by Naomi Muse
I also had to keep in mind the message scrawled in honey. The word thief was written under a dead man. The fact that it was in honey underneath the same spot where Leo’s body was found with a clear indicator that he was the thief Personally, I thought his food was pretty good. The killer didn’t seem to agree.
The fact that Leo’s family seem to have some sort of relationship with the Greek family in town and Sally’s go-to dish was Greek was concerning. Her family probably was the Greek family in town. There must be a connection.
Sally knew that the bakery would be closed. I just couldn’t believe that she was capable of breaking the window. She pretty much had free reign of the place. The only reason that Sally didn’t have her own keys was because I hadn’t had one made yet. I also didn’t want to be naïve. I mean what did I really know about the her aside from the fact that she was shy? Could her quiet demeanor be hiding murderous intent?
I would love to talk overall this was Anita, but I didn’t want to scare her. She had been through enough dealing with killers before we took over this place. Plus, Sally was really starting to grow on us. It was still possible of the full thing was a suicide, Maybe we’ll have just taken losing out on the job to heart I mean the bakery was a pretty cool place to work with like there’s a lot of business in town but with the prime culinary school in the big city is hard to believe that scratch that but in the were located not too far from the city, it’s hard to believe that he couldn’t just go look for a job somewhere else.
The possibility that more than one person didn’t want me looking into this case led me to believe that there was more than just one person trying to cover their tracks. Having someone else comes after me is that either they were the best spouse ever really were better than the dating game when I was, or be is a more advanced spot work, to be honest, I wasn’t sure which option will force. All I wanted to do was run a bakery and eat sugar-laden food in peace, but I couldn’t very well do that with a clear conscience with people murdering my interviewees, attacking me in the streets, and breaking my windows. It wasn’t much more for me to think about now, the best thing I could do was get some sleep. Anita like to come in at the crack of dawn, so she would probably be here soon. Perhaps I could go home and catch a break.
When Anita arrived to find the window was broken and me asleep in the chair, she freaked out. I’m surprised that she didn’t scream. The way she was carrying on, she might as well have.
“Nova my God. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
My eyes snapped open. I could see that Anita was working herself into a state. Now I’m fine am fine calm down when you have to call an ambulance for you come down you are attacked in the street now window was broken in your sleeping inside heavy call the chief?” She asked.
“Knowing call police. Do you see cops crawl around all over the place? That’s all that would happen if I call the police. Plus figured he would have someone here sooner or later, does meal police detail work in the door?”.
“This isn’t a stakeout. There isn’t someone here twenty-four hours a day. Someone’s clearly out to get you we need to let the chief knows he can investigate. If he supposed to be investigating than shouldn’t he already know?”
“you must not have gotten any sleep last night’s your crankier than usual,” Anita said with an exasperated sigh.
Maybe so what I was assigned to make sure we didn’t lose any of our valuable property. I don’t think it’s a big enough deal to call the chief. Windows break all the time. Look Nova I know you in the chief don’t have the best relationship with this is serious fire me if you want to bomb: chief. I never took you versus
“I never took you for such a tattletale I said not even trying to hide the edge of my voice.
“I’m just going to pretend I can’t hear you and make you some coffee. That she is can I have a lot of questions and if you this grumpy, when he gets here,
can help anyone. He’s the one was not help anyone I said.
“Anita rolled her eyes and walked away. Just the smell of brewing coffee made me feel a little bit better, but I was really not looking forward to having heard the chief smiled.
That if it made Anita feel better on the what I had to do.
While Anita was making coffee and necessary phone calls and unnecessary phone calls, Sally came in. She made just as many concerned noises is Anita did, and I brush them off just the same. Anita came over and wordlessly put a couple of coffee my hands. As soon as a coffee hit my lips, I realized I’d never asked Sally about the word I found. If anyone knew anything about Greek words, it would be her.
“look Sally M okay him fine. Whoever broke the window wasn’t expecting anyone to be in here and they left as soon as they heard me making noise. But it does remind me of something. You know what class this means. Sally froze. She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t speak. She appeared to be muttering something to herself under her breath. Sally M in any for you to speak up I said. Sally looked at me
before I knew it was involved in the stairwell. I really didn’t have time for this.
“I take it you know what that means.”
“Where did you hear this word
“why never actually heard it. It was written in honey under Leo’s body. I assume you’ve heard by now what happened.
“I didn’t think it had anything to do with you since you never mentioned it,” Sally said..
“what makes you think it hasn’t been do with me. I don’t think it has anything to do with you, but someone broke the window, and you’re asking me alone Greek words I’m sure it’s not a coincidence. Anita stood behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. Sally, I’m not accusing you of anything I think your great girl. But do you know why anyone would think Leo was a thief?”
Sally chewed her lip and averted her eyes that was a definite yes. I don’t know why hadn’t thought of this sooner. I was so wrapped up in the bakery owning that I haven’t done my due diligence in this murder investigation.
“There are people in my community that label him as a troublemaker.”
“And what community is that the, but?” Anita asked.
“The Greek bakers. There is an organization that oversees our community and its recipes. Even though he was an outsider, Leo had a great interest in baking, so we took him into our full. He’s a few years older than me, so I wasn’t personally present, but when I told my mother that he was at the interview, she was very upset.”
“Are you a part of this organization?”
“No, I haven’t been invited yet. After the incident with Leo, all entrants were frozen.”
“And this happened years ago? That sure sounds serious is there anything else you can house about this incident? No. I’m afraid I shouldn’t have told you all that I did. Especially since I’m not even a member. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Look, Sally. I like you, but Nova saved my life. If you are holding back information that could save hers and something happens to her, I will rain down hell upon them,” Anita said in a flat, toneless voice.
Sally wasn’t the only one with a shocked look on her face. I had never heard Anita speak differently let alone threaten anyone’s life. I was touched that she would do it for me but also kind of scared. Poor Sally burst into tears.
I would never want to hurt nova. This is the best-selling ever had. Plus, this is how I get enough experience to join the bakery out the baking organization. If I don’t have the experience though never let me in and every woman in my family has been a part of it,” she said through her tears.
Why not every man?” I asked.
“Men are allowed, but their approval is on a case-by-case basis of the husband a woman in my family is a Baker and esteemed sufficient that he is more than welcome to apply.
I know that you can give us too much information, but I at least need a name. You don’t have to tell me the names of any members, but you’ve got a tell me at least the name of t
he organization. I won’t tell the police as well as I can, but someone has to hide.”
“It’s called Tin Elít Psísimo.”
“What does that mean in English?”
“The Baking Elite.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little spot on?”
A small smile played across Sally’s tear-streaked face. “There was probably a bunch of old grannies renamed it.”
“I’d like she was right about that I wasn’t sure what to do with this information. I couldn’t very well go to war with a bunch of grandmothers.
I find it hard to believe that some sweet old ladies could do this.”
“So, it’s not just sweet old ladies. Look at the TV shows. Baking is big business. I really don’t know anything specific. I haven’t heard any talk about this that around the house, but again it’s a very elite group. I’m so sorry. If I knew something that could help you more, I would definitely tell you,” Sally said, dissolving into tears again.
I got up and put my arm around her.
“I know you would Sally I don’t think you had anything to do with this. But the information you gave me does help. It all works out.”
I wish I believe those words. The fact of the matter was, the woman had broken the window. Sally did know that I would be gone, so there was so it could’ve been her. But she seemed too sweet to do anything like that, but the world is full of people close friends and neighbors day now I would have never guessed she would snap.
Chapter 9
I left the ladies to open the bakery. Anita decided hanging keeping the door propped open and hanging a curtain over the carport patched up I did would probably be the easiest way solve the problem without getting any unnecessary questions from customers. She was probably right, but for now, it was their problem. Angelo and I walked home more tired than I had been in days.
I hadn’t slept well at the store. I probably slept better than Angelo. He was on alert most of the night,t jumping up and rushing to the door at even the smallest sound. Poor Angelo was worried that our window smasher was coming back. I tried to soothe him as best I could, but I was nearly asleep on my feet. I might have to put in overtime and saw this case if I wanted to get any peace of mind. But first sleep.
My sleep was usually dreamless. This time, it was a wild ride. While my witchy lineage didn’t carry down to my family, my mother did have a gift. She liked to say she dreamed true. I think I was doing a little bit of that. First, I saw myself puttering around my bakery, then immediately switch perspective and with someone watching me. I didn’t feel any evil presence. More like professional curiosity. Then I saw Sally walk into the shop up scratch that I saw Sally walk by the shop and circle back to write down the phone number on the sign. Next, I saw Leo writing down his recipe right before they do the test bake. Then I was in a new place altogether. Somewhere never been before. The white buildings overlooking the sea looked familiar to me. With almost like an island. As a small building by a group of angry people speaking in hushed tones. Then I was back in Temperance. More hushed tones and shadowy figures. Seemed change once more and I saw Leo’s feet suspended in air. These he appeared to be struggling. As the idea dawned on me that that could be his feet when he was being murdered, I snapped myself awake. I didn’t want to see anymore.
I sat straight up in bed. I was dripping with sweat. Angelo was standing on my bed with his hackles raised. He had never been on my bed before. This must be serious. I was probably making noise in my sleep, but he looked freaked out. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. I’d only been asleep for three hours. I was still so exhausted, but I reached for a notebook to write down all of my impressions from the dream.
Clearly, someone has been watching Anita when she applied for my job. I didn’t think that my dream self just an omnipotent presence. Seeing her felt like I was inside an actual person. I saw Leo’s list firsthand which meant I could be Anita or Leo. The person didn’t feel like Anita. I didn’t know quite how to explain it. It was just the feeling I got. Maybe it was Leo. But the truth eluded me. I wasn’t quite sure.
Something about the rounded tops of the buildings looks familiar to me. I tried to rack my sleep-deprived brain and then it hit me. Greece. I wasn’t sure what part of Greece but at some point, or another I had seen the movie or a picture that looks like that. I knew what the feet were, unfortunately. So, I wasn’t sure if this was a true dream worth it was just a nightmare based on everything that Sally at said. When I had a little more rest, I would definitely look into it. But once I had all the details of the dream down my head fell back to my pillow sleep envelope to me again.
When I woke up again the sun was just starting to set. The last bout of sleep had been less stressful, thank goodness. I felt so good that I I had momentarily forgotten about all the crazy things that have been going on. I just lazed about my bed looking out the window. It rolled over with my hand hanging on the side of the bed when I felt a wet nose pushes way into my hands. Poor Angelo hadn’t eaten all day. At least he wasn’t being a jerk about it. I dragged myself out of bed and went to get him his food. I took my dream notes with me so that I could review them. This is such heavy stuff. If my dream hunch was true, then it definitely was this bakery mafia. But was Sally really involved? And what was the person trying to get into my shop in trying to find? Things were getting a little out of hand, and I thought I might have to bring the chief and sooner than I expected. First, I should go back to the shop and see if anything seems to shed any light on the subject.
When Angelo and I arrived back of the shop, it was still open. Visiting it business that appeared to slow down except for the few regular after dinner suites customers. Knows how I found this place. Coming in to get my fix when I first moved to temperance. All that seems so long ago now. I would’ve never thought back then that this place would end up being mine one day.
The uniform police officer was stationed outside once again. Something told me that Anita had something to do with that this time. I haven’t gotten any calls from the chief so who knows what she told him, but I was honestly was believed to have them back. It would give me one less thing to worry about why try to figure out this mess
the girls were busy decorating a new batch of which cookies, so I made my way to my small office. There wasn’t much divided from the baking area but enough for me to store files and do paperwork when I needed to. I went through my usual orders, and I didn’t see anything unusual, so I doubted whoever was trying to get in was trying to steal that. We had only been open for a short time, so there wasn’t much money around. The only thing that could of interest was the new hire paperwork. A knot formed in my stomach. I really didn’t want Sally to be involved in this. What if she had been trying to steal her own employee file back? But I try not to jump to conclusions. The evidence would reveal itself.
There were only three bakers we had given any serious consideration to. Leo Sally and Marcus. Five pulled all three of their applications I went over them with a fine-tooth comb. I hate to admit, but I hadn’t been the most thorough when I looked at their applications in the first place. Basically, I look for bakers with experience that lives nearby. Should with a little more diligent about Cali and references, probably wouldn’t be in this situation.
I decided to start with Leo’s file because he was the one that was the least guilty being that he was the victim. I went through it in didn’t really see anything out of the ordinary. He worked in a few bakeries in the city and went to a fancy culinary school I pushed the application aside and checked Sally’s. It was exactly as I expected. She attended a small culinary school and had some baking experience. Nothing major.
That only left Marcus he seemed like such a straightforward guy that I almost skipped his paperwork. Then I saw it. All his experience seemed to be out of the country I couldn’t be sure, but most of these locations looked like cities and towns in Greece. I didn’t think the Greeks would be big on vegan cooking, but every baker like to put their own spin on t
hings. Sally wasn’t lying when she said the organization wasn’t all gray-haired old ladies. But she didn’t seem to recognize Marcus. I would guess that made sense if he lived out of the country. Why would he care about Leo? Marcus was a front-runner. Perhaps he was just there to make sure that Leo didn’t get the job.
My head was spinning. I wasn’t sure if this information was true, with the more I thought about it, the more it added up. What a better way to make sure that Leo didn’t get higher than to bring in someone better. Sally was great, but Marcus had stacked the odds in her favor.
I really should let the police know, but chief Rowan said he was investigating things on his own. So I don’t know how much he already knew. And how would I tell him that I’ve come across as information? He had specifically told me to stay away from this case, and I was investigating an any way. I don’t know if that counted as obstruction of justice or not, but I didn’t want to find out.
One thing was for sure., I had to tell Anita. She didn’t know there was anything wrong with markets and he could stop by the store and should let them right in. Ain’t have to worry about Sally right away because she barely left the kitchen. Plus, Leo was trying to help her so I doubted he would harm. Way. I was afraid of what chief Rowan the think of Sally’s involvement. She clearly had known that any of this was going on, but he could see her as an accessory after the fact. She was a sweet girl I have are getting mixed up in any of this. Even though he was probably a killer, Leo seemed like a pretty levelheaded guy. Some of the sounds as good try to talk them face-to-face and get them to turn himself in. The first I had to talk to Anita. I poked my head out of the office and called her into the back. She tried to rush me off, but when she saw the look on my face, she dropped her she was doing came right in, closing the door behind her.
