Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen

Annie arrived at Cuppa earlier than the scheduled time. Ben’s grandma wasn’t joking when she said Margie would have things all mapped out for them. A group of them visited every shop each month, rotating among them to make sure each of the businesses benefited from their caffeine addictions. Margie organized several groups both in and out of the complex. Annie couldn’t even imagine what the woman’s home calendar looked like.

She still had about an hour before the group from the complex were due to show up. After Margie left, Annie got a call from Ben’s lawyer friend who agreed to chat with her via Zoom the next day. He was away at the moment, which wasn’t helpful, but at least he could update her on her rights. The call left her antsy and needing to get out of the house.

The waitress came over to see if Annie needed anything else. She’d already polished off a large latte and a delicious lemon scone.

“Good, aren’t they?” The waitress pointed at the empty plate, then picked it up.

“Delicious. Are they baked in house?” Annie kept her notebook closed as she spoke to the woman.

Her auburn hair was done in two braids that looked charming rather than juvenile. She wore a pair of boot-cut jeans, Converse high-tops, and a loose T-shirt that read Cuppa. It was cuter for the fact that the u looked like a cup. It was nice to know there were lots of people her age around town. If she spent too much time in the complex, she might feel older than her years.

“They are. My sister is an amazing baker. I always joke that she’s the baker, I’m the brains. Between the two of us, we seem to do okay even with all the other coffee joints in town.”

Annie probably didn’t hide her surprise. “You own this place? You’re so young.”

A wide smile stretched across her face. Little freckles dotted her nose, adding to her youthful appearance. “My sister and I are thirty-two this summer. Twins. We have our mom to thank for looking young. Sometimes we get mistaken as triplets. I’m Ashley.” She held out her free hand.

“Annie. I just moved into town.”

Ashley cheeks brightened. “I know. Your parents came in every Saturday morning. They took their time drinking their coffees while your mom read and your dad did crosswords. I heard about Gill. I’m friends—or I used to be—with Mira, Gill’s daughter. I’m sorry you were the one to find him.”

“Wow. Everything you hear about small towns is true. Thank you. It was awful.”

“Ryan says the lead detectives are looking at you as a suspect. He’s madder than a chicken on fire.”

Annie’s brows scrunched as a visual of that popped into her head. In that case, the chicken would have every right to be pretty irate. “I guess if it’s something that doesn’t happen much, no one knows how to approach it. The good news is murder isn’t a common thing. The bad news is I’m worried they’ll pin it on me because I was the one who found him.”

There were only two other people in the quaint little shop that was styled to look like the office or cozy living room of someone’s home. Wingback chairs were set up to allow for easy conversations. There was a big table at the front that looked as if it belonged in a rustic farmhouse. Dark wood shelves lined the walls, filled with books that could be taken if one was left—like a large-scale miniature library. The front counter was rectangular, the glass case showing a number of delectable goodies. The rich woods and warm atmosphere made Annie think it would be hard to top as a go-to spot.

Ashley slid into the seat across from Annie. “I’m sorry. That’s scary. I can’t even imagine. Ryan and I have been friends forever, but once he puts on that uniform, I get stupidly nervous. I’ve never broken a law in my life, but being around police makes me think they’re going to catch me for something.”

Annie could laugh at that as she was sure the other woman intended. “I’ve never even been pulled over for speeding, so this is all new to me. Between the murder, Margie’s strict schedule for the complex, and work—which I can’t do because the detectives took my laptop—I’m feeling a little more on edge than usual.” Wow. She hadn’t meant to unload all of that.

“Margie is friends with my grandmother. She means no harm. If you tell her you have other obligations, she’ll schedule someone else in your spot for the muffins, the carpooling, and even the coffeehouse rotations. She’s in our book club. You should totally join. We don’t let her take over though.”

That was a lot of information. “I’ve certainly met far more people than I expected to in the first week or so.”

Ashley lowered her chin. “Heard you met Ben.”

Annie groaned and rolled her gaze. “Please don’t tell me you’re in love with him. First, we’re just friends, second, he helped me out.”

Ashley waved a hand in the air, dismissing Annie’s words. Her wide smile told her she knew what kind of attention Ben received. “Please. Ben is friends with my older brother. Same with Ryan. The three of them together are clueless as to how they make the townies swoon.”

She’d picked up her cup but paused on the way to her lips. “Townies?”

“Those of us born and bred right here in Rainbow Falls. There isn’t a woman who went to school with those three, who isn’t already married, that isn’t wishing she were the one. Some of the guys, too, but that’s not going to happen.”

“You’re not under the spell?”

“Nah. Once you’ve burped the alphabet in a contest against a guy—and won—they take you off the dating list. Which works out fine for me.”

It felt so good to laugh. This was what Annie hoped for—to ease into a new life, create new friendships, and get to know her new home.

“I guess that’s a risk you take.”

The door swung open. Two elderly men came through. Ashley waved to them.

“We have a games night every second Saturday. Steph—that’s my sister—and I close up early. Everyone brings an appetizer, and we just hang out here, play some games. You should come. I’ll tell Ben to bring you, okay?”

Annie nodded as Ashley rose. “That sounds wonderful actually.”

“Perfect. Let me know if you want more coffee.”

“I will. Nice to meet you.”

Giving herself a few extra moments of blissful normalcy, Annie sipped her coffee, watched people walk by the front window and relaxed her shoulders into the cozy chair. She could imagine reading here, being friends with Ashley. Things would work out. The cops would find the real killer, and Annie’s life would go back to the boring state it had always been.

She flipped open her notebook, wishing she had her laptop. When she got it back, she should probably switch some things around on the blog. She’d written her own thoughts along with some of the things she’d gleaned from Margie’s notes. There was likely no chance Ryan had any inside information from the detectives, but Claire had told her to send some names, so that’s what she’d do.

Annie reviewed her chart.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start—some names to give Claire’s wife. It was better than the list the Trenton detectives had started. To her knowledge, she was still the only one on it. Maybe she should drop by the police station and talk to Ryan herself. She should show him the picture so he wasn’t blindsided by anything else. Maybe he could get her laptop back for her. One thing was for certain: It couldn’t make things worse. Could it?