Page 63 of Bear Creek Valentine
Somewhere near Scranton
No one noticed the tipsy third-floor resident who barely made it up the stairs and into her apartment. Why should they? People here were invisible to society, neighbors, and especially the cops, so who cared if someone drank too much? For years, it had been warning after warning not to mix alcohol with the medication. The prohibition meant less than nothing now since the prescription ran out ages ago. When it came down to affording pills or food, the choice was easy. Besides, this was a day of celebration and a few drinks were called for.
Mister ‘I am perfect’ Romero should have received his surprise packages today. Oh, to have seen his pretty face scrunched up in disgust when he opened them. No pleasant aroma of chocolate for theDeliciouscrowd today! The last trip to Bear Creek shut down the place for several days, but those damn cameras saw too much. Today’s post office delivery was much safer, though not nearly as satisfying as graffiti and smashed windows.
Amused thoughts were suddenly replaced by roiling nausea and a rushed trip to the bathroom. Knees hit the cracked and discolored floor, scattering roaches hither and yon amid pitiful retching. Trembling and soaked with sweat, the lone figure stood to rinse a befouled mouth and stagger back to the folding chair. Bitterness replaced the earlier celebration, prompting a renewed determination to humble the cocky bastard responsible for this half-life. Before the year was out, when the time was just right, Romero would suffer.
Chapter 23
Early October
The sudden rat-a-tat-tat of a jackhammer sent tremors through the shop, startling the occupants. Blanche clutched her throat in surprise, scowling at the wall as if it had personally offended her. Serena nearly dropped the fall wreath she was trying to hang, swaying dangerously on the stepladder.
“Good grief! I thought they finished the pounding yesterday. What are theydoingover there?”
Aiden overheard and walked up front to explain.
“That’s the sound of progress, ladies. But to answer your question, they’re breaking up the cement floor to install new plumbing. This is just the beginning, so we’re going to have to put up with the noise. Parts of the building are really old and need serious upgrades. Just try to focus on how beautiful it will be when they finish it.”
All of his employees, including Blanche and Serena, were thrilled when Aiden announced the next-door expansion. To give them a sense of ownership, he asked what they’d like to see in the new building and then incorporated several of their ideas into the plans. Leo, Skip, Hudson, and Cooper loved the idea of bringing everythingDeliciousunder one roof. They didn’t like being isolated from the retail side of the business, separated from their co-workers, or being crammed into a restricted space—and Aiden agreed with them.
The construction crew started by gutting the structure, leaving nothing but the outer walls. It was now one cavernous open rectangle, with nothing to suggest former uses. They were making needed repairs, updating the wiring and plumbing, installing ductwork, and replacing the mechanicals. Later would come a new floor and ceiling, an expanded breakroom, anadditional restroom, and a doorway between the shop and the production floor. For all intents and purposes, it would be a brand-new building, satisfying both Aiden’s and the health department’s rigorous requirements.
Aside from cleaning and tuckpointing, the exterior walls were to gain a series of high, narrow horizontal windows to allow in natural light. The old entrance off the street was no longer needed, and matching bricks were being custom made to seal it up—a requirement imposed by the town council to protect the look of historic buildings along the main drag. Aiden had also ordered a large, lighted,Delicioussign for the long stretch of unbroken wall facing the street.
If the work progressed as planned, they would relocate the production facility after the new year. Meanwhile, Dash was seeking a suitable tenant for the old restaurant building once D2 moved out. The local eateries were nice enough for casual meals, but Dash thought it was time to bring upscale dining to the Bear Creek area. Something with a tasteful menu, classy atmosphere, and intimacy.
Construction noises continued on and off through the day, mostly ignored by the staff but prompting questions from curious customers. Historically, change came slowly to town and major projects inevitably got tongues wagging. One thing Aiden didnotdo was mention the expansion plans on theDeliciouswebsite or put an announcement in the local paper. Glen Wahl had recommended lying low until the miscreant was stopped.
“Business as usual is fine, but no ‘Coming Soon’ signs or public announcements. Giving your attacker an additional target isn’t a wise move.”
Following class, Toby reported for duty and set to work, making some of Aiden’s new holiday recipes for beta testing. His odd schedule kept him coming and going at different times throughout the week, but he was having a blast with school.He’d made a few friends and even gone on his first date, doing wonders for his self-esteem. Aiden was proud of his progress, both personal and professional, and told him so frequently.
Around four o’clock, Hudson stopped in to deliver the shop’s list of needed items for the next day. His unexpected dalliance with Malcom Nesbitt fizzled out after a week or so, but they parted on good terms. The young beekeeper was content to sow his wild oats while he waited for a mate, but Hudson wanted something long-term. Now that he’d been with a shifter, it was all he could think about. Aiden sat him down for a serious talk about what such a relationship would mean and how things worked. It didn’t dim Hudson’s determination to find a shifter mate one iota, and Aiden, deliriously happy with Dash, couldn’t fault him for it.
####
That same week
Glen Wahl left his tiny, cluttered office and headed for Providence; one of the many sketchy neighborhoods of Scranton. While he wouldn’t want to live there, the area was home to an informant who might be able to help with theDeliciouscase. On the way, he mentally sifted through the various bits and pieces of evidence collected so far.
While he’d gained fingerprints from the dead animal boxes, none of them was a match in the criminal database. Wahl had better luck with the shipping labels, which were apparently made from scrap paper. On the backside were fragments of a company logo and parts of two words that might have belonged to the perp’s place of employment. At least she now had a name, thanks to the information provided by Romero’s employees.
Heather Novak was a former co-worker at the Manor House restaurant some eight years previous, assisting Aiden as thenewly hired Pastry Chef. Wahl found his former boss, who was now the Chef de Cuisine at a different restaurant. He had a great deal of respect for Aiden and volunteered to sit down with Wahl for a candid discussion. Mentioning Heather Novak’s name brought back unpleasant memories.
“Oh, hell, that was a messy business. Heather wanted the Pastry Chef position, but it was given to Aiden instead. He was far more qualified and stable, but since he was a new hire, we figured she could help him get up and running faster. Our mistake was hiring her in the first place, but we didn’t know about her personal issues. Later on, we discovered she was heavily medicated and seeing a therapist for psychological problems.
“Anyway, the trouble started out as jealousy and turned into flirting and innuendo. Aiden told her he was gay and not interested, hoping she would give up. He chose not to say anything to management because he didn’t want to rock the boat. Well, Heather didn’t get the hint and started making suggestive remarks and pestering him for dates.
“He couldn’t take it anymore and finally reported her for sexual harassment. Our internal investigation backed up his claims, and we fired her. She applied for other food service positions in the Scranton area, but I refused to give her a recommendation. Word eventually got around, and no one would hire her. For all I knew, she’d disappeared.”
The man gave Wahl a general description of Novak, matching the ones he’d received from Leo and Serena, but he still lacked a photo of the woman. He also hadn’t discovered where she lived or worked, or any relatives in the state of Pennsylvania. It was devilishly easy to operate below the radar, especially in Scranton, though he hoped his informant might know something.
Eddie Montrose was an ex-con who ran a quasi-respectable salvage business on Euclid Avenue, and for a price, shared information with Wahl from time to time. Eddie was a friendly sort who kept his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut around the denizens of Providence. He’d discretely helped Wahl on other occasions, though he was selective about what he shared. If word got around that Eddie was talking to a private investigator, they’d never find his body.
Scranton Salvage and Recycling sat on a sad-looking corner of Euclid and North Main, across from the expressway. A high, rusty chain-link fence topped with barbed wire surrounded the property, which resembled an urban junkyard. Eddie’s well-used pickup truck was parked in front of the office, and Wahl walked towards the door looking for all the world as if he belonged there. No one would recognize him with a scruffy face, old clothing, and wearing a gray hoody. Eddie noticed his arrival and met him just outside the door with a knowing look.
“What can I do for you?”
