Pancakes & Pandemonium - Culinary Competition Mystery #6

Chapter 22

(Amy)

"Thank you all for coming to help us clean up," Amy said as she stirred the pot of thick chili that was sitting on the stove. "I hope you enjoy lunch."

The group of men, including both Tyler and Milo, had made quick work of cutting up the giant fallen tree in the backyard. It was only noon and the cleanup was done, complete with a new section of privacy fence erected. The hardworking guys deserved a hearty lunch. The stove was covered in pots containing Cincinnati chili, spaghetti, and kidney beans in a spicy broth. Bowls full of shredded cheese and chopped onions sat on the counter, along with bottles of hot sauce.

She and Alex had headed out of town to shop for supplies for the meal after their visit with Milo. During the trek, they discussed Milo's taste in home-decorating style, attitude, and neighbor. Did both men know about each other's connection to Catherine? If they did, how were they dealing with living so close together?

Flakes of sawdust had followed the work crew into Amy's kitchen. She didn't mind at all though. Her beloved stove was back in action, and that fact made her very happy. Lugging the heavy pots back and forth to the grill on the deck would've taken all of the fun out of preparing the thank-you meal.

She retreated to a corner of the kitchen to watch the feeding frenzy. The combination of employees from Quantum and CE Apparel had meshed into an efficient work crew over the past week. Now they were replenishing the calories they had burned stacking firewood by piling spaghetti and chili into disposable paper bowls. She had sliced the loaves of bread that Sophie had given her and turned them into cheesy garlic spears. The remaining cakes, from the previous day's cooking marathon, were laid out for dessert.

Milo and Tyler were at opposite ends of the line of about a dozen men. She had been periodically watching them work together throughout the morning. Even though she was peering at them from her vantage point at the breakfast nook window, there was no mistaking the dirty looks they were giving each other.

"Thanks again for the cake," Milo said as he waited for the line to move forward. "That made the best breakfast I've had in a long time."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was just tinkering with a recipe for my cookbook and wasn't sure how it would turn out."

"You're writing a cookbook? That's cool." He smiled warmly—a stark change from when they'd dropped off the cake. "I vote that you include that recipe in it. The cake was very good. Didn't even miss the frosting."

"We really appreciate the help—all this week and here today. Even though we still don't have power, having the fence repaired and the tree gone is one giant step back to normality."

"I can't believe the new normal at CE Apparel will be without Catherine in it."

Milo dropped his head and turned away from Amy. Knowing that he was involved with Catherine made her heart ache for him, especially since he still seemed to be trying to keep their affair a secret. How hard would it be to mourn for a secret lover? She wasn't going to reveal to him that she knew what had been going on in his personal life, but it was a puzzle to her as to why he was still trying to pretend the affair hadn't happened. Or...if he was a super cunning killer, possibly he was acting depressed to throw everybody off track.

She noticed that some of the men were heading outside to eat on the deck in the backyard. It was a sunny, unusually warm day. Perfect for an alfresco meal but also very much like the day the storm had struck. That thought made her shiver, even though she was warm.

Amy grabbed a bottle of Vernors ginger ale from the cooler full of beverages that was sitting beside the island and headed outside. She'd spent the morning in the kitchen preparing the meal. The welcome warmth from the sunshine made her want to curl up in a sunbeam and take a nap like Pogo was doing. Even though there were visitors in his house, he was snoozing on the warm wood decking.