Pancakes & Pandemonium - Culinary Competition Mystery #6

Chapter 15

(Amy)

That evening, Amy was still blissed out from the thrill of the frenzied love-making session in Alex's office. They'd needed to hurry so that they wouldn't get caught by anyone showing up to be part of a cleanup crew, but it all worked out. Both of them were fully dressed again by the time they'd heard voices on the first floor. The bulky stocking cap that she'd worn had very nicely hidden her messy hair once she'd twisted it up. The four men who had gathered in the reception area seemed a bit surprised to see her emerge from Alex's office with him, but they mercifully didn't ask any questions.

Now Amy was busy making dinner, tortellini soup, on the grill. Alex hadn't been able to get back to the house immediately after their talk, but they were both able to get all of the alcohol boxed up after they returned home once Alex had finished helping one of the firm's graphic designers cut up a fallen tree in his yard. Currently, while the dried cheese tortellini was softening in the tomato-y broth, he was stashing the boxes of beer and liquor in his office at Quantum. There wasn't as much as he'd thought there would be. There were a lot of bottles missing from the bar in the den, and her mother had only been staying with them for five days.

Amy tied the cord on her hat's ear flaps under her chin. The red plaid, faux fur-lined headgear was dorky but warm. Perfect for cooking outside. While there were more volunteers helping to make the free meals at Riverbend Café, there were also more people lining up to eat. Most likely many residents were running low on food that they could prepare without electricity or natural gas. So they either had to find one of several meal stations that various restaurants and aid organizations had set up in town or drive to a different city that had electricity. There were many conversations about people relocating to shelters in nearby towns at night because it was just too much of a chore to keep the generators running to power heaters. People who lived in apartments couldn't even safely run generators. It seemed that everybody in Kellerton was tired, cold, and worn out. It gave Amy some comfort knowing that her time at the café helped ensure that hungry didn't have to be a part of that equation.

She heard Teresa's massive old truck rumble up the driveway. When Amy came around the corner of the house, she could just make out the truck in the gray twilight as she peered over the low fence that separated the back and front yards. Her mother bound out of the camper's back door. Within seconds she disappeared into the house without saying, or even waving, good-bye to the food truck crew. Again. Had something happened to upset her this time? Would Teresa and Kim decide that the rudeness was too much to put up with in exchange for whatever help her mother was providing?

Amy waved as she approached the passenger window that was being rolled down in the cab of the vintage camper. "How's it going?" Amy asked.

"Not bad," Teresa called as she leaned toward the wheel to look around Kim. "Some people on the south side of town said the electric company had been by, and they hoped to have power back on for that area sometime tomorrow. Wouldn't that be great?"

"It would! Hopefully, the gas lines will be repaired soon too." Amy shoved her cold hands into her coat pockets. Having a working furnace and stove again would be wonderful. Never again would she take those things for granted. "Cooking every meal on the grill has lost its charm for me."

"We use the propane stove in the truck to cook, so we've been lucky that we don't have to stand outside in the cold like you and the people cooking down at Riverbend do. I have to give you credit. You all are hearty souls," Teresa said. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel for a few seconds and then added, "Hey, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Your mother spent the day with some guy, instead of us. Apparently she knows him, so when he stopped by the truck to get some soup, she left with him. He looked familiar, but I can't quite figure out where I know him from."