Punch, Pastries, and Poison by Harper Lin (ebook reader for pc and android .txt) 📕

Karli shrugged her thin, tanned shoulders. Every time I saw her, I found myself wondering whether that tan came from the sun or a bottle. Of course, this time of year, a tanning bed was likelier than the sun, but I still couldn’t tell. She folded a napkin in half then ran the back of her fingernail along the fold, making a tight crease before looking up at Todd. She fluttered her fake lashes at him—not a lot, just enough that I, a former teenage girl, noticed it. “I just want to do whatever I can to help you.”

“I know,” he said quietly. He reached across the table and patted her hand, letting his linger on hers for just a beat longer than necessary. They’d been seeing each other the summer before, but she’d broken up with him after the murder outside the gym drew her parents’ attention to their relationship. At least, that was the story I’d heard from Todd. Now, I wondered if he’d told me the truth—or if things had changed again since then.

They held each other’s eyes for long enough that I felt like it was time for me to go. I wished them well and went to step away but backed right into Dean Howard.

He made a big production of stepping back and holding his to-go coffee cup far away from his white dress shirt. “You’re lucky you didn’t spill any of this on me. This shirt cost more than your whole outfit. It’s bad enough that I spent yesterday in front of the toilet because of you.”

I bit my tongue to keep myself from snapping back that it was a good thing the dry cleaner was reasonable. It wouldn’t have been professional.

Fortunately, Todd stepped in before I had a chance to reconsider. “Give her a break, Dean. It wasn’t on purpose. We all feel like crap. We don’t have to get on each other’s backs about stupid stuff.”

“I feel fine!” Karli chirped.

Todd shot her a look.

She sank down in her chair, looking visibly chastised.

“Whatever,” Dean muttered and escorted himself out.

I watched him go. Then I turned to thank Todd, but Karli already had his attention again. Instead, I slipped away back to the kitchen and the mountain of salads and sandwiches that still needed to be prepared.

Chapter 15

Ephy showed up about halfway through the lunch rush, an hour or two after I would have liked her to be there. I was too busy to stop and check the schedule even though I wanted to, so I just set her to work beside me, having her layer ingredients onto sandwiches and wrap them up to go. As much as I hated to admit it, she was doing a great job—she was fast and efficient, and her sandwiches were beautiful. She even arranged the ingredients so they peeked out tantalizingly from between the slices of bread. I knew my irritation with her wasn’t completely justified—my suspicions about the punch were affecting my judgement. I still wanted to check on whether she’d come in on time, though.

Ephy and I emerged from the kitchen when the lunch rush finally slowed down. We’d managed to get a decent stock of sandwiches and salads ready for the afternoon and could finally go help Sammy out front. Rhonda had come in while we were in the back, so Sammy hadn’t been completely alone, but the café still bore the evidence of the busy, hectic lunch service.

“I’m sorry, Fran. It was just so busy. It was all I could do to keep the drinks coming out and—” Sammy started gushing the second she saw me.

“Stop it,” Rhonda snapped, somehow still managing to sound affectionate. It was a skill I knew she’d honed over the years of dealing with her two teenaged sons. She waved her hand around the room. “All this means that we were busy. Fran understands if things get a little out of hand while we’re busy. Don’t you, Fran?” She gave me a look that dared me to say no.

I did understand, but with the piercing glare on Rhonda’s face, it would have taken a brave woman to say she didn’t. “Of course I do.” I took a quick look around the café and realized just why Sammy had jumped to groveling. It looked like a tornado had swept through. A very tame tornado, of course, one that just hovered over the tabletops and scattered plates and cups and napkins and crumbs all around, but a tornado all the same. I was surprised, but given how many salads and sandwiches Ephy and I had churned out, I could guess at the size of the crowd that had rolled through. I smiled at Sammy. “You did great.”

Sammy smiled back weakly. She was somehow simultaneously pale and flushed. The edges of her blond hair were matted down with sweat, and her ponytail had slipped down to the nape of her neck. It wasn’t just the rush that had her so exhausted—she wasn’t fully recovered yet from the ill effects of the poison. “Why don’t you head home?” I suggested.

She shook her head, looking anxious, like she thought I was trying to punish her for not having the superhuman power it would have taken to serve everyone and keep the place immaculate too. “No, it’s okay. I’ll help clean up.”

“Sammy, you look like you’re going to keel over any second. Go home and take a nap.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

I sighed. I was as stubborn as they came, but I wasn’t sure I was going to win this battle of wills. Not unless I resorted to some underhanded tactics.

“Well, as your boss, I’m telling you it’s time for your lunch break. Grab yourself something to eat and go have a seat in the back. We’ll see you in half an hour.”

I turned away from her before she had a chance to argue. She took a deep breath like she was still going to try then exhaled, grabbed a salad from the case, and