And Then There Were Crumbs--A Cookie House Mystery

by Eve Calder

  Curious, Kate walked over and opened them slowly. The lights popped on, startling her. Motion detectors. She hoped she hadn’t also triggered an alarm.

  A bathroom. But calling this a bathroom was like calling Versailles a house.

  Every inch of the vast room was covered in marble. Off on one end, a sunken tub. On the other, what appeared to be a walk-in steam shower. In the center, a padded adjustable shaving bench that could double as a massage table. For the egomaniac on the go.

  The marble vanity held one oversized golden sink, shaped like a giant clamshell. Gold towel rings on each side offered plush, spa-like white towels. The space was set off by an enormous mirror in a baroque gold-leaf frame.

  Kate opened a white door just to the left of the sink. The scent nearly smothered her. Cigarettes, anise, and that cloying cologne.

  A selection of half a dozen suits hung neatly in the center. On either side, perfectly square marble cubbyholes held neatly folded dress shirts, socks, and other necessities. On the floor, several pairs of handmade shoes in black, navy, oxblood, brown, and tan—a neutral ombré rainbow. Which ones had he been wearing the night of the break-in?

  Because there was no doubt in her mind now. Stewart Lord had been their would-be burglar. So what had he been he looking for at the Cookie House?

  The top niche on the right was curious. Puzzling. It held only two items: a tall brown bottle and a silver charm bracelet. She leaned into the closet to get a better look at both. The scent was suffocating.

  The glass bottle was Isla Tropical rum. Not a familiar brand. But it must be tasty because there were only a few ounces left.

  Odd. She’d never pegged Lord as a rum drinker. According to Harp, the developer preferred expensive scotch. And the crystal decanter on his office bar appeared to hold just that. Was this his secret stash?

  Almost instinctively, Kate reached for the bracelet. She turned it over in her hands. The silver links were solid and heavy but graceful at the same time. Most of the charms were delicate. Light and ethereal. But a few were colorful, cheap, and almost juvenile. It was definitely a woman’s. And in this shrine to masculinity, gold, and opulence, it didn’t fit.

  She glanced at the front door again. It felt like she’d been in here for hours. Just how long could Maxi hold off the gaggle of secretaries? And while sneaking in was relatively easy, how would she walk out without being seen?

  Without thinking, Kate slipped the bracelet into her pocket. She carefully closed the bathroom doors and tiptoed to the front door. She could hear Maxi, holding court outside, punctuated by exclamations from the other women.

  She glanced over at Lord’s desk. Dare she risk it? Surely the police would have been through it by now.

  But he was the victim, not the killer. And from what she heard through the Coral Cay grapevine, Stewart Lord’s company attorney threw a temper tantrum every time the investigators mentioned wanting anything even connected to company records. So maybe they hadn’t.

  She’d been here too long. She had to leave. Now.

  Anxiously, she depressed the door lever. In millimeters, so that no one would notice it moving. Then she pulled it open in one fluid movement, pushed herself through, and swung it quietly shut behind her.

  For a few seconds, Kate stood there lounging casually in front of the door, as if she’d been there the entire time, while her heart beat a syncopated rhythm in her chest.

  “Ladies, once again, I am so very sorry for your loss,” Maxi said. “It sounds like Mr. Lord was a very special man.”

  Kate fell in behind Maxi as they motored for the front office and the elevator. Luckily, the elevator car was empty. They rushed in, and Kate poked “G” twice. After an eternity, the doors finally closed.

  Only then did Kate realize she’d been holding her breath.

  Chapter 54

  Maxi threw the Jeep into reverse as the words exploded from her mouth. “OK, so was Stewart Lord our burglar or not?”

  “It was him,” Kate said. “Definitely him. The office had that same awful smell.”

  “Good, ’cause I’d hate to think I went through all that drama for nothing. Those chicas think they’re on a telenovela. Or one of those shows about the rich housewives who are single and don’t keep house.”

  “Now that we know the ‘who,’ we have to figure out the ‘why.’” Kate paused. “Do you ever remember Cookie wearing a charm bracelet?”

  Maxi shook her head. “Uh-uh. She hated bracelets. She wouldn’t even wear a watch most of the time. She felt like it got in the way when she was working with the dough. Why?”

  Kate raised her eyebrows. The more she heard about Cookie Hepplewhite, the more surprised she was how much they had in common. Maybe it was a pastry chef thing.

  “That office of Lord’s is more like a small apartment,” Kate said. “Maybe a crash pad. But in the little executive closet where he keeps a couple changes of clothes? I found a woman’s charm bracelet.”

  “You think he had a girlfriend?”

  “I don’t know. It didn’t feel like that. I mean, there weren’t any other women’s things. Or even a toothbrush. Just a little shelf with the bracelet and a bottle of rum.”

  “Maybe he was dating a lady pirate.”

  Kate laughed. “So what did the office girls say? Did they ever decide who gets to keep the roses?”

  “The skinny blond one. She swears she and Lord were ‘practically engaged.’”

  “Maybe it’s her bracelet,” Kate said.

  “What did it look like?” Maxi asked.

  “Heavy silver, possibly antique.”

  “Nope. Blondie is definitely a gold girl. She was wearing a lot of it. And that young lady isn’t gonna mix and match, lemme tell you.”

  “Seems to be a theme around there. You should have seen Lord’s bathroom. That place was a gold dealer’s dream. The stuff was everywhere. And not gold colored. Actual gold.”

  Maxi shook her glossy black hair. “That’s just a waste of money. And how are you s’posed to clean it, huh? ’Cause at my house, when you tackle the bathrooms, you better have a Brillo pad. Or dynamite.”

  “Did any of them mention Muriel?” Kate asked, touching the jeans pocket where the bracelet rested.

  “One of them, the older lady with the carroty hair? She misses her. But it doesn’t sound like they were super close. The flaca blonde? She says that Muriel had a thing for Lord.”

  “Well, we know that’s not true,” Kate said. “Pretty much the exact opposite.”

  “I know. I’m just telling you what she said. She says Muriel secretly gave him a present. A box of chocolates.”

  “The poisoned chocolates?”

  “I dunno. Skinny Girl just said that Stewart Lord made a big deal about the fact that a secret admirer gave him expensive candies. And he told everyone he’d actually seen Muriel sneak in and put them on his desk. That she had a big, giant crush on him and it was embarrassing. ’Cause he wasn’t interested in her at all. He said he was trying to be kind, so he just told Muriel she could have them because he didn’t like chocolate.”

  “Oh yeah, ’cause he was always so kind. Besides, if Muriel had poisoned the chocolates, she wouldn’t have eaten them. But she was Lord’s assistant. So if anything had been delivered for him, she’d have probably been the one to put it on his desk.”

  “I know. He sounds like the playground trolls at my kids’ school. They like to make up stories, too. So much drama!”

  For the next few minutes, they rode in silence as Maxi battled washboard roads, stop-and-go traffic, and crazy drivers. In spite of it all, with the warm sun coming through the windshield Kate felt herself growing drowsy.

  “It’s too bad you didn’t get a picture of that bracelet,” Maxi said as they stopped at a light. “We could ask around to see if anyone recognized it.”

  Kate reached into her pocket, carefully extricating the bracelet. She held it aloft. “We still can.”

  “Oh my gosh, you didn’t! But you
did. OK, I totally approve, but we can’t tell Peter. He would never understand.”

  “I’m not sure I do, either,” Kate confessed. “All I know is that it looked so out of place. Like it was the only thing in that room that belonged to a genuine, real person. And I couldn’t just leave it there.”

  Chapter 55

  Kate recognized relief on Justin’s face as she and Maxi walked through the front door of the bakeshop.

  “Hey, Cookie Lady,” he said. “Man, it’s been crazy since you left. We’re totally sold out of sourdough. And chocolate chip cookies. And those peanut butter cookies with the chocolate chips in ’em. OK, I might have eaten a few of those myself. And Andy Levy called. He wants to put in a standing order for sourdough, along with some white and wheat for sandwiches. He also wanted to know if you could give him a dozen sourdough rolls for something new they’re trying at the pub. Some kind of experiment with pot roast sandwiches. Which sounds pretty good right now. And you had three phone calls from people who want cookies for birthday parties. And one for a ‘gender reveal,’ whatever that is.”

  “It’s a very new tradition that means more business for us. So, basically, awesome,” Maxi said, slapping her friend on the back. “Mention that they might want balloons, too. I do really good balloons.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Más-Buchanan? You got a couple of messages, too. Mr. Kim wants some flowers for Mrs. Kim. One of the resorts called about flowers for a big dinner-dance. And one of your neighbors wants to know if you can make her front yard look like this place.”

  Maxi fished two twenties out of her purse, handing them to Justin.

  “Do any of the girls you know wear charm bracelets?” Kate asked him.

  “Not that I’ve noticed. Not on the beach, anyway.”

  “Silver wouldn’t mix with sand and salt water,” Maxi said. “Unless she just wore it for special occasions.”

  “Why? Do you want me to ask around?” Justin offered.

  “Could you?” Kate asked. “But quietly. I don’t want to get anyone in hot water.” Especially me, she added silently.

  “Sure. No sweat. I’m gonna grab some grub and some nugs. See ya!”

  “What did I tell you?” Maxi said, shuffling through her messages after he left. “Not only is everything totally fine, but we have some new clients. Whoa, Delores Philpott wants me to make her yard look like the Cookie House? That woman is gonna need a dump truck full of rye seed and a few less cats.”

  Kate put her phone messages on the counter. How would a smart businesswoman prioritize? Return calls first, then whip up more cookies and sourdough.

  As Kate sorted through the slips of paper, Maxi made another pot of coffee. Once she flipped the “on” switch, she snapped her fingers.

  “Do you remember what you said when I asked you to describe the bracelet?” the florist said excitedly.

  “I said it was heavy silver,” Kate replied, studying the phone messages and making notes on a small pad.

  “And that it looked like an antique. I bet Rosie or Andre could tell us which of the local antique stores specialize in something like that. And if they can, we might be able to learn a little more about it.”

  “That’s brilliant!” Kate said. “If we could find out when it was made, or what country it’s from, or what some of the charms mean—anything like that could help us pinpoint the owner.”

  “Be funny if it belonged to Mary Larde or their mamacita,” Maxi said. “A little keepsake Roly Paulie swiped when he ran away from home.”

  “If that’s the case, we can return it to her when she shows up to take over Lord Enterprises. I would so love to be standing there the first time she walks through that door. Can you picture the look on her face when she gets a load of that gold sink?”

  “Or Blondie? That girl is toast.”

  “At least she got some flowers out of the deal. How much do I owe you, by the way?”

  “Nada. Those flowers are a symbol of true love. And you can’t put a price on true love. Although Leonard Kim will. And I’m betting it’s gonna be about fifty bucks.”

  “At least let me pay half. And don’t think I didn’t see you slip cash to Justin. That’s a Cookie House expense.”

  “Nah, it’s a get-Sam-the-heck-out-of-jail expense. But I’ll send you a bill. Instead of numbers, it’s gonna be little pictures of cookies I wanna try. And maybe some of those sourdough rolls. Those sounded good.”

  “Sheesh, we missed lunch. No wonder we’re so hungry. Make you a deal. If you watch the shop for ten minutes, I’ll take Andy a half-dozen sandwich loaves and get us both some lunch. Anything special you want to eat?”

  “Whatever he’s got ready to go. I am starved.”

  “Two delivery-woman specials—got it,” Kate said. “I was also thinking, if we packed up my stuff after work I could move in tonight.”

  “Tonight, tomorrow, next week. I don’t think Javie and Michael are gonna give up that tent, whatever you do. And I’ve kinda gotten used to having fresh cookies every morning.”

  “It’s time,” Kate said, shaking her head. “You and Peter opened your home when I had no place to go. That blows me away. And if I leave before your poor husband gets too sick of me, he might not mind if I pop up for a meal now and then. You know, as long as I bring bread. Or pizza. Plus, there’s no more stalker danger. And I think we can be pretty certain the burglar’s not coming back.”

  “Not unless he haunts the place,” Maxi said.

  “Oh sure,” Kate replied, grimacing. “Like that won’t give me nightmares.”

  Chapter 56

  The next morning, as Kate pushed two trays of sourdough rolls into one of the double ovens, the bell announced a customer in the shop.

  “Hey, it’s just me!” a familiar voice called.

  “Hey, Rosie,” Kate said, sticking her head over the swinging doors. “Have you got time for coffee? I just took a fresh batch of yeast rolls out of the oven.”

  The antique dealer giggled. “I shouldn’t. I just had two at Sunny’s Stretch and Starch. But what the heck.”

  “By the way, that bed is a dream,” Kate said. “It’s the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a decade.”

  “Oh, I’m so glad,” she said. “We kind of had to guess on the mattress. And Mrs. Allen picked out the sheets and the duvet. I love the deep green-blue. It reminds me of the ocean.”

  “It’s perfect. I don’t think I was awake for two minutes after my head hit the pillow.”

  She left out the part about sharing it with Oliver. By the time she’d cleaned up the bakery kitchen and gone upstairs, she’d found the pup curled into a downy ball at the foot of the bed, fast asleep.

  “I’m so glad you’re settling in OK,” Rosie said. “Have you heard anything else on Sam’s case?”

  “Nothing. The state attorney offered him a deal if he pled guilty, but he turned it down flat. Said he wasn’t going to confess to something he didn’t do. And you were right. He doesn’t remember ever meeting Muriel Hopkins. His lawyer showed him her photo.”

  “I don’t think she ever mentioned the bakery, either,” Rosie said. “With her heart, she was pretty careful about her diet. Besides, chocolates were her weakness. And Sam doesn’t sell those.”

  Kate set two full mugs on the table and followed up with a plate of yeast rolls, butter, and a jar of strawberry jam.

  “Cream or sugar?”

  “Not for me,” Rosie said, putting a generous dollop of jam on her roll. “This is plenty.”

  “I don’t know if Maxi mentioned it, but we went to Stewart Lord’s office yesterday.”

  “No! For real? Did you learn anything interesting?”

  “Other than the man was even more of a tool than we thought? But there were a couple of new wrinkles. Stewart Lord claimed that someone sent him chocolates on the day Muriel died. Anonymously. He also told several employees that he saw Muriel putting them on his desk. He claimed she sent them because she had a crush on him.”

  “That rat
! If there was ever a man who deserved what he got, it was that pig. I don’t know how she put up with him. Or why she stayed.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, his sister will probably inherit everything. And this is the sister he stole from to launch his business.”

  “He stole from his own sister?”

  “The payout on their late mother’s burial policy, to be precise.”

  “That man was a real piece of work,” Rosie said, shaking her head. “I bet the sister is tap-dancing on his grave. So were those chocolates the poisoned chocolates?”

  “No idea. But unless there were a few boxes floating around, it seems likely. Can you keep a secret? I mean a serious secret?”

  “Yes, and I am totally intrigued,” Rosie said. “What is it?”

  “The reason we went? I suspected that Lord might have been the one who broke into the bakery. Because of what you said about his breath mints. Right after the break-in, after the burglar ran out, I went into the shop. And I smelled cigarettes and anise and some heavy-duty cologne.”

  “Was it him?”

  Kate nodded. “Not a doubt in my mind. But that’s not the secret.”

  Rosie put jam on the second half of her roll and took a bite.

  “Stewart Lord’s office was like something from another age. Marble, gold, panoramic view, fireplace—and a bathroom larger than my Manhattan apartment.”

  Rosie nodded. “Muriel described it pretty well. How did she put it? ‘How Marie Antoinette would have decorated if she’d had real money.’”

  Kate grinned. “She nailed it. Anyway, while I was there, I snooped around a little.”

  Rosie leaned forward as she reached for another roll. “Spill.”

  “I found something that definitely didn’t belong in Versailles by the Sea. A woman’s bracelet. It looks like it might be an antique. I’d love to find out a little more about it—and maybe find the owner. If I show it to you, could you refer me to an antique dealer who specializes in, well, whatever it is?”