Murder in the Oven: A Camellia Cove Mystery Book 1

by Jessica Preston

Kim pointed. The box Betts kicked aside exposed a corner of the store room they couldn't see before, and a tiny white object gleamed in the corner. Kim bent down and picked it up. “I thought so.”

  “What is it?” Betts asked.

  “It's rat poison,” Kim replied. “These old buildings are terrible for rats. I looked at one of them when I first opened Pembrooke Bakery. Not only was the rent astronomical, but all these downtown buildings have rats. They have huge colonies in the tunnels under the city, so you can never get rid of them. Ivor's business looks incredible from the outside, but he would have to pay thousands of dollars a year in pest management just to stay in business.”

  Betts eyed the box. “Is it the same poison they found in Pat's frosting?”

  Kim peered at it. “I can't read the fine print in this light. We'll take it with us and read it in the light of day. If it is the same kind, I can show it to Aaron and tell him where it came from. He'll clear me and arrest Ivor.”

  Betts nodded. “Great. Let's go.”

  They climbed out the window and set off down the street. The spring returned to Kim's step, and she smiled at the Gothic arches and curved bridges lining the streets on the way back to Pembrooke. Already the weight of the murder accusation lifted off her shoulders, and the future opened before her with a golden sun shining over the horizon.

  She planned her celebratory return to business all the way back to her house. Not even the sight of Winslow in the upstairs window could dampen her excitement. Betts stopped under the streetlight on the corner. “You can read the box here, can't you? What does it say?”

  Kim lifted the box into the light and studied the label. But at that moment, another figure emerged from the shadows. “I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes late night walks in the moonlight.”

  Betts drew back, and Kim stared in horror. “Aaron, I…..”

  He started to smile, but then his smile evaporated into a frown. He nodded toward the box. “What have you got there?”

  Kim looked everywhere but at his face, but help was nowhere to be found. Even Betts stared in abject terror at Aaron.

  He took the box out of her hand, and a quick glance at the label was all he needed. “Strychnine.”

  “Aaron….” Kim stammered.

  He didn't hesitate. He shoved the box into his pocket and grabbed Kim by the wrist. He spun her around and twisted her arm behind her back. “You're under arrest for the murder of Patrick Allen Malloy. You have the right to remain silent.”

  Kim fought back the urge to struggle. “Please don't do this, Aaron. I can explain everything.”

  He didn't hear her over the click of his handcuffs snapping around her wrists. “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you by the court.” He pushed her away toward his car parked outside the ring of lamplight.

  Kim's tears blurred the scene. “Betts, help me!”

  Betts said something, but Kim couldn't hear her. Aaron slammed the car door in her face, and the next thing she knew, the engine roared to life, and Betts and Winslow and her house and every trace of her life vanished before her eyes.

  Chapter 5

  Kim rested her head on her arms on the same table in the same interrogation room. She didn't even bother to look up when the door opened. The chair across the table scraped against the floor when it moved back, and a heavy form sat down in it.

  What was the point of looking up? What was the point of fighting to maintain her innocence?

  “You can sit up now, Kim,” he said.

  Kim sighed and sat up, but she kept her eyes turned down so he wouldn't see her tear-stained face.

  “Do you have a lawyer you can call to counsel you during questioning?” Aaron asked.

  “I can't afford a lawyer,” Kim croaked.

  Aaron nodded. “I'll fill out the forms so you can get the public defender. We'll wait until he comes before we continue with the interview.”

  “You can go ahead with the interview,” Kim replied. “It won't make any difference.”

  Aaron paused. “I wouldn't do that if I was you. You really should wait until you have your lawyer present. He would probably advise you not to talk to me at all.”

  Kim's eyes snapped up to his face. “I'll talk to you.”

  Aaron softened at the sight of her face. “I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but you were found with a sample of the poison on your person. You're as good as convicted of Pat's murder.”

  Kim's lower lip quivered. “I didn't kill him. I swear it.”

  “Then where did you get the strychnine?” he asked. “How do you explain having it?”

  Kim sank back in her chair. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Even if I did, you would only charge me with another crime.”

  “Try me,” Aaron shot back.

  “We got the idea that Ivor Wilson killed Pat to drive me out of business….” she began.

  Aaron help up his hand. “Who's we?”

  Kim shrugged. “It all started with my mother…..”

  Aaron closed his eyes. “Stop right there. Start at the very beginning.”

  Kim took a deep breath. “After I left the station earlier today, I went back to my shop. I didn't really plan to. I was standing across the street looking at it. I was thinking about what a mess my life turned out to be.”

  Aaron smiled. “And?”

  “And,” she went on, “I spotted Ivor Wilson sticking his nose into my loading dock. You didn't let me lock the door before I left, and it was standing open for the world to see. Even the Crime Lab forgot to tape it off, and Ivor was fiddling with the lock. I used to leave the door open while I was in the shop, and I thought he might have got access to the frosting and poisoned it.”

  Aaron frowned. “The Crime Lab forgot to tape it off?”

  Kim nodded.

  He pulled a notebook out of his pocket and jotted something down. “What else?”

  “Then I went home,” she replied. “My mother showed up and started ranting about Ivor trying to drive me out of business. She told me about that billboard by the turn-off, the one with the witch putting cookies into the oven.”

  Aaron made a face. “It's pretty awful, I grant you.”

  “Don't you see?” Kim cried. “He's cashing in on the murder. That means he had a motive to murder Pat in the first place.”

  Aaron screwed up his face in a grin. “That's stretching it a little too far, don't you think? I understand you want to clear your name, but you're grasping at straws. Ivor's taking advantage of you being suspected of the murder. That's all.”

  Kim threw up her hands. “Okay. I won't argue with that. But it gave us an idea.”

  “It gave who an idea?” Aaron asked. “You and your mother?”

  “No. Me and Betts,” Kim replied. “We went to Dappley Donuts to see if we could find any evidence of his guilt.”

  Aaron stiffened. “Don't tell me you broke into his donut shop. What do you think you are, some kind of amateur sleuth?”

  “It was Betts's idea, not mine,” Kim admitted. “But we did find evidence of his guilt.”

  “You're right. I should be booking you on another criminal charge,” Aaron told her. “But while we're here, go ahead and tell me what you found.”

  “That's where we got the strychnine,” Kim replied. “That's what I've been trying to tell you all along. We found it in Ivor's donut shop. And on the board was a notice from the Health Department, signed by Pat, saying he would shut Ivor down if he didn't do something about his rat problem.”

  Aaron stared at her.

  “So you see,” Kim concluded, “he has multiple motives to kill Pat. I don't have any.”

  Aaron stared at her so long she started to wonder if he'd gone into some kind of trance. All of a sudden, he blinked and sighed. “All right, Kim. I'll take your word for it and we'll look into Ivor. But I still have to add the trespassing charge to your rap sheet and you're still under arrest for the murder. I suggest you
don't commit any more crimes, because you're already in enough trouble already.”

  “How can I get into any more trouble?” she asked. “What could be worse than being charged with murder?”

  “Being convicted of murder,” he replied. “The more crimes you commit between now and your trial, the guiltier you make yourself look. And by the way, you've got a visitor waiting for you outside.”

  “Who is it?” Kim asked. “It isn't my mother, is it?”

  “No, it's a lawyer,” Aaron replied.

  “But I didn't hire a lawyer,” she told him.

  “This isn't a lawyer for you,” Aaron told her. “This is Jones Van Kamp. He's a civil lawyer, not a criminal lawyer, and he represents Natalie Malloy. He's here to serve you with papers in a civil suit.”

  Kim gasped. “A civil suit? What for?”

  “For material damages and emotional suffering,” Aaron replied. “Natalie's suing you for killing Pat.”

  “But I didn't kill him,” Kim moaned. “Why won't anybody believe me?”

  Aaron shrugged. “I admit it's a little out of order to sue someone before they've even been convicted. But I guess she's mad as all get-out about Pat dying. She wants to strike back. You can't blame her for that.”

  “But what if I'm acquitted?” Kim asked. “Won't I be able to sue her back for wrongful…...something or other?”

  Aaron smiled. “You'll have to ask your own lawyer about that. In the meantime, you better get yourself bailed out.”

  Three hours later, Kim collected the few personal belongings she had in her pocket when Aaron arrested her and left the police station. A giant wad of papers stuck out of her back pocket, and they weighed her down like a ton of bricks. By the time she got back to her own house, her pants sagged around her hip. She had to keep tugging them up to stop her underwear showing.

  She found Betts waiting on her front door step. “Where have you been? I've been waiting here for hours.”

  Kim pushed past her into the house. “Don't you know how much trouble you got me into? I shouldn't be seen with you again.”

  “What's the matter now?” Betts asked.

  “What's the matter?” Kim screamed. “You want to know what the matter is? I got caught with the strychnine in my hand, and it's all because you lured me into Ivor's donut shop. I've been arrested for Pat's murder, and now Natalie Malloy is suing me for civil damages. I'll never get my shop back, even if I prove my innocence.”

  Betts frowned. “If you prove your innocence, you won't have to pay damages.”

  “Oh, yes, I will,” Kim shot back. “I'm responsible for Pat's death because it happened in my business establishment. It says so right there in the papers. It doesn't matter that I didn't put the strychnine into the frosting myself. I'm still responsible for the health and safety of my customers.”

  Betts waved her hand. “That's ridiculous.”

  “That's the law,” Kim replied. “That's the way the cookie crumbles. Forget the murder charge. This civil suit will cost me every penny I have and more that I don't have. I'm finished.”

  Betts shrugged. “You can't pay any attention to this. Everybody has obstacles to overcome.”

  “This goes way past obstacles,” Kim told her. “This is insurmountable.”

  Betts clapped her on Kim's shoulder. “Nonsense. We're just getting started. We found evidence to implicate Ivor. Now we have to finish the job and prove once and for all that he killed Pat.”

  “How do you suggest we do that?” Kim asked. “And just so you know, I am definitely not doing any more breaking and entering. I don't care if the evidence is sitting right out there in plain view on his dining room table. If it's illegal, I'm out.”

  Betts pushed out her lips in a mock pout. “Honestly, Kim, I thought you were my friend. I would never lead you astray. We'll be as clean as the driven snow.”

  Kim turned away. “I've heard that before.”

  Betts threw herself into a chair. “Give me some breakfast, will you? My life has really gone down the tubes since I can't have my morning Chocolate Cherry Bomb and coffee at your shop.”

  Kim pulled the fridge door open. “I won't be able to give you a Chocolate Cherry Bomb, but I can make you some scrambled eggs.”

  Betts stuck out her tongue. “Don't you have anything….you know…..unhealthy?”

  Kim laughed and turned the element on under the frying pan. “Sit down and let the master work.”

  At that moment, the door burst open and Candace thundered into the room. “I found it!”

  Kim glanced over her shoulder. “Good morning, Mom.”

  Betts spoke up from the table. “Don't you mean ‘Eureka'?”

  Candace scowled at Betts. “What are you doing here, Elizabeth?”

  “I'm getting my breakfast,” Betts replied. “I can't get it at Pembrooke Bakery, so I'm getting it here.”

  “I hope you're not having cookies for breakfast,” Candace remarked.

  “No, I'm having an ice cream sundae,” Betts replied. “I need the protein.”

  Candace opened her mouth and shut it again. Then she turned to Kim. “I found it, Kim.”

  “You found what?” Kim asked.

  “I found the evidence to clear your name,” Candace replied. “I told you I would, and I did.”

  Kim turned around then. “What did you find?”

  “I found evidence that Detective Aaron Walker is on the take,” Candace replied.

  Kim's shoulders sagged. “Yeah, right. Aaron is about the last cop in the world to go on the take.”

  Candace squared her shoulders. “You can't deny the evidence. You've always worshiped Aaron, but even you will have to admit the truth when you hear what I have to say.”

  “I have not worshiped Aaron,” Kim growled.

  “Don't you even want to hear what I found out?” Candace asked.

  “Sure,” Kim replied. “By all means, tell me what you found out.”

  “After I heard you'd been arrested,” Candace told her, “I started thinking how easy it would be for a crooked cop to make a mistake like arresting the wrong person for a crime. So I followed him.”

  Kim snorted. “And what did you find out?”

  “I saw him meeting with Natalie Malloy,” Candace announced. “I saw him sit down on a bench outside the courthouse and put his arm around her. She hugged him, and he rubbed her back.”

  Kim stared at her mother. “Is that it? Is that the evidence that's supposed to clear my name?”

  “Isn't that enough?” Candace shot back. “Don't you see? He's got something going with the victim's wife. They're in cahoots to frame you for Pat's murder.”

  Kim's shoulders shook. Then she broke down and laughed until her sides ached. “You've been waiting years to use the word ‘cahoots' in a sentence, haven't you?”

  “So what are you going to do about it?” Candace asked.

  “Do about it?” Kim asked. “I'll tell you what I'm going to do about it. I'm going to do absolutely nothing about it. Aaron is the straightest, kindest cop on the planet. Natalie Malloy just lost her husband in a grisly murder, and someone was just arrested for the crime. I'm sure she wants to know everything about the case on a daily basis, and he was comforting her and assuring her the police are doing everything they can to put Pat's killer behind bars.”

  Candace gasped. “You can't ignore this. You can't pass up a perfectly good lead like this. Natalie Malloy and Aaron Walker are plotting to make you take the fall for Pat's murder. You have to listen to me.”

  Kim shook her head and lifted the eggs out of the pan. She laid them on a plate and set it in front of Betts. Betts poked the eggs with her fork. “If I was Natalie Malloy, I would be hugging Aaron Walker on benches outside the courthouse just as often as he would let me.”

  Kim chuckled. Good old Betts. Then she froze and stared, first at her friend and then at her mother. Then she slapped herself on the forehead. “Of course! How could I be so blind?”

  Betts's eyes p
opped open. “What?”

  Kim flew across the room. She snatched the lawsuit papers from the shelf in the corner. “It's been right there in front of my eyes, and I didn't see it. How could I be so stupid?”

  “What's right there in front of your eyes?” Betts asked. “Enlighten a poor dope.”

  Kim spread the papers out on the table. “We've been so wrapped up in Ivor and his motives to kill Pat we didn't see the most obvious suspect of all.”

  “Who?” Betts asked.

  “Natalie! Who else?” Kim cried. “Don't you see? Ivor took advantage of this case to make some money, but we didn't see that Natalie is doing the same thing. No wonder she's been hounding Aaron to put me away. She's going to make a killing on this murder—I mean, she's going to make a lot of money on it.”

  “But you said you don't have any money to pay the civil suit,” Betts pointed out. “How can she wring a bundle of money out of a penniless cookie baker?”

  “It's the insurance she's after,” Kim replied. “I had to take out a hefty liability policy before I opened my doors. If I'm found guilty or in any way responsible for Pat's death, the insurance will pay the civil suit. They might pay it even if I'm not found responsible.”

  Betts frowned. “How's that? Why would they do that?”

  “Don't you read the news?” Kim asked. “It's cheaper for them to pay out on a settlement than to go to court to prove I didn't do it. It happens all the time.”

  Betts put her fork down and shook her head. “That settles it. We have to clear your name before that happens. You can't have that albatross hanging around your neck. No one would ever buy a cookie from you again.”

  “Don't you think I know that?” Kim shot back. “But there's nothing I can do about it.”

  “You have to do something,” Candace insisted.

  “What do you want me to do?” Kim asked. “Do you want me to follow Aaron around now? Do you want me to find out where he walks his dog? That's about the only thing I could find out by following him.”

  Candace set her fists on her hips. “You don't have to follow him. You don't have to do anything. I'll do it for you.”

  “Mom…..” Kim began.

  But Candace was already turning away. “Don't bother to thank me. I'll handle this on my own.” She stormed out of the house.