The Double Cheese Burger Murder Read online

  The Double Cheese Burger Murder

  A Burger Bar Mystery Book 2

  Rosie A. Point

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  More for you…

  Thank You, Reader!

  Preview of Book 3: The Chicken Burger Murder

  1

  Bang, bang, bang!

  A hammer clacked against the walls downstairs, knocking in nails and destroying my sleep in three fell blows.

  I sat bolt upright in bed

  “Hammer,” I yelled. No, that wasn’t right. I rubbed my eyes and blinked the sleep away. “Hammer? What’s going on? Griz! Griselda!”

  The shout woke Curly Fries, who leaped from my side with a hiss and a flick of her tail.

  Footsteps stomped down the hall in my best friend’s house—dark at this hour of the night, and I kept on rubbing my eyes.

  “Griz?” Gosh, my mouth was dry. “Griz, is that you making that noise? Girl, you’d better have a good explanation for this.”

  A shadowy figure appeared in my doorway. “How could that possibly be me?”

  The blinking red numbers on my alarm clock caught my eye. “It’s 4am. Why are you banging?”

  “I’m not banging,” she replied, as the hammering started up again.

  It came in a pattern of threes from below.

  “I’m not thinking right now.” I got out of bed and stepped on Curly Fries’ tail. She hissed and scratched my ankle. “Sorry!” But Curly had already streaked off into the darkness.

  The hammer sounded again and realization struck me like, well, like a hammer between the eyes. This wasn’t a case of impromptu home improvement on the part of Griselda’s annoying neighbor, Ray. This was someone at the front door.

  “Who—who in their right mind?” I couldn’t get the words out past the sleep. “Are you expecting guests?”

  “Oh yes,” Griz, my best friend, replied. “I always invite people over at the crack of dawn.”

  “No need to be sarcastic.”

  Grizzy headed off down the hall, and I followed her. Another bout of knocks started up.

  “We’re coming,” I called, then lowered my voice to a grumble. “The nerve of people in this town. I swear, it’s like they don’t have any boundaries. If that’s Mississippi I’m going to flip out.”

  “Even she’s not this crazy,” Griselda said.

  Missi and Virginia were Sleepy Creek’s most eccentric duo—old ladies who’d adopted gossip as their credo. They had a heart of gold a piece, but I’d rip it right outta Missi’s chest if she’d disturbed my sleep for the scoop on old Mirabelle’s top secret cobbler recipe.

  I stepped on the back of Grizzy’s sock, and she stumbled across the living room. She slammed into the front door. “Ouch.”

  “I want to be sorry,” I said. “I just can’t—”

  “Shush, you.” Griselda squared her shoulders and flicked on the porch and living room lights. “Who’s out there?”

  “Griselda?” A man’s voice—throaty and a little feminine. “It’s Jerry Lee Lewis.”

  My mind reeled. “Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Griselda said. “He lives in Mississippi.”

  “Yes, because that’s the ridiculous part. Wait, how do you know where Jerry Lee Lewis lives?”

  Griselda shrugged. “I’m a fan.”

  “A fan. Of Great Balls of Fire? I mean, it’s an OK song but I wouldn’t go as far as to—”

  “Uh, I can hear everything you’re saying. I’m not that Jerry Lee Lewis. I’m your cousin. Jerry. Remember? We used to play pebble skips when we were kids?” the not-so-famous Lewis said, on the other side of the door.

  “What’s pebble skips?”

  Grizzy rolled her eyes. “It’s where you throw a pebble, skip to it, and the opposing player tries to hit you with pebbles while you skip.”

  “Your family is weird.”

  Jerry Lee coughed. “It’s freezing out here.”

  “Shoot. Just a sec!” Griselda unlocked the front door and opened it for her cousin.

  He wore an ascot. He was neat, with an unstained button-down shirt—white cotton but creased a little. Sitting down for a long period of time? And he carried a suitcase in one hand and a decorative wooden box tucked under his left arm.

  If I’d been any form of awake, the details probably would have made sense.

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Grizzy said. “Of course.” She stepped back and Jerry Lee tramped into the living room.

  He placed his suitcase behind the sofa, then ever so carefully lifted that decorative cube and set it on the entrance hall table.

  “Jerry Lee, I haven’t seen you in years.” Griz broke the quiet.

  “Yes,” he replied, and ruffled his blonde curls. “I’ve been on the road, as I’m sure you’ve heard, and that road has brought me right through Sleepy Creek.” He pushed out a breath. “Kinda nostalgic being in this house again. It still smells like your mom’s cooking.”

  “That’s all on Griselda,” I said. “She’s a fantastic cook.” I extended my hand. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Christie. I’m visiting from Boston.”

  “A pleasure.” He had a soft palms and a gentle shake.

  “Let’s go through to the kitchen.” Griselda straightened her robe. “I could use a cup of Joe. How about you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  A cup of Joe, eh? So much for the last vestiges of sleep. The day had officially started with the less interesting version of Jerry Lee Lewis arriving on our doorstep. I couldn’t help wondering how this day would end. Probably, with Curly Fries victimizing me for stepping on her tail.

  In the week or so since I’d moved to Sleepy Creek, I’d learned that the wrath of Griselda’s cat was swift and vicious. And that it ate more food than I could in a single sitting.

  Curly Fries was the perfect ambassador for Sleepy Creek. Everyone in this town had a famous appetite.

  We entered the kitchen and took positions at the centered table. I balanced my chin in my palm and studied Jerry through bleary eyes, as Griz flitted around, making coffee and being far too chipper for this hour of the night.

  “What brings you to our neck of the Sleepy woods?” I asked.

  “Oh, well, I’m an antique dealer, you see. I travel around to local stores and sell them pieces they enquire about via my website.” Jerry twirled his wrists. Was it just me or did he have a fake British accent? “I received a request from a store in Sleepy Creek. Terrible Two’s Antiques.”

  “No way,” Griselda said. “That’s Missi and Virginia’s store.”

  “You’re kidding,” I replied. “They own an antique store?” How was that even possible? Those two spent more time in Griselda’s Burger Bar than should’ve been legal.

  “Yeah, they have an assistant working for them, so they get to take time off. Missi has a real passion for antiques,” Griz said.

  “Then I’m glad I came all the way out here.” Jerry smiled.

  “Was that what the box was?” I asked. “That cube thing?”

  “That is a Civil War Era Writing box,” he said. “Officers used them for c
orrespondence during the war. Unfortunately, none of the ink bottles or implements were intact, but it’s still a piece of history. I’m hoping it will take this Missi’s fancy.”

  “Goodness,” Griz said, and brought out three mugs. “That’s fascinating.”

  “Where did you get it?” I couldn’t imagine anything like that would come cheap or be readily available for purchase. My brain had finally revved its engines.

  “Over in Cleveland at an auction. Gorgeous pieces on display, I’ll tell you, but that one really caught my eye. Thanks.” He accepted the cup from Griz and glugged down the coffee. “I’m excited to make the sale, but I’ll be sad to see it go at the same time.”

  “How many offers did you get for it?” I asked.

  “Quite a few. But the Sleepy Creek one was first and the highest. It seems this Missi person is really interested.” Jerry Lee gave a happy sigh. “I love it when my pieces go to good homes.”

  Griz gave me my coffee then sat down with hers at the table. “Here’s an idea,” she said. “Why don’t we go to the store with you?”

  “That would be great. I haven’t been there before.”

  I downed my coffee and burned the back of my throat. My eyes watered. Brilliant move, Christie. “What time does it open?”

  “Oh, at 8am, I think,” Griz replied.

  “In that case I’m going to—”

  “Oh, no you don’t.” Griselda waggled her finger at me. “We’re going to start the day with some chores, just like we planned yesterday.”

  “But—I—sleep?”

  “Nope.” Griselda grinned, and, for a moment, she looked a lot like Curly. “And I’ll whip us up a BLT sandwich after we’re done.”

  My stomach grumbled. “All right. You’ve got me there.” I couldn’t resist the offer of one of Grizzy’s BLTs. “Where do we start?”

  2

  I yawned my way into Virginia and Missi’s antique store—affectionately named Terrible Two’s Antiques—and positioned myself to one side of the counter, so I could rest my tired head against the frilly wallpaper.

  “Don’t be such a drama queen,” Griz whispered, as she swept by.

  I responded with another yawn, covering it with my palm.

  We’d managed to clean the house from top to bottom in the few hours since Jerry Lee Lewis had turned up on our doorstep. I hoped to never see another batch of laundry again.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to pull my weight around the house. It was that I didn’t want to pull my weight at the crack of dawn. But Grizzy was the boss, both at work and in her own home, and I’d do what I could to help out.

  Jerry Lee Lewis walked to the counter on Griselda’s heels, carrying that fantastic specimen from the Civil War era. Between window cleaning duties, raking the yard and loading the dishwasher, I’d taken a peek at its polished outside. It was a thing of beauty.

  He swaddled it in his arms and smiled at the elderly ladies, Missi and Vee, who gave him two very different onceovers. Virginia’s brimmed with interest, and Missi looked as if Jerry Lee had brought in something nasty from outside and rolled it onto the front desk.

  Or maybe Jerry Lee was the nasty thing we’d brought her.

  “And who are you?” Missi asked.

  “Don’t be rude, sister. You must excuse her. She hasn’t had her coffee yet.”

  “Maybe if somebody hadn’t broken the coffee machine.” Missi jerked her thumb in Vee’s direction. “I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” She planted her butt on the stool beside the bronze cash register then cast an appraising look in my direction.

  I was too tired to shrink back from her gaze. I’d witnessed drug deals gone bad and investigated homicides up in Boston. Last week I’d helped—partially hindered—the local police solve a murder that may have involved the Somerville mafia.

  This woman scared me more than all of that.

  Her sharp blue eyes bored into my soul. “Get that cat yet?”

  I ignored her. The first thing Missi had ever said to me was that cats were great at clean up. They ate you if you died of natural, or not so natural, causes.

  “Good morning, Miss Waters. And, eh, Miss Waters.” Jerry Lee adjusted his ascot.

  “Morning, dear,” Virginia replied. “What can we help you with? That’s a fine piece you’re holding.”

  “Yes. My name is Jerry Lee Lewis. You contacted me about acquiring this antique and I’ve come to deliver it,” he said, softly.

  Missi perked up. “Great balls of fire,” she said. “Now that’s better than a cup of coffee. That’s the writing desk, yes?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The very same.”

  Missi slipped off her seat and practically teleported to Jerry Lee’s side. She took the box from him and ran her hands over the top of it. “Magnificent,” she said. “Just magnificent. Boy, you and I are going to have a longstanding relationship if you keep up deliveries of this quality.”

  Jerry Lee didn’t look entirely sure how to take that. “I—all right.”

  Virginia removed the field writing desk from her sister’s stroking fingers and carried it to one of the tables. “Missi dear, please take Mr. Lewis into the office and pay him for the antique. Make sure to create the invoice as I showed you.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Virginia,” Missi sniffed—but her mood had definitely improved. She beckoned to Jerry Lee and stomped off down the aisle, past a worn but polished armchair and a display of Delft porcelain in a glass cabinet.

  Jerry gave us a last glance then scurried after her, ascot flapping.

  “This is wonderful,” Virginia said, standing in front of the box. “Such a gorgeous piece.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy with it,” Griselda replied. “Jerry Lee turned up before the sun has risen this morning. He was super excited to deliver it to you two.”

  I tuned out the chatter and pushed off from the wall. Wandering feet brought me into the center of the store, and I lost myself between ancient books, their spines faded and coated in a thin layer of dust, and antique pans, vases, shelves and desks. The place smelled of teak and polish and the tang of wood straining against old age.

  A crystal sculpture caught my eye—a translucent woman in a flowing dress that clung to her curves. A yellowing label had been attached to her base—Missi’s illegible handwriting was scrawled across it.

  This store hadn’t been here when I’d first moved to town. But my mother, as practical as she had been, had loved places like this. Little shops with hidden treasures. There was a sense of adventure about this place, and I loved that.

  “Christie?” Griselda called. “Have you fallen through the looking glass? We’ve got to get to the Burger Bar and open up.”

  Virginia made an appreciative noise. “What’s the special this week, dear? More jalapenos?”

  “No, we decided to go classic after all that spice and excitement.” Grizzy’s voice carried from the front, and I wound toward her. I popped out at the other side of the room, furthest from the entrance, just as another customer entered—one I recognized from my time in Sleepy Creek High School.

  Blonde, short hair and expressive brown eyes. Beauty spot beside her nose. She had spilled a drop of toothpaste on her lapel. Toothpaste, huh? In a hurry? To get to an antique store? Why?

  “Morning,” she said.

  “Haley.” Griselda turned to the newcomer. “How are you? It’s been over a week.”

  “Fine,” Haley replied, and toyed with her fingers. I noted the behavior out of habit. She would press her thumb to her finger, encircle it then repeat the action. “I’ve been out of town but I’m back now.”

  Out of town. And the first place she visited was the antique store? Of course, I was reading too much into this. She was just another Sleepy Creek resident. My investigative habits kicking in. It didn’t help that there had been a murder in town last week.

  “It’s wonderful to see you again, dear,” Virginia said. “We’ve missed you. Have you come to buy or sell?”

&nb
sp; “Sell,” I said, then jammed my mouth shut.

  All three women whipped their heads around, three sets of eyes and furrowed brows directed at me.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “Is that—is that Christie Watson?” Haley lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the non-sun. A weird gesture. Overly dramatic. “I haven’t seen you since high school.”

  “Yeah, time hasn’t treated me well, has it?” I ran my hand through my hair. I’d left it loose today, and I still hadn’t taken care of those split ends. A week on sabbatical and there’d been very little vacationing. “You look great, though.”

  “Thank you.” Haley dusted off her shoulder.

  The office door swung open, and Jerry Lee bustled out, grinning like Curly Fries after a hefty bowl of kibble. Missi followed with a spring to her step—it had been a successful transaction, then.

  Missi caught sight of Haley. “Ah, there you are Haley. Our prodigal art dealer has returned. Where have you been, dear?”

  “I had to—uh, family stuff.”

  “You had to family stuff? That’s as clear as mud.” Missi moved in behind the counter again. “We’ve had to find another antique expert to substitute for your deliveries. Meet Jerry Lee.”

  Haley gave Griz’s cousin the stink-eye.

  “Good morning,” Jerry said, and smiled at her, hesitantly.

  Haley didn’t do him the courtesy of a reply. Apparently, the art and antique dealing biz was competitive. “What did you get from him?” Haley asked Virginia.

  “That gorgeous field writing desk.” Vee pointed to the item in question. “Feel free to take a look, dear, I know you’re an enthusiast.”

  Haley bowled Griselda out of her path and stomped over to the carved wooden box. What was this woman’s problem? She’d gone from shy and sweet to shark infested waters in two seconds. Then again, money did strange things to people.