Deal With the Deviled Eggs

Chapter 2-2

Karen from the bank showed up early, niece Betha in tow. The seven-year-old appeared to be dressed like the tooth fairy, complete with tooth wand and a grubby dollar bill crushed in a palm. Kiko spotted them the moment he’d composed himself and stepped back out into the store. One glance told him Katie and Chad were handling the deviled egg disaster, Chad rushing the bad ones behind the counter, Katie replacing them with standard deviled eggs from the refrigerated case. Kiko pulled up a smile and moved to greet Karen, who was heading in his direction.

“Kiko,” said Karen, looking pleased to see him. “This is my niece, Betha. She just loves the tooth fairy. What do you think?”

“The tooth fairy was always one of my heroes,” said Kiko brightly. “She believed I could earn money even when no one else did.”

Karen laughed, released Betha’s hand.

“Why don’t you go look at the goose?” she asked, and the child didn’t need further coaxing to flee her aunt. Karen followed Kiko as he crossed to the food table to arrange the crackers, likely wanting to gossip. Karen was notorious for gossip, even sometimes giving away sensitive information she’d learned at the bank. Most people in Mount Angus, Wisconsin, had learned to tolerate her, and to reveal nothing they wouldn’t want their worst enemy to know.

Kiko could tell she wanted to gossip immediately, the way she got up between him and Katie. He hoped Dom would call so he could step aside. More parents were bringing in children now in an array of costumes, and wandering around the store. He wouldn’t have the time to take a call soon.

“I know some people not getting drunk at Owen’s,” said Karen. Katie laughed.

“Why, that’s me,” she said. “Elena says I should get out more, I think she was going.”

“Did you know this might be his last year to do it?” asked Karen. Kiko focused on making the cheese and meat look appealing, but Katie went for it.

“Oh, that’s a shame. Is he getting tired of it? Everyone always loves it.”

Karen shook her head.

“No,” she said. “It’s the normal culprit. Money.”

“I’m sure if he raised his entrance fee people would still pay it,” said Kiko, giving in and entering the conversation. “Or charged per drink.”

“I’m afraid his problems are bigger than that,” said Karen. “He was in just last week looking into the option of selling the place. You know it’s that extra property he inherited when his father died a decade ago, but it just eats money. We want to help him make it work, of course…”

Just when Kiko had been getting a little interested in the topic his phone rang. He stepped back into the stairwell to the basement to answer, hoping Dom was about to tell him he was driving his eggs over.

“Bad news,” said Dom when he picked up, and Kiko closed his eyes and leaned against the cold concrete wall.

“What?” he asked, feeling weary. Just through this day, he reminded himself. Things would be better the next. It wasn’t often there were multiple bad days in a row.

“Travis already started serving the eggs, and everyone thinks they’re his, including Owen. No one will let me take them.”

“They’re probably half gone by now anyway,” said Kiko, not a question.

“Yeah,” said Dom, and he sounded truly sorry.

“Travis has to go,” said Kiko. There was a pause at the end of the line. “Dom.”

“He has an interview—”

“Hey, boss,” said Chad, banging on the other side of the door. “Got a problem.”

“I have to go,” said Kiko, expecting a fight about this anyway and not wanting to do it in his store. “Kiss me when you get in.”

“Will do.” Kiko heard relief in Dom’s words. He pocketed his phone and opened the door to Chad.

“What is it?”

“There’s a, like a mom, who’s really worried about the candy,” began Chad, but the woman was approaching from behind him, glaring. She had three children in tow, and she looked angry. Chad scuttled away the moment she made her presence known.

“Enrique Cooper,” said Kiko, immediately pulling up the most charming smile he could manage. “Owner/Manager. What can I—”

“Did you go over any of this candy?” the woman demanded. Her pale face was flushed with irritation, and her children cowered beside her.

“Go over?” he echoed in as helpful a way as possible. Her glare intensified.

“Yes, did you go over it, check it, make any kind of examination at all? There could be razor blades or poisons in there. I can’t give that to my children.”

Kiko blinked at her. He doubted she would like to hear this was the same kind of candy from the store she’d buy for her kids. This was going to be a long night.