“There you guys are. We were looking for you,” Lexy said.
“Oh, we’ve been here for a while,” Ruth answered.
“We’ve already picked up some of Myra Biddeford’s prize-winning jam,” Helen said pulling a strawberry jam-filled glass jar with a red and white checkered ribbon around it from her purse.
“And seen Miles O’Brien’s fancy hens and roosters,” Ida said, then leaned toward Lexy and whispered in her ear. “I think Helen’s kind of sweet on Miles.”
“And now we’re ready to head to the beer tent,” Helen added.
“Perfect. John and Cassie are supposed to meet us there,” Jack said.
“I’ve got the map right here.” Nans held out a pamphlet that showed a map of the bicentennial fairgrounds. “Now if I could just figure out how to get there.”
“Where is it?” Lexy looked over Nans’ shoulder at the map.
“The beer tent is here.” Nans pointed to a spot on the map. “I just don’t know where we are.”
“I think we’re here.” Lexy leaned over and pointed, the ends of the blue ribbon fluttering on the map.
“Oh, where are my manners!” Nans exclaimed. “You won first prize with the scones?”
Lexy nodded, blushing slightly.
“Congratulations,” everyone chorused as Nans squeezed Lexy into a hug.
“Thanks,” Lexy said. “I’m just glad I was around to actually bake them. That was a close call in the sewer.”
“Well, thankfully that Caraleigh person won’t be bothering you or taking business from your bakery anymore,” Nans answered.
“So, what exactly did happen last night?” Ruth’s brow creased as she looked at Jack. “I mean how did Caraleigh and Victor find us in the sewer?”
“From the statements we got, it seems Caraleigh and her brother didn’t know you had gone down to the sewer. She said she saw you leave through the front door,” Jack said.
“That’s right,” Ruth replied. “We went to Victor’s, but then we went back to Lexy’s after we got the key to open the door.”
“I saw her watching us,” Lexy said. “She must have seen us leave and didn’t realize we came back.”
“Apparently, Victor was watching too,” Jack continued. “Because he saw Caraleigh and Harvey break into The Cup and Cake through the back. He already guessed they were after the money, so he simply followed them in. His plan was to capture all of you together, but Harvey surprised him in the basement and Victor had to knock him out.”
“So, Victor is going to jail?” Nans asked.
“Yep. Not only for what he did in the sewer, but also for his part in the 1948 robbery. He’s just lucky he didn’t kill Harvey or he’d be getting a much stiffer sentence.”
“Justice has been served,” Ida said. “But I’m a little peeved there was no reward for finding the stolen money.”
“Sorry about that.” Jack spread his hands. “That’s up to the bank, not us.”
“One thing still bothers me,” Ruth said.
“What’s that?”
“The ring Lexy found in The Cup and Cake after the first break in … how did Victor steal that from Caraleigh?”
Jack laughed. “Victor was a pickpocket back in the day, so he had a whole bag full of tricks. Apparently, he had some way of slipping the ring off a person’s finger without them noticing. He said he did it when he bought a muffin from her shop and they were exchanging the money.”
“That confirms what he told us in the tunnel,” Helen said.
“And Caraleigh and Harvey … are they going to jail?” Lexy asked.
Jack’s face hardened. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much to charge them with. Victor interrupted their plan to take the money and leave you guys in the sewer, so all we have is some minor charges. They’ll probably get off with parole because, the truth is, they never actually did anything wrong other than break into the bakery.”
“So, Victor did them a big favor,” Nans said.
Lexy made a face. “That hardly seems fair. Their whole bakery was a scam and they did a lot of bad things, not to mention they were going to steal all the money and leave us for dead!”
“I know.” Nans rubbed Lexy’s back soothingly. “Let’s just be glad they’ll be leaving town and we’ve seen the last of them.”
“Oh, I don’t know if you’ve seen the last of them,” a voice behind Nans said. Lexy turned to see Watson Davies decked out in a knee-length black leather jacket over faded denim jeans and black mid-calf boots. She had something bulky inside her jacket, but Lexy didn’t have time to speculate, she was more concerned about why she said they hadn’t seen the last of the Brewster’s.
“Why not?” Lexy wrinkled her face at Davies.
“I just came from the station and Caraleigh is pressing charges against the five of you for kidnapping and assault,” Davies said.
Nans, Ruth, Ida, Helen, and Lexy exchanged open-mouthed looks.
“Are you serious?” Lexy asked.
Davies half shrugged. “Yep.”
“Well, I never,” Helen said.
“That sure does take the cake,” Nans added. “No pun intended.”
“Surely, they won’t win?’ Lexy asked. “Will they?”
Jack shook his head. “Of course not. They’re just mad because their plans got ruined and they’re trying to get revenge.”
Ruth snorted. “Yeah. By now they figured they’d be sitting on top of a fortune like a couple of fat cats.”
“Speaking of cats,” Lexy said. “I wonder what’s going to happen to Victor’s cat. I saw him out by the dumpster this morning when I went in to bake the scones, but he wasn’t there when I left.”
“Oh, I think he’ll be fine,” Davies said as she opened her jacket to reveal she had been holding the orange tiger cat the whole time.
“Davies, you really do have a heart!” Nans said.
Davies shrugged. “He was there by the dumpster crying when I went over to remove the crime scene tape and I figured I could use him at my place to chase down the mice.”
“Well, it’s good to see someone is getting something out of this whole mess,” Jack said, then turned to Nans and the ladies. “I hate to say I told you so, but I think you all can agree if you’d listened to me when I said you shouldn’t go in the sewers you’d have been better off.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Ida said indignantly. “I don’t think the real killer of Midas Mulcahey and the woman that was killed with him would have been uncovered, or the money from the bank robbery found.”
“Yeah,” Nans said, then withered a bit under Jack’s piercing look. “But you were right about it being dangerous.”
Nans looked back down at the map and then pointed to the left. “I think the beer tent is that way.”
“So you’re going to listen to me from now on, right Mona?” Jack asked.
“What?” Nans turned to look at Jack. “Oh, we’ll listen. We promise to never go in the sewers again. Don’t we, girls?”
“Of course,” Ruth said.
“Sure thing,” Ida added.
“You bet,” Helen agreed.
Jack rolled his eyes, then draped his arm over Lexy’s shoulders and turned in the direction Nans had pointed to earlier. “Come on then, ladies. Let’s get to the beer tent. The least you can all do is to buy me a beer.”
The end.
***
Want to read about more of Lexy’s and Nans’ adventures? Get the rest of the Lexy Baker series for your Kindle:
Save 50% when you buy the Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Boxed Set:
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)
Or buy the books separately:
Killer Cupcakes (Book 1)
Dying For Danish (Book 2)
Murder, Money and Marzipan (Book 3)
3 Bodies and a Biscotti (Book 4)
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys (Book 5)
Bake, Battle & Roll (Book 6)
Wedded Blintz
(Book 7)
A Note From The Author
Thanks so much for reading my cozy mystery “Scones, Skulls & Scams”. I hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you did, and feel inclined to leave a review over at Amazon, I really would appreciate it.
This is book eight of the Lexy Baker series, you can find the rest of the books on my website, or over at Amazon if you want to read more of Lexy’s and Nans’s adventures.
Also, if you like cozy mysteries, you might like my book “Dead Wrong” which is book one in the Blackmoore Sisters series. Set in the seaside town of Noquitt Maine, the Blackmoore sisters will take you on a journey of secrets, romance and maybe even a little magic. I have an excerpt from it at the end of this book.
This book has been through many edits with several people and even some software programs, but since nothing is infallible (even the software programs) you might catch a spelling error or mistake and, if you do, I sure would appreciate it if you let me know - you can contact me at [email protected].
Oh, and I love to connect with my readers so please do visit me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/leighanndobbsbooks
Signup to get my newest releases at a discount and notification of contests:
http://www.leighanndobbs.com/newsletter
About The Author
Leighann Dobbs discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. When she’s not reading, gardening or selling antiques, she likes to write romance and cozy mystery novels and novelettes which are perfect for the busy person on the go.
Find out about her latest books and how to get discounts on them by signing up at:
http://www.leighanndobbs.com/newsletter
Connect with Leighann on Facebook and Twitter
http://facebook.com/leighanndobbsbooks
http://twitter.com/leighanndobbs
***
More Books By Leighann Dobbs
Lexy Baker
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)
Or buy the books separately:
Killer Cupcakes (Book 1)
Dying For Danish (Book 2)
Murder, Money and Marzipan (Book 3)
3 Bodies and a Biscotti (Book 4)
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys (Book 5)
Bake, Battle & Roll (Book 6)
Wedded Blintz (Book 7)
-------
Blackmoore Sisters
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Dead Wrong
Dead & Buried
Dead Tide
Buried Secrets
-------
Kate Diamond
Adventure/Suspense Series
* * *
Hidden Agemda
-------
Contemporary
Romance
* * *
Sweet Escapes
Reluctant Romance
-------
Dobbs “Fancytales”
Regency Romance Fairytales Series
* * *
Something In Red
Snow White and the Seven Rogues
Dancing On Glass
The Beast of Edenmaine
The Reluctant Princess
***
Excerpt From Dead Wrong:
Morgan Blackmoore tapped her finger lightly on the counter, her mind barely registering the low buzz of voices behind her in the crowded coffee shop as she mentally prioritized the tasks that awaited her back at her own store.
“Here you go, one yerba mate tea and a vanilla latte.” Felicity rang up the purchase, as Morgan dug in the front pocket of her faded denim jeans for some cash which she traded for the two paper cups.
Inhaling the spicy aroma of the tea, she turned to leave, her long, silky black hair swinging behind her. Elbowing her way through the crowd, she headed toward the door. At this time of morning, the coffee shop was filled with locals and Morgan knew almost all of them well enough to exchange a quick greeting or nod.
Suddenly a short, stout figure appeared, blocking her path. Morgan let out a sharp breath, recognizing the figure as Prudence Littlefield.
Prudence had a long running feud with the Blackmoore’s which dated back to some sort of run-in she’d had with Morgan’s grandmother when they were young girls. As a result, Prudence loved to harass and berate the Blackmoore girls in public. Morgan’s eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape route.
“Just who do you think you are?” Prudence demanded, her hands fisted on her hips, legs spaced shoulder width apart. Morgan noticed she was wearing her usual knee high rubber boots and an orange sunflower scarf.
Morgan’s brow furrowed over her ice blue eyes as she stared at the older woman’s prune like face.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you play dumb with me Morgan Blackmoore. What kind of concoction did you give my Ed? He’s been acting plumb crazy.”
Morgan thought back over the previous week’s customers. Ed Littlefield had come into her herbal remedies shop, but she’d be damned if she’d announce to the whole town what he was after.
She narrowed her eyes at Prudence. “That’s between me and Ed.”
Prudence’s cheeks turned crimson. Her nostrils flared. “You know what I think,” she said narrowing her eyes and leaning in toward Morgan, “I think you’re a witch, just like your great-great-great-grandmother!”
Morgan felt an angry heat course through her veins. There was nothing she hated more than being called a witch. She was a Doctor of Pharmacology with a Master Herbalist’s license, not some sort of spell-casting conjurer.
The coffee shop had grown silent. Morgan could feel the crowd staring at her. She leaned forward, looking wrinkled old Prudence Littlefield straight in the eye.
“Well now, I think we know that’s not true,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “Because if I was a witch, I’d have turned you into a newt long ago.”
Then she pushed her way past the old crone and fled out the coffee shop door.
###
Fiona Blackmoore stared at the amethyst crystal in front of her wondering how to work it into a pendant. On most days, she could easily figure out exactly how to cut and position the stone, but right now her brain was in a pre-caffeine fog.
Where was Morgan with her latte?
She sighed, looking at her watch. It was ten past eight, Morgan should be here by now, she thought impatiently.
Fiona looked around the small shop, Sticks and Stones, she shared with her sister. An old cottage that had been in the family for generations, it sat at one of the highest points in their town of Noquitt, Maine.
Turning in her chair, she looked out the back window. In between the tree trunks that made up a small patch of woods, she had a bird’s eye view of the sparkling, sapphire blue Atlantic Ocean in the distance.
The cottage sat about 500 feet inland at the top of a high cliff that plunged into the Atlantic. If the woods were cleared, like the developers wanted, the view would be even better. But Fiona would have none of that, no matter how much the developers offered them, or how much they needed the money. She and her sisters would never sell the cottage.
She turned away from the window and surveyed the inside of the shop. One side was setup as an apothecary of sorts. Antique slotted shelves loaded with various herbs lined the walls. Dried weeds hung from the rafters and several mortar and pestles stood on the counter, ready for whatever herbal concoctions her sister was hired to make.
On her side sat a variety of gemologist tools and a large assortment of crystals. Three antique oak and glass jewelry cases displayed her creations. Fiona smiled as she looked at them. Since childhood she had been fascinated with rocks and gems so it was no surprise to anyone when she grew up to become a gemologist and jewelry designer, creating jewelry not
only for its beauty, but also for its healing properties.
The two sisters vocations suited each other perfectly and they often worked together providing customers with crystal and herbal healing for whatever ailed them.
The jangling of the bell over the door brought her attention to the front of the shop. She breathed a sigh of relief when Morgan burst through the door, her cheeks flushed, holding two steaming paper cups.
“What’s the matter?” Fiona held her hand out, accepting the drink gratefully. Peeling back the plastic tab, she inhaled the sweet vanilla scent of the latte.
“I just had a run in with Prudence Littlefield!” Morgan’s eyes flashed with anger.
“Oh? I saw her walking down Shore road this morning wearing that god-awful orange sunflower scarf. What was the run-in about this time?” Fiona took the first sip of her latte, closing her eyes and waiting for the caffeine to power her blood stream. She’d had her own run-ins with Pru Littlefield and had learned to take them in stride.
“She was upset about an herbal mix I made for Ed. She called me a witch!"
“What did you make for him?”
“Just some Ginkgo, Ginseng and Horny Goat Weed … although the latter he said was for Prudence.”
Fiona’s eyes grew wide. “Aren’t those herbs for impotence?”
Morgan shrugged “Well, that’s what he wanted.”
“No wonder Prudence was mad…although you’d think just being married to her would have caused the impotence.”
Morgan burst out laughing. “No kidding. I had to question his sanity when he asked me for it. I thought maybe he had a girlfriend on the side.”
Fiona shook her head trying to clear the unwanted images of Ed and Prudence Littlefield together.
8 Scones, Skulls & Scams Page 12
