Close to You

was too
officious to be anything but a sales rep or an IRS
agent.
    The latter, based on her ill-fitting
navy poly-blend suit. The woman even had the Grim Reaper gaunt
pallor of a taxman. Her Clairol platinum blond hair was pulled
tight into a bun at the base of her skull, making her eyes look
stretched at the corners. If her black briefcase had still been a
cow, they’d have taken it out and shot it.
    Eve was tempted to say “no” and get
back to restocking, but she stood up instead. “Yes?”
    “ My name is Victoria
Stromberg and I’m from the Department of Health.”
    Department of Health? Eve
felt a flutter of worry, wondering if she could have possibly
forgotten to renew some license or other. This was not what she needed right
now. “What can I do for you, Ms. Stromberg?”
    No beating around the bush for the
Grim Reaper. “We received a report of health code violations, and I
was sent to investigate.”
    Eve shook her head. “That’s
impossible.”
    The woman just stared at
her.
    “ Well, it is.” She gestured
to the café at large. “I keep it spotless here.”
    “ Appearances don’t always
live up to code,” the Reaper said primly. She set her briefcase on
the counter, opened it, and took out a stack of papers. “I have
reports of cockroaches as well as unsanitary restrooms.”
    This was the last thing she needed right
before Daniela was due to come check out the café. She rubbed her
temple, trying to convince herself that she was still in bed and
that she’d wake up from this bad dream soon.
    “ Are you alright?” Victoria asked,
looking more uncomfortable than concerned.
    “ I’m fine.” She
took a deep breath. “Tell me what I have to do to get this cleared
up as soon as possible.”
    “ I’ll do a thorough
evaluation and then based on my findings, we proceed from
there.”
    “ Let’s get this over with.”
Eve showed the Grim Reaper to the back. “I don’t have anyone here
with me, so I need to stay on the floor.”
    The woman hummed absently, already in
her evaluating zone and making comments on her forms.
    Picking up an empty cup, Eve went back
to the front to pace.
    Half an hour later, Treat walked in.
His smile turned into a vague frown when he really looked at her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in a low voice.
    It didn’t occur to her not
to tell him. “Someone reported me to the Health Department.
For cockroaches . I
don’t have cockroaches.”
    He ran a soothing hand down her arm.
“Then it should all be fine, right?”
    “ I don’t know.” She worried
her lip. “It’d be bad for business if even a whiff of this got to
the public. And certainly Daniela Rossi wouldn’t want anything to
do with me.”
    Treat hesitated, then he carefully
asked, “Do you have any idea who called in the report.”
    “ No.” She frowned. “But if
I had to make a bet, I’d say it was the evil witch from Crumpet.
She seems bent on ruining me.”
    Before he could say anything, the Grim
Reaper emerged from the back. “Your kitchen is the cleanest I’ve
seen in a long time,” she said, clearly impressed. She took off the
rubber gloves she wore and disposed of them before setting her
paperwork on the counter. “I found no evidence of cockroaches or
anything amiss.”
    Eve tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Does that mean we’re good to go?”
    “ Not quite,” the woman said
vaguely, noting something in frilly script. “I’ll come back to do
another inspection in a few months and if you pass that this charge
will be cleared. Sign here.”
    Eve barely looked at the paper as she
scribbled her name. “Can you tell me who made the accusations in
the first place?”
    “ Our sources our
confidential.” The woman put the papers into her briefcase and
closed the clasps with a sharp snap. “We’ll see you in several
months.”
    Eve nodded, barely refraining from
reminding her not to forget her sickle on the way out.
    “ Good day then.”
    She and Treat watched the woman leave.
Breaking the silence, she said, “At least the Grim Reaper said she
hasn’t seen a cleaner kitchen in ages.”
    “ The Grim
Reaper?”
    “ The woman from the Health
Department.” She nodded at the door.
    He smiled. “She did reek of gloom and
doom, didn’t she?”
    Eve stared worried after the woman.
“Do you think I’m overreacting in thinking the woman from Crumpet
is responsible?”
    “ If she’s been harassing
you, it’s a valid supposition,” he said soberly.
    “ I need to go talk