The Pumpkin Killer: A Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery

by Stacey Alabaster

  Jackson stood up after me and frowned. "You're scared."

  "No, of course not," I said, straightening up. "Everything is fine now, isn't it?" I forced a smile to my face. "Thank you for doing such a good job, taking the drunks off the streets."

  Jackson looked at me with a little more sympathy this time.

  "Rachael, he was just some innocent guy, going to a party."

  "I know."

  "You should be relived."

  "I am."

  "There is no serial killer on the loose."

  "And where is he now?" I asked quietly. "Is he still locked up here?"

  Jackson shook his head. "No. We drove him home an hour ago. You've got nothing to worry about, Rachael. With any luck, this whole thing will just blow over."

  I looked at him a little more hopefully. "So you also believe that Oscar's murder was just an isolated incident

  Jackson nodded. "Don't you think we want to stop this thing from getting out of hand as well? All these rumors? We want everyone in this town to sleep safe. And I personally want you to sleep safe and sound, Rachael. Believe me, Oscar's death had nothing to do with you. There's no crazed killer out there tonight."

  He walked me back out to my car and I realized I'd been wrong. When I stepped out of the police station, the spell didn't actually break. I did feel safer. I could breathe again. All these days of worrying, of thinking that someone I cared about was going to be next on the killer's list, and it had all been some silly superstition after all. I actually let out a little laugh as I climbed into my car and drove home. A real laugh that left me feeling lighter as I drove through the streets which now seemed a little less dark, and a little more like home.

  It was time to focus on the important things. Pippa and Lolly. I was now an honorary auntie. And a godmother, I could only assume. Those were the real, tangible things in my life, not ghosts or Halloween superstition.

  But as I pulled into my driveway, I realized that still left one very big question unanswered: Who killed Oscar?

  Chapter 11

  There was a strange knocking on the door. I only say strange because Pippa would never bother to knock and we never had any visitors. Assuming that it might just be a door-to-door salesman, I wondered if I could do the sneaky thing and just pretend I wasn't home. But when they knocked again, I started to feel bad and put down the spoon in the giant bowl of batter that I'd been mixing. Maybe I could at least listen to their spiel before politely declining to switch electricity providers. Though, knowing me, it was more likely I'd just agree and sign up on the spot.

  I pulled the door back.

  Kenneth.

  I hadn't heard from him since I had stormed out of his apartment. He'd totally ignored all my texts, all my calls, and for all I'd known, he'd been dead and laying in a gutter somewhere. I couldn't decide whether I was furious at him or actually pleased to see him. He did look good.

  "You can't stay for long," I whispered, quickly ushering him in. "Pippa is going to be back soon. And if she sees you here..."

  I quickly peered out to make sure that she wasn't on her way before shutting it behind him.

  "I wanted to apologize," he started to say before I heard a piercing beeping noise.

  "Shoot!" I said. "The welcome home brownies!" I grabbed a tea towel and started waving it desperately underneath the smoke detector while Kenneth ran to turn off the oven.

  "At least I know it's working," I said, rolling my eyes as I walked, defeated, back to the kitchen. "That's good to know with a newborn in the house."

  I glanced down at the burned brownies. "These are not so good."

  Kenneth was trying not to laugh. "Maybe you're not actually a better baker than you are a detective."

  I glared at him for a moment. "That's not funny."

  "You're right. I'm sorry." He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "And I'm sorry for not responding the past few days. But you did kind of accuse me of being a killer, and then stormed out of my home after snooping through my things."

  I threw the tea towel down on the kitchen table beside the ruined brownies and sighed. Maybe I did actually owe him an apology as well, but I couldn't quite bring myself to spit one out.

  "Is there anything you would like to say to me?" Kenneth asked. Like to? No. But I did still need to fill him in on a few things, such as what had happened at the station a couple of nights earlier.

  "I do need to tell you something." I heard the front door opening and Pippa call out 'Hello.' "But it's going to have to wait!"

  "I'm not sure you should be home already."

  I took the car seat off Pippa, the one containing Lolly that she was struggling to get through the door with, as Pippa burst into the house. "Happy Halloween!" she called out.

  "Yes," I said. "Happy Halloween." As I looked at the car pulling away, I couldn't help myself from adding, "I still can't believe that you let Tegan drive you home."

  Pippa ignored that part and picked the car seat back up.

  "Well, I'm healthy and so is Lolly. We can't stay there, taking up hospital beds forever. Anyway, we are home right in time for Lolly's first Halloween. Aren't we, little one?" she said, reaching into the carrier and picking up her child.

  It was so strange to see my wild friend, Pippa, the free spirit, with a baby in her arms. A tiny life that she was now completely in charge of. She was a mother now.

  Things were changing.

  "I'm going to put her down for a nap," Pippa whispered as Lolly closed her eyes. "She's such a good girl, she's barely been any trouble so far. Knock on wood," she said, gently tapping the door frame.

  I went to the kitchen and tried to clear away the mess. "Sorry, I was trying to bake welcome home brownies," I said dejectedly as Pippa joined me.

  "What about the trick-or-treaters?" Pippa asked.

  "What?" I asked, sitting down.

  "The treats you promised to make. The candies and the chocolates."

  I let out a loud groan. "Pippa, I'm really sorry. Honestly, that was the last thing on my mind these past few days." I'd assumed that Pippa would still be in the hospital, for one thing. And I'd assumed we'd get no visitors. Was she seriously going to hold a grudge about that?

  She did look a little sad as she sat down besides me. "I was just looking forward to being home for Halloween, that's all."

  I sighed. "I'm sure the stores are still open. I'll head down there," I said gently. "You should be getting some rest anyway."

  Pippa reached over and pulled off a corner of a burnt brownie and popped it into her mouth. "It's not so bad. Maybe we can just scrape off the black bits."

  I laughed a little and broke off a bit for myself. "Yeah, actually, it is pretty good, isn't it?" Maybe Kenneth would have to eat his words. I glanced at the back door, hoping he'd managed to find his way after he'd escaped over the back fence.

  "So who was that man in the pumpkin mask, anyway?" Pippa asked.

  I turned my attention back to her. "I have no idea," I said, keeping half an eye on the back door. What if Kenneth was still in the back garden? "I don't think it even matters anymore, does it? It was just some random guy."

  Pippa sighed. "I suppose not." She grew very serious. She clearly had something she wanted to say to me. "You know, just because that guy was some random drunk dude, that doesn't mean that I was wrong, Rachael. It doesn't mean that we were wrong," she said pointedly. "You believed it too, remember."

  "I think it does," I replied quickly, eager to shut it down. "I'm sorry to say that right now, but I really think you were wrong. We were wrong," I said, trying to cushion the blow. "Whatever happened a hundred years ago has nothing to do with what happened last week. And I think it's time we just let it go."

  "So, did we manage to save Halloween after all?" Pippa asked, Lolly in her arms, as she peered out the window. A family with two small kids, one a girl dressed like a Disney princess and a boy dressed like a frog, approached the door. Pippa practically bowled me over to get to the door first,
to be the one to dole out the treats. I listened as the mother cooed over Lolly and Pippa soaked up every bit of it.

  "I'm not sure," I said once she'd closed the door. "That's only the second knock we've had. Might be a bit premature to celebrate saving the entire holiday."

  Pippa placed Lolly in the crib that she'd dragged into the living room. She really was a little angel child. So far, I hadn't even heard her cry, just make soft cooing noises and sleep.

  There was another knock on the door and Pippa jumped up, grabbing the bag of candy I'd bought at the store. I wondered if all this knocking was good for the baby. Maybe we ought to put a sign up.

  "Happy Halloween!" Pippa called out once the next lot had left. She stared at the still full bag and walked slowly back down the hall.

  "Rachael, by the way, I have something to tell you." Pippa's face was swamped with guilt. "I've done something and you're not going to like it."

  "What is it?" I asked, my stomach turning a little. Pippa had been in the hospital for the last two days. She'd just given birth. How could she possibly have done something to gravely offend me in that time? And just how bad was it?

  "Maybe you should sit down," Pippa said, taking a deep breath. She looked seriously nervous.

  She was the one who'd just had the baby; she was the one who really ought to be sitting down. But I obediently did as she commanded. "Please just spit it out, Pippa. I'm getting worried."

  She paced back and forth while Lolly slept peacefully in her crib. Whatever the drama was, that newborn baby knew nothing about it and didn't care either.

  "Okay. Listen. I asked Tegan to be Lolly's godmother."

  My jaw was so far open that it practically unhinged. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard you."

  Pippa threw her hands in the air. She was wearing a long, orange caftan dress that swished back and forth as she paced.

  "Oh, Rachael, it was just that we'd had such a bad falling out, and after we made up, things were going so well and I just wanted to make things good with her and I. I just couldn't help myself. It was sort of like a...peace offering."

  I shot up to my feet. "You and I had a fight too! Where was my peace offering?"

  "Oh, but you don't hold a grudge," Pippa said, her hands clasped together like she was praying. "And you won't place a spell on me and the baby either."

  "This isn't freaking Sleeping Beauty, Pippa! Tegan isn't going to curse your child if you don't make her godmother!"

  Pippa made a face as though she wasn't entirely convinced of that.

  "Oh, for crying out loud." I thought we'd put all the superstition stuff behind us. Clearly not. I was so mad I was boiling and had to sit back down, my face pressed against the back of the sofa cushion.

  "Rachael, please try and understand why I did this. You're still Lolly's aunt. Godmother is just a title."

  "No, it's not," I grumbled. "It means something and you know it. You only ask your closest and most trusted friend to take on such a role. I suppose that just isn't me."

  There was another knock on the door and then another one following that and they didn't stop for the next three hours. Pippa even had to leave to go to the store to get more candy while I refused to leave my room. It looked like we had managed to save Halloween after all.

  I knew what Pippa would say if she knew where I was, but that was why I was never going to tell her.

  This time, the rain had cleared and there was nothing but blue skies as I climbed the stairs to Kenneth's apartment. With the better weather, I could see just how beautiful a view of the lake he actually had. The entire lake and sky shimmered with blue, contrasting beautifully with the white of his apartment and decor, giving the whole thing a truly nautical feel.

  "Hey, I was getting a little worried about you," Kenneth said as he opened the door. "I thought you'd be here a little earlier than this."

  "Pippa needed me, sorry," I said, stepping into his apartment. Even though I was still holding a grudge about not being named godmother, I'd still been up half the night helping to change diapers and try to put Lolly back to sleep. That little angel had turned out to have a little devilish side whenever any of the adults in the house tried to get any sleep. "She'll be fine for a few hours." I took off my scarf. "But I do need to check in on the bakery today. That's my baby, and I've left a very irresponsible assistant manager in charge of it."

  Kenneth offered me a drink and I said I'd take a coffee, so he started making a fresh pot. It smelled amazing as I settled onto a seat at his kitchen island.

  I took a sip. It was hot but slightly bitter, so I mixed some sugar in with it. "So you managed to jump over the fence okay?" I asked him. "Sorry about that, by the way."

  "Hey, I can't help it if you're ashamed to be seen with me in front of your friends," he said with a grin, taking a sip of his own coffee as he leaned over the kitchen counter. "Besides, I managed to scale the fence with only a few scrapes and bruises," he said, showing me a particularly bad scratch on his arm.

  "Ouch. Sorry again. It's not that I was ashamed of you, by the way. It's just a difficult situation."

  "Don't worry about it," Kenneth replied with a hand wave. "It's all good."

  I finished off my coffee and tapped my fingers against the mug. It was nice just sitting there in Kenneth's apartment, sipping on coffee together. Even the silence between us was easy, not awkward. Honestly, I could have gotten used to it. I snuck a glimpse at him, wondering if he actually liked me in that way, if inviting me over had only been for a chat, or whether it was just an excuse to see me.

  "So what were you going to tell me before you pushed me out the door the other day?" Kenneth asked.

  "I'm not sure it's that important right now," I said. I pushed my empty mug towards him and he poured me another serving, like a waiter in a diner. "Just some crazy stuff that happened the night that Pippa gave birth."

  "How is she doing, by the way?" Kenneth seemed genuinely interested in knowing the answer. "How's the baby?"

  "Both are really good," I said, smiling. I didn't want to show how tired I actually was. After all, I had the easy job. I was just the roommate and honorary aunt. Pippa had done all the hard work. "Lolly is the cutest baby you'll ever see in your life."

  "I'll have to come and meet her sometime then. If I'm ever allowed to show my face in your house."

  I pouted a little. "I'm sure you'll be able to once this all blows over. Don't worry, I don't think you're a killer. And sooner or later, Pippa will come around as well."

  After two cups of coffee, I needed to use the bathroom so I excused myself for a minute. The hallway of Kenneth's huge apartment was certainly more well lit than it had been a few days earlier, but there was a still a darkness coming from a room right in the middle. I shivered as I passed it and a chill blew out at me.

  I know I shouldn't snoop.

  I turned around to make sure that Kenneth wasn't right behind me. I'd already been caught once before, and I wasn't sure our budding relationship could survive a second breach of trust. There was no sign of him.

  What does he keep in there? I wondered as I quietly pressed against the door, relieved it didn't make any creaking sound as I opened it wide.

  It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. With the sun just peeking through the cracks in the curtains, there was a far clearer view than the previous time I'd stuck my head in.

  But just like the previous time, the shadows caught my eye again, small and round against the white wall.

  I turned my head back to what looked like tables in the middle of the room and squinted. They were filled with small to medium-sized, squat, roundish items with ridges on them.

  Then I realized what they were.

  Pumpkins.

  I screamed.

  Chapter 12

  Kenneth flicked on the light switch behind me and I screamed again. I had nothing on me as a weapon except the keys in my pocket, which I quickly pulled out and held towards him like they were a gun. "Stay away fro
m me."

  Kenneth shook his head. "You really can't stop yourself from snooping, can you?"

  I backed away from him and banged into one of the tables, crying out from the impact. "Oww!"

  I shut my eyes in pain, but I had nowhere to go and only ended up pressed further into the table as Kenneth moved towards me.

  "Open your eyes, Rachael," he said.

  I shook my head, keeping them squeezed shut as I held out the jagged edge of my key to try and keep him away. "Why do you have all of these pumpkins in here?"

  I felt his hand wrap gently around my wrist as he managed to 'disarm' me by bringing my arms down. "Open your eyes, Rachael," he said softly. "It's not what you think."

  My eyes popped open to see Kenneth's face right in front of mine. His face was so close to mine, it seemed like we were about to kiss.

  I pushed him away from me. Not the time for that!

  "Look, Rachael," he said, pointing towards the table I was still pressed against. I twisted my body around to look and saw...not pumpkins exactly, but...

  "Pumpkin-shaped cakes," Kenneth said with a heavy sigh. "A dozen of them."

  I saw now that the items were made of flour and frosting, and with the light on, they were no longer threatening. They were just kind of sad. "Why so many?" I murmured as I looked around the full tables.

  Kenneth sighed. "I stupidly made them before all of the Pumpkin Killer stuff happened. Usually I can't make enough of these things at this time of year." He didn't look happy. "But now I've got hundreds of dollars worth of unsellable cakes that are about to go bad."

  "I'm sorry," I said. "This is all my fault." I shook my head. "It was Pippa and I who brought everything into the spotlight, terrorizing the town. We didn't save Halloween at all. We destroyed it."

  I looked at all the sad looking cakes. They were beautifully designed and crafted, and to the untrained eye, they really looked like real pumpkins. Especially in the dark.