by Carol Durand
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright 2015 by Maven Publishing - All rights reserved.
All rights Reserved. No part of this publication or the information in it may be quoted from or reproduced in any form by means such as printing, scanning, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 1
Melissa Gladstone bit deeply into her latest creation, an orange marmalade cupcake with ginger cream cheese frosting, and sighed with satisfaction. It was everything that she hoped it would be, and she was glad that she had added a sprinkle of crunchy pepitas on top for a dash of salt and texture. Having just returned from a whirlwind trip to the Caribbean, she was eager to put what she had learned about new flavors and spices into practice. This recipe would definitely be used for a Cupcake of the Day sometime in the upcoming week in both of her two thriving cupcake shops, Missy’s Muffins and More in LaChance, Louisiana, and Crème de la Cupcake, just down the road in Dellville. Missy made a note to stock up on marmalade and ginger, as her loyal LaChance store manager, Ben, a grad student in Criminal Justice, appeared at the back door, sniffing the air appreciatively.
“Wow, whatever that is, did you save some for me?” he asked with a grin.
“Of course,” Missy handed him a cupcake. “We’re going to put this on the schedule for a Cupcake of the Day next week.”
Ben took a bite, chewed slowly and nodded. “Good call,” he agreed, through a mouthful of cupcake. His assistant, Chris, a buddy from grad school, came in shortly thereafter and had a similar reaction, indicating his approval with an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Missy arranged the remaining cakes on a platter, helped the guys set up for the morning rush, and when she was satisfied that they were ready to open, headed for the Dellville shop. It was a beautiful Louisiana morning, and the drive to Dellville was pure joy. The windows were down, the air was cool, and the sun sparkled in a clear, blue sky. Knowing that her blonde curls would be a tangled mess when she arrived, Missy threw caution to the wind and enjoyed the air with carefree abandon, singing along to classic rock on the radio.
Cheryl, the manager of Crème de la Cupcake, and her dark-haired, pale-skinned assistant Grayson, had just finished stocking the cases and flipped over the ‘Open’ sign on the front door when Missy pulled up. The early morning crowd, folks on their way to work, milled about while they waited for Grayson to unlock the door and let them in. Missy chatted with several customers that she knew as the line moved into the shop, excited to see that people actually left their homes early in order to grab a breakfast treat. Once inside, she moved behind the counter and helped Cheryl move the line as quickly as possible, while Grayson packed orders that needed to be delivered later in the morning. When they finally had a lull in the morning madness, Cheryl and Grayson tried the new cupcakes that Missy had invented, and were equally as impressed as Ben and Chris had been.
As she worked alongside him, Missy discreetly watched her newest employee, Grayson, with pride, pleased that he was doing so well. The quiet youth might look dramatic, with piercings, dark clothing, and hair that was longer than hers or Cheryl’s, but he had a heart of gold, despite his troubled home life. His sweet smile and quick wit had made him a fast favorite with customers, despite some initial reservations early on, and he was blossoming with more confidence every day.
Glad to know that Grayson was more than capable of handling any customers who came in, Missy drew Cheryl back into the kitchen for a chat. There was a Cupcake Convention taking place in East Texas the following weekend, and she felt that the young manager could really benefit from attending with her. Cheryl was organized, intelligent and creative, but lacked the self-confidence to take her creativity to the next level. Missy wanted to boost the young woman’s self-esteem, and bring her to this event where they would both be inspired to try new things and push themselves harder. Both shops were doing very well, and part of the reason why, was the continued introduction of new products as a daily event. Keeping fresh ideas flowing had become a bit of a challenge, which is why Missy had gone to the Caribbean, hoping for new inspiration. She had never been one to rest on her laurels, and considered grooming Cheryl for success to be a responsibility that would benefit them both.
“Next weekend, there’s a Cupcake Convention in Texas that I want you to attend with me. It’s on Saturday and Sunday. We could leave Friday after closing. Sound fun?” she asked the young manager.
Cheryl hesitated. “Well, yes, that sounds amazing, but…”
“But what?” Missy prodded with a smile, knowing that whatever argument the timid girl came up with, she’d cheerfully dismiss, for her own good.
“But…what about the store? Grayson is awesome, but there’s no way that he can handle weekend traffic by himself,” she worried.
“I have that under control,” she assured her conscientious protégé. “Ben has another friend from grad school that will help Chris out at the Dellville store, leaving Ben free to work with Grayson while you’re gone.”
“He’s in on this, isn’t he?” Cheryl grinned and shook her head. She and Ben had been dating for quite some time, and she knew her fellow manager well enough to know that he’d almost certainly been a willing participant in Missy’s plan to make her step outside of her comfort zone.
“Of course he is,” her boss chuckled. “Look honey, we both want what’s best for you, and I think this convention will be just the thing to kick-start your creativity and give you the confidence to try new things. There’s no sense in arguing…I already registered us and paid for our workshops,” she confessed, giving the hesitant girl a reassuring hug. “It’s going to be fun!”
Missy watched with amusement as Cheryl wandered, wide-eyed, through the exhibits at the Convention Center. They had arrived late the previous night, and were in line when the doors opened this morning. Both were fascinated by a cupcake artistry booth, where cupcakes were literally presented as edible sculptures, some of which were breathtakingly beautiful, featuring edible jewels, candy lace, and more.
“Wow,” Cheryl breathed, awestruck. “We’ve been totally focused on how the cupcakes taste, but if we could do something like this…” her voice trailed off while her mind spun with possibilities.
Missy nodded her agreement. “Think about the possibilities for weddings, children’s parties, all kinds of occasions.” Her words were acknowledged with an absent-minded “Mmhmm,” as her young manager took pictures of the gorgeous creations.
The next booth featured innovative fillings that melted in their mouths and inspired Cheryl to take copious notes. They explored “alternative cupcake” recipes to address the needs of customers with special diets, sampling vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, and sugarless cakes, each one as delectable as the
last, and stayed for quite some time at a quirky cupcake topping and toppers booth.
“I had no idea that there were so many different options other than frosting for topping cupcakes,” Cheryl admitted, impressed and excited.
“Getting some good ideas?” Missy asked, smiling at the enthusiasm that she had known the young woman would enjoy.
“My head is spinning with ideas! I think I could come up with a new cupcake every day for a year and not use them all,” she exclaimed, her eyes darting in all directions, searching for the next “booth of wonders.”
“And this is only the first day,” Missy reminded the excited girl. “Tomorrow, we’ll learn the latest tips and techniques for creating better recipes and increasing kitchen efficiency.”
“Oh my! I’ll take lots of notes,” Cheryl assured her.
The duo spent the rest of the day visiting more booths, talking to fellow “cupcake people” and gathering ideas to try upon their return. After a buffet dinner where they met and chatted with more fun and creative people, Missy and her newly motivated manager headed to their rooms and were both asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. Up early the next day, eager to get to the conference rooms early and find a good seat, they grabbed a quick breakfast from the coffee shop in the hotel and made their way back to the Convention Center.
Missy took a break in between workshops, leaving the room frowning at her phone, concern etching her features. She had received a disturbing voicemail from Echo, her friend who had recently moved to Dellville from California and purchased the ice cream shop across the street, turning it into a vegan “ice cream” shop. The clearly distraught woman’s words in the message were garbled by tears and a bad connection, and Missy couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was saying. Worried, she texted her friend to let her know that she didn’t have time to call at the moment, but that she’d be in touch as soon as she was done for the day. Her mind wandered with concern for her friend throughout the day, and as soon as the last seminar ended, she excused herself and dialed Echo’s number, frustrated when her call wasn’t answered.
Chapter 2
Sweet Love, Echo’s vegan frozen treat shop, didn’t open for several hours, but Missy headed over there anyway, knowing that her carefree friend usually experimented with new “ice cream” flavors in the morning, when there were no customers. The front door was locked, which was unusual. Practically the only time the diligent owner was absent was when she went home to her meals, and she was consumed with the art of creating new and exciting flavors in her “spare time.”
Getting no answer to repeated knocking on the front door, Missy tried the back, with the same result. Worried, she called Detective Chas Beckett, whom she’d been dating for a few months, to ask if he’d heard from Echo or knew what was going on.
“Are you sitting down?” the handsome detective asked, his voice serious.
“Oh goodness, what happened, what’s going on Chas?” Missy demanded.
“Echo was questioned by the Dellville police this weekend in connection with a homicide.”
“A homicide? Who? Why would they question Echo?” she exclaimed, worried about her friend.
Beckett sighed, hating that he couldn’t break the news to Missy in person. “One of her customers died shortly after eating one of her desserts, and preliminary reports indicate that he was poisoned,” he explained.
“Oh my goodness, that’s awful!” Missy gasped. “But why on earth would anyone suspect Echo? She wouldn’t hurt a fly. I mean, literally – when a fly gets inside, she shoos them out rather than swatting them. She loves all creatures, she’d certainly never kill someone,” she asserted.
“I understand your concern, but how well do you really know this woman?”
His question made her bristle. “I know her better than anyone else in this town, and I’m telling you that there’s no way in the world that she could’ve done this!”
“Okay, okay. I understand you’re upset, but let’s just give the police room to work on this and not interfere,” he cautioned her, knowing her tendency to attack situations head-on when she felt frustrated by lack of progress.
“How can you say that, Chas? Echo is my friend. I’m going to try everything I can to help her out, and I’m shocked that you wouldn’t want to do the same,” she admonished him.
The detective was trying his best to not let his frustration show. He hadn’t been able to see Missy for quite some time due to her commitments to work and his own, and didn’t want to waste time arguing. “Well, it’s out of my jurisdiction for one thing, but let’s just table this discussion for now. Are you free for dinner?”
Missy sighed and tapped her foot, trying to decide how to answer. She wanted to continue talking about what had happened to her friend, and was frustrated with Chas’s seeming nonchalance in the matter. She missed the detective badly, not having spent nearly enough time with him recently, but was torn by her desire to help her friend. “I…I don’t know,” she sighed. “Let me check on Echo and see if she needs anything, and I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later then,” he replied, hanging up quickly. She heard the disappointment in his voice, but was resolved to try to get to the bottom of what was going on with her friend.
When Missy stood on the front porch of Echo’s quirky bungalow and rang the doorbell, she was surprised to see a younger woman in tight-fitting and revealing designer clothing answer the door.
“Hello,” Missy smiled, receiving a blank stare in response. “I’m looking for Echo…is she here?”
“Who are you, a cop?” the girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously, chewing her gum.
“Oh, goodness, no,” she shook her head. “I’m her friend, Missy,” she extended her hand. “And you are..?”
The girl looked down at Missy’s hand, raised an eyebrow at her rudely, and turned away, calling out, “Echo, one of the townsfolk is here to see you.” She turned back to Missy and said, “Wait here,” leaving her standing on the porch.
Moments later, a scared and weary Echo opened the door. “Oh gosh, Missy, it’s so good to see you!” her friend exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. “It’s been so awful.”
“Oh honey, I can imagine,” she sympathized, following her into the house.
“Would you like some tea?” Echo asked, blotting her eyes with a linen cloth.
“Only if you’ll have some too,” Missy replied, concerned.
The rude girl who had answered the door brushed past them as they went into the kitchen so that the distraught woman could fill the tea kettle.
“That’s my sister, Safflower,” she explained apologetically. “She arrived the day before the world turned upside down – she’s not taking it very well.”
Missy nodded her understanding without speaking, keeping her thoughts about Echo’s less than hospitable sibling to herself.
“Honey?” Echo held up a clear glass jar with a drenched honeycomb inside.
“Oh yes, please.”
Mugs of steaming tea with honey in hand, the women went to the eclectically decorated living room to talk. Safflower was in the adjacent dining room, paging moodily through a fashion magazine that she must have purchased for herself, her sister didn’t subscribe to such displays of conspicuous consumerism.
“So what happened?” Missy asked in a low voice, once they were seated on a Moroccan print sofa. Incense gave the room a pleasant, smoky aroma.
Echo related essentially the same story that Chas had told her, dabbing at the tears that rolled down her cheeks at the recollection.
“So, who was the…victim?”
“It wasn’t someone I knew. I didn’t even serve him. I had run out of basil for the new flavor I was making – Lemon Basil gelato made with rice milk, it’s amazing, you’ll love it,” her mind wandered a moment in her distress. “…So I went to the store, leaving Donna, my helper in charge. She was in the back when this gentleman came in, so Safflower made him a Honduran Coffee cone. He started
eating it before he left and seemed perfectly fine, but apparently died shortly after coming home.” She wrung her damp handkerchief miserably.
“Was he a local?” Missy asked, probing gently. Safflower looked up from her magazine briefly, glaring at the two, unnoticed.
“Yes. He drove a tow truck or something.”
Missy sat back as a sudden realization hit her. “Was it Sid Hixon?” she asked.
“Yes, that was his name,” Echo nodded with surprise. “How did you know?”
“He’s one of the few tow company owners in the area…and he has a bit of a reputation,” she replied tactfully.
“A reputation? What do you mean?”
Missy glanced over toward Safflower, lowering her voice unconsciously. “He was never known to be a pleasant person. He brawled at the taverns, belched in the cafes and was rumored to have treated his wife, Mavis, pretty roughly,” she explained sadly. “He’d tow people in a no-parking zone no matter what the reason. The other drivers around here make exceptions for certain situations, but not Sid. He once threatened to tow a car parked in front of the hospital when the owner was giving birth in the back seat.”
Echo’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Wow, that’s crazy!” she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. “But that still doesn’t mean that he deserved to die, and I didn’t even know him – why on earth would I poison him?”
“Exactly my point,” Missy leaned forward. “No one, that I know of anyway, liked Sid. He had no friends, and lots of people who had reason to be upset with him. His prices were the highest in three counties, and he would sell folks’ cars right out from under them if they couldn’t afford to pay. It’s silly for the police to point at you as the suspect when there are so many other possibilities.”
Echo nodded sadly. “You and I know that, but I’m a newcomer around here. I don’t have the same accent as everyone else, and my lifestyle is a little weird…different. It’s easy to suspect the outsider.”
