Wasn’t that what relationships were all about? Taking risks and putting yourself at the mercy of others? Wasn’t it worth it when you chose right? Choosing right was the key. But what was right for me? Or should I ask who was right for me? I glanced over to where Shawn hung out in a quiet corner, there but out of the way, as he’d promised. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that answer, to know if either of the men was The One. Francine had two men stalking her, and neither was The One.
I was glad I would have a while to figure out what I wanted. I smiled at Shawn, then at Jack, and returned my gaze to the happy couple, who were now kissing. Man and wife. A twinge of jealousy shot through me, wishing I were as certain as Kat about my future, but I pushed it back. I was happy for them, no matter what, so I wouldn’t let anything ruin their day.
The newlyweds hurried back down the aisle to greet their guests as they flowed from the seating area to where the tables were set up. Finger food all around, as they’d decided to keep it simple and casual.
Jack met me as I followed the family to the reception area. He took my hand. “That was nice, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. Really nice.” We shared a smile before I was distracted by Sadie latching onto my other hand, asking about the cake. Hand in hand, in hand, we followed the others out.
The backyard started to fill up with additional well-wishers within half an hour. General announcements had welcomed everyone to the reception, but we hadn’t expected much of a crowd because they hadn’t lived in the area long. But parents of the kids’ art program Kat volunteered with showed up. The other residents in their neighborhood seemed to take it as a personal invitation to make the welcome official. And dozens of regular customers to our shop filled the receiving line. It went on for nearly two hours, pushing back the dancing by half an hour.
I chatted with a lot of people as they oohed and ahhed over Lenny’s cakes. The main cake was completely white and silver and had four layers representing their lives. The first layer had farm implements and hay bales made out of modeling chocolate to signify Kat’s life with her family and childhood. It included drawing pencils and paintbrushes with drops of color on the white fondant.
The second layer had famous scenes from Chicago, pastry brushes and even a tiny set of handcuffs—the reason Lenny had turned to culinary school after he spent two months of his jail sentence working in the kitchen. Admittedly, the cuffs were mostly hidden under a car—an apt choice since boosting stereos was why he went to jail in the first place. The layer was kind of dark gray—he’d told me it represented the confusion and mess his life was in before he met Kat.
The third layer represented things they did together and both loved: memories from dating like buckets of popped corn and the facade of the gallery around the corner from their apartment. The top layer had cacti and wire whisks, paint brushes, flowers from the garden she had planted that summer and other things to represent their life here in Silver Springs, and their hopes for the future.
The groom’s cake, in stark contrast was a steampunk fantasy all in gold, copper and silver with a plethora of gears and switches that would confuse anyone but Doctor Who himself. “Did you make the cakes?” the postmistress asked when the new couple was enjoying their first dance as man and wife. She knew Kat, who shipped packages all over the country and was often in the post office.
“No, Lenny did them—one hundred percent.” Pride filled my voice. I’d never made a better decision than the day I decided to hire him in Chicago several years earlier, despite the fact that he’d looked like he lived on the street—only cleaner.
She lifted a brow at me. “Really?”
“Really. He talked to me about how to make some of the decorations, and the structure for the groom’s cake, but I did not touch them. They’re awesome, aren’t they? I’m so lucky to have someone so skilled working with me.” Not for me, not really, even though I signed his paycheck.
“Has he been helping you with your investigation?” she asked.
“Here and there. Mostly by being in the store so I can skip out when I need to. And he’s a whiz on the computer.”
“That’s a handy skill. I keep hearing tidbits of gossip about that girl who died. Such a shame, isn’t it? From North Carolina, isn’t she?”
“No, actually, she lived in Abilene, Texas before she moved here.” A sudden thought occurred to me. She might know who had moved into town lately from Texas. They received forwarded mail, right? “Hey, do you know anyone else from the Abilene area who moved here recently too?”
She smiled in surprise. “Yes. Ben, the new mail carrier, lived there before his transfer. He was working in the sorting area before, packing the daily deliveries. He’s such a good mailman, so on top of things.”
“Really?” I felt lightheaded. Ben was from Abilene? He had access to the mail sorter and could have put the letters in the mail carrier’s stack. He was medium build, with a round face and under six feet. And he would be able to give perfect directions to the old guy’s place for the cake delivery since he probably delivered his mail every day.
I was so distracted by the revelation I almost didn’t hear her response. “It’s been nice having him in the office. He’s so nice and punctual. You know how hard it is to find good employees.” Her eyes caught on something. “Oh look, they’re about to cut the cake. I have to try some of that!” She waved goodbye and hurried to the table.
I looked around and found Jack dancing with Sadie. She giggled almost uncontrollably. He didn’t look away for a moment, a teasing glint in his eyes as he talked to her. I stopped for a moment to watch them and wondered if she would remember this as an adult, this perfect moment in time when she was her father’s whole world. I don’t think I could ever forget it.
The music ended and Honey made an announcement about the cutting of the cake. I moved to intercept Jack as he brought Sadie to watch. I felt a hand on the small of my back and looked over my shoulder to see Shawn standing there. He looked as good in a suit as I remembered, and even better up close than my previous glimpses of him across the yard.
“You looked worried. What’s going on?” he asked.
“I figured out who the murderer is,” I hissed in his ear so those around us wouldn’t overhear. “It’s Ben, the mail guy—he’s from Abilene and he knows I was checking into the stalker.” Something occurred to me. “He was even in my shop the day the dish soap was spilled on the floor.”
“What dish soap?” Shawn asked, confused.
I shook my head. “Never mind that. I don’t have my phone on me, but if you could call Tingey and tell him to check, I bet he’ll find what he needs.”
His face went grim. “I’m on it.” He stepped away.
I turned and looked for Jack again. Pressure built in my chest as I thought of how big and strong Ben’s hands were. Definitely strong enough to strangle someone. How had he met Francine? Had she known he was the one stalking her? Had Cole figured it out? If he really was tracking her, he might have seen Ben around and put it all together. Where was Ben now?
“I thought Shawn was going to stay back?” Jack asked in a low voice when I caught up with him.
I wanted to growl—the tug of war was already going. “He noticed I was upset. I figured out who we’re looking for. He stepped away to call Tingey.”
“Oh, well. Good, I guess.” His brow furrowed. “Who is it?” When I filled him in, he grimaced. “I never would have guessed. At least now you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the evening.”
I nodded and smiled (though it was mostly so he wouldn’t worry about me) turning to watch Lenny feed Kat a dainty bite of cake. With any luck, Tingey would have Ben hauled in for questioning long before the party ended. I held my cell phone now, thinking Tingey or Shawn might call or text when Ben was in custody. Would Tingey believe me? Would he at least take the time to check it out?
I nearly jumped when someone touched my shoulder from behind. I whirled and put my hand to my chest, realizing it was just Hon
ey. “You nearly scared me out of my skin.”
“Why are you so jumpy? Calm down, the evening is going perfect and everyone’s raving about Lenny’s cakes.”
“As they should. They’re fantastic. What’s going on?” I sucked in air, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Time to take their stuff out to Kat’s car. Her brothers have been enjoying themselves decorating it. It may not all be child appropriate.”
“Yay.” I wondered what fabulous craziness I would find when I got out there. “I’ll double-check it before they leave. Where is everything?”
“Their stuff is inside in the two guest rooms the Dutsons let us use. Lenny and Kat said they have everything packed, it just needs to go to the car. Can you do that for me? Thanks!” She took off before I could answer.
I dutifully trekked toward the house, passing Lenny and Kat as I went.
Lenny grabbed my arm as they danced by. “I’ve barely had a chance to say hi tonight, but I want to thank you, in case we don’t have a chance later. This was perfect.” He pulled me into a hug.
“Yes, and Lenny told me how worried he was about today and that you gave him a good pep talk,” Kat said, giving me a squeeze too. “Just like you did for me. I appreciate it. I’m so happy, and this is perfect. The whole night was perfect.”
“Didn’t your jaw nearly drop when you saw the cake?” I asked, glad they were both happy now and the doubts were over.
“It’s amazing. Both cakes are. Not that I’m surprised,” she said this last to Lenny and kissed him in punctuation.
I smiled. “You two have a terrific honeymoon. I’m going to get your stuff and stash it in the car so you can leave when you’re ready.”
“Are you kidding?” Lenny asked. “I was ready two hours ago.” He wiggled his brows at Kat, who laughed and blushed.
“Then I better get to work.” I went into the house and grabbed Kat’s suitcase and the garment bag Lenny had left behind. I checked under furniture for any shoes or personal belongings they might have left and hauled everything out to the car. This being Silver Springs, she hadn’t bothered to lock up, so I was able to stow their belongings in the back seat, rolling my eyes when I saw the baby squid splattered across the windshield, in-between the Oreos that had been stuck to the windows. That was going to be a pain to clean up, but since everything was kid safe, I wasn’t going to worry about it.
I pivoted on my heels—which were killing my feet after having stood on them for so long (it was worth it when they were so fabulous)—and looked up to see a figure emerging from the shadows by a parked car.
“Hello, Tess. It’s been a busy week for you,” Ben said.
Ice filled my veins when I heard his voice and saw the face that was usually so friendly and smiling, but wasn’t anymore. The streetlights seemed to gleam off his eyes, making him look even more menacing, though in my heels, I was roughly the same height as him. I shifted backward, toward the house. “Hello, Ben. I’m surprised you didn’t go around back to have some cake. It’s disappearing fast and everyone’s raving about it.” I almost stumbled as I continued stepping back toward the house, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off him, especially since I couldn’t see what was in his hands, which hung tight at his sides. Maybe this time he wouldn’t use a garrote, maybe he’d just use those strong fingers. I could almost feel them tightening around my neck and touched my throat to reassure myself that I was fine.
“I’m sure it is. Your cakes are always good.” He kept making steady progress, moving toward me.
I tripped on the gutter, but managed not to fall down. “Lenny baked and decorated them this time. He’s very good too. You should see what’s left of them. We’ll post pictures on the wall next week for people to gawk at. It’s great advertising.” I gestured to the backyard. There was safety in numbers, right? That’s what I wanted. I hadn’t heard from Shawn yet and wondered where he was when I really needed him.
Ben narrowed the gap between us even as I moved away as quickly as I could without turning my back to him. I glanced over my shoulder to see if there was anyone coming our way, but there wasn’t. Shouldn’t there be a steady stream of people going home at this time of night? Where was everyone? Could I make it to the edge of the crowd before Ben stopped me? Was he even planning on stopping me, or was he just checking things out? Had my reaction to him tipped him off that I knew the truth?
He grabbed me by the elbow and slapped a hand over my mouth, pulling me into the bushes. I struggled against him and turned to call for help, but I couldn’t free my mouth and I knew the noise I made didn’t stretch more than a few feet away from us.
“You just had to cause problems, didn’t you? Poking into Francine’s past, digging through her house for the letters I sent. I loved her—we loved each other. The fact that she kept those letters proves it. The cop was clueless, but you found the trail that led back to me, didn’t you?” He hissed in my ear and yanked my right arm up behind me until I was sure he might pull it out of the socket.
The music from the dance floor turned to a loud, heavy beat, loud enough the neighbors were bound to complain. Loud enough to cover any noises I might make, even if I could scream.
“Cole couldn’t let it go either,” Ben continued, “and you know where he ended up. He had the gall to tell everyone that they were an item when she wouldn’t give him the time of day. She belonged to me.”
Jack or Honey were bound to realize I didn’t come back and start looking for me soon if I could stay alive that long. “He was harmless.” So the words came out more like muttered babble, but he seemed to understand me and I wanted to keep him talking.
“The dweeb figured out it was me,” Ben said. “He was always getting in the way when I tried to talk to Francine and he confronted me about her. I had to get rid of him before he went to the cops.” He gave my arm a shake in emphasis and I cried out in pain.
“Shut up.” His hand left my face to punch me in my already-sore ribs, making me double over. I cried out, though I didn’t think it was loud enough to get anyone’s attention. The bass pounded with the music only twenty feet away.
“I should have just found a chance to get you alone before. Taking you out in person is so much simpler, and more rewarding.” He held out a piece of wire where I could see it. “I can’t wait to wrap this around your neck.”
I felt my eyes widen and the breath evaporated from my lungs. I couldn’t let him kill me, no matter what, so I screamed again, much louder than before, even if I couldn’t fight back without excruciating pain. I raked his leg with my foot, stomping on his toes with the sharp point of my heel.
He yelped and twisted my arm some more. “Shut up.” He swore several times and I heard a voice calling my name.
“Tess!” It was Shawn.
“Over here!”
Ben punched my side again.
Shawn came around the corner of the bushes to find us standing there. “What’s going on?” He reached out to grab me, but Ben moved me away.
Ben wrapped his extra arm around my stomach as if we were snuggling or something; how he intended to pull that off with the pain and fear on my face, I had no idea. “This is between my lady and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Wrong. She’s my lady, and you better let go of her.” Shawn had a gun in his hand in an instant. I hadn’t seen him draw it and I couldn’t see a holster. I gasped in a breath, hope spiking back through me as Ben’s grip on my twisted arm loosened slightly, relieving the pain.
Ben froze in place behind me, but he didn’t let go, using me as a shield. “What are you, some kind of cop?”
“Yeah, I am. Are you going to let my girl go, or am I going to show you how good my aim is?” His face was granite-hard and there wasn’t a twitch giving away that he might not be serious.
I knew he wouldn’t pull the trigger unless he had a clear shot, but I couldn’t help being terrified that I would catch the bullet instead. It sure seemed to be my MO.
“Correctio
n.” Jack’s voice came from behind me.
Ben’s grip shuddered slightly and the stretch on my shoulder grew almost unbearable, making me scream, but then I was free. I stumbled away, falling to my knees in the grass and scrambling to where Shawn had been standing. He jumped at Ben as soon as I was free. I looked behind me to where the voice had come from, and saw Jack shaking his hand as if it hurt. Ben was on the ground. Jack had just decked Ben! “She’s our girl.” He looked at me and his head tipped. “That sounds wrong.”
Shawn kneeled on Ben’s back, pulling his arms behind him to put on cuffs and reading him his rights. Technically he didn’t belong to the local police department—yet—but I didn’t foresee the department complaining about the assist.
I stumbled toward Jack, who met me halfway, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me against him. “Are you okay?” he asked. He held me tight for a long moment, then loosened his grip to look me over. “Are you hurt anywhere? Any blood?”
“I don’t need an IV,” I said flatly, making him smile, even if it was fleeting.
“That’s what you always say, even when you do need one.”
“This time I don’t. I’m fine. I think.” I moved my shoulder in circles, wincing at the discomfort, but it moved, so I didn’t see any reason for a trip to the ER. “I thought he was going to dislocate my shoulder, but I guess not.”
“Good.” He wrapped me in his strong arms again and I set my head on his shoulder, tears brimming in my eyes. The adrenaline in my system had me shaky and weak.
“Is this Ben?” Shawn asked as he hauled the guy to his feet. “Are you sure he’s the killer?”
“He did it.” I looked at Shawn, who was studying me. “He confessed.”
“I know you have the paramedic there, but do you need to see a doctor?” he asked.
“Heaven forbid.” I went into full dramatics. “I might not even have a bruise.” Except for on my ribs where Ben hit me, but I didn’t think he’d broken anything there, either. I didn’t want either of the men to know about that until the adrenalin stopped pounding through them or I might end up talking to a doctor anyway.
Muffins & Murder (Sweet Bites Book 3) (Sweet Bites Mysteries) Page 18
