by Rosie Sams
When Melody stepped around the woman to see what she kept looking at, Laurel hurriedly blocked her path, raising further suspicion. Melody couldn’t imagine what was so interesting about a gutter. She moved again, trying to get around Laurel, but she got the same reaction.
Laurel giggled nervously. “So, uh, Melody, what’s been going on? I haven’t seen you since the wedding... that didn’t happen,” she added with a snicker.
Melody’s brows elevated. Laurel spoke as if they’d been well acquainted before she stepped into her bakery. She’d never met the woman before Dorinda introduced them, and she wanted to know what she’d been up to? With a lift of one shoulder, she replied, “I’ve been... baking.”
For some reason, Laurel found that hilarious. The woman cackled. “Of course, because that’s what you do. You bake beautiful cakes, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Melody said dryly. She was about to try again to maneuver around Laurel to see what she was hiding when Smudge began to bark excitedly. Only then did Melody realize that her dog had dashed behind Laurel and was peering into the gutter.
“What is it, girl?” Melody managed to get around Laurel because, in her drunken state, she staggered when she tried to stop Melody.
“No, wait!” Laurel protested.
Melody was already inspecting whatever caught Smudge’s interest. The street light gave her a glimpse of something shiny resting in the gutter. Whipping out her phone for added light, Melody was shocked to see what Laurel had so desperately wanted to hide. It was a knife! One eerily similar to the one that had gone missing from her shop! There it was laid in the gutter. The blade was stained with blood. Melody’s stomach lurched as she slowly turned around.
“Laurel, is that…”
Melody only realized that Laurel had pushed her when she hit the ground hard. In her inebriated state, Laurel moved with surprising speed to grab the knife from the gutter while Smudge’s barks pierced the night as she circled her owner with concern.
Melody’s eyes widened, and her dread mounted when Laurel pointed the knife at her. “Why couldn’t you just mind your own business?”
Chapter Fourteen
Swallowing hard and annoyed that she found herself staring down a knife yet again, Melody slowly lifted herself from the ground. She held both palms out. “You don’t want to do anything crazy, now do you, Laurel?”
Smudge snarled, keeping herself between the two women.
“Tell that dog to shut up,” Laurel hissed. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching. “All of that barking will draw attention.”
Good, Melody thought. She could use a rescue right now. But, since Laurel’s agitation increased and she held the knife higher, Melody reluctantly tried to calm Smudge down. “It’s all right, girl. It’s all right. Easy.”
Smudge’s barks gradually decreased to low menacing growls.
“You take it easy as well, Laurel. There’s no need to point that knife at me.”
To Melody’s surprise, Laurel’s shoulders began to tremble, and she dropped her hand with a loud sob. “Oh, please. I don’t want to hurt you. As if I’d want to add to my body count,” she wailed.
A chill ran down Melody’s spine.
Add to?
“What are you implying, Laurel?” Though the woman no longer pointed the knife threateningly at her, Melody still kept her distance.
Laurel sobbed harder, her shoulders drooping. Dashing away a tear, she said, “I thought getting revenge would make me feel better.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Melony said, but she was beginning to have an idea.
“Oh, what the hell, I might as well come clean. Robin was mine.”
Melody’s jaw slackened. Robin was with Laurel too? The man just kept getting more despicable in her eyes.
“He wasn’t seeing Dorinda long before I met him. I knew it was low to pursue my friend’s boyfriend, but he seduced me. I was sure he was serious about me because we clicked, you know? I made him happier than Dorinda ever could. I know I did. He told me he loved me, and he promised that once he secured his spot at Dr, Mitchum’s practice, he’d dump Dorinda and marry me. The things he said and did were so romantic… I was head over heels in love with Robin. He was so charming and handsome. I fell hard and fast.”
“But didn’t you feel sorry for your friend?”
“It was hard seeing him with Dorinda.”
Melody nodded. The woman had at least felt some guilt.
Laurel shrugged. “I took comfort in the fact that he loved me. He was just using her, and when he got what he wanted, he’d get rid of her, and we’d start our life together.” Laurel’s expression darkened, and she all but snarled. “Then, I found out that he had proposed to Dorinda.”
Or perhaps not, Melody felt her skin prickle at such selfish words
“I wanted to rip that ring from her bony finger when she showed up at my place so excited. Taunting me, she was! She kept waving it in my face. I nearly gagged when she demanded I be her maid of honor.”
Melody threw her arms up. “Well, why didn’t you say something then?”
The woman let out another sob. “I thought Robin was still stringing her along. I never thought he’d actually go through with the wedding. I figured he went that far to get in good with Ambrose Mitchum, and I didn’t want to ruin his plans, so I played along. I mean, he kept coming to see me after he proposed to Dorinda, and he constantly told me I was the one he loved. I’m such a fool.”
Melody swallowed. “So you...killed him?”
“Yes.” The word was spoken so softly, Melody nearly missed it, but there it was — a confession from Robin’s killer. “I stole that knife from your shop the day Dorinda dragged me along to see her precious dream wedding cake. I got so angry, I grabbed the knife and hid it in my handbag, intent on stabbing her with it when we got back to her car.”
Melody gasped, and Laurel shrugged. “You have no idea how difficult it was to help Dorinda plan her wedding with my man. It made me physically ill sometimes.”
“What happened on the day of the wedding?” Melody asked.
“Well, I kept that knife I stole, obviously. It just so happened that it ended up in Robin’s chest instead of Dorinda’s. I confronted the scoundrel in his dressing room. When I asked him if he was really going to marry Dorinda, he said he was. She’s rich and well connected, he’d said. And he had to honor his promise to Dorinda’s father to make his daughter happy. I asked him about honoring his promise to me, and he laughed in my face. I was so angry… I guess I just lost it.”
Laurel seemed far away, lost in thought. “Next thing I knew, Robin was on the floor in a pool of blood. Realizing he was dead, I felt this sick sliver of satisfaction. he broke my heart, so I broke his — literally.”
Oh my God.
Melody couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Well, she could, but it was so surreal, like something out of a movie. “There wasn’t a trace of blood on your dress,” Melody mused aloud.
“I wasn’t wearing my dress when I offed Robin. In a panic, I stashed the knife in my bag along with my bloody clothes. My clothes are still in my bag,” Laurel laughed. “All of the evidence kept right there in my apartment under my bed. Foolish, right?”
Melody just continued to gawk at the woman. It wasn’t often that she was struck speechless, but she had no idea how to respond to Laurel.
“It wasn’t my intention to cause suspicion on Dorinda, but when it happened — when everyone started speculating that she did it — I was happy. She’d pay for stealing Robin from me by rotting in jail. I thought I’d be happy. I’d got my revenge.” Laurel shrugged. “But I feel worse every day. I especially felt bad when poor Dr. Mitchum confessed. I had nothing against him,” Laurel explained. “He’s a nice man. God, that Dorinda just gets the easy way out every time, doesn’t she?”
Melody glanced at Smudge, taking comfort in her companion’s proximity. “If you go to the police and confess, maybe they’ll be lenient. I can go w
ith you, maybe…”
Hysterical laughter filled the air. Laurel cackled and lifted the knife to stare at it. “You’re kidding, right? I stabbed a man in cold blood and almost sent two innocent people to prison. I’ve had the police on a wild goose chase for days. I’m thinking they’re going to be mighty peeved and throw the book at me.” She shook her head as she stared at the knife that she still clutched tightly. “There’s only one way out of this for me, Melody.”
Melody felt an ice-cold fear slide down her spine, and all she could do was stare. What would happen to Smudge? What about the bakery, would it survive? She would never find out if Alvin was the wonderful man she imagined!
Still deep in thought and loss, she stared wide-eyed as Laurel lifted the knife… to her own throat.
Chapter Fifteen
Melody felt an instant rush of adrenaline when she saw Laurel lift the blade to press it against her own throat.
“There’s only one way out,” she repeated.
“Laurel, no!” Melody bolted forward, not sure how she garnered such momentum so quickly. Miraculously, she reached Laurel before she could sink the blade into her skin and tackled her to the ground.
Melody tried to wrestle the knife from Laurel’s grasp, but the woman’s grip on the weapon was impossibly tight. They rolled around on the pavement in a tangle of limbs. “Let go and leave me alone,” Laurel hissed. “I’m not going to prison. I can’t.”
“I refuse to let you kill yourself,” Melody spit out as they wrangled on the ground.
Laurel managed to push Melody off of her. “What do you care?” She lifted the knife to her throat again, but Melody dove on top of her, and they proceeded to tussle. All the while, Smudge circled the women, jumping and barking. When Laurel got the upper hand and pinned Melody to the ground, the pup sprang into action, thinking that Melody was the one Laurel intended to hurt with the knife.
Smudge caught Laurel’s wrist between her teeth and applied pressure until the blade fell from her hand. Laurel let out a howl of pain and grabbed her wrist, giving Melody the chance to knock her to the ground.
“Stupid dog!” Laurel spat, still clutching her wrist.
Rolling to a sitting position, Melody kicked the knife out of Laurel’s reach, at the same time, trying to catch her breath. “That dog just saved your life. You would have killed yourself.”
“It isn’t like I have anything to live for at this point.”
With an irritated huff, Melody patted Smudge’s head. “Good job, girl. I’ll give you all the butter cookies your little heart desires when we get home.”
Smudge licked Melody’s hand in response and kept watch as her owner crawled to Laurel. The woman slowly sat up, her lower lip quivering. She looked so forlorn and lost that Melody felt sympathy flood her. Sure, the woman just confessed to murder, but Melody couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. After everything she went through with Robin and then the guilt she lived with after killing him, it had to be overwhelming.
“Don’t talk like that, Laurel. I’m pretty sure death is never better.” She took the woman’s wrist to inspect it, but there was no real sign of damage. The gentle gesture sent Laurel into another episode of uncontrollable sobbing.
“Why are you being so kind to me after what I did?”
Taking her into her arms, Melody cooed, “There, there now. You made a horrible mistake. We all make mistakes.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” Laurel sniffed.
“You didn’t. I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry for everything,” Laurel wailed. “For being a horrible friend to Dorinda, for killing Robin. “I don’t know how my life came to this. I deserve to die for everything I’ve done.”
Smoothing Laurel’s hair, Melody tightened her arms around the woman’s shoulder. “No one deserves that, Laurel,” she said softly. Following her owner’s lead, Smudge padded forward to nuzzle Laurel’s side in a show of comfort.
Melody didn’t know how long they all sat on the sidewalk, but she gave Laurel time to get herself together. The woman sobbed until the only sounds coming from her were hiccups and occasional sniffs.
“Laurel?”
“I’ll go,” she blurted. “I’ll go to the police station and confess... if you’ll go with me.”
Relief flooded Melody. She didn’t think she had the strength to force Laurel to go to the authorities. “Of course, I’ll go with you.”
“I’m just so tired,” Laurel added. “I’m ready for the nightmare to end. I’ll do the time. I deserve to.”
Giving her one more comforting squeeze, Melody helped Laurel to her feet. She then retrieved her phone, which had scattered out of her hand when she’d been pushed. Then, she picked up the knife. “Let’s go, Laurel.”
The journey to the police station was made in silence. The entire time, Melody wondered what was going through Laurel’s mind. She never asked, fearing just one word would send the emotionally fragile woman into another spiral.
When they walked through the door of the police station. They were greeted with shocked stares. Melody could only imagine the picture they made. Laurel’s eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, both of their clothes were disheveled, much of Laurel’s short bob had escaped its ponytail. Melody was sure her mane looked like a bird’s nest, and both women sported smears of dirt from rolling around on the ground. And there was the fact that Melody held a blood-stained knife in her hand. That got her a few horrified glances.
It was Alvin who rounded the counter and broke the stunned silence. “Melody? He performed a slow sweep of both women and then glanced at the dog who stood beside them. “What in the world happened?”
Smudge released a long whine and flopped down to cover her eyes with a paw. It would have normally incited laughter if Melody wasn’t so utterly tired and a tad traumatized. “Do you think we can take this to your office?” she asked.
Alvin’s mouth opened and closed several times before he gestured to them to follow him. Melody plopped on a chair and listened as Laurel recounted every detail of how she’d killed Robin and why.
In the end, Melody held up the blade. “This is the murder weapon, which my prints are now all over because I had to wrestle it out of Laurel’s hand.”
“Wrestle? Please explain,” Alvin begged, staring at the knife.
“I tried to use it to kill myself,” Laurel replied, lowly.
Alvin shoved a hand through his hair and gave Melody a reprimanding look for putting herself in danger. Again. She shrugged, and he grabbed a plastic bag from his desk. Melody dropped the weapon into the bag glad to finally get it out of her hand. The thought of holding on to a knife with a dead man’s blood was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
As Alvin led Laurel out of his office to be booked, Melody rested a hand on her arm. “You did the right thing turning yourself in, Laurel. I’m proud of you.”
Laurel forced out a wobbly smile and nodded.
A while later, Alvin returned to his office to find Melody seated, her head resting against the wall, and her eyes closed. Smudge was at her feet, asleep, apparently as exhausted by the night’s activities as her owner.
“Mel.”
Her eyes open and she rubbed her face and sat up. “Hey, is…”
“Yes, Ms. Bauer is now behind bars, and Dr. Mitchum has been cleared to go home.”
With a long sigh, Melody stood up. “Well, the case has been solved, Sheriff. Well done.”
Alvin stared at her with a mixture of censure and adoration. “I don’t know whether to lecture you or kiss you,” he blurted.
Mouth hanging open, Melody gave a slow, owlish blink. Alvin had never been so forward with her before, and she didn’t hate it. Surprising herself, she said, “I’d... I’d prefer the kiss.”
And that was precisely what she got.
Alvin released her and chuckled. “I’m taking you home this time. Knowing you, you’ll run into another murderer wanting to confess.”
A slow smile lit up Melody’s face. �
��Oh, don’t be so dramatic.”
Alvin chuckled as they exited his office with Smudge close on their heels. “You certainly do make my life more interesting, Melody. I suppose we can finally have that dinner date.”
“I suppose we can,” she affirmed. She smiled up at him. “If things stay quiet in town for a while, that is.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Chapter Sixteen
One week later, Melody was back to baking and finding the perfect cake decorations to fit each client’s event.
“I’m thinking a full, extravagant bouquet made with buttercream on a white backdrop for Mrs. Crosse’s birthday cake. The woman is obsessed with all thing’s flowers. What do you think, Smudge?”
Smudge barely lifted her head and one eyelid in response.
“I get it loud and clear, girl. You don’t care.” Melody laughed as she made a note of the idea for Mrs. Crosse. “I’ll see how she likes that idea later.”
Next, she wheeled her chair around to study her calendar, which was filled with colorful sticky notes of the various upcoming events she’d be catering for. “Goodness, we’ve got a busy month ahead. Business is looking up.” Jumping up, she stretched and strolled to the kitchen to check on Kerry and Leslie’s progress.
They had dozens of macaroons, strudels, and eclairs to make by that evening for Mr. Mayfair’s retirement party. Mr. Mayfair said he wanted enough pastries to give him diabetes by the end of his party because he was determined to leave his boring desk job with a bang. The memory of the man’s direct orders made Melody chuckle.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Kerry gushed as Melody entered the kitchen.
“Isn’t it, though?” Leslie clapped. “I’m so excited. You’ll have to help me with the decorations. You’re great at that sort of thing. You’ve got a real eye for color schemes.”
