Read Online A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover's Mystery) by Connie Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: Connie Archer
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up. The sign on the side of the van read GARDEN DELIGHTS .
Are they heading here?
she wondered.
A man in a delivery uniform climbed out of the van and opened the double doors at the rear of the vehicle. He lifted out a four-foot-tall arrangement of exotic flowers and headed for the front door of the Spoonful. Lucky opened the door.
“This is the By the Spoonful Soup Shop, isn’t it?” he asked as he reached the threshold.
“Yes. Are these for us?” Lucky asked.
“Sure are. Where should I put them?”
“How about on the counter for now.”
“Okay,” he replied and carried the heavy vase close to where Marjorie sat. “You want the rest to go here too?”
“The rest?”
“Yes, ma’am. My van is loaded. I have nine more just like this one.”
Lucky’s eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding!”
“Nope.” The man shook his head. “I guess you’re hosting some big celeb tonight. This order came from her assistant.”
“Oh, well, all right. Bring them all in.” She turned to look at Sage, who stood shaking his head in wonderment.
“I guess we’re just not used to life in the fast lane,” he remarked.
Jack came through the swinging door from the corridor as the last bouquet was lined up at the counter. “What the . . .” He stared at the huge vases. “Looks like a damn funeral.”
“Shhh, Jack. I agree but don’t let anybody else hear you.”
“What happened to my table? I was just gonna have some tea.”
“I’m sorry. We need to move everything around tonight. I’ll get you a cup of tea. Have a seat at the counter with Marjorie, why don’t you?”
Jack sighed and slid onto a stool.
Marjorie leaned closer to Jack. “This is so exciting, Jack, don’t you think? Did you ever think you’d be hosting someone as famous as Hilary Stone?”
“Never heard of the woman,” Jack mumbled.
“Oh, you must read her book. It’s fantastic. And she’s working on her second book, right here in Snowflake. I can’t wait to get it. I wonder if she’ll talk about that tonight.”
Lucky hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a mug. She heated some water quickly in the microwave for Jack’s tea and carried it out to the front counter.
“Thanks, my girl,” Jack said when she placed the mug in front of him. “Uh . . . where’s Nanette?” he asked, looking around.
“She’s off tonight. We really didn’t need her. Sage’ll be here. And Sophie will probably come by later.”
He smiled widely, “I’m real glad you hired her.”
“You are?” Lucky reminded herself to keep her response neutral.
“She really livens the place up a lot, don’t you think?”
Lucky nodded noncommittally. “That’s one way to put it.”
“You know, she was tellin’ me about some of her ideas.”
Lucky cringed inwardly. “Oh, really?”
“Yup. She’s got lots of good ideas about making our restaurant better. She thinks our aprons could use a new design too.”
Lucky felt her blood pressure rising. “Is that so?”
“And she wanted to change some of our recipes too. She’s from the South and she thought our menu might be getting a little dull.”
“Dull!” Lucky exclaimed. Sage looked up from the corner where he was rearranging some chairs. He caught her eye.
“Well, I’ll have to have a little chat with her now, won’t I?” Lucky said darkly, but her intent was completely lost on Jack.
“I’m glad you agree.” He finished his tea and placed the mug on the counter. “I’ll be takin’ off now. It’s gettin’ late. It’s almost two bells.” Jack, a Navy vet, had always told time by the bells. Only Lucky was able to translate.
As soon as Jack left by the back door, Lucky stormed into the kitchen and filled a plastic bucket with hot water and cleanser. She lifted it and, grabbing the mop on her way out, headed back to the front room. She dipped the mop in the liquid and began in the far corner of the room, working her way toward the front door. The activity helped calm
Are they heading here?
she wondered.
A man in a delivery uniform climbed out of the van and opened the double doors at the rear of the vehicle. He lifted out a four-foot-tall arrangement of exotic flowers and headed for the front door of the Spoonful. Lucky opened the door.
“This is the By the Spoonful Soup Shop, isn’t it?” he asked as he reached the threshold.
“Yes. Are these for us?” Lucky asked.
“Sure are. Where should I put them?”
“How about on the counter for now.”
“Okay,” he replied and carried the heavy vase close to where Marjorie sat. “You want the rest to go here too?”
“The rest?”
“Yes, ma’am. My van is loaded. I have nine more just like this one.”
Lucky’s eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding!”
“Nope.” The man shook his head. “I guess you’re hosting some big celeb tonight. This order came from her assistant.”
“Oh, well, all right. Bring them all in.” She turned to look at Sage, who stood shaking his head in wonderment.
“I guess we’re just not used to life in the fast lane,” he remarked.
Jack came through the swinging door from the corridor as the last bouquet was lined up at the counter. “What the . . .” He stared at the huge vases. “Looks like a damn funeral.”
“Shhh, Jack. I agree but don’t let anybody else hear you.”
“What happened to my table? I was just gonna have some tea.”
“I’m sorry. We need to move everything around tonight. I’ll get you a cup of tea. Have a seat at the counter with Marjorie, why don’t you?”
Jack sighed and slid onto a stool.
Marjorie leaned closer to Jack. “This is so exciting, Jack, don’t you think? Did you ever think you’d be hosting someone as famous as Hilary Stone?”
“Never heard of the woman,” Jack mumbled.
“Oh, you must read her book. It’s fantastic. And she’s working on her second book, right here in Snowflake. I can’t wait to get it. I wonder if she’ll talk about that tonight.”
Lucky hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a mug. She heated some water quickly in the microwave for Jack’s tea and carried it out to the front counter.
“Thanks, my girl,” Jack said when she placed the mug in front of him. “Uh . . . where’s Nanette?” he asked, looking around.
“She’s off tonight. We really didn’t need her. Sage’ll be here. And Sophie will probably come by later.”
He smiled widely, “I’m real glad you hired her.”
“You are?” Lucky reminded herself to keep her response neutral.
“She really livens the place up a lot, don’t you think?”
Lucky nodded noncommittally. “That’s one way to put it.”
“You know, she was tellin’ me about some of her ideas.”
Lucky cringed inwardly. “Oh, really?”
“Yup. She’s got lots of good ideas about making our restaurant better. She thinks our aprons could use a new design too.”
Lucky felt her blood pressure rising. “Is that so?”
“And she wanted to change some of our recipes too. She’s from the South and she thought our menu might be getting a little dull.”
“Dull!” Lucky exclaimed. Sage looked up from the corner where he was rearranging some chairs. He caught her eye.
“Well, I’ll have to have a little chat with her now, won’t I?” Lucky said darkly, but her intent was completely lost on Jack.
“I’m glad you agree.” He finished his tea and placed the mug on the counter. “I’ll be takin’ off now. It’s gettin’ late. It’s almost two bells.” Jack, a Navy vet, had always told time by the bells. Only Lucky was able to translate.
As soon as Jack left by the back door, Lucky stormed into the kitchen and filled a plastic bucket with hot water and cleanser. She lifted it and, grabbing the mop on her way out, headed back to the front room. She dipped the mop in the liquid and began in the far corner of the room, working her way toward the front door. The activity helped calm
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