Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1 Read online

  When she recovered her breath after she’d climbed the steep flight of steps above the health food store to get to Milo’s office, DeeDee opened the door and saw an earnest young man working in a cramped, but orderly, two-desk office. The music in the background was just low enough that she could hear herself think. A giant screen on the wall appeared to have been paused in a video game.

  Declining Milo’s offer of a smoothie from downstairs, DeeDee gave him some background information about Deelish, and what she wanted to achieve with the website. Milo made notes and interrupted her several times with questions.

  “Let me summarize this so we’re on the same page,” Milo said when DeeDee had finished talking. “It sounds like what you need is a web presence for your business that’s eye-catching and straight to the point. The main purpose of it is for clients to be able to see what you do, how to contact you, and most importantly, how to book events with you. Does that about cover it?”

  DeeDee nodded. “When you put it like that, it seems pretty simple. One thing I didn’t mention is that it needs to have pictures of my food and some of the events that I have catered, kind of like an online showcase, if you know what I mean. The most important thing to me is that it’s got to be easy for me to maintain, and I need to be able to connect with it while I’m away from my office. I would probably use my cell phone, so you’re going to have to make this really simple for me, Milo, because I’m still living in the days of VHS.”

  Milo smiled. “Don’t worry, DeeDee, it’s pretty straightforward, I promise. Here, let me show you a few examples of what I can do for you.”

  He started tapping on his keyboard, and DeeDee watched as the screen on the wall came to life. Milo showed her a website for a hardware store, then a trampoline park, a book club, and a piano teacher. One by one, he guided DeeDee through his portfolio of sites he’d built, while DeeDee offered comments on what she liked and disliked about each.

  “That’s it! I love that one,” DeeDee said, clearly excited. She was pointing to a site called Bloom & Blossom, which was a floral design company specializing in weddings and high-end events. “Look, see the logo at the top, and all the images on the home page? That’s the kind of thing I want, and a great big Contact button after they scroll down through the images. Maybe there should be three or four pages with more information and services, and then I could add other stuff like testimonials and price lists later.”

  “Sure,” Milo said grinning. “I can put up a holding page for you later today, and then I’ll build it out. You just need to send me your logo and some photos to get started. You have a logo, don’t you?”

  DeeDee shook her head. “No, but I plan on getting one very soon. I’m on my way to the print shop to order my business cards after I leave here. I should probably use the same design on both the cards and the website.”

  “Perfect,” Milo said. “Ask for…”

  DeeDee started to speak and they both said “Raff!” at the same time. She was beginning to feel like she was getting the hang of this place.

  ***

  “Hi, DeeDee, I’m Raff.” DeeDee was surprised when the waif-like brunette in her early twenties working at the print shop greeted her by her first name. Her tousled hair had a pink chunk through the front, and she had a small piercing through her nose. She looked sweet, but with an edge, and DeeDee thought the overall effect was quite striking.

  “Raphina is my real name,” the young woman continued, “but everybody just calls me Raff. Milo just texted me that you were on your way over here.”

  Raff had an easy charm about her that DeeDee found delightful and before long they’d agreed on a concept for the new logo. It was a simple illustration of a casserole dish, with “Deelish” in swirly handwriting on the lid. “I’d like it to be pink,” DeeDee said, “about the same color as your hair.”

  “Consider it done. We can emboss the logo onto one side of your business cards and have your contact details on the other. They’ll be ready Monday, and I’ll send the file to Milo so he can put it on your website.”

  DeeDee smiled. “Thanks, Raff. See you then.”

  Humming to herself as she headed back to her car for her appointment with the kitchen contractor, DeeDee thought that Milo and Raff gave Bainbridge millennials a good name.

  ***

  After her meeting with the kitchen contractor, she returned home and called her sister. “Roz, you were right. I don’t know what came over me. I think I went a little nuts, but if I cancel everything right now I can probably still get some of my money back and chalk the whole thing up to experience.”

  DeeDee chewed on her lip and said plaintively, “I can always get a part-time job in a store, or do some waitress work. I’ll ask Tammy when I go there for lunch.”

  At the other end of the line, Roz contemplated the latest turn of events. “DeeDee Wilson,” she said. “You’ve made a lot of quick decisions, and it sounds like you’re getting cold feet, which is totally understandable, but you can’t quit now. Don’t even think about it.”

  “Of course I can, Roz. I’m sure people do it all the time. I really underestimated how much it would all cost. I could lose everything, and I can’t risk doing that.”

  DeeDee thought about what had taken place at the office park a few hours earlier. She’d gone through the brochures and selected all of the equipment she thought she’d need. There was the walk-in refrigerator, two double-oven stoves, two large sinks, custom cabinets, stainless steel countertops, shelving, chefs’ knives, utensils, and pots and pans. That was before she’d factored in the storage containers and heated containers she’d need to deliver the prepped food to the clients.

  The excitement of having her logo designed reminded her that she’d need a sign for the unit, branding for her SUV, and on and on. DeeDee involuntarily shuddered. When the contractor had calculated the final price quote for everything including labor, she’d told him she needed to think it over.

  “DeeDee, are you still there?” Roz sounded panicked. “You don’t have to buy everything new, do you? I’m sure there are equipment auctions for the restaurant trade. You might even be able to lease what you need.”

  “Those are good ideas, Roz. I’ll check them out.”

  “I’m sure once you’ve had time to look at all the different options, it won’t seem so scary,” Roz said. “Here’s what I want you to do.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing, DeeDee. Don’t do anything else until you’ve talked to Mitch. Get him to crunch the numbers on your new business. When you’ve got some meaningful data, instead of relying on your just-divorced-moved-to-a-new-house-and-went-a-little-crazy brain, you can make an informed decision. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes, you’re absolutely right. That’s exactly what I need to do. I’ll call him this afternoon, I promise. Bye.” DeeDee was tired and hungry, and all she wanted right now was to get Roz off the line so she could grab something to eat. It had not been an easy morning for her.

  The doorway of Buddy’s Dog Friendly Coffee Shop was shaped like the entrance to a kennel. Inside, it looked like a normal coffee shop, with trendy mismatched sofas and armchairs surrounding reclaimed wooden tables. Low-hanging overhead lighting was supplemented by wall lamps in the corners. There were framed vintage photographs of Bainbridge Island on the walls, and a bookcase stuffed with paperbacks that had a handwritten sign on it that read “Book Swap.” Buddy’s Doggy Deck, a covered outdoor seating area at the back, had food dishes, water bowls, and plenty of space for pets to sit while their owners enjoyed their meal.

  The comfortable seating and inviting aroma of coffee and home-baked goods had an immediate calming effect on DeeDee. Going to Buddy’s was like visiting a friend.

  Tammy saw DeeDee arrive and walked right over to her. “Hi! I was hoping you’d come by. How’s everything going? Hugh said you’re going to open for business next week. It sounds like you’ve been busy.”

  DeeDee made a face. Sensing something was wrong, Tamm
y wiped her hands and sat down across from DeeDee. She waved to a waitress to bring them coffee. “Why don’t you bring some cake, Susie,” Tammy said. “Actually, make it a lot of cake.”

  “Seems to me like your sister is making a lot of sense,” Tammy said, after DeeDee had filled her in on her conversation with Roz. “Believe me, I know how scary it is starting a business, and it’s far harder when you’re by yourself, but here’s the thing.” She leaned in close to DeeDee. “You’re allowed to make mistakes. Roz is right, everything doesn’t have to be shiny and new and perfect. Start small and build it up. Or start small and stay small. It’s your choice, and you’ll never get the satisfied feeling of being your own boss by working for someone else. So, what’s it gonna be?”

  DeeDee smiled weakly. “Tammy, I don’t have any clients, or staff, or…” Her voice trailed off.

  Tammy shrugged. “Not yet, maybe, but I do. Susie over there is one of my best workers. She’s reliable, hard-working and honest, plus she’s always looking to pick up some extra shifts. What with running this place, three children in elementary school, and Hugh to look after, I don’t have time to do any catering work, but people keep asking me if they could hire me. How about if the next time someone asks me about catering, I refer them to you? What do you say? Can I count on you, or are you just going to flake out on me?”

  DeeDee wasn’t sure if it was the cappuccino and chocolate cake that had lifted her cloud of gloom, or if Roz and Tammy were right. Either way, she was feeling a lot more optimistic. Deelish was back on the menu.

  “Tammy, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  CHAPTER 8

  DeeDee pulled up to the address Jake Rogers had given her. The one-story, timber framed home was situated on the road that ran alongside the beach with a driveway leading around to the back. Ahead were stunning views of the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. A well-maintained lawn started at one side of the house and continued around to the front with large ferns and flowering shrubs along the edge. On the other side of the house was a gate and fence which were partly obscured by a motorhome and jeep parked in the driveway.

  DeeDee parked on the road in front of the house, walked up to the glass enclosed porch, and rang the doorbell. She looked around and didn’t see anyone, but she noticed a small security camera above her head, which she thought was odd. On the other side of the glass enclosure she noticed some beach thongs on the floor of the porch, a dog bed, and some wet towels. She heard music, and somebody singing. Maybe the reason no one had answered the doorbell was because they couldn’t hear it.

  “Helloooo?” DeeDee called out. “Anybody home?” There was no answer.

  DeeDee walked around the back of the motorhome and opened the gate. The music was coming from the other side of it. It was opera music, but a male voice singing along with the recorded music was loud and rather out of tune.

  Smiling, DeeDee entered the yard and saw a man in a checkered shirt and jeans repairing some fencing at the back of the yard. He was singing at the top of his lungs. The four dogs behind the fencing started barking and jumping around as DeeDee approached them. She wondered what the dogs thought of the singing.

  “Hi,” DeeDee said, as the man turned around. She guessed he was about six-feet-two. He looked to be in his early fifties and had a muscular tanned body with short dark hair beginning to grey at the temples. What really struck DeeDee was how blue his eyes were, like Lake Washington on one of the rare sunny days that occasionally blessed the rainy Seattle area. “I’m DeeDee. I called about the dogs.”

  The man put down his tools, smiled broadly, walked over to her, and shook her hand. “Jake Rogers,” he said. His handshake was warm and firm, and his hands were slightly rough.

  “Come over and meet the dogs,” Jake said, leading her toward the fenced area. “I’m planning on keeping these two.” He gestured towards the two larger dogs. “The other two are still available. One’s a male, and the other one’s a female.”

  “They’re beautiful,” DeeDee said, admiring the huskies. She was captivated by the smallest one, which stood in the corner. Though it hung back, it was looking right at DeeDee, wagging its tail. “I’m your guy,” the dog seemed to be saying. “I’m the one you better choose.” With its black coat and white face, it was similar in appearance to the other three, but the dog had one striking feature which set it apart.

  “The eyes, I’ve never seen that in a dog before,” DeeDee said to Jake. The dog had one brown eye and one blue eye.

  “That’s Balto. He’s what’s called bi-eyed.”

  DeeDee went over to Balto and felt his thick, warm coat. Balto stared up at her as she checked him over. “It said in the newspaper that you brought them down from Alaska.” DeeDee said.

  “Yes. I have friends up in Anchorage. They gave me these dogs from a litter they had—they raise dogs for sled racing. I head up there most years in my motorhome for the sendoff of the teams on the Iditarod sled race.”

  “Oh, that’s the one from Anchorage to Nome, about a thousand miles or so, isn’t it? I think I’ve read about it.”

  “That’s right,” Jake said.

  “Sounds like fun,” DeeDee smiled.

  “It is.”

  DeeDee looked up, and noticed Jake intently watching her interaction with Balto. His blue eyes were warm, obviously approving of her. She felt her face flush.

  “I think Balto likes you,” Jake remarked.

  “I think I like him too,” DeeDee laughed.

  “Would you like some water or coffee?” Jake asked her. “I was just about to make a pot.”

  “Sure,” DeeDee replied. She needed to sit down, because something about Jake was starting to make her knees go weak. She followed him around to the front of the house, where a wooden deck overlooked the lawn that sloped down to the beach. While Jake made the coffee, DeeDee sat in a lounge chair, enjoying the view. The similarity to her old deck at her Mercer Island home caused her a momentary wave of sadness, but it was gone by the time Jake returned with a tray holding a pot of coffee and two mugs.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing her a mug. “There’s cream and sugar on the tray.”

  They sat in pleasant silence for a few moments, as DeeDee looked out at the Sound. She felt Jake looking at her and turned towards him.

  “So,” DeeDee said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and taking a sip of her coffee as she felt the color rising in her cheeks. “these are sled dogs?”

  “No, these guys are too small, although their mother and father were on teams in the Iditarod sled race.”

  “And Balto? How did he get his name?”

  “Ahh,” Jake said. “The original Balto was a hero dog way back in 1925. He was on a dog sled team that took desperately needed diphtheria vaccine from Anchorage to Nome. The present-day Iditarod race commemorates that event.”

  “I didn’t know that,” DeeDee said. “I’d heard of the race before, but it’s interesting to know the history of it. I think that’s a special name for a special dog.”

  “I think you’re right. I’ll be sorry to see Balto go, but I can’t keep all of them.” Jake lowered his voice and leaned in closer to DeeDee. “I’m a private investigator,” he continued, “and I’m hoping to train the two dogs I’m keeping to help me in my work.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” DeeDee said, “but I think one’s enough for me.”

  “Have you had dogs before?” Jake asked her. He lifted the coffee pot, and she nodded for him to pour her some more.

  “We had an Irish wolfhound for many years. His name was Setanta, named after an ancient Irish hero warrior. My ex-husband got to keep him in our divorce.”

  Jake’s face was impassive as he listened to DeeDee.

  “I moved to Bainbridge recently to make a fresh start. I have a new home and a new business. Although it’s all very exciting, I’m kind of lonely, so I thought it would be nice to have a dog again to keep me company.”

  “Yeah, I know the feeling,” Jake
said, “but it gets easier. I’m divorced too, and it’s just me and the dogs here except for when my daughter comes every other weekend. At least the dogs don’t complain about my singing,” Jake said as he grinned. “You said you’ve started a new business, DeeDee, how’s that going?”

  DeeDee told him about her plans for Deelish, and her recent doubts and fears. There was something about Jake that made her feel comfortable, and she found him very easy to talk to. “I have no clue what I’m doing, but it’s something I need to try.”

  “Good for you,” Jake replied. “I felt the same way when I started my business two years ago, but I have no regrets. Hands down, it was the best thing I ever did.”

  “What did you do before you became a private investigator, Jake?”

  “I was in the Marines,” Jake said. “I’m from Bainbridge Island originally, but we traveled a lot when I was in the service. My ex-wife and daughter live in Seattle now, but I settled here when my last tour of duty ended. I love this place. The Sound is part of who I am.”

  He looked out at the dark clouds beginning to gather over the Sound, and it was DeeDee’s turn to stare at him. She found herself attracted to Jake, and it was an unusual feeling for her. She hadn’t even looked at another man since she’d started dating Lyle when she was nineteen years old. Although the thought of being with someone else was strange, as she looked at Jake she had to admit it might be worth exploring.

  The sky darkened rapidly, indicating that more rain was on the way. DeeDee took it as a sign she was supposed to have Balto, although she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone why the storm indicated it, but she was absolutely certain he was supposed to be her dog.

  “Jake,” DeeDee said, “I’ve made a lot of impulsive decisions lately, but this isn’t one of them. I’d like to buy Balto. He’s perfect for me, and I’d like to take him today, if that’s okay.”