Fudge Brownies & Murder - Culinary Competition Mystery #4

Chapter 5

(Amy)

Meditation was one thing Amy still hadn't been able to successfully accomplish. At least not the kind where a person sits cross-legged and empties their mind so the universe can flood it with insight. Despite a large collection of comfortable yoga pants, a mountain of throw pillows, and enough mood music soundtracks loaded on her phone to play for a year straight nonstop, she just couldn't meditate like that. The closest she had come to thinking about nothing was when she narrowed her focus to just a peach, floating in the black hole of her mind like a doomed planet. After imagining everything from the feel of its fuzzy skin to the sweet juice for ten minutes, she ended the meditation session, got up, and made a peach smoothie.

She had talked with Rori, the serene yogi who turned Amy into a yoga aficionado, about meditating and learned that there were many different forms. Taking a walk was one of them. But as Amy walked the aisles of Clement Street Market after working a shift serving pastries at the bakeshop, her mind was far from tranquil. She was trying to figure out if anybody at the market had enough of a beef against Esther Mae to shut her up for eternity. Definitely not calm or peaceful thoughts.

The array of vendors selling products inside the high-end market shifted and changed with the seasons. Many of the booths selling prepared foods or nonedible products stayed the same, but after the growing season ended, spaces became available when farms had nothing more to sell. Amy slowed in front of the space that had been occupied by a blueberry and raspberry farm during the summer. Now vegan and vegetarian meals were being offered there by The Veggie Crew. The micro restaurant had been a roving food truck during the summer but had made the switch to an immobile booth in October.

Amy stopped to examine the menu. A sweet and savory squash casserole with dried figs and blue cheese caught her eye. When she stepped up to order, the woman behind the counter smiled. Her walnut-colored hair was braided and coiled into a bun on the back of her head. "Hello. What can I get for you?"

Since Amy had never tried a squash casserole even remotely similar to the daily special, she had to order it. Trying unique foods was a compulsion. The woman kept glancing at Amy as she was preparing the order. After exchanging the foam box for payment, she tilted her head to the side and said, "You look so familiar, but I can't figure out why."

Amy smiled. "I was a competitor in the Market Mash-up Melee, teamed up with Brooke's BBQ in the finals."

"Oh, that's right! That was so much fun."

"So did you decide not to use the truck over the winter? I would imagine it's much more comfortable in here than on a street with snow blowing in your order window."

The proprietress, who was wearing a name tag that said her name was Grace, shook her head. "Actually, the van died. It used to belong to my parents. They used it as a camper, so it had a long, adventurous life. I remember camping in it in St. Ignace when I was a kid. When we found out how much it would be to repair, Susie and I decided to apply for one of the spots here. Best decision we've ever made." She leaned over the counter and quietly said, "I would rather have different neighbors. The smell of bacon grease makes me queasy, but business just keeps getting better."

Eau de bacon was drifting from the Southern Gals' hot table with only a jams and jellies booth as a buffer between the two. Talk about conflicting interests. As Amy pondered what to say, Candi Edwards, another competitor in the market's summer cooking competition who had been teamed up with The Veggie Van, slipped between the divider wall and cash register cart to join Grace behind the counter. She smiled, an expression that resembled a dog baring its teeth as a warning more than a friendly greeting. "Amy Ridley. I could swear I saw you working at Riverbend Bake Shop. Have you defected from the barbecue truck?"