by Carol Durand
Loretta Christianson was announcing the winners, and paused dramatically when she received the card with the first prize winner on it. She glanced at the card, raised her eyebrows, glanced at the judges, and cleared her throat.
“The first prize winner of tonight’s bake-off, the student who will receive a full scholarship to Clarkson Culinary School and a $500 prize is…” the room held its collective breath, and the students remaining onstage appeared to be bursting with anticipation. “Margaret Matthews,” Loretta announced. For a long moment, no one moved, and then, precipitated by Margaret’s gasp of surprised delight, the audience broke into hesitant applause.
Bewildered, Missy and Principal Sanders glanced at each other, frowning. In a whispered conversation, it was discovered that Mrs. Bowden, the Home Ec teacher, had given Donna extremely low scores in every category, using the excuse that peanut butter and jelly didn’t belong in a serious competition. When she left the judges table in a hurry, too uncomfortable to endure the questions of Missy and the Principal any longer, Donna was hot on her heels. Missy saw the teary-eyed young lady corner her teacher in the hallway and was clearly giving her a piece of her mind. Mrs. Bowden stepped toward the girl in a manner that appeared menacing and entirely inappropriate, then seemed to contain her emotions and turned swiftly to go, leaving the furious student yelling something after her that was unintelligible from where Missy sat. Concerned, Missy rose from her chair to console the poor girl, but by the time she reached the hallway, both Mrs. Dowler and Donna were gone.
Missy pondered the strange behavior of Mrs. Dowler, while she drove home. She couldn’t understand why the woman had given Donna’s brilliant dish such low marks to begin with, and once she did, why she was so nasty to the poor girl when confronted about it. Her reasoning hadn’t set well with either of the other judges, and her explanations were completely inadequate. Missy vowed to try to make Donna feel better by offering her a ridiculously large price for her recipe. She planned to walk across the street to the vegan ice cream shop tomorrow afternoon to bring the girl a cupcake and offer her the deal, hoping that she might be able, in that small way, to ease the sting of loss.
Parking her car in the detached garage beside her gracious lemon-yellow and white Victorian home, Missy was preoccupied when she got out of the car and locked the door, but the world came into crystal-clear focus when she heard a sound in the corner. Heart beating faster, her ears straining to hear, she stopped in her tracks, listening in the dark. She’d been meaning to fix the bulb in the garage for weeks, but just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. When she didn’t hear the sound again, she made her way quickly to the door that led to the back yard, so that she could enter, as she usually did, via the back porch. Stepping up into the enclosed porch, she heard the gate to the back yard squeak, which was odd, because she kept it close. Her fear response kicking in, she elected to continue into the house and grab the dog and a flashlight before checking the gate.
Toffee at her heels, Missy shone her flashlight on the back gate, noting with considerable relief, that it was closed. She was puzzled though. She absolutely knew that the sound she had heard had been the gate creaking, which couldn’t have happened if it was closed. Trying to convince herself that she’d merely been hearing things, she started to make her way back to the house and heard a twig snap behind her. She and Toffee both whirled at the sound, but when she shone her flashlight all around, nothing seemed to be amiss. Thoroughly spooked at this point, she hurried back into the house, her faithful friend at her side.
Chapter 4
“But you didn’t see anyone?” Chas grilled Missy upon hearing about the strange sounds that she thought she had heard.
“No, I just figured that I was jumping at shadows, and tried to forget about it,” Missy shrugged.
“Well, I’d like you to be a bit more vigilant than usual. Keep your doors and windows locked, keep an eye out for anything suspicious or out of place, and for goodness sake, put a new bulb in the overhead garage light,” he chastised gently. “We still haven’t apprehended the alleged Peeping Tom over on the north side yet, so I want you to be extra careful.”
“I will,” Missy nodded, not terribly worried. Her house was in a sedate historic area, close to downtown, where the neighbors knew each other, and crime was nearly non-existent.
“Alright, sweetie, I’ve gotta run, but I’ll come over and do a security check at your house later,” he promised, giving her a quick kiss and grabbing a mochaccino cupcake on his way out.
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Missy teased, seeing him to the door of Missy’s Muffins and More, where a deluge of customers just happened to be entering. The detective shook his head in amusement and kept moving past the incoming throng.
Missy made her way behind the counter to operate the register, leaving Chris to do the restocking of cupcakes that were flying off the shelves and Ben to fetch and prepare orders for the people in line. The dynamic trio worked through the line in record time, and the gentleman at the end was suitably impressed.
“Wow, I thought that I was going to be here forever when I saw the line. You guys really know how to take care of business,” the tanned, handsome blond complimented Missy and the guys.
“Thanks,” Missy breathed a sigh of relief, and absently used the back of her hand to push a stray curl back from her forehead.
“These cupcakes must be really spectacular to generate a crowd like that,” he observed, eyeing the contents of the display cases.
“Well, we hope that’s the case,” Missy grinned. “What can I get for you, Mr…?”
“Dobbs, Carlton Dobbs,” he introduced himself, shaking her hand awkwardly over the counter. “I’m new in town. Let’s see, I’d like to try one of your Orange Tea Cupcakes, please,” he pointed to the elegant little cakes that were delicately coiffed with fluffy icing.
“Good choice,” Missy nodded as Ben reached for the cupcake and put it on a plate, handing it to Carlton. “I’m Melissa Gladstone, just call me Missy. What brings you to Dellville?” she asked, thinking that the man’s fine suit, impeccable manners and precise speech were unusual.
“Work, actually. I’m an art broker, and I do much of my work in New Orleans, but I wanted to live somewhere a bit more…provincial,” he smiled. “I actually just moved to LaChance. I’m only in Dellville because I’m on my way to an estate sale in Lake Charles.”
“Well, we’re certainly glad that you stopped by. If it’s more convenient for you, I have a shop in LaChance as well. It’s downtown and it’s called Missy’s Muffins and More.”
“If this cupcake is as amazing as it looks and smells, I’ll definitely be back for more,” the charming Mr. Dobbs assured her.
“Great, then we’ll see you soon,” Missy grinned, before turning to head back to the kitchen, thinking that this “new-kid-in-town” was almost as handsome and charming as Chas Beckett. Ben looked at the stranger, then at Missy, a thoughtful look on his face, and went back to stocking the cupcakes with Chris.
Chapter 5
“Hey Donna,” Missy called out cheerfully when she entered Sweet Love, the vegan ice cream shop owned by her free-spirited friend, Echo. She was carrying a Chocolate Toffee Crunch cupcake in hopes of cheering up the young lady. “I’m so sorry about what happened at the bake-off,” she said, presenting the cupcake, along with a sympathetic hug.
“It wasn’t your fault,” the teenager said bitterly. “It was that old biddy, Mrs. Dowler’s fault. The old wretch just doesn’t like me for some reason, so she apparently decided to destroy my hopes for getting out of this ridiculously small town and making something of myself. I hope she just drops dead or something,” Donna ranted, her anger spiraling out of control.
“Hey now,” Missy soothed, not appreciating the disrespect of an adult. “Come on Donna, you know you don’t mean that. Don’t let your anger make you say things that you’ll be ashamed of later.”
“I won’t be ashamed. She’s a horrible per
son, and she can just take a flying leap for all I care,” the petulant girl huffed.
Seeing that this particular conversation would go nowhere, Missy dropped off the cupcake, waiting for another time to approach the bitter girl about her Peanut Butter and Jelly recipe. She walked back across the street, shaking her head sadly. It was just such a shame that, sometimes people let events that seem small in the grand scheme of things, change them profoundly. She sincerely hoped that Donna would snap out of it, and sooner rather than later. The girl was much too young to stay bitter.
**
Missy reflected on her earlier conversation with Donna, glad that she had always been a “glass-half-full” optimistic kind of gal. Life was just too darn short to waste time with negativity. She finished tying her running shoes, grabbed Toffee’s leash and snapped it on the excited retriever’s collar. Stepping out into the sunshine, she inhaled deeply, glad to be alive and well, with her beloved pet by her side. The happy duo set out at a light jog, headed for the park. When they passed the first cross street, Missy heard someone calling her name, and turned toward the voice, curious.
She didn’t recognize the tall, visibly fit man at first, but when he jogged over to her, she realized that it was Carlton Dobbs, the man she’d met at the Dellville shop earlier. He had a sleek Doberman at his side, who seemed to be more than wary of Missy and Toffee.
“Carlton, I hadn’t realized that you moved into this neighborhood,” she said with a smile.
“Hi Missy,” he greeted her, then stretched out his hand for Toffee to sniff, the Doberman growling low in his throat all the while. “I didn’t move into this neighborhood, the houses are rather large for a bachelor who’s never home. I just love the open spaces in the park. That’s where Chauncey and I are headed.”
“We are too,” she remarked. “I know what you mean about the open spaces, it’s one of our favorite places. That’s where we’re headed too.”
“Well, mind if we tag along?” Dobbs asked with a friendly grin.
“Not at all, but I’m not sure Chauncey wants the company,” she observed, noting that the dog’s teeth were showing slightly.
“Oh, he’ll be alright. Part of why I take him to the park is so that he’ll become accustomed to the company of others. He’s a rescue who apparently hasn’t had much contact with the outside world, poor guy,” Carlton reached down to pat the dog’s sleek coat.
“Well, maybe Toffee will be a good influence,” Missy mused. “She loves everybody.”
“That’s great,” he nodded, reaching out to scratch the placid animal behind the ears. She quickly moved away from his touch and stood behind Missy.
“Well, that’s strange,” Missy said, looking from Toffee to Carlton, taking in her pet’s reluctance to interact.
“Maybe she smells Chauncey on my hand and just isn’t ready to make friends yet,” Dobbs offered easily. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward the park. Missy fell in step with him at a slow jog, making sure to keep Toffee close to her opposite side, far away from the antisocial Chauncey.
Once at the park, the two animals relaxed around each other, and were soon engaged in a rollicking game of fetch with their owners. After about an hour, Toffee came over to Missy for a drink of water in her portable bowl, signaling that play time was over.
“Well, my girl has spoken,” Missy chuckled. “Time for us to head home.”
“Thank you for the pleasure of your company,” Carlton moved closer, ostensibly to pet Toffee’s head. “Perhaps we can do this again some time,” he offered casually.
“We’re here all the time, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again,” Missy replied, politely avoiding his question. She didn’t want to embarrass him, but part of her felt that, even if all they were doing was allowing the dogs to play together, it might seem inappropriate for someone who was in a happy and healthy relationship.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Dobbs replied warmly, raising a hand in farewell, then tossing a ball downfield for Chauncey. Missy jogged home with Toffee, thinking about how pleasant her time with Carlton had been. She felt like she’d just made a new friend.
Later, as she was settling in for the night, Missy had the strange sensation that she was being watched, and pulled the sides of her fluffy chenille robe closer around her. She had followed Chas’s advice and secured her doors and windows long before dark, but she was still aware of how entirely alone she was, with the exception of a golden retriever who was so sweet that she wouldn’t bite if someone wrapped their hand in bacon and placed it in her mouth. Peering stealthily out of the side of her dining room curtains, she could’ve sworn that she saw a flicker of light, but when she focused on the area where she thought that she’d seen it, there was nothing there. Sighing at her self-induced paranoia, she trudged up the stairs to bed, Toffee at her heels.
Chapter 6
Missy was awakened by the insistent buzzing of her cell phone on the nightstand next to her. Picking it up, she noticed two things: one, that she had overslept somehow and that it was now nearly 8:00, and two, that the caller was Echo. She pressed the answer button and her friend launched into a conversation before she could even summon the presence of mind to say hello.
“Oh my goodness, Missy, you’ll never believe what happened. Donna is in trouble and I’ve been making Sweet Cherry Cream with Cinnamon and Rice Milk since 4:00 a.m., but the police called and interrupted it. So, I think the batch will be okay, but I’m really worried about Donna and I’m actually hoping that you might have a staff member to spare who could help me out.”
One of the most disconcerting things about dear Echo was that, when she was excited or upset about something, she spoke in a never-ending stream of consciousness, weaving in multiple subjects, emotions and ideas that often made it hard to keep up. Now was definitely one of those instances. “Wait, slow down, girl,” Missy sighed, trying desperately to wake up. “What happened to Donna, why did you talk to the police, and of course you can have a staff member, I’ll just cover for Chris and he can come help you out.”
“Okay,” Echo made an effort to breathe in and out and concentrate on speaking clearly. “I was up early making ice cream, and the police called me around 6:00 to tell me that Donna had been detained and wouldn’t be in to work,” she explained.
“Oh my goodness, what happened to Donna?” Missy asked, frowning with concern.
“Well, the police wouldn’t tell me, but it seemed like it may have been something serious,” her friend’s voice was grave.
“Okay, I’ll see if Chas knows anything. In the meantime, are you going to be okay? Chris’s shift at Crème de la Cupcake doesn’t end until 2:00, but I know you open at 1:00, so I’ll send him over then. Traffic will have slowed down enough for Ben and I to manage it alone at that point.”
“I’ll be okay,” Echo assured her. “I just hope Donna can say the same.”
Missy climbed out of bed and rubbed her eyes sleepily, glancing around when Toffee didn’t immediately greet her with a sloppy kiss. Part of their morning routine was that, as soon as Missy’s feet hit the floor, Toffee trotted over for her morning dose of affection and attention. It was beyond strange that the dog wasn’t even in the room. Padding down the stairs, Missy saw the golden staring out the dining room window, head lowered.
“What’s going on out there, girl,” she whispered, kneeling down beside the focused animal and looking in the same direction. Something in the yard didn’t look quite right, but Missy couldn’t quite put her finger on what it might be. Slipping her feet into a pair of running shoes by the door, she went out to take a look around the yard, and discovered that one of the bushes that was in the area that Toffee had been staring at, had multiple broken branches, as though something (or someone, her mind pointed out), had fallen into it. Not knowing what else to do, Missy took a picture of the damage on her cell phone, planning to ask Chas about it later. She made her way back across the yard and into the house, where Toffee still stood at the window, fixa
ted on the bush. Taking the stairs two at a time because she was late, she went upstairs to shower and dress, hating that she was running behind.
**
Detective Richard Keller, of the Dellville PD, strode up to the front counter at Crème de la Cupcake, and asked if he could speak with Missy, who led him through the kitchen and back to her office, bearing two cupcakes and two mugs of fresh, hot coffee.
“What can I do for you today, Detective?” she asked pleasantly, handing him a Buttered Rum cupcake and one of the mugs of coffee.
“I’m here to ask you a few questions about Donna Chesman. Are you acquainted with the young lady?” Keller asked, sipping his coffee.
“Oh yes, she works across the street at Sweet Love. Echo, the owner, called me this morning so that she could borrow a staff member because she said Donna was in some sort of trouble,” Missy nodded sadly.
“Indeed she is,” the detective remarked. “You were one of the judges in the high school baking contest, is that correct?” Missy nodded. “Have you had contact with Miss Chesman since the contest?”
“Yes. I went across the street yesterday to bring her a cupcake, hoping to cheer her up. I was also going to offer to pay her for her recipe, but I decided to wait, because she was still terribly upset about the whole matter.”
“Upset? What did she say that led you to believe that she was upset?” Keller probed, taking notes.
“She said that she thought Mrs. Dowler had it out for her, and she felt that her life was ruined since she didn’t receive the scholarship to culinary school. She also said some unkind things about her teacher that I’d just as soon not repeat,” Missy admitted reluctantly.
“Miss Gladstone, this is important…what did Donna say about Mrs. Dowler?” the detective pressed further.
