“There are
some other boxes up here, do you want me to bring them down too?”
“What’s in
them?” Nora asked.
“Some
Christmas lights, some decorations, a couple of box fans.” Vivienne rattled
off. “I didn’t go through them all.”
“Just leave
that up there. I don’t want any of that old junk cluttering up my clean house.”
“Fine.”
Vivienne reached down into the cardboard box and found what she was looking
for. It was a small plastic treasure chest that she had purchased from the mall
with her allowance. She placed it under her arm, turned off the light, and
carefully navigated the ladder back down to the carpeted hallway outside of
Nora’s bedroom.
“Why didn’t
you bring the entire box down?” Nora asked. “It’s probably all yours anyway.”
“I didn’t want
it all tonight.” Vivienne said as she folded the ladder and closed the attic
access.
“You’ve got
plenty of space in your house.” Nora added.
“Not as much
since Joshua moved most of his possessions into my place.”
Nora frowned.
“Well, I just don’t like to have a cluttered home.”
“Do you serve
tea up in the attic when friends call?” Vivienne quipped.
“Don’t be
smart.” Nora warned with a raised index finger. “If I could get up there safely
I’d dust it daily.”
“I’m just
saying, it’s not exactly a pig sty up there.” Vivienne spoke softly. “You have
maybe a dozen small boxes in the entire attic. Most people would kill to have
that little stored away.”
“Well, you
know how those little things bother me.” Nora continued. “It’s like going to
bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. I can almost hear the plates pleading to
be washed and put away properly.”
“You have a
dishwasher, Mother. I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore.”
Nora glanced
at the myriad of family photographs that lined the walls as they walked toward
the main stairs. “Thank heaven for small favors.” She eyed the treasure chest
in Vivienne’s arm. “Whatever do you need that gaudy thing for?”
Vivienne
stopped at the top of the staircase and popped the top open. “I’m using these
parade trinkets for a window display.”
Nora peeked at
the little plastic coins, figurines, and bead necklaces. “Oh, that’s a charming
idea.”
“I thought so
too.” Vivienne explained as she shut the top. “There’s a lot of memories
attached to these things in here. I’m hoping that they’ll spark the interest of
window shoppers who will then come in and buy something.”
“You know, I
think Nana Mary has a box of some of those trinkets too. You might want to
check with her this week.”
“Oh, some
vintage parade memorabilia would be awesome in the window display.” Vivienne
descended the stairs and retrieved her jacket from the wall hook where she had
hung it by the front door. “Are you going to see her this weekend?”
“I was just
over there yesterday. I brought her a box of the chamomile tea she likes so
much.” Nora smiled. “With this blasted cold spell, I thought she’d appreciate
it.”
“I’m sure she
did.” Vivienne smiled back.
“I’m glad I
could help.” Nora leaned forward and gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t go running around so much that you catch a cold.”
“I’ll try not
to, Mother.” Vivienne handed her the treasure chest as she put her jacket on.
“I really should get back and see how Stephanie is holding up.”
“Yes.” Nora
agreed. “You do have it easy with such a dependable young lady in your employ.”
“Agreed.”
Vivienne felt a twinge of nervousness hit her as she thought about what was
going to happen when Stephanie graduated from college.
“Are you okay,
honey?” Nora asked.
“Oh, I’m fine.
I was just thinking about something down the road I’ll have to deal with.”
“You looked a
bit scared.” Nora noted. “Are you worried because Joshua hasn’t proposed yet?”
“What?”
Vivienne laughed. “I think it’s a little early for that step.”
Nora shrugged.
“I’m not making any judgments.”
“Good.”
Vivienne said with a forced smile. “Because that’s not at all what I was
thinking about.”
“Oh.” Nora
replied a bit crestfallen.
“I don’t
think that if he asked you this early it would necessarily be a bad thing.”
“We don’t even
officially live together yet. He stays at my place most of the time, but we
still have separate homes.”
“Well, don’t
let him have it that easy for too much longer.” Nora protested.
“Mother, what
are you talking about?”
Nora raised an
eyebrow. “When a gentleman has a bachelor pad, it gives him a certain amount of
freedom that could lead to trouble in the long run.”
“A bachelor
pad?” Vivienne blinked in surprise.
“Don’t make
fun.” Nora protested. “An apartment, a house, whatever it is he lives in. When
a single man has his own place for too long, he’s less likely to pop the
question.”
Vivienne took
a deep breath. “What talk show did you see this on?”
“It wasn’t a talk
show, smarty pants.” Nora replied. “It was in a women’s magazine article I read
over at Doctor Peterson’s when I was waiting to get my teeth cleaned last
week.”
“Oh, well I’m
glad that you’re citing a psychologically validated source.” Vivienne added.
“Fine, don’t
listen to your mother.” Nora raised her hands in the air in defiance.
“I’m just
saying that the relationship that Joshua and I have is working just fine for
the both of us.” Vivienne reasoned. “I have no intention of rocking the boat.”
“And I’m just
warning you not to become a lonely spinster cat lady who let all the eligible
men slip away.”
“May I remind
you, you gave me the second cat for Christmas?” Vivienne replied. “Isn’t that
called aiding and abetting?”
“Oh, hush.”
Nora laughed. “Goodbye, darling daughter.”
“Goodbye,
Mother.” Vivienne opened the door as a strong breeze swirled her auburn hair
upwards. “I’ll call you when the window is done so you can come look.” She
waved goodbye as the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.
“Sounds like
Joshua is being kept busy today.” Nora said with concern.
“Job
security.” Vivienne waved goodbye and hurried to her car. She could hear two
distinct sirens and they both sounded not too far away. Whatever it was that
was happening, she hoped it was nothing serious. Unfortunately, she didn’t have
time to satisfy her curiosity. She had a window display to work on, followed by
a late dinner with Joshua. She looked at her watch and noticed the time was
nearly four in the afternoon. It was going to be takeout from Shanghai Sunset
once again.
CHAPTER
FIVE
After closing
up her bakery for the day, Vivienne parked her car in front of the Shanghai
Sunset Chinese restaurant on Weyer Place. As she stepped out onto the street,
an acrid smell filled her nostrils. She hoped that it wasn’t the Imperial Feast
dinner box for two she was about to pick up, as the smell was somewhere between
charred wood and melted plastic.
As she stepped
into the lobby of the restaurant, she was happy to discover that it was not coming
from the kitchen area. Vivienne walked past the rows of potted palm trees that
lined the faux-granite floor and approached the takeout counter.
“Vivienne
Finch, bless my soul, how nice to see you.” Father William smiled as he waited
for one of the staff to bag his dinner order.
“Father
William, how are you?” Vivienne walked up to the counter next to him.
“Just enjoying
a little treat.” He grinned. “I just love the spring rolls here.”
“They are
tasty.” Vivienne replied. “Joshua and I eat her at least twice a month.”
A young Asian
woman handed a paper bag to Father William. “Thank you and please come again.”
He pushed a
few dollars bills into a tip jar that was next to one of those festively
decorated waving cat figurines. “I most certainly will.” He turned back to face
Vivienne. “Did you hear that the man injured last night recovered fully and
checked himself out this morning?
“Do they know
who he was?” Vivienne asked.
“I didn’t hear
any information about his identity.” Father William sighed. “I’m just happy to
hear that he recovered.”
“It sounds
like a miracle.” Vivienne commented.
“The Lord does
work in mysterious ways.” Father William answered.
“Perhaps a bit
convenient too?” Vivienne added.
Father William
frowned. “I certainly hope that’s not the case.”
“Joshua and I
wondered if maybe it was all some sort of publicity stunt to raise Pastor
Kilpatrick’s profile in town.” Vivienne confessed. “Except they weren’t
counting on a freak accident to happen.”
“Well,
sometimes even the best intentions can go a little haywire.” Father William
replied with the ease of a United Nations diplomat. “Seamus Kilpatrick is a
very passionate servant of our Lord, even if his methods are a bit…unorthodox.”
“That’s one
way to look at it.” Vivienne shrugged.
Father William
spoke softly. “When I was doing hospital rounds, one of my parishioners who
works as a volunteer told me they heard there was some sort of malfunction with
his pacemaker. A short or something that interrupted his heart briefly.”
“Joshua did
say that his heart wasn’t beating when he checked him.” Vivienne replied.
“He was in the
emergency room a few hours and then returned home under Eunice’s care.” Father
William’s face brightened. “So, thank God it wasn’t anything too serious.”
“That’s good,
I suppose.” Vivienne felt conflicted about knowing Seamus was cleared to return
to his disruptive tactics with the carnival.
“Now, now.”
Father William gave her a little wink. “We all want the best in the end.”
“I can’t argue
with that.” Vivienne smiled back.
“Despite what
Pastor Kilpatrick said, I see new hope and goodness every day. Why tonight, I
even have a meeting with a young man who is considering missionary work.”
He looked down at his wrist watch.
“Which, if I don’t hurry I am going to be late for.”
“That’s okay.
I have a dinner date with Joshua to get to as well and he’s also a stickler for
being on time.”
“I still would
like to talk to you about our plans. Can you swing by the church Saturday
morning, say around ten?” He asked.
Vivienne
nodded. “Sure.”
“Wonderful.”
He dashed off with a wave. “I’ll see you then.”
“Order or
pickup?” The young Asian woman asked from behind the counter.
“Pickup for
Finch.” Vivienne placed her purse on the counter.
“Just one
moment.” The woman disappeared through a set of double doors to the kitchen
area.
The front door
to the restaurant opened and Vivienne gasped as Suzette Powell stepped inside.
Dressed in a long black coat and a dark purple winter hat, her heels clacked
loudly on the floor as she hurried to the counter. It was not only unsettling
to see Cayuga’s Cove’s most upscale caterer ordering takeout, it was almost
unheard of. Sort of like running into Martha Stewart in line at Burger King.
“Hello Suzette.”
Suzette looked
up in surprise at being recognized. “Oh, hello Vivienne.”
Vivienne
observed a coldness to her body language. “Picking up dinner too?”
Suzette
nodded. “Yes.” She kept her head down.
“Is everything
okay?” Vivienne asked.
Suzette shook
her head. “No, it’s not.”
“Is there
something I can help you with?” Vivienne asked.
“No, you
can’t.” Suzette was quick to reply. She grimaced, fighting back tears that
seemed just ready to flow at a moment’s notice. “It’s been a very bad day and
I’m just not ready to even talk about it.”
Vivienne
shrugged. “Whatever it is, I hope it gets better soon.”
Suzette pulled
a tissue out from the pocket of her coat and blew her nose. “Is there a
restroom in this place? I’ve never been here before.”
Vivienne
pointed toward the restaurant area off to the side. “Yes. It’s to the left of
the small water garden in the dining room.”
“Thank you.”
Suzette rushed off in a hurry.
The young
woman returned from the kitchen with a large plastic bag in her hands.
“Imperial Feast, two spring rolls, and a large bowl of wonton soup?” She asked.
“Yes, that’s
right.” Vivienne pulled her wallet out of her purse.
“Seventeen
dollars please.” The woman opened the bag and dropped in a handful of duck and
soy sauce packets.
Vivienne retrieved
a twenty dollar bill from her wallet and handed it to the girl. “Keep the
change.”
“Thank you and
come again.” The girl smiled.
Vivienne
grabbed the bag and was about to leave when she paused. “Excuse me, but the
woman who just came in, did she have an order waiting?”
“I don’t
know.”
“Her last name
is Powell.” Vivienne added.
“Let me
check.” The young girl disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and then
returned. “Yes she has an order waiting.”
Vivienne set
her purse back on the counter. “I know this may sound strange, but I’d like to
pay for that.”
“You want to
buy her order?” The girl asked with a slightly confused look on her face.
“I don’t want
to take it. I just want to pay for it. She’s a friend and she seemed a little
upset when she came in.” Vivienne pointed to the dining room area. “She just
went to the restroom for a moment.”
“Oh, that’s
okay then.” She walked over the register and pulled the order from the stack of
papers. “Her order is twelve-fifty.”
Vivienne gave
the exact change. “Thank you.” She hurried away, hoping that a little act of
kindness might bring Suzette some comfort.
As she dashed
into her car with the bag warm in her grip, she caught wind of the acrid
burning smell again. A few moments later, the bag of warm Chinese food rapidly
filled the car interior with the smell of sweet and sour chicken and spring
rolls. Her stomach groaned a little, but she resisted the urge to snack on some
of the crispy noodles on the drive home.
*
*
*
“The fire was
contained without too much structural damage to her home, but the catering
kitchen building was in pretty bad shape.” Joshua explained as they finished
dinner. “Almost all of the equipment was destroyed.”
“Poor
Suzette.” Vivienne now understood why Suzette had been such a wreck at Shanghai
Sunset. Her home-based business, The Formal Affair Catering, was operated out
of a large three car garage that Suzette’s husband had converted into a kitchen
and business office several years ago. Although she had made a respectable
profit from it each year, it had never quite lived up to her lofty goals when
she first opened. Vivienne recalled how much Suzette admired Martha Stewart and
the empire she created from a rural home in Connecticut. She had dreams of one
day matching that, but apart from lots of weddings and retirement dinners, the
business never exploded into something on a grander scale. There were no
cookbook publication offers, no food magazine write-ups or reviews, no big
network morning talk shows to demonstrate food preparation for. She was a small
fish in a small pond. Despite her best efforts, it was going to remain that way
for the foreseeable future.
“She’s lucky
that the wind blew the flames away from their home.” Joshua added.
“That Dutch
Colonial they live in is quite old.” Vivienne finished off the end piece of her
spring roll. “Those places can go up fast.”
“Most
importantly, no one was injured.” Joshua dipped some of the crispy noodles into
some duck sauce and munched happily.
Vivienne
gathered up the little cardboard containers the rice had come in and stuffed
some of the empty sauce packets inside. “Do they know how the fire started?”
“The fire
department is conducting an investigation, but there wasn’t anything obvious
that pointed to foul play.” Joshua leaned back in his chair and rubbed his full
stomach. “Thank heavens for small favors.”
“Agreed.”
Vivienne walked over to where he was sitting and wrapped her arms around his
shoulders. “You smell like smoke.”
“Yeah, I was
going to jump in the shower before bed.” He tipped his head back and looked up
into her eyes. “Unless you want to play the hot fireman fantasy?”
She giggled
and shook her head. “If you think that you’re crawling into my crisp, freshly
washed Egyptian cotton sheets smelling like that, think again.”
He pulled her
hands up to his lips and kissed them. “I guess not.”
She leaned
forward and kissed him on the right cheek. “Why don’t you go jump into the
shower and I’ll clean up down here?”
“Are you
sure?” He asked.
“I’ll meet you
upstairs in about fifteen minutes.” She purred softly. “I promise I’ll be
prompt.”
He waggled his
eyebrows at her. “You know I love dessert most of all.”
“I think I
have something in mind that will satisfy.” She teased back.
Joshua had no
sooner tromped upstairs when her cell phone rang. A quick glance at the caller
display screen told her it was Kathy. Normally, she’d let her leave a voice
mail, but after what had happened to Suzette she couldn’t wait to get more
details. “Hello, my friend.” She spoke softly into the phone until the sound of
the shower turning on told her she was safe to gossip at a normal voice level.
“Oh my God,
did you hear about what happened to Suzette earlier?” Kathy asked.
“Yes. Joshua
said they don’t suspect foul play.” Vivienne reassured her.
“That’s a
relief.” Kathy sighed. “I was hoping we didn’t have an arsonist living in town
now.”
“I’m sure it
will turn out to be bad luck.” Vivienne sighed back. “There seems to be quite a
bit of that going around here lately.”
“What do you
mean?”
Vivienne
gathered up the plates from the dining room and carried them into the kitchen,
taking care not to trip as Tommy and Sammy Cat darted around her legs hoping to
catch a fallen piece of sweet and sour chicken. “First Tristan and Nathaniel
saying they’re going out of business, then that religious tantrum with Pastor
Kilpatrick at the library, and now Suzette’s catering business catches fire.”
“I never
really thought to string that all together like that, but you could be on to
something.” Kathy agreed.
Vivienne set
the plates down on the counter and opened her dishwasher. “I really don’t want
to be on to something like that. I’ve got far too much to do this month.”
“Well, you do
seem to have a knack for figuring out when something nefarious is going on in
town.” Kathy replied.
“That’s just
dumb luck.” Vivienne lied. She had wished many times that she could reveal to
her best friend the real reason she was the center of all the strange things
happening in Cayuga Cove. But, as she knew all too well, being a witch required
her to maintain an oath of secrecy. She loaded the plates and drinking glasses
and dropped a detergent tab into the holder, shutting the door with her hip.
“Well, so much
for your competition in this town.”
Vivienne would
have to wait for Joshua’s shower to finish before running the load. Her hot
water tank simply wasn’t large enough to handle both. “I’m sure that they’re
going to rebuild as soon as the insurance money comes in.”