A Damaging Dilemma (An East Pender Cozy Mystery Book 13) Read online

  A DAMAGİNG DİLEMMA

  AN EAST PENDER MYSTERY SERİES BOOK 13

  LEONA FOX

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Copyright © 2016 by Leona Fox

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Chapter 1

  Ellen's alarm went off. The shrill ring bored into her skull like a drill. She winced as she turned and pulled the pillow around her head, trying to drown out the sound. But while she could ignore the alarm she could not do the same with her loyal companion, Scampy. The small dog was getting hungry and he knew Ellen should be getting up when that alarm sounded. So his little paws pattered through the house, and his wet nose pushed open the bedroom door. Then he leaped onto the bed and barked, burrowing his face under the pillow to alert Ellen. She screamed and screwed up her face as Scampy licked it all over.

  “Fine, fine! I'm getting up!” she said and kicked the covers away.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and switched off the alarm. Scampy rested in her lap and she petted him on the head with one hand, while pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes with the other. She yawned and rocked her head from side to side, feeling the aches of sleep ease away. As she rose she looked back longingly at the bed, wishing she could stay there for the entire day.

  Usually Ellen wasn't a lazy person, and it had been a long time since she had spent an entire day in bed, but recently life had been taking its toll on her. It felt as though she was being pulled in multiple directions and eventually something was going to have to give. What with the cafe, her relationship with Andy, and consulting with the police she barely had any time to do anything else.

  It was a struggle to keep up with her running schedule and the pile of books she wanted to read was piling up at an alarming rate. And on days like these, in the morning, she just wished she had an extra hour or two. Unfortunately, even though she was a woman of many talents she could not create time out of thin air, and had to find a way to deal with her situation.

  As with every morning, she fed Scampy before she fed herself. As soon as the food was in the bowl Scampy buried himself in it and lapped it all up with his little pink tongue. Ellen made herself a bowl of cereal and ate some fruit before she went to take a shower and prepare herself for the day. While she did so she tried thinking of a way to deal with the constraints on her time. It all had started when Maggie had come to town. Back then they were friends, but Ellen had been going through a bad period of life. She was feeling lonely and vulnerable after being a stalking victim, and she still shuddered when she thought of it. Paranoia had gripped her. She had done and said things that she now regretted, and that had broken her friendship with Maggie beyond repair.

  The Southern woman was proud and made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with Ellen, and all their interactions since then had been fraught with tension. That wouldn't have been that bad if Maggie didn't also own a cafe, and had not been so hell-bent on putting Ellen out of business. Maggie's always had special offers and events going on, and people flocked there. Even Ellen had to admit she knew what she was doing, and the place certainly had a good atmosphere. But East Pender was a small town and it was difficult to balance two cafes, especially when they were in such close proximity to each other. So far The Chrome Cafe was surviving because of the goodwill and loyalty Ellen had generated during her time in East Pender. Yet she knew she couldn't depend on that forever, and she had to give people a reason to come back.

  However, splitting her time between the cafe and helping the police did not make it easy. Often she had to rely on the help of volunteers to keep the cafe running in her absence. It was an easy decision to justify as she was helping real people who were the victims of real crimes. She couldn't turn her back on them when she had skills that could help catch criminals, but she knew she also had a duty to her business as well and, in a way, to her parents. She had used the money they had left her to open the business. If it failed, then it would be like she had wasted her inheritance. That thought saddened her.

  Walking through the crisp morning air she worked through the problem as she would with any mystery, by narrowing down the possibilities until she was left with the final answer. If she wasn't willing to give up any other part of her life, then the only thing to do was find some way to alleviate the restrictions on her time. The only thing that made sense to her was hiring some part-time help at the cafe. To actually have someone there in an official capacity who could help with running the place would be a godsend. It wasn't just being at the cafe. It also was talking with suppliers and buying food for the cafe and all the behind the scenes things that ate up so much of her time.

  But who would she hire? That was the question. In her old job, in her old life in the city, she had been the head of a department and had hired people. That was a long time ago, though, and there was a certainly formality to those interviews that she detested. East Pender wasn't like that. The community was friendly and small and she wanted to treat people as friends, because that's what they were.

  There was a recruitment agency in town that helped people look for jobs. Although most of those took people on a daily commute to the city, since that is where most of the opportunities lay, but she decided to not advertise through that. Rather, she put up a poster in the cafe and talked to many of her regulars about it. Most people were intrigued by the position, and she had much interest from many customers, although not all of them were desirable candidates. For example, old Mrs. Hudson, who had a failing memory. She was a lovely woman but Ellen couldn't trust her with running the cafe in her absence.

  The ideal person would have been Kelly. She had filled the role many times while Ellen had been out and about investigating various crimes, but when Ellen approached her with the position she sighed in awkward reluctance.

  “Don't get me wrong,” Kelly began, “I love helping out here once in a while but I don't think I could do it as a job. I like knowing that I can just pop in and out as I please. Besides, I like having the freedom of knowing I just can work on my art whenever I like.”

  Ellen understood her reasoning but it still would have been easier had she been eager to take the position. Instead, Ellen found herself with a long list of willing applicants. It wasn't too often when a new job became available in East Pender. So many people applied hoping they would be the one to be chosen. A lot of them Ellen knew well, while others she only had met in passing. She knew it would be difficult to turn down some of them because they all were so nice and friendly. One afternoon, she went through the list and narrowed it down to people who she thought could be suitable. She ended up with about five names left, which seemed like a good selection to choose from.

  After conducting a number of interviews with the chosen applicants, Ellen ended up with two people she thought would be suitable for the job. The interview process was revealing for her as it brought back memories of the city. She realized she hadn't changed that much after all, and that the person she was back then was still inside her.

  Her heart went out to some of the applicants, though. One young girl was a nervous wreck. Her lip quivered, beads of sweat were visible on her temples, and every time she spoke her v
oice trembled. In the end, Ellen decided that, at some point, she would give the girl some advice on how to present herself at interviews. Otherwise, she would find it difficult to get a job. And although it was tempting to have a younger girl working for her, someone to mentor and offer general advice about living, Ellen couldn't allow herself to take on something else that would drain her time. She wanted someone more experienced in the ways of the world.

  The two people left were Alexander Sparks and Pippa Granger. Pippa was in her forties, while Alexander was in his late twenties, although he had an air of sadness about him that suggested he was older. Pippa was a short, stocky woman with loud pipes. She sang in the choir and there had been more than one occasion when she had made Ellen's skin tingle. Ellen always had been in awe of her talent. She had dark curly hair that always was swept back in a ponytail, beady eyes that darted about in every direction, and a mouth that always ran with gossip. If there was something happening in town, you could be sure Pippa knew about it, and that she would tell somebody else soon, always offering her opinion on everything. She was a people person in the truest sense of the word. Ellen knew if Pippa got the job the customers would be in good hands and always would be made to feel welcome.

  Alexander, on the other hand, was withdrawn and quieter. He was still nice enough, but he spoke softly, and Ellen could not imagine him flitting through the cafe, talking with the customers. He was a tall, wiry man who walked with hunched shoulders and kept pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His hair was short and slightly untidy, and his clothes always seemed creased. Yet, he was highly intelligent and all his references made mention of how he was a hard worker and excelled at any task he was given.

  During the interview she took the two candidates out to the front of the cafe and asked them to serve a customer, showing them how to use the coffee machine. Both were good in different ways. Pippa greeted the customer warmly and chatted openly with them while she made the coffee. Due to the chatter the interaction took longer than usual, but the customer left with a smile on his face. Alexander was polite and courteous but he lacked that ineffable spark that Pippa had in abundance. Yet, where Pippa had been clumsy and flustered using the machine, Alexander got it right first time and the coffee he made was excellent. He also managed to sell a muffin, and this use of his initiative impressed Ellen.

  Perhaps the most important part of the interview was the question of why they wanted the job, and Ellen listened carefully to their answers.

  Pippa said, “Well, I really do miss working. I gave it up when I had the kids because I wanted to be a stay-at-home parent and make sure we really connected. Now they're away and the house just feels so empty, and to be honest, so does my life. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining that much because there are people in the world much worse off than me, but I want something to keep me busy. I really like being in the cafe and seeing all those people, of course you probably can tell I have the gift of gab. Jack always says I could win gold at the Olympics if there was a competition for who could talk the longest. I guess, when it comes down to it, I just want to be around people again. I miss it and I think I could really be good at it. I know the kind of atmosphere you want in the cafe and I can help bring it to life.”

  Alexander was a little less forthcoming with his answer. He shuffled in his seat and spoke in that low, quiet tone, so Ellen had to strain to hear. “I, um, I've been out of work for a long time. I need to be honest with you, and tell you that I suffered from depression. That's why I've been off work the past few years, but during that time I've tried to get better. I realize what I need in my life is structure. There was a point in my life when I was very lonely and at my lowest. Then one day I walked past and saw everyone in here having a good time.

  “I was about to carry on walking home when I was filled with the impulse to come in and sit down, even though I was on my own. I took a seat near the window and listened in to people's conversations. I know that eavesdropping isn't the best habit to have but I just loved hearing everyone talk about their lives. Most of my friends left East Pender to find their destinies elsewhere, you see. I was left here, and it's always been difficult for me to make new friends. On that night, some random person came and sat down with me and talked with me. It really opened my eyes to what I had been missing. I don't think that person knows how powerful that simple gesture was but it...it really saved me. I guess I'd like to maybe one day do the same thing myself for someone who needs it. That's really why I'd like to work here, I guess...” he said, trailing off.

  It was evidently something that was a struggle for him to talk about and Ellen thanked him for sharing it with her. The differences in his and Pippa's answers struck a chord with Ellen. While Pippa had been concerned with what the job could do for her, Alexander was more concerned with how he could use the job to help with other people and that was what made Ellen lean more toward him. However, since it was such an important decision Ellen wanted another opinion. So she had Kelly come in and meet the two candidates, and then talked over her feelings about them both.

  “I can tell that you prefer Alexander,” Kelly remarked after Ellen had finished talking about it.

  “Is it really that obvious?”

  “Yes, but then again you always have had a thing about the hard luck cases.”

  “I do not!” Ellen protested.

  “Yes, you do. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor in this decision because you have to think about what's best for the business.”

  “So what are your thoughts?”

  “Honestly? I prefer Pippa. I think she has the right look and the right attitude for the job. She's friendly and attentive and she makes me feel welcome. She makes me feel like I belong here. She's got a good sense of humor and she's just so...personable.”

  “What about the way she makes coffee?”

  Kelly ran her hand through her mass of blonde hair. “Okay, so she's not perfect,” she said, smiling, “but those are things that can be learned.”

  “So can being friendly,” Ellen replied. Kelly shook her head.

  “Not really, that's just something you either have or you don't. And in this line of work it's better to be a natural at it.”

  “So you don't like Alexander for the role at all?”

  “I didn't say that. I think he's a nice man. He's certainly not rude, and while I didn't feel especially welcome with him, I didn't feel like he was excluding me either. It was just all very...standard, mechanical, maybe? It was like the kind of service you'd get in Starbucks or something and I know you don't want to be like them. He was efficient, though. I'll give him that. I just think Pippa can learn to get better at the coffee machine while Alexander is always going to be a little quiet.”

  “Did you know he suffered from depression?” Ellen asked.

  “No, I didn't, but that shouldn't matter here.”

  “I just think it's impressive he was able to turn his life around and actually apply for the job. The thing that worries me about Pippa's friendliness is that she'll let it get in the way of her job and end up talking with the customers more than she works. There's a difference between being a good host and being friendly. There's always that line between you.”

  “So teach her about it, train her to restrain herself.”

  Ellen pulled a face, for they both knew it would be nigh on impossible to restrain Pippa, who was an exuberant soul.

  “Look,” Kelly continued, “at the end of the day, it's your business. So you get to make the final decision and you can hire whomever you want. But you have to admit you do tend to have a hero complex about these things. You like saving people and giving them a chance to improve themselves. There's nothing wrong with that, but that shouldn't be the deciding factor why you hire someone to help run the cafe while you're absent. Don't forget that you'll be entrusting the cafe to them while you're not here. So you'll have to make sure they know what they're doing.”

  Ellen thought
about it long and hard, weighing the pros and cons of the two candidates, but she couldn't stop returning to the reasons why they applied for the job. The fact that Alexander's reasoning was so selfless made her drawn to him. Although Kelly was right; she did have a tendency to want to help hard luck cases, Ellen also knew she wanted someone she could trust with the administrative side of the business as well. What she didn't need was someone who was only there to distract themselves from their loneliness and use the cafe as a way to socialize and meet people. So, in the end, when she picked up the phone she found her fingers were dialing Alexander's number. She smiled as he met the good news with a typically reserved reaction.

  Chapter 2

  The following day Ellen felt a little happier when she woke up. Alexander was scheduled in for a trial shift, just to make sure he actually enjoyed working in the cafe. Applying for a job is one thing but actually doing it is another. He was there bright and early to help open the cafe, and Scampy seemed to take a liking to him.

  “I used to have a dog like this when I was younger. He was the friendliest little thing,” Alexander said as he bowed down to the floor to rub Scampy's neck.

  “Scampy's lovely,” Ellen said, smiling as she looked at the two of them playing together.

  “Do you know how I first got him?” she asked. Alexander shook his head.

  “I guess I'm a bit out of the loop on most things around here.”

  “I was working at the cafe when Scampy came up to me and led me to his owner, who had been killed. His name was George and Scampy was instrumental in finding the killer. After it was all over I just had to take care of the little fellow. It's funny, really. Before Scampy, animals never really had much time for me but I guess he must have seen something in me.”

  “Maybe it was true love,” Alexander said, and they both laughed.