The Sweet Baked Mystery Series - Books 1-6

by Katherine Hayton

Marshall clapped his hands together. “That sounds perfect. If you give me her number, I’ll call through to arrange everything.”

  Holly recited it, then put her hand on top of Marshall’s as he scribbled in the notebook, stilling his pen. “On second thoughts, would you mind terribly if I went to see her in person to ask her? Wendy suffered through a bad time quite recently.” Holly frowned. “Is still suffering through it, I should say. I’m sure that she’d love the opportunity, but it might be best if I broached it in person.”

  “Of course,” Marshall said. “Whatever you think best.” He turned a page in his notebook and jotted down a number then tore out the page and handed it to Holly.

  “That’s my phone number on the top, leave a voicemail if I don’t answer—I’ll return your call promptly. The second number is the amount that I’ve had allocated for a florist prepared to stay throughout the ceremony.”

  After opening the folded paper, Holly gave a gasp.

  “Is it too low?” Marshall asked with concern. “I can always go back to the estate to request an increase if need be.”

  The three zeroes danced in front of Holly’s eyes. “I’m sure that will be plenty. In fact—” she shoved the paper back across to Marshall “—would you like to recheck it, just to make sure you wrote down the correct sum?”

  He picked up the paper and nodded, handing it back. “That’s right. Mr. Willoughby was a very wealthy man who was used to the best of everything. That was the sum he deemed fair for the occasion.”

  “And how many people are we catering for?” Holly asked, remembering that she hadn’t gathered the details that mattered. “I presume that you have a fairly set number of guests attending?”

  “Yes. There will be the four family members, yourself and the florist in attendance. And me, of course,” Marshall added as an afterthought. “If you need any other details, then call me. The ceremony will take place promptly at twelve noon, the day after tomorrow. Is that enough time for you to prepare?”

  “It’s plenty of time.” Holly stood. “I’ll get in contact with Wendy today and then confirm her appointment back to you.”

  She waited awkwardly, not knowing the protocol. When Marshall thrust his hand out toward her again, Holly was grateful to grab hold and give it a shake.

  “I look forward to hearing from you,” he said and bowed, clipping his heels together as he did so. “Before I leave, could I try one of the chocolate cupcakes that I’ve heard so much about?”

  Chapter Three

  As Holly followed the curve of the road on the drive up to Wendy’s house, she admired the spectacular view. At different bends in the hillside street, she was afforded a panorama of the township lying nestled at the base of the hills. The air was so crisp that she could see for miles, all the way back up the Hurunui valley.

  As Holly shifted into a lower gear, she considered whether the isolation would be worth it. In town, she could always walk to the store to pick up some overlooked groceries or throw in the towel on home-cooking and just eat out for the night.

  Up here, Holly doubted that even the hardiest of pizza boys would deliver. If they did, surely the pie would be cold by the time of arrival at its destination.

  Still, get a load of that view.

  Holly parked the car on the side of the road and got out to walk closer to the edge. Beautiful. The deep green of the trees was now spotted with the glorious dying foliage, peeping out like flames from the darker evergreens.

  Although it was up a different route, the site that Mr. Willoughby had chosen for his funeral would be about this same height. Holly hadn’t been to the Statesman Hotel, had never been given enough good reason for the long trek up there, but she was filled with anticipation. Once the cupcakes were safely set out for the wake, she hoped there’d be time to wander the grounds.

  Once back in her car, it only took another five minutes to reach Wendy’s house. As Holly pulled into the driveway, she saw signs of life in the tendrils of smoke rising from the chimney. She and Crystal hadn’t yet succumbed to indoor heating, but the weather that would force them was definitely on its way.

  “Hello? Are you home, Wendy?” Holly called out at the front door first, then started along the path winding around the side. With such a large garden at her disposal, it could sometimes be difficult to find her friend. Especially since Wendy didn’t know to expect her.

  Holly heard a strange noise from farther up the path, like someone dragging a substantial weight. With death already on her mind, the image of a body in a sack occurred to her before any other explanation. Occurred and then stuck fast.

  Taking small steps, Holly edged around the bend and saw Wendy, back toward her, dragging a tarpaulin along the ground. For a second the sight froze Holly in place—so much like her vision that she was scared to call out. Then the scene resolved into what it actually was. The tarpaulin was acting as a sled for the pile of defrosting bags piled in its center.

  “Yoo-hoo,” Holly called out in case Wendy hadn’t heard her approach. The woman gave a small jump, then turned, wiping her forehead with the back of one sleeve, leaving a streak of mud across her skin.

  “Oh, Holly. I wasn’t expecting you.” Wendy turned back to her task with a frown. “Did we have an appointment?”

  “No. I stopped by completely out of the blue with an offer.” Holly paused to stare at the tarp. “What are those?”

  “Blueberries.” Wendy spoke the word with a huff of annoyance. “I discovered this morning that the rear garden freezer finally gave up the ghost.”

  “Can I give you a hand?”

  Wendy turned back to scan Holly up and down. “You’re not really dressed for it.”

  “I’m sure I’ll cope.” Holly picked her steps out carefully on the increasingly muddy path until she stood shoulder to shoulder with Wendy, bending forward to pick up a corner. “Ready?”

  Wendy nodded, and they began to drag in unison, the tarp first protesting the move, then coming along more easily as it gained speed and reduced friction.

  “Where are we taking it to?” Holly asked.

  “Just by the front door for the time being,” Wendy said. “I need to make a few calls and see if I can dispose of them this afternoon. Longer than that, and it’ll probably be too late.”

  With the two of them working, it only took another few minutes to get the large burden around the side of the house and leave it piled by the front door.

  “It’s my own fault,” Wendy said, wiping her face and decorating her forehead with another streak of mud. “That old freezer was on the fritz last year and I decided it could wait another season to be replaced.” She pursed her lips as she stared at the dripping packets. “I should have acted at the time.”

  “I didn’t know you had anything like that out in the garden.” Holly leaned over the haul. “Isn’t it easier to keep a freezer in the house?”

  “It’s easier to have it near all the bagging and suctioning equipment. That way, as soon as its picked and prepped, it can go straight in. Retains the freshness.”

  Holly glanced at Wendy with a twitch in the corner of her mouth. “The suctioning equipment?”

  Wendy snorted and nodded. “Whatever you want to call that machine that sucks all the air out of the bags. Makes a noise like this.” She proceeded to emulate the sound of a vacuum sealer with such gusto that every bird within hearing distance launched into the air in fright.

  Holly giggled so hard that she had to lean against the side of the front door to keep upright. “That’s glorious,” she said when she got her breath back, wiping tears from her eyes. “You should take that to a talent show.”

  “Uh, you’ve got a…” Wendy pointed at Holly’s face.

  “A what?”

  Wendy pulled out a tissue, then frowned at it and put it away again. “There’s a bit of mud.”

  At that, Holly started laughing again. “In that case, you’ll be wanting to check in the mirror yourself.”

  After they’d cleaned
up, Holly sat in the kitchen while Wendy made them a pot of tea. “What’d you want to see me about?”

  Holly rubbed the back of her neck. “There’s a lawyer in town who’s administering the estate for some rich dead guy. He wants me to do the catering for the funeral and he wanted someone to arrange the flowers, too.” Holly shrugged. “I told him that I’d speak to you about it. The funeral’s the day after tomorrow.”

  Wendy frowned as she poured the tea into cups and brought them over to the table. “Is it going to be a big thing?”

  Holly shook her head. “Nope. Just the family and a few others who were invited. Apart from a few staff at the venue and the lawyer himself, that’ll be it.”

  Wendy’s face drooped in disappointment, which she hid by sipping from her cup. “I guess that won’t hurt any.”

  “The budget for the funeral is enormous,” Holly added. “Even if there’s not much to do.” She paused for a second, rubbing the back of her neck again. “The money’s good because the lawyer wants us to stay at the funeral for the whole event.”

  Wendy froze, creasing her face in puzzlement, cup halfway up to her mouth. “How do you mean? For the ceremony?”

  “We’re expected to arrive and prepare for the funeral and then stay until the lawyer dismisses us, I guess.”

  When Wendy continued to stare at her, Holly shrugged again. “I’m not sure why, but the lawyer was adamant that it was part of his client’s will.”

  “People do like to be weird, don’t they?”

  “More and more every day,” Holly said with a smile. “Is that a yes?”

  Wendy avoided the question with one of her own. “Did he tell you what sort of catering he wanted for the funeral?”

  “Just cupcakes. I thought I’d bring along a selection but a couple each will probably do. I can always leave the extra for the staff at the Statesman Hotel.”

  “So, you’d be open to trying out a different flavor?” Wendy pressed. “Something along the lines of the blueberries I’ve got melting on the front step.”

  Holly turned in that direction as though she’d be able to see the pile through the door. She didn’t need to, her memory served her well enough. “That’s a lot of fruit,” she said cautiously, facing her friend again.

  “Blueberries and bereavement,” Wendy said, sipping the last of her tea and taking the cup back to the counter. “That sounds like the perfect combination to me.”

  “Go on, then. Twist my arm! I can’t take the whole lot, though,” Holly warned. “Even if we got them baked, there’s not enough custom at the moment to sell a tenth what we could make.”

  “That’s fine. I’m sure the hotel in town will be happy to take the rest. It just saves me a couple of hours work.”

  Holly gave a small salute. “In that case, I’m happy to oblige. Will you give me a hand moving them into the boot?”

  Holly stood up from the table and moved toward the front door when from outside she heard the most tremendous crash followed by a blood-curdling shriek. She turned back to Wendy with wide eyes, and together they hurried outside.

  Chapter Four

  At first, all Holly could see was a confusion of metal. It gleamed in the midday sun, reflecting silver light in every direction. Then the scene resolved into a multiple bike crash.

  Elvira, Winter, and Midnight lay in a confused tangle of limbs in between the glinting metal of their bicycles. The three of them appeared to have been cycling abreast when they plowed straight into the back of Holly’s car.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Holly called out, racing toward them. “Are you girls okay?”

  “No.” Elvira was the first to speak and the first to extricate herself out of the jumble. She brushed down the front of her school uniform with a gaze of disgust. “I’m absolutely covered in mud!”

  “Mud we can deal with.” Holly turned to the other two girls who were slowly standing up. “Any broken bones? Sprains? Cuts?”

  Wendy disappeared into the house, then reappeared a minute later waving a first aid kit. “What do you need?”

  “Better brakes,” Winter muttered. “That’s what we need.”

  “I’ve got a scrape,” Midnight said, walking over to Wendy and showing her the cut just above the torn fabric at her elbow. “Can I have a band-aid?”

  Wendy handed it across. “Nothing else?”

  “I think just a handful of bruised egos,” Holly said, surveying the scene with a raised eyebrow. “I hope the paint job on my car got off so lightly.”

  When the three girls had disentangled their bikes and moved them away, Holly examined the trunk of the car, where they’d struck with the most force. “Lucky it’s not a rental,” she said, groaning slightly as she straightened up. When did bending down and getting back up again become such a chore?

  When you got old, a maverick inside her head answered back within a second.

  “My front wheel!” Elvira said, staring down in horror at her bike. The spokes and frame were twisted at the top, a definite kink making it un-rideable.

  “I’m sure that you’ll be able to straighten that out,” Holly said. “Though you’ll need a new innertube by the looks of it.” Where it poked out from the tire at the worst part of the bend, the tube had a large hole. Bigger than a repair kit could handle.

  “I don’t know anyone who can do that,” Elvira said with a worried glance. “I need my bike to get from Granny’s house to Mom’s place.”

  “Don’t be so worried,” Holly said. She resisted the urge to give the slender girl a hug, judging that it wouldn’t be welcome. She offered her reassurance instead. “The garage in town will take care of it in a few minutes, I’m sure. If they can’t do it, one of the places with bikes catering to tourist cyclists will have something on hand.”

  There were a few such places in town, renting out cycles by the half day for folks who wanted more than a relaxing soak in the hot pools. The area in and around Hanmer Springs was so beautiful that they were often fully booked out by this time of day. Even with the nip in the air.

  “Come on,” Holly said. “Don’t look so downcast. We’ll find someone to take a gander at it today, and they’ll probably fix it up on the spot.”

  “Maybe it’s a lesson,” Wendy said, peering at the girls with a frown. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a school day, and yet here you are, clearly not in school.”

  “They had a half day,” Winter provided. An effort completely derailed when Midnight said at the same time, “We just had a free period after lunch.”

  Wendy’s sharp eyes looked from one girl to the other. “Well? Which is it? A free period or a half-day?”

  “We’re skipping,” Elvira said, standing on one leg and tugging at the base of her throat. “I promise that we’ll catch up on any schoolwork we missed, but we needed something from the woods.”

  At the last few words, looks as sharp as daggers headed Elvira’s way and she stumbled to a halt, frowning with worry again.

  “It’s not a big deal,” Winter said confidently. “It’s just our history class and PE. It’s not like we’re missing out on something important.”

  “All of your schooling is important,” Holly said. She spoke with extra certainty because History had bored her to death and PE was the bane of her existence in high school. Why should this trio get off the classes she’d been forced to attend? “I should tell your cousin about this,” she added as an extra threat to Elvira.

  “Whatever,” Midnight said, the affected boredom so overdone that Holly came close to laughing.

  “You won’t be able to cycle back to town with that wheel, but pop it on the back of my car and I’ll get you home,” Holly offered. “How about the two of you?” she asked, turning to Winter and Midnight. “Are your bikes okay to get you home?”

  A host of flurried glances passed between the girls before the two nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” Midnight said, making Holly feel about sixty with the address. “We’ll be fine on our own.”

  “Why were you c
oming up my driveway?” Wendy asked. “If you just wanted something in the woods?”

  After another quick bout of eye-only communication, Winter answered, “We just wanted a glass of water if that’s okay. We forgot to bring our own, and the cycle uphill took it out of us.”

  Wendy nodded, looking unsure. “Help yourself,” she said, pointing over her shoulder into the house. “There’s water in the tap and juice in the fridge.”

  The three girls traipsed into the house, leaving Holly and Wendy behind to deal with the broken bicycle.

  “Pop the blueberries in the trunk first,” Wendy said with a smile. “I don’t want you forgetting our agreement in the heat of the moment.”

  Holly laughed and took two large bagfuls, eyeing the size of them doubtfully. The customers of the bakery were going to turn bright blue by the end of the week.

  Holly then grappled with the bicycle, trying to fit it onto the holder on the back of the car. No matter which way she angled it, the bent wheel and twisted frame refused to conform. When it became clear that it wasn’t going to happen, Holly manhandled the cycle onto her backseat instead.

  “That wheel is going to poke right into the back of your passenger’s head,” Wendy observed. She turned to Holly with a grin. “Which might turn out to be the only lesson learned from this experience!”

  Holly nodded as Elvira came back out of the house, looking slightly sheepish. “I’ll phone you later with any more information I can get out of the lawyer.”

  “Okay,” Wendy agreed. “I’d better check those other two aren’t wreaking havoc inside my house.”

  The drive down the hill was as quiet as Holly’s solo trip up had been. After a few feeble attempts with limited response, she gave up on conversation and just enjoyed the view and the day instead.

  As they pulled up outside the garage, Holly found a mechanic standing out the front, waiting for them.

  “Ms. Waterston?” he asked as soon as she got the door open. When Holly nodded, he appeared relieved. “I’m Alec,” he said, stepping forward to shake her hand. “Ms. Tahoe called ahead to tell me what you need.”