Bakery but to have some new and different choices, will bring them all to your doorstep this weekend. Take my word for it. Your shop is going to be a rip-roaring success. And Samantha’s newspaper article today was a good one. Pictures and everything. Everyone in town gets that paper and they’ve read about your bakery. It’ll bring in a lot of people tomorrow, you’ll see.

“By the way, have you found that part-time helper you wanted to hire?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I sure did.” Guilt faintly shaded Kate’s face. “It’s Laura.”

“My Laura? She’s only fifteen.” It took Abigail by surprise, but she was also impressed that her daughter would be so resourceful as to find a job in the first place. The girl had been talking about getting a part-time one for months and Abigail hadn’t completely objected. She’d had a part-time job herself when she’d been sixteen working at an A&W Root Beer stand and working at that age had taught her valuable life lessons.

“Your Laura. She offered to help me out for a while on the weekends and an afternoon or two a week until I find someone full-time. The shop closes at five each day so it’ll only be a few hours after school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Half days on Saturday and Sunday. I’ll close early on Sundays. She said she had a work permit and will be sixteen next month; wanted to make some extra money so she could help you pay the bills. I said okay because I haven’t found anyone else yet–been too busy with my mother’s illness, her death, the funeral and all–so I agreed. She told me she’d spoken to you about it. Is it all right?”  

“No, she didn’t speak to me. Not yet anyway. She probably thought she’d spring it on me tonight and because you’re opening tomorrow I wouldn’t be able to tell her no. But I imagine if she went through the trouble of getting a work permit and the job she should at least have a try at it.” Laura wanted to make money, Abigail thought; trying to grow up faster so she could help. That touched her. “It’s okay, Kate. I’d be the first to admit Laura is mature for her age and if she thinks she can do this, she can. As long as she keeps her grades up it might be good for her.

“And don’t worry about anyone else you need to hire right away. I’ll help you out in the beginning, too. Anything you need until you find your other workers. I always wanted to work in a donut shop.”

“Thanks Abigail. I’ll be posting a help wanted ad online and in the newspaper before Monday. Maybe I’ll get some responses.”

“Maybe you will. Just let me know when you need my assistance, I’ll be here, and I’ll be here tomorrow morning early to help you kick off the place.” Abigail slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded at Frank. “You ready to get some lunch?”

“I am.”

After goodbyes to Kate, she and Frank went out the door, down the street and into Stella’s Diner.

*****

The cheeseburger and onion rings she had ordered hit the spot. After a morning of painting she was more than hungry and ate them with gusto. Yet as Frank rambled on about his adventure that morning the uneasy feeling she’d had the whole day continued to grow until it was a silent scream in her head. Since Clementine’s body had been found there’d been no more incidents of any kind. No hauntings, disappearances, vandalisms or attacks. It was far too calm.

After lunch, at home again, she did laundry and prepared supper. When Laura and Nick came in the door from school she listened to Laura’s reasons for taking the job at The Delicious Circle and, as she knew she would, gave her permission for her daughter to try it on condition it didn’t interfere with school. Laura was excited.

*****

Frank had said he’d see her at Kate’s shop around nine, though she would already be there helping Kate from seven on. Laura would be riding her bicycle into town before seven to help Kate put out the donuts in their cases and open up. She couldn’t wait to see how her daughter would do in her first job.

When Abigail got up Laura was already gone. Nick was sleeping and she roused him. “Good morning kiddo. It’s time to get up,” she called from the doorway, “if you want to come with me to Kate’s grand opening you need to get up now. Free donuts. As many as you want.” She’d already taken a shower and was dressed.

Nick, drowsy but with a grin on his face, crawled from bed and slipped past her headed for the bathroom. “For donuts I’ll forego my usual amount of weekend sleep and will be ready in a couple minutes. Don’t leave without me.”

“I won’t.”

Abigail waited in the kitchen, drinking coffee and thinking about the day ahead. She tried not to dwell on the missing and dead elderly that had been plaguing them; the mystery of Lansing Corporation, conspiracies, and where it would all end. Today was a day to celebrate. Kate’s lifelong dream, owning and running her own business, was becoming a reality and after all Kate had gone through in her life and now with her mother’s passing, the woman deserved something to celebrate.

When she and Nick drove through town and parked a block away from the shop because of the number of cars and people flocking to the fledgling business, she knew Kate’s enterprise was going to be a success. Kate must be ecstatic.

They entered the shop and in Abigail’s eyes it appeared transformed. Bursting with talking and laughing people milling around ordering donuts and coffee it had finally achieved its full potential. The glass cases were overflowing with trays of donuts: Chocolate and Iced Cake, Peanut Covered, Long Johns, Cinnamon Raisin, Cinnamon Buns, French Crullers, Custard, Raspberry Jelly, Crème Filled Long Johns, Twists, Lemon, Cherry Cheese and Cheese Tarts, Fritters, Crème Horns, Donut Holes, Sugar Rounds. It was amazing that one woman had produced all those scrumptious creations in a couple of hours but Abigail had seen the modern kitchen and the efficient, time-saving baking equipment. Kate knew what she was doing and how to get the most out of them.

Nick spied one of his friends from school and went off with him. It was nice to see how social the once reclusive boy had become and how these days he was happy more than not. He’d also changed in other ways. He was going to be tall as his father had been; he had the same calm temperament and generous heart the man, a victim of the Mud People Killer two years before, had had. Abigail smiled as Kate handed Nick a Danish and chocolate milk and the boy found a table with his friend to enjoy them. No way was he going to sit with his mother. Abigail didn’t mind. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager and no teenage boy ever let anyone know he needed his mother.

The place was packed. She could hardly move through the crowd. It looked as if the entire town had gotten up early to taste Kate’s donuts and see what she’d done to the place. The aroma of the donuts was heavenly. Kate had outdone herself. She’d even made Abigail’s favorite Crème Horns as a thank you for everything she’d done for her.

The mouthwatering smells sent Abigail back to her childhood when her grandmother would take her to church on Sundays and after mass they’d stop at the local bakery. Strolling through the doors she could almost close her eyes and see her grandmother’s sweet smile and taste those Crème Horns. Today it wouldn’t just be a memory. The first thing she wanted with her cup of coffee was one of those Crème Horns and they were as good as the ones of her youth, no, even better. Kate put chocolate sprinkles on the ends of them.

Kate didn’t seem to need her help yet, so she took a table by the window and observed Kate at the counter selling and Laura scurrying around waiting on or serving people. The girl looked pleased with herself. Her face was animated and so was her smile. Over blue jeans and a blouse, she had on a crisp white apron with The Delicious Circle’s logo on its lower pocket. She carried donuts and coffee to a couple at the adjoining table and then scooted over to Abigail’s.

“Hi Mom. Isn’t this great? Look at all the people who are here.” Her hand on her hip, the girl’s gaze swept around the room and came to rest on Abigail. She looked so grown up it made her catch her breath. The girl was becoming a young woman in front of her eyes.

But for a moment in Abigail’s mind she once again saw the skinny, sad-eyed waif Laura had been when they’d first met in the library. The girl who’d ravenously desired the donuts she’d had in the bag and who had desperately dreamed of someday becoming an artist like Abigail. The lost child and her brother. It seemed so long ago, so much had changed, but it had only been about a year ago. Now Abigail couldn’t imagine her life without them. They were hers as much as if she’d had them all their lives. They were her family.

“It’s been like this since we opened the door at seven,” Laura bragged. “There were people waiting to get in out on the sidewalk even. Myrtle was in here about eight for her free donuts and Kate ended up sending her off with a bag of them.” She laughed. “That Myrtle, she sure doesn’t miss a trick, does she?”

“She sure doesn’t, although she’s known Kate and her mother Clementine for years. She and Clementine were childhood friends, so Myrtle thinks of Kate as one of her own children.”

“I know that. 

“But really,” Laura chattered on, “everyone
loves
Kate’s donuts. Most of them order one or two and end up either asking for more or taking a bag of them home. It’s been fantastic!” The girl grinned at her and refilled her coffee cup. She bent down and whispered to her, “And I’ve eaten so many of them I feel like a donut myself. I know you’ve already had a crème horn, but be sure to try her glazed, they’ll melt in your mouth. Really.”

“I will,” Abigail promised. “How about bringing me one?”

“Sure Mom. Coming up. I’ll be back in a flash.” And she was.

“Where’s Frank?” her daughter asked.

“He should be here any time. Should have been here already.” Abigail wondered what was keeping him but wasn’t worried. Frank would get there when he got there. If he was late, there was a reason for it and she’d bet a dollar to a donut it had something to do with the Lansing Corporation enigma. Frank was like a hound dog on the hunt when he was trying to solve a case. Retired or not, he would always be a cop. He couldn’t help himself.

As Abigail bit into the sweet confection and drank the coffee she observed the customers around her doing the same thing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, enjoying the food.
Yes,
she thought,
this shop is going to be a big hit. Everyone will come here for their donuts.

At some point she began eavesdropping on the conversations around her. An older couple behind her, a gray-haired man with a cane and a woman who was eating a blueberry Danish, were talking. “Oh, I’m still not sure we should have sold the house, Jeanette,” the man was saying, his head bent. “But after the weird goings on around us and Bernard’s house fire I didn’t see as we had any other option. All that racket every night was giving me headaches. And when we came home that night to the windows and doors wide open; blood splattered over the table and floor…that was the last straw. I don’t know what’s happened to our neighborhood, but whatever it is, it isn’t good. You know, I hear on the news how these drug crazed perverts are breaking into old peoples’ homes, stealing everything in sight, and still torturing and beating them to death. That isn’t going to be us. We’re getting out of there.”

“But,” the woman said as she stuffed the last of the pastry into her mouth, “you know, as soon as we signed those sale papers all of that crazy stuff stopped. Ah, I guess it doesn’t matter now. We’re moving.” She looked around. “I think living here in town will be really much better for us, honey. We’ll be so close we can walk here or to anywhere else we want to in town. Be kinda nice.”

He smiled. “That is a compensation. We’ll be near to everything. But I still hate leaving our home. We lived all our lives and raised our kids there. We’re leaving a lot of memories.”

The woman took his age-spotted hand and held it. “It will be okay, dear. You’ll see. We will make more.”

That’s when Abigail became aware of the two men whispering on her right. They both had bakery bags in their hands and were going towards the door. They walked past her but she heard a snippet of their conversation.

“No, the police haven’t found my Aunt Violet or her husband yet. It’s been a week now.”

“I’m sorry, Leroy. But that’s strange, when you think about it, because the other day I heard Deputy Jacob Stevens talking about another missing person in town. Another old person. I asked him about it but he clammed up real quick.”

“What the heck is going on around here lately?”

“I don’t know, but something is.”

It had always amused Abigail, knowing that if you wanted to find out anything that was going on in Spookie all you had to do was have a meal at Stella’s and keep your eyes and ears open. The discussions around you would give you every morsel of news happening around town. Now it looked as if Kate’s place was going to be the same, another gossip central.

The men headed out the door and Martha wandered in. She saw Abigail and as she sailed by her she muttered, “Hi Abigail! Fancy meeting you here. I’m going to get something to nibble on and I’ll be right back. Save me a seat.”

“I sure will.” Abigail glanced at the three empty chairs around her table and chuckled. Every other table was taken. People had been eying her and her table for some time, trying to send silent messages, most likely coveting her unoccupied chairs. She stared out the window and again wondered where Frank was.

Soon Martha was in the chair next to her with coffee and glazed donuts. “Lord, these donuts are wonderful. The flavor and consistency are exquisite. I can see where I’ll be spending most mornings. I’ll have to ration myself, though, or I’ll be popping out of all my summer clothes.

“It looks like this establishment is going to be in big demand. It’s lovely inside. Kate and you did an incredible job with the decorations and color schemes. It’s cozy and welcoming. Your donut paintings are whimsical but accurate. They look so real it’s as if you could reach out and pick one off the wall and eat it.” She laughed. “You are a great artist, my friend. I’ll say that for you. Who would have thought donut images could be so enticing?”