"They must be selling the place," said Lily.
Customers were coming in. Once again they chose to stand and look out the window.
"Lily, you and Janie start taking orders."
"Yeah," said Lily. "Those tables and chairs aren’t bleachers for the arena."
Patrons found ringside tables and placed orders while I started my position at the espresso machine. The stress of the situation was taking a toll on me early in the day.
"I wish they would just talk about usual stuff," I said. "They all act like they know everything."
The subject at hand would feed more gossip. On the flip side, maybe it would take away from what they thought about Jacob for a while.
"How can they talk about anything else?" said Janie. "Aren’t you the least bit interested in what’s going to happen over there?"
"Sure, as long as it’s not turning into another coffee house," I said.
Janie laughed. "That would add to the drama. It would make a good movie."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It would make a good serial movie on TV. A second owner to a second coffee house murdered over rivalry?"
I hoped my look was one of searing. "Does it bother you that Jacob is in jail for something he didn’t do?"
This time she looked in disbelief at me and walked away. Lily chatted with someone very familiar to me. She handed a menu to Senator James Simms who took the last place with a good view of Sunrise.
"Senator," a voice boomed. "Good to see you in our neck of the woods again."
A man a few inches shorter than James sat down across from him. I edged a little closer, but behind the Senator. It wasn’t beneath me to eavesdrop.
"So you are selling Michael’s place over there?" he asked.
"Michael left it to John’s mother, Marianne." I made a mental note of the name. "She asked me to get a realtor on it. Shouldn’t be hard to sell on this street. I’m surprised these small businesses are doing so well."
"This area gets busier by the day. In spite of Michael’s personality, he did bring in customers. It helped all of us."
I recognized the speaker as owner of a small bookstor
e down the street. So, Sunrise now belonged to a Marianne Andrews. Just before I turned back to fill another order I felt James’ eyes on me. He looked surprised and it was then I knew I had blown my cover. Neither of us spoke and I was once again filling orders.
When things settled a little I returned to the kitchen and started the clean-up, getting ready for the next crowd to come.
"Laila," said Lily. "That Senator wants to see you. I hear he is Michael Simms brother."
"Maybe he wants you to buy Sunrise," said Janie who came up behind her.
"I sure don’t need a coffee house," I said.
My smile told Janie I still had a sense of humor, or at least I hoped it said that. I took off my apron and approached James Simms.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked him.
"I’m surprised a reporter works in a coffee house."
"I’m filling in some since the owner is in jail," I said.
"I hear you are the Barista over here and no reporter at all."