Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Book 1) by Harper Lin Read Free Book Online Page B

of that. Mike said pouring it out and rinsing it before we made another pot would probably have gotten rid of all the poison. And that we’d be long since dead if it didn’t.”
    That was a relief. Although I felt bad being relieved about anything at a time like this.
    Matty continued. “I’m going to meet Mike over at Dad’s house later this afternoon so he can take the coffeepot into evidence. He said there’s a good chance they won’t find anything, especially because we used it afterward, but they’ll give it a shot.”
    I took another sip of my coffee. “You don’t think that’s why the coffee tasted so bad, do you? Did Mike say what cyanide tastes like?”
    “Bitter almonds, apparently. But I’ve had coffee at my dad’s before. It was always pretty bad. I don’t know if it was the coffeemaker or the kind he bought, but I don’t think there was any way to redeem that stuff.”
    I nodded thoughtfully. The best technique can’t save a bad brewer and bad beans. I glanced at the autopsy report again. It was so hard to believe. Even when Mike had been asking us a million questions and taking pictures of the house, I didn’t ever really think something criminal had taken place. A heart attack or stroke just seemed like the most obvious culprits. And it had turned out to be a human culprit instead.
    Matty looked at the wrought-iron clock on the wall. “I better get going if I’m going to be on time to meet Mike.” He drained his coffee cup and set it back on the saucer. “Thanks for the coffee. Are you sure I can’t pay you for it?”
    “Absolutely not.” I closed the folder and slid it back across the table to Matty. “Thank you for letting me know about the autopsy.”
    “I needed to talk to someone about it, and I knew you wouldn’t say anything incredibly insensitive.” He shook his head. “You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I’ve heard.”
    “Oh, I think I would. People have said some pretty awful stuff to me too. It’s like they don’t even think about what it sounds like to the person they’re talking to.”
    Matty picked up the folder and tapped it on the table. “Well, I’m sure once word about this gets out, there’ll be a whole new round of gossip.”
    “I’m sure there will.” Cape Bay was a small town and news, especially sordid news, traveled fast in any small town.
    Matty stood to leave. “Thanks again for the coffee.”
    “No problem,” I replied, standing also. I picked up our empty cups to take into the back to be washed. “Let me know if you hear anything else.”
    “Will do. See you later.”
    I gestured good-bye with one of the cups as he left, then I went back to work behind the counter.

Chapter 6
    I worked until close that night. I’d found that I preferred to come in around lunchtime and work through the afternoon. I’d always been a bit of a night owl, so even if I got off work in the early afternoon, I’d end up staying up way too late. Then I’d be dragging when I opened the café at six. Sammy was a morning person, though, so it worked out for her to handle the morning shift.
    Right after Matty left, we got busy again as all the tourists came in off the beach and wanted to get something to eat or drink. One of the restaurants down the street had live music every night, so the evening crowd always had an atmosphere of gearing up for a party.
    The customers kept my mind off Matty and the medical examiner’s findings while I was at work, but once I got home and curled up on the couch with a book and a glass of red wine, my mind wandered back to our conversation. I was still in shock over what the autopsy report had said. The idea that someone had come into Mr. Cardosi’s house and put cyanide in his coffee was just unfathomable. Who was it? Why would they do such a thing? It must have been someone Mr. Cardosi knew if he let them get that close to him. But Matty had said that his dad didn’t have any real friends. On the other hand, Mrs. Collins