Pancakes & Pandemonium - Culinary Competition Mystery #6

Chapter 7

(Amy)

Amy laid Pogo onto his side on her lap and zipped up his camouflage doggy parka. Surely it would be cold in Quantum Media. There were no wood-burning fireplaces in an office building. Even though the freak storm had brought rain, it was now back to February weather as normal—bracing cold with snow flurries. Wrestling the canine wiggle worm into his coat helped distract Amy from feeling depressed over yet another edgy conversation with her mother. Was it even possible for them to talk to each other without some sort of animosity creeping in?

As Alex drove over the bridge that spanned the CooleyRiver, Amy could see a group of people hanging out on the strip of land between the icy water and Riverbend Café. The restaurant was like her second home since she not only worked there part-time, but the owner, Sophie, was a close friend.

"Do you need my help at the office?" Amy asked as she stared at the small crowd, who appeared, from what she could make out, to be congregating around a campfire.

"No." Alex put his hand on her knee. "Pogo and I will be fine. Do you want me to let you out here so that you can see what's going on at the café?"

"Yes, please."

Alex pulled the Jeep into a parking spot in front of Riverbend. It was eerie to see hardly any other cars on the usually busy street. It was the time of day when the coffee shop half of the café was often a madhouse of people trying to get their morning caffeine fix. Amy opened the Jeep's door and deposited Pogo on the seat once she got out. She waved good-bye to her husband then began picking her way along the sidewalk, which was littered with broken branches, shingles, and glittering chunks of glass. The shade of one of the Victorian-style street lamps had been shattered, but the windows of the café were still intact.

She rounded the corner of the building and finally got a closer look at the crowd. The people weren't assembled around a campfire. It was an elevated propane burner with a huge, steaming stainless steel pot on top of it—the sort of setup people used to deep fry turkeys or do fish boils. On the sidewalk near the building, another stand-alone burner was topped with a large kettle. A table was set up next to it with several types of manual coffee brewers—three French presses and two Chemex pots. Amy noticed that the large chalkboard that usually sat on the sidewalk in front of the café to announce daily specials was now set up on the edge of the street. Large block letters pointed the way to the free coffee and soup. She had been so busy trying to figure out what was happening that she had missed it even when Alex parked beside the sign.

"Hi there. How are you doing?" Sophie asked as she wrapped Amy in a hearty hug. "Was your house damaged?"

"It's so good to see you! We and our house are doing pretty well. No serious damage." Amy glanced at the building. "How did the café and your house fare?"

"Amazingly well." Sophie tugged down the sides of the fuzzy red stocking cap. Her espresso-colored hair, pulled into a low ponytail, flipped over her shoulder thanks to a gust of wind. "Just minor damage at both places. So many people weren't as lucky, especially on the west side of town."

The west side was where the hall that held the bazaar and Mick's house were located. The businesses and homes that they had passed in the area on their journey home the previous night had sustained major damage, such as collapsed roofs and yards full of overturned trees. "I know. It's terrible. All of the destruction breaks my heart." Amy nodded at the soup pot. "I love that you're doing free soup and coffee. I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate it."

Sophie shrugged. "With no electricity, all of the food in the refrigerators and freezers will just go bad. I would much rather feed people while it's still okay than sit back and let it go to waste."