Death by Chocolate Cupcake

by Rose Pressey

  My stomach twisted into a knot just thinking that this was a reality now. This was the time. It was now or never.

  Kristen dragged me over to the kitchen. “By the way, what is that thing?”

  “What is what thing?” I looked at my dress, wondering if she meant my belt. I thought my outfit was cute.

  “That.” She wiggled her index finger.

  I pointed at my waist. “Is it the belt? It’s the belt, right? I’ve had it for years, but I think it’s timeless. It goes with just about everything, no?”

  “It’s not the belt,” she said with a bit of irritation in her voice. Kristen wasn’t exactly a patient woman. She pointed at the bowl. “That.”

  I had placed the bowl on the counter.

  “This?” I gestured.

  Wasn’t it obvious what it was?

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “The mixing bowl? It was my grandmother’s. I thought it would add a nice, charming touch to the set.”

  She frowned. “Well, we have all the supplies you’ll need, but I suppose it’ll be all right. If anyone asks, it wasn’t my idea.”

  Now I was scared. Would I be kicked off the set for bringing the bowl? Maybe I should’ve asked first. I hadn’t even gotten the job yet and I was already trying to change things around. It was definitely a bad idea for me to bring the bowl. What was I thinking? Sometimes I didn’t think.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I suppose it is a nice Southern touch.”

  I smiled, trying to encourage her to keep up the positive thoughts. The set was chaotic with several large cameras, wires snaking everywhere, and bright lights pointed toward the kitchen area.

  “Attention!” Kristen snapped.

  Suddenly everyone stopped. Wow, that was impressive.

  “I want you all to meet Scarlet Baker.” Kristen motioned at me with the clipboard in her hand.

  A few people mumbled hello and immediately went back to their work.

  “Hellooo, Scarlet,” a tall, lanky, sandy-haired man said from behind the camera. “I’m Adam Hobbs.”

  The way he eyed me up and down and the drawn-out salutation made me a bit uneasy. A slow smile spread across his thin lips.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to hide the fact that I found him creepy.

  “He’s the main cameraman. You shouldn’t talk to him,” Kristen said.

  “I shouldn’t?” I asked with a frown. “Why not?”

  “Um, it’s unprofessional,” she said.

  That didn’t make sense. Nevertheless, I didn’t particularly want to talk with him anyway.

  I supposed I hadn’t realized that my audition would actually be filmed. I mean, I knew it had to be filmed at some point, but I didn’t think it would be today. How would I look on camera? I hoped not too hideous. I tried to straighten out my dress and smooth my hair down.

  “Don’t worry about your makeup or hair now. We’ll somehow fix that later. Just do the cooking,” she said.

  “Ruby did my makeup, remember?” I asked.

  She studied my face. “Oh, right. Well, anyway, can you read the teleprompter writing?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I can see it all right.”

  “Fine, then we’re ready to go.” Kristen clapped her hands. “When the light’s red, the camera is rolling.”

  I tried to pretend that I was just playing make-believe in Grandma’s kitchen. That was the only way I would get through it. If I became paralyzed by fear this would be over for me. Nevertheless, a wave of terror washed over me when the light turned red.

  “Welcome to The Cupcake Whisperer,” I said with a shaky voice. “Today I’ll bake Death by Chocolate cupcakes.”

  My cheeks hurt as I smiled for the camera and read out the ingredients as I added them to my grandmother’s mixing bowl. Flour, sugar, semisweet baking chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to name a few.

  “Don’t forget the extra chocolate chunks. You’ll need those to garnish the top of your cupcakes.”

  I was probably in some sort of zone. After this was over I’d probably collapse from fear. I just didn’t want to pass out right there in front of everybody. Once I got home I could collapse. Not a second before.

  I pulled a prebaked tin of cupcakes from the oven. “Oh, they smell delicious.”

  Next, I added the icing since the cupcakes had been cool for some time. Kristen had made cupcakes in anticipation of my audition. Apparently she was a bit of baking whiz too. I used the medium-sized open frosting tip on the pastry bag. I’d colored the buttercream frosting a beautiful shade of sky blue. Starting in the middle of the cupcake, I added a bit of frosting and then traced around the cake in a circular motion. Once the cupcake was covered with frosting, I dragged the frosting back across toward the middle, finishing off the design. To add even more pizazz and sparkle, I dusted the top with gold sprinkles. Sprinkles always made me smile.

  I placed the finished product on a pretty white plate. “I hope you’ll join me next time on The Cupcake Whisperer.”

  “Okay, that’s a wrap,” the guy called from somewhere in the darkness.

  The lights almost blinded me, so I had no idea where anyone was standing. Kristen ran over to me.

  “Fantastic. Great job, Scarlet.”

  “Really?” I asked with a huge smile.

  “Yes, you were great and don’t tell anyone I said this, but I really think you’re going to get the job.”

  “Oh, my gosh, I’m so excited. Thank you.” I hugged her.

  She pushed me away. “Well, don’t get too excited now, but I really think the job is yours.”

  I released a deep breath, trying to calm down. “When do you think I’ll hear something for sure?”

  “I would be surprised if I didn’t tell you later today,” Kristen said. “As soon as I hear anything I’ll call you.”

  Butterflies danced in my stomach. How would I get through the rest of the day waiting to find out? I’d have to do something to take my mind off things. I supposed I had a lot of work to do at the house. The movers were arriving today, and I’d have a ton of boxes to unpack. Though my thoughts would still be on the show.

  “There is someone I want you to meet. Oh, what am I saying? You already met him,” Kristen said.

  “Who is that?” I asked. “The cameraman?”

  My tone sounded less than enthusiastic. She’d told me to stay away from him.

  “No, not him. You were with him when I grabbed you from the lobby.” She motioned her friend to come over.

  Wow. I’d never thought I would see him again. Now this day was getting even better. Finn Fine walked over to us. He still had that gorgeous smile on his face.

  “Well, you two have already met so I suppose introductions aren’t necessary,” Kristen said.

  “We met briefly when I helped carry the bowl,” Finn said.

  I knew my face probably turned red. “What are you doing here? I thought you were visiting. Do you work here?”

  “Of course, he works here. If you get the job, you’ll be working closely with Finn,” Kristen said.

  Oh, my gosh. Was he a cameraman or a producer? I’d work with Finn? How would I concentrate with his handsome face on the set? Not to mention his fit physique.

  “Finn Fine will be your co-host,” Kristen said with a hint of a smile.

  This was probably the only time I’d seen her smile. The room went hazy for a moment. Was the room spinning or was that me? Hold yourself together, Scarlet.

  “You didn’t know that?” Finn asked.

  “No, I didn’t,” I said, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice.

  “Oh, I forgot something I need to do. I’ll be back in a few,” Kristen said as she dashed away, leaving me alone with Finn.

  “I think you’d be a great co-host. And I promise I’m a great cook.” Finn held his hand up as if pledging what he’d said was truthful.

  I hated that word ‘co-host.’ As for if he was a great cook, I’d be the
judge of that.

  Finn continued, “Of course, I have no say in who they hire. If I did, you’d be the one.”

  “Thank you,” I mumbled.

  Suddenly I sounded bashful with my voice barely above a whisper. Or was it a hint of agitation in my voice? Either way, I guessed I didn’t sound as enthusiastic as I had before. Was it bad that I was disappointed? It was just that I’d told everyone I was hosting my own show. Hosting by myself, not with Mr. Handsome. I supposed it wasn’t a huge deal, but part of me felt defeated. Suck it up, buttercup, I told myself. No need to pout like a child. A woman well on her way to thirty shouldn’t act this way. So how come I wanted to stomp my foot and tell him it was my show?

  I knew nothing about Finn Fine other than he could carry a mixing bowl, had a killer smile, and had mesmerizing eyes. I found myself crossing my arms in front of my waist and staring at him. That was definitely a defensive stance. When I realized what I was doing I put my arms at my sides.

  “Well, it was nice meeting you again, Finn, and I hope we get a chance to work together.” I forced the biggest smile I could muster onto my face.

  “Likewise,” he said.

  I hoped I was doing a good job of faking it.

  Kristen stepped back over to us. She seemed winded as if she’d ran in here to us from wherever she’d been. Her hair seemed even more disheveled now. Maybe she needed to relax and have a spa day.

  “I should get my bowl and get out of here.” I gestured over my shoulder.

  “Don’t forget your bag back in the dressing room.” Kristen rushed the words.

  She certainly didn’t seem as if she wanted me to hang around. Maybe she wasn’t so confident that I’d get the job after all.

  “I’ll help you carry the bowl out to the car,” Finn offered.

  It was really sweet of him and he was still good-looking, even if he was an unwanted co-host. Yet now things had changed. With just the word co-host. The way he stared at me though, I couldn’t say no.

  “Thanks,” I said. “I just need to get my bag from the dressing room.”

  “You lead the way.” Tiny lines wrinkled at the sides of his eyes when he smiled.

  Why did he have to be so sexy? Finn followed me as I headed down the hallway. My thoughts were about the fact that I would have a co-host. I just needed to get over it. I was lucky to have this opportunity. Don’t be such a baby, I told myself.

  Finn had picked up my grandmother’s bowl. I’d washed it out some, but remnants of chocolate remained. As we turned to leave the set I noticed one of the cupcakes that I’d decorated with icing was missing. Apparently, someone had a sweet tooth and had helped themselves to a cupcake.

  “Oh, I just forgot something I need to grab before I leave,” Finn said, motioning over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you back here in a minute.”

  “Yeah, okay,” I said.

  Finn took off in a hurry down the hallway. It looked as if he was headed back to the set. What had he forgotten?

  Chapter 7

  When I opened the door to the dressing room, I immediately saw Corina Claremore leaning over in the chair.

  “Excuse me, are you all right?” I asked.

  It definitely looked as if she wasn’t all right at all. I didn’t think she was sleeping either. I hurried over to her. That was when I saw the blood trickling out of her mouth.

  “Oh, my gosh,” I said. “You’re not okay.”

  I raced back out of the room, but only made it a couple steps before I bumped right into someone. I could barely breathe, much less talk. All I could do was point toward the woman in the dressing room.

  “What happened, Scarlet?” Finn asked. “Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”

  I inhaled a deep breath and let it out. “I think Corina is dead.”

  Thank goodness I’d finally got that much out. Somehow, I managed to get my wits about me and dialed 911. Finn ran into the room to check on the woman. He placed his fingertips against her neck. When I glanced down at the floor, I noticed the chocolate cupcake on the floor. It looked as if it had fallen from her hand. The room spun and I thought I might faint. This wasn’t good. It looked like one of the cupcakes I’d baked for my audition. Finn peered down and noticed it too. I knew he was thinking the same thing.

  He shook his head. “She’s dead.”

  “The police are on the way,” I said breathlessly.

  Kristen walked down the hallway toward me. As she approached she noticed the look on my face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “We have a situation.” I pointed into the room.

  Kristen peeked over my shoulder. “What’s going on in there?”

  Her reaction seemed odd. Did nothing faze her? Her voice hadn’t even wavered. I supposed that was how she handled the show so well. She remained calm in all situations. On the other hand, I was freaking out.

  “Corina is dead. Furthermore, I don’t think that this was an accident.”

  Ruby appeared behind Kristen. “Why is everyone standing around?”

  “Someone’s been murdered,” I said.

  “I don’t think I can breathe,” Ruby said, fanning herself.

  Kristen stepped away from Ruby. “For heaven’s sake don’t fall on me.”

  “We don’t know that she was murdered,” Finn said, trying to calm the situation.

  This scene was turning chaotic quickly. I grabbed Ruby by the arm and helped her lean back against the wall so that she wouldn’t collapse. I stood in front of her so that she couldn’t see into the dressing room. She didn’t need to look at the woman’s body. The last thing I needed was for someone else to fall out onto the floor. I had to hold myself together and it wasn’t easy to keep Ruby calm too.

  Other people had run up at this point and were gathering around. I felt like I needed to keep them away from the room though. That would surely be what the police would want. Adam peeked around the corner, but quickly darted away.

  “I have to go in there. I have to help her,” Ruby said.

  “She’s gone,” I said. “There’s no helping her, unfortunately.”

  Holding my arms out to my sides, I blocked the door with my body. No one was getting into that room until the police arrived. No sooner had I finished that thought when the officers ran down the hallway.

  I stepped out of the way, pointing toward the room. “She’s in there.”

  I’d grabbed my bag before the police had arrived and shut off the area. Would they be upset that I’d removed something from the scene? I just wouldn’t tell them. My bag wouldn’t offer any clues. I’d been holding it together up until this point, but now my legs started to shake.

  “Are you okay?” Finn asked.

  “I’ll be all right,” I said, still in shock.

  A bunch of people moved in and out of the room now. I stepped over to the side to get out of the way. The hallway was crowded with people trying to get a glimpse.

  “All right, everybody back up. Back up,” one of the officers said, motioning with his hands. “I need to clear this space.”

  “No one is leaving the area though. Not until we talk to everyone.” As if out of nowhere, a man wearing a gray suit appeared in the hallway.

  I made eye contact with the good-looking man with short dark hair. I guessed his height at six-foot-tall. When the man noticed me staring, he walked right over to me.

  “Detective Bailey.” He stretched his hand out to me.

  “Scarlet Baker,” I said, shaking his hand.

  “You’re the one who discovered the victim?” Detective Bailey asked in a matter-of-fact manner.

  How did he know that? Wow, his eyes were mesmerizing. A girl could get lost in those black velvet peepers.

  “Yes, that’s me,” I said in a weak voice.

  “Can I get your address and number?” He whipped out pen and paper from his jacket’s pocket.

  I gave him my address along with my phone number. This was making me nervous.

&nb
sp; “All right, can you tell me exactly what happened? And try to remember every detail,” he said. “Start from the beginning?”

  “Where should I start? From when I arrived in the parking lot or when I walked back to the dressing room?”

  “How about you start with going back to the dressing room and finding the body.”

  “Right,” I said.

  I recounted everything that had happened up to this point. He was taking notes, which somehow was making me even more nervous.

  “You said you noticed the cupcake on the floor?”

  “Yes,” I said with a shaky voice.

  “A cupcake you’d made?” He stared at me.

  One wrong reaction and I might find myself in handcuffs. “Technically I didn’t make those cupcakes. I only added the icing. Kristen made them.”

  I pointed toward Kristen. Unfortunately, she’d been watching us and now she saw me pointing. The glare on her face told me she wasn’t happy about it either.

  “Okay, if I need more information I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, I need everyone out of this hallway.” Detective Bailey motioned at one of the uniformed officers. “Can you take everyone into a different area?”

  ***

  Everyone had been ushered to the kitchen set. I wasn’t sure how much longer I would have to wait. It had been some time since I’d talked with the detective. Everyone was just waiting to be allowed to leave. I would be allowed to leave, right? Should I really be considered a suspect?

  After all, I had been on the set. How could I have gone to the dressing room and murdered someone? People had seen me on set too, so there was no reason to suspect me. I’d had nothing to do with the woman’s death. At least that was the way I saw it. I hoped the detective felt the same way.

  How had Corina gotten one of the cupcakes? I remembered noticing that one was missing. Had she slipped on set and taken it? Or had the killer taken it to her? Perhaps as a reason to talk with her and get into the room?

  After a few more seconds, the detective headed my way. “All right, you can leave now, but we’ll be in touch.”

  His stare on me lingered. What was he thinking? I hoped he didn’t suspect me as the murderer. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I just needed to get home and process everything that had happened. At least now I was no longer worried about whether or not I would get the position. I figured that had already been answered for me the moment that I discovered that poor woman murdered. Would they even have a show now? That was probably unlikely.