Frying The Knot (Patty Cakes Bake Shop Cozy Mystery Series Book 4)

by Holly Plum

  Joy stepped quietly to the front of the bakery. She felt uneasy, though she didn’t know why. Joy had spent plenty of late nights alone in the shop. It was dark outside, but some of the light from the street lamps still shone through the slits in the blinds. Joy waited, listening for more noises. Where was Cheesecake?

  A soft thud just outside the window startled her, and her heart pounded. That wasn’t Cheesecake. The noise had come from something larger than a cat. Cheesecake was curled up far away from the front windows. She doubted the cat had even moved.

  Joy watched the ball of vanilla-colored fur snuggled on a chair just under the clock. Joy swallowed the lump in her throat and crept toward the source of the noise. Her heart raced, and sweat moistened her brow. Though she didn’t hear any more sounds, she had the feeling that something was just outside the window. Joy gingerly lifted a blind and peeped out onto the street.

  She screamed and jumped back.

  On the other side of the glass, the man from the police sketch stared back at her.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Joy ran into the back room, barely registering Cheesecake’s startled face. With shaky hands, she grabbed a large kitchen knife, slung her purse over her shoulder, and scooped up Cheesecake. She locked herself in the bathroom and tried to calm herself down as she called the police.

  “Police station, what is your emergency?” a woman answered Joy's call.

  “Someone’s trying to break in my bakery,” Joy replied, her voice trembling as she tried to speak softly. “The man who murdered Sunny Rogers is trying to break into my bakery.”

  “Joy Cooke, is that you?” Concern laced the woman’s voice.

  “Yes.” Joy gripped the knife in her hand tightly.

  The woman paused to radio in the call for help and Joy recognized her voice now. She was the large red-head who manned the front desk after hours. She always ordered a fruit-filled Danish when she came into the bakery.

  “Someone’s on the way," the woman assured her. "Are you able to get yourself in a bathroom or-”

  “I’m locked in the bathroom, and I have a knife,” Joy blurted out, a sense of disbelief washing over her as she said the words. Why had she followed that man the other day? Clearly, he was coming for her to make sure she kept her mouth shut.

  “Good. Just stay put, and someone will be there soon. How do you know that the man trying to break in is the person who murdered poor Sunny?” She tried to keep Joy talking.

  Brenda. Joy finally remembered the woman's name. “Randy showed me a sketch of him the other day and said he was a suspect.” Joy wished she had just called police instead of trying to get in touch with Randy first. “I saw the man yesterday and followed him to a motel just on the edge of town.”

  “When was this?” Brenda’s voice sounded concerned.

  “Last night," Joy answered. "I’d just closed the bakery.” Joy decided not to mention Daisy’s involvement. She didn't want to embarrass Randy before she had the chance to speak with him. “The man saw me following him.”

  “Okay, just stay calm. Randy is on his way.” Brenda assured her again.

  “Right.” Joy stood poised at the door, knife drawn. She wished she had something to put in front of it.

  Cheesecake paced in front of the door, his tail crooked into a question mark as he looked up at Joy. He meowed.

  Joy cupped her hand over the phone and shushed Cheesecake softly. The cat could tell something was wrong and seemed to be asking her why they were stuck in the bathroom.

  It took forever, but finally, Joy's cell phone vibrated in her hands, telling her she had another incoming call. She looked at the screen and was overwhelmed with joy when she saw Randy’s name.

  “Randy is here,” Joy said to Brenda. "He's calling me now."

  “I’ll stay on the line if you want to put me on hold,” Brenda answered.

  Joy answered Randy’s call, her hands still shaking. “Randy?”

  “We’re out front, Joy. He’s gone. Can you let us in?” Randy’s voice held the gruff of a seasoned police officer on duty.

  “I’ll be right there.” Joy unlocked the bathroom door, letting a grateful Cheesecake out into the quiet bakery. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

  Joy let Randy in and hugged him tightly when he stepped into the bakery. She said goodbye to Brenda and hung up her cell phone.

  Randy patted her back. “Are you sure it was the man in the sketch I showed you?”

  “Yes,” Joy insisted, stepping back and wiping at the trace moisture that had crept up in her eyes.

  “Tell me what happened.” Randy’s eyes held hers.

  “I was in the back office looking through recipes,” Joy explained, pointing to the kitchen. “And I kept hearing these noises. I thought it was Cheesecake but…” Joy looked at Randy, taking a deep breath to try to calm her nerves. “When I went to investigate, I realized Cheesecake had been next to me the whole time, and then I heard the noise coming from outside. I looked through the blinds, and there he was staring at me.”

  Randy carefully took notes. “The man’s name is Tyson. He’s the primary suspect in the murder of Sunny Rogers. Do you know why he might have come here?”

  Joy swallowed and looked down at her feet. “I followed him yesterday. I recognized him on my way home from work. I called the station and told them last night.”

  “Joy,” Randy stopped writing to look at her. “You could’ve gotten yourself into trouble. You shouldn’t have done that.”

  She frowned, thinking she had gotten herself into trouble. “I know.” She shifted her weight. “There’s something else. I saw him another time before that.”

  Randy stayed focused on Joy. “When?”

  “The other day in the grocery store parking lot," Joy confessed. "And he wasn’t alone.”

  “Who was with him?” Randy prodded.

  “Daisy,” Joy finally said softly. “They were arguing about something. I was in the car, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I tried to call you-”

  “He was with Daisy?” His eyes went wide with surprise.

  Joy nodded. “I’m sorry, Randy. I don’t know what to say…”

  Randy was quiet for a moment, but then he straightened his shoulders and sported a stern expression. “What time was this?”

  Joy thought back to that morning. “It wasn’t long after the two of you came in the bakery that morning. Maybe nine forty-five?”

  Randy frowned and scribbled in his notebook.

  There seemed to be no doubt in Randy’s mind that Tyson was the killer, and Joy was fairly convinced now herself. But the thought still occurred to her to ask about Edith’s theory.

  “Have you looked into Vincent Fox?” Joy asked.

  Randy looked up from his notes. “We have. We’re checking into his alibi. It seems solid. Why do you ask?”

  “I was visiting Edith Maxwell yesterday, and she mentioned that Vincent was mad at Sunny.” Joy proceeded to explain about the artifact.

  “Well, it’s certainly something to look into,” Randy responded.

  Randy had a few more questions for Joy and then he looked around the bakery with another officer. There was no sign of Tyson. Joy sat on a chair in the front with Cheesecake on her lap, unable to find the motivation to work on the donut display for Randy’s wedding as she waited for the officers to finish their work.

  Randy finally approached her. “I’ll follow you home, and we can make sure everything is okay there. Just to be safe.”

  Joy agreed, thankful to have some family around. She hoped Tyson didn’t know where she lived, though it was a small town and he could probably figure it out if he wanted to. The thought was unsettling.

  When they arrived at her house, Randy checked the perimeter and inside of the house. Joy waited in the car, listening to the muffled sounds of the crashing waves nearby while Cheesecake purred in her lap. A part of her wanted to escape the world and go for a long walk on the beach, even camp out under the stars wit
h the lull of the ocean in her ears. But there was too much to do.

  Joy needed a vacation.

  Randy walked out of the back door. The sight was upsetting to Joy because she hadn't seen him use her key to get in. Randy had a worried look on his face. Joy opened the car door and stepped out, her pulse starting to pick up.

  “How did you get in?”

  “The back door was open," Randy responded. "Do you have someone working on the house?” Randy was still trying to make sense of the situation.

  “Yes," Joy replied. "They’re redoing the cabinets.”

  “They probably left the back door open. I saw some sawdust out in the yard where they must have been working.” Randy looked to Joy. “I checked the whole house. It’s clear.”

  "Thanks," Joy replied.

  Randy smiled. “No problem. Even though I don’t endorse what you did,” his eyes were stern at first, and then they softened, “thanks for the information about our murder suspect. We’ll have people looking for him tonight, and I’ll have someone check your neighborhood too.”

  That eased Joy's mind to some extent. “Okay.”

  “Call me if anything is out of the ordinary,” Randy said. He glanced down at Cheesecake as he glared up at him. "More so than usual I mean."

  CHAPTER TEN

  The light from the hallway cast an eerie glow into Joy's bedroom. Joy’s feet moved freely underneath her sheets, lacking the familiar obstacle that usually kept them confined to the corner of the bed. Cheesecake’s favorite spot was curled up next to her ankles. She looked around for the cat but didn’t see him anywhere. Where was he? Cheesecake never missed the chance at a good catnap. Joy fixed her eyes on the doorway, and the silence filled her head.

  Joy contemplated getting out of bed to see what her mischievous cat was up to. But the silence played tricks on her. Joy's eyes went wide at every creak and squeak her beach bungalow made in the night. Was someone out there? A non-feline guest maybe?

  Joy slunk out of bed and toward the door. As she got closer to the hallway, she heard strange noises. Part of her wanted to race back into bed and throw the covers over her head, but she was worried about Cheesecake. He hardly ever left her side, especially at nighttime. Joy couldn’t bear the thought of Cheesecake being in trouble. She peered out the doorway and into the hall. For a moment, all was still and quiet.

  A dark figure jumped out from the guest bedroom, and he barreled down the hallway toward Joy. He wasn’t just any man. It was the suspect from the police sketch Randy had shown her. Joy tried to scream, but nothing would come out. She tried to run, but she was frozen in place. The man’s hand reached out to grab a fistful of her shirt and then his mouth opened and he…meowed.

  Joy woke up startled from her nightmare.

  Cheesecake was inches from her face, purring and chirping cheerful meows. It was morning and Joy took a deep breath and tried to forget about her crazy dream.

  Joy scratched Cheesecake and sat up. Her clothes were damp with sweat, and she was breathing heavily. Joy looked at the clock. 2:45 AM. Joy flopped back against her pillow. There was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep. Well, on the bright side, she would get a head start on her day.

  Joy was at the bakery long before the sun came up, making batch after batch of donuts. Judging by the way yesterday had gone, she anticipated that they would sell out in no time. After Joy had handed out samples of her new menu item, sales had gone through the roof as the word got around and customers had shuffled in. Besides all the positive comments she’d gotten the day before, Joy knew people would like her donuts because her mother’s recipe used to be a local favorite.

  But there was another reason Joy had gotten up before the sun to come into the bakery. She hadn't slept a wink. Joy had spent all night tossing and turning, getting up to peek through the blinds whenever she heard or thought she’d heard, the softest of sounds. Cheesecake had even seemed restless, which did nothing to ease her nerves. Joy had always believed that animals had a sixth sense about things, and if they were nervous, it was a sign something was wrong. Randy had told Joy to call him if anything was out of the ordinary, but it still would have taken him time to get to her house.

  Joy's nightmare had been the last straw.

  At least she’d gotten a head start on prepping everything for the morning rush. Even though she’d added making all the donuts to her routine, Joy was still ahead of schedule. She’d even managed to squeeze in baking a specialty cake. By the time Sara Beth got in, it would be cool and ready for decorating.

  Just before opening the bakery, Joy sat down to look at the donut recipes she’d been looking through the night before for Randy’s wedding display. She wondered what would happen between Randy and Daisy. How did Daisy know Tyson? Did she even know he was a murder suspect? Joy wondered how much Randy had told her and if they talked often. They would be getting married soon, but Joy couldn’t picture them having real conversations. Maybe Joy was reading too much into things.

  The sound of the bell on the front door startled Joy and Cheesecake. Cheesecake put an ear back in annoyance, and then went back to snoozing. He was no doubt getting caught up on his rest after the fitful night. Sara Beth appeared with her cup of sweet tea. It was her regular size, signifying her optimism over the day’s schedule.

  “We have a problem,” Joy said, skipping over any morning pleasantries.

  “What happened?” Sara Beth responded. She fixed her gaze on Joy, already knowing by the tone of her voice that she had something important to say.

  “The murder suspect came by the bakery last night after closing," Joy quietly admitted. "He was sneaking around out front. I had to lock myself in the bathroom and call the police.”

  Sara Beth’s jaw dropped. It took a moment for her to find her voice. “Why would he come here?”

  “I um… I followed him the day before yesterday after work. I saw him on Main Street.”

  Sara Beth’s face fell into a frown. “What on earth possessed you to do that, Joy?”

  “I didn’t have my phone with me, or I would’ve called Randy," Joy continued. "I left my purse at the bakery.” Joy checked the cake she’d baked earlier, testing the temperature. It was cool, so she placed it on a piece of cardboard and set it in front of Sara Beth.

  “Please, tell me the police caught the guy." Sara Beth gulped.

  “No." Joy tried to hide the panic in her voice with little success. "But I followed him to a motel on the edge of town, and I gave the police a description of his car and the plates.”

  "Okay, and just how early did you get in this morning?" Sara Beth eyed the cake before moving to gather the materials she needed to start icing it.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Joy confessed. “I had nightmares all night long.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Sara Beth took a swig of sweet tea while she selected icing tips for the frosting bags. “You shouldn’t be here by yourself. I’ll come in early too until they catch that guy.”

  Joy knew that turning down Sara Beth’s offer was the polite thing to do. She didn't want to put anyone else in harm's way. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, Joy threw her arms around Sara Beth and pulled her in for a hug.

  “What would I do without you?” Joy said.

  Sara Beth patted her back. “The police will catch him.”

  The bell on the front door chimed, and Joy stepped away first. “I still need to put out the donuts.”

  Each woman grabbed a tray of donuts and headed out to greet the first customer of the day.

  ***

  “Have you seen a set of keys? I think I left them here yesterday. I was in at about nine o’ clock.” The woman looked hopefully into Joy’s eyes.

  “No,” Joy said slowly, a feeling of unease growing inside her. This was the third customer who’d lost something in the last few days. “We haven’t found any keys. Let me write down your number in case we do.”

  The woman gave her the number to Joy and then left disa
ppointed.

  “Everyone seems to be losing it lately, am I right?” Sara Beth remarked once they’d cleared the line of their early morning customers.

  “I know,” Joy said, still thinking about the missing items. “It can’t be a coincidence that three people have lost something so close to each other.” A thought occurred to her. Joy stopped in the middle of wiping down the counter.

  “What is it?” Sara Beth asked, seeing her expression.

  “It’s Daisy.” The answer was so clear to her.

  “Daisy?”

  “All the customers who reported something missing were in the bakery at the same time as Daisy.” Joy looked to Sara Beth. Old Joe had come in at the same time as Daisy that first morning, and then the woman with the keys had been in after that. Joy remembered checking the clock when the woman had walked into the bakery because she had been wondering how long Daisy was going to stick around.

  Sara Beth gave Joy a pointed look. “I could see the bracelet, maybe. Okay, and the wallet would be a possibility. But what would Daisy do with a set of keys?”

  “I don’t know." Joy shrugged. "But that doesn't mean she didn't steal them. Maybe Daisy is one of those people who steals things all the time…what's the word?”

  "Kleptomaniac?" Sara Beth guessed.

  "That's the one." Joy nodded.

  “I think you’re over-reacting.” Sara Beth studied her expression. "You're clearly sleep deprived right now."

  "It was just an observation." Joy went back to cleaning the counter, her confidence waning. She still thought it was too much of a coincidence for three people to have lost something in such a short time span.

  The bell chimed, and Teresa stepped into the bakery. The muscles in Joy's neck relaxed a little and Sara Beth smiled warmly. It was nice to focus on the baking and just the baking for a while.