One Cuppa Brew: Book 1 in The Thyme for Tea Series by J. Louise Powell

gambling when this all started. That was part of why he was going to New Jersey, I thought. Or maybe it was just to find Lois?” She trailed off, muttering.
    Andy had heard her and processed the information quickly, “He found Mrs. Bell?”
    “Oh yes, I didn’t tell you, did I?” Pastor replied. “He’s talking to Julie about it now.”
    Her son went over to Julie and made impatient gestures towards the phone. It was like two kids fighting over something, Pastor thought with a slight smile. Finally Julie covered the mouthpiece, asked him what he wanted, and then told William that Pastor’s son needed to speak with him. Jason looked frustrated that he wasn’t on the line as well, but Pastor knew Andy would share his information.
    Pastor poured out a cup of the dark tea and took it to Julie with a small container of milk. “I find it perfectly sweet on its own, but perhaps you would like to add some honey?” she asked Julie gently.
    The young woman shook her head, “If anything, I know I can trust your judgment on tea! And probably everything else as well.”
    The store owner smiled in acknowledgement. “Absolutes can be dangerous, dear.” She turned to Jason, “So, who is this mystery man that wants to bring in gambling to our beautiful community, or close enough to our community that it will have an impact?”
    “You may remember the man; he worked for your father-in-law very briefly. Sam Waters?”
    “Oh yes, I remember him. He came from Atlantic City; I remember he had been involved in building casinos up there. I couldn’t stand him. It took me a few months to convince Andrew that he was a snake, but he never looked back after he fired him. I thought he had cleared out from this area long ago.”
    “He may have left, but he bought a house that he used as an investment property on Ono before he left. A few plots of land here and there too, nothing to make anyone suspicious. But after Mr. Potts passed away, he moved back and began buying more land. It just so happens he is an avid baseball fan as well,” Jason answered.
    “Well, that is interesting,” Pastor replied. “But there won’t be any commercial endeavors on Ono?”
    “No, the land he was considering using is in Perdido Beach.”
    Julie, who had been sipping her tea with deep sighs of satisfaction, moved closer. “Is he the one that owns the sporting casinos? The totally gaudy, outrageous gaming ones? Like halls of fame gone wrong?”
    The detective laughed, “I have never heard them described quite that way, but that sounds about right.”
    Andy turned as he hung up the phone, a serious look on his face. “This might get worse before it gets better; William and I are going to try to trap the murderer. So, Mom, I might need to use the store.”
    “What, NO! This is a sacred space, not some law enforcement trap. People should feel safe here. Besides, isn’t entrapment illegal?” Pastor was visibly upset. “I am sure you can come up with a better place. What about that sports bar down the road, near the bridge?”
    Jason interrupted, “I am pretty sure he owns that too.”
    Andy looked at his mom, “Really Mom, has this become your church? Should I be concerned? Where are you going to church these days? I thought you would love a chance to help catch a murderer and keep Julie and her sister safe, clear William’s name, assure the residents of Oyster Creek that this has nothing to do with them…”
    The former minister sighed, “Okay, but just for Julie and her sister. The rest, well…”
    Her son smiled, “You would leave William hanging out there like that?”
    She wagged her finger at her son, “William is a grown man, he could find his own way out of this mess, and don’t you use guilt on your mother!” Then she spun on her heel to face Jason, “And you never had any intention of arresting him, did you? It was probably you that took him in the boat to avoid the blockade.”
    The detective gasped as his friend laughed, “I