Luscious Pastry at a Lethal Party (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 5)

by Cindy Bell

  “I can.” Ally bit into her bottom lip. “But are you sure that you’re going to be okay?”

  “You have your information, there’s no need to pretend to care anymore.” He waved his hand. “Scurry along.”

  Ally considered an attempt at trying to offer to help him again. But she recalled the secret pictures, and his insistence on having dinner with her. It was probably best to let things end as they were. Without another word she turned and walked away from the smoldering house. A sense of anxiety ruffled her nerves as she thought about what kind of person would just burn down a house. Ally pulled out her cell phone as she walked back towards the end of the road. She dialed her grandmother’s number and waited for her to answer. After the third ring she did.

  “Ally, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I am. I’m sorry to pull you away, Mee-Maw, but I need a ride. I know that we walked into Freely, is there any way that you could send someone out to get me?”

  “Actually, I went back to the cottage. It was getting a little crazy in Freely. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up right now.”

  Ally gave her the address and a condensed explanation of why she needed a lift. She decided to save the bit about the burnt down house until her grandmother arrived. As she waited for her, Ally paced back and forth. She mulled through all of the possibilities of what might have happened to Ralph’s house. There was no question that the timing seemed rather odd. Maybe the mayor hired someone to torch it. Or maybe it was one of the many people that Ralph claimed to have blackmail information on. Someone might have been tired of the weight that Ralph had hanging over their head. Whoever did it might be ruthless, desperate, and not likely to stop there.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Charlotte pulled to a stop beside Ally, but her gaze focused on the remains of the house down the street.

  “Ally? Did you burn a house down?”

  Ally couldn’t help but laugh a little as she got into the car. “No, it wasn’t me. It’s the photographer’s house. I think someone did it on purpose.”

  “Who?” Charlotte raised an eyebrow. “The mayor?”

  “I’m not sure. Did you notice if Ted Housers seemed eager to take Julia’s position?”

  “No, not really. Do you think so?”

  “I don’t know. He certainly is at a higher pay grade now.”

  “True.” Charlotte drove back towards town. They had to park a few blocks away from the main square and walk to the restaurant.

  People were already leaving the restaurant when they arrived. Ally noticed that there were extra chairs pulled up to several tables, so she presumed there had been a large attendance. Near the front of the restaurant Ted Housers shook hands and smiled sadly at everyone who passed him. Ally studied him from a distance as Charlotte found them a place to sit.

  He looked the part, that was for sure. A three-piece suit, carefully combed hair, eager eyes that became sad at the exact moment someone looked at him. There were things about him that left her uneasy, but she couldn’t place exactly what they were. He had to have worked closely with Julia and might know something that would help solve the murder. She waited until most people walked away from him, then approached. As she neared him he smiled in recognition.

  “Good to see you again.”

  “You, too.” Ally smiled. “I guess that you will be taking on a lot of new responsibilities.”

  “Yes, but I’m ready for it.”

  “Are you?” Ally raised an eyebrow. Before she could say another word the door to the restaurant burst open. Julia’s husband burst inside, followed by Mayor Malcolm.

  “How dare you?” He roared at Ted. Ted took a few steps back. Somehow Ally found herself between the two men, with Julia’s husband’s fury right in front of her.

  “I know you’re upset, but you need to think about what you’re doing here,” Mayor Malcolm said as he grabbed his arms and pulled him back a few steps. “Stop this now. Not like this. Look how many people are here.”

  “I don’t care!” He squirmed out of Mayor Malcolm’s grasp. “I don’t care who knows anymore. Our entire marriage was a lie, she knew it, I knew it, but to have you host a dinner in her honor? Are you trying to rub my face in it?”

  “What do you care?” Ted shouted back. Ally turned to face him and put a hand up to stop him from moving forward.

  “I think you both need to calm down.”

  “No! If he wants to be honest, then let’s be honest.” Ted looked in Julia’s husband’s eyes and lowered his voice so only the people close to him could hear him. “I was the one that she loved, not you.”

  “You should have left her alone and she would have been fine!” Julia’s husband said.

  “That’s enough!” Mayor Malcolm pushed Ally aside and put a hand on each of their chests. “Julia deserved better than this. Drop it, both of you, or I’ll have you behind bars.”

  Ally stared at the three men entangled in a war over Julia. It occurred to her that she might have seemed like a very calm person on the surface, but it appeared that underneath she dealt with quite a bit of drama.

  “Fine!” Her husband pulled away from the mayor and stormed towards the door of the restaurant. “What does it matter now? She’s dead anyway.” He slammed the door shut behind him. The restaurant erupted in whispers and the movement of chairs. Ally looked back at Ted who glared at Mayor Malcolm.

  “You couldn’t stop him?”

  “He lost his wife, Ted.”

  “She should have been my wife.” Ted hissed those words. “Don’t I have a right to grieve?”

  Mayor Malcolm held up his hands and shook his head. “We just have to find a way to get through this. We all lost her, Ted. We all did.”

  Something in Mayor Malcolm’s voice made Ally’s heart drop. It was genuine grief. Did he regret killing Julia? Or was he not involved at all? Ally joined Charlotte at a crowded table.

  “How did you get in the middle of that?”

  “I don’t know exactly.” Ally frowned as she looked at her grandmother. “I guess she really was well loved.”

  “What were they arguing about?” Charlotte asked. “I only caught snippets of their conversation.”

  “I’ll fill you in in private.”

  “It’s too tense in here for me. Do you want to stay?”

  “No, let’s get out of here. I think I’ve seen enough.”

  ***

  After Ally dropped Charlotte off at Freely Lakes and returned to the cottage she spent some time researching Ted Housers. Everything about him was squeaky clean. She did notice that he was married and she wondered how he got away with having an affair with Julia and not a trace of it was found in the newspapers or gossip pages. Maybe they were just very careful.

  After taking a break for dinner she noticed that the local website was buzzing with news about Ralph’s house. From the comments she had read it was clear that the house was a total loss, and also that Ralph was not going to get a lot of sympathy from the locals. After a few moments of consideration she dialed Ralph’s number.

  “What do you want?”

  “I just wanted to check on you.”

  “Really?

  “Yes, Ralph. I’m really sorry about your house.”

  “Don’t be. I’ll get a new one.”

  “Then I’m sorry about the drama.”

  “Why are you really calling me, Ally?”

  “To see if you’re okay and to check if you know that Julia and Ted Housers were in a relationship.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t aware that I was required to tell you everything I know.”

  “Don’t you think that Ted could be a suspect?”

  “No.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t think that at all.”

  “Why not?”

  “Listen. I did stumble upon their affair. Honestly, it restored my faith in romance. It was so obvious that they were so in love, I just couldn’t reveal it.”


  “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

  “I am more than just some guy hiding behind trees you know.”

  “Okay. Thanks again for your help, Ralph.”

  “Sure. If you need anything, just let me know.” He hung up. Ally wasn’t sure what to make of his final offer. He offered to help if she needed him. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she originally thought. She went to bed that night with a lot of different emotions weighing on her mind.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ally woke up late the next morning. After the strange night she had, her mind was still awash with memories of the burned-out house and Ralph’s revelation about what the pictures contained. Not to mention the affair between Ted and Julia. She rose to her feet and made her way to the kitchen in response to Peaches’ loud demands for attention. She grabbed the can of cat food and started to prepare a bowl for Peaches. Before she could get the bowl to the floor there was a knock on the door. Ally looked through the small window in the kitchen door and saw that it was her grandmother.

  “You’re here bright and early.” Ally smiled at her as she opened the door.

  “Not that early.” Charlotte glanced at her watch. “Are you ready to open the shop?”

  “Just give me a minute to finish feeding the kids, and we can make some muffins for breakfast at the shop.”

  “Actually, I won’t be able to join you today. My book club is meeting this morning to have our own little ceremony for Julia. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not, that’s fine.”

  “I thought I’d stop by and take Arnold for a walk before I go to the book club. Are you doing okay after last night?”

  “Yes. Still a little shaken up. But more determined than ever. If Mayor Malcolm thinks he can get away with burning down someone’s house to cover up his crimes he has another thing coming.”

  “But didn’t you say the pictures didn’t indicate that he had any relationship with Julia?”

  “I did, but who knows what other pictures Ralph had that he didn’t want seen. Whatever his reason, the message was clear.”

  “Still, we don’t even know if he’s the one that did it. At this point, we don’t even know if it was arson. Ralph could have made a mistake, or it could have been faulty wiring. Personally, I’m glad that so many pictures are gone.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Ally frowned. “He did plan to manipulate some people if necessary. Although, I’m sure he has most of them backed up.”

  “A man like that really can’t be trusted.” Charlotte crossed her arms. “Anyone that would steal private moments to use them as ammunition later is not the best person in my opinion.”

  “Or maybe it’s the only way that he knows to protect himself. However, obviously it didn’t work this time.”

  “Maybe.”

  “There’s one sure way we can get more information about Mayor Malcolm.” Ally pulled out her phone. “It’s time to tap our own resources.” She selected a number and put the phone to her ear. “Hello? Mrs. Bing? It’s Ally. Would you mind joining me at the shop for some taste testing?” She winked at Charlotte. Charlotte smiled her approval and hooked Arnold’s leash onto his collar. As she led him out the door Ally gathered her things and followed after her.

  “While you’re getting the dirt, I’ll do a little digging of my own. See what I can find out from my book club,” Charlotte said.

  “Good idea.” Ally waved to her as she climbed into the car.

  “Tell Mrs. Bing I say hi, and to enjoy the treats.”

  “I will.”

  On the drive to the shop Ally noticed that there was a lot of activity around one of the houses she passed. It only took her a moment to recognize Officer Frank at the corner of the property. She slowed to a stop and rolled her window down.

  “What’s going on, Officer Frank?”

  He eyed her with impatience. “It’s a police matter.”

  “I can see that. Is everything okay?” The wrinkle in his forehead indicated annoyance, but Ally ignored it.

  “It’s part of the investigation.”

  “Whose house is this?” Ally tried to see past him to the front door.

  “I’m going to have to ask you to move along.” He pointed to the road in front of her.

  “Sorry to bother you.” Ally knew that a couple had moved into the house recently, but she hadn’t met them yet. When she got a moment she would look into who owned it. Ally presumed that it must have something to do with Julia’s murder because Officer Frank was from Freely.

  When Ally arrived at the shop she prepared for her honored guest by making chocolate cupcakes. Not long after the bell rang to signal that a customer had walked inside. Ally walked out to greet her with a smile.

  “Morning Mrs. Bing.”

  “Morning. Something smells wonderful.”

  Ally set a chocolate cupcake on a small plate in front of Mrs. Bing.

  “I’m so glad you were willing to come over and taste test.”

  “Oh sure, you can call me anytime for something like this. I adore everything you make.” She took a big bite of the cupcake. As she licked the chocolate icing from her lips Ally met her eyes.

  “What can you tell me about Mayor Malcolm from Freely?”

  Her eyes sparkled. She finished chewing, then swallowed hard. “What do you want to know?”

  “I’ve heard the rumors about Julia and him having an affair. I’m more interested in why he might want Julia dead. Was there any bad blood between them?”

  Mrs. Bing smacked her lips together and stared at the cupcake. “Not exactly bad blood. It’s more like an intense competition. You see Julia was set to run against Tim in the next election. Since she’s been more present in the community and drummed up quite a bit of support there was a very good chance that she would win.”

  “But you don’t think he would kill her over that, do you?”

  “I think that some people find their identity in their position. So, if they lose that position they can suffer some severe emotional reactions. It’s possible that if he felt threatened, he might have spun into a panic that made him do something rash.”

  Ally shook her head. “It’s hard for me to believe that someone would murder for political gain.”

  “Please honey, people have been murdering for political gain for a very long time. However, that doesn’t mean that I believe he did it. I don’t know one way or another. I’m just telling you what I’ve observed. He’s not a bad man, but he sure does have a temper, and there are plenty of people that are terrified of him.”

  “Yes, because of the way he runs things.”

  “Yes that, and his history.”

  “What history?” Ally looked up with interest.

  “As a young adult he was involved with some of the roughest characters in Freely.”

  “How many rough characters could there be in Freely?”

  “You don’t know what it was like back then. It wasn’t always such a nice, quiet place.”

  “I guess I don’t.”

  “Never mind that, the important thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter who the police arrest. If Mayor Malcolm is the one who did this then…”

  “If I did what?” Mayor Malcolm stood in the doorway, his tense gaze fixed on Ally. Ally’s heart dropped into her stomach. Not only did she not hear the bell ring over the door when he opened it, she had no idea that someone had stepped inside. One thing was certain about this man, he knew how to sneak his way into places.

  “We were just talking about Julia.” Ally cleared her throat.

  “Julia was a beautiful woman,” Mayor Malcolm said.

  “Oops, look at the time, I do have to run. Bye Ally!” Mrs. Bing rushed towards the door. The moment she was gone Mayor Malcolm paused in front of the counter.

  “That still doesn’t answer my question. If I did what?”

  Ally held his gaze. It was already clear that he had guessed what she referred to. What was the point of trying to hide i
t?

  “The glass of champagne that you handed to Julia was laced with poison. The police know that.”

  “You don’t think I’m aware of what the police know?” He lofted an eyebrow. “It’s Ally, right?”

  “Yes.” Ally gripped the underside of the counter. It was the only way that she remained upright. She was so nervous that she felt as if she might faint.

  “You know, the last thing that the deputy mayor ate was one of the chocolate tarts from this very store. Is that true?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see her the entire time.”

  “Okay, but the police did collect her plate and all that remained on it was half of the chocolate tart. Right?”

  “Right.” Ally continued to steady herself with the counter.

  “So, who is to say that the chocolate tart wasn’t laced with poison?”

  “The police tested it. It came out negative.”

  “But what if it had come out positive? How would it make you feel, knowing that you would never do anything to hurt Julia, but that the rest of the town, including the police, believed otherwise? All based on a tiny piece of evidence that proves nothing.”

  Ally stared back into his hardened gaze. She didn’t want to feel any sympathy for him.

  “My only interest would be in justice for the woman who was murdered. If that meant that I had to be investigated, then I would happily cooperate.”

  He rested his hands on the counter in front of her and leaned so close that she could smell his cologne.

  “I am not a very cooperative person. I take great offense to being accused of crimes that I did not commit.”

  “What about being accused of crimes that you did commit?” Ally’s eyes widened in reaction to her own words. So did the mayor’s.

  “Brave young lady, hm?” He tilted his head to the side. “I wonder how long that bravery will last when you need my help with something.”

  “I don’t often ask for help.”

  “I imagine you don’t.” He chuckled. The sound broke the tension that had built within Ally. She couldn’t quite read whether she should be intimidated by the man or amused. With moments slipping by she considered what she should do next.