Pecan Pies and Homicides (15 page)

Reba shook herself, as if she'd nodded off for a second. “Sorry, hon. I didn't hear a thing you said other than, ‘take Aiden home' and ‘tie' and ‘bed.' Was there somethin' else?”

“You're incorrigible!” Ella Mae laughed. “See you at the booth. And hurry. I expect Jenny and I will have our hands full.”

“I'm hopin' to have mine full too.” She wiggled her pointer finger at Aiden. “Come with me, big boy. I want to put those huge muscles of yours to good use.”

• • •

Inside the community center, Loralyn's employees were strutting down a catwalk dressed in winter white pants and jewel-tone blouses. At first, Ella Mae was disoriented by the strobe lights and loud music, but Suzy appeared from behind her Cubbyhole booth and offered to carry a tray of pies. “Don't worry, the finale's up next so you'll have a few minutes to set up while everyone swarms to the Perfectly Polished booth,” Suzy said. “Loralyn's giving half-price express manicures to the first fifty people. The fashion show has been a huge hit. I wish you'd been here to see the whole thing.”

“I was sidetracked by the fire.” Ella Mae raised her voice over the music.

Suzy's cheerfulness faltered. “It's awful, isn't it? I heard the team of cheaters has taken for the hills. They can't hide forever though. Havenwood's finest will get their names and addresses from the carnival committee and the idiots will face charges. I just hope they're not locals.”

“Me too,” Ella Mae said. After setting the trays on a table at the back of her booth, she attached a peach Charmed Pie Shoppe banner to the marquee and began to arrange paper plates and napkins. Jenny arrived shortly afterward and added another stack of trays to the table. She paused just long enough to set out a sandwich board listing the menu and prices and then hurried outside to fetch another load of pies.

Suzy waited for her to leave before withdrawing a book from her voluminous purse. “I wanted to show you this before things get too busy.”

“Who's looking after your booth?” Ella Mae peered at the faded gilt letters on the book's supple leather cover.
The Encyclopaedia of Magick
.

“I left Granny in charge.”

Ella Mae grinned. “Doesn't the woman have a first name?”

Suzy shrugged. “She does, but she prefers Granny. It suits her too. You should see her with the kids. They absolutely adore her. My Tuesday- and Thursday-morning story times are going to be the talk of the preschool circle.”

“I'm glad. Now, what's special about this book?”

Suzy gingerly opened the old book to an illustration of a bare-chested man rising from a pillar of flames. “I've been researching fire magic.”

“Fire magic or Aiden?”

“Both,” Suzy admitted. “I like him, Ella Mae, but he could be dangerous. Especially if he's one of these.” She pointed at the subheading.

“Fire elementals?” Ella Mae frowned. “Is this for real?”

Suzy seemed entranced by the illustration. The man had the powerful shoulders and thick legs of a body builder and a penetrating stare. “Elementals are very rare. Like one-in-a-million rare.” She tapped on the black-and-white drawing. “Male elementals are headstrong, passionate, destructive, creative, unpredictable, quick to anger, and possess a nearly irresistible sexual magnetism.”

“Do you think Aiden is one of these . . . beings?” Ella Mae asked. She thought of Reba's theory about Aiden and Jenny sharing a secret. Is this what they were trying to hide?

“I hope not,” Suzy said in a small, dejected voice. “Elementals don't operate by our rules. They don't need to enter a grove twice a year to have their energy restored like we do. Their power is innate. It doesn't fade, but they also can't control it like we can. They're wilder—influenced more by emotion than by reason.”

Ella Mae skimmed the first few paragraphs and then turned the page. The next illustration showed the male fire elemental locked in a passionate embrace with a beautiful woman. Her eyes were closed and forehead was creased in ecstasy or agony, Ella Mae couldn't tell. “Can elementals enter a grove?”

“I don't know,” Suzy said. “But if Aiden got inside the Oak Knoll grove, he could have started a powerful fire.”

“But why would he?”

Suzy eased the book from Ella Mae's hands. “Maybe someone used magic to hurt him or a person close to him and so he wanted to put an end to magic in Oak Knoll. I have no clue. This is pure conjecture at this point. Anyway, I've memorized everything in this book, and I thought you might want to read it next.”

Ella Mae glanced up to see Jenny heading toward them, her arms full of aluminum trays. “I will, thanks. But, Suzy, what are you going to do? Aiden is clearly smitten with you. He blushes every time someone says your name.”

“If he's an elemental, then this reaction doesn't mean a thing. Male elementals act like that with every woman they want to seduce. They're supposedly less volatile when they're wooing a new sexual partner, which might be why we all find Aiden so charming and sweet.” She sighed. “Elementals aren't interested in relationships. They want brief, fiery flings and that's not what I'm searching for, Ella Mae. I want a man to look at me the way Hugh looks at you. Like he sees the entire universe in your eyes. The past, present, and future.” She glanced at her booth. “Oh, I have quite a line. Talk to you later!”

Suzy rushed off and Ella Mae hurried to help Jenny. “How many loads are left?” she asked.

“At least three,” Jenny said, setting the trays on the table. She was about to say something else when a roar of applause echoed throughout the building.

Ella Mae turned to look at the catwalk. Loralyn stood at its end, dressed in a stunning gown of cobalt blue. Her golden hair spilled over her shoulders and a necklace of diamonds and sapphires glittered around her neck. After thanking everyone for coming, she invited the crowd to join her at the Perfectly Polished booth, and gave a regal wave. The applause continued until the house lights came on.

Jarvis Gaynor was waiting to help his daughter step down from the stage. He beamed at Loralyn, who took his hand and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before trotting off to her booth. Ella Mae hadn't seen Jarvis for months. In fact, since she'd moved back to Havenwood she'd only run into him twice. The man was always away on a business trip. At the Gaynors' party, Ella Mae had overheard a local couple talking about how Jarvis spent more time attending breeder and horseracing conventions or meeting with prominent Thoroughbred owners and guild members than he did at Rolling View.

And now that the head of the Gaynor family had finally returned, he didn't look very happy to be home. Ella Mae followed his dark gaze to where Opal was sitting beside Robert Morgan. She was laughing and slapping Robert's hand as if he'd just told her the funniest joke in the world, oblivious to her husband's disapproving stare. A woman next to Opal interrupted to show her an image on her cell phone. While Opal and her friend examined the screen, Robert raised his head and looked directly at Jarvis. There was no mistaking the challenge in his stare. The two men remained that way for a long moment, communicating their mutual hatred as loudly as if they'd shouted at each other across the room.

Ella Mae wondered if Opal had the slightest clue that two of the most powerful men in Havenwood were exchanging venomous glares because of her. But then the fashion show spectators began to leave their seats and Jarvis disappeared.

“Are you okay?” Jenny asked. “You seem lost in thought.”

“There have been way too many distractions this morning,” Ella Mae said. “Come on, let's focus on selling all of these pies.”

• • •

By noon, the line in front of their booth stretched all the way to the restrooms. Jenny and Aiden took orders, Ella Mae plated pies, and Reba handled the money. They didn't serve many Oak Knoll transplants, but whenever one of them showed up, Jenny sent Ella Mae a signal by dropping a napkin on the floor. Ella Mae would then give the newcomer a free meal, an enchanted cookie, and offer them a seat at a table reserved just for them.

No sooner had they taken their first bite of Ella Mae's delectable pie than they suddenly found themselves sharing the table with Verena. Ella Mae's aunt was decked out in a black woolen dress with a white faux-fur collar and a pair of hot pink boots. Having already eaten with five people from Oak Knoll, she should have been too full to swallow another mouthful of pie. However, Verena had a voracious appetite, and when Ella Mae seated a man at the reserved table, Verena worked her way through her fifth meat pie with gusto.

This cycle continued until two o'clock in the afternoon. Most of the savory pies were gone and Ella Mae was close to exhausting her supply of magical snowflake cookies. Unfortunately, Verena had had no luck with her tablemates.

“Not one of them mentioned the fire in their grove!” she complained during a lull. “With this morning's drama, I had the perfect segue, but all they wanted to talk about was how the destruction affected their income. I know they've been through a tough time, but not one of them is mourning the loss of their Lady or expressing concern for those without homes or gainful employment. And now these snobs are
our
neighbors.” She harrumphed. “Buddy and I will have to set them straight. They need to learn how to be charitable. A little lesson in compassion would do them good!”

“I can't think of a better teacher than you,” Ella Mae said and then lowered her voice. “What about Aiden?”

“I haven't gotten my hands on him yet,” Verena admitted. “He's been avoiding me.”

Ella Mae glanced at Aiden. He was staring across the room at the Cubbyhole booth, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I caught a tiny glimpse of his gift today,” she whispered, gesturing to the table where they'd lined up the aluminum trays. “These buffet servers come with a pair of fuel cans. They only work for a few hours. We lit them too early and the hot pies were in danger of growing cold before the lunch service had even begun. When I mentioned the problem to Aiden, he simply stood over them and
zap
, the flames were bright and strong and the cans have been burning all day long. See?”

Verena put a hand near the closest tray. “So he can create fire and keep it burning as long as he wills it to? A remarkable gift. And very powerful!” She picked up a snowflake cookie and absently nibbled a crisp edge. “I'm going to have to involve Suzy. She's clearly the object of his adoration, so he's more likely to answer if she asks him about the fire. Wait until today's closing ceremony. We'll get the truth from him then!” She cocked her head and then gave a little jump. “Oh, that's my phone.”

Reba had heard Verena's Aretha Franklin ringtone and grabbed the phone from Verena's purse. “It's Dee,” she said, examining the screen.

“Answer it!” Verena commanded.

Putting the phone to her ear, Reba listened for several seconds and then took Ella Mae by the hand. “We have to go! The bed race just started and the Barkers Beauties are givin' the Naughty Nurses a run for their money. If we hurry, we can make it in time to see the thrillin' conclusion.”

“I'm coming too!” Jenny said and told her brother to watch the booth. Aiden was too busy mooning over Suzy to move, so the four women dashed out of the community center, none of them pausing to grab their coats.

Outside, the press of the crowd and the sound of raucous cheering greeted them. The leading teams were about two blocks away, and though Ella Mae could make out a group of beds, she couldn't identify the individual teams.

“The one in the front has a Jolly Roger flag,” Reba said. Her vision was far superior to Ella Mae's.

Verena was squinting up the street. “Can you see Dee's bed?”

Reba's face was a study of concentration. “Yes! The Barkers Beauties are in third place, right in front of a bunch of
Sesame Street
characters and a team of clowns. The Naughty Nurses are in second. Man, those gals must be really well endowed for me to be able to spot their assets bouncin' from here.” Suddenly, her eyes widened and she cried, “Whoa! Whoa!”

Ella Mae saw the pirate bed swerve. “What's happening?”

“I think one of the nurses lost her uniform. I'm seein' a helluva lot more skin than I did a second ago.” She cackled. “Guess the pirates noticed her wardrobe malfunction too.”

The beds were approaching fast and the crowd gave the runners a wide berth. The Naughty Nurses were veering all over the road, and with only one block to go, they abruptly cut in front of the pirates. The move forced the team of men, each costumed like Captain Jack Sparrow, to crash into a sidewalk bench. The Barkers Beauties, who wore headbands with dog or cat ears paired with striped or spotted bodysuits, pulled ahead.

Ella Mae would have loved to say that she saw the animal shelter team overtake the nurses in the last fifty feet, but something fluttered onto the lashes of her right eye, causing her to blink and look away. She was just reaching up to touch her lashes when another small, wet object stuck fast to her cheek.

Lifting her face skyward, she shouted, “It's snowing!”

By the time she glanced back at the street to catch the race's thrilling finale, the top three beds had already crossed the finish line. Her smile widened as she watched the Barkers Beauties exchanging embraces and high fives. Aunt Dee rushed over to the exhausted women and was immediately enveloped in a group hug.

Ella Mae was looking at her aunt, whose cheeks were flushed with cold and happiness, when she spotted a familiar face in the row of spectators on the opposite side of the street. She sucked in her breath—a sharp and startled hiss.

And suddenly, the face was gone.

“What's wrong?” Reba asked, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd. “You look like you've seen the devil.”