MYSTERY: COZY MYSTERY: WOMEN SLEUTHS: Madeline's Secret Recipe Series (Cozy Humor Kitchen Detective Mystery) (Suspense Sweet Cove Short Story Culinary Comedy)

by Lorrie Bannett

  But there was always a problem with how the finances were being managed. Though Madeline didn’t understand a damn thing about the company was being run, it was a little bit difficult for her not to notice how the money was being spent.

  It seemed as though the rebranding was taking way too much money than they had budgeted for and in the end, Madeline had to make sure that the matter was looked into effectively. It was Edward who was taking care of the finances. Despite the fact that he didn’t have any formal education, he was good with numbers.

  The business was pretty much his. But if it weren’t for his stepdaughters, it wouldn’t have become as successful as it had become. On the other hand, the girls didn’t care about possession. As far as they knew, the company belonged to the family as all of the profits continued rolling in and shared equally. And it was because of the latter that Madeline was a little bit worried.

  She was sure that someone in the family was misappropriating the funds. And just like her mother, she felt that she needed to know whom that person was.

  Just recently, a hundred thousand just went missing, and Edward said he had used the money to clear the balance that they had with the branding manager. But the funny thing was that Madeline had signed the contract, and the only thing she needed was half that amount. They figured that maybe Edward needed the money, and so they didn’t ask him too many questions. But still, Madeline thought she and her sisters needed to know.

  And that was why she called another meeting. But this time round, their stepdad wasn’t invited. The girls met outside their refurbished restaurant and drunk some juice, just like they used to do in the old days.

  “You know; I have been suspecting him for a while. But hey, it’s his company. He can do whatever he pleases with the returns.”

  “I don’t think so. Yes, he worked his ass off to get the capital. But it was I who sacrificed my childhood to get the skills. Lewis is the one who hustled the journalist who did a story about the pastries. At the end of the day, everyone pitched including your teenage daughters. And that makes it our company. So when someone chooses to use the funds the way he pleases, it makes it our problem. You get my drift?”

  The girls thought for a moment without saying a word. Once again, Madeline was right. An action had to be taken. But the problem was and remained that they respect their dad so much that they didn’t have the courage to accuse him anything. Besides, for a stepdad, Edward had been sweet.

  But in the end, they knew that if they weren’t going to confront him, then the same thing might happen shortly. And in the future, it would be much more. That was a risk that they didn’t want to take when that dreaded time finally. Came. They all had made up their minds to take action.

  But the problem was with whom they were going to choose as the one to talk to Edward about the misappropriation of funds. It was the hardest part.

  If Madeline McDougal knew that running a corporate was going to be this difficult, then she would have stuck with running the small pastry shop and keeping the people in her little town happy. Honestly, this wasn’t about the money; it was about being passionately about baking.

  Her mom used to tell her that no amount of money can buy the satisfaction that came with seeing people chew on your pastries with that pinch of ecstasy written all over their faces. This feeling was more than priceless. And at the end of the day, this was the only thing that seemed to make sense. The money, well, it was necessary. But never was it a priority, until now.

  “Ok, fine! I will do it you, cowards!” Madeline finally declared after what seemed to be a very long silence. It was just another day in the business where Madeline had to take the hard decisions into her hands. Her sisters just smiled knowing that if at all approaching their stepfather was going to backfire, nobody was going to blame them at any given point.

  “But don’t worry, I think we will have you in our prayers.”

  “Sisters… this moment isn’t the time to joke.”

  But they weren’t going to hear any of this. Finding time to joke with their little sister was very rare nowadays, and when one found that kind of chance, they used it to the maximum. They tickled Madeline around just like they used to when they were kids and that put a smile on her face.

  Her sisters were her everything.

  ***

  “We are having a difficult time with the kind of money that is missing. We aren’t accusing you, but it is your department.”

  Edward didn’t know a damn thing about what they were saying. He took out his spectacles and wore them right before perusing through the financial jargon presented in the sheets. And in as much as he was trying to show that he was understanding whatever he was unsuccessfully trying to ready, he wasn’t.

  “Come on dad. I know you are trying to hide something. We don’t want to know where you took the money because we know you didn’t have a choice. But next time, please come and talk to us. It is our company, and we are making this for the family. If we need a damn thing, then I think it will be a good thing that the family knows.”

  Edward kept quiet for a moment. It felt as though he was feeling some guilt running through his veins, and the last thing he needed was to add another layer of guilt by not talking to his stepdaughter.

  “Ok, a friend of mine had a problem with his mortgage, and I helped him sort out. But I promise I will make sure that every penny is paid.”

  “It’s ok. The only thing we needed was for you to come clean and tell us whatever was going on papa. We are family. You have great night. I will talk to the others.”

  Madeline left the living room. But she wasn’t satisfied with the kind of answer that she got. It was clear that he was lying. There was something about it but since Edward didn’t want to talk about it, Madeline was cool with it. Now that she had told him, Madeline knew that it would be very foolish of him to make a move against them since she knew.

  Chapter 9:

  -The Big shot interview-

  It had been almost a month since they heard from Mary Moore and for some strange reason, Madeline woke up thinking about her kickass lawyer who made sure that everything had been sorted out. And that was the first thing that she did when she woke up.

  Madeline and her sisters had been working for several hours after the government had refunded them for the losses that they incurred after the closure, and they felt it was about time they reopened their shops.

  In other words, business was booming and needless to say, the sisters were going in for the kill. It was about time they made sure that everything was going on according to plan. For some reason, their priorities had changed. At first, it wasn’t for the money. But as time went on, their priorities seemed to have changed overnight. And now the only thing that they wanted was to ensure that they were proving their competitors wrong. They were in it to stay.

  Mary Moore had been working in the background of the business to ensure that the company was doing much better. And for that matter, all they needed to do was ensure that they were able to stay focused on the clock and bake as many pastries as they can. They knew for a fact that they needed a workforce. But that wasn’t a big problem since they had the financial boost that they needed.

  And in a week, they got about one hundred bakers from three top schools of culinary arts, and they got employed. All they needed to do was make sure that they were following instructions and never to ask what the secret ingredient was. And that was how the sisters were in a position to get back into the business.

  Needless to say, their clientele base increased, and they had no other choice but to ensure that they were doing just fine.

  Mary Moore decided to call in with some good news. It had something to do with an interview and Madeline was excited.

  “I thought the media stopped giving a shit about me.”

  “On the contrary Madeline, people have been wondering where the hell you went. It seemed as though the cameras loved. And I know this might be a long shot but maybe one of these fine days wh
en you would have made enough money, you should consider joining politics. It might do you some good if you ask me.”

  “In as much as I would love to join politics, I think that just isn’t my area of expertise. I really would love to have the interview. When can we schedule it because I have some good news for everyone in the country who believed in us and supported our pastry business?”

  “Now that is the kind of news that I want to hear. All I need to do is make a few calls and once I’m done, the next thing I will tell when-when I call you is the date of the interview. Just keep doing what you do best and the pastries will keep the country smiling.”

  “Thank you, Mary Moore. And just so you know, we miss you. And I think it wouldn’t hurt for you to come and say hello once in a while. Edward and the girls miss you.”

  “I think I will squeeze in time over the weekend, you know, say hello. I have missed you guys as well.

  ***

  “Ladies and gentlemen, she is known as the queen of pastries all over the country. Give it up for Miss Madeline McDougal!”

  Everyone cheered and clapped as hard as they could to the point that Madeline was having a difficult time to stay calm. Despite the fact that she was getting used to the limelight and all the attention that came with it, it was still a little bit difficult for her to process it sometimes. And so Madeline decided to take in the advice that Mary Moore had given her.

  If the attention seemed to be too overwhelming, the best thing for her to do was to shut everyone out. Just smile, wave and avoid looking at people in their eyes. In as much as it sounded a little bit cold, it did work. And Madeline used that trick to surviving.

  “Thank you, thank you very much, everyone! Well, Miss Madeline McDougal, welcome to the Rosy Oswald Show!”

  “Thank you so much, Mrs. Oswald. This interview is an amazing opportunity and the love, oh gosh, I can’t even begin to describe it. It’s just too darn amazing indeed!”

  “You are welcome dear. Oh, and it’s just Rosy.”

  “Ok Mrs. Rosy Oswald.”

  Everyone burst out laughing at Madeline’s sense of humor. She was always humorous especially when she was scared shitless. But as Mary Moore once told her, admitting that she was nervous during an interview, and so Madeline went ahead and admitted that fact.

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about us, my dear. We are not the police. We are here to help, not to bring you down. And before we start, I would like, on behalf of all the strong women who came from humble backgrounds, to thank you for standing your ground against these huge, multimillion corporates and coming on top.

  “It is very difficult for us the common people to fight these wars since we don’t have enough resources. But you, Madeline McDougal, have managed to do the unthinkable. And for that, we celebrate you.”

  The entire arena erupted into cheers and claps. Once again, Madeline had to face the audience and wave. She had held onto that fake, nervous smile on her face for so long that her cheeks were starting to hurt. But that was the price she had to pay to sell pastries and remain relevant. So she had no other choice but to smile.

  “So, without wasting time. We all want to know if you uncovered the people who were behind the unfair arrest.”

  “Pretty much, no. My lawyer thinks that these people are too careful to leave footsteps that will lead back to them. So they are using the police to do their dirty work for them.”

  “Are you saying that the police are dirty? That is one bold accusation.”

  “I am not saying anything rosy. I think their unfair actions speak louder than the rest of us. I am just mentioning what everyone has seen. If anything, they are doing a good job accusing themselves.”

  “And where you mistreated while in custody?”

  “Save for the unforgiving cold and being made to eat my pastries that were apparently poisonous, not really. I am from Tarpon Bay dear, we were never raised to crack under pressure.”

  “Well, I would be damned! Tarpon Bay stand up!”

  And for the third time, everyone in the arena cheered and clapped. Madeline was now reaching at that point where blushing was becoming inevitable. And for the umpteenth time, all she was doing was making sure she stayed smiling. The lights on stage were blinding, and Madeline was doing her level best to make sure that she wasn’t looking at them directly.

  After the clapping had died down, it was time for the inquest to continue. They weren’t really in a mood to waste time since it was budgeted time. So rosy Oswald continued with her interview after a quick glance at her Rolex.

  “So, what new do you have in store for us? We loved the pastries and the rebranding. What are you planning on telling these people who are living in other parts of the country that haven’t tasted these magical pastries yet?”

  “Well, fear not. We are opening three other branches on the west and eastern part of the country, and once we have found the exact locations, the states will be made public, and we won’t stop there. We will make sure that in a few years to come, we are going to make sure that everyone has had a taste of our product.”

  “And speaking of your unique product. I learn that there is a secret ingredient that has made the pastries stand out from the rest. What is the problem with you not wanting to share it?”

  That was a tricky question. One that Madeline McDougal had been very well prepared to make sure that she answered it once and for all. She paused for a moment, looking for the strength to deliver her speech.

  “Some of the great companies that the world has ever seen including Coca-Cola has managed to keep their secret ingredient a secret. And we all know why. It’s because when a secret is made public, it ceases to be a secret. And people will go ahead and try to reinvent it and in the end, it will lose its value. That is why we keep it as a family secret.”

  “Don’t you think it’s a little bit selfish for you to do this?”

  “If we were selfish Mrs. Rosy Oswald, we wouldn’t be sharing these pastries with the world.”

  Everyone clapped and others stood up and cheered. For the first time in many, many interviews, Mrs. Rosy Oswald had been silenced. That was so clever of Madeline and to prevent looking bad, Rosy Oswald called for a commercial break.

  “Well, you did well Madeline, just relax for five minutes we will go live and finish this. Make sure you are ready to blow their minds away.” Rose said with a smile on her face.

  Madeline just nodded. And no sooner had she left the room than her phone rung. It was Mary Moore. So she smiled from ear to ear and received it.

  “What are you up to woman?”

  “Madeline, I need you to come out of that interview. Something very bad is going to happen. Leave that building right now!”

  Madeline almost froze for a moment or two. Here she was thinking that everything was done but from the look of things, it seemed as though it was just beginning. She picked up her purse and left as she was instructed by her lawyer.

  << The End >>

  Madeline’s Secret Recipe (Book 3)

  Chapter 1:

  -Twists and turns-

  Mary Moore didn’t seem like the kind of person to dish out jokes. And judging from the way she was speaking, it seemed as though it was a matter of life and death. As usual, Madeline panicked. Leaving the show would be a bad thing for her to do when she had just fired up the jovial crowd the way she had. It would not only be unexpected, but it would let everyone who was watching down.

  According to the segment that Mrs. Rosy Oswald was doing, there was a part of the show where the people were supposed to text or write anything they wanted to ask Madeline McDougal. And there was a catch as far as that segment was concerned. The catch was that if they asked you a question, then you were to answer it without all truthfulness.

  It was the hardest part of it all since Madeline wasn’t good at lying. But what she hadn’t known was that Mrs. Rosy Oswald had been paid handsomely by the Queen of Pastries competitors to get the recipe from her wittily. And Madeline did
n’t have an idea that she was about to be played that way because the big opportunity blinded her that the show granted her since it had twelve million viewers strong.

  This show was done behind Mary Moore’s back since they knew she would want to know all of the details. And if that ever happened, then the interview was never going to work out at all. Mary Moore was a very smart lawyer and needless to say, she was feared by both criminals and corporates alike.

  It only occurred to Mary Moore that Madeline was going live ten minutes into the show when a colleague mentioned it to her. Quickly, Mary Moore called one of Madeline’s sisters and asked for the contracts. Madeline’s sister made sure that she had given her all the details that she wanted, and once this was concluded, she realized the trap that had been set for Madeline and decided to call her immediately.

  It was a tricky move, and Mary couldn’t blame Madeline for not noticing. From the look of things, they were counting on the fact that she was still naïve and would get to use that opportunity to self-destruct. But thankfully, she had a kickass lawyer who was going to do all with her to ensure that it never got to happen.

  Madeline knew that she was in a very precarious position, and she needed to follow her attorney’s advice. And at that point, she decided to wind up the interview so that she can hit the road. Mary had advised Madeline to meet her at their Tarpon Bay home so that she can give her terms and conditions about getting to do interviews.

  And just like that, Madeline left without a shred of warning. That was the last thing she ever wanted to do. But since Mrs. Rosy Oswald had tricked her into doing an interview that will lead to the destruction of her family business, Madeline didn’t have to explain anything about her sudden departure.

  So she took her handbag and walked off as the boss she was. Mrs. Rosy Oswald was in the other room having her nose – which resembled the beak of a hawk – powdered. That explained why it was taking a lot to get powdered, and Madeline took that opportunity and snuck out.