A Burned Out Baker: Classic Diner Mystery #7 (The Classic Diner Mysteries) (14 page)

Moose turned and shrugged sheepishly in her direction before he continued. “Mr. Graves, what can my granddaughter do for you?”

“I’m here to serve papers for you to appear in civil court for assault,” he said as he tried to handle a legal document to me.

“Don’t take it, Victoria,” Moose said.

“I assure you, this is just a formality,” the attorney said. “My client is ready and willing to pursue all legal avenues against you.”

“When did this supposed assault take place, and who’s making the complaint?” I asked.

“My client in this matter is Mr. Barry Jackson, as you’ll see on that document,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Mr. Graves, do you know that your client is dead?” I asked him.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, clearly unsure if we were joking or telling the truth.

“Pick up a newspaper, sport,” Moose said. “Barry died in a fire at his bakery, so he’s going to have a hard time suing us for damages.”

This new information seemed to throw young Mr. Graves off his game. “Am I to believe your word in this matter?”

“Extra, extra, read all about it,” Moose said as he grabbed a nearby newspaper one of our customers had left earlier.

The attorney took the paper from my grandfather, began to read the headline, and then he abruptly stood. “I’ll look into this promptly.”

“You do that,” Moose said to the attorney’s retreating back. “That was easy enough.”

“How do you know that he won’t be back?” I asked, worried that Mike Jackson might change his mind and continue the lawsuit on his brother’s behalf.

“He’ll never win a civil suit unless we’re found guilty in criminal court, and there’s no way that case is ever getting prosecuted. Don’t worry about him, Victoria.”

“Moose, you know as well as I do that worrying comes with the territory when you run this place,” I said.

He nodded. “I get it, but we have more pressing problems at the moment.”

“Like Natalie Dixon,” I said. “I’ll try not to let Mr. Graves bother me anymore.”

“That’s the spirit. One problem at a time, granddaughter.”

“That’s true. This investigation seems to be supplying its own set of difficulties, isn’t it?”

“Nothing we can’t handle together, though,” Moose said.

“You’re awfully optimistic, aren’t you?”

“Hey, it’s the only way to be when things get tough.”

I nodded, and then I walked over to my grandmother. “How would you like to take a break? I can’t stay for much more than half an hour, but I can at least relieve you that long.”

“I’m fine, dear,” she said. “Go spend it with your husband.”

“I really don’t mind,” I replied. “I can catch up with Greg tonight. Go on. I insist. Why don’t you get Moose to sit with you, and I’ll take your lunch order myself?”

“Well, I could use a bite to eat,” she conceded. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” I said.

“Excellent, but you stay at the register. I’ll let Moose fetch my food for me.”

“Yeah, that probably is better,” I said with a smile.

She winked at me before she joined my grandfather. I loved the way that the two of them interacted, but I was glad that Greg and I had less drama in our married lives than they did. I knew that he’d understand my decision to relieve my grandmother instead of visiting him in the kitchen. If anything, my husband was more into our family than I was, and that was saying something.

For the moment, I just wanted to get lost in my work and forget all about arson and murder.

After all, our appointment with Natalie and her grandmother would be happening soon enough.

“It’s time to go, Victoria,” Moose said as he approached the register and tapped his wristwatch.

“Give me one second,” I said as I finished ringing up Penny Winston’s ticket. “Have a nice day, Penny,” I said as I handed over her change.

“Right back at you,” she replied.

I looked over at Martha after Penny was gone. She noticed the attention, stood, and joined us at the register. “Thanks for the break, Victoria.”

I hugged her. “Thank you for filling in for me,” I said.

“It’s honestly my pleasure,” she replied.

“The clock’s ticking,” Moose said softly in my ear.

“Okay, okay. I’m ready.”

Once we were outside, Moose said, “Thanks for abandoning me, by the way. Why didn’t you take Martha up on her offer to watch the front while you spent a little quality time with your husband?”

“I figured that the two of you had a few things to talk about,” I said with a slight smile. “Was I wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know how much talking I did, but Martha surely got enough words in for the both of us. It’s amazing to me that she had any time left over to eat.”

“She’s had a lot of practice scolding you over the years,” I said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she could do that on autopilot.”

“You’re probably right, not that I haven’t deserved it most of the time.”

“
Most
of the time?” I asked him as he drove toward the courthouse for our appointment.

“Okay, nearly all of it. Is that better?”

“Much,” I said as he parked in the lot and we made our way inside. I wasn’t expecting open arms when we arrived, but I did think that the door to the judge’s chambers would at least be open. Instead, we found Lenny there again, guarding it like a watchdog.

“Is she ready for us?” Moose asked as he started to reach for the handle.

“No,” the bailiff said as he continued to block our way.

“Is there a problem?” I asked him lightly.

“Not as far as I’m concerned. I’m just doing as I’ve been told.”

“Good for you,” Moose said, the irritation thick in his voice. “Just exactly how long are we supposed to hang around here waiting?”

“I personally don’t care if you leave right now,” the man said. “All I know is that you’re not getting through this door until the judge says it’s okay.”

There didn’t seem to be a lot of room for debate, so I guided my grandfather back to the bench we’d so recently occupied together, and we both sat down.

“If I’d known she was going to pull this, I never would have left in the first place,” Moose said a little sullenly.

“This is no time to jump to conclusions. We have no idea what’s going on back there.”

My grandfather shook his head. “Victoria, if Holly isn’t back there talking to Natalie at this very moment, I’ll buy you a brand-new hat.”

“I don’t wear hats, and you know it,” I said.

“It’s just an expression.”

“Really? I’ve never heard it before.” I leaned over and asked Lenny, “Have you ever heard of that?”

“Not even once,” the bailiff said, proving to me that he was indeed eavesdropping on our conversation. It might be wise for us to watch what we said in his presence. There was little doubt in my mind that Lenny would tell Judge Dixon everything that my grandfather and I discussed while we were waiting for her summons.

Moose said sullenly, “Well, I’ve heard it plenty of times.”

“I’m sure that you have,” I said, trying to mollify him.

It didn’t work.

He was as impatient as a child going to an amusement park, and I wondered if the door would ever open, when finally, the handle turned, and the bailiff stepped aside.

After a whispered conversation, he turned to us and said, “You can go in now.”

It was showtime.

Soon enough, we’d find out what all of the secrecy had been about, and if we got lucky, maybe we’d learn one way or the other if Natalie Dixon was really carrying Barry Jackson’s baby.

There was an attractive young woman sitting in the chair that Judge Dixon had pulled up beside her own, and it was clear in more ways than one that battle lines had been drawn. The massive desk separated Moose and me from the two Dixons, and I wondered if this was going to be the start of a new family feud.

“Moose, Victoria, I’d like you both to meet my granddaughter, Natalie,” the judge said formally.

Moose and I shook hands with her as she stood, and the beginning signs of pregnancy were clearer now. I’d known Barry Jackson for years, and I’d never found him to be all that charming, let alone attractive. So how had he been able to woo this particular young lady? I desperately wanted to know, but it wasn’t a question that I could just come out and ask.

After the introductions were made, the judge said, “Before you start asking questions, Natalie would like to say something first, if there aren’t any objections.”

I couldn’t imagine there being any, and I was proud of Moose for remaining silent. “Please go on,” I said, and Judge Dixon nodded, adding the grim hint of a smile.

When her granddaughter didn’t speak up right away, the judge looked at her and said, “Go on, Natalie. Tell them what you told me earlier.”

“I can’t,” the young woman said, nearly breaking down in tears. “It’s too embarrassing.”

“Nevertheless, it needs to be done,” Judge Dixon said. To soften the harshness of her demand, she reached over and patted her granddaughter’s arm gently. The treatment of her kin was just like I imagined her demeanor in court must be, firm but fair.

“Okay,” Natalie said as she turned toward us. “I would never sleep with Barry Jackson, and there’s no possible way that this is his baby,” she said in a rush of words. The young woman looked at her grandmother, and the judge nodded, her smile obvious now.

“Tell them why you said what you did,” Judge Dixon said.

Natalie moved her gaze to the hands in her lap as she said, “My folks have hated my boyfriend from the start, and my dad threatened to kill any man who got me pregnant before I was married. When I found out I was pregnant, I’d just been to the bakery. I panicked when my father asked me who had done this to me, so I said it was Barry.”

“What happened next?” I asked softly.

“My dad went to the bakery and accused Barry Jackson of knocking me up,” she said. “Barry was there with his ex-girlfriend at the time. Evidently she was trying to patch things up with him. Anyway, Dad confronted Barry, and before long there was an ugly scene. My mom managed to drag Dad off, but not before he told Barry that he’d be back for him.”

Moose said, “Sandy never told me about that part of it.”

Natalie spoke up. “She probably didn’t know about it. Dad said she took off the second he showed up. She’s not exactly brave, at least according to him.”

“I hate to ask you this, but do you know where your father was the morning the bakery burned down?” I asked her.

“My son has many flaws, but he’s not a killer,” Judge Dixon said firmly.

“Pardon me for saying this, but we aren’t always the best judges of our own children’s behavior,” Moose said.

“Perhaps not, but the morning in question my son happened to be sleeping on my couch.”

“He and Mom had a huge blowout fight about me,” Natalie said. “I tried to get them to stop fighting, but Dad left before I could set things straight.”

“When that happened, he came home to me,” the judge said, “where I scolded him for his behavior, and then I made a space for him on my couch. I have a perfectly good guest room, but I didn’t want him to get too comfortable there. I’ve taught my son to face his problems, no matter how dire they might seem, and I wasn’t about to go back on that belief. He wouldn’t tell me what the fight was about at the time, but it’s clear enough now, isn’t it? In any case, there’s no way that my son could have been involved with whatever happened to Barry Jackson on the morning of the fire. You have my word on it.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Moose said, and I wasn’t about to dispute it.

“How are you holding up, Natalie?” I asked her.

“I’ll be all right,” she said. “I’m not looking forward to the next hour, though.”

The judge said, “My son and his wife are on their way over here, and Natalie is going to tell them the truth. We’re going to clear the air, once and for all.”

There was a knock on the door, and the bailiff stuck his head in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Judge, but he’s here.”

She nodded, and Lenny stepped aside, allowing a young man inside the cramped quarters. The second he was there, he rushed to Natalie and embraced her. “Are you okay?” he asked gently.

“I’m fine,” she said. “What are you doing here, Jarod?”

“I called him,” the judge said. “It’s high time that there are no more secrets in this family.”

“But I’m not a part of your family,” Jarod said. “Your son has made that clear time and time again.”

“Young man, my granddaughter is carrying your child,” the judge said. “That makes you family.”

It was time for us to leave. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way,” I said as I stood.

The judge said, “Natalie, Jarod, would you both mind waiting out in the hallway for one minute?”

Natalie looked terrified by the prospect. “What if Mom and Dad come?”

“Don’t worry. Lenny will be right there to keep the peace,” she said.

They agreed, and after the young couple was gone, the judge said, “I trust this ends my family’s involvement in your investigation.”

“I said that it did,” Moose replied. “You know that you can trust my word.”

“I do,” she said, and as she said it, her calm demeanor slipped for just a second, and I could see the woman beneath it. “This is a trying day for all of us.”

“I know that you’ll handle it like a pro, Holly,” Moose said softly, and she didn’t even chastise him for not calling her judge.

She nodded her thanks to us both, and then Moose and I left.

We said our good-byes to Natalie and Jarod in the hallway, and then Moose and I made our way back out to his truck.

“I wouldn’t want to be any of them in an hour,” Moose said. “There’s no one that it’s going to be easy on.”

“Life can be sticky sometimes,” I said, “but with the judge there, I think they’ll all be okay. She’s a tower of strength, isn’t she?”

“She can be, but sometimes I worry about her,” Moose said.

I was glad Martha hadn’t heard him say that. “Why?” I asked softly.

“Never mind,” my grandfather said, dismissing my question. “Now that we’ve settled that, we can get back to our investigation.”

“That sounds good to me, but where do we go from here?” I asked. “We’ve spoken with all of our suspects today, and there’s nothing new that we can ask any of them until we get more information.”

“Then I suppose the only thing that’s left is to head back to the diner,” Moose said. “Don’t worry. I’m sure something will turn up.”

It did, too, before we even got back to The Charming Moose.

As we were driving, a police siren went off behind us, and I looked back to see flashing lights following us closely.

It appeared that Sheriff Croft had grown tired of waiting for us to report back to him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to give me a ticket for something,” Moose said as the sheriff walked up to his side of the truck. “I know for a fact that I wasn’t speeding, and I just had this thing inspected at the garage. Wayne gave it a clean bill of health.”

“This isn’t about your truck,” Sheriff Croft said. “I didn’t know how else to get your attention. I tried flashing my headlights, but you ignored me.”

“I thought you were just one more lunatic trying to run me off the road,” my grandfather said.

“You might not be that far off,” the sheriff said. “We need to talk.”

“Why don’t you follow us back to the diner?” Moose suggested. “We’ll all be a lot more comfortable there, I can promise you that.”

“Sounds good,” the sheriff said. “I could use some pie.”

“I’m always in the mood for that,” I said. “We’ll see you there.”

As he walked back to his squad car, I asked Moose, “Did he seem to be in a particularly good mood just now?”

“For him, he was practically doing cartwheels,” Moose said.

“I wonder what’s up?”

“I’m trying to figure out if he’s even going to tell us,” my grandfather said. “Maybe there’s been a break in the case.”

“If there has been, it’s not because of us. This thing started out so promising when we found all of those clues at once, but we’ve just hit dead end after dead end ever since.”

“You know as well as I do that there’s no predicting how these things are going to work out,” Moose said. “Maybe this is going to be one of those times where the sheriff beats us to the punch and solves the case without us.”

“To be honest with you, I wouldn’t even mind that happening,” I said. “I’m willing to bet that there are several folks around town who think that we killed Barry to stop his lawsuit against us, and they aren’t going to change their minds until the real killer is found.”