Red Velvet Cupcakes to Die For (A Liana Campbell Cozy Mystery Book 1)

by Alaine Allister

  The unpleasant police officer shook his head, his jowls jiggling as he did so. He folded his arms over his flabby chest. “This is a police station,” he informed Liana sternly. “It isn’t a shovel rental agency.”

  “I - I know that,” Liana told him, bewildered. “It’s just that pretty much every other business nearby is closed. I thought that maybe you would be able to lend me -”

  “Well you thought wrong,” Officer Surly snapped.

  “Okay. Uh, have a good night.”

  Liana turned to leave, eager to get away from the rude cop.

  She nearly walked into Sam, who was on his way inside.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, taking a step back and holding the door open.

  Liana stepped outside and nodded in the direction of her car. “I need a shovel,” she informed him. “Your colleague nearly bit my head off. I’m not exactly sure why? Apparently he’s insulted that I asked to borrow a shovel.”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. He’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

  “I don’t suppose you have a shovel, do you?”

  “There’s probably one kicking around somewhere inside,” Sam replied. “But I’m not looking for it,” he added. He stifled a yawn. “It’s been a long day and my shift is finally over. All I want is to go home. Need a ride?”

  “I guess I do,” Liana said with a sigh. She gave her snow-covered car one last rueful look.

  Suddenly the radio Sam wore clipped to his belt began to crackle.

  “Assistance required at 423 Ash Drive,” a voice announced. “Complaints of vandalism.”

  Sam opened the door of the police station. “Did you get that?” he called to his colleague.

  “I’m busy,” Officer Surly replied, though he didn’t seem to be doing much of anything.

  “My shift is over,” Sam reminded him.

  “I’m busy,” the older cop repeated stubbornly.

  Sam sighed and let the door slam shut.

  “He’s charming,” Liana said wryly.

  “Yeah. Looks like I have to go. Ten bucks says it’s Justin Brown showing off for his delinquent friends again. I swear, I’d love to have five minutes alone with that kid. He needs to have some sense scared into him, but all the justice system wants to do is give him a slap on the wrist.”

  “If you hurry, maybe you can catch him in the act.”

  “Are you going to be able to get home alright?” Sam asked.

  “I’ll be fine,” Liana assured him, tugging at the hood of her pink parka. “Of course, I’d be better if my hood would stop falling down,” she quipped.

  Sam seemed to take pity on her. He pulled off his own black knit hat and handed it to her. “Here,” he said gruffly. “Take this so your ears don’t freeze. I want it back though,” he cautioned. “It’s my lucky hat.”

  “I wouldn’t have taken you for the superstitious type,” Liana said as she arranged the warm winter hat on her head. “Thanks.”

  Sam left to go scold the local troublemakers.

  Liana, meanwhile, turned around and headed back in the direction from which she had come.

  The walk back to the coffee shop was a lot less pleasant. The tip of her nose felt cold, and her fingertips were starting to get numb despite her warm gloves. Liana shuffled through the snow robotically, her legs tired and her lungs hurting.

  “I hate winter,” she muttered, even though only a few minutes earlier she had been marvelling at its beauty. Sure, winter was pretty and magical and all that stuff. But only when viewed from within a nice, warm building...preferably a ski lodge at a ritzy Colorado resort.

  Come to think of it, a tall mug of hot chocolate sounded wonderful…

  “Finally!” Liana gasped when she arrived at her shop. Even her eyelashes felt frozen.

  She fumbled in her pocket for her key. When she found it, she reluctantly pulled one of her gloves off so it wouldn’t get in her way. She inserted the key in the lock and prepared to do the usual “shake and jiggle” routine that the temperamental door required.

  But to Liana’s surprise, the door opened easily.

  In fact, she didn’t even hear the lock click.

  “That’s weird,” she whispered to herself. “I was sure I locked up when I left.”

  With a dismissive shrug, Liana stepped inside.

  She breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be indoors on such a frigid, stormy night. She still didn’t know how she was going to get home, but that was a minor detail. She was sure she could call someone - preferably someone with a big, sturdy pickup truck - to take her and Fluffy home.

  Liana fumbled in the dark for the lightswitch. Before she could locate it, an inhuman howl broke through the silence. Startled, she jumped back. And it was a good thing she did, because she narrowly avoided being attacked.

  “Fluffy!” Liana hollered as the cat made yet another attempt to assassinate her. “Stop! It’s me!”

  Liana scrambled to turn on the light. She figured once the cat saw her, recognition would set in. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. When the lights came on, Fluffy arched his back and glared at Liana just as he had done to several of her customers.

  “Stop it,” Liana ordered sternly as she pulled off her borrowed hat and unzipped her jacket.

  To her amazement, Fluffy actually listened. With a confused expression on his whiskered face, the little ball of fur backed off. He retreated to the far corner of the room, where he watched Liana warily from a distance.

  She cocked her head to the side and looked at Fluffy thoughtfully. What had gotten into him? Liana glanced over at her discarded winter clothes. Curious, she scooped them up. Then she cautiously approached the cat.

  “It’s okay,” she murmured in a calm, soothing voice. “It’s just me. You’re okay.”

  Fluffy stared at her, but didn’t move.

  Bracing herself for yet another attack, Liana crouched down and held her hand out.

  To her astonishment, Fluffy immediately rushed. The affectionate little guy butted his head up against her hand and started to purr loudly. It was as though the past few minutes hadn’t even happened.

  Once she and Fluffy had made up, Liana decided to test her theory.

  She straightened up and put on her winter jacket.

  Fluffy seemed unfazed.

  Then Liana put on Sam’s knit hat.

  Immediately, the cat’s eyes widened. Looking alarmed and confused, he backed away.

  “Aha, just as I thought! That’s why you get aggressive with certain customers!” Liana exclaimed triumphantly. “You don’t like knit hats! That’s...a kind of weird hangup to have, but okay. Now that I know what’s setting you off, I can work with it. No more hats, boss.”

  She pulled Sam’s hat off and shook her hair free.

  Just as she had suspected, Fluffy’s entire demeanor changed. He visibly relaxed and took a step forward. Just like that, the affectionate little purring machine Liana had come to know and love was back.

  “You’re so weird,” Liana told the cat.

  “Mrow,” Fluffy agreed.

  “Guess what? We need a ride home. I’m going to call around and see if I can sweet-talk someone into picking us up,” Liana told her furry companion. She grabbed her purse and rummaged around inside it.

  There was no phone to be found.

  “Meow?” Fluffy asked, watching intently as Liana frowned.

  “I’ve misplaced my phone again,” Liana admitted, pausing to brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “But don’t worry. I’m pretty sure I left it in the kitchen again. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I bet it’s right beside the sink. One sec.”

  Humming under her breath, Liana walked the short distance to the kitchen. She deposited her winter clothes on the front counter before walking around it. She swung open the heavy kitchen door. Then she felt switched on the lights.

  When the lights came on, Liana came face to face with another person.

  “Aaaaeiiii!”
she shrieked, her heart in her throat.

  “Whoa!” Reese gasped. His fist was raised as though he was prepared to throw a punch. He kept it there, poised in midair for a moment. Then he lowered his arm. “Liana...I didn’t think you’d be here this late! You startled me!”

  “I startled you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Liana told him, her heart still beating a mile a minute. She took a deep, calming breath and then asked, “What are you doing here? I thought today was your day off.”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Reese nodded, still looking as rattled as Liana felt. He ran a hand through his thick dark hair and glanced over his shoulder. “See that window over there? The other day when I was in here I noticed it’s letting in a lot of cold air.”

  “I’ve noticed that too,” Liana replied. “This is an old building. It’s to be expected I guess.”

  “Sure, but it’s easy to fix. That’s why I’m here.”

  “It is?”

  Reese nodded. “I decided to work on the window after hours...you know, so the hammering noises don’t bother your customers. Didn’t I tell you I was coming in tonight? I was sure I mentioned it.”

  “I don’t think so,” Liana replied, trying to remember if any such conversation had taken place. “It gets so hectic in here sometimes that it may have slipped my mind,” she offered, even though she had no recollection of the exchange Reese was describing.

  “Oh yeah, tell me about it. Well I shouldn’t be too much longer...assuming everything goes according to plan, that is. With these older buildings, you just never know what you’re going to find when you open stuff up. But I imagine you’re ready to head home for the night, huh?”

  Liana nodded.

  “Don’t wait around on my account. I’ll lock up when I’m done,” Reese assured her.

  “Actually,” she told him, “I’m really glad you’re here. It’s kind of perfect, to be honest. My car is out of commission at the moment. Stupid snow. Can Fluffy and I get a ride home when you’re done?”

  “It could be a while,” Reese cautioned.

  “I thought you said it won’t be long.”

  “Well like I said, with these old buildings you just can’t be sure.”

  “Ah, right. Well I don’t mind waiting,” Liana assured him. “I’m just grateful I have a way home - and that I’ll have a nice, airtight window! Thank you so much for fixing it for me. Would you like me to put some coffee on?”

  “No, that’s okay.”

  “Would you like some pie? It’s the least I can do to thank you.”

  “I’m good,” Reese replied.

  “Okay. Hey, maybe I can pick up some construction tips from you! I really ought to be handier, considering I own a house and a business. What are you planning to do to fix the window?”

  Liana tried to step around her handsome employee so she could get a better look.

  Reese moved to block her way.

  “Actually, I prefer to work alone. Having another person underfoot tends to slow me down,” he explained. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” she replied, even though she was a bit put off by Reese’s response. It wasn’t like she had planned to get in his way and ask a million annoying questions or anything. His icy demeanor was disappointing.

  “Okay, well....I have work to do.”

  Liana nodded. “I’ll wait out front,” she said. She could tell when her presence wasn’t wanted.

  With a sigh, Liana walked into the front of the coffee shop. She plunked down in a booth. She stared out the window at the swirling snow forlornly. Fluffy immediately jumped into her lap and began to knead her thigh, purring loudly.

  “At least you like me,” Liana whispered, rubbing the top of the cat’s head affectionately.

  Apparently she had completely misread the situation with Reese. In the beginning, she had thought there might be a spark between them. But she must have imagined it...or else it had fizzled out.

  Honestly, Darla was probably to blame.

  These days, Reese seemed completely uninterested in Liana.

  Come to think of it, maybe she wasn’t so fond of him, either. She had developed a huge crush on him early on, but her infatuation had been based on little more than his good looks. Even now that they had worked together for a little while, Liana still felt like she didn’t know Reese well.

  She wasn’t interested in dating a mystery man. And she certainly wasn’t going to chase after someone who would blow off plans with her the second another woman paid attention to him.

  Liana wanted someone kind and interesting and open. She wanted someone who was emotionally available and completely devoted to her, not a playboy. She wanted to fall in love with a man she could trust not to hurt her.

  Maybe Reese wasn’t that guy.

  Suddenly the door to the coffee shop flew open.

  Since she hadn’t been expecting anyone to burst in after hours, Liana jumped. Fluffy was startled too, leaping from her lap and diving under the table.

  “Luke! What are you doing here?” Liana exclaimed in surprise.

  “I came to check on you,” he replied, out of breath and covered in snow. “I was out with my snowblower, helping to clear off Main Street. The town really needs more than one snow plow, you know.”

  Liana nodded in agreement.

  “But anyway, I saw your car abandoned and nearly buried in front of the police station. It seemed odd for it to be there. So I came by the coffee shop on a hunch and, well, here you are. Why are you here this late, anyway? Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just need to dig my car out. I’ll worry about it tomorrow,” Liana replied, touched that Luke had gone out of his way to check on her. Even after she had recklessly accused him of awful things, he was still as kind as ever.

  “Do you need a ride home?” Luke offered.

  “I’m alright,” Liana replied. “Reese is here fixing a window. He’ll take me home.”

  Luke’s face darkened at the mention of Reese. “Are you sure?” he asked.

  Suddenly Fluffy lunged at Luke from beneath the table. The agitated feline’s back was arched, his tail poofy. With a threatening yowl, the normally subdued cat latched onto Luke’s ankle. He was downright ferocious. Before either Liana could react, Fluffy sank his teeth into Luke’s shin.

  Luke hollered.

  Liana gasped and raced to help. She had to struggle to pry the cat off of him.

  “What’s gotten into him?” Luke demanded once the situation had been diffused. Fluffy was sitting a few feet away, still glowering at him. “I don’t get it. Most animals like me. Why does this one hate me so much?”

  “I have a theory. Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’ve got three pairs of socks and my heaviest jeans on. I’m fine.” Luke looked at Liana curiously. “What’s your theory?”

  “Take off your hat,” Liana ordered.

  Looking puzzled, Luke complied. “Now what?” he asked, his hat dangling from his hand.

  “Now see what Fluffy thinks of you.”

  Luke grimaced. “That seems like it’s just asking for trouble, doesn’t it?” he complained.

  But he nonetheless complied, cautiously approaching the cat.

  Fluffy glared daggers at Luke...until they were on the same level. As soon as Luke crouched down and Fluffy got a good look at him, all traces of hostility vanished. The cat stopped baring his teeth and visibly relaxed. Luke was even able to get a tentative pet in before standing up.

  He turned to Liana, looking even more bewildered than before. “I don’t get it.”

  “Fluffy apparently has very strong feelings about knit hats,” Liana shrugged.

  “Yes, I see that. But why? That’s weird, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” she agreed. “And I have no idea where the hat hatred came from.”

  “Well I should go,” Luke said, glancing toward the back room. “If you want me to, that is.”

  “I expect Reese should be done fixing the window any minute,” she ass
ured him. “But maybe I’ll go check, just to be sure. Hang on a sec.” With that, she returned to the kitchen to see how things were progressing.

  Reese had his back to her when she walked in. And he wasn’t working on the window. Instead, he appeared to be looking at a navigation app on his phone. When he noticed Liana’s presence, he visibly jumped.

  “Whoops. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Liana smiled.

  Even if she and Reese weren’t meant to be in a romantic sense, she was determined to be kind, courteous and professional. He was, after all, a competent employee. It would be stupid to let hurt feelings get in the way of a good working relationship.

  Reese immediately put his phone way.

  “Do you need directions somewhere?” Liana asked, trying to be helpful.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Oh, okay.” She noticed then that Reese had his jacket zipped up. She glanced past him toward the window, which looked no different than before. “How are the repairs going?” she asked. “Are you almost done?”

  “Yep.”

  Puzzled by Reese’s abrupt demeanor, Liana decided not to say anything. “Luke offered to drive me home,” she told him. “I don’t want to inconvenience you. Would it be better if I got a ride with him instead of you?”

  Reese nodded. “Yeah, you should do that,” he told her without hesitation. “Night.”

  “Goodnight,” she replied, taken aback by her employee’s odd reaction.

  It felt like Reese was in a hurry to get rid of her. She didn’t understand why, and it felt weird to be rushed out of the coffee shop that she owned. He had never acted like that before, so why now? Something was definitely off.

  Before Liana walked out front, she glanced over her shoulder one last time.

  When she did, she saw something that made her breath catch in her throat.

  Chapter 18

  Alarmed by what she had observed, Liana practically ran back to where Luke was.

  He was totally preoccupied with the cat. While Liana had been gone, it seemed Luke and Fluffy had made up. There was no more growling, hissing or hollering. Quite the opposite, in fact. Now Luke was kneeling on the floor playing with the delighted furball.

  It would have been cute to watch had Liana not been so weirded out.