by Harper Lin
“I hate cilantro,” Meg griped, and Katherine nodded in agreement.
“There are lots of people who like cilantro, and we don’t make cupcakes just for us but for our customers, who expect the unconventional from us. The Pink Cupcake isn’t for those with timid taste buds.”
“You can be so crazy sometimes, Mom.” Meg leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder and laughed before going back to a serious conversation with Katherine.
The game was a blowout, with the Warriors winning twenty-eight to nothing. So much for Bloom Central being the champs. Adam and Amy were still talking and laughing as they got out of the car at home.
“I’m going to walk Amy home,” he said.
“Sure. Nice to see you again, Amy.”
“Bye, Mrs. Harley.” Amy lived just a few doors down the street from their house.
Meg and Katherine darted inside, leaving Amelia a few minutes to herself. She picked up her phone and dialed Reggie, the vice principal of the kids’ school.
“I was hoping I’d catch you,” she said. “I didn’t see you at the football game.”
“I’ve got a cold.” He sniffed. “What can I do for you, Amelia?”
Amelia went on to say that the dedication to Brian Richtman was so touching at the ball game that she thought perhaps part of the proceeds from the bake sale could go to a good cause in his name.
“I’m sure we can make that work,” Reggie said.
“Can I also recruit some of the seniors to help set things up and help with raffles and some heavy lifting?”
“Of course. I’ll email you the kids’ names tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Reggie. Get some rest.”
Chapter Nine
“Thank you, Mrs. Wheaton. I’m sure no one will make lemon tarts. They sound delicious,” Amelia said over the phone. So far, she had gotten twenty-four people to commit to providing some kind of baked thing for the sale, and she still had ten more people to call. With half the proceeds being donated to a charity of the Richtman family’s choosing, the volunteers were really coming out of the woodwork. It was actually really heartwarming that the community was pulling together in such a positive way.
“I’ll make sure to email you all the details and where to drop everything off. Thanks again.”
She hung up the phone and looked across the kitchen table at Dan, who was eating a late snack of a bologna sandwich with potato chips and pickles and a can of Coke to wash it down.
“This bake sale is going to be gigantic.” She looked at the list of people Reggie had sent to her for possible donations. There were red checks next to each one. “So far, everyone has offered to bake something. I thought it would be a success if we got ten people to bake, but we got way more.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. Half the money will go to the art club, and half will go to a charity in Brian Richtman’s name.”
“That’s a nice gesture,” Dan said.
“Sure it is. But it’s a little creepy. I mean, with the murder and all.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “Any breaks on the case?”
“I’ve got to be honest. Interviewing teenagers is like having a root canal. You have to get it done, but every second of it is painful. Do you remember there being so much drama in school? I don’t.” Dan took a sip of Coke.
“Maybe you weren’t popular enough to have so much drama.”
“What are you talking about? I was no different than I am now.” He leaned over and took another giant bite out of his sandwich.
“I believe that.” Amelia said. “I took the kids to the football game the other night and talked with Stacy Arlings. She’s pretty broken up. It’s sad to see.”
“I spoke to her, but I didn’t really get anywhere. She was a real mess. That’s understandable. But we told her we’d be talking to her again once the shock of what’s happened has settled in.”
“She mentioned Joe Smarman. Did you talk to him?”
“Football player, right?”
Amelia nodded.
“No. We haven’t gotten a chance to. Several of the parents have lawyered up. They don’t want anything to prevent their kids from getting scholarships to college. Don’t let a dead boy get in the way.”
“That’s a little creepy too.”
“You’re telling me.”
Amelia and Dan chatted about the case a little more before Dan yawned and pushed himself up from the table.
“Dinner was fantastic.” He slipped his arm around her waist.
“You liked that? Gosh, wait until I make franks and beans. You’ll be blown away.”
“No pun intended?” He smirked.
Amelia burst out laughing, her cheeks flushing red.
“I didn’t mean that.” She giggled. “Hey, why don’t you just hang your hat here tonight? The spare room is made up. I’ll get up early and fry up some sausage, and we’ll have some English muffins. Fresh black coffee. What do you say?”
“I think that is the best offer I’ve had all week.”
Meg came bounding downstairs with her science book. Her face brightened as soon as she saw Dan was still there.
“Dan, do you know anything about the anatomy of a frog?”
“I’m a little rusty. Why?” He winked at Amelia.
“We have to get ready to dissect one in biology class. I’m not all that interested in doing such a thing.” She shrugged. “But it’s fifty percent of our grade.”
“I see. What do you need help with?”
“Well, I know what it looks like in the drawing in the book. I’m just afraid that when we cut it open, I’m going to puke or faint or embarrass myself. You’ve seen crime scenes. How do you not puke or faint?”
“There have been times I did puke and thought I was going to faint,” Dan admitted. “But what I try to do now is kind of difficult. I try to focus on the details and not the victim. There is plenty of time to focus on the victim after I’ve done my job. So when you go into the lab, don’t think of it as a frog. Think of it as nothing more than an inanimate object that you need to study. No different from a plant.”
Meg nodded and flipped open her book to the page with the frog diagram on it.
“Here.” Dan took the book from her. “Study where everything is. Then when the specimen is cut open, you’ll be paying attention to the details like where the heart is, the lungs, the stomach. Pretend you are investigating a crime scene and are looking for abnormalities. It will remove the gross factor and replace it with curiosity. Don’t you think?”
“That makes it sound like so much fun,” Meg gushed, her eyes wide with renewed enthusiasm.
“Hey, your mom said I could sleep in the spare room tonight. Tomorrow, sausage and English muffins for breakfast.”
“Nice.” Meg smiled and put her hand up to give Dan a high-five. “I like it when you stay here, Dan.”
“Yeah? Why is that?”
“I don’t know. It just feels like the house is fuller.” She closed her book and walked over to the fridge. After a brief scan of its contents, she settled on a bottle of water then headed back upstairs.
“Thank you, Dan. She doesn’t get that kind of help from John.” Amelia folded her arms across her chest. “And she probably won’t now that Jennifer is pregnant.”
Dan started to cough. “Pregnant?”
“Yup. Adam told me he overheard her telling her mother on the phone. I guess technically we aren’t supposed to know about it yet.”
“At his age?” Dan shook his head.
“It’s the woman that should be young, and Jennifer is that if nothing else.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“Her being pregnant? I knew that was going to happen eventually. I didn’t expect it this quickly. But that isn’t the worst of it.”
Amelia explained her suspicions about John demanding the kids live with him to become the in-house help.
“I can’t help it, Dan, but I know John, and this is not out of character for him. He was selfi
sh when we were married, and not much has changed when it comes to the kids and me. Now he’s lawyered up, and I’m just this little lady with a pea shooter up against a Howitzer.”
Amelia watched as Dan clenched his jaw.
“You’ve got a few things in your favor, Amelia.” He repeated several of the things Lila had mentioned. It was reassuring that a detective from the local police department thought she had a good chance at keeping her children with her.
She pulled out the chair next to him and flopped down in it.
“But he knows the judges and the other lawyers. He can be ruthless when he wants to be.”
“If he were so influential, he would have the kids with him already.”
Amelia hadn’t thought of that.
“Plus, his history is against him, and whether Jennifer wants to admit it or not, she has displayed poor judgment that any family court judge would look at harshly.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you forgetting that John broke the bonds of marriage? It wasn’t you. The possibility that Jennifer didn’t know he was married is too hard for any rational judge to believe. So, see? You have a few aces in your pocket that you didn’t even know.”
Dan looked down at Amelia as he scooted his chair closer to her.
“I’m really thinking you are my ace, Dan.” She leaned into him and rested her head against his hard chest. For a man of middle age, he was fit and strong, both emotionally and physically.
“You’ll have to talk to the kids about this.” Amelia heard the shift in Dan’s voice. “They should know what’s going on. About the pregnancy. I wouldn’t tell them your hunch about why John wants them at the house. Not until you have some kind of proof.”
“I’ve been stewing on it for the past couple of days. It’s been burning in my blood so much that I’ve literally had to stop myself from driving to John’s office and having it out with him in front of everyone.”
“Had I known about this sooner, I can’t say my encounter with him at the school would have stayed so professional.”
“Part of me wanted to see you arrest him.” Amelia looked up with that famous Robert DeNiro “You lookin’ at me?” expression on her face. Dan chuckled.
“I’ll bet.” He kissed her on top of the head.
They sat there quietly for a few minutes.
“I’ll help you, Amelia. Any way I can. John won’t take the kids from us.”
Amelia’s heart leaped when she heard Dan’s words. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Dan.”
Chapter Ten
Amelia was surprised to see that the bake sale was drawing as much hype as any sports team competing for a state championship. When she stopped in to see the all-purpose room the school had reserved for the sale, she immediately turned to Reggie and started to laugh.
“This room isn’t big enough.”
“What?”
“I’ve got over thirty people who have committed to bringing something for the sale. You’ve got four long tables in here. I’ll need at least ten.” She put her hand on Reggie’s shoulder. “I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Reggie looked at her, confused.
“That’s from Jaws. Rod Steiger says, ‘I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat.’ When he first sees the shark. Nothing?”
Reggie scratched his head.
“Will the gym do?”
“Yes!” Amelia nodded excitedly. “That would be fantastic. Then it’s like a real event and not just some side project to appease the art club. Excellent.”
“I’ll get some of the boys to move these tables and set up some more. Good thing it isn’t basketball season,” Reggie said. “You wait here. When the boys come down, you tell them where to put the tables. You’re in charge.”
“Thanks, Reggie.”
In a few minutes, a dozen boys came down the hall. Reggie was behind them, barking orders and telling them to pay attention, quit screwing around, and do what the lady asked.
Amelia scanned the faces and saw Joe Smarman chuckling with another boy before Reggie tapped him on the shoulder and ordered him to shut up and listen. She gave the boys their instructions. They were happy to help. Of course they were. It got them out of whatever class they had been in.
All the boys seemed pleasant and in good spirits. There was no doom and gloom over the death of their classmate. But Amelia didn’t find that too worrisome. They were teenagers. Life was one drama after another. Sure, the death of a classmate was horrible, but they’d won a game for him. They were helping with the bake sale. They were going to classes, and life was continuing.
As they maneuvered the tables from the smaller room to the gym, Amelia stood out of their way and watched. Finally, she got a minute to talk to Joe without too many of his classmates around.
“I was at the game the other night. You guys did a great job. Brian would be proud,” she said to Joe.
He stopped for a moment and looked at Amelia with a small grin on his face. He didn’t look like the boy who was out on the field, snarling and shouting and running as if he were a bull in an arena.
This Joe Smarman had a cherub’s face on a Herculean body. His sandy hair was short, as if he were in the military, and he wore a gold chain with a tiny cross on it. Maybe it was a regular-size charm, but it looked miniscule against his massive chest.
“Thanks. I know he would.”
“Did you know him well?”
“He was my best friend,” Joe replied.
“Really?”
“Yeah. We pushed each other to do our best. Every year, we tried to beat each other on grades and sports and stuff.” Amelia saw the boy’s eyes start to water. “It’s kind of hard staying focused without him chasing my heels.”
“I’ll bet.”
“I know he’s in a better place. He wasn’t very religious. His family didn’t practice. But I do, and I know he’s in a better place. He just had to reach perfection before me.” Joe chuckled, quickly wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
“I’ll bet you’re right, Joe.” Amelia couldn’t believe the contrast between the boy she was talking to and the report she’d gotten about him from Stacy. It didn’t make any sense. “It sounds like everyone really liked him. Did he have lots of friends?”
“He hung out with us guys on the football team. It was the girls who really chased after him. That was why my grades have always been better than his. But everyone has a weakness. Mine is cupcakes.” He chuckled innocently again.
Amelia could have been knocked over with a feather.
“Well, Joe, I own the Pink Cupcake on Food Truck Alley. I’ll be selling cupcakes at the bake sale, so I hope you’ll stop by.”
“My mom brought me cupcakes from there. They come in hot-pink boxes, right?”
Amelia smiled and nodded and took his order. “Thanks, Joe. It was nice chatting with you.”
“You too.” He shrugged shyly and went to help move some more tables.
Amelia’s mind was spinning as she watched the boys quickly set up the tables. The gym was filled within a few minutes. But it wasn’t the excitement of decorating, assigning numbers, confirming participants, and baking her own cupcakes that had her in a dither.
Joe Smarman didn’t fit the description she’d gotten from Stacy Arlings. One of them was lying.
Stacy’s conviction seemed unshakable. Joe didn’t even mention her. Had there been some kind of issue between the two teens, surely Joe would have said something.
Part of her wanted to call him back to grill him a little more about Brian’s relationship with Stacy and what he knew about it. But that might come across as creepy and a little pervy, so she decided against it.
“Will this work for you, Amelia?”
Reggie had come up behind her. When she turned around, she caught him wiping his nose with a white handkerchief.
“This is great.”
“We’ve got a ton of decorations and things left over from
a pep rally that are just collecting dust in the supply closet.” He sneezed a couple times. “Feel free to help yourself.”
“Thanks, Reggie. I appreciate that. I’ll have my kids help out, and we’ll get the place ready by tomorrow morning.”
“Sure. If you can come back at dismissal, I’ll be here for at least another hour or two.”
“That’ll be plenty of time.” Amelia watched him wipe his nose again. “How are you feeling?”
“I sound a lot worse than I am. What’s got me more aggravated than this cold are the kids who are moping around and using Brian’s death as a reason to slack off.”
“Really?” Amelia leaned in closer. “Well, some of them might really be hurting. I heard he had a girlfriend.”
Reggie rolled his eyes.
“That girl has a crisis every day. It’s the same old routine for her. Do you remember being that young and in love, Amelia? Because I swear I was a little smarter than the kids of today are. When I was a teenager, I wanted a job so I could get a car. That was it. Plain and simple.”
“It is a good bit more complicated today, I guess.”
“It’s annoying.”
“Has there been any progress from the police that you know of?” Amelia trod carefully as she cast her line out in a fishing expedition.
“We’ve let those guys talk to anyone and everyone they want to. Even some of the teachers have been questioned. I’m sure after everything is done, they are going to rule it an accidental death.”
“You think so?”
“It’s the only logical explanation.” He wiped his nose again. “Brian was in the gym when he wasn’t supposed to be. Senior year makes even the most well-behaved kids feel the need to break the rules at least once.” He cleared his throat. “Someone came in, he panicked and lost his footing. When he fell off the bleachers, he hit his head just right to put the lights out permanently. It’s sad, but I’ll bet that is what happened. The police just need to be thorough.”
“Maybe you missed your calling, Reggie. Ever think of a career change to private investigator? Homicide detective, maybe?”
