The Sweet Baked Mystery Series - Books 1-6

by Katherine Hayton

  Holly rubbed her face vigorously with her hands, trying to inject some energy into the situation. “Sorry about that,” she muttered as she got to her feet. “Neither me nor Crystal got a lot of sleep last night.”

  “Yes,” Meggie said, her wide smile as good as two espressos. “I heard that there was a bit of trouble following you around again.”

  “I swear, I’m not a serial killer in disguise,” Holly said, holding her arms up in surrender. “But if Sergeant Matthewson has to haul me down to the station for one more inquiry, I think he might lock me up just on the off-chance that my terrible luck has physically manifested itself in my environment.”

  “It could be worse, I suppose,” Meggie said, gratefully accepting a cup of coffee and a full plate before sitting down at the table.

  “How so?”

  “Well, instead of attempted murders turning up everywhere you go, somebody might actually get around to committing a real one.”

  Holly slipped into sadness for a moment. “There was Arnold, remember. Sheila went the whole hog on him.”

  Meggie’s face turned pale. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I was just trying to joke around, but I put my foot in that one, didn’t I?”

  “I forgive you,” Holly said, sitting down beside her friend. “Besides, we’re joking about it now but if someone actually puts me on the stand one day, I’d have a hell of a time convincing a jury that I had nothing to do with any of them.”

  “Well, hopefully Sergeant Matthewson solves this one quickly,” Meggie said, taking a sip of her coffee and closing her eyes in brief ecstasy. “Considering that there aren’t that many people who could have wanted to stab her—”

  Holly interrupted with a giggle, then clapped a hand over her face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to, it just slipped out.”

  “What?” Meggie narrowed her eyes at Holly, and when she didn’t answer immediately, poked her with a spoon. “What’s so funny.”

  “It’s not funny as such,” Holly said. “But I was thinking that it wouldn’t surprise me if more than Amber’s family wanted to harm her on occasion. The first time I met her she was yelling at Sophie out in the street, her hand balled into a fist.”

  “Way to make friends and influence people,” Meggie said. “It makes you wonder how on earth she copes in the real world.”

  Holly shrugged. “Maybe she doesn’t. Amber certainly seemed very keen on knowing how much money her father had left behind. Perhaps she’s lived off him all her life?”

  “Possibly.” Meggie put her cup down, empty, and started on her morning cupcake. “I heard on the grapevine that she runs a recruitment company, though. Strange business to be in if you’ve got a quick temper.”

  “On the other hand, it’s entirely possible that she’s only cranky around her family.” Holly ruefully stared over Meggie’s shoulder into the kitchen and remembered the blazing rows she’d had with Crystal growing up. “She wouldn’t be the only one.”

  “All I can say is that if you keep letting trouble find you like this, I’ll have to insist that Sergeant Matthewson give you a badge!”

  Meggie stood and cleared their plates away, a better host than Holly had ever been.

  “I’d settle for trouble just finding a new target to pick on,” Holly said, stretching her arms up to the ceiling before she walked in behind the serving counter. “I have quite enough on my plate with one job. I don’t need two.”

  “Yeah,” Meggie said with a raised eyebrow, scanning the empty shop. “You look rushed off your feet!”

  Holly flapped a hand and her friend scurried out the door, tossing a wave back over her shoulder as she exited the square of outdoor seating.

  With nothing in the front of house to do, Holly wandered out the back to help out Crystal. It also came with an excuse to eat a heap of frosting—a sugar high might be just the thing to keep her awake.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Well, it wasn’t that bad,” Aidan said a few days’ later as he walked Holly out of the cinema. “I’m sure that the jokes will seem funnier once we give them time to settle.”

  Holly gave a laugh at his optimism. “If it takes a few days to find them funny, I think the writers have missed the purpose of a joke.”

  “Do you want to go out for dinner?”

  Holly smiled and took Aidan’s arm. “That would be lovely, thank you. Somewhere with an outside table.”

  “Won’t that be too cold?”

  Holly shook her head. “I have the feeling this is one of the last warm days of autumn. I don’t want to waste it by sitting inside staring out at it.”

  Aidan laughed and nodded his head. “Fine. I’m in agreement. How about the Hendrickson’s tavern? Then you can stare in at all the tourists staring out.”

  They were soon seated—Holly with a view of the street and the trees with their leaves turning the colors of fire, Aidan staring at the row of shops.

  A woman passed by who appeared similar to Sophie, and Holly stared after her. When the woman turned the corner, her sharp features revealed her as a stranger.

  “Why so glum?”

  Holly glanced back at Aidan to see him tracing the wood patterns of the tabletop onto his napkin. The habit made her smile. Always trying to reveal something hidden, that seemed to be embedded in his nature.

  “I was thinking of the poor woman who’d ended up with Steven Willoughby.”

  “Poor?” Aidan didn’t look up from his tracing work but raised an eyebrow. “I’d heard on the grapevine that she’ll be rather rich.”

  Holly shook her head even though he wasn’t looking. A sip of water didn’t go a long way to filling her empty belly and she glanced around for the waiter, then checked her watch. Only five minutes since they ordered. She should probably give them a little bit more time.

  “I don’t think she will be. From what the lawyer said after the funeral, it sounded like the man gave most of his fortune away. Besides, that’s not the point.”

  “And what is the point?” Aidan held up the finished tracing, examining the thin napkin now dark with charcoal in the lowering late afternoon light.

  “The point is that she lived with him and gave him a son, and he spent the entire time pining for his first wife. I think that must be truly awful, to be committed to someone who would swap you out for another person in a heartbeat.”

  “Not unless zombies become a thing,” Aidan said cheerfully. “If the first wife died, I’m sure that there was never the threat of her coming back.”

  Holly frowned down at her water, peering around for the waiter again. Darn it. Only another two minutes had passed. Why on earth did Aidan insist on having his steak cooked well done? If it hadn’t been for that, she could have been eating right now.

  As the thoughts traveled through her head, Holly caught them and felt ashamed. Was she really upset with Aidan’s eating habits or just getting ticked off because he didn’t instantly agree with her?

  If she didn’t look out, she’d end up bitter and alone.

  “Sorry,” Holly said. “I’m in a bit of a bad mood. After that atrocious day, I can’t seem to shake it.”

  “There’s no need to apologize,” Aidan said, stretching out his hand and laying it on top of hers. “You’re allowed to be in a bad mood, just like I am. I still enjoy your company.”

  “What about if I’m in an absolutely appalling mood?” Holly smiled.

  Aidan tilted his head to one side. “Hm. Well, then I might need the chance to reconsider. Exactly how appalling do you think your mood would be? Tossing cars over while you turn green appalling?”

  Holly threw back her head and laughed. “I’d love to hulk out occasionally. It could be my exercise routine, tossing cars out of the way single-handedly.”

  Aidan’s face screwed up at the word exercise, which just made Holly laugh even harder.

  “Anyway.” Aidan let go of her hand, leaving Holly with a small pang of loss. “Tell me more about this dreadful funeral. I think I’ve heard more abo
ut it on the town grapevine than I have from you directly.”

  Holly sat back in her chair, running a hand through her curls. “The whole thing was a weird set-up. He’d recorded the ceremony rather than having a celebrant officiate.” She giggled, then put a hand over her mouth, blushing. Her laughs were getting more inappropriate by the hour.

  Aidan’s lips twitched as he stared at her. “What? That sounds funnier than the movie I just made you endure.”

  She shook her head. “You didn’t make me endure anything. You know I like spending time with you.” Holly paused and shook her head. “He’d recorded it on an old VCR, even though they had better technology available when he did it.” She giggled again, though it seemed less funny now she said it aloud. “The poor lawyer had to search for someone who still had a player.”

  “What would he have done if he couldn’t find one?” Aidan asked, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. “No funeral?”

  After a moment, Holly shrugged. “I think he had the same things written down—to make sure that everything went according to plan. I’m sure that Marshall could have made it work.”

  “Oh?” Aidan raised his eyebrows. “Marshall is it? Not Mr. Brent. Do I sense a bit of competition on my hands?”

  “Don’t be silly.” Holly sat forward on her chair and rested her elbows on the table. Her mother would have been horrified. “Anyway, we all sat there while the dead man said a lot of very hurtful things to his family. After going on at length about how much he loved his first wife, while his new partner sat out in the front row with their son, he explained how he’d discovered recently that she’d cheated on him.”

  “Ouch.” Aidan winced.

  “And then the lawyer handed around envelopes to everyone with the paternity results.”

  “Double ouch.” Aidan shook his head, a disbelieving expression on his face. “Who on earth would do such a thing?”

  “Right?” Holly put her hand palm down on the table and leaned in closer, so she could whisper. “And guess what?”

  Aidan leaned in to meet her. “What?”

  “Ravioli for the lady,” the waiter said from beside Holly. She gave a jump and a small cry, feeling guilty as though she’d been caught out gossiping.

  As Holly sat back so the waiter had room to lay down the plate of food, she gave a rueful smile. Actually, gossiping had been exactly what she was doing. About to reveal the information that someone wasn’t a man’s natural child when it was really no business of anybody’s, even hers.

  Okay, it was a little bit her business, considering the revelations that had come inside her own envelope of doom. That still didn’t mean she should be telling unrelated people about it.

  Especially since Holly didn’t feel comfortable revealing her father’s role in the drama. Until she and Crystal had the time to get their heads around that bit, the entire event should stay private.

  When Aidan leaned forward again to try to continue the conversation, Holly took a large mouthful of food and shook her head.

  “Later,” she mouthed to him after chewing. Eventually, Holly was sure that would be true. How much later was anyone’s guess.

  Luckily, the food was so delicious that it proved an easy distraction. While Aidan cut off mouth-watering slices from his marbled steak, Holly bit into the ravioli and unleashed a burst of pumpkin and bacon flavoring from its little pockets.

  “Oh, that was excellent,” Aidan said with a satisfied grin as the waiter dropped by to check that everything was well. “If only my stomach could take it, I’d order another round.”

  “There’s always room for dessert,” Holly chimed in tandem with the waiter. She gave the man a smile as he produced the smaller menus and left them to it.

  “Why are so many things in this town filled with blueberries all a sudden?” Aidan asked after scanning the list. “Surely, they’re not in season?”

  Holly laughed and shook her head. “That’s because of an unfortunate incident with a market garden and a faulty freezer. I suggest you eat your full of them now if you’re partial. There won’t be any more until next summer, otherwise.”

  Aidan did prove himself to be partial, taking a slice of blueberry crumble while Holly settled on ice cream with a blueberry compote drizzled over the top.

  She was only one delicious spoonful into the melting concoction when a man called out her name.

  Holly turned, surprised, and saw a scruffy gentleman with a beard and overalls, waving. She waved back, a puzzled frown quickly resolving as he walked closer.

  “Alec! How are you doing?”

  “I’m good.” Alec turned to Aidan and gave him a friendly nod. “I meant to call you late yesterday and clean forgot. Your car’s ready.”

  Holly stared at him, her mouth dropping open, then she laughed. “I completely forgot!” After a second of embarrassment she scolded him, “I thought that it was going to be ready on Wednesday morning at the latest.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t you know that builders and mechanics are always off with their estimations? Besides—” he winked at her “—doesn’t seem like you were missing it any.”

  Holly pointed her finger at him. “Not the point but as it happens, no. It’s hard to remember these things when everything is in walking distance.”

  Alec crossed his arms over his chest and offered a small chuckle. “That’s the problem with small towns. My only hope of staying a going concern is that each successive generation becomes lazier.”

  “That and the town’s expanding at an alarming clip.” Holly looked over her shoulder as though she expected to see it growing right before her eyes. “At this rate, everything will be in driving distance soon.”

  Alec nodded to her. “That’s my grand plan. Anyway, didn’t want to interrupt your meal.” Her jerked his head at her melting dessert. “Better get to work on that before it disappears entirely.”

  “Why is your car in the shop, anyway?” Aidan asked. “Did it break down?”

  Alec gave a snort. “Had a head-on collision, didn’t it?”

  After a second of laughter, Holly flapped her hand at him. “More like I was rear-ended.”

  “It’s certainly true that the wee lasses bike came off worse out of the two.”

  Aidan’s expression deepened into a frown. “Wee lass?”

  Alec happily ignored Holly’s widening eyes to expand on his description. “You know the ones—there’s three of them all dressed up like extras out of The Addams’ Family?”

  Aidan stared across the table at Holly who began to feel distinctly uncomfortable.

  “My cousin crashed into your car, and you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “It was just a scratch,” Holly said while Alec finally seemed to read the situation and backed away with a wave goodbye.

  Aidan jerked his head after the mechanic. “It didn’t sound like just a scratch.”

  “Well, it was. The rest of the damage was just wear and tear stuff that I needed to get done to ensure I got my next warrant. You know what mechanics are like—they can always find something more wrong than you think.”

  Aidan’s face started to relax back into its usual good-natured expression. “Where did this happen, anyway? If her bike came off worse, does that mean we owe on the bill?”

  “It won’t be much, and I already told her I’d cover it. It happened outside Wendy’s on Monday. You know how muddy it gets up there. The girls couldn’t stop in time. Elvira helped out with some cupcake decorating in exchange.”

  “Wait a minute.” Aidan held his hand out, a frown of concentration on his face. “It takes hours to cycle up by Wendy’s place. That’s at least a thirty-minute drive.”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry,” Holly said, feeling more and more like she was in a court battle, defending herself. “I gave Elvira a lift back down. The other two were fine to cycle.”

  “If it took them hours to get up the mountainside to Wendy’s house and you got back down in time to both drop the car and bike at the garage
and for Elvira to help out with decorating cupcakes, then what time did this happen?”

  Oh. Holly squirmed in her chair, remembering the three girls lying to her and Wendy about where they should be at that time of day.

  “It was in the early afternoon,” Holly admitted. “Right.”

  “You know that my cousin was bunking off school and you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “No.” Holly shrugged. “I didn’t think of it. That everybody was safe seemed a lot more important at the time.”

  Too late, she realized that Aidan wasn’t upset or concerned, he was furious.

  “I can’t believe you,” he shouted. “Why on earth would you conceal something so important?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Holly was so taken off-guard by Aidan’s anger that for a few seconds she couldn’t speak. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I didn’t think of it.”

  “How could you not think of it?” Aidan threw his napkin down on the table, his face turning a deeper shade of red as it fell off the edge. “My whole family is trying so hard to ensure that Joan still gets the right attention and the right amount of support while her mother’s sick. We want her to know that she can make something of herself, and meanwhile—” he flicked his hand at Holly “—you’re condoning her skipping out on school.”

  At that, Holly started to feel her own temper rising. “I never said that I’d condoned her actions, just that it didn’t seem important in the scheme of things. It mattered a lot more to me that she wasn’t hurt. It also mattered to Elvira—” Holly purposely stressed the name since Aidan had called his cousin by her birth name instead of the one she’d selected for herself “—that her bike be fixed so she could still easily visit her mom. I’m sorry if telling you everything about what happened slid down the list.”

  Aidan barely waited for Holly to finish her sentence before he stood up and left, throwing money at the counter on the way out through the tavern. Not wanting to follow him, Holly continued to sit at the table, her dessert melting into a puddle in front of her.