Arsenic and Old Cake by Jacklyn Brady

Author:Jacklyn Brady [Brady, Jacklyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9781101612071
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-11-06T22:31:08+00:00

Nineteen

Ox and I spent the next hour going over the orders we had for the coming week. Several times I thought about bringing up his argument with Edie, but they really did seem to be okay with each other now, so I shelved that conversation. After Ox went back to the design area, I approved a couple of sketches by other employees and tasted Abe’s attempt at a sweet tea cake recipe he’d been experimenting with. He’d stirred black tea and vanilla extract into traditional dry ingredients and then topped the cake with lemon sweet tea buttercream. I liked the concept but the cake wasn’t up to Zydeco’s exacting standards. The tea was overpowering and the lemon frosting needed more punch. I sent it back to the kitchen with my notes, and at four o’clock set off to tackle the most difficult task on my agenda.

I walked the two blocks to the Dizzy Duke, glad to find that the humidity had tempered a bit, thanks to a breeze blowing in off the Gulf. It had been a rough day so far and I hoped that the warm day and cloudless blue sky would lift my spirits. Within half a block, the stately old antebellum mansions surrounding Zydeco gave way to squat storefronts and sagging old buildings wrapped up in a musty smell that even sunshine and low humidity couldn’t dissipate.

Gabriel was behind the bar when I came through the doors, and the house band was running through songs halfheartedly on the stage. A couple of regular customers chatted amiably at the bar, but the rest of the place was empty.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that it was too early for the Saturday night crowd, and hitched myself onto a bar stool. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with crowds, and the fewer people around when we talked to Old Dog Leg, the better. Gabriel brought me a Diet Coke without asking and waved away the money I tried to put on the bar.

“Family discount,” he said with a grin.

I laughed. “I get a family discount? Why didn’t you say so before? I’m going to miss that when this is over.”

“It’s just one of the many perks that come along with the Broussard name.”

I removed the straw from my glass and set it aside. “I’d rather discuss those than tell Old Dog Leg we lost his brother. But I guess we’d better get it over with. Is he here?”

Gabriel nodded toward the stage. “He showed up an hour ago. He’s pretty eager to talk with us.”

“Wish I could say the same.” I slid from the bar stool and carried my glass to the back of the house while Gabriel pulled two beers from the cooler and went off to bring Old Dog Leg over to my table.

The expression on the old man’s face was both hopeful and cautious, and my heart went out to him. “So?” he asked.

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