Freshly Ground Murder Read online

“You can get started right that way and I’ll be with you shortly.” She pointed and when he was out of earshot, she whispered, “My oh my, is this my Christmas gift from my Secret Santa? Are you my Secret Santa?”

  I laughed. “Hardly. He just seems a little lost.”

  “Oh, honey.” She wiggled her brows. “I can help him find his way.”

  “You are bad, Camey Montgomery.” I simply shook my head and went on my way.

  “Poor Walker,” I said to Pepper on our way back to the boardwalk. “He’s gonna have the best Christmas ever.”

  Pepper yipped in delight.

  Three

  “Ho, ho, ho. Santa hears you’ve been a very, very, very good little girl this year.” The jovial deep voice came from the Santa standing on the doorstep of my log cabin as he did a little jig.

  “Santa,” I played along. “Did you bring me a fiancé for Christmas?”

  “You have to give old Santa a kiss before I tell.” He stepped forward.

  I tugged the beard down and planted a nice kiss on Patrick Cane, my fiancé.

  “What on earth are you doing in a Santa outfit?” I asked and dragged him in from the cold.

  “I was at Central Park making sure all the lighting and construction for the event was ready to go when Otis called Low-retta the last minute, said he wasn’t able to make it this year.” He put out his hands. “She was in tears. I blurted it out of my mouth that I’d do it.”

  “You’re my hero,” I joked and pulled him in for another kiss.

  “I’m a sucker for a woman in need.” He teased and bent down to pat Pepper. “Sassy is in the car waiting on you.”

  Pepper yipped and jumped.

  “But Santa has something for you in his bag.” Patrick dug deep in the bag and pulled out a red dog sweater with a green Christmas tree. “Sassy has one with Rudolf.”

  “Oh Patrick. I do love you.” I never imagined a year ago that I’d be this happy.

  Patrick Cane and I had been summer sweethearts. We were silly teenagers that spent many night at the lake and running around the boardwalk. After high school, I was all steam ahead for college. My father had suddenly died and I focused on going to law school. My focus was so intense that I didn’t marry my ex-husband for love, I married for partnership. A law partnership. I’d not been to Honey Springs in over ten years, so when my life came to a crashing halt after I found my husband consulting one of our law clients in more ways than the law, I knew Aunt Maxi was exactly the comfort I needed. I just didn’t figure Patrick Cane would be part of that comfort.

  The first day I opened The Bean Hive and Patrick Cane walked in. . .my heart stopped. For the first few days I tried and tried to ignore him and actually push him away by being mean, but he wasn’t budging. There was no denying the chemistry that we’d claimed was just teenage puppy love. And frankly, I was tired of playing games with my life and ready to move forward not only with my dream of opening a coffeehouse, but with the love of my life.

  “Roxy?” Patrick’s hand waved in front of my face. “Where did you just go?”

  “I was just thinking how different my life is now and how happy I am.” I grabbed my coat and Patrick helped me put it on.

  “You deserve to be happy and I hope I’m a big part of that,” his face softened and his big brown eyes melted my insides.

  “You have everything to do with it.” I wrapped my arm in his arm. “Let’s go before we miss the lighting.”

  The temperature had taken a big dip after the sunset. Patrick’s truck was nice and warm. Sassy was a black standard Poodle that had adopted Patrick when she was featured at Pet Palace. He didn’t want a dog, but she had her eyes set on him and wasn’t about to let him get away. She and Pepper were big buddies. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

  Honey Springs wasn’t that big and it didn’t take long to get from one place to another, especially when driving. It was a seven-minute drive from the cabin and soon we were parked in front of Central Park where the festivities were taking place.

  Central Park was located right in the middle of downtown. Right across from the park was the courthouse and the surrounding buildings were the medical building, a few knick-knack boutiques, and a couple of different other businesses. The carriage lights that were lighting up the downtown area were dressed exactly like the ones on the boardwalk.

  “This holiday couldn’t get any better.” A happy sigh escaped me.

  The white twinkling lights were strung all the way around the white picket fence surrounding the park. Tall Christmas pines stood like highly decorated soldiers and were all lit up around the entire park. And with the light dusting of snow, it truly looked like a magical wonderland. The gazebo waslit up and a big neon sign read Christmas In The Park.

  “Loretta probably didn’t spare no expense.”

  “You have no idea how much electricity my men had to feed.” Patrick shook his head. He was the owner of Cane Construction. He was not only handsome but he was handy. “She had a list a mile long.”

  “I hope you didn’t skimp out on my booth.” I narrowed my eyes and warned him.

  “Nope. You’ve got the best set up here.” He winked, got out of the truck and walked around to open my door.

  Sassy and Pepper didn’t require a leash since they were both so well trained and stuck by mine and Patrick’s side.

  “I put your booth up near the tree lot.” Patrick had insisted on helping me with the booth and all the electrical plugs I’d need for the coffee and teas.

  On a night as chilly as tonight, I figured we’d be doing a lot of business. Bunny and Aunt Maxi had volunteered to bring all the food and beverage items I needed.

  “There’s the tree lot.” I pointed to the right side of the gazebo. It was a perfect spot.

  The Crooked Cat Bookstore had erected a fake igloo with shelves of books, mainly ones that were geared to the season. Wild and Whimsy Antiques had made a lovely replica of a Santa’s house with a fireplace and all the items in their booth were for sale. Even the chair they had out for Santa to sit on was for sale.

  “Are you going to have to stand if they sell that?” I joked on our way back to my booth and nearly fell over with joy when I saw The Bean Hive logo hanging from a rod on the outside with a little Santa hat on the bee in the logo.

  In the right corner of my booth, there was a Christmas tree with white lights and the ornaments were all sorts of bee items. There was a small glass case with the coffee pots on one side and the teas on the other. In the glass case my sweet treats were displayed with the item’s name written on small chalkboards. He’d even gotten a couple small café tables and chairs to fit under the tent.

  “You are so amazing.” I sucked in a deep breath. “How on earth did you pull all of this off?”

  “As you can see, there are price tags on all the furniture and the tree, so if someone wants to buy them, we’re in trouble. I borrowed it all from Wild and Whimsy. They were delighted to help me out since it was you.” He put his arm around me and we stood outside looking into the booth that already had customers.

  “I guess I better get in there and help Bunny before she quits on me.” I gave Patrick a kiss and sent him, Sassy and Pepper on their way until I’d meet them for the actual tree lighting ceremony.

  Throughout the next few days, the Christmas In the Park would be open during the day and closed at night. There were several local vendors that had rented booths to sell their homemade items. Along with food, they sold jewelry, quilts, carvings, and many crocheted things.

  What I loved most about it was that part of the proceeds went to Pet Palace.

  “Are you ready to go watch them press the big button?” Bunny untied her apron. “It’s about that time.”

  “I am.” I nodded and closed everything down since the customers had gotten refills and walked over to the gazebo where Loretta had gotten ahold of the microphone once again.

  While she thanked everyone for being there, I walked into the tree lot to se
e exactly what tree Jean had for me.

  “Well.” She twirled a nice and small Douglass fir. “I thought this one would look so pretty in the coffeehouse window. And it was the last tree Fred had planted.”

  With no hesitation, I said, “I’ll take it.”

  “I’ll leave it right here and we can settle up later. I want to see the tree lighting because it was one of ours.” Jean had done such a great job in preserving Fred’s memory.

  I maneuvered my way in and out of the crowd to find Patrick up near the front next to Aunt Maxi, Bunny and Mom. The dogs were lying by his feet. Next to us were my friends from all the shops. Camey and Walker were also up front and it appeared that she was talking his ear off.

  Loretta gave Patrick the nod that told him to kill the power.

  When Loretta pushed up the big fake on button, he’d reconnect the electric so it would have a dramatic effect.

  “On the count of three. Y’all ready?” Loretta’s voice echoed into the dark. “One, two, three. Merry Christ….”

  The lights came on and Loretta fainted. I’d like to say she fainted from the sheer excitement of the beauty of the tree. But I believe it was the legs and the feet that stuck out from underneath the tree and bound by lit up Christmas lights that knocked her out cold.

  “Call 9-1-1,” Mom looked over at me before she rushed over to person under the tree.

  “I’ll get the lights on without the tree.” Patrick did some fast work on the electrical box.

  For a second I sat there stunned. Had Patrick somehow gotten the electrical lines crossed? Was whoever under the tree messing with the tree? Why was someone under the tree?

  “What about her?” Aunt Maxi’s nose curled and she pointed to poor ole Low-retta.

  “Aw, leave her.” Bunny nudged Aunt Maxi. “Them Cherokee spirits she’s always yammering on about will take care of her.”

  Mom looked over at me.

  “Did you call 9-1-1?” she asked.

  “Oh. No.” I shook my head and reached for my phone.

  “It ain’t going to do no good.” Mom shook her head. “Otis Peavler is dead.”

  “Otis Peavler?” I glanced around and looked at the crowd that’d gathered so tightly around the gazebo to get a gander. I half expected to see him in the crowd, but quickly realized I’d not seen him at all.

  “Spencer, there’s an Otis Peavler under the tree.” The words fell out of my mouth when I called Sheriff Spencer Shepard on his cell phone. Something I probably shouldn’t’ve done, but calling him directly seemed to bypass all those unnecessary steps.

  “Roxy?” he questioned.

  “I mean. Otis Peavler’s legs are sticking out of the tree. And Mom said he’s dead.” I rambled on and knew I was making sense in my jumbled head, but couldn’t get the words to clearly come out.

  “Roxy, calm down.” Spencer didn’t sound calm. “Where are you?”

  “Where are you? Why aren’t you at the tree lighting?” It was odd that he wasn’t there or any police for that matter.

  “What about the legs under the tree? Are you telling me that you’re at the tree lighting and something bad has happened to someone?”

  “Otis Peavler is dead under the tree. The tree that’s supposed to be lit up but not now.” I let out a deep sigh when I realized I got Otis and dead out in one breath.

  The phone clicked and went dead.

  Before I could even gather what was going on around me, there were sirens and lights barreling down Main Street and some officers had already begun crowd control, pushing all back everyone toward the outer edges of Central Park.

  “Come on.” Patrick put his hand on my back. “There’s nothing we can do. Let’s go over to the booth and offer some free coffee to the crowd. It doesn’t look they’re going anywhere anytime soon.”

  We passed Spencer on the way over and our eyes met as he rushed off toward the other police.

  “That wasn’t planned at all.” Patrick handed out the Styrofoam cups filled with coffee to people as they passed by.

  Mom was being interviewed by Spencer. Bunny and Aunt Maxi sat in one of the café tables in the booth while I continued to fill up cups and take them to Patrick.

  “I’d say not. You know.” I thought for a minute. “I asked Otis if he was coming to the tree lighting and he didn’t seem interested. I figured he was getting up in age and didn’t want to come.” I handed him another cup. “Do you think he was electrocuted?”

  “No.” Patrick got a little defensive. “Do you think I didn’t go over the panels here and every single string of lights to make sure nothing like that would happen?”

  “Patrick, it was merely a suggestion. I mean, wasn’t there a string of lights wrapped around the ankles?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t pay too much attention. Besides, Otis was older and he probably had a heart attack.” He handed a cup of coffee to someone walking by. “Complimentary tonight.”

  The person looked grateful and tried to smile through the awful tragedy.

  The red and white lights from the two ambulances that were called fit in nicely with the rest of Christmas in the Park, only one of them was for Loretta while the other for Otis.

  “What do you think happened?” Aunt Maxi stood up. Her head bobbed and weaved as the EMTs pushed the gurney past us.

  “I have no idea.” I shrugged and looked around. It appeared everyone had stuck around to see what’d happened and heard about the free coffee because I didn’t have time to look at nothing but the little nob on the coffee maker and cups.

  “Do you think he got electrocuted?” Mom asked Patrick, but then grabbed Sheriff Spencer Shepard by the arm. “Did he get electrocuted?”

  “Ma’am, I can’t disclose any particulars at this time. The only thing I can say is that Otis Peavler is dead.” Spencer’s words hit me and sent a chill through me more than the worst blizzard I’d ever been in.

  My brows furrowed. There was something that wasn’t right. Otis Peavler might’ve been a little older, but he was in great shape, but then I remembered.

  “He had been diagnosed with diabetes recently.” Even though he was dead, it did make me feel better that he was murdered.

  “Don’t be going around and getting any ideas in that caffeinated head of yours,” he warned like he’d done the past two times that I happened to stick my nose into a case when they were murdered.

  “You don’t have to worry. I’m not, but. . .” I started to make a suggestion.

  “But nothing.” Patrick took me by the arm. “You heard Spencer. It’s doing Otis no good with all of us standing around gawking while the police try to do their job and determine what happened.”

  “Patrick is right. You do seem to take special interest in dead bodies,” Mom agreed with Patrick.

  “Murdered dead bodies. Let’s get that straight,” Aunt Maxi corrected her.

  “I’m a lawyer. It’s in my blood.” I had to throw that out that.

  “Honey, nothing but curiosity and coffee is running through your blood.” Aunt Maxi’s eyes slid over to the ambulance when they slammed the back doors.

  Four

  Aunt Maxi was right. The only thing that I could do all night was think about Otis while drinking coffee. It made for a very tiring night and there wasn’t any reason for Pepper and me to sit around waiting on the alarm to go off at 4 a.m. when I knew it was going to be packed at The Bean Hive.

  When there was a death in Honey Springs, everyone loved to gab over coffee. The last time something like this had happened was when Fred had been found murdered and because Bunny and Emily were working at The Bean Hive I was able to do a little sleuthing on my own, while Bunny listened in on the gossip around the coffeehouse. With Otis going from natural causes, I’m sure everyone will just want to tell heartwarming stories about him.

  “Not sleeping either?” I put my hand on Pepper who was snugged tight to my leg. Even though the quilt made the bed so warm and comfy, there was no reason to stay in bed.<
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  I slipped on my cozy slippers and Pepper and I padded into the kitchen. The pot-belly stove had red embers seen from the window. I put a couple of more logs to get the cabin nice and toasty. Before I took Pepper outside, I grabbed another quilt off the quilt rack and flipped on the coffee pot to have a nice warm cup by the fire before I got ready and headed to the coffeehouse even earlier than I needed to.

  A beautiful thin layer of freshly fallen snow glistened in the moonlight. Pepper jumped from bush to bush, letting the snow fly up behind him. I sat in one of the rocking chairs under the small covered front porch and drew my feet up into the seat with the quilt tucked around me.

  It was by a fate of luck that I’d gotten this cabin. It was perfect, though a bit rundown when I’d gotten it. Most of the cabin along the lake are rentals for the lake tourists. They were especially booked for the summer. Like the coffeehouse, I watched a lot of DIY videos and was pretty proud of what I’d accomplished. It was more of an open floor concept with the kitchen on one side and the small family room with the pot-belly on the other. There is a bedroom, bathroom and laundry room on the first floor. It was perfect.

  “You ready?” I laughed and wiped off the snow on Pepper’s nose.

  He yipped and jumped up on the porch with his small tail wagging as he stood at the door. He rushed in and rubbed his body a couple of times on his bed in front of the stove then curled up to get the chill off.

  “I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and get ready.” I found myself talking to Pepper like he understood everything I said and somewhat took comfort in thinking he did. “We’ve got to get a Christmas tree for our house,” I said and retrieved one of the mugs off one of the hooks on the wall.

  The Christmas Harvest blend mixed with the burning wood made me smile. The feeling of the holiday was all around me but I couldn’t get Otis off my mind. I was going to make sure to take Juanita some treats. I’m sure all the women in Cottonwood already had a food chain going, but I still wanted to do my part. Even though they weren’t married, I’d heard they’d been together for a long time.