Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 2 (Books 5 - 7) (Lexy Baker Cozy Mysteries Boxed Sets)

by Leighann Dobbs

“Nope. Let’s move on,” Ruth answered and the three of them scurried under the crime scene tape and then joined Lexy at the intersection of the paths.

  “So which path?” Nans looked at Lexy.

  “Well, this one goes to the front parking lot so I doubt the killer used that one,” Lexy said pointing to the path on the left. Then she turned and pointed to one of the middle paths. “And this is the only other one I haven’t walked on.”

  “Well, let's go!” Ruth started in the direction of the path in a power walk and Lexy trotted after her.

  “We should slow down and look for clues … you know anything unusual,” Lexy said remembering Jack’s advice.

  “Yes, we know what clues are, dear,” Nans teased.

  They walked leisurely letting Sprinkles make her various pit stops. They were only about twenty feet down the path when Sprinkles found something she must have thought was irresistible. Lexy tugged on the leash, but Sprinkles insisted on sniffing whatever it was she had found under a small shrub.

  “What have you got, Sprinks?” Lexy bent down to investigate hoping it wasn’t a dead animal. It wasn’t. Lexy picked it up and held it out for the ladies.

  “What is it?” Nans narrowed her eyes at the thin strip of leather with stainless steel spikes sticking out of it.

  “I think it’s a bracelet,” Ruth said.

  Lexy wrapped it around her wrist and it snapped closed with magnetic clasps on each end. Ruth was right. “Who would wear a bracelet like this?” Lexy asked.

  “Maybe one of the teenagers?” Nans said. “Their ever changing fashions always baffle me.”

  “Maybe.” Lexy put the bracelet in her pocket and started forward. “I’ll just keep it … it could be a clue.”

  The ladies nodded and followed her down the path. Like the previous day, the tall trees provided welcome shade. The birds chirped, chipmunks scurried in the leaves and the smell of the woods made the walk relaxing and pleasant. Until they came to a section that became very dense … and dark.

  Lexy hesitated, looking at the others. “Is it getting dark out?”

  “No, it’s just the woods are really thick here.” Nans looked back behind them. “The trail narrows, but it keeps going.”

  Nans forged ahead and Lexy followed. They had to walk single file since the trail was so thin and dense forest on either side made it impossible to stray. They walked in silence, Lexy’s nerves getting more jittery with every step.

  Nans stopped abruptly and Lexy almost rammed into her.

  “There’s a clearing up ahead.” Nans pointed. Lexy craned around her to see. It looked like the path ended in a clearing with a small camp in the middle.

  “Let’s check it out,” Helen whispered.

  They scuffled up to the end of the path where they could get a better view of the small house. A picnic table sat in between the path and the camp and there was a large campfire pit in front of it. Six motorcycles were lined up next to the house. No one seemed to be there except a large Boxer dog that lay snoring on the porch.

  Nans motioned for them to crouch down behind a bush and they all obeyed.

  “I wonder who stays here?” She whispered.

  Lexy shrugged. “Do you think they take the path to the dining hall?”

  “I don’t know. Someone does.”

  The Boxer lifted its head and started sniffing.

  Sprinkles sniffed too and wiggled around. Lexy pulled the dog tight beside her. “Shhh..”

  Lexy’s heartbeat kicked up a notch when she saw the Boxer get up from his place on the porch. He lifted his nose in the air, sniffed, then turned in their direction.

  Sprinkles started to growl.

  The Boxer started walking toward them.

  Lexy shushed Sprinkles again.

  The Boxer came even closer and Sprinkles let out a yelp, then darted out from behind the bush, yanking the leash out of Lexy’s hand and running in the direction of the Boxer.

  Lexy jumped up, her heart jerking in her chest.

  “Sprinkles come back!” She started off toward the dogs ready to grab Sprinkles from the clutches of the menacing Boxer. Sprinkles stopped in front of the Boxer and the two dogs calmly started sniffing each other.

  Lexy felt her shoulders relax, then the door of the cabin exploded open and two burly guys in leather vests burst out. One of them had a shotgun and the other a knife.

  Lexy’s heart pounded against her ribcage as the largest guy—the one with the bandana on his bald head and spider tattoo on his neck—pointed the shotgun at her.

  “Who are you?” he demanded.

  Lexy’s mouth went dry. She tried to swallow but it was like drinking sandpaper.

  “I told you we should have brought our purses.” She heard Nans whisper from behind the shrub.

  The big guy narrowed his eyes in the direction of the shrub. “Who’s that? Is someone behind that bush?”

  Lexy looked back over her shoulder and her heart sank as she saw Nans, Ruth and Helen all stand up, their hands held up next to their heads, palms out.

  “We’re just some little old ladies from the resort.” Nans nodded at Lexy and Sprinkles. “I was just taking my granddaughter and her dog for a walk.”

  The two guys cut their eyes to the dogs who had gotten around to sniffing each other’s back ends. Lexy thought the dogs seemed to be making friends a lot easier than their owners.

  “Hey, looks like Brutus found a friend,” the smaller guy said.

  The big guy narrowed his eyes at the dog, lowering the gun slightly then jerked it back up in Lexy’s direction. “Who sent you?”

  Lexy’s brows mashed together. “Sent me? No one.”

  The two guys exchanged a glance. The smaller guy put his knife away and shrugged.

  “They’re grandmas,” he said pointing his chin in Nans direction.

  The big guy nodded, but kept his gun trained on Lexy. “I suggest you take your dog, get on out of here and don’t come back.”

  Lexy ran over and grabbed Sprinkles leash. “Right. No problem. Sorry.”

  She turned and sprinted back toward the path, making sure Nans, Ruth and Helen got away ahead of her.

  She glanced back over her shoulder every twenty steps and her heart didn’t stop racing until they were a full five minutes away.

  “What was that all about?” Nans asked.

  “I’m not sure but it seemed like a gang of unfriendly bikers to me,” Ruth answered.

  “Do you think they could have had something to do with Chef Dugasse’s murder?” Helen asked.

  “I bet they either had something to do with it, or they know something,” Lexy said.

  “Just because they are bikers and acted like they didn’t want us in their camp is no reason to assume they are killers,” Nans admonished.

  “It’s not just that.” Lexy pulled the bracelet she’d found at the head of the trail out of her pocket and held it up in front of her. “The guy with the knife had this exact same bracelet on and, since this one was found only twenty feet from the dining hall, I think it’s safe to assume one of them has been to that kitchen at least once before.”

  12

  Chapter 12

  Lexy dipped her spoon into the thick custard and brought it to her lips. The sweetness from the sugar and the unmistakable flavor from the real vanilla bean she’d added danced on her tongue. The creaminess of the custard was like velvet in her mouth. Perfect.

  She pulled over a tray of the small puff pastries she’d made to house the custard and set the bowl of chocolate she’d drizzle on the top next to her. Spooning the custard into a piping bag, she picked up a pastry, squeezed some custard inside then set it on another tray. She continued until she had one tray completed, then spooned the chocolate on top for a perfect set of miniature bite-sized éclairs.

  She popped one into her mouth letting the flavorful explosion thrill her taste buds. They were just the way she wanted. She pulled another tray of puff pastries over and started repeating the process. />
  As she filled the pastries she thought about the previous evening’s excursion with Nans and the ladies. Could the biker gang have something to do with Dugasse’s murder? Why would Dugasse be involved with them? It didn’t make any sense.

  She was trying to figure out how she could find out more about the bikers and what they were doing there when a grating voice cut into her thoughts from across the room.

  “Miss Baker, what a surprise to find you here in the kitchen instead of pestering suspects.”

  Lexy’s stomach tightened as she watched Detective Payne make his way over to her. He wore his usual plaid Bermuda shorts and had his spiral bound notebook and pencil in hand. His eyes slid from hers to the tray of éclairs.

  “I have no idea what you mean,” Lexy said feigning innocence.

  “You went to visit Victoria Dugasse?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “My grandmother and I paid our condolences.”

  “Hmm … well, she seemed to think you were doing more than that.” Grabbing an éclair from the tray, he stuffed it into his mouth before continuing. “I’d appreciate it if you left the police business to the police … besides the wife didn’t to it. The hotel records show that she was in the hotel gym at the time of death.”

  Lexy’s eyebrows shot up. That was one person she could cross off her suspect list. She decided to test out Payne to see how much he knew.

  She leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. “So, she didn’t kill him because of his affair with Sylvia Spicer?”

  Payne’s forehead collapsed in a network of wrinkles. “Spicer? What makes you think they were having an affair?”

  “They seemed awfully close. In fact Sylvia came right out after I found him and was very upset.”

  “Well, of course she would be upset. Her boss was dead.” Payne glanced around the room looking for Sylvia, no doubt. “Maybe you are just implicating Sylvia because she has the damaging statement of finding you leaning over the dead body.”

  Lexy pressed her lips together and leaned even closer. “Well, there is the matter of her getting promoted.”

  Payne nodded. “Yes, yes. We know all about that. We are the police you know. But Spicer wasn’t having the affair with Dugasse.”

  “How do you know that? The wife told us he was sneaking off.”

  Payne waved his hand around dismissively. “Sneaking around does not necessarily mean an affair. Like I said, you should leave the detecting to the detectives. You are, after all, one of the suspects.”

  Lexy felt irritation spark in her chest. Why did Payne keep defending Sylvia and insisting that Lexy was a suspect? It was becoming clear that she was going to have to dig out the clues herself if she wanted to get her name off his radar.

  “So I have your word you will leave this Chef Martino Marchesi alone?”

  Lexy’s heart skipped. Who was Chef Martino Marchesi?

  Payne must have caught her confused look. “Don’t try to play dumb. I know that you already know Marchesi is the favorite to win the Chili Battle.”

  “Chili Battle?” Lexy’s brows mashed together. Did Dugasse’s death have something to do with the Chili Battle?

  Payne flapped his arms in exasperation. “Look Baker, you’re still high up on the suspect list, but I’m working to cover all the bases and make sure I get the real killer. If you continue to meddle in this case I will have no choice but to stop you … even if I have to throw you in jail.”

  Payne grabbed another éclair, popped it into his mouth and pointed the eraser end of his pencil at her and said, “Consider yourself warned.”

  Then he turned on his heel and stomped off toward the exit.

  Lexy finished the éclairs as fast as she could and then ran down to Nans’ cottage.

  “You guys won’t believe it … I just found another clue!” Lexy burst through the front door of the cottage. Nans, Ida, Ruth and Helen were seated at the table shoveling cheeseburgers onto large plates of salad.

  “Would you like a cheeseburger salad?” Nans asked.

  Lexy narrowed her eyes at the plates. “No buns? Are you guys back on the Paleo diet?”

  Nans waffled her hand over the table. “We’re just trying to cut down on the carbs.”

  “Did you say something about a clue, dear?” Ida speared a piece of lettuce, a tomato and then a chunk of burger and brought it up to her mouth.

  “Yes. Payne came to the kitchen to yell at me about visiting Dugasse’s wife and he let a clue slip. Something about another chef that was connected with the Chili Battle contest.”

  Nans narrowed her eyes. “I knew the chili contest had to figure in here somewhere. What was the chef’s name?”

  Lexy pursed her lips together wishing she had written the name down. “It was Italian sounding … I think it was Martin Parcheesi. Does that ring a bell with anyone?”

  The ladies looked around at each other shaking their heads.

  “No, but we can Google him.” Ruth got up from her chair and went over to the iPad. Lexy watched as her fingers tapped on the screen.

  “I don’t find any Chef Parcheesi. Let me look up this chili contest.”

  Nans, Ida and Helen munched away at their salads while Lexy went to look over Ruth’s shoulder.

  “So, is this Parcheesi guy another suspect? Along with the wife, the sous-chef, and the bikers?” Helen asked.

  “Seems like we’re really piling them up.” Ida cleaned the last of the salad out of her bowl and brought it to the sink.

  “Actually, the wife has been cleared. Payne let it slip that she has an alibi for the time of the murder,” Lexy said.

  “Oh good.” Ida walked over to the white board. “I’ll cross her off the list then.”

  “Do you mean Chef Martino Marchesi?” Ruth looked up at Lexy.

  “Yes!” Lexy snapped her fingers. “That’s it!”

  “Well, he is involved with the Chili Battle. He’s one of the front runners,” Ruth said.

  “So Payne thinks he might have killed Dugasse to win the contest?” Nans stood up and brought her and Helen’s bowls to the sink.

  “He just warned me to stay away from him. He didn’t say why but he said I should stay away from the suspects, so I assume Marchesi is one.” Lexy watched Ida write ‘Marchesi’ on the whiteboard in the suspect column.

  “Seems a little drastic to kill someone to win a contest,” Helen said.

  “Apparently not if you are this Marchesi guy.” Ruth tapped the iPad with her finger. “He has ties to organized crime and there’s some articles here that put him in a questionable light.”

  Nans raised her brows. “Is he here in town now?”

  “I’d have to check local hotels,” Ruth said.

  “Do you think he could have some involvement with those bikers we saw yesterday? Maybe he hired them to do his dirty work or something,” Helen offered.

  “Maybe.” Nans studied the white board. “What about Sylvia? Did you find anything more about her supposed affair with Dugasse?”

  “That’s another thing Payne said. He seemed sure Sylvia was not the one having the affair with him. But she acted so strangely when I confronted her yesterday,” Lexy said.

  “Well, I wouldn’t necessarily take what Payne says as gospel.” Ruth rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t seem that competent if you ask me.”

  Lexy nodded. “You can say that again. I think I might need to have another talk with Sylvia.”

  “Yes, and we need to figure out if Marchesi was in town when Dugasse was murdered and talk to those bikers to find out why the bracelet was near the dining hall,” Helen said.

  “How are we going to talk to the bikers?” Lexy asked. “They didn’t seem very friendly when we were there yesterday.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I think I have that covered.” Nans winked at Lexy. “Meet us here tomorrow at two p.m. and I’ll show you how to get even the most adversarial suspect to open up.”

  13

  Chapter 13

  Lexy paced back a
nd forth in her small cottage. Nans and the ladies were at bingo and Jack was out fishing. Which left her with too much alone time on her to think about Dugasse’s murder.

  Sprinkles lay on the floral cushion that was fitted to the seat of the green wicker rocker. Her eyes followed Lexy as she went back and forth.

  “If the killer was this Chef Marchesi, then how come no one saw him in the kitchen?” she asked the little dog.

  “Did he hide out by the dumpster and wait for Dugasse to come out? Or maybe he lured him out there?”

  She looked at Sprinkles who raised an eyebrow.

  “I still think Sylvia Spicer is up to something. She’s been acting way to jumpy.”

  Sprinkles let out a little bark.

  “And she asked about hiding the body!”

  Sprinkles beat the side of the rocker with her tail.

  “Do you have to go out?”

  The little white dog jumped off the rocker and ran to the door. Lexy saddled the dog up in her harness and led her out through the porch and into the woods beside the cottage.

  It was dusk and the air had cooled considerably. It was a perfect summer night, with peepers peeping and flowers perfuming the air. Lexy looked up and sighed at the perfectly round moon and abundance of bright stars.

  Sprinkles rummaged around in the leaves and pine needles and Lexy’s thoughts turned to Brad Meltzer rummaging around in Dugasse’s desk. Just what had he been looking for?

  She had to admit, she’d never liked Brad. He always seemed like he was pulling something over on you. But just because he was a pompous jerk didn’t mean he was a killer.

  Still he had tried awfully hard to make her look guilty in front of Payne and he was looking for something in Dugasse’s office. She didn’t fall for that excuse of him looking for the schedule. Surely he would have seen it right on the desk. No, he was up to something, Lexy was sure of it.

  She glanced up the hill at the dining hall. At this time of night it would be empty. All the meals had been served and cleared, and the chefs and waitstaff would have gone home.