Senior Sleuth Cozy Mystery Book Series
50-Plus Condo Series by Janie Owens
Series Excerpt
Angie swept the dishes, silverware, and cups from the table into the plastic bin and hauled them off to the kitchen. This was a heavy load, so she was careful not to step in grease or a stray onion peel on the floor. She had already taken a tumble due to sliding on grease. Since then, she always wore rubber soled shoes.
“Want me to get these in the dishwasher?” she asked the tall man next to her.
Brian was a big guy, both in height and girth. Since he wasn’t presently cooking, he didn’t have a hat or hairnet covering his short brown hair. Angie thought her boss ate too many of his burgers. And fries. But he was a decent man to work for, and not bad looking. Clean shaven with even features, his age she guessed to be thirty. His full name printed on the occupational license hanging on the wall was Brian Forbes.
“No, they can wait,” Brian said. “Your favorite customer is out there.”
“Oh?”
Angie wiped her hands on the white apron covering the pink waitress uniform as she walked through the swinging doors to the dining room. Mr. Big Tipper was seated in her station, looking at the menu.
“Hi. What can I get you today?” she asked, smiling at the man seated in the red booth.
“Angie, you look lovely today,” he said, giving her an approving look. “How about I take you?”
Angie laughed and pushed off the inappropriate remark. “The Burger Bonanza is the special. Want to try that?”
“I think I’d rather try you,” he said through a mouth full of smiling teeth.
Again, Angie laughed nervously and tried to get him to place an order. She went through this every day he came in. And that was a lot. This situation had gone beyond flirting into downright annoying.
“Seriously, what would you like to order?” she said, standing with her pen poised to write on the tablet in her hand.
“Well, if you insist,” he said. “Just the regular burger and fries.”
“Slaw?”
“Yes. You know that’s my favorite. And a diet soda.”
“Got it,” she said, and turned quickly to leave before he could say anything else.
Angie clipped the paper to a round metal apparatus that held the orders and spun around so the cook could read it from the other side of the pass through. Since it was slow, she entered the kitchen and started loading dishes into the washer.
“Still flirting?” Brian asked.
“Yes. He’s a creep. As if I’d be interested in him.”
The man was middle aged, had prematurely white hair and was nice looking, but definitely an annoyance. Ever since she had started working there, he had taken an interest, always sitting in her section. The diner’s layout was three double rows of red booths on the right side of the door, single booths lining the front, side and back, with red topped tables in between that section of booths. The double doors to the kitchen aligned with the front door, with the pass through to the right and waitstaff area that held dishes and utensils. The two booths against the wall on the right were more secluded than the rest of the diner, so that is where he always sat.
Angie felt very uncomfortable around him. His compliments were endless and his intentions obvious. But she was handling the unwanted attention well, she thought. And Brian was aware.
When the cook-in-training slapped the bell to signal her order was ready, Angie quickly grabbed the plate and a can of soda. As she carried the food to the booth, she pasted on her smile. Since he was seated with his back to the wall, he could watch her every step as she came toward him. He smiled as she approached, scanning her body with his eyes.
“Darling, you work too hard,” he said, taking the can from her hands. “I could make life easier for you. Why don’t you let me?”
This was a new level. He had never been this bold, and Angie was not prepared with a snappy comeback. Living in ashrams had not acquainted her with lecherous men. All the men she met were into peace and love. Her face took on a look of surprise. She was speechless.
“Here, let me take the plate,” he said, relieving Angie of the plate in her hand, then clasping that hand in his. He brought her hand up to his face and kissed it. Angie quickly withdrew it.
“Angie, dear, don’t be afraid,” he said, his blue eyes looking warmly at her. “I don’t bite. But I do bring gifts.”
The man reached for Angie’s arm and drew her closer so he could pull her to sit beside him. “I have something for you,” he said, reaching with the other hand for a small box on the seat next to him. “This is for you, Angie.”
He placed the box in her hand. “Open it.”
Angie looked at the man’s face, not sure how to respond.
“Go ahead. It’s all right, really.”
Angie opened the white, unwrapped box. Sitting in the middle of a puff of cotton was a silver bangle. It was wide and daintily engraved with leaves and attaching vines. She looked at the man, quizzically.
“Put it on. Go on, Angie.”
Angie slipped the bracelet over her hand and looked at its beauty sitting on her wrist. It truly was pretty, and it fit perfectly.
“I, I can’t, this is too expensive and…”
“It’s nothing like what I can give you, Angie dear. It’s just a bauble. A little token of my appreciation for your services.”
“No, you see, it wouldn’t be right.” She was grappling for words. “I hardly know you. I don’t even know your name.”
“James. My name is James Marshall,” he said. “Now, we’ve been properly introduced.”
Angie took a deep breath and released it. “Okay, James. Here’s the deal: I don’t know you. I don’t know that I want to know you, understand? This, this bracelet, is beautiful. Thank you, but I can’t accept it. I just can’t.”
She stood before he could speak. James reached out, grasping her wrist. “I will not accept it back, do you understand? I can afford to give you that little bracelet, and far more for that matter. I’m glad you think it’s pretty. It’s only the beginning of what I’m planning to give you. Just the beginning.” He released her wrist. “Now, go do your little job. I would like to eat before this gets cold.”
Angie stood silently for two heartbeats, staring at James as he flipped the napkin open, then she walked away. Once inside the kitchen, she decided to hide there until he left. After a while, Brian came over to where she stood peeking out the window of the pass through, looking at James.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand.” She turned toward Brian, sticking her arm out. “Look. James gave me this.”
“James?”
“He said his name is James. And he gave me this bracelet.”
Brian examined the bracelet with his fingers. “Looks like high quality. And expensive.”
“I know. He said it was a gift,” she said. “A gift?”
One of the other servers came over to inspect the bracelet. Sara Anderson spun it around Angie’s wrist as she looked it over. “Man’s got good taste,” Sara said. “Keep it.”
“Did I do something to make him think he could give me this?” she asked Brian.
“Probably not. Maybe he’s just real generous,” he said. “Or he has the hots for you.”
“I don’t want him to have the hots for me,” Angie said. “He’s old enough to be my father.”
“A sugar daddy is what that’s called,” Sara said, winking. “You have been blessed.”
Angie gave Sara a horrified look.
“Well, ‘James’ just left,” Brian said. “I saw him walk out. Go see if he paid for his meal.”
Angie walked out the kitchen and over to the booth where James had been. Among the dirty dishes was a hundred-dollar bill. He had more than paid for his meal.
Ruby entered Rachel’s office while she was looking over the security tape.
“Whatcha doing?” Ruby asked, sitting in the chair in front of the desk.
“Looking over the security tape,” she said, turning to Ruby. “I have a new job duty… viewing activities during the night. Anyone who tries to enter or do something stupid, I can see it recorded on the tape.”
“See anything interesting?”
“Yes, look,” Rachel turned the screen toward Ruby. “That’s the mystery man who keeps coming around for who knows what reason.”
Ruby saw a man, dressed in a long coat and a hat. “Isn’t that the guy from last year? You mean he’s back?”
“I’m afraid so. I don’t know why, but he’s visited us twice before this.”
“Can you blow that up bigger?” Ruby asked.
“Sure,” Rachel said, thinking Ruby’s eyes must be getting weaker. “Can you see him better?”
“Sure can. He looks familiar.”
“What?” Rachel didn’t expect to hear that.
“Yeah, the way he stands is odd and familiar, like someone I once knew.”
“Really? All this time I thought maybe it was someone looking for Loretta,” she said. “Since she was once a high-profile detective, who knows who might want to seek revenge?”
“That’s true, but he looks familiar to me,” Ruby said, intently looking at the screen while rubbing her chin. “Be nice to see his face clearly, but that dumb hat he’s wearing casts shadows.”
“Well, think about it, Ruby. Maybe it will come to you,” she said. “So, what brings you here today?”
“Loretta,” she said with a sigh. “They’ve got her on oxygen. She looks poorly. She’s so weak, and she doesn’t want to eat. They’ve got her all drugged up, but she’s not improving. I am so worried about her.”
“I am so sorry,” she said. “What can I do?”
“Say prayers. Aren’t you supposed to be religious or something? Don’t you go to church?”
“Yes, I go to the same church as Loretta.”
“Well, then, pray for the woman.”
“I will, Ruby. Can I pray for you, too?”
“Sure, why not? I can always use a little boost in that department.” The old lady smiled, accentuating the wrinkles around her eyes.
Rachel smiled, too, at the words spoken. It wasn’t long ago that this conversation would not have taken place. She hadn’t attended church since childhood and was pursuing a personal path to destruction. Her marriage was at stake because her husband had an incorrect conception of her odd behavior, causing her to become defiant and rebellious. It had been the worst time in her life. But she got through it, with the help of God.
“Is she up for visitors?” Rachel was eager to visit the woman.
“Yeah, but don’t expect a lot from her. You’ll have to do most of the talking.”
“I can do that. Thank you for telling me about her.”
“I’ll keep you informed,” she said, rising from the chair. “Just pray for her.”
“Consider it done.”
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