Apple Pie and Arsenic

by C A Phipps

  “In that case, you’re bound to win.”

  Maddie put a finger to her lips. “Sshh. We don’t want to prejudice the judges.”

  Angel looked around. “They’re too far away to hear me.” She licked her lips. “I wish I could bake like you.”

  Those words always gave Maddie a buzz, especially when they came from her friends. “You’re never too old to learn.” She meant it sincerely.

  Angel looked doubtful, as always, but seemed more eager than ever. “Do you really think so? I’d sure like to be able to cook something decent for a change.”

  Maddie couldn’t imagine not being able to cook. To her, it wasn’t just her job; she truly loved it and found she relished her ability to be creative. The bonus with using tried and true recipes was she had time to think and plan. Dough was the best for this multi-tasking, but most of her personal recipes were so familiar to her they required little thought.

  The key ingredient was the pound or two of love she put into everything she baked. Doing so made her incredibly happy, and happier still to share that with her customers and friends.

  Sharing that love and creativity on another scale was an idea which would not go quietly. Out of her mouth came the one thing she’d resisted for years. The one thing that, especially now, she didn’t have time for. “I can give you a few lessons if you like.”

  Angel did a happy dance which wouldn’t have been out of place in a Pink video. “That would be wonderful. Let me know when you can manage it.”

  What could Maddie do in the face of such enthusiasm? “It’d have to be in the evening.”

  “An evening would be perfect. I’m so excited! My mom wasn’t a great cook, as you know. I learned very young how to heat noodles, and it’s still the sad extent of my repertoire.”

  Maple Falls had its very own Pollyanna. Angel was never depressed or angry about her upbringing in a rundown trailer park or the failure of her teenage marriage to the captain of the football team, who turned out to be an all-around loser.

  “I’m sure we can do better than that. I can’t believe you still eat pots of noodles and look like you do,” Maddie teased.

  Angel had the figure of a siren and the classic good looks to match. Maddie had been a skinny kid, but baking and time had produced curves that weren’t unwelcome. Still, she wasn’t in Angel’s category.

  “I’ll do anything if I can stop eating salad or takeout every night, and if you can teach me, you’ll deserve a medal.” Angel slapped her forehead. “Oh, wait, you already have one. And a degree. Teaching should be a piece of cake for you.”

  Maddie groaned at Angel’s jokes, but inside she was pleased and upset in equal measure at being reminded of her scholarship and her subsequent business degree. The awards from competitions she had entered over the last couple of years had gone a long way toward restoring her pride, but she still worried about people’s reaction to her change of career. The degree had been a big help in setting up the business and she hoped everyone would appreciate that fact like she did.

  Thanks to Gran’s ability and enthusiasm, she’d always loved to bake, so all she’d had to do was find a pastry chef willing to give her an apprenticeship. Without Camille’s help, she never would have had the opportunity to work in the family-run French bakery in New York City.

  She liked to think she’d repaid the chance she’d been given. Working hard had paid off in a lot of ways, and as sorry as she’d been to leave Camille and her family, what she had now was the pinnacle of her career.

  The feeling of achievement filled her over and over again, and she could see her friends’ pride in her. She was darn proud of them, too.

  “How’s the salon going?” she asked Angel. “You always seem to be full.”

  “I shouldn’t complain, but I’m too busy. I need another person, but you know yourself how hard it is to get help. So many people have been raving about your shop. Even the Blue Brigade have to admit your baking is the best.”

  Maddie laughed at Angel’s description of the women from the country club who felt compelled to dye their hair varying shades of blue in imitation of their president. “That’s good to hear, and it’s everything I imagined. Having the shop with an apartment upstairs saves so much time. Gran and I have even been doing our own cooking down in the bakery, so the apartment kitchen stays nice and clean. I’ve managed to plant some herbs, tomatoes and lettuce in the garden, too.”

  “Good grief, I’m feeling faint at the idea of doing all that. My flower beds are low maintenance and enough for these hands. I’m looking forward to when you get the coffee machine up and running. I’d love a latte to go with any of those delicious cakes you make.”

  “Arrgh! Don’t remind me. That’s the one thing I can’t master. People have been great settling for ordinary coffee or a cup of tea, but I see the way they look at the machine. It’s like an elephant in the room.”

  “We could put up a sign in my window advertising the job.”

  “That’d be great. How about I put up one for you? There must be someone who wants a job.” Maddie stole a look around the tent, which was almost filled to capacity. “The judges are going to find it tough to decide anything today. There’s some great food on display.”

  “All this talk of food is making me hungry. I need to buy something.” Angel frowned. “Where’s Gran today? She’s never missed the fair, as far as I know. I usually grab some of her jam and pickles.”

  “She has an upset stomach, so she’s gone to her place to do some more packing if she feels up to it. And she’s been too busy baking to do any preserves this time.”

  “What a shame. When she enters something, it wins every time. You know, there must be a bug in town. I’ve heard of a few people with stomach problems.”

  Now Maddie was worried. “Really? Gran hasn’t felt right since yesterday, and I was glad for her we weren’t baking today. I thought it was getting better. Maybe I shouldn’t have left her, but you know how she refuses to go to the doctor unless she’s desperate.”

  “There you go, then. I’m sure it’s the same as what the others have had, but if she’s not okay soon, maybe a trip to the doctor wouldn’t hurt.”

  “I’m definitely going to drag her there if she’s not better by tomorrow.” Maddie was only half-joking.

  “Give her my love, and I’m sorry she’s missing all the fun. Let’s meet for lunch before the judging.”

  “I thought you were going to buy something to eat?”

  “I can do both. After all, it’s only mid-morning.”

  Angel grinned and sauntered off, which made Maddie laugh as she strolled around the stalls. It was one of those things she’d missed doing, along with all the other festivals Maple Falls had going on during the year. It was also a chance to catch up with people she hadn’t seen for a while.

  Chapter Twelve

  Noah Jackson was positioned on a roped-off grassy area, giving a free yoga class for novices. He had quite a crowd. Then again, Noah was a very nice sight and one of the few men who looked good in Lycra. His shoulder-length, almost black hair was tied in a ponytail and was suited just as well to his other job as the local DJ.

  “Maddie!” Mick from the second-hand store had a stall nearby, and he beckoned her over. “I was saving this for Gran, but I hear she’s not feeling her best today. Do you think she’d like it, or is she not collecting anymore, since you have most of her things in the shop?”

  From years of following Gran’s passion, Maddie knew instantly the teapot he was holding was a Royal Albert. With delicate pink flowers and a pink lower half, it was lovely.

  “It’s gorgeous, and I know she’d love it. I don’t know if she’ll collect to the same extent, since she’s selling the house.” Maddie tipped it over to check the price and saw Mick didn’t want an arm and a leg for it. “Still, I think I’ll take it as a surprise for her. It may make her feel a little better.”

  “Excellent.” He wrapped it up and put it in a bag. “Good luck with the pie
, although I figure you won’t need it.”

  “Thanks, Mick.”

  She wandered through the stalls, those whose owners had been coming for decades as well as those who were new, which carried all the usual crafts and bric-a-brac. All around her, children were bobbing for apples and enjoying the rides and sideshows. The smells of cotton candy, fudge, and toffee apples mingled with those of hot dogs, pickles, and cheeses.

  She inhaled deeply and found herself at Janet Mitchell’s stall. Stacks of amazing looking fresh vegetables were the envy of everyone since she grew most of them herself. Her variety of herbs had Maddie wishing she could buy them, but she wasn’t making too many savory things yet, and she’d just planted some in her own garden.

  She waved and walked on. Everyone was pleasant, enjoying the weather and the fun, and her shoulders lost a lot of their tension. When she made her way to the lunch tent, Suzy, Angel and Laura were already there.

  Suzy stood and offered Maddie her chair. “I can’t stay. I had a quick bite, but I’ve got some more things to announce before they start the judging.” Suzy, wearing her principal mantle, was MC for the day. She had the perfect voice for it and was cuteness personified. With her dark hair and skin, and warm chocolate eyes, she could get a person to do anything she asked without much effort.

  As Suzy left, Maddie looked around. “Where’s Denise?”

  “Didn’t you see the tables she has to judge?” Angel asked. “She’d been tasting for hours, and there’s still a way to go.”

  “Of course. Poor Denise, if she’s not feeling too good, that’s the last thing you want to be doing. It’d actually be a perfect job for you, Angel.”

  Angel winked. “I was thinking the same thing. Maybe next year. Although how I’d stop at one bite, I can’t imagine.”

  “I read that it’s one of the mayor’s jobs,” Laura said.

  Maddie frowned. “I’m sure it’s not written in stone.”

  Laura crossed her arms. “Maybe not, but the town seems to be pretty fixed on certain things.”

  “That’s true.” Angel nodded at Maddie’s bag. “What did you buy?”

  “Something for Gran. What do you think?”

  Maddie carefully showed the Girlz the teapot, wondering if Angel was trying to diffuse the awkward atmosphere between her and Laura, which had come out of nowhere as far as Maddie was concerned.

  Laura was quiet while they ate their club sandwiches and drank the lattes Angel had bought and listened to Suzy’s voice explaining over the loudspeakers what was happening at any given time.

  The speakers crackled once more.

  “Could all contestants for the baking competition return to the tent? The judges have made their decisions. Our mayor is the lead judge for cakes, pies, and cookies. Isaac Carter from the diner is same for savory dishes, and Noah Jackson is judging pickles and preserves.”

  They went through to the main tent, and Maddie moved to the back while Angel and Laura stayed closer to the judges.

  Most people cheered as the winners were announced. It was a slow process for them to collect their trophies and certificates as there were a lot of categories. Maddie would have to endure a long wait, since pies were at the end of the list.

  A group from Maple Falls country club was standing close to the small stage. They were looking at the judges, but one or two of them sent a scowl Maddie’s way. The president, Maude Oliver, renowned for her stage whispers, uttered something to her friends that was loud enough for the entire crowd to hear.

  “She’s a professional from New York City. It’s absolutely unfair she was allowed to enter.”

  “She could have been a judge, not a contestant,” her co-conspirator, Irene Fitzgibbon agreed.

  Maddie started looking for an escape route just as Angel, who was only a few feet away from the women, joined in the discussion.

  “Maybe next time she’d agree to that, but since the judges were decided upon months ago, before Maddie decided to come home and open the bakery, it shouldn’t be an issue, and it’s hardly her fault. Is it?”

  Angel winked again, and Maddie hid an answering smile. She followed her friend’s nod to an opening at the back of the tent, and they met outside.

  “Thanks for sticking up for me,” Maddie said. “You were there at the perfect time.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for. I saw them circling, and I heard the rumbles long before that. I thought it was my stomach at first, but it turned out to be something a lot more sinister. Besides, the president of our country club should have better manners and not be so rude.”

  “She should, but I guess they have a point. Baking is what I do for a living, after all.”

  Angel shrugged. “Most of them don’t work, so for all we know, it could be something they’re doing all day.”

  Angel’s logic was a beautiful thing.

  “You know, I was worried the three of us would lose something as we got older,” Maddie said. “With me first at college, then working in New York. But it feels exactly the same. I’ve missed you and Suzy and our crazy sweet town.”

  “And Laura,” Angel said automatically. “We missed you too, but I don’t know why you think anything could change between us. Girlz forever, that’s us four.”

  Maddie felt a lump grow in her throat, despite the addition of Laura. “I always hoped it wouldn’t change. There were a couple of horrible people in New York City who started out nice, and it did worry me.”

  Angel looked pointedly back at the tent. “I don’t think New York City or anywhere else has a monopoly on horrible people. Did you not see the Blue Brigade?”

  Maddie laughed. “How could I miss those looks? Or the barbed comments, even though they tried to be quiet about it?”

  Angel snorted. “They couldn’t be quiet about anything if their lives depended on it. They’ve got an opinion on everything, including Denise’s fall from grace.”

  Maddie frowned. “I heard from Bernie about her being harassed, but she hasn’t said a thing about it, so I figured it was a storm in a teacup.”

  “You know Denise, she rolls with the punches, and lately I haven’t heard much in the salon, so maybe it has all died down.”

  “I hope so, because I noticed she doesn’t look too well.”

  “Hah! If you had to try all those pies and cakes, you’d be feeling a little off too. Especially the ones which aren’t really edible.” Angel said it straight-faced, but her eyes twinkled.

  Maddie laughed. There had been some truly horrid looking cakes, and she didn’t envy Denise having to taste each one.

  “Would it make a difference to you, as long as it was cake?” she teased.

  Angel pushed her gently. “How rude. I have a very discerning palate.”

  “Since when?”

  They were nearly on the ground with laughing so hard when Ethan came around the corner of the tent. He studied them for a minute as they tried to get themselves together.

  “The judges are ready for the grand finale. If you’re interested, I hear a certain apple pie has everyone excited.”

  A shiver went down Maddie’s spine. She was definitely interested—she’d been entering competitions since she was a kid, yet she always got this same thrill. “We’ll be right in.”

  After he’d gone, Angel gave her a little push. “Did you see the way he looked at you?”

  Maddie waved her away. “He was looking at you too.”

  Her friend’s eyes twinkled. “He knows I’m divorced and happy to stay that way.”

  “Good point, but it doesn’t stop a man from looking.”

  Angel put her arm through Maddie’s. “You’re such a cynic.”

  “Maybe a little jaded. When you’ve been cheated on, it tends to tarnish your belief in men altogether.” She and Angel had both been attached to scumbags who had treated them badly, and Maddie wasn’t sure why that meant she was expected to get back in the dating market if Angel wasn’t. In fact, Angel had been single a lot longer.

&nb
sp; Angel frowned. “You’re preaching to the choir. Still, we’ll have to work on that for you. You know, Ethan’s about as good at it gets around these parts. Anyway, let’s get in there. I really need some food.”

  They ducked through the tent flap, and Maddie stood at the back of the eager crowd while Angel peeled off.

  Suzy came to stand beside her. “Where’s Angel?”

  “Probably hovering by the homemade fudge. That woman has the worst sweet tooth in town. Lucky for her, she’s got the best metabolism in the world. And, no, I’m not at all resentful.”

  They smothered their laughter as the judges prepared to open the last envelope. Maddie felt unease slip through her when she noticed Laura standing next to the group of women who had been so scathing earlier. When Laura saw her watching, she disengaged herself a little too quickly for Maddie’s liking.

  Laura had become Angel’s friend after Maddie left for New York. Maddie hoped the feeling of animosity she got from Laura when they were alone was just in her head and wasn’t some jealousy on her own part. She didn’t do jealousy. Although maybe if she’d exhibited a little, she might not have found her fiancé in bed with her roommate. It was hard to let herself off the hook for her naiveté.

  Her roommate and so-called friend had previously insisted she didn’t think much of Dalton, Maddie’s ex, which might have been true, but it didn’t stop her jumping into bed with him at their first opportunity. Maddie had been away for a weekend, which had apparently left the door open for a quick fling. Unfortunately, she’d come home early to show off her trophy to find the bedroom door literally was left open.

  Some things, you couldn’t unsee.

  The mayor banged a gavel, and the crowd went quiet. At least, most of them did.

  Denise pulled out a small card. “The winner of the Best Pie is…Maddie Flynn! I tried it myself and concur it was the best one today, and in my humble opinion, the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted.” She gave her stomach a pat. “And I’ve tasted a few.”

  There was a round of applause mixed with laughter. Maybe not as loud as it might have been, since the Blue Brigade—a name that seemed to be stuck in Maddie’s mind, so she’d have to watch herself at the bakery—were still annoyed. She hoped all that ill will wouldn’t affect her sales next week.