To Brew or Not to Brew (18 page)

Jake stood beside me while I set the alarm and locked up. “Thanks for everything today,” I said. “Especially for working on the garage door. That was definitely above and beyond your job description.”

“Maybe you should add that one to it.” He grinned. “Manual labor as needed.”

“Maybe I will. But only for brawny, ex-hockey players.”

“Ooh, she thinks I'm brawny. That's good, isn't it?”

I laughed for the first time that day. “Definitely.”

We were both parked in the lot around the corner, and when we reached my car, Jake put his hand on my shoulder. The butterflies that suddenly took flight in my stomach weren't sure what to make of it.

“Max . . .” There was a long pause. Instead of saying whatever it was he was going to say, he squeezed my shoulder. “I'll see you tomorrow, boss.”

That wasn't what I expected. On second thought, maybe it was. It certainly wasn't what I hoped he'd say. It was on my mind all the way home. After this morning, I was under the impression his feelings had changed. That he saw me as more than Mike's baby sister. Now I was confused. When he put his hand on my shoulder and said my name tonight, I hadn't expected a declaration of undying love, but I sure thought it would be something different than “I'll see you tomorrow.” Apparently I'd read too much into his concern for me. It was just as well. Who had time for romance, anyway?

*   *   *

I
slept like a log until Hops batted my face with her cast. I groaned and looked at the clock. It was after eight, and she wanted her breakfast. Immediately. I hadn't intended to sleep this late. I dragged my rear out of bed, fed the kitten, and headed to the shower. Thirty minutes later, I felt almost human. I wasn't brewing today and I had interviews scheduled, so I dressed in black slacks and a short-sleeved turquoise jersey instead of the jeans and T-shirt I wore on most days.

It was another beautiful morning, so I left my car at home. I'm not usually an anxious person, but as I got closer to the pub my stomach started doing flip-flops. The fire yesterday seemed to have been more of a warning than an attempt to burn down the building. But what kind of warning? What was this person trying to accomplish? And why? I was at a complete loss. Especially now that Ralph was no longer a suspect. Kurt's and Dom's murders, the vandalism, the fire—none of it made any sense. If this person was trying to drive me out, it wasn't going to work.

With a new resolve, I unlocked the door and went inside. I went from room to room and checked everything twice, then opened the new garage door and checked the alley. Much to my relief, everything was fine. I headed across the street to celebrate with an iced mocha. With extra whipped cream.

Kristie was behind the counter working her magic as usual. She'd changed her hair color since yesterday. Some of her hair color, anyway. The burgundy dreadlocks were now streaked with blue. The early-morning crowd had come
and gone, but the next wave that usually included writers and students hadn't arrived yet. There was only one person in line ahead of me. When it was my turn, I told Kristie I'd like extra whipped cream.

“What's the occasion?”

“Only that no one tried to burn down the pub this morning.”

She grinned. “Are you sure it's not because of your hockey man?”

I felt heat creeping into my face. “Absolutely not. There's nothing going on there.”

“Uh-huh. Sure there isn't.”

“Seriously. We're just friends.”

Kristie squirted a large dollop of whipped cream on top of the cup. “I don't believe that for a minute. I saw how worried he was yesterday. That hug he gave you wasn't a just friends hug.”

She drizzled squiggles of chocolate syrup on the whipped cream, then sprinkled jimmies on the top. She didn't believe in adding a maraschino cherry like other places did, because they were bad for you. Like the chocolate and whipped cream weren't.

“And your feelings are written all over your face,” she said. “You've got it bad.” Just then the door chimed. “Well, speak of the devil.”

I glanced over my shoulder. It was Jake.

“We were just talking about you,” Kristie said.

I was sure my face had turned bright red.

“Uh-oh,” Jake said. “That can't be good.”

Kristie grinned. “That kind of depends. I was just telling Max you—”

“—were a great cook,” I said. I shot Kristie a look that told her to button her lips. Or else.

“Oh, he can cook all right.” I could tell she wasn't referring to food at all.

Jake looked from Kristie to me and back to Kristie again, like he was missing something. Thank goodness he was.

She passed my mocha over the counter, then took Jake's order for a plain coffee with an extra shot of espresso. I didn't dare leave, afraid Kristie would tell him exactly what we'd been talking about, so I waited for him. As we left, Kristie sang out, “You two behave, now.”

I was going to wring her neck.

“What was that all about?” Jake asked.

“Nothing,” I said as we jaywalked across the street. “Kristie's imagination runs wild sometimes.”

“In other words, I don't want to know.”

“Yep.” I unlocked the door to the brew house and we went inside. “You're here early. I didn't think you were coming in until this afternoon.”

“I thought it was a good idea to be here.”

I stopped in my tracks. “I don't need a babysitter.”

“I know you don't. That's not what I mean.”

“That's what it sounds like.”

Jake set his cup on the bar. “I just thought you might want some extra help today. Nothing more.”

Before I had a chance to respond, the door opened and Elmer Fairbanks came in. I fought the urge to groan. I'd completely forgotten he was coming in today. Great. Now I had two babysitters. This was ridiculous.

“I heard about that fire yesterday,” Elmer said. “If I'd have been here, it never would have happened.” He snapped
the 101st Airborne ball cap from his head. “So, where do you want me?”

Anywhere but here
, I wanted to say. How in the world was I supposed to get anything done? I wouldn't be able to leave the pub without one of them shadowing me. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I had to say something. “I appreciate your wanting to help, Elmer, but I really don't need looking after.”

“Maybe you don't, but this place sure does,” he said. “Break-ins, murder, arson. Maybe you want to take bets on what's gonna happen today.”

I heard Jake snicker. Traitor.

“Nothing is going to happen,” I said. “I have interviews scheduled, so there will be people going in and out all day. I have new employees coming in to learn the ropes. And Jake will be here, too. It's perfectly safe.”

“Yeah? That's what we thought in the Ardennes before everything started exploding. No such thing as a safe place.”

Now what? I looked at Jake, who was doing all he could to keep a straight face. Then I came up with an idea that would get them both out from under my feet. “Good point,” I said to Elmer. “Jake, why don't you show Elmer where the fire was yesterday and get him acquainted with the layout of the pub. Then you can talk to him about any security concerns.”

“Me?”

It was my turn to suppress a smile. “You did say you came in early to help, didn't you?”

I
didn't feel a bit bad about leaving Elmer with Jake. He deserved it. Contrary to what he'd told me, I was positive Jake hadn't come in early to see if he could help with anything. I had five older brothers and a sometimes-overprotective dad. I could spot Protection Mode a mile away. With any luck, Jake and Elmer would hit it off and both of them would stay out of my way. Since there was no guarantee that would actually happen, I downed the rest of my mocha, slung my purse over my shoulder, and snuck out the front door.

There were three places I hadn't visited yet, all belonging to Adam Greeley. So far, I'd mostly struck out trying to find anyone who had seen suspicious activity near the pub. Annie had been the only one who'd seen anything even remotely out of the ordinary. Since Adam's stores were directly across
the street, I was hopeful that at least one of his staff had seen something. And frankly, I was curious about the situation between Daisy and Adam. Daisy was a lovely person, and I was annoyed with Adam for treating her the way he was. Not that I could do anything about it, except maybe put in a good word for Daisy.

I remembered the article I'd read in the
Pittsburgh Times
about This and That, so I decided to start there. Many of the boutique shops in the area were funky, fun places. Although this one had a mix of merchandise, This and That, as well as Adam's other two stores, was a little more high-end. It featured plush carpets, glass and marble tables and fixtures, and soft lighting. The lone sales clerk was arranging silk scarves on a glass-topped table, and she looked up as I entered. She greeted me with a smile and I returned her good morning.

“You're from across the street, aren't you?” she asked.

I said I was and introduced myself.

“I saw the reporters over there the other day,” she said, shaking her head. “They actually came over here and started asking all kinds of questions about what happened. I made them leave.”

“I appreciate that.”

“So, what can I do for you? I have the feeling you're not here to buy a scarf.”

By this time, I had gotten pretty good at summarizing the events of the last few weeks. When I finished, I asked if she had noticed anything strange.

“I can't say that I have,” she said. “But you might want to talk to Mr. Greeley. He keeps an eagle eye on everything.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And I mean everything.”

I wasn't about to say that I knew that already, but I told her I'd talk to Adam.

The clerk in Fleet of Foot said almost the same thing. She hadn't seen anyone, either, but said I should talk to the boss. While I was there, I spied a cute pair of sandals and on impulse decided to buy them. They were a well-known brand and marked half off, even though it was the beginning of the season. I couldn't pass them up. While the clerk rang up my purchase, she asked me what I planned to do after the brewery closed.

“I'm usually exhausted by that time of night, so I go home and crash.”

She giggled. “No, I mean after it's closed for good. You know, after you sell it.”

I almost dropped the credit card as I passed it across the counter. “Hopefully, that won't happen for a long time. Possibly never. I'd like to hand it down to the kids I don't have yet.” An image of a little boy who looked just like Jake flashed in my mind.
Get a grip, O'Hara
.

The clerk frowned. “Huh. I heard you were putting it up for sale. I figured it was because of everything that happened. And with those blue flyers everywhere . . .”

She didn't need to finish the sentence. “Those flyers belong in the trash.” I slid my card back into my wallet. “Who told you I was selling the brew house? I'd like to set them straight.”

“I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said anything.”

“I'm glad you did. Was it Fran Donovan who told you?”

The clerk shook her head. “That's the lady with those flyers, right?” She handed me the tangerine shopping bag holding my new sandals. “Actually, it was Mr. Greeley.”

I vaguely remembered something Daisy said last week. Someone had mentioned I wouldn't be opening the brew house. It made sense now—it had come from Adam. But why did he think that? He had no business sticking his nose into mine, let alone trying to start a rumor like that.

I thanked the clerk and left. I paused out on the sidewalk trying to get my anger in check. I didn't want to go barging into Handbag Heaven like I was the SWAT team. But I did want to find out why Adam was telling everyone I was selling the brew house. I took a couple of deep breaths, and when I figured my blood pressure had returned to a normal level, I went into the handbag store.

Adam stood at a marble counter on one side of the store. The counter was piled with quilted handbags of all shapes and sizes, and he was attaching price tags to their handles. “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he said. “It's been a long time since you've been in here.”

I wasn't sure if it was good or bad that he seemed to be in a friendly mood. “I've been a little busy,” I said.

“You certainly have.” He slid a pile of handbags aside and leaned on the counter. “I just got in this new shipment of Veras if you're interested.” He held up one of the bags. “They're all thirty percent less than you'll find them anywhere else.”

Any other time I might have been tempted. “Not today.”

“I understand perfectly,” he said. “I'm sure your money is tight right now, especially in light of everything that's happened over there. And that fire yesterday.” He shook his head. “So horrible. You could have lost everything.”

Like I didn't know that already. “My finances are fine.
Everything is coming together and we'll be opening right on schedule.”

His smile disappeared and reappeared so quickly, I would have missed it if I hadn't been watching him so closely. “Well, that's certainly good news,” he said.

I could have beat around the bush and hinted about what I'd heard, but I was fed up. I went for the direct approach. “If that's the case, why are you telling everyone I'm selling the brewery?”

“Where in the world did you hear such a thing?” Adam was no longer smiling.

I wasn't about to give away my sources and cause problems for them. “It came from more than one person.”

He busied himself with the handbags in front of him. “I never . . . They must have misunderstood what I said.”

“I don't think so. When I mentioned to them that I had no intention of leaving, they seemed genuinely surprised.”

“Is it any wonder?” he said. “Death and destruction follow you around ever since you bought that old building.”

“Through no fault of my own. Someone's out to get me.”

He smiled again. “Why, Maxine. That sounds a bit paranoid.”

Maybe it did, but it was true.

He pushed the handbags to the side. “Remember when I mentioned a week or so ago there was something I wanted to talk to you about?”

I didn't . . . Wait. I vaguely remembered him saying something like that when I'd run into him on the sidewalk outside the bakery. It had been the day his hand was all bandaged up. I glanced at his hand. There were only a
couple of red marks now. Tooth marks. So he was the one Daisy had said was bitten by a cat.

Adam came around the counter. “I know you've had a bad time of it. A terrible time, in all honesty. I may have pointed out to a few people my surprise that you hadn't quit.”

It wasn't quite an admission, but I'd take it.

“I have a proposal for you,” he said. “I want to buy your building.”

I couldn't have heard him right. “Excuse me?”

“I'd like to buy your place.”

“What? Why?” It was all I could come up with.

“I've had my eye on that building for quite a while. Imagine my surprise when I came back from being out of the country on a buying trip to find it had been sold.”

“The building was up for sale for over a year. Why didn't you make an offer if you wanted it?”

He shrugged. “I was waiting for the price to come down. It seems like I waited a little too long.”

“Is that why you've been telling people I'm closing down?”

“Wishful thinking on my part, I suppose, although I never actually said you were leaving. I only hinted at it.” He gave me his biggest salesman smile. “So how about my proposal?”

I shook my head. “I'm sorry, Adam, but the brewery isn't for sale. Not now and not ever. I've put too much time, money, and sweat into that place to give it all up.”

The bell on the door chimed as a customer came in.

“You know where to find me when you change your mind.”

As I went out the door, I heard Adam pitching for another kind of sale. “Mrs. Patterson! How lovely to see you. Wait until you see the new Veras I got in my shipment yesterday . . .”

At least I now knew why Adam was spreading rumors about the pub shutting down. That was one mystery solved. If only I could figure out the rest as easily.

*   *   *

“F
ind out anything interesting?” Jake asked when I returned to the brew house. He sat by himself on a stool at the bar. Nicole wasn't due in yet, and I didn't see Elmer.

“How did you know what I was doing?” I held up the bag holding my shoes. “I could have just been shopping.”

“Right. If that were the case, you could have taken Elmer with you instead of passing him off to me. Nice move, by the way. I'll have to remember that.” He grinned. “Of course, if that's lingerie in the bag, I'm glad you didn't take him with you. You wouldn't want to give the old guy a heart attack.”

Jake mentioning lingerie made my hand shake. I put the bag down on the bar. “Where is Elmer?”

“He went to the bakery. He said he had—and I quote—‘a hankering for something sweet.'”

Drat. I'd hoped he'd gotten bored and gone home. “So he'll be back?”

“Afraid so.”

I let out a sigh. “Great. I know he means well, but I can't have him underfoot and following me around all day. It's going to drive me nuts.”

“Just find something for him to do. Some busywork. Nicole will be in soon. Maybe he can help her.”

“Maybe.”

“I saw you leaving the store across the street. Did you learn anything?”

I filled him in on the Adam situation, then I picked up my bag. “I'll be in the office if you need me. I have to get some paperwork done before the interviews this afternoon.”

Jake touched the shopping bag. “Are you going to tell me what you bought?” He had a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Some lacy getup, maybe?”

I yanked the bag out of his reach. “Wouldn't you like to know?” I spun around before he could see my flaming cheeks. I went down the hallway thinking maybe I should have bought something besides shoes.

The rest of the day passed quietly. Nicole and Elmer hit it off. It turned out her grandfather had been in Elmer's unit during World War II, so they had a lot to talk about. My interviews went well, and I hired two more people. I now had enough to cover both lunch and dinner shifts, as well as into the evening. Since we wouldn't have a full-service bar, I didn't need to hire bartenders. I'd likely cover the taps myself with occasional help from Mike and my mom and dad. And Nicole, too. Between the kitchen staff Kurt had hired and more that Jake had, everything seemed to be under control.

Then why did I feel like it wasn't?

The phone on my desk rang and I absentmindedly answered it.

“Hi, sweetie.” It was Mom. “I just wanted to check on
you. Mike said he and Jake replaced your garage door yesterday.”

I hoped he hadn't told her why I needed a new door.

“He also told me about the fire.”

Darn that brother of mine. What a tattletale.

“Max, you should have told me.”

“I didn't want you to worry, especially after everything else.”

“I worry more when you keep things to yourself. Besides, I'm your mother. I'm going to worry no matter what.”

She had a point. To make up for trying to keep her in the dark, I told her about the conversation I'd had that morning with Adam. I asked if Dad had learned anything new, and she told me no, that he'd been working on two new homicides. After that, she brought up the meeting of Fran Donovan's Save Our Lawrenceville group that evening and asked if I was planning to attend.

“Candy, Kristie, and I are going. Would you like to come with us?”

“I'd love to.” She said she'd meet us there. Right before I hung up, she said, “Did you ever notice the abbreviation for Save Our Lawrenceville is SOL?” I could hear the smile in her voice.

I laughed. One could only hope.

*   *   *

W
hen Candy, Kristie, and I reached the meeting room at the library, we weren't sure we were in the right place. There were only five people in a room that could have held thirty, and they were all crammed into the front row.
We stepped through the doorway and I spotted my mother sitting on the left side in the back of the room. We took the seats beside her.