by Amber Crewes
“What are you doing here, Mrs. Denton?”
Both men were staring at Karen. One turned and looked at Meghan, and jerked his chin to gesture at her. “Who is she, Mrs. Denton?”
Karen smiled graciously at the two. “Oh? You haven’t met her?” Karen asked. Both men shook their heads.
“Didn’t you two know? I volunteered to come care for the plants. The whole town has come together to send up meals for you two, as well as help care for the house. Sandy Bay truly comes together during a tragedy, and I am just doing my part!”
Meghan’s jaw dropped, but she quickly forced her own mouth into a smile. She was amazed at how effortlessly Karen had lied to the twins, and she hoped she could be convincing if they questioned her.
“Well, thank you for doing that,” said one of the twins. “It’s a little late to come over, isn’t it?”
Karen tucked a loose hair back into her hat and grinned. “You know me! As a nurse for so many years, my sleep patterns are just silly. I didn’t even realize it was so late! We are so sorry to bother you.”
Meghan nodded at the door. “We should just be going!”
The other twin moved to stand in front of the door, his eyes fixated on Meghan. “Mrs. Denton,” he said, his voice flat. “Who is this? Why is she here with you?”
Meghan ordered herself not to flinch, and she bit her bottom lip as she tried to stretch her mouth upwards into a more convincing smile. What was Karen going to say? She had never met the twins before, and if they realized that she was the woman they had blamed for the death of their parents, surely it would not be good.
“This is my granddaughter, Norah!” Karen said with confidence. “She is helping me for the weekend, and I dragged her along to water the plants.”
The twin closest to Meghan studied her face, lifting one eyebrow. “Mrs. Denton,” he said slowly. “This is a small town, and I know for a fact that you don’t have a daughter, which means that this is….”
“My adopted granddaughter! She is the granddaughter of an old friend who died years ago, and this little lady needed a grandma in her life! We’ve been close for years, and I just adore her.”
Meghan fought the urge to clench her fists as the twin stared into her eyes. She batted her eyelashes, hoping that perhaps she could ease the tension.
“Well, we’ve finished tending to the plants, and it is late,” Karen said, still smiling at the boys with her blindingly white teeth. “I’ll just take Norah and we’ll go!”
The twins both nodded. “Yes, it’s best if you leave,” one said. “We have special care for the plants, so don’t worry about coming back,” added the other. “So kind of you to come and bring your….granddaughter….but please don’t come back.”
Karen walked toward the door, and the twins moved out of her way. Meghan quickly followed, and as soon as the door shut behind them, they sprinted back to the jeep. Karen arrived first, barely breaking a sweat, but Meghan panted as she climbed into the passenger seat.
“They’re hiding something,” Karen said, reapplying a coat of lipstick as Meghan collected herself. “Thank goodness they hadn’t met you yet, Meghan! They were acting odd in that greenhouse, and it was clear that they didn’t want us there. Imagine if they had known that you were the Meghan Truman! It could have gotten ugly.”
Meghan wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she sank back into the passenger seat.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said to Karen. “I did my best to memorize the leaves and the colors of the unmarked plants. I need to do some research.”
Karen turned to Meghan and grinned. “Like I said, you may just be a little spy after all!”
7
“FORGET ABOUT THE TWINS. I have another suspect,” Karen shrieked into the phone. Meghan rolled over to look at her alarm clock.
“Karen?” Meghan said groggily. “It’s ten in the morning!”
“It’s practically afternoon,” Karen replied. “I’ve been up for an hour at the gym, and Jeanne just called me with some new information! Apparently, Kirsty Fisher’s charity, the Fisher Foundation? Meghan, Jeanne told me that it is failing! The Fisher Foundation is sinking fast and has been failing for a few months now!”
Meghan turned over and groaned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Karen sighed into the phone. “Meghan, it’s important to know everything about the case! This pertains to you and your business, and I thought you should know! Kirsty Fisher is on the suspect list, and that’s something we need to look into!”
“Thank you, Karen,” she said. “I’ll think about it when I wake up for real later.”
“No! Meghan, get up and moving! I’m off to yoga in a few minutes! Why don’t you join me? We could go to yoga, and then go for a little jog! I’ve noticed you’ve been eating a lot of sweets lately, and it might do you some good to----”
Meghan hung up the phone and pulled a pillow over her head. She had been indulging lately; with business being non-existent since the death of the Bishops, Meghan had an abundance of ingredients in the kitchen needing to be used. She had baked and consumed several batches of cupcakes, macarons, and éclairs, and she was embarrassed that Karen had noticed.
Later that day, as Meghan sat idly in the bakery, she heard a sharp knock on the door.
“Not again,” she groaned, hoping that Jack Irvin had not returned.
“Meghan Truman! Open up the door this instant!” Kirsty Fisher shouted. Meghan’s blood turned cold.
“Kirsty,” Meghan whispered in disbelief. Had Kirsty somehow found out that Meghan knew about the Fisher Foundation?
Meghan timidly opened the door. Kirsty glared up at her. Her blonde hair tucked into an elegant chignon at the base of her neck, and she was impeccably dressed in a cream suit and matching heels. Small diamonds glittered in her ears, and a little cream hat was tilted atop her head. Despite Kirsty’s attire, Meghan noticed that she looked upset; her face was pale, her eyes were red, and her cheeks look gaunt.
“A word,” Kirsty hissed, pushing past Meghan and stomping into the bakery. “I brought this back to you; your assistant must have forgotten to pack it up,” Kirsty said as she shoved a small flowered plate at Meghan. “Let’s talk. I’m very unhappy, Meghan. I gave you an opportunity to serve your treats at my event, and then the Bishops died! I don’t care if the police have said you are not to blame; people are talking, and who is to say that you didn’t kill that poor couple? It seems a little odd that you are now at the center of two murder scandals!”
Meghan stared at Kirsty. She tightened her jaw and counted to ten in her head. Meghan wanted to stay collected and cool, but Kirsty continued her rant.
“How dare you come in and ruin my event with your trashy treats! I did you a favor, and you went and tarnished the Fisher name forever! This is a disgrace, and my foundation is now in shambles because of you!”
Meghan’s hazel eyes widened, and she counted up to ten and back down to zero, breathing slowly and trying to stay controlled. Kirsty stepped closer to Meghan and stood on her tiptoes, jabbing a manicured finger in Meghan’s face.
“I am disgusted with this situation,” she said, glowering at Meghan. “I shouldn’t have even bothered to come around this….this….this kitchen of death!”
Meghan’s hands clenched into fists, and she saw Kirsty’s eyes widen.
“Don’t you make fists in front of me!” she screeched, using her sharp nail to poke Meghan’s chest.
“Don’t touch me,” Meghan said, her voice flat, but her eyes ablaze with anger.
“I will touch you if I feel like it! You’ve gone and ruined everything, and I’ll do as I please!” Kirsty snapped as she pressed her sharp nail even further into Meghan’s collarbone.
Meghan unclenched her fists. She slowly raised her hands and pushed Kirsty away from her.
“How dare you?” Kirsty shouted, marching back to Meghan. “Do you know who I am? I should call the police! I took pity on you by taking a chance on your d
esserts after the murder scandal with Norman Butcher, and I was a fool to let some inexperienced, inept buffoon into my event!”
“How could you say that to me?” Meghan demanded, drawing herself up to full height to tower over Kirsty. “That’s horrible and unclassy! I didn’t even want to do your stupid event anyway! You pranced in here and more or less forced me to do your event, for free, mind you, and now I am facing the scorn of the town! It’s crazy, and you’re crazy!”
Meghan shoved Kirsty away again, and Kirsty bumped her bottom against the counter. Kirsty’s blue eyes grew large. She stared up at Meghan, and then she burst into tears.
“You are right,” she sobbed, leaning forward to wrap her tiny arms around Meghan. Meghan stiffened, unsure of what to do as Kirsty cried in her arms. She awkwardly lifted a hand to pat Kirsty’s head, but Kirsty slapped her hand away.
“Don’t touch the hair or hat,” Kirsty sniffled, still leaning into Meghan. “I’m just so upset! This has been terrible, Meghan!”
Kirsty’s vulnerability struck Meghan, and Meghan felt her own eyes fill with tears. She herself then leaned into Kirsty’s hug, and the two women embraced.
“I know,” Meghan whispered gently. “It’s been terrible.”
“I’m so sorry,” Kirsty said. “I’m just so embarrassed. My event was ruined, the Bishops are dead, and I just treated you terribly.”
Meghan pulled back to look at her. Kirsty’s makeup was still perfectly intact, but she delicately wiped at her eyes with a small handkerchief.
“I must look awful,” she whimpered. “Crying is so unattractive!”
Meghan giggled. “It’s fine,” she said. “You look perfect.”
Kirsty let out a soft laugh, and then, both women were consumed with laughter, their stomachs heaving up and down. The long, emotional release was cathartic, and Meghan was thankful to have calmed Kirsty down.
“Look at us!” Kirsty exclaimed. “There’s a murderer on the loose, and we’re here laughing like children!”
Meghan smiled. “We needed that laugh,” she said. “Laughter and brownies can be the best medicine.”
Kirsty raised an eyebrow and looked at Meghan’s waist. “Looks like you’ve had a lot of medicine over the last few days,” she said. Kirsty then clapped a hand to her mouth. “So sorry,” she said. “That was rude.”
Still smiling, Meghan placed her hands on her hips and shrugged. “It’s fine. We’ve had a hard week. Don’t worry about it. Now, you look like you could use a cup of tea. May I bring you one?”
Kirsty nodded.
Meghan made a cup of black tea and served it to Kirsty in her best glass teapot.
“Perfect!” Kirsty exclaimed. “You have been so sweet. Everyone else has been so aloof this week; it’s like they think I planned the murder since it happened at my event! So terrible. If it weren’t for my husband, I would be lost right now. He’s been taking care of everything. He is such a doll.”
Meghan felt her heart sink. Kirsty had looked so sad until she mentioned her husband, and Meghan saw the love and adoration in Kirsty’s eyes, just as she had seen it at Fisher Fest.
“You’re lucky to have him,” Meghan said.
Kirsty nodded. “He’s the most wonderful! Do you have anyone special to help you through this terrible time?”
Meghan looked down at the counter and shook her head, wondering if she would ever find someone who could light up her heart as Kirsty’s husband did for her. Kirsty’s husband had been at Kirsty’s side when she was the belle of the ball at Fisher Fest, and it was evident that he was standing by his wife now, even in the darkest of circumstances.
“I don’t have anyone,” she said softly. “Well, I have Karen Denton, and I have Lori, my assistant. They are great, and I love them to pieces! But a love like yours? I don’t know if I’ll ever have that, Kirsty.”
Kirsty rolled her eyes. “Well, you have enough to worry about!” she declared. “Love is sweet, but so are your treats. I usually don’t indulge in any of the delicious sweets you have here, but maybe, just this once….? It can be our little secret.”
Meghan laughed. “I’ll get a treat for you, Kirsty, no worries. It’ll be just between us.”
8
“I JUST DON’T KNOW what to do, Meghan!” Lori whispered into the phone. “I needed this job. My rent is due soon, and I still have some loans to pay off from school. I can’t afford to not work, Meghan. I love working for you at Truly Sweet, but unless business drastically picks up again, I think I’m going to have to find another job!
Meghan groaned. She treasured Lori’s company and Lori’s help; Lori made an excellent assistant, and she possessed impressive cake decorating skills that Meghan was eager to develop! More importantly, she was loyal and sweet, and Meghan had loved having her around.
“Lori,” she said calmly. “Think about this! The police have publicly announced that I’m not responsible for the Bishop murders. Everyone knows that! The people in Sandy Bay just have to come around. They will! You’ll see!
Meghan heard Lori breathing loudly. “Lori?” she asked. “Are you alright?”
Lori sniffled. “I think I’m having a panic attack, Meghan! I need money, and I need my job! You aren’t from here. People won’t just move on unless they have someone new to blame, and the police haven’t arrested anyone! Who knows what will happen!”
Meghan held the phone tightly and took a long, deep breath. “Lori,” she gently replied. “We’ll figure this out. It will be fine. The police have suspects, I know that for a fact!”
Meghan then clapped her hand over her mouth. She had not yet told Lori about she and Karen’s own little investigation, and she didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.
“What?”
“Lori,” she began. “This is secret information. You can’t ask questions of me. Let’s just say that I know of two main suspects. The police are looking into the twins! They think the twin sons of the Bishops could have done it, and after doing some of my own research, I think there is a good chance they had something to do with it!”
Lori gasped. “That makes sense! Those twins have always been a nuisance in Sandy Bay! They’re a few years older than me, and they used to tease me mercilessly at school. They’ve had some troubles lately; everyone says they stole from Brian Bishop to start their own business, and it would make perfect sense that they orchestrated the murders of their parents! They’ve always talked about their inheritances, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they killed their parents to get their money as soon as they could!”
Meghan thought for a moment. “Lori,” she said quietly. “If the twins were trying to get their hands on their money, then that could be proved! Surely the Bishops had a will. But you’d said the twins have been terrible and have taken from their parents already! There’s no way that they were the beneficiaries of their parents’ will if they’ve treated them so poorly! There must be another benefactor!”
Lori was quiet, and Meghan imagined she was pondering Meghan’s theory.
“Do you know who handles the wills in town, Lori?” she asked.
“Sorry, Meghan, I’m not sure,” Lori replied. “When my father died a few weeks ago, he died without a will, and I have no idea.”
“No problem, Lori,” she said quietly. “Look, give me another week to sort this out. If in a week things haven’t changed, I’ll write you a check and you can find another job, no hard feelings.”
Lori sniffled. “Thanks, Meghan,” she said as she hung up.
Meghan immediately called Karen.
“Karen! I need your help!” she exclaimed. “The Bishops’ will! If we can get to their will, we can find out if the twins were the beneficiaries of the Bishop estate. If they were, that’s a pretty solid motive for killing their parents, and I should tell Jack!”
Karen laughed. “You’ve been doing some thinking! Fabulous! It sounds like we need to track down that will. Vince Fisher handles all of the wills and legal documents in town, and I would bet that
he has the answers we need. Get ready; I’m leaving the gym now and will be over to pick you up in five!”
9
MEGHAN STOOD NERVOUSLY in front of the Fishers’ front door with Karen. The house, while not as grand as the Bishops’, was beautiful, and Meghan felt underdressed in her plain black and white striped tee, jeans, and white sneakers.
“Well! Knock on the door! You said that you and Kirsty shared a little moment, yes? Surely she’ll be happy to see you?”
Meghan raised her left hand to her mouth and began to bite the nails.
“Stop that!” Karen said, swatting at Meghan’s hand. “Don’t you know that billions of germs can get into your body through nail-biting? Now, get your hand out of your mouth and use it to knock on the door!”
