I must have pushed her away because she moved back a little and almost tripped. I felt like I wanted to rip the collar off my shirt, it seemed to be suffocating me.
"I need..." I gasped. I felt like I couldn't breath. What did I need? An ambulance. I looked at Tegan helplessly, hoping she would know what to do.
"I need fresh air!" I finally decided, running back in the direction I'd come from. Maybe the incense fumes had been too much for me after all.
Tegan chased after me. "Rachael, what's going on? Are you having a panic attack?"
"No!" I managed to screech back at her as I raced outside. Once the cool air hit my face, I felt a little better but my chest was still constricted and my breathing was so shallow I was worried I was going to stop breathing all together.
I sat down on Tegan's front steps and put my head between my legs. She sat beside me and told me to count backwards from one hundred.
By the time I got to zero, I felt a little better. Physically, I mean. Mentally, I felt totally humiliated and embarrassed. I didn't even really like Tegan that much, let alone respect her, and I still wished she hadn't seen me at my absolute worst.
"I'm sorry," I gasped, finally bringing my head up for air. "I don't know what came over me there."
Tegan gave me a sympathetic smile. I realized her arm was around my shoulders. "Something must be really troubling you, Rachael."
I stared out across the patchy front lawn of her house. "Not just one thing," I murmured. "Several things. A murder accusation. Impending bankruptcy. A baby on the way..."
Tegan looked down at my belly in shock. "Not me," I said quickly, but I didn't offer her any further details. It was Pippa's news to share. Though I was a little surprised her best friend Tegan didn't know the news yet.
"That all sounds pretty heavy," Tegan said, taking her arm away. "No wonder you had a freak out."
"I didn't have a freak out." I stopped talking. Okay, that was pretty much exactly what I'd had. I shook my head. "I don't know what to do, Tegan. I need to pull it together for somebody else's sake, if not my own. But right now everything just seems so hopeless." I could scarcely believe that I was opening up to Tegan in this way.
And I could scarcely believe what I said to her next. "Can you help me?" I asked.
She nodded. "Of course I can. Just come back inside, Rachael."
This time, I managed to make it down her hallway without having a panic attack. I was surprised by how large her house was. Maybe Pippa and the baby can come and live here, I thought, even though jealousy stabbed at me. I realized then that Tegan was Pippa's Chloe.
I looked at Tegan properly for the first time, with her long, faded purple hair. She just looked like a normal girl. She had bright green eyes, which were a little unusual, and she dressed in purple velvet, but aside from that, her face was normal and her house was normal. I might have rushed to judge her.
"Come sit down in the living room," she said. "That's where I do all my work."
Work? What work exactly?
I followed her in to the living room. It was a cramped little room to the side of the house with a small sofa pressed against the wall that was so thick with cushions there was barely a clear spot for a person to sit. Tegan cleared the cushions just slightly and then gestured towards a chair on the other side of the small coffee table. I guessed that was for me.
I waited a little nervously while she got prepared for whatever it was that she was planning on doing to me.
She lit another cone of incense and watched it carefully for a few seconds as the smoke began to rise to the ceiling.
"Pippa tells me that ever since you bought that second shop, the murders have kind of followed you around," Tegan said. I wondered what else Pippa had said to her about me. Did they regularly get together to discuss me?
I shrugged. "It's all just a coincidence." And I truly believed that it was. A pretty big coincidence, yes, but a coincidence all the same.
But if I truly did believe that, then why was I there? For Pippa and the baby, I told myself.
Tegan shot me a look. "There is no such thing," she said in a deep voice. She leaned back in her seat. "Some coincidence it is, a woman dying in your shop, after everything that has happened to you." She mused on this for a moment, staring up at the ceiling as the smoke from the incense snaked up and passed her face.
She remained silent and I was forced to fill the gap before the silence became too awkward for me to bear. "It's almost like someone is out to get me," I said with a shrug.
"Or something," Tegan said pointedly. She really wasn't going to let this curse thing die, was she?
I took a deep breath. "I think this was a mistake," I said, standing up. "There's no curse, Tegan, I'm sure there is an explanation for all of it that doesn't involve a curse."
She shot me a look. "Do you want my help or not? I didn't imagine that panic attack you had earlier, Rachael."
I sat back down.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and at first I ignored it, not wanting to be too rude towards Tegan, but then I thought it might be Pippa needing something. Maybe there was something wrong with the baby. "I'm sorry. I have to get this," I said, pulling the phone out of my jacket pocket. "Oh," I said when I saw Chloe's face and number flashing on the screen. "Never mind," I said, ending the call and placing the phone down on the coffee table.
I tried to focus back on Tegan, but the phone began to ring again and Chloe's grinning face shone up at us. "Sorry about that," I said, leaning forward to grab it. "I'll turn it off, not just on silent. This girl can be pretty insistent when she wants to reach me."
"Hey, I know that girl," Tegan said, leaning forward. She frowned and looked up at me. "How do you know her?"
The phone was still ringing. "That's my employee, Chloe. She works for me at the bakery. Or at least, she did, while there was still a bakery for her to work at. I don't know what she is going to do now."
"Oh," Tegan said, making a face. It was a very loaded 'oh.' "I see," she added.
I shook my head and shrugged at her, making a face to say, what exactly are you trying to tell me, Tegan? I couldn't stand her being coy like that. Clearly there was something she wanted to say.
Tegan shrugged a little back at me. "I'm just really surprised that you would hire someone who worked at Bakermatic. Aren't they, like, your biggest competition?"
I just stared at her. "What are you talking about, Tegan? Chloe never worked for Bakermatic." I pulled my phone away and hid it back in my pocket, a little annoyed.
"Sure she did," Tegan said. "I go in there all the time." Oh, does she? "Her name's Chloe, right? About nineteen, long hair in a pony tail, really chirpy and friendly? She worked at Bakermatic up until, oh, I don't know...about six weeks ago, I think," Tegan said.
I must have just been staring at her with a blank look on my face. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How was it possible that Chloe had worked for Bakermatic without my knowing about it?
"You didn't know that?" Tegan asked.
I shook my head. "No!" I exclaimed. I was still in shock. "She certainly didn't tell me anything about it, and I checked her resume thoroughly. No mention of her ever working at Bakermatic."
Tegan blinked. "So you think there was a reason she kept this information from you?" She just stared at me meaningfully for a few moments.
My heart was beating faster. "Yes," I whispered finally. "I do think there is a reason she was keeping it from me."
So, there was someone—or rather something—out to get me. And there it had been all along.
Bakermatic.
Chapter 12
The young boy in the yellow shirt behind the counter looked up at me in shock as I barged through the doors. It was the same spotty young guy that had served Chloe and I the day we'd been there for coffee. The day the rain had been belting down and we'd needed shelter.
"How can I help you today, ma'am?" he asked.
"I need to speak to the manager," I said. "Is Simo
na here?"
He nodded a little unsurely. "Uh, yeah, sure, she's in her office."
"Can you please get her for me?" I asked impatiently.
"Is there a problem, ma'am?" he asked. "A problem with your food or coffee?"
I just looked at him. "I just walked through the door," I said. "Does it look like I have any food or coffee? Please get Simona for me." Just as he was leaving, I called out to him. "Hey!" I said, and he turned around. "How long have you worked here?"
He shrugged a little. "About six weeks."
"Right," I said quietly. "Thank you."
I leaned against the counter while he went to fetch his boss. My head was spinning. I didn't know what to think.
Simona hadn't been there the day that Chloe and I had come in for coffee. I recalled how hesitant Chloe had been to even come in, how she'd scoped the place out before she'd dared to enter. I realized now that she must have been looking for Simona, the only person who would recognize.
Simona finally emerged from the back with her long black ponytail swinging. "What seems to be the problem?" she started to ask with a bright smile, until she saw me. "Oh," she said with a heavy sigh. "I think I can guess what your problem is."
I gave her a long, hard stare. "We need to talk, Simona."
The hard plastic booths of Bakermatic must have been designed for a high customer turnover. Don't let them get too comfortable or else they might sit around while new paying customers wait or have to leave.
I knew that I already wanted to leave.
Simona just stared at me. "Yeah, I know Chloe," she said. "She worked here for a little while. So what?"
So it was confirmed then. Simona had sent Chloe in as a spy in my midst.
I shook my head. "Why did you do it, Simona?"
She wasn't giving me anything back. She didn't look nervous or rattled in the slightest as she leaned back and crossed her arms. "Why did I do what?" she asked. "Why did I fire her? Is that what you are talking about?"
"Fire her?" I asked. Now I was confused.
"Yeah," Simona said. "I mean, I wanted to fire her right from the start, pretty much the week she started working here," Simona said. "But I couldn't because she was related to one of the CEOs or something, so I had to have a really good reason for doing it."
I must have just been staring blankly at Simona, because she asked me what was wrong. "Can you repeat that?" I asked.
"Which part?"
"She is related to one of the CEOs of Bakermatic?"
Simona nodded. "Annoying, right? I wanted to fire her the first week when she spent all her time texting her boyfriend instead of working. But she was good with the customers, and like I said—friends in high places. So I had to wait and bide my time."
"So what happened then?" I asked. "What made you finally fire her? It must have been something pretty bad."
Simona raised an eyebrow. "It's not going to sound like much, okay? But she just did something really strange one day."
"Something really strange?" I asked, leaning in closer to her. Simona looked around to check if anyone was listening to us. I could tell she was hesitating about whether to continue. But I needed her to. "What was the strange thing?" I asked, pushing her.
She shrugged a little. "Like I said, it sounds like nothing..."
"It was enough for you to fire her over, though," I pointed out. "Look, Simona, you've got to tell me now."
She took a deep breath. "Okay, there was this customer, right, who came in and asked Chloe for a chocolate milkshake. I was listening a few feet away from the counter. I knew we were out of chocolate sauce for the milkshake because I'd just had to turn another customer down, and I do all the stock ordering, so I knew we were definitely out of syrup..."
I frowned. "Go on."
Simona cleared her throat. "So I expected Chloe to tell the woman there was no chocolate syrup so she couldn't have the milkshake. But I got called away back to my office for a minute so I didn't hear the exchange. But when I came back a few minutes later, the same woman was still waiting behind the counter. I assumed that she must have ordered something else. But then I saw Chloe walking towards her with what was definitely a chocolate milkshake, with syrup all down the sides." Simona stopped talking and started to shake her head.
"So, Chloe had managed to find some chocolate syrup that you didn't know was there?" I asked.
Simona blinked at me. "I knew what chocolate syrup was there, and what wasn't," she said flatly. "Like I said, I do all the ordering. I am the manager. I've been the manager here for four years. My whole life is dedicated to knowing exactly what is going on in this bright, yellow shop."
Clearly, I had touched on a nerve. "Okay then, so where did she get the chocolate sauce from?"
"That's just it," Simona said. "She didn't get it from here. I stopped her before she gave the woman the milkshake and asked her. She pointed to a bottle of sauce in the corner. I didn't recognize the brand. It wasn't the brand we use here. Like I said, I would know. She told me that she'd..." Simona stopped for a second and leaned forward before continuing. "Brought in a bottle from home."
She was right. That was weird. I started getting a nervous feeling in my stomach as I remembered something. But Simona still had more to say.
Simona shot me a look. "See? I told you it was strange, although it seems harmless enough on the surface. Who does that though? Why would you bring in a bottle from home? I quickly grabbed the milkshake off her and said that we couldn't serve it without knowing where the sauce came from. It was against the health code. I poured the milkshake down the drain and apologized to the woman. As soon as she was gone, I asked Chloe what the heck was she doing, trying to poison someone? It was the excuse I needed to fire her, anyway. And to tell the truth, I was glad to jump on it."
Simona stared at me. "You've gone very quiet, Rachael. And very pale."
"I'm just... I'm just thinking."
That bottle of chocolate syrup I'd knocked over when I'd gone into the crime seen.
I had to go. I had to get out of there. I had to look at it. I jumped up.
"What did that bottle look like?" I asked Simona. "The one that Chloe said she brought from home."
"I...uh, I barely remember any details," Simona said. "I remember it had a red label, though. The brand we use here has a black one. So it was pretty obvious."
I shook my head as I quickly put my jacket back on. "It would have been nice if you'd come forward with this information earlier, Simona. You must have heard what is going on with me?"
She stared at me blankly. "Going on with you? What are you talking about?"
"Oh please, don't play dumb. A woman was poisoned at my bakery and I am being blamed for her murder." I turned and started to walk towards the door. Simona followed hot on my heels.
"I hadn't heard anything!" she called out. "Honestly. I've been so busy here. Things aren't going great, if you really want to know." Her eyes were full of worry now.
I still wasn't sure whether or not to believe her. "Fine, whatever, Simona. I've got to go."
"Rachael! Look, I'm really sorry, okay? I didn't know."
I pushed the door open and spilled onto the street. Simona was still following me, much to my surprise.
"Let me come with you," she said, racing besides me.
I was in too much of a hurry to argue with her, and I didn't really care anyway. Pretty soon, we had reached the other end of the street and came face to face with the police tape still surrounding my bakery. I glanced down at it and shook my head. It was broad daylight. "Screw it," I said, stepping over it as I pulled my keys out of my pocket.
I hurried inside and raced over to the place where the broken bottle of chocolate syrup was still laying on the floor.
My heart stopped. A red label.
"That's the one," Simona whispered. "The same one she used that day at Bakermatic."
Chapter 13
I finally answered Chloe's phone call.
"Rachael!" she said,
sounding happy. "I'm so glad you finally picked up. I've been trying to tell you something!"
I was standing in the back of the bakery in the freezing cold. I stared blankly ahead, waiting for her to continue speaking and wondering if she could sense the frostiness coming from my end of the line. "You still there, Rach?" she whispered.
"Go on," I said flatly. "What do you have to tell me?"
"It's about Braxton Madison," she said gleefully. "Rachael, I finally found someone who is willing to say that they saw him in the bakery that day!"
I was silent.
"Rach? Isn't that good news?"
"Sure," I said flatly.
She sounded a little nervous as she kept talking. "While he and Olive were in the bakery, we had some mail delivered," she said excitedly. "I'd forgotten about it. It wasn't even in my notes."
I scoffed a little. Her notes.
"Anyway, yesterday when the mail got delivered to my place, I suddenly remembered! It was our regular postman Darrell that day, and he'd paused for a few seconds to chat with me. But I'd been so worried about waiting on Olive's table that I didn't have time to talk to him. But I got into contact with him, and Rachael! Guess what! He remembers seeing Braxton Madison in there. Said he recognized him well because he is intending to vote for him in the election."
I was still silent.
"Rachael, aren't you going to say something?" she asked. "This is great news for you! We can prove that Braxton Madison was there. It will get you off the hook," she said.
Suddenly I knew why Chloe had been so keen to help me out with my investigation. And it had nothing to do with getting me off the hook and everything to do with getting herself off the hook.
But I had to play along for just for a little while longer.
"Awesome," I forced myself to say in an excited tone. "Why don't you come down and meet me at the bakery? We can go over everything. Make sure that our case is water tight. Make sure that Braxton Madison doesn't get away with this," I added firmly.
The Mud Pie Murderess: A Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery Page 8
