Sinister Cinnamon Buns

by J Lee Mitchell

  As Hilde continued, Q’Bita chided herself for avoiding the Chamber of Commerce meeting. If she was going to find the real killer, she needed to get out of the Red Herring Inn and be more social, even if it meant having a few awkward conversations about her nana. The rest of the class went smoothly, and Q’Bita was relieved when it ended without an altercation between Evie and Hilde.

  Evie looked tired, so Q’Bita sent her home as soon as class ended. It was almost 9:30 as she loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and heard an incoming text message ping on her phone. She wondered who was texting her this late at night.

  She picked up the phone and was surprised to see it was Andy.

  “I know you’re not happy with me right now, but I thought you should know that Max Tanner just got back from his fishing trip. I asked him to do me a solid and set bail so Liddy Lou can get home. I figured it was best to jump on him before Red got to him. I’ll be here at the station if Kent wants to come in and get this taken care of. I hope you know how sorry I am for all of this.”

  Andy’s last sentence slammed into Q’Bita’s heart like a meat tenderizer on cube steak, all bumpy and jagged, leaving behind a hundred little holes trying to pull back together what would never fully mend.

  Part of her was angry at herself for being so hard on him when he was just doing his job, but the rest of her felt betrayed and was still furious with him for arresting her nana. That part was winning and was not ready to forgive him yet.

  “Thank you. I’ll call Kent and have him come down.”

  Q’Bita knew her reply sounded terse and ungrateful but right now she couldn’t worry about how she came across. She needed to get Liddy Lou home and come up with a plan to find the real killer.

  Chapter 27

  Liddy Lou had never been so happy to see her own bed. Andy had done his best to make her comfortable during her stay at the sheriff’s station, but the bunk was hard, even with a mattress, and her left hip was killing her. The only thing she wanted when she arrived back at the Red Herring Inn was to take a bath and get some sleep, but Q’Bita had a fresh pot of tea waiting for her. She loved her family and didn’t have the heart to brush them off, so she had a quick cup, answered what felt like a hundred questions, and then headed straight for her suite.

  It was after midnight when she finally lay down, and all she wanted was to sink into a deep sleep and forget all about the events of the last few days.

  It felt like she’d only been asleep for a few minutes when the sound of a ringing phone woke her. A quick glance at the clock on her night stand jolted her upright. It was 9:30 in the morning. She’d never slept past 6 AM a day in her life. Maybe it was true that jail changed a person, she thought to herself and then giggled out loud.

  “Hello, Evie,” Liddy Lou said, expecting Evie to marvel at how she knew it was her calling. They went through this routine every time Evie called her house phone.

  “Is this Liddy Lou Cormier?” asked a male voice that sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place.

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Cormier, this is Spenser Penn from the Castle Creek Gazette. I’d like a few minutes of your time if you’re free.”

  “No comment.”

  The phone was half-way to hung up when Spenser’s voice grew louder.

  “It’s about your husband so you may want to hear me out.”

  This was the last thing she’d expected to hear. She hesitated as a thousand thoughts and memories wrestled for space in her mind.

  “Ms. Cormier, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here, but I have no desire to discuss my late husband or any other matter with you so please do not contact me or my family again. Anything you have to say should be directed to my attorney, Kent Haskell.”

  “So you have no issue, then, with Mr. Haskell speaking to me about the circumstances surrounding the murder of your husband and questionable suicide of Eliza La Fontaine? As your attorney, I’m assuming he’s aware of the fact that you were the main suspect in both those cases. I’m certain my readers will be fascinated to learn Macie Dixon isn’t the first person to land on your bad side and end up poisoned.”

  Liddy Lou couldn’t get enough air. It felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest, and her heart was beating so fast it sounded like bongo drums in her ears.

  “Mr. Penn, I don’t know what you’re playing at, and furthermore, I don’t care, but let’s be clear on one thing: If a single word of what you’ve just said appears in that rag you call a paper, I’ll sue you until the good Lord comes to claim you.”

  “You’ll excuse me if I don’t sound wrought with fright, but it’s very hard to sue me from prison. This kind of a bombshell has a direct bearing on your case, and the good people of Castle Creek deserve to know the full story. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t inform them. It’s certainly up to you if you wish to have your side of the story shared or not.”

  Liddy Lou wanted to jump through the phone and throttle Spenser Penn, but she was already in enough trouble for two people as it was.

  “I’ve said all I care to say. Good day, Mr. Penn.”

  Liddy Lou hung up the phone before Spenser could reply. She flopped back down in the bed and pulled the blankets over her head.

  Chapter 28

  The smell of rosemary and lavender permeated the kitchen as Q’Bita minced the herbs she’d picked that morning and tossed them into the chicken salad. Herbed chicken salad was her go-to recipe when she wanted to impress the Inn’s guests. It also gave her an excuse to use the imported French cornichons she’d been hoarding.

  Pickles of any type were her weakness but cornichons were her favorite. Some women swooned at the sight of a handsome, muscular man but Q’Bita melted at the sight of brined cucumbers. Sometimes she worried about her obsession with food, but when she did she usually just grabbed a jar of pickles and gorged herself until she got over it.

  She gave the chicken salad a stir, then snagged a spoonful to check the seasoning. It was perfect; she’d outdone herself with this batch. She just hoped her lunch guest wouldn’t be so busy eating she’d fail to share anything useful.

  During Liddy Lou’s two-day stay at the Castle Creek Sheriff’s department, she’d managed to pick up some useful information about the case. When she arrived back home last night, she’d filled them in on everything she’d overheard. Q’Bita was surprised to hear that in the days leading up to Macie Dixon’s murder she and her assistant, Hadleigh Banks, had a huge falling out.

  Q’Bita couldn’t help wondering what this falling out was all about and whether it could be a motive for murder. After her nana went to bed, it didn’t take long for Q’Bita to convince Jamie they needed to get to know Hadleigh Banks a little better and see what they could find out about this argument.

  It was Jamie’s idea to invite Hadleigh to lunch at the Red Herring Inn. Q’Bita agreed it was a great idea, but she also suspected Jamie might have ulterior motives since he’d already let slip that he was attracted to Hadleigh.

  Jamie was cute in a dorky sort of way, and if it happened to work to their advantage, then Q’Bita was fine with it, unless, of course, Hadleigh Banks really was a murderer, in which case she’d need to keep Jamie as far from Hadleigh as possible.

  Q’Bita stopped, popped a cornichon in her mouth, and tried to relax. She was getting all worked up and needed to focus. She was just starting to feel calm and focused again when she heard Rene’s voice outside.

  “Now remember, Rolfie, once we’re inside you can’t shed a single piece of fur. Q’Bita and Liddy Lou have a strict no-cats-allowed-in-the-cooking-school policy. They’re terrible people, and if they suspect you’ve been in here they’ll lock up the crème fraiche, and we’ll both have to resort to using milk. Unconscionable, I know, but that’s just how these country folks are.”

  Q’Bita laughed as she opened the screen door to let them in.

  “Luckily for you both, my brother is more attracted to sarcasm th
en subtlety.”

  She gave Rolfie a quick scratch between the ears and Rene a smack on the arm.

  “Nana and I are not terrible people, or cat haters. You know full well Culinary Forensics is considered a food business and the Department of Health doesn’t allow animals in the kitchen.”

  “Hmm, interesting. I see Evie in here all the time, and she’s definitely part goat.”

  “I’m going to tell her you said that.”

  “Don’t you dare! She’ll lure me into the oven with candy and then turn me into that jerky she’s obsessed with. Not that I wouldn’t be delicious, because we both know I would be.”

  Q’Bita placed a bowl of cream on the floor, and Rolfie began to devour it as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

  “Why does it smell like pine and soap in here?”

  “Hadleigh Banks is coming over for lunch. This is her first visit to the Red Herring Inn, so I made my famous herbed chicken salad.”

  “Umm, and you’re just telling me this now, because… Why? Do you have any idea how long it takes me to pull all this together? Your chicken salad is tasty, but it’s only going to get us so far. We’ll need my dazzling charm and good looks to seal the deal, which means I’ll need to bring my most stylish A-game to this soirée.”

  “No offense, but I was planning on using Jamie as the man candy for this one. You’re welcome to join us but you need to promise me you’ll dial it down a notch. It’s more of a friendly get-to-know-you lunch than an interrogation session. We’re just going to chat and hopefully learn what Hadleigh and Macie were arguing about. And before you ask, no, we won’t be waterboarding her for dessert.”

  “Okay, suit yourself. I personally love ending a good meal with a little kink, but I guess it’s not for everyone.”

  Rolfie had finished his saucer of cream and was now cleaning his paws and ignoring them both. Rene bent over and scooped him up like he was carrying a baby.

  “Come, puss-ums. Papa has to go channel his inner Jessica Fletcher and get back here before Q’Bita and Jamie muck up this whole investigation. I swear I’m the glue that holds this whole dysfunctional family together most days.”

  Rene pivoted like a ballerina and flounced out of the kitchen with a small wave over his shoulder and a snarky comment about being back shortly so they could get properly prepared.

  Jamie arrived a few minutes later, as Q’Bita was taking the shortbread crust out of the oven.

  “What’s shaking, Q’B-doll?”

  She gave him a wave on her way to the walk-in, where she stowed the crusts to cool. She grabbed the ingredients for her tart filling and asked Jamie to put on the kettle for tea.

  “Q’Bita, it’s 80 degrees out. How can you drink hot tea?”

  “The tea is for the tart filling, not for us. I’m making a Lady Gray cream tart for dessert. I thought it would go well with the rosemary and lavender in the chicken salad.”

  “I hope you put as much thought into how we’re going to get Hadleigh to spill her guts as you have the menu.”

  “Spill her guts about what?” asked Liddy Lou as she entered the kitchen from the dining room. You two had better not be up to something.”

  Jamie and Q’Bita exchanged guilty looks, and Liddy Lou grunted in disgust.

  “Q’Bita Colleen Block, I will not stand for this, you hear me? This isn’t one of your parents’ books. There’s a real killer out there, and I’ve got enough to worry about without having to fret about you two getting yourselves killed next. Both of you need to stay out of this and leave the investigating to the professionals.”

  Jamie gulped so loud Q’Bita could hear it half-way across the kitchen. She scolded herself for being so careless. She hadn’t even considered that the killer might target one of them if they got too close.

  “Well, this is just great. Now I’ve forgotten what I came in here for in the first place.”

  Liddy Lou turned and walked back out the same way she’d come in.

  “Awkward much?” Jamie said.

  “Ugh, I hate upsetting her, but someone needs to get this whole mess figured out, and it doesn’t look like Andy is making much progress.”

  “Speaking of awkward, how’s things between you and the law man?”

  Q’Bita didn’t want to talk about Andy or even think about how strained things were between them right now.

  “Things have been better but I’m sure we’ll manage to work it out after he arrests the real killer and clears Nana of any wrongdoing.”

  Q’Bita filled the tarts and popped them into the oven just as Rene returned. As she cleaned up, Rene and Jamie were busy brainstorming their master plan to entrap Hadleigh. Obviously, they’d both been reading too many of her parents’ books.

  “Okay, you two, let’s bring it down a notch for a minute. We don’t even know if Hadleigh’s done anything wrong. We certainly don’t know enough yet to start assuming she’s the killer.”

  The sound of tires crunching on the gravel interrupted their conversation.

  “Okay, that has to be her. Both of you need to stay calm and follow my lead. I’m the only one who has acting experience, and this little charade is going to require a professional.”

  “Tell me again why he’s here,” Jamie asked.

  Q’Bita met Hadleigh at the side door.

  “Hi, Hadleigh. It’s nice to finally meet you in person. Come on in and I’ll introduce you.”

  Hadleigh gave Q’Bita a meek smile and stepped inside Culinary Forensics. Her eyes grew wider as she looked around.

  “Wow, this place is amazing. It must be fabulous getting to spend the whole day cooking here.”

  Rene made a noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a sputter.

  “Yoo-hoo! Hello.”

  He waived with his whole arm, as if he was trying to signal a landing plane. Q’Bita wasn’t sure if she should cringe or laugh. She noticed Jamie was glaring at Rene and looked like he was about to choke him.

  Hadleigh took a step towards Jamie and Rene.

  “You must be Rene. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “I bet you have,” Jamie blurted with no attempt to disguise his sarcasm.

  Hadleigh blushed, turning towards Jamie but not making eye contact.

  “You must be Jamie.”

  “Hmm, notice she didn’t say it was nice to meet you or that she’s heard about you. Must mean she doesn’t have anything nice to say. Doesn’t surprise me, really.”

  Q’Bita realized things were starting to spiral out of control and wondered why she hadn’t just handled this herself. If Jamie and Rene kept bickering, Hadleigh wasn’t going to get a chance to tell them anything useful.

  “Okay, boys, let’s play nice.”

  Jamie shot Rene a look and then turned to Hadleigh and smiled.

  “Don’t pay any attention to him. He gets hangry when we don’t feed him every two hours.”

  “He’s lying. I am always perfectly civil, I assure you. He just lacks the sophistication necessary to appreciate my witty banter.”

  “God, you’re an ass,” Jamie replied.

  Q’Bita couldn’t watch this another second.

  “Hadleigh, would you like to see the rest of the Red Herring? I’d love to show you our grounds; they’re beautiful at this time of year.”

  “That sounds lovely. Will Jamie and Rene be joining us?”

  Q’Bita quickly blurted out, “No.” Jamie and Rene looked offended. “The guys are going to stay back and finish getting lunch set up on the deck for us. Everything is in the fridge. We won’t be long, guys.”

  Q’Bita led Hadleigh outside towards the kitchen herb garden.

  “This is my favorite spot on the grounds. It was a welcome-home present from my brother Beecher and Rene. It reminds me of the garden my husband Alain gave me in Spain.”

  “Macie told me your husband was killed in a traffic accident. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to lose someone you love so suddenly like that.”

>   A twinge of guilt ran through Q’Bita. Hadleigh seemed like a genuinely nice person, and she hated trying to manipulate her for information. It just seemed so hard to believe the girl standing in front of her could be a cold-blooded killer.

  “Some days are harder than others but fortunately I have my family and friends to help me through the tough days.”

  Hadleigh looked down at the ground, and Q’Bita could see tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I’m being insensitive. You’ve had a terrible loss yourself recently, and I haven’t even asked you how you’re doing.”

  Hadleigh wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and let out a little chuckle.

  “Sorry, just laughing at the irony of all this. I was worried about coming here today. I wondered why you invited me, since I can’t imagine you or your family wanting anything to do with the Dixons at this point. Yet you’re the only person to even bother asking me how I’m doing. Macie’s own family doesn’t even seem to care. It’s like they’ve forgotten I even exist.”

  Her words carried so much sadness Q’Bita couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and wrapping Hadleigh in a big hug. Hadleigh stiffened at first but then relaxed and sniffled on Q’Bita’s shoulder. Q’Bita kept at it for a few more seconds then let go.

  “Sorry, I’m a hugger; I can’t help myself.”

  Hadleigh wiped at her tears again and then smiled at Q’Bita.

  “No problem. I really needed a hug. My family isn’t much for hugging or feelings, really.”

  By the time they’d finished their tour of the grounds Rene and Jamie had lunch ready on the back patio. Lunch went smoothly, with everyone making pleasant small talk, and it seemed like Hadleigh was feeling comfortable talking to them.

  Q’Bita excused herself to go plate dessert and was thrilled when Hadleigh insisted on helping. It might work to her advantage to get Hadleigh alone for a few minutes and see if she could get her to talk about the argument with Macie.

  “Wow, Q’Bita, I really can’t get over how amazing your kitchen is. It’s no wonder people love taking cooking classes here. I’d kill to have a place like this.”