by Holly Plum
“Be careful, Sara Beth,” Joy warned her. "If you give him an inch he'll take a mile."
“It's just a tiny crumb of cake. Besides, who could say no to that face?” Sara Beth quickly caved and collected bits of crumbs for Cheesecake to sample. Cheesecake looked up at Sara Beth with pleading eyes.
“Suit yourself.” Joy shrugged. “But don't say I didn't warn you."
***
The grooming salon was lit up like a casino. Joy heard the music from two blocks away. She hoped that it would be the last time she heard an instrumental melody of Who Let the Dogs Out, but she soon found out the song was on repeat. Joy unloaded the cake from the trunk as Sara Beth bribed Cheesecake to get into his harness. It had taken more cake crumbs before he let her put it on him.
“Any more cake and you might get sick,” Sara Beth warned Cheesecake as he licked up more crumbs. It took Sara Beth more and more cake to coax him to do something each time. Pretty soon Cheesecake would be expecting a full slice in return for his obedience.
Inside, the party was out of control. Dogs and women were crammed into the pet salon like sardines. There was nowhere to sit and hardly anywhere to stand. Joy hoped that Delilah had been smart enough to make other food arrangements. One simple cake was not going to feed everybody.
“There's lots of laughing and butt-sniffing going on in here,” Sara Beth commented.
"Come on, let's find Delilah and then get out of here." Joy pushed her way through the crowd. She wasn't surprised to find Delilah at the heart of the chaos dancing with her canine pals. Sara Beth laughed at the sight of her acting as if she were at a high school prom. Cheesecake glared at every dog in sight, sending out a clear message that his path was not to be crossed.
Joy attempted to get Delilah's attention, but it was no use. Paisley, Delilah's mother, tapped Joy on the shoulder. She was wearing a flowing pink shawl and earrings that were tiny figurines of Maltese terriers.
“Joy, what a joy to see you.” Paisley laughed. She had clearly been drinking. “I bet you've never heard that one before. Is this the cake, darling? Oh my, you have outdone yourself as usual.”
"Yes, here it is," Joy answered, taking a step back. But Paisley moved forward again.
“I'll just have a little peek. Oh, a rose. So beautiful. My darling Dumpling, my sweet Maltese terrier, her favorite flowers were roses. That's why I wear this rose-colored shawl to remember her by.”
“I'm so sorry for your loss, ma'am,” Sara Beth responded.
“Thank you, dear. I miss my little Dumpling. Oh, who is this?” Paisley spotted Cheesecake. She bent down and pressed a finger against his broad nose and then scratched his chin.
“This is Cheesecake, my cat,” Joy introduced him. "He's not a fan of dogs. Or crowds."
“I don't know much about cats, I'm afraid. Though I've heard, they can be pleasant to have around.” Paisley took the cake from Joy and continued studying Cheesecake. “I love his little bow. Did Delilah do that? She used to put little bows in Dumpling's hair too. Oh, dear Dumpling would have loved Cheesecake. The two of them would have been best friends. I just know it.”
Joy and Sara Beth glanced at each other. Cheesecake becoming best friends with a Maltese was a laughable thought.
“I'm sure they would have been," Joy lied, humoring the mother of the bride.
“Dumpling would have loved this party. Dumpling was such a social butterfly.” Paisley gazed off into the crowd and sniffled. "I need another drink. Won't you two join me?"
"Oh, I don't think—" Joy hesitated.
“There she is.” A bridesmaid interrupted her and forced her way in between Joy and Paisley. “Paisley, it's your turn to take another shot. Come on, take a shot!”
“I don't normally do this,” Paisley said to Joy and Sara Beth. She smiled and accepted the drink in the bridesmaid's hand.
"You ladies too," the bridesmaid shouted. "Come on, have a drink with us."
“Thanks, but no thanks.” Joy shook her head. "We're on the clock."
“You have to,” the bridesmaid slurred. “Delilah is getting married tomorrow. Wait, aren't you the cake lady? No way! Your cake was delicious. Hold on, where's Delilah?" The bridesmaid shouted for Delilah.
"I think this is our cue to leave," Sara Beth whispered. "Who knew a party at the pet salon could get this out of control?"
“Oh, man.” The drunk bridesmaid kept turning in circles, looking for Delilah. “I don't see her. She must have snuck away from her own bachelorette party again."
“She's here somewhere,” Joy said. "We just saw her."
“Or is she?" The bridesmaid cackled. "When we all went to Candy Nails or her last bachelorette party she went to the bathroom and didn't come back for hours. It's true.”
“Delilah ditched her party? Are you sure?” Joy frowned. The accusation sounded a little suspicious but Joy wasn't sure if she could trust the bridesmaid anyway.
“I'm positive,” the bridesmaid said a little too loudly. "She's sneaky like that. So sneaky. Hold this." The woman shoved her drink into Joy's hand. "I'll go find her."
“Sure,” Joy replied. As soon as the bridesmaid left, Joy nudged Sara Beth and headed in the opposite direction.
“What is it?” Sara Beth whispered. "You've just thought of something, and I can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
“If it's true what that bridesmaid said then that means Delilah is a murder suspect,” Joy replied. They made it through the crowd to the cake table where Paisley had unboxed the bachelorette cake.
“What makes you think that?” Sara Beth asked.
"Because Sean washed up on shore the day of the wedding," Joy answered. "That means he could have been killed the night before. Delilah might have been missing the night before, and we both know she wasn't a fan of the best man."
Cheesecake pawed at Joy's leg, and she scooped him up into her arms.
“Delilah certainly doesn't seem sad that he's dead," Sara Beth commented.
Suddenly the music stopped. The volume of the crowd lowered, and Delilah got up on a table. She shouted to the crowd to be quiet and then announced it was time for her to open her presents.
More people pressed into the room, making it impossible for Sara Beth and Joy to get out of there and back to the bakery without causing a fuss. Sara Beth looked at her watch, hoping to get some sleep before Delilah's big day. That was becoming less and less likely.
“Muffy darling, you didn't!” Delilah held up a large box wrapped in pink paper and black lace. She hurriedly opened it, and the crowd went wild as she held up a skimpy lingerie set with a dog collar, dog ears, and a tail.
“People actually wear stuff like that?" Sara Beth's cheeks turned red, and Joy covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing too hard.
“Woof, woof.” Delilah giggled, putting the ears on and showing off the tail.
Joy couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter, and Cheesecake took the opportunity to jump out of her arms and straight at the cake. He swiped two claws across the frosting before Joy could pull him back.
“Cheesecake, no!”
Cheesecake smugly licked the frosting from his paws. The other dogs in the room noticed and began reaching for a piece of the cake too. Before Joy knew it, the cake had been destroyed.
"I should have never given him those crumbs." Sara Beth hung her head, realizing her mistake.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The wedding cake was taking all night to complete. Cheesecake was sound asleep beside the warm ovens. Joy knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, even if she were at home in bed. Her mind was whirling with thoughts about the murder and her golden butter knife having been used as a weapon.
“Sara Beth ...,” Joy pondered as she frosted the last layer of cake.
“Yeah?” Sara Beth looked up from the spot on the tile floor she had been staring at. “Sorry, did you say something? I think I'm about to crash. The sweet tea isn't working anymore.”
“Do you think Deli
lah could be ...?” Joy yawned.
“The murderer?” Sara Beth finished.
“I was going to say, do you think that Delilah could be involved in the murder, but sure. Do you think she could be the murderer?”
“I'm not sure. She doesn't seem like a murderer to me. She's too … I don't know.” Sara Beth picked up a rolling pin and preparing homemade dog biscuits for the oven. The last batch of dog cookies had been ruined when she'd accidentally spilled sweet tea all over them. Joy wasn't the only one suffering from late night butter fingers.
“She seems like a nice person," Joy continued. "She's definitely nice to all of the animals in town. But what about the humans?"
“Well, you know what they say are the biggest motivations for murder,” Sara Beth said.
“When someone rolls the cookie dough way too thin?”
Sara Beth glanced down and sighed. She'd have to begin rolling her dough all over again.
“Darn it." Sara Beth collected the dough and kneaded it back into a ball. "Sex and money.”
“Do you think Delilah was having an affair with the best man?” Joy guessed. The thought had yet to cross her mind. Delilah didn't seem like the cheating type but what did Joy know. It had been a long time since she'd been in a long-term relationship. The bake shop kept her too busy.
Sara Beth took a therapeutic sip of sweet tea and started rolling dough all over again. “Why not? It happens all the time in the movies.”
“I suppose so.” Joy shrugged. "The bride and the best man is a classic story line."
“But that would also give Hunter a motive for murder," Sara Beth added. "He could've found out about the affair the night before the wedding at his bachelor party."
“I wish we had some proof." Joy sighed. "This murder investigation has been weighing on me like a sack of flour. I keep expecting Detective Sugar to walk through the door and arrest me."
“That won't happen," Sara Beth said with certainty.
“Well, we know someone stole my golden butter knife, and we know that the killer used it to stab Sean and toss him into the sea.”
“We also know that Sean wasn't well-liked,” Sara Beth added.
“Especially according to Edith." Joy paused, remembering the things her friend at the senior center had told her. Sean had been a hot-shot lawyer, and he probably had lots of enemies. But which of those enemies had done the deed. It had to be someone who knew that Joy had been booked to make the wedding cake. "I still suspect Maple. We can't rule her out."
"Your rivalry with Maple drives me crazy; you know that?" Sara Beth rolled her eyes.
CLANG.
A loud noise made both of them jump, and Cheesecake opened his eyes wearily. CLINK. CLANG. The noises were coming from outside. Joy's eyes went wide.
“Possums?” Sara Beth whispered, creeping toward the door.
“Wait, let me check it out.” Joy stepped forward and pulled Sara Beth back. She held a rolling pin like a baseball bat and quietly moved toward the back door. She stopped and listened for any other sounds.
Nothing.
Joy carefully unlatched the back door and let it swing open. Its hinges creaked. The night was pitch black. The side street outside the bakery kitchen wasn't lit, but the streetlights along the main street created shadows of garbage cans and parked cars that stretched along the dark pavement. Joy took one step outside and peered into the night. No possums. Nothing at all.
She took another step and peered down the street. Nothing seemed out of place. Joy turned around and suddenly saw a shadow moving. It looked like a person moving quickly away from the bakery.
“Hey!” Joy shouted. She was unsure if shouting at the perpetrator was a good idea, but she did it anyway.
The shadow broke into a run and disappeared around the corner. Joy's heart pounded. Something fishy was going on, and her bake shop just might be at the center of it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Joy and Sara Beth had locked themselves inside Joy's office and called the police. They sipped coffee and sweet tea and tried to convince each other that the shadow outside had just been a coincidence. But every sound outside the door made them jump. Cheesecake rested happily on top of a stack of recipe books, bills, and assorted papers that covered Joy's desk. He purred softly, trying to help calm them both down.
A loud banging made Joy jump to her feet.
“Oh my gosh,” Sara Beth gasped.
The banging noise sounded again. Joy panicked, thinking about the shadowy figure from the alley coming back to smash up the bakery. Or worse.
“Where are the police?” Joy hissed. "They should be here by now."
A voice yelled from the front of the shop, “Open up! It's the police!”
“Oh.” Joy sighed in relief, but she still shook as she unlocked the office door and peered out into the bake shop. It was completely dark, except for the street light that shone through the front windows. Joy saw Detective Sugar pressed up against the glass, peering into the bakery.
“I've never been so glad to see you,” Joy said as she opened the door for him.
“Wish I could say the same, but four in the morning is a little early for me," the detective confessed. "Have you got any coffee?”
After the detective sleepily searched the bakery and the alley out back, he concluded that whoever Joy had seen in the shadows was long gone. Nothing seemed to be broken or missing. Joy, Sara Beth, and the detective sat around the table next to the bay window. Cheesecake continued to nap as Detective Sugar took their statements about what they had seen and heard.
“We were on edge.” Sara Beth pointed to the nearly empty jugs of coffee and sweet tea.
“Plus, as you know, someone broke in, stole my golden butter knife, and then used it to murder someone," Joy said. "I didn't want to take a chance of that happening again."
“I understand,” Detective Sugar yawned and poured himself another cup of coffee. "You have every right to be anxious about all of this, and you did the right thing calling the police."
“Aren't you going to write this down?" Joy leaned over the table and pointed to his notepad that was completely blank.
“Yes, of course.” The detective took a sip of coffee. “And you think this has to do with the murder of Sean Fisher?”
"It does if it was the same person who stole my butter knife," Joy firmly stated. "It could have been a number of people."
“So you have some idea as to who might have been at the bakery tonight?” Detective Sugar asked, glancing toward the cake display case.
“We have some theories,” Sara Beth said.
“I see,” the Detective responded. "Care to share those theories?"
“Would you like a cherry tart while we discuss them?” Joy offered.
“I can't say no to that.” Detective Sugar grinned as he waited for his morning treat. Sara Beth served the detective a tart and topped up his cup of coffee.
“You can't beat this cherry tart," the detective confessed. "It's much better than the one at The Sugar Room."
“Thank you,” Joy said genuinely pleased by the compliment.
“Alright, you have my undivided attention.” The detective took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in his chair.
“Well, we have some theories, but really they're just pieces of information I guess,” Sara Beth rambled, suddenly very nervous.
“Have you considered Delilah as a suspect?” Joy cut to the chase.
“Delilah?” the detective raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. “Go on.”
“Apparently, no one knew where she was the night before her wedding.” Joy took a deep breath, hoping the information would be helpful to the investigation. "A bridesmaid told us that she disappeared from her bachelorette party for hours."
“Is that so?” The detective furrowed his brow and pursed his lips.
“It's always possible that Delilah and the best man were having some sort of affair." Sara Beth winked awkwardly. “It's possible, right?"
Sara Beth stared at him blankly.
“You mean like Hunter Woods?” Joy guessed.
Detective Sugar shot her a look of surprise. “He was also unaccounted for the night before the wedding. He was missing from his bachelor party for quite some time, it seems.”
“So the best man was definitely killed the night before the wedding?” Joy sat back and considered the possibility that Hunter could have been the shadowy figure outside the bakery.
“I can't say on the record but off the record … yes." Detective Sugar wrote a few things down.
“Joy thinks Maple McWayne might be trying to frame her,” Sara Beth blurted out. "She's been trying to put this place out of business for years."
“Maple McWayne, the owner of The Sugar Room?” the detective asked.
“Yes.” Sara Beth nodded.
“It's silly I know," Joy mumbled.
“Do you have any evidence that Maple could have been involved in the murder?” Detective Sugar asked.
“Our air conditioner keeps breaking,” Sara Beth offered.
“Okay.” The detective put down his pen. “I see. Listen, Joy. I wouldn't worry too much about Maple McWayne. Healthy competition is good for business. Besides, I heard she uses expired raisins in her carrot cake.”
After the detective had left, Sara Beth and Joy went back into the kitchen to finish Delilah's wedding cake. Joy felt sick, and not just nauseous from drinking way too much coffee. As she frosted the wedding cake, she couldn't stop thinking about how she was creating a cake for one or two possible killers.
It wasn't long after Joy had finished the final decorations that a wave of sleepiness hit her like an oncoming truck. Joy sat down beside Sara Beth on the floor, and the two of them closed their eyes. Cheesecake came trotting in and curled up in Joy's lap. He purred loudly as the sun began to rise.
