A sudden noise in the hall startled Lexy causing her to drop her flashlight which turned off when it hit the floor.
Who would be here at this time of night?
Lexy’s heart hammered against her ribcage as she dropped to her knees and groped for the flashlight. Her hand connected with the cold metal and she clutched the light in her fist.
Then she crouched under the desk and waited.
###
Lexy held her breath expecting someone to burst in the room at any second. She waited several minutes listening to only the sound of her own heartbeat thudding in her ears before she climbed out.
Was someone in the hall?
She crept over to the door and put her ear to it but didn’t hear anything. No light came in under the bottom of the door. She cracked the door open slowly and peeked out. Nothing.
Pulling the door the rest of the way open she slipped out into the hall. She was just about to head out the way she had come when a light at the other end of the hall caught her eye. It was coming from under Prescott Charles' door. Someone was in his office!
Lexy tiptoed back down the hall and stood to the side of his door. Shadows moved in the light that spilled out from underneath and she could hear the low murmur of voices. She leaned closer, straining to hear.
“… Killed him …”
“You …”
Snatches of conversation drifted out from the office and Lexy pressed even closer. Were they talking about the murder?
“… No … stabbed …”
Lexy felt her heart jolt … they were talking about the murder. Who was in there? She stepped up next to the door, her heart lurching when a floorboard gave her away with a loud groan.
The voices in the room stopped and she froze in her tracks.
“Is someone out there?” She heard a woman say from inside the room.
“No one should be here at this time of night.” A man’s voice this time, laced with panic.
Lexy’s mind whirled. Should she make a run for it, or stay still?
The door jerked open causing her heart to plummet.
Lexy’s eyebrows mashed together as her eyes registered the scene in front of her. Sylvia Spicer stood directly on the other side of the door, her beige silk shirt untucked and rumpled. Prescott Charles stood close behind her, his eyes wide, face turning beet red.
“You!” Sylvia pointed at Lexy who backed up a step. “What are you doing here?”
Lexy felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar until she realized she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t supposed to be there.
“Me? What are the two of you doing? I thought I heard you talking about killing Chef Dugasse.”
Lexy blurted it out without thinking then realized maybe she shouldn’t have said it. If they really were the killers then they’d already killed once and there wasn’t much to stop them from killing her. Lexy felt a pang in her stomach as she realized no one knew where she was.
“I didn’t say I killed the chef, I asked Prescott if he killed the chef.” Sylvia looked down, noticed her rumpled shirt, turned red and started smoothing it and tucking it in.
“Why would he kill Chef Dugasse?”
Sylvia and Prescott exchanged a look. Lexy wondered if she should make a break for it.
“I wouldn’t … I didn’t … but …” Prescott stammered.
“What is going on?” Lexy demanded.
Sylvia sighed and turned to Prescott. “We might as well tell her. She’s so nosey, she’s not going to stop until she finds out the truth and it’s better that we give her the real story.”
Nosey? Lexy’s back stiffened and she raised her eyebrows waiting for the ‘real story’.
Sylvia ran her fingers through her blonde hair and looked at Lexy. “You were right about me having an affair.”
Lexy’s eyebrows shot up. She knew it!
“But it wasn’t with Dugasse,” Sylvia added.
Lexy’s eyebrows fell back down and mashed together.
“It was with Prescott.” Sylvia turned to Prescott and he nodded.
Lexy felt her mouth fall open. She ping-ponged her eyes back and forth between the two of them. “But why did you act so squirrelly about Dugasse’s death?”
Sylvia sighed, collapsing into the guest chair. “Dugasse found out about our affair and he threatened to blackmail us.”
“So when he ended up dead … we each thought the other might have done it,” Prescott added.
“So that’s why you asked about hiding the body?” Lexy turned to Sylvia. “But why would you think I would want to hide it?”
“I don’t know what I was thinking. When I saw him dead, I panicked.”
Prescott put his hand on Sylvia’s shoulder. “So you see, we were acting strange because we were covering for each other.”
Lexy narrowed her eyes. “That’s what you say, but how do I know the two of you weren’t in on it together?”
“We both have alibis.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” Sylvia said. “Justin was in the freezer at the same time I was that morning. We discussed the way Chef had yelled at Thomas.”
“And I was in a meeting with eight other people,” Prescott added.
Lexy felt her stomach deflate. Sylvia had been her best suspect and now she’d have to find someone else. But who?
“Hey, what are you doing here this time of night, anyway?” Sylvia interrupted her thoughts.
Lexy felt her cheeks grow warm. “Oh, umm … well, I caught Brad Meltzer going through Dugasse’s office the other day and I wanted to see what he was up to.”
“Meltzer? He’s been acting really strange since Chef Dugasse died,” Sylvia said.
“How so?”
“Like a jerk. I mean he was always kind of a jerk but now with chef gone, he’s being rather disrespectful and refusing to do the tasks I give him.”
“Do you think he wanted the head chef job?” Prescott asked.
“Maybe. But since I was the sous-chef, he would know that I would be the likely candidate for that job. I can assure you, I won’t be making him the next sous-chef.”
“Maybe he is just upset at Dugasse’s passing. He really seemed to adore him,” Lexy suggested.
Sylvia pressed her lips together. “I don’t know. He followed Dugasse around but he didn’t seem to admire him … It was more like he was stalking him.”
“You don’t think he had anything to do with Dugasse’s murder, do you?” Prescott asked.
“I don’t think he could have been the killer,” Lexy said. “He was standing right in front of me about the time the chef got murdered. Or shortly after. I would think he’d have had blood on him … or been unsettled. But he wasn’t.”
“Well I don’t know who could have done it … if it wasn’t you.” Sylvia looked pointedly at Lexy.
“It wasn’t. You have more of a motive than I do.” Lexy’s voice rose along with her anger.
“Ladies!” Prescott cut in. “Let’s say it wasn’t either one of you. Who would have had the strongest motive?”
“Maybe the wife?” Sylvia answered.
“According to Detective Payne, the wife has an alibi,” Lexy said.
Sylvia sighed and glanced at Prescott. “I just hope the killer is found soon so people don’t dig too deep into the goings on here and find out about us.”
Prescott cleared his throat. “Yes, umm … Lexy. I hope we can keep each other’s secrets.”
“Secrets?”
Prescott gestured out into the hall. “We won’t tell that you were in here after hours looking around if you keep quiet about our relationship.”
Lexy stared at the two of them. The last thing she needed was someone telling Payne she was sneaking around in here—it would make her look guilty of something. And since she didn’t really care about their affair she figured that was a good deal.
“Sure, I’ll keep quiet. But I might need your help.”
“With what?”
&
nbsp; “Victoria Dugasse said her husband kept sneaking out at night presumably to meet his lover,” Lexy said.
Sylvia and Prescott shrugged. “So?”
“I thought he was meeting Sylvia, but if it wasn’t, then where was he going and who was he meeting?” Lexy asked.
“I would have no idea.” Prescott spread his arms, palms out and shrugged.
“Wait a minute,” Sylvia said. “I might.”
Lexy raised her brows at the other woman and gestured for her to elaborate.
“A couple of nights ago when I was leaving here after … umm … meeting Prescott, I noticed someone cooking in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure it was Dugasse.”
Lexy felt her heartbeat kick. “Did you see anyone else with him?”
Sylvia’s cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t want anyone to know I was here, so I didn’t go near the kitchen, but I’m sure I heard him talking in there.”
“That’s odd. Why would he meet his secret lover in the dining hall kitchen and cook?” Lexy wondered.
“Stranger things have happened,” Prescott said. “I can tell you one thing though—if we can figure out who he was meeting, we may have found our killer.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lexy cracked one eye open just as the sun was just starting to rise. She closed her eye and rolled over, stretching her back. Feeling the weight of someone staring at her, she opened both her eyes and looked straight into a pair of deep brown orbs which were gazing at her with expectant adoration. Sprinkles.
Lexy felt her lips curl in a smile and reached out to pet the dog who reacted by leaping off the bed and running circles on the floor.
“Okay, okay. I’ll get up,” Lexy whispered, then swung her legs over the bed.
She padded into the small kitchen, filled Sprinkles’ bowl with dog food, then set it down. Lexy leaned against the counter while Sprinkles dug into the food. She was excited to tell Nans what she had learned from Sylvia and Prescott the night before, but it was too early—she wouldn’t have time to pop over there before work so it would just have to wait until their meeting at two.
Suddenly in a hurry to get to the kitchen and get her baking done for the day, Lexy grabbed Sprinkles’ leash and dashed outside with the dog who quickly did her business than ran back inside and jumped in bed with Jack.
Her dog duties accomplished, Lexy threw on a tee shirt and jeans, planted a kiss on Jack’s sleeping cheek and then headed off to the kitchen.
She hurried up the path, the tantalizing smell of bacon blanketed the resort causing her mouth to water. Slipping inside the back door, she took a detour past the griddle where the bacon was sizzling and grabbed a piece, crunching it into her mouth before continuing on to her area.
She assembled the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk for biscuits she would use as the basis for a strawberry shortcake that would be served for dessert at that evening’s dinner. She was just measuring the last of the ingredients into the giant mixing bowl when Sylvia appeared at her side.
“I’ve done some poking around and no one here knows who would have been in the kitchen late at night,” Sylvia said in a low voice.
Lexy glanced around the kitchen. Only about half the staff was in, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if no one else admitted to knowing anything either.
“Where’s Brad?” Lexy’s brow creased as she looked around for the irritating chef.
Sylvia checked her watch. “He’s not in yet.”
“Oh, well it probably wouldn’t help to ask him, but I think we should try to keep an eye on him between the two of us. I’m making up the biscuits and whipped cream for strawberry shortcake, but I have to leave around one thirty,” Lexy said.
Sylvia nodded. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”
“Open for what?” Deena asked as she came up behind them.
A look of panic crossed Sylvia’s face.
“Anything that might have to do with Dugasse’s murder,” Lexy offered, putting Sylvia at ease and answering the teen’s question.
“Oh.” Deena looked at Sylvia suspiciously. As head chef, Sylvia was probably too much of an authority to be trusted from Deena’s point of view and Lexy found herself wishing the other woman would leave. She could see that Deena was bursting at the seams to tell her something.
It must have been Lexy’s lucky day because Sylvia turned away from the counter and said, “Wwell, back to work,” as she headed off toward the front of the kitchen.
As soon as Sylvia was out of earshot, Deena whipped her head back around to Lexy. “I may have found something out that will help you.”
Lexy felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. “Great. Let’s start this batter up and then get the ingredients for the flavored whipped creams. Then you can tell me.”
Lexy indicated for Deena to finish measuring the ingredients into the bowl while she got heavy cream from the fridge. She stopped by the pantry for some sugar and flavored extracts so that she could make some flavored whipped creams for people to put on their strawberry shortcakes. The shortcake, cut up strawberries and whipped cream would be refrigerated separately and then assembled at the last minute before dessert.
She dropped the ingredients on the counter next to the mixer that was already beating the dough.
“These will be easy. We’re just going to make three bowls—one vanilla, one coconut and one almond flavored. So we’ll just whip the cream, sugar and extract together.” Lexy handed the brown vanilla extract bottle to Deena. “You do the vanilla.”
Deena followed Lexy’s lead, matching her measurements and adding the extract carefully. They picked up their bowls and whisks and started hand whisking the cream.
Lexy raised her eyebrows and glanced around to make sure no one could hear them. “So, what did you find out?”
Deena pressed her lips together, her arm quivering as it worked the cream in the bowl.
“You have to promise not to tell anyone.” She looked solemnly at Lexy.
“I promise.”
Deena glanced around. “Some of the kids … we hang out on the trails at night. Sometimes we have a bonfire. But anyway, one of them told me that she saw a guy coming up the trail and being let in the back door of the kitchen. And it happened more than once.”
Lexy stopped whisking, her heartbeat picking up speed. “What trail?”
“One of the middle ones. Not the one that goes to the parking lot or the one that ends up by the cabins.”
“Do you know what time of night?”
Deena made a face and lowered her voice so that it was barely audible. “Don’t tell anyone but it was a few hours after midnight … my friend snuck out of her cabin. Her parents don’t know.”
Lexy’s heart beat even faster—that was the same time Dugasse’s wife said he was sneaking off. “Did she say what he looked like?”
“She didn’t really have a description. She said he looked big and tough. And one thing was strange.”
“What’s that?” Lexy’s brows creased together as she started whisking the cream again.
“He wore a thick leather jacket—a biker jacket. She said he must have been real hot in that in the middle of summer.”
###
Lexy and Deena hurried through making the whipped cream, a batch of blondies and some moon pies. By the time she left it was quarter to two. She rushed down the path to Nans and burst through the front door to find all four women of the Ladies Detective Club sitting around the table drinking tea.
Nans peeked at her watch. “How nice of you to join us, I thought maybe you might not make it for our little excursion.”
Lexy felt her face flush. “Sorry, I had to finish the baking. But you’ll be glad you didn’t leave without me because I have some interesting news.”
Four sets of gray eyebrows shot up.
“Do tell,” Ida said.
“Last night, I went back to the dining hall to look in Dugasse’s office,” she started.
“Alone?” Helen
interrupted.
Lexy felt a twinge. “Yes, I know it was a bit dangerous but I wanted to see if I could figure out what Brad was looking for.”
“And did you?”
“Not really, but I found something very interesting.”
“What’s that?” Nans asked.
“Sylvia Spicer and Prescott Charles,” Lexy said, proud of her late night discovery.
“What about them?” Ruth asked.
“They were there … in the middle of the night … in secret,” Lexy said. “It turns out Sylvia was having an affair, but it was with Charles—not Dugasse.”
“Ohhhh.”
“So, she didn’t kill him in a fit of passion?” Ida looked disappointed.
“No,” Lexy said. “And they both have alibis that can be corroborated by other people.”
“Well, darn. We sure are running out of suspects.” Helen went over to the white board and erased Sylvia’s name.
“So what was Brad looking for in Dugasse’s office?” Nans asked.
“I don’t know.” Lexy shrugged. “The only thing in there is recipes … so I was wondering if he could be looking for that famous chili recipe.”
“Ha! Things are all starting to point to that chili contest. It usually always comes down to money.” Ruth shook her head knowingly.
“Maybe … or maybe not,” Lexy said. “I also found out something that might tie the bikers to Dugasse.”
“Oh?”
“My assistant told me that the teens hang out in the woods there behind the dining hall and one of her friends said she saw a man that fits the biker’s descriptions being let in the back door of the kitchen.”
“By Dugasse?”
“She didn’t say but it was in the middle of the night about the same time that Dugasse’s wife said he was missing from home.”
Helen scrunched up her face. “Why would a biker be meeting Dugasse in the middle of the night?”
“Maybe they were having an affair!” Ida wiggled her eyebrows, apparently delighted with the thought.
Lexy scrunched her face together, the image of Dugasse and a burly biker having an affair in the kitchen made her queasy.
Bake, Battle & Roll (A Lexy Baker Bakery Cozy Mystery) Page 8
