Джанет Кантрелл - Fat Cat Takes The Cake

“Eddie,” Chase whispered. “Do you know who that man is?”

Eddie squinted in the man’s direction. “I’ve seen him somewhere.”

“At the reunion. Wasn’t he talking with Mr. Snelson?”

“Might have been.”

Chase was sure now. That was the man who had talked with Mr. Snelson and had argued with Ron North. He was now very drunk and still trying to get more liquor. Maybe he’d been blackmailed by Ron and had killed him and was now so remorseful that he was drinking too much? Maybe her imagination was filling in too many blanks.

If only she and Julie could figure out what the entries in Ron’s notebook meant!

Eddie drove her to the rear parking lot, which was where she almost always entered her shop and her apartment. He continued Chase’s healthy food education on the way and she continued to bite her tongue, resisting mention of the fact that some people like food that tasted good and filled them up.

“Would you like to come in and pick out a dessert?” As soon as she’d said the words, she realized that he probably wouldn’t.

“Do you have anything healthy?”

She thought about their products. She’d seen a lot of coconut oil on the menu at the vegan place. “We have Hula Bars. They’re full of pineapple and coconut.”

Maybe he wouldn’t ask what else was in them. If he had any taste at all, he’d surely like them.

“Sounds good. Sure.”

In case Anna had let Quincy loose in the kitchen, she guarded the door with her foot when she opened it. Sure enough, the cat was sitting there, looking at Anna patiently. Probably wishing she would drop something onto the floor.

Anna glanced up as they entered the toasty warm kitchen. “Who’s this?” she asked with a tentative smile.

“Eddie. We went to high school together. We ran into each other today and I offered him a Hula Bar or two.” And he set me on fire when we touched. I’m not really two-timing Mike Ramos. Simply getting him a Hula Bar, she thought to herself.

“Go right ahead.” Anna returned to her ingredients, laid out in small bowls and dishes, but kept her eye on Chase and Eddie until they were through the swinging double doors.

Quincy followed them and Anna whispered to him, “Go ahead, Quincy. You chaperone them.”

Chase suspected that Anna thought her whisper was softer than it was.

Chase flicked the lights on. “I’ll show you the shop first,” she said. “The only products out right now are some of the boxed treats.” The glass case got emptied every night. “Would you like a box of Hula Bars?”

“Maybe I should try a taste first?”

“Go ahead and take this. Give them away if you don’t like them.” She shoved a box into his hands in spite of his doubtful expression. He raised his eyebrows and squinted at it. “What’s in these?”

“I told you. Pineapple and coconut. Also some walnuts.”

“Any sugar?”

“Brown sugar.” Surely that would be all right for a health nut.

“Flour?” Quincy rubbed against Eddie’s pant leg. He lowered his chin, frowned, and moved his leg slightly away from the cat.

“Of course.”

He pushed the box toward her. “I can’t eat white flour. You shouldn’t either.”

“Some of our products don’t contain flour.”

“How about white sugar?”

She admitted that most of them did. She wouldn’t be able to eat many of her own wares if she didn’t eat flour or sugar. At the moment, she couldn’t think of any that were up to Eddie’s standards.

“When you start selling some healthy products, let me know. I’ll take you to my own place next time.”

She remembered the card he’d given her. Health from the Heath Bar, it had said. Wow, she was sure looking forward to another health food place. It wasn’t a good name, she thought, since it made her think of a candy bar. She’d bet there wouldn’t be any candy bars at any Health from the Heath Bar.

“I’ll give you call,” he said as she showed him out the back door.

If he didn’t, maybe that would be all right since it seemed they had nothing in common now.

“What was that all about?” Anna asked after Eddie left.

“An old high school friend. I told you.”

“Why are you blushing?” Anna raised her eyebrows and squinted in the same skeptical way Eddie had at her wares. “Is he an old flame?”

“Yes, with emphasis on old . Not anymore. I’m going to buy some new sneakers. Quincy, you be good while I’m gone.” She leaned down to give him a few strokes, loving the rumbling purr he returned. She left before Anna could talk about Eddie Heath any more. She was conflicted enough without trying to explain herself to her partner.

Anna was gone when she returned with her new sneakers. She hadn’t even considered asking Anna along. Although Anna loved shoe shopping, she wouldn’t love trying on anything as prosaic and practical as everyday work shoes. Anna hadn’t stayed to see them, so Chase knew she was right.

Julie had called her while she was trying on her fifth pair of shoes, then Chase had decided to catch a bite of supper at a fast food place near the mall. She had to have something substantial after that lunch. By the time she got back it was nearly seven.

She sipped her takeout drink through the plastic straw as she entered her apartment, greeted Quincy—Anna must have brought him here when she left—and returned Julie’s call.

“Where have you been? Anyplace interesting?” Julie asked.

“I’ve been doing your favorite thing, buying a pair of shoes.”

“Only one pair? I never buy just one.”

“Well, I know, but I never buy two.”

“Right. Okay, spill, what kind, what color? Where did you go?”

“They’re mostly white, with some blue—”

“You bought tennis shoes! You’re bragging about buying tennis shoes?”

So Julie thought as much of her purchase as Anna must have, obviously. Chase still had to buy her wedding shoes, too. She hadn’t seen a thing she liked today. “Yes, I bought shoes for work. My other pair is falling apart. Now, what did you call me about?”

“Ooh, I have a scoop. I think. One of the other lawyers was talking to me in the break room about an older man who is in the process of getting his real estate license. I didn’t pay much attention until he said the man is a high school principal, and has been forever.”

“Mr. Snelson?” Chase toed off her old sneakers and curled up in the corner of her leather couch—her one splurge when she’d been furnishing the apartment. After Quincy inspected the new bag with the shoebox inside, he joined her and got a head scratch for his efforts.

“Mr. Van Snelson! None other. Yes, he even knew his name. Our principal is going to quit his job as soon as he qualifies, evidently. My colleague knows the woman who teaches the class he’s taking. Mr. Snelson has told the teacher that he wants to keep it quiet until he’s ready to make the change.”

“Oh, so the teacher tells your lawyer friend, who tells you, who tells me. So much for keeping it quiet.”

“How does he think no one is going to find out? It’s not illegal to say who your students are. So far, though, that’s only four people.”

“So far. What a strange thing for him to do, don’t you think? Go into real estate?”

“Eh, I don’t know. He’s been at that school for ages, but I don’t think anyone ever liked him.”

“You’re not supposed to like the principal, are you?” Chase recalled, though, that she had adored her principal in grade school.

“Why not? If you’re not a troublemaker, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get along with him.”

“You and I certainly weren’t troublemakers, were we?”

“Wellll,” Julie drawled. “There was that time . . .”