Chapter 21
Lexy felt the sting of bugs smacking her face as they raced over to a wooded patch directly behind Marchesi’s tent. As they approached, she could see the fat chef, Brad and the guy in the plaid shirt making a run across the field toward the woods.
Something moved at the edge of the contest area and Lexy’s eyes widened when she saw Detectives Payne and Wells racing across the field along with another uniformed officer after Marchesi.
Rat and the gang pushed their bikes to go even faster and Lexy felt her heartbeat racing along with her as they gained on the chef.
Marchesi was getting closer to the woods but Payne was gaining ground as Lexy and the bikers flew out into the clearing. They aimed their bikes toward Marchesi who jerked his head over his shoulder in their direction, his mouth forming a surprised ‘O’ as he saw the five motorcycles racing toward him.
With a final push, the motorcycles flew across the field and circled around Marchesi and his accomplices preventing their escape. Marchesi dodged and weaved trying to make it to the woods but the bikes were too quick for him and cut him off at every turn.
And then, just when Lexy thought she’d seen it all, Detective Payne made a running leap. He flew through the air in a colorful blur of pastel shirt and plaid pants, landing right on Marchesi and bringing the big chef to the ground.
Wells and the uniformed officer wrestled with Brad and the third man while Payne whipped out his handcuffs and locked them on Marchesi’s wrist.
“Chef Martino Marchesi … you’re under arrest for the murder of Alain Dugasse.”
Lexy jumped off the bike and approached Payne. “So, he really is the killer?”
“Not the actual killer, but the mastermind behind it.” Payne turned to Brad and the other man. “And those are his accomplices.”
“So one of them killed Dugasse?”
Payne nodded. “Marchesi sent Brad to work in the kitchen in order to get close to Dugasse and try to get the recipe. When it became clear that wasn’t going to work, and Marchesi’s threats didn’t scare the chef, Brad lured Dugasse out to the dumpster somehow where the other gentleman was waiting to kill him.”
Lexy felt a shiver despite the warm weather. The killer had been out there lurking behind the dumpster that morning and anyone could have stumbled across him.
“I think Brad might have been trying to frame you for it,” Payne said to Lexy.
“Yeah, and for a while it seemed like you were going to believe him.” Lexy narrowed her eyes at Payne. “So how did you figure out what really happened?”
“Actually, it was all thanks to you.” Payne stood, heaving Marchesi up off the ground. “After our talk the other day, I had you followed … you led us right to the clues in Marchesi’s tent.”
“The knife set?”
“Yep, that and the scrap of fabric your grandmother found tied the whole case together. Then we just waited for him to come back to the tent here to arrest him. He ran as soon as he saw us but … well, you know the rest.”
“So you knew we were here in the tent? Why didn’t you help us?” Lexy fisted her hands on her hips.
Did Payne actually let Brad kidnap them?
“Unfortunately, my guy lost you, so I didn’t know you had been kidnapped until these gentlemen here called me.” Payne thrust his chin toward Rat and Snake. “Surely you don’t think I’d let the bad guys kidnap you and your grandmother?”
Lexy frowned. Would he?
“Wait. How did Rat and Snake know we got kidnapped?”
Rat overheard her and walked over. “We got worried when you guys didn’t come back so we did a little snooping around. We saw Brad and that other guy bringing some really big sacks of beans to the shed.”
Snake joined them. “We thought that was pretty strange and after we asked around and found out it was the fireworks storage it clicked in that they had put you in the sacks!”
Rat laughed. “But it looks like you guys didn’t really need us to rescue you.”
Lexy felt the corners of her mouth curl and she looked at her grandmother. “Yeah, Nans and the ladies have a lot of tricks up their sleeves … or should I say, in their purses.”
“I’ll say.” Snake shook his head. “I never would have thought of a lipstick bomb.”
“Well, I hope all this didn’t ruin your chances in the chili contest,” Lexy said to Rat.
“I have some of the other guys handing out the chili.” Rat looked at his watch. “But I better get back there and make sure everything is in place for the judging!”
Lexy watched him and Snake rush off toward their bikes as Wells and the other officer took Marchesi from Payne.
“We would have figured it all out without you Miss Baker,” Payne said. “But I do appreciate you helping to speed things up. That being said, I hope you will be going back to your bakery in Brook Ridge Falls soon … where you will be out of my hair. If you want to meddle in the police business of your boyfriend, well that’s his problem.”
At the mention of Jack, Lexy’s heart lurched.
How long had she been gone?
“Right. Nice meeting you too.” She stuck her hand out at Payne who shook it and then she ran off to gather Nans and the ladies.
“We better get back to the blanket before Jack starts asking questions.” She tugged on Nans arm.
Nans raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you don’t want to tell him about our exciting excursion?”
“Well, it’s not that I want to lie or keep things from him, but sometimes it’s better if he doesn’t know every little detail.”
“I agree,” Ida said. “We girls have to keep a little mystery in the relationship.”
“Well, let's get a move on then.” Nans hooked arms with Lexy and Ruth. Ida and Helen joined in on either end. “I want to get back there in time to see who wins the Chili Battle.”
22
Chapter 22
“Where have you been? Your chili is cold.” Jack wrinkled his brow at Lexy as she plopped down on the blanket beside him.
“Oh, we were just walking around. Lost track of time,” She said, feigning intense interest in the chili so he wouldn’t ask for any details.
“What’s with your hair? It’s all wild.” Jack reached up and picked something out of her hair, then held it in front of his face. “A beetle.”
Lexy’s hands flew up to her hair, fluffing and brushing away any other bugs that might have gotten trapped in there. “It’s the humidity.”
Jack leaned over sniffing her hair. “You smell like gunpowder.”
Lexy’s stomach tightened.
“That smell must be from one of the grills in the tent,” she squeaked.
Her heart crunched as Jack frowned at her.
“Shhh.” Nans saved her from further scrutiny. “They’re judging the chili now.”
Lexy put her bowl down and Sprinkles jumped on it like she hadn’t eaten in days. Lexy didn’t mind—turns out cold chili isn’t that tasty.
She shielded her eyes from the setting sun and squinted toward the stage. The judges were sitting behind a table and the three finalists stood before them. Her heart surged for Rat who was one of the finalists.
She strained to listen as the judges made comments on each of their dishes. Rat got extra brownie points for his cornbread.
“Yay!” Nans clapped her hands together.
The judges droned on.
“Just get on with it,” Ruth muttered after several more minutes of chili talk.
“Come on Rat!” Ida yelled.
“Rat?” Jack wrinkled his forehead at Lexy who grimaced.
“Long story,” she said patting his leg and her stomach flip-flopped as he took her hand in his.
Finally, the judges got down to tallying up the votes. One of the judges stood up, retrieving a giant check that had been leaning against the tent wall behind them.
“And the winner of the fifth annual Chili Battle is …”
Lexy held her breath while the judge p
aused for effect.
“In honor of the late Chef Dugasse, his son, Rick Monroe!”
The field erupted in applause. Lexy, Nans, Ruth, Ida and Helen clapped and high-fived each other.
“Way to go!” Nans yelled.
Helen let out a loud wolf whistle.
Ida sucked down a margarita and Lexy craned her neck to see behind the older woman, wondering if she had a stash of them.
Amidst the din of the applause and whistles, Lexy thought she heard the distinctive sound of bottle rockets. The applause started to die down and she realized it was bottle rockets along with a series of loud bangs.
Jack swiveled his head around, looking at the sky. “Why are they starting the fireworks now? It’s still light out.”
Lexy’s heart skipped and she exchanged a look with Nans remembering how the fireworks storage shed had been on fire when they’d roared off on the motorcycles.
Lexy flinched when she heard another round of loud bangs and saw flashes of light in the sky.
Jack’s forehead wrinkled as he looked up. “I hope that wasn’t the finale … you can hardly see anything.”
“Oh, I bet that was just a little preview.” Ida giggled, sloshing part of her margarita on Lexy.
“Hey, isn’t that your detective friend?” Jack pointed down toward the parking lot and Lexy swiveled her head in that direction, glad to have something distracting Jack from the fireworks.
In the parking lot, Payne and Wells were stuffing Marchesi, Brad Meltzer and their accomplice into separate police cars.
“Yes,” Lexy said. “He’s arresting the killer.”
“So, it was that other chef?” Jack asked.
“Yep, guess so.” Lexy smiled at Jack.
Jack brushed his lips against her forehead and she felt her stomach flip at the tender gesture.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said.
Lexy narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“Well, you’re up here and the arrest is happening down there.”
Lexy glanced down at the parking lot. “So?”
“So, that shows you’re finally learning to leave the dangerous stuff to the police.” Jack took both her hands in his. “Isn’t it much easier … and less dangerous this way?”
Lexy glanced over Jack’s shoulder at Nans who made a ‘zipping up the lips and throwing away the key’ motion, then turned back to Jack.
She smiled up at him, her heart melting at the love in his eyes, her stomach suffering a twinge of guilt for not telling him exactly the whole truth.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes it is.”
The end.
**********************
Lexy and Jack are getting married! It’s time for her to take a break from sleuthing and focus on wedding plans… until a bridezilla that she had a major fight with just hours before ends up dead. Now instead of focusing on her wedding she’s trying to keep herself out of jail. Lucky she has Nans and the gang to help out. But do Lexy and Jack finally say “I do”? Find out in the next book in the series - Wedded Blintz.
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Also by Leighann Dobbs
Cozy Mysteries
Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Dead in the Dining Room
Stabbed in the Solarium
Homicide in the Hydrangeas
-------
Mystic Notch
Cat Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Ghostly Paws
A Spirited Tail
A Mew To A Kill
Paws and Effect
Probable Paws
A Whisker of a Doubt
Wrong Side of the Claw
-------
Oyster Cove Guesthouse
Cat Cozy Mystery Series
***
A Twist in the Tail
A Whisker in the Dark
A Purrfect Alibi
-------
Kate Diamond Mystery Adventures
***
Hidden Agemda (Book 1)
Ancient Hiss Story (Book 2)
Heist Society (Book 3)
-------
Silver Hollow
Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series
***
A Spell of Trouble (Book 1)
Spell Disaster (Book 2)
Nothing to Croak About (Book 3)
Cry Wolf (Book 4)
Shear Magic (Book 5)
-------
Mooseamuck Island
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
A Zen For Murder
A Crabby Killer
A Treacherous Treasure
-------
Blackmoore Sisters
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Dead Wrong
Dead & Buried
Dead Tide
Buried Secrets
Deadly Intentions
A Grave Mistake
Spell Found
Fatal Fortune
Hidden Secrets
-------
Lexy Baker
Cozy Mystery Series
* * *
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)
Or buy the books separately:
Killer Cupcakes
Dying For Danish
Murder, Money and Marzipan
3 Bodies and a Biscotti
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys
Bake, Battle & Roll
Wedded Blintz
Scones, Skulls & Scams
Ice Cream Murder
Mummified Meringues
Brutal Brulee (Novella)
No Scone Unturned
Cream Puff Killer
Never Say Pie
Ain’t Seen Muffin Yet
-------
Lady Katherine Regency Mysteries
***
An Invitation to Murder (Book 1)
The Baffling Burglaries of Bath (Book 2)
Murder at the Ice Ball (Book 3)
A Murderous Affair (Book 4)
Murder on Charles Street (Book 5)
-------
Julia and Nora Marsh 1920s Cozy Mystery
***
Murder on a Mississippi Steamboat
-------
Hazel Martin Historical Mystery Series
***
Murder at Lowry House (book 1)
Murder by Misunderstanding (book 2)
-------
Sam Mason Mysteries
(As L. A. Dobbs)
***
Telling Lies (Book 1)
Keeping Secrets (Book 2)
Exposing Truths (Book 3)
Betraying Trust (Book 4)
Killing Dreams (Book 5)
-------
More books in the Rockford Security Series:
Cold As Her Heart
A Game of Kill
No One To Trust
No Time To Run
Don’t Fear The Truth
Hide From The Past
-------
Romantic Comedy
***
Corporate Chaos Series
In Over Her Head (book 1)
Can’t Stand the Heat (book 2)
What Goes Around Comes Around (book 3)
Careful What You Wish For (4)
Dish Best Served Cold (5)
-------
Contemporary Romance
***
Reluctant Romance
-------
Sweet Romance (Written As Annie Dobbs)
Firefly Inn Series
***
Another Chance (Book 1)
Another Wish (Book 2)
-------
Hometown Hearts Serie
s
***
No Getting Over You (Book 1)
A Change of Heart (Book 2)
-------
Sweet Mountain Billionaires
***
Jaded Billionaire (Book 1)
A Billion Reasons Not To Fall In Love (Book 2)
***
Sweetrock Sweet and Spicy Cowboy Romance
Some Like It Hot
Too Close For Comfort
____
Regency Romance
* * *
Scandals and Spies Series:
Kissing The Enemy
Deceiving the Duke
Tempting the Rival
Charming the Spy
Pursuing the Traitor
Captivating the Captain
The Unexpected Series:
An Unexpected Proposal
An Unexpected Passion
Dobbs Fancytales:
Dobbs Fancytales Boxed Set Collection
____
Western Historical Romance
***
Goldwater Creek Mail Order Brides:
Faith
American Mail Order Brides Series:
Chevonne: Bride of Oklahoma
___________________
Magical Romance with a Touch of Mystery
***
Something Magical
Curiously Enchanted
A Note From The Author
Thanks so much for reading my cozy mystery “Bake, Battle and Roll”. I hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you did, and feel inclined to leave a review, I really would appreciate it.
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 2 (Books 5 - 7) (Lexy Baker Cozy Mysteries Boxed Sets) Page 12
