Honey Buns, Hexes, and Hanging

by Naomi Muse

  Anita wanted to interview them again. We decided that while a second interview would be great, the best option would probably be to taste different. Well, the thing we decided as a little strong. I was losing my mind with this lack of tasty treats, so I pitched the idea. I tried to make it sound like a reasonable request to see what their flavor palette was like, but not even Anita’s kind heart would believe that. She didn’t fight me on it though. It was the best idea.

  Chapter 3

  The morning of the test bake-off, I practically sprinted to the bakery. Angelo was not very pleased with me. Once I convinced him that he could have any food that was left over, he picked up the pace. Anita was waiting by the door, and she looked as excited as I felt. We had a few minutes before the bakers were due to arrive, so I went inside and put on a fresh pot coffee.

  “What do you want them to bake?” Anita asked.

  “I don’t know. There are so many things that I want to try. I’m just going to figure it out when they get here.”

  “Wing it? Do you think that’s the best idea?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  As if they were summoned, all three bakers arrived for their second interview. Sally looked nervous. I was beginning to think that was her permanent look. Leo looked smug. I was getting a little tired of his attitude, but maybe his baking would back up his overconfident attitude. Marcus looked laid-back and at ease. That’s what I like to see in a baker.

  “Hello everyone, I’m glad you’re here. Today I decided that I wanted you guys to do a test bake so I can see what your baking ability is. I think the best test would be to make your favorite pastry. Everyone has a specialty. You can have any ingredients that you like if you provide me with a list. Anita will head to the store and get anything that you need. Don’t worry about it being something strange. I’ll eat it.”

  The bakers looked a little shocked. Sally looked more shocked than the others, but I was expecting that. Anita gave each of them a sheet of paper and a pen. There was some hesitation at first. After a few minutes of pondering, they began scribbling furiously.

  Once Anita received all of their lists, she looked them over. She crinkled her brow in confusion.

  “What is this? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this before?” She asked pointing to an item on the list.

  “Some call it machalepi. Others call it mahlab. It’s a spice made from the pit of a cherry. Greek spices are amazing. It’s rare but delicious.” Sally replied, with confidence.

  After listening to her whisper and mumble in response to everything else, it was nice to see her open up. Maybe Anita was right about this woman.

  “Cool. As long as they have it at the store in town you got it,” Anita said.

  “You might have to go to the city for that one,” I said.

  “I can give you the name of the small grocer I visit that carries it,” Sally replied.

  “That would be great thanks so much,” Anita said warmly.

  “There’s masticha on this list too. Is that a Greek ingredient too?” Anita asked.

  “It is,” Leo said, narrowing his eyes in Sally’s direction.

  I found it interesting that two of our chefs seem to be leaning towards Greek food, but I love surprises. Especially surprises of the baking variety. I made a mental note to keep an eye out. I couldn’t help but notice that when Anita mentioned masticha, Sally’s eyes widened. She seemed to get worked up over a lot of things.

  While Anita shopped, I made small talk with the chefs. They don’t open up about too much. I couldn’t blame them for that. This was an interview after all.

  Anita finished the shopping in record time. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was shop. Once all the ingredients were checked by the chefs, I let them get to work. I decided to let Sally start first because she seemed the most nervous. It might be easiest to get out of the way. She seemed more than happy to do so too.

  I told the bakers that we would perform the presentation of dishes the same way the cooking shows do it. Each chef made their dish, then brought it to the counter under a silver dome. I wasn’t quite sure why we had these domes, but I was thrilled to have them. Life could always use a little bit of drama, and I preferred the bakery variety.

  Next up, was Leo. He was my least favorite. I was secretly hoping that he would eliminate himself from the running. Last to go was our vegan chef, Marcus. Angelo seemed to be still holding a grudge against him for the unhygienic comments he made previously. He stayed all the way at the front of the baker, by the door. No amount of coaxing would draw him closer.

  That dog had more willpower than me. Everything smelled so amazing that I could barely keep myself out of the kitchen. Angelo was doing his best to seem disinterested, but Anita didn’t even bother to hide her excitement. She was rubbing her hands together like a cartoon villain. Better her than me.

  If Anita hadn’t been there, I would have been sneaking peeks under the hood of each dome. She caught me trying to sneak over to one of them and do just that and gave me a stern look. It looks like I had no choice but to control myself. When all the baking was finished, the bakers took their places behind the dishes.

  “Sally, let’s start with you. What have you made for us today?”

  Anita blushed beet red and looked down at her dome. I don’t think she expected to be put on the spot. If she was going to work for a should have to be able to communicate with us a little better. As she took the dome, I thought I would swoon. It looked incredible. It also looked like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Kind of like a cake, but naked. It had no frosting, but it looked delicious.

  “Normally, my family would make this on New Year’s to start things off right. It’s called vasilopita. It’s very traditional, but I’ve been making it since I was a girl and it is always a hit.”

  Anita and I cut ourselves a slice of the unfamiliar cake and took bites. We discussed ahead of time that we weren’t going to show any big reactions until the end. Not that would’ve made a difference since Sally barely made eye contact. I liked the sweetness of it. Anita looked at me gave me a slight nod before we moved on to the second chef, Leo.

  “And what of you made for us today sir?”

  “I also made a Greek dish,” Leo said heartily while barely holding back a sneer in Sally’s direction. “My dish while not a traditional cake is a sweet bread called masticha. I too used an unusual ingredient. It may take your palate some time to adjust, but once you get used to it, I think you’ll like it.”

  I did everything I could to keep myself from rolling my eyes. He had already sliced the bread for us which was a point in his favor. The bread was made me feel warm from the inside out, but I wasn’t sure if bread was the direction we were going for at the Bewitching Bakery. I felt like we should have a little something more. But again, I didn’t want to give away our position. So, I said nothing.

  We moved on to Marcus. Before I could ask what he had in store for us, he raised the dome and waved his hand over his dish with a flourish. Marcus definitely got a few points for style and presentation. He explained that he had made a sweet cherry upside down cake. I wasn’t sure how you could make a cake without dairy or eggs, but I was willing to give it a try. It was a little flatter than I expected the cake to be, but still moist. It was quite good I was pleasantly surprised.

  We could only pick one baker. Anita and I decided that we needed time to mull it over, and maybe eat several more slices of their wares before we made a decision. Before the chefs left, I asked them how they meet felt about magic. Anita raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop me.

  Sally seemed to come to life.

  “I believe that the world is full of magic,” she said. “Baking is its own type of magic. You can take simple, sometimes strange ingredients come up with something brand-new. It’s almost like creating life. There is magic in the springtime. Music has its own magic. There is magic in sweet words. It’s always been a part of my life to feel that divine connection.�
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  I didn’t bother trying to hide my smile this time. That was a better answer than even I could come up with and I was a witch. I heard a snort and turned sharply to see Leo laughing at her. I heard I heard some shuffling by the door. Angelo narrowed his eyes. He came forward and sat between Leo and me. It was clear to see he wasn’t a fan.

  Sally blushed deeply, and if she could have borrowed her way into her shirt like a turtle, I’m sure she would have. I reached across the to the counter and patted her hand reassuringly.

  “Magic is for babies and children,” Leo said.

  I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  Marcus shrugged his shoulders and said, “Everyone believes in their own thing. I don’t necessarily believe in magic, but I don’t disbelieve.”

  It wasn’t exactly a dazzling answer, but it was honest and open-minded, and I did appreciate that. We said farewell to the chefs and shut the door shut behind them. Anita turned to me.

  “What’s that all about?”

  “I was trying to see where they were coming from,” I lied.

  “No, you weren’t. What’s going on here?” Anita asked, pursing her lips.

  I let out a sigh. I didn’t want to tell her like this, but if Anita was going to be working for me sooner or later, she would have to learn about these things.

  “This may be a little hard for you to believe, but magic is real. I’m a witch. Before you say anything, you should know that my gifts are partly why I was able to help save you from Corey last year.”

  Anita’s eyes widened. I scrunched mine shut, afraid of what she might say.

  “This all makes sense,” she said after she gasped. “I knew there was something different about you.”

  I guess it was my turn to be surprised.

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “Well, I didn’t know for sure. I’ve known Angelo for years, and I’ve never seen him take to anyone the way he took to you. Not even his former owner. Plus, I get this feeling whenever I’m around you. It’s hard to explain. It’s almost like I know when you’re coming.”

  Well, this day was definitely proving to be full of surprises.

  “Maybe you have a bit of natural ability yourself. Not everybody does. Some people learn the craft by studying, and some people have a natural affinity to it.”

  Now was Anita’s turn to blush.

  “Oh no,” she said. “I’m not important enough for all that.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second. As far as I know, there’s no such thing as coincidences. Vibes are just another way to say intuition or connection. I’m a self-taught witch, so I might not be an expert. One thing I do know is you should trust your feelings about things. If you have good feelings about me, obviously you are a woman of discerning taste. You could be one with little influence.”

  Chapter 4

  Back home with Angelo, I wasn’t sure which baker I would choose. Sally was great, but I was afraid that she be scared off at any moment. Her cake was divine. Sally’s reactions to magic were perfect, but I wasn’t sure if that would be enough. Anita was right. I do have a strong personality. I didn’t want to overwhelm the poor woman.

  Marcus was also a good fit. He had an easy, laid-back attitude that would make him an asset. I just wasn’t sure how to react to vegan cooking. I didn’t have any real complaints about the food. It was delicious. But, I wasn’t sure how things would work out in the long-term.

  Leo was good with an oven. His attitude was harder to stomach. I wish I could chalk up his arrogance to confidence, but he was just too asinine for that. The future of the bakery was at stake. I had to make the best possible decision for all of us.

  Anita and I had agreed that we would talk about our picks for the new baker in the morning. Then, I would call our favorite and offer them the position. To be honest, I wasn’t sure which one would be my final choice. Since my pendulum helped me make the decision to move to Temperance, I decided to use it again. I unclasped the chain that held the pendulum around my neck and shut the clasp again once it was taken off.

  I had brought a piece of each dessert home. I laid them out on the table. I held the pendulum in the center until was still and then whispered my spell for clarity. The pendulum began to sway. First and wide sweeping circle then it began to slow. Just before it stopped, my phone rang. Startled I dropped the pendulum on the table.

  No one ever called me. When I picked up the phone, I was surprised to hear the chief’s voice on the other end.

  “I don’t know what it is about you, but it looks like somebody else has died.”

  “Not Anita!”

  “No, of course not. Don’t you think that I would have lead with that? One of your interviewees.”

  “How do you know about my interviewees?”

  “Interesting. That’s your first question? Don’t you want to know which one your guys is gone?” Chief Rowan asked.

  Great. Now you have to go through this with him all over again. His distrust of me was not a secret. I thought we had moved past that. I helped him solve one crime, but apparently one wasn’t enough. I should have gotten bonus points for solving a murder.

  “Of course, I want to know which one! But I also wanted to know how you know.”

  “I may have seen them go into your shop.”

  “I’m under surveillance now. Awesome. Enough with the suspense. Which guy was it?”

  “Who said it was a guy?”

  “You. You literally just set it two minutes ago.”

  “You may be right. Well, I’m sorry to inform you that Leo is dead. He appears to have hung himself.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Again, interesting response,” the Chief said with an edge in his voice.

  “He was interviewing for a job. People don’t commit suicide before they find out if they got the job. Plus, he seemed too shore of himself to ever do anything like that.”

  “Now you’re a psychologist as well as a bakery owner. I’ll have to keep that in mind,” he said dryly.

  “I also solve murders don’t forget about that. Do you have any idea what happened? Do you suspect foul play?”

  “As you know, I can’t speak on an active investigation. But since this is no longer an active investigation, I will tell you. There doesn’t appear to be any foul play. We found him at this specialty food shop. Everything was there but the note.”

  “Are you still there now?”

  “I just left. Why do you ask?”

  Before he could tell me not to come, I hung up the phone was reaching for my shoes. Angelo had been between my fete for the whole call, so he knew something was up. I snapped on his leash, and we headed for the grocer. What are the odds that it was some other bakery and not the one I had just sent Anita to earlier in the day? Slim to none I’d say.

  The chief must have known what I was up to because only got there the body had been removed. The doors were locked. As if a locked door ever stopped me before. I leaned over to the glass doors and cupped my hands around my eyes. While they have removed the body, they hadn’t cleaned up the mess. I could see the remnants of rope still tied to the rafters.

  I looked around and saw the street was empty. It was the main road, and there was no telling who would drive by. I told Angelo to heel, as I walked round the back of the store. I found another locked door. It looked like a service entrance. I considered opening the travel altar that I kept for my magical on the go needs. It didn’t seem like the situation would require it.

  I whispered an access spell as I turned the knob. I heard the tumblers fall into place and the door fell open. I headed inside with Angelo. We came to a stop on the spot where I assumed Leo’s body had been. There was definitely a loop of rope over the rafter. I heard a loud licking sound and looked down to see Angelo licking the floor.

  “No,” I shouted, pulling him back away from the mess.

  Who knows what the mess could of been. For all I know the guy could’ve soiled him
self. Yuck.

  As I pulled him back, I bumped into the counter dropping container of expensive organic flour onto the floor. The flower who fell in the direction of the spot Angelo had been licking. Letters were starting to take shape. There was some kind of substance on the floor. I squatted down and took a whiff. It smelled like honey. No wonder Angelo was licking it up/

  It said kleftis.

  I had no idea what that meant, but I got a very strong feeling that it was Greek. I slipped my phone out of my pocket and took a photo. I quickly put it away. I looked around the shop. Judging by the ingredients, this had to be the place Anita had come for ingredients for the test bake. Another coincidence.

  I just wanted to run a simple bakery in my business, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. I was looking around to see if I saw any other clues when I heard footsteps behind me. I spun around and saw none other than Chief Rowan standing behind me with his arms crossed. Whoops. I didn’t think he had seen the phone.

  “Just as I suspected.”

  “Chief Rowan. You’re just the man I was looking for,” I said nervously.

  “ I can tell by the way are destroying a crime scene.”

  “You got me there. As a matter of fact I think that Angelo was trying to eat some important evidence.” I said pointing towards the word written in the honey.

  The Chief leaned down for a closer look. I did see his eyes widening in the dim light. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small notebook. He quickly scribbled down the word. He turned back to me while putting the notebook away.

  “Convenient that you would find this. What is about you that always seems to find crime scenes, Nova?”

  “If you’ll recall, you called me Chief. I was coming here hoping to offer my condolences and help. Sadly, I couldn’t find you.”

  “That lead you to break in?”