Read Arsenic and Old Cake for Free Online

a bite. Not exactly light and fluffy, but childhood memories can’t be held to the same standard as adult pleasures. “You want me to help you get rid of it?”
    “I would be forever in your debt.” She picked up a chicken thigh and studied it with a slight scowl. “I’m sure Bernice is just heartsick that she has to miss this meal. She’d best be feeling better tomorrow because I’m not eating it two nights in a row.”
    I thought about suggesting that Miss Frankie save the bucket and fixings for Bernice and that we go out to dinner instead, but I was actually looking forward to polishing off a plate. Plus, I thought it would be best to discuss Zydeco’s future in private. I dug out a breast for myself and took a bite. The chicken was moist and delicious, even if the coating was heavier than I remembered. The coleslaw had a pleasantly commercial tang, and the beans were both sweet and savory. Mass-produced food to be sure, but the memories it brought back were one of a kind.
    “So,” Miss Frankie said as she handed me the potatoes. “What did you want to talk about? Is there a problem at Zydeco?”
    How to begin? Losing Philippe last year had left her reeling for months. She was getting stronger all the time, but I didn’t want to cause a setback by making her worry about money—especially when I knew her own finances were strained. But I couldn’t keep her in the dark, so I explained the situation at the bakery and told her about Edie’s suggestion to cut staff hours.
    Miss Frankie nibbled chicken and swallowed a few bites of potatoes and gravy while she listened. “You need money,” she said when I finished.
    “No,” I said quickly. “I mean, yes, but I’m not asking you to put money into the bakery. What we really need is more business. But we’ll find a way out of this hole eventually. I’m really just asking for your reaction to cutting payroll.”
    She stopped eating and wiped her fingers on her napkin. “Edie does have a habit of seeing the glass half-empty. Is the situation really as bad as she claims?”
    “We’re not sinking yet,” I assured her. “But we can’t go on this way for long. We’re exploring options to bring in business, and Ox has some ideas he’d like to discuss with the two of us. He wants me to set up a meeting when it’s convenient for you.”
    She slanted a glance at me. “Good ideas?”
    I grinned and shook my head. “It really wouldn’t be fair for me to tell you what I think before you’ve had a chance to hear what he has to say.”
    She drummed her fingernails on the table—slowly. “I surely do hate the idea of changing things at Zydeco,” she said after a while. “You know it’s not what Philippe would have wanted.”
    “I don’t like it either,” I said. “But we can’t keep doing the same old thing in the same old way and expecting different results. Aunt Yolanda always told me that’s the definition of crazy. And who can say what Philippe would have done? He never had to face a situation like this.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” she said, but she sure didn’t sound as if she meant it. She put her fork on the table and smoothed her hands over her pant legs. “If we’re going to hear Ox’s suggestions, I suppose we should do it sooner rather than later. Shall we meet tomorrow morning around nine?”
    I hadn’t counted on her being so eager, so I didn’t answer immediately. I still had to pack for the weekend, which meant doing laundry first. Plus, I’d need at least two new pairs of pajamas. Maybe three. No way was I going on this honeymoon with only my old, faded sweats and T-shirts to sleep in. Just thinking about the worn-out elastic at the waistbands made me cringe.
    “I’m tied up this weekend,” I said when I realized she was waiting for an answer. “How about Monday?”
    “If you have an order to fill, I don’t mind talking while you and Ox work.”
    “That’s not it,” I said. “I’ve promised to do a favor for a