Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 1)

by D. E. Haggerty

  I look through Anna’s list but I don’t see any notes indicating if anyone is left-handed. “Are any of these women left-handed?”

  Anna shakes her head. “Nope. Not a one.”

  I try not to get upset about this news. “We didn’t manage to eliminate anyone as a suspect, then.” I sigh and collapse against my office chair.

  “But there are still seven women who haven’t signed their names. Maybe they’re all left-handed.”

  Her weak attempt at cheering me up doesn’t help. “That’s statistically improbable.”

  Anna takes a seat across from my desk and is quiet for a while. “I do have some good news though.” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Dolly’s funeral is tomorrow.”

  I’m not following her logic. “And this is good news, because?”

  She shrugs. “Maybe the murderer will be there?” She leans across the desk. “We’ll take pictures of everyone there and see if any of our suspects show up.”

  “You want to take pictures at a funeral?”

  Anna waves my concerns away. “Everyone’s taking selfies all the time anyway. We’ll use our cell phones. No one will notice.”

  I’m not so sure about that, but I do think Anna’s on to something. I grab the printout of the members Arthur gave us yesterday. “Let’s pick out our suspects. If we can identify them from these pictures, we won’t need to take any pictures.”

  Anna frowns. “I still think we should take pictures as proof.”

  I don’t fancy taking pictures at a funeral, and there will be enough eyewitnesses as proof. I keep those thoughts to myself, though and instead promise myself to figure out a way to nick Anna’s phone from her tomorrow. I grab a pair of scissors and start cutting out the pictures of our suspects. Between Anna and I, we make a sheet of paper with all of the suspects’ pictures.

  “Okay,” Anna says as she stands. “I’m going to head home. Between leaving early today and the funeral tomorrow, I’m going to have to start baking early tomorrow.”

  “Oh,” she says as I walk her to the front door. “Any news about the autopsy report?”

  “Should have it tomorrow or the day after.” Although I’m not sure how much it will help. We already know Dolly was killed by poison, but information is knowledge.

  I let Anna out and then turn to exit out of the back. I step on something and slide a bit. Guess I didn’t do a very good job at mopping the floors. I reach down to grab the piece of paper under my shoe. It’s a Callie’s Cakes postcard. I must have missed it when I was closing. I start to crumple it in my hand as we can hardly use a card with my shoe print on it, but I stop when I see writing on the front.

  Stop interfering before you regret it. Call the cops and Anna will suffer.

  My heart stops at the words. My hand starts to shake, and I nearly drop the card. I don’t know what to do. Every fiber of my being is urging me to call the police and let them take over everything. But a tiny part of me is wondering if Anna will pay for that. And of course there’s that other sarcastic part of me that thinks the police won’t take me seriously.

  There’s a knock on the door, and I turn to see Ben smiling and waving at me. Guess the decision is taken out of my hands. With trembling hands, I unlock the door.

  “Hi, sweetheart.” Ben starts to pull me in for a hug but he stops. “What’s going on?”

  I don’t bother trying to hide the card from him. I hand it to him and collapse in one of the chairs. I hear a growl and look up to see Ben is fuming mad. He sets the card down on the table in front of me. “Don’t touch that.” He walks behind the counters and returns with a plastic bag. After carefully putting the card in the bag, he turns to me. “When did you get this?”

  “Just now.” He just stares at me. I fill him in. “I was letting Anna out of the front door because her bike was out here, and I accidentally stepped on it.”

  “You sweep and mop every day after closing?” I nod. “What time did you do that today?”

  “The usual time, four thirty or so. Anna came as I was just turning out the lights.”

  Ben looks at his watch. “It’s five thirty now.” I nod even though that wasn’t a question. He pulls out his phone and walks away to place the call. He returns to me after hanging up his phone and picks me up off the chair. He pulls me to the sofa in the corner and sits next to me holding me close until the detective arrives.

  Ben helps me up when the banging on the door starts. Detective Smits has his face plastered against the door trying to peek in. “Why are the lights out?” He demands when Ben lets him in. Ben pulls him into the café and locks the door behind him before responding.

  “Come on; let’s move to the kitchen where no one can see us.” Ben grabs my hand and pulls me to the back. He leans against one of the decorating tables and hugs me close to him. He hands the note to Smits before putting his arms around me for support.

  Smits swears when he reads the card before looking up at me and muttering, “Sorry.” I just shrug because the detective swearing is the least of my problems at the moment. “I’ll take this in, but I’ll need your statement.”

  I start to respond, but Ben cuts me off. “Not tonight. She’s shaken up. I’ll bring her in tomorrow.” Once the detective nods in agreement, Ben continues. “Come on, I’ll let you out the back way. Considering that note, I don’t want anyone knowing you were here.”

  Ben and I follow Smits out the back door. Smits takes off without another word. After which, Ben and I climb the stairs to my apartment. He makes me stand at the entrance to my place while he checks to see it’s empty and there are no other notes. Normally, I’d roll my eyes at this over the top behavior, but today I’m not moving until he gives me the all clear.

  Within a minute, Ben is back and pulling me into my home. He leads me to the sofa where he lays down and then pulls me on top of him. I know I need to fess up and tell him about the hacking but that’s a conversation for later. Right now, I need to feel his arms around me and feel safe.

  Chapter 19

  You can’t be sad when you’re holding a cupcake.

  “Okay, I’ll tell her.” I hear Ben say into his phone as I walk into my living room the next morning. Ben’s still here as we spent another night cuddling on my sofa. I could totally get used to that. Shake that thought off, Callie. Shake it off. Out of your league, remember?

  “Tell me what?”

  Ben turns around at my question and smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Now what? “Have a seat.” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond to his order. Instead, he grabs my hand and pulls me down next to him.

  “What’s going on?”

  Ben takes a deep breath before looking at me and spitting it out. “The detectives don’t want whoever wrote that card to know they’re onto them.” I nod because that’s good news. I don’t want anything to happen to Anna. “We don’t need to go to the station for you to make a statement, but that means you’re still a suspect in the murder.”

  “What?” I was positive that I was in the clear and could go back to preparing for classes next week now that I’d been threatened by the murderer. Or at least I assume it’s the murderer. Who else could it be?

  Ben grabs my arms and forces me to look at him. “I’m sorry, honey. We’re going to get your job back; don’t you worry about that. But we have bigger problems now. You’re in danger,” he growls that last part out.

  I wave his concerns away. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  He grabs my chin and stares me down. “You are one of the smartest women I know. What am I saying? You are the smartest woman I know, but honey, don’t be naïve about this.” His eyes close and he shudders. “I can’t lose you after I’ve waited a year to have you.”

  Oh bugger, those words slam into me, and I can barely keep my tears from flowing. Maybe I was stupid to keep him at arm’s length? Maybe I am who he wants? I shake my head. Now is not the time to be thinking about my romantic prospects. I need to keep my head in the game. “I
will not lose my job for something I didn’t do.” Ben starts to protest, but I hold up a hand to stop him. “I don’t think the killer will dare do anything to me. She’s set all this up to make sure I took the blame for the murder. She can’t hurt me or she’ll risk her entire set-up falling apart.”

  “Please promise me that you’ll keep the back door to the bakery locked.” I nod because we do that anyway – mostly. “And you won’t go anywhere without me.”

  “Um,” I stall for time to come up with a good excuse. I’m not sure Ben will be thrilled with us attending Dolly’s funeral. “I have errands to run today.”

  “No problem,” Ben smiles. “I’ll take you. Just let me know the time and I’ll be here.”

  “Well…,” I stutter.

  “What’s going on, Callie?” I can’t fool him.

  “It’s Dolly’s funeral today and Anna and I are going,” I admit.

  “Why are you going to Dolly’s funeral?” His eyes are studying me, and I imagine this is what suspects feel like when he’s interrogating them.

  I shrug. “Just showing our respect.” He continues to stare me down, and I squirm. “Okay, fine, we’re looking to see which of our suspects shows up.”

  “Your suspects?” Ben’s eyebrows nearly fly off his face.

  I stare at my hands as I answer him. “We kind of got a list of everyone at the gym when you said the cupcake was placed in the locker room. We eliminated all the men because killers who use poison are usually women and then we took out anyone who is shorter than five feet seven inches. Now we’re trying to figure out who is left-handed, so we can eliminate them as well.”

  Ben lets go of me and flops back against my sofa. “Should I ask where you got a list of names?”

  I shake my head. He definitely doesn’t want to know that. “So you’ll let me go to the funeral, then?”

  “What time is it? I’m coming with.” I start to speak, but he puts a finger on my lips. “No arguments. I’m coming with, or I’m locking you away somewhere.”

  ♥♥♥

  Ben arrives at the bakery at exactly 3 p.m. He looks like a movie star getting ready to stroll down the red carpet. Or maybe a mobster heading off to some wedding. Either way, he looks even better than normal, which doesn’t seem possible as he’s looks pretty scrumptious every day. And I own a bakery. I know what scrumptious looks like.

  Anna comes out the kitchen, takes one look at Ben and starts fanning herself. “Whoa.”

  I don’t respond. I’m tongue tied. That beautiful mountain of man saunters over to me wearing a black suit with a shiny black tie and what I know will be a form fitting button down shirt and I nearly drool. He gives me that megawatt smile with his dimple showing, and I think I hear customers sigh. “Hi, sweetheart,” he whispers and lightly kisses me.

  “Did you know that the modern necktie has its origins in the Thirty Years’ War when Croatians wore knotted neckerchiefs and aroused the interest of Louis XIV? He started wearing a lace cravat when he was a small child and set the trend for the French nobility.” I blush as the embarrassing words sprout forth from my mouth with no intention on my part.

  Ben smiles and kisses my cheek. “I did not know that but now I do. Are you ready to get going?”

  I nod and turn to Kristie to make sure she’s got things covered. With the semester starting next week, most of the part-time workers in the bakery are back in town. Kristie is a grad student and is happy to get some extra hours in before school starts. “Go, boss, I got things covered here,” she says with a wink and a nod towards Ben.

  Ben grabs my hand and pulls me out of the bakery with Anna on our heels. The funeral home where Dolly’s service is at is across town. It shouldn’t take us more than twenty minutes to get there at this time of day, and the service doesn’t start until four. Anna and I planned to get there early so we can watch people as they arrive. Anna wants to see if anyone acts suspicious, but I’m not really sure what suspicious activity would look like at a funeral.

  “Listen up,” Ben says as he parks the car at the funeral home and turns off the engine. “I know you think you’re Nancy Drew or something, but this is a funeral. Even though you didn’t like Dolly very much, you need to be respectful and not be asking people questions.”

  Anna snorts in the back seat, but I just turn and glare at Ben. “Do you seriously think we wouldn’t be respectful at a funeral?” I don’t wait for his answer. I unlock my seat belt and grab the door handle, but I don’t manage to exit the car. Ben grabs me around the waist and pulls me towards him.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have said that. Least of all to you.” He leans forward and places his forehead against mine. I hear the back door open and close and know Anna has left the building. “I’m just worried about your safety is all. It’s making me crazy that you were threatened.”

  I open my mouth to explain that it was Anna who was threatened, but I don’t get a chance to get a word out. Ben captures my lips in a searing kiss and I’m a goner. When he finally releases me, he apologizes. “I’m sorry about your lipstick.”

  I laugh because I don’t give a hoot about my lipstick at the moment. I look at Ben’s mouth and see he’s wearing more lipstick than I am at the moment. I grab a tissue from my purse and wipe his mouth. “It’s your lipstick I’m worried about,” I joke.

  We exit the car and walk to the entrance to the funeral home where Anna is waiting for us. “There’s no one here yet,” she whispers as we catch up to her.

  I shrug. “Let’s go take a seat at the back, and we’ll watch everyone as they arrive.” Anna nods in excitement, and I roll my eyes at her. She thinks this so-called investigation we’re doing is just a big adventure. I told her about the card and the threat to her this morning when she arrived, and she nearly jumped for joy. She said this just proves that I’m innocent, and the University can’t deny giving me my job back now. When I told her the detectives were still considering me a suspect so the killer doesn’t know I told them about the threat, she nearly stomped down to the station to give them a piece of her mind. Good thing she was elbow deep in bread dough at the time.

  We walk to the room designated for Dolly’s service and take seats in the back. I’m relieved that Ben stands at the wall behind us as Anna immediately pulls out her page of pictures of our suspects. When she starts digging around in her bag for a pen, I just hand her one. There’s no sense trying to discourage her.

  For the next thirty minutes, we watch everyone arrive and take a seat. So far, no one on our suspect list has arrived. Bugger. Maybe this was a stupid idea. The doors close, and the director walks in holding the arm of a woman who is obviously grieving. Tears stream down her face as she sniffles. But the tears do nothing to deter from her natural beauty. Although she’s obviously older, she’s aged with grace. Her white locks shine with health, and her legs go on for absolutely ever. She must be at least five feet eight considering she towers over the director.

  “Holy shi…” I hear Ben swearing and turn around. He’s staring at the beauty who just walked in.

  “What?” I whisper-shout to him, but he just shakes his head at me and mouths later. I turn back to the woman blubbering and carrying on. I don’t recognize her and from Anna’s furious shuffling of gym profiles, it doesn’t appear to be any of our suspects. I twist my neck to ask Ben what’s going on. He shakes his head without even looking at me. His eyes are locked on the woman now sitting in the front row.

  Chapter 20

  I don’t drown my sorrows. I suffocate them with cupcakes.

  I barely make it through the service without jumping on Ben and demanding he tell me who the crying woman is and why her appearance surprised him – right now! Every time I look behind me, he’s staring at her with confusion written all over his face. I half-listen to the service, but it doesn’t sound like the director has any idea who Dolly was. Judging by the lack of attendees, I wasn’t the only person who didn’t like her. I shake my head. I should know better than to think
nasty thoughts of someone who has passed.

  As soon as the service ends, such as it is, I spring out of my chair with Anna close on my heels. “What’s going on?” I demand of Ben, but he shakes his head at me.

  “Not here,” he says and grabs my hand. He pulls me out of the room and down the hall. I have to practically run to keep up with him. I’m pretty sure Anna is running behind me.

  “Slow down.” Ben doesn’t listen. He continues to drag me to his car. The door’s open and he’s helping me in before he speaks.

  “We’ll talk about it when we’re home.” He shuts the car door before I get a chance to respond. Anna’s already bouncing up and down in the back seat.

  “What’s going on?” I can only shake my head at her question, because I have absolutely no idea.

  I wait until Ben pulls out of the parking lot of the funeral home before I speak. “Ben, you’re freaking me out. Tell us what’s the matter.”

  “I’ll tell you about it at home. I don’t want to get into an argument while I’m driving.” I raise an eyebrow and turn my head to look at Anna who is also looking mighty confused.

  Luckily, we are going in the opposite direction of traffic and make it back to the bakery in half an hour. Any longer and the pixie in the back seat would explode. Ben pulls around to park in the alley, and we all jump out. “You guys go on up. I just want to make sure Kristie locked up.”

  Ben growls and grabs the keys from me. “Stay behind me.” I shrug because I know he’s just worried about me and to be perfectly honest with myself – something I prefer not to do – I quite like someone being concerned about my safety.

  Anna and I stand by the back door while Ben makes sure the bakery is safe. “All clear,” he says when he comes back into the kitchen. I walk to the cash register to make sure the till has been properly cashed out for the day while Anna ensures that the unpurchased baked goods are properly marked and stored. Ben stands at the corner of the bakery with his arms crossed over his chest like he’s a bodyguard now or something.