Death by Chocolate Cupcake

by Rose Pressey

  As I grabbed the bowl, Finn raced over to me. “Hey, I was going to help you with that, remember?”

  “Oh, right. Yeah, I almost forgot with the murder and all.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” he said as he took the bowl from my hands.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Finn followed me into the hallway and out to the lobby area.

  “You really don’t have to do this,” I said.

  At this point, I kind of just wanted to be alone. I’d had a long, stressful day. Not to mention a weird day.

  “Well, it’s been a lot to process and I want to help you anyway I can. I feel bad that you went through all this.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll be all right,” I said.

  Nonetheless, Finn didn’t hand over the bowl, so I continued across the lobby. We stepped out into the warm air and headed over to my car. I opened the door so that he could place the bowl into the backseat.

  “Thanks again. I guess I should get home,” I said.

  I doubted I would ever see Finn again. However, he currently looked as if he was in no hurry to leave.

  Chapter 8

  Finn opened the driver side door for me. “It’s been quite a day. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine,” I said. “I think I just need to get home and get some rest.”

  “And where did you say home is again?” Finn asked.

  “Oh, it’s about thirty minutes outside of town. I inherited my grandmother’s farmhouse.”

  “Wow. I’ve always loved the country,” he said. “I bet it’s an amazing house.”

  Was he hinting that he wanted to see it? Maybe I was just imagining things, but I sensed that he was being friendly in a romantic sense. Don’t get me wrong, he was gorgeous and everything, but I wasn’t interested in a relationship. Then again, I could just be flattering myself. Finn was only being nice, I reminded myself.

  “The old house is great, but it needs some work. I’ll eventually get around to it.”

  Finn stared at me for a moment longer as if he wanted to say more.

  “Well, I should get going,” I said.

  Another reason that I shouldn’t be involved with Finn was if I worked with him on the show then it would be bad news. I didn’t want to be involved with anybody I worked with. What if something went wrong? Look at the way Ruby had been arguing with her boyfriend. Imagine if Finn and I did that on the set of a show. I could just see us tossing pans at each other. Although the ratings might be great if we did that kind of thing. I was pretty sure that they wouldn’t want that in the end. After what had happened at the studio today though, I assumed there would be no show. Then it would be okay to date Finn, right? No way. I’d established a no-dating rule. How quickly I’d forgotten. My thoughts were all over the place.

  When I got into the car Finn stepped away. He watched as I pulled out of the parking lot. I still had no idea what was going to happen with the audition. I felt bad for even worrying about it after what had happened.

  ***

  I was in the kitchen baking a new recipe for Cherry Coke cupcakes. The ingredients included Devils Food cake with Coca Cola, and Maraschino cherry liquid… my mouth watered at the thought. With pink frosting and a cherry on top for decoration, the cupcakes would be picture perfect. When my phone rang I almost knocked the whole mixing bowl of batter from the counter. My stomach dropped as I ran to grab the phone. Of course, I tripped a bit and the phone slid across the counter. With batter on my hands, I scrambled to grab it up. When I saw Kristen’s number, my chest tightened and I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.

  “Hello?” I managed when I finally answered.

  “Hey, Scarlet, are you sitting down?”

  It was going to be bad news. I could tell by the tone of her voice. I scrambled over to the kitchen table and sat down on the chair.

  “I am now,” I said. “Let me have the news. It’s unwelcome news, right? They went with someone else. They cancelled the show?”

  “Wow, you’re really so positive. I’m not sure how I’m going to work with you on set with that attitude.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I yelled. “I actually got the job?”

  “You got it. We start tomorrow morning, is that okay?”

  “It’s more than okay,” I said. “I feel like I can’t breathe.”

  “Well, don’t pass out now. We need you.”

  Tomorrow? I was surprised it would be so soon after the murder. I supposed if the police were okay with that. Apparently, the show must go on.

  Chapter 9

  After ending the call, I went back to my cupcakes. My energy level was high after receiving the news. There was no telling how many batches of cupcakes I’d bake. I’d just finished icing the cupcakes when a knock sounded at the door. I wiped my hands on the apron and headed across the kitchen.

  Before I reached the door, someone rattled the door knob. My fear spiked immediately. Was someone trying to break in? After discovering someone murdered at the studio my nerves were on edge. I’d assumed that out here in the middle of nowhere I would be safe, but still I couldn’t count on it. When I peeked out the door’s window. Mrs. Wells was frantically trying to open the door. I hurried and unlocked the door.

  “Is everything all right, Mrs. Wells?” I asked.

  “Oh, you’re home. I figured you weren’t here,” she said.

  “Yet you tried the door anyway?” I smiled.

  “Well, I just wanted to make sure it was locked.”

  “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked. “Are you all right?”

  Mrs. Wells held envelopes in her hands. “I guess the mailman doesn’t realize where you live. He left these in the wrong mailbox. I have some of your mail.”

  “Thank you. You could’ve called me. I would have walked over,” I said.

  “I might be old, but my legs still work. I need the exercise.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said.

  “And call me Lucille,” she said.

  “Lucille,” I said with a smile.

  “There was one other thing,” she said, holding up her index finger.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  I didn’t want to glance at the clock too much, but I really needed to get to bed. I had to tell her that I couldn’t chitchat.

  “There was a black car with tinted windows sitting at the end of your driveway. It was there for quite a while. And then it backed out and took off in a hurry. Well, I kept my eye out for it. And a short time later I saw a man walking around the farmhouse. He looked as if he was up to no good. I went out on my front porch and called out to him and he took off around the back area again after that.”

  Well, that was kind of terrifying.

  “I don’t know anyone with a car like that,” I said.

  “Just as I suspected. Somebody was up to something.” She pointed. “I’ll keep my eye out. If I see anything else, I’m calling the police.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” I said.

  “You can never be too safe. We may be in a good area, not a lot of crime, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”

  “You’re right about that. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  “Your grandmother would’ve wanted that.”

  “I’ll do the same for you,” I said.

  “Well, I know you’re busy, dear. You don’t have time for a lot of nonsense.” She looked over at the cupcakes on the counter.

  Maybe that was her way of saying she didn’t trust that I would actually pay attention for the strange man or the car. It was true, I wouldn’t be here a lot with the new show and everything, but I’d try my best to keep an eye out.

  Noise sounded from somewhere nearby and we glanced down the driveway. The car that she had described was driving slowly down the road.

  “That’s it,” she said. “Maybe we should call the police now.”

  I stepped out onto the porch with Lucille. The car sped
away. It was too late to get the license plate number.

  “Do you have any idea why someone might be coming by here?” she asked.

  “Not exactly. Maybe some people are upset that Grandma left the house to me. Maybe they think that there were some valuables in here.”

  “Oh, I see,” she said. “You should definitely call the police.”

  Should I mention to her that I would probably have that opportunity because I would be back around at the studio where they were investigating a murder? No, I didn’t want to do that to her. Having a strange car and man around my house was stressful enough. There wasn’t a lot of action out here and I wanted to keep it that way for her sake. Strange things had started happening when I arrived and that wouldn’t go unnoticed by Lucille.

  “Well, I’m going to be on the lookout, don’t you worry,” Lucille said.

  I didn’t doubt her word at all.

  “Oh, before you go.” I ran back into the kitchen and grabbed the plate of cupcakes.

  “What’s this for?” Lucille asked when I handed her the plate.

  “For being a great neighbor.”

  “Such a dear,” she said with a smile.

  “By the way, Mrs. Wells, I mean, Lucille. The cat, she’s yours?”

  “Has Ms. Kitty been over here? She likes to check on the neighbors.”

  I chuckled. “Yes, she came by to check on me. She’s very pretty.”

  “Yes, and she knows it too,” Lucille said around a laugh.

  I supposed I wouldn’t tell Lucille that Ms. Kitty had been inside my house. No need to get her into trouble. I watched Lucille as she walked down the driveway. I wanted to make sure that car didn’t come back around until she got back into her house. When she was safely back in her house I retreated to mine. Who had been snooping around the house?

  ***

  Kristen had told me not to dress up for today. She said I would have a wardrobe there at the studio. I could hardly believe it. I’d been worried about what I was going to wear every day for the show, but now I would actually have someone to help me. I couldn’t even wrap my head around that.

  After putting on a pair of gray shorts, pale pink T-shirt, and a white tennis shoes (hey, she said not to dress up and I was taking her seriously), I grabbed my tote bag. I was excited about today, but I had a knot in my stomach after what had happened yesterday. What had happened to Corina? Would anyone suspect I had something to do with the murder? After all, I’d been the one who had discovered the body. They had hired me for the show though. Surely they wouldn’t hire someone they suspected of murder.

  As I got into my car, I looked around for any sign of the man Lucille had said she’d seen. I watched for that car too. So far there was no one around. At least it was a beautiful sunny day. Birds chirped in the trees and the insects twirled. A warm breeze blew across my exposed skin. The scent of nearby honeysuckles carried across the wind.

  As I headed down the highway, I tried to distract myself with the music again. That wasn’t working out well. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, I thought I spotted a black car following me. Could this be the car that Lucille had seen at the house?

  My anxiety immediately spiked. Was I being followed by that car? What would I do? Okay, I had to remain calm. This was not a time to panic. I kept glancing in the rearview mirror. The car wasn’t terribly close. And it was kind of a common car. Maybe this could just be a coincidence. Nevertheless, after what had happened I had to consider the option that somebody was following me.

  Was it really a family member who was that upset with me about inheriting Grandma’s house? What was done was done. There was nothing they could do to change that. They’d never wanted to visit Grandma and Grandpa. They’d never even called. Therefore, they couldn’t be shocked that she had left them nothing in the will.

  Thank goodness I finally reached studio’s the parking lot. There was no sign of the car now. I was probably just overreacting. After I grabbed my bag I got out of the car. Was Finn already here? A sudden flashback of meeting him for the first time at that door came to my mind. A vision of his gorgeous smile and the way he smelled like vanilla. But now he was taking a spot on the show.

  I guessed I was just being a bit competitive. What if he wanted to do things one way and I wanted to do them another? Maybe I just needed to learn to work with others. Clearly the show wasn’t mine only. Never mind that I hadn’t been told about him beforehand. What was I talking about? I was just lucky that I’d gotten the show in the first place. Even if I had a co-host.

  When I glanced to the right, I noticed a parking space with Finn’s name on it. What? He had his own parking spot? What was that about?

  The sound of a car’s engine caught my attention. Looking over my shoulder toward the street, I saw the same black car. At least I was almost positive it was the same one that had been at the farmhouse. And if it had been at the farmhouse then likely it was the one I saw on the highway too. That sent a shiver down my spine.

  The car truly had followed me. Who was this person and what did they want? I stared at the street for a moment. Now I had to worry about driving home too. Maybe someone was just trying to scare me, although I had no idea what the point of that would be. Right now, I just wanted to get inside. I opened the building’s door and stepped into the studio.

  As I walked down the hallway I worried that I’d bump into the wall. It was much too dark. Especially after what happened yesterday. Couldn’t they get brighter lights in this place? I continued my walk down the hallway, getting closer to the makeup room where it had happened. My phone buzzed in my bag, alerting me to a text message. As I continued my walk down the hallway, I rummaged around in my bag for my phone. Next thing I knew I had bumped right into someone’s hard, muscular chest. Of course, I screamed.

  “Wow, are you all right?”

  I looked up into Finn’s gorgeous eyes.

  “Sorry about that,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest to hide my T-shirt.

  I supposed I was a bit embarrassed about my appearance. I’d known Finn would be here. Maybe I’d thought I could sneak in and get dressed in some cute outfit and makeup before seeing him. Then I had a flashback of that parking space. Why did he have a spot with his name on it and I didn’t?

  “I was just headed for the dressing room,” I said.

  “How are you doing?” The corner of his mouth tilted up into a lopsided grin.

  “Okay.” I adjusted my bag’s strap on my shoulder.

  “You didn’t bring your grandmother’s bowl today?”

  “Not today,” I said, feeling extremely self-conscious.

  “Too bad. Well, I’ll see you on set.”

  “Yeah, see you,” I said, hurrying around him.

  When I glanced back and realized he was still watching me I knew my cheeks turned red. He waved and smiled.

  Kristen stepped out from the hallway which led to the studio. “Oh, Scarlet. We changed your dressing room. You know, after what happened. It’s the room next door.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Kristen tossed her hand up in a wave and then headed in the opposite direction.

  I’d thought it would be awfully creepy for me to keep that room, but I’d felt I couldn’t say anything for fear of losing the gig.

  I stepped up to the door to the dressing room that Kristen said would be mine. The next door over to the right had Finn’s name on it. I assumed my door would have my name on it soon enough. Maybe they’d add my name on a parking space too. After stepping into the room it became impossible for me to wipe the smile off my face. A large mirror with lights around it lined the wall. A stool sat in front of the counter just waiting for me to sit. Against the far wall was a blush-colored sofa.

  They’d even brought pink roses for me. This felt like a fairytale… a dream come true. I didn’t want anything to spoil it. Things were perfect. Well, except for the murder investigation that was likely going on right down the hall. Just the thought of Corina
brought sadness.

  A rack of clothing had been pushed up against the other wall. I headed over and started sorting through the garments—slacks, skirts, blouses, and dresses. All of them were nice, so how would I decide? The door rattled and I immediately jumped as if I’d been caught snooping around something that wasn’t mine.

  Yes, I was still on edge after the murder yesterday. Not to mention being skittish from the car that had followed me today. When the door opened, Ruby poked her head around the side. I hadn’t seen her since right after we’d discovered Corina.

  “I’m here to help you with your makeup… and your wardrobe too,” she said.

  “You’re here to help with my outfit?” Maybe I’d sounded a bit too shocked about that. Had I made Ruby feel bad? She’d taken on Corina’s job.

  “Well, since…” Ruby paused.

  I wouldn’t make her finish that sentence. “Oh, thank goodness. I’m lost. There are so many fantastic pieces that I don’t know what to wear.”

  “Well, that’s what I’m here for,” she said with a smile.

  “How are you feeling today?” I asked.

  Ruby stepped over to the rack and started sorting through as if she hadn’t heard my question. “Based on your hair and eye color, I think that these colors would be nice for you.” She pulled out a red skirt and a white blouse, holding them up to me.

  “I guess we’ll be working together before every show,” I said.

  “As long as they keep me around,” she said, not taking her eyes off the clothing rack.

  By the look on her face I knew she wasn’t joking.

  “Why wouldn’t they keep you around?”

  She turned to me. “Let’s face it. Corina was cheating with my boyfriend. Of course the police will think I killed her.”

  I wanted to ask if Ruby had killed her. That would mean I was standing in the room with the killer.