The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  Everything was hazy, she could barely focus her eyes, and her head was pounding. The only thing she could make out was something wet touching her face and the faint sound of someone calling her name. Melody let out a groan as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

  “Melody, it’s me, Leslie. Can you hear me? Are you ok? What happened to you?” Leslie’s voice was filled with confusion and concern.

  As Melody came to a little more, she realized that the wet on her face was Smudge’s little tongue. The puppy was anxiously trying to wake her up by slathering her with kisses.

  Melody reached out to reassure the pup who was whining with worry. “I, I think I’m ok,” Melody stuttered, sounding unsure. She reached up to her forehead, where a large goose egg was forming. “I can’t really remember much, to be honest. One minute I was trying out our new recipes and the next, I was lying on the floor. It really doesn’t make much sense.”

  “Hey, Mel,” Leslie’s voice quivered, “Did any of those new recipes happen to call for strawberry curd?”

  “No, Les. Why do you ask?” Melody looked up at her friend and, following her horrified gaze, looked down at her own hands. “Oh my god! Is this blood?” Melody shrieked at the sight of the thick, red, sticky substance that was covering her hands and the floor around her. Standing to her feet as quickly as she could, she scanned her body for injuries. “I swear I’m not hurt that bad… this blood isn’t mine.” She quickly made her way to the sink and began to scrub her hands vigorously with hot, soapy water.

  Just then, someone burst through the front door and their steps could be heard running down the hallway to the kitchen. Alvin appeared, dressed in full uniform, out of breath and looking distraught. Immediately noticing the blood on the floor, he raced over to Melody.

  “Are you ok? What happened here?” His voice was thick with concern, and his mind was racing, trying to put the pieces together.

  “Al, I was just trying to explain to Leslie, I have no idea what happened. I was doing some experimenting in the kitchen one minute and then the next I woke up lying on the floor with a bump on my head and blood that doesn’t appear to be mine, on my hands.”

  Alvin did a quick inspection of Melody to make sure she wasn’t too badly injured. Besides being shaken up, she seemed to be ok. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “Listen, Mel, I have some bad news. I got a call a few minutes ago while I was down at the station. Someone found Alexander Swan’s body in the dumpster behind your bakery. There appears to be a trail of blood that leads straight from his body, through your back door and right to the spot on the ground where Leslie found you. I got down here as soon as I could.”

  Melody’s face paled at the news, and Alvin gently lowered her into a nearby chair. The hit to the head and the recent murder was all a bit too much for her to take in standing up.

  “Alvin, that’s just terrible. I can’t believe it! Who would do such a thing?” Melody shook her head in disbelief.

  “I’ll tell you who!” The trio jumped at the sound of Drusilla’s angry voice. No one had noticed her entering the kitchen. “It’s obvious, isn’t it, Sheriff? There’s only one person around who has blood on their hands.”

  They all looked at her, and Melody felt as if the world had fallen from beneath her.

  Chapter One Hundred Eleven

  “Plus, Miss Marshall here has the perfect motive,” Drusilla continued her accusation. “She wanted us out of business right from the start, and since she wasn’t capable of doing it fairly, with us being the better bakers, she had to go to much more extreme measures! She killed him… she killed my husband!” Drusilla crossed her arms and glowered at Melody.

  “No!” Melody stood up, her legs shaking. “That’s not true! I could never do anything like this!”

  “Sheriff, I demand that you arrest this woman for the murder of my husband.” Drusilla pointed at Alvin menacingly.

  “I think we all just need to take a minute to calm down here.” Alvin put his hands up, trying to keep the peace. “I agree that there needs to be a full investigation into what happened here, but it seems just a little too convenient that all of the clues point directly at Melody. I think we really need to take a look at all of the evidence and see what that tells us.”

  “I see what’s going on here, Sheriff. I think that you’re being a little biased.”

  “Well, Drusilla. I believe that I could say the same thing about you. One thing I know for sure, though, is that Melody is incapable of murder.” Alvin remained firm in his beliefs.

  “Listen here, Sheriff. If you don’t arrest this woman and do what is right, I swear that I will have your badge taken away and have you removed from the police force for being incompetent. I think you should start looking at today as your last day at work.” Unfortunately, Drusilla wasn’t backing down either.

  “Listen, everyone. It's fine. Drusilla is right.” Melody raised her voice so her words could be heard loud and clear above the others. “As it stands right now, I’m the number one suspect, I can see that. I swear that I did not murder Alexander, I would never do such a thing, but until the investigation is complete and the real murderer is found, I think it’s best if I go down to the station.”

  Both Alvin and Leslie began to protest. “Melody, I really don’t think that it’s necessary to go to those extremes.” Alvin was adamant, but Melody ignored his pleas.

  “Let’s go. We can sort all of this out down at the station.” Turning to Smudge, she bent down to give the pup a good scratch. “Be a good girl for Leslie and make sure you do everything she says. I’ll be back soon girl.”

  The pup whined, distressed by all that had gone on and her owner’s impending departure.

  “It’s ok, Smudge. Everything will be sorted out soon, I promise.”

  Alvin led Melody through the kitchen and towards the front door where his squad car was waiting. They both stopped and turned as Drusilla called out from behind them with a wicked laugh, “Don’t forget the handcuffs, Sheriff.”

  Giving Melody a gentle nudge forward, he scowled at Drusilla and ignored her request.

  Chapter One Hundred Twelve

  Alone in the bakeshop, Leslie and Smudge watched as the cop car pulled away from the curb. Drusilla had stomped back across the street to Swan’s Sweets, and the pair were left there, trying to take in all of the events that had just taken place.

  "Oh, Smudge," Leslie sighed. "What on earth are we going to do? Poor Melody, I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now."

  Smudge looked up at Leslie and whined.

  "I guess I should give Kerry a call and fill her in on what's just happened."

  They both dragged their feet, solemnly back to the kitchen. "Hmmm." Leslie scratched her head and looked around, scanning the countertops. “Where’s my phone? I was sure that I left it right here.” She looked underneath some recipe books and moved aside some pots and pans but her phone was nowhere in sight. With its bright blue-flowered case, she was sure that it would be hard to miss.

  “That’s really strange. I wonder where it could have gotten to,” Leslie pondered as she continued her search.

  Down at the police station, Melody sat behind bars in the holding cell. The cold stone walls seemed to close in around her, making her feel claustrophobic. She could hardly believe the events that had transpired today. Little did she think that when she woke up this morning, she would have found herself in jail accused of murder by the end of the day.

  “I wonder what happened to poor Alexander?” she mused. “I never cared for the man, but I sure as heck wouldn’t have wanted to see him dead either. I wonder what I would have done if he had come into my shop? I probably would have told him off, maybe lashed out at him a little. The Swans do get under my skin pretty easily. That being said, I could never have hurt the man, could I? I wish I could remember what happened. The whole afternoon is a complete blur.”

  Alvin walked in just then, interrupting her thoughts. “How ya making out, Mel?�
�� he asked, resting his hands on the metal door and peering in through the bars.

  “I’m doing ok, thanks.” She nodded and forced a smile.

  “I’ve got all of my guys working hard on this case. They are out there collecting evidence as we speak. I’m sure we will have you out of there in no time and have the right culprit in jail where they belong.” Alvin’s words were reassuring.

  “Listen, Al, I’ve had some time to think things over while I’ve been sitting here and it’s really bothering me that I can’t remember what happened today. You don’t think that I could have done something to Alexander, do you? You don’t think that I could have had a fight with him, hurt him, and then blacked out afterward, do you?”

  “No! Mel, of course, I don’t think that is even a possibility. Both you and I know that you aren’t capable of something like that. Drusilla is doing her best to smear your name in Port Warren to help grow her business and that’s why she said the things that she did today. Her attitude was mighty strange for a woman who had just lost her husband. Now, you have to stop thinking that way, this will all be over soon enough. Mark my words.”

  “Honestly, Al, I don’t know what bothers me more, Drusilla’s accusations or the fact that my friends and customers in Port Warren might believe that I’m a killer.”

  Alvin stood up straight and looked Melody square in the eyes. “Listen, Mel, I promise you that I will not rest until we find out who did this, and your name is cleared.”

  Just then, one of the sheriff’s deputies came down the hallway, being led by Smudge.

  “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Leslie just stopped by and brought Smudge in for a visit. She thought it might do Melody some good and help cheer her up.” He let go of her leash and Smudge ran ahead full speed towards the cell where Melody was being held.

  “Oh, girl!” Melody was so happy to see her four-legged friend and sat down to give the little French Bulldog a scratch through the bars. While they were snuggling, Alvin and his deputy walked down the hall to talk. When he returned, Melody stood up. “Any news yet? Any new suspects?”

  Alvin hung his head and gave her a sideways glance. “The only other suspect we have at the moment is Jake.” He knew that Melody would be upset by the news.

  “No, Al, there is no way that Jake would kill anyone. He is a kind, sweet man who has fallen on some hard times. That’s all.” Melody was adamant.

  “I think that Jake is a great guy too, Mel. But you have to understand, Jake was in the Special Forces. He was trained to kill and probably has many times. It was the nature of his job. He specialized in high-risk operations and in many of them, was forced to lay the blame on others. Who’s to say that he hasn’t tried to do so again? I mean, he did have a motive. The Swans treated him terribly. Maybe this was his attempt to get back at them.”

  “I just don’t see it, Al. I couldn’t imagine Jake taking revenge like that. It just doesn’t seem right. And then on top of it, trying to pin the murder on me?” She shook her head, angered.

  Alvin sank to the floor. “I don’t know, Mel. We have no other viable suspects right now and no other leads. This case is too personal for me, which means I’m going to have no choice but to stand down and let the other officers take over. I will work behind the scenes and find out what I can… but I can’t do it officially. I will help you, I promise, but I have to admit, Mel, it doesn’t look good.”

  Chapter One Hundred Thirteen

  It was dark inside the police station at night. And cold. And very, very quiet. The only noise that Melody could hear was Smudge's snores coming from the other side of the bars. Alvin and Smudge had made themselves a little bed out of old blankets and a pillow that they found in the maintenance closet. Then they had got as comfortable as possible on the hard cement floors. Despite the company, Melody didn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned, unable to clear her mind. When she did sleep, her dreams were filled with blood and murder and false accusations. She found herself waking in a cold sweat, unable to get her bearings.

  When morning finally came, and Smudge and Alvin awoke, Melody sat on the cell floor and snuggled the pup through the bars. It wasn’t much but it was the best she could do and was an attempt to calm her rising fears.

  "How’d you sleep?" Alvin asked through a yawn.

  "Honestly? Not very well. It's not exactly the Hilton in here." Melody tried to laugh.

  "Aw, Mel. I'm so sorry you have to be in there. Come here, let me give you a kiss." He leaned in as far through the bars as possible, but before his lips met Melody's, he was startled by the sound of someone approaching from down the hall.

  Dorinda Mitchum appeared a few seconds later.

  "Hey, Melody. Hi, Sheriff. Sorry to interrupt, but I had some information that I thought you may be interested in. I wanted to come down here right away to let you know in person."

  The sheriff rose awkwardly to his feet. "Good morning, Dorinda. Thanks so much for coming down. We appreciate any possible tips that people may have. So, what's the information?" He had composed himself and quickly stepped into his role as sheriff.

  "Well, it's a little bit embarrassing." Dorinda paused for a moment looking between Melody and Alvin before continuing. "You see, Joe Reuben and I had been seeing each other for a short time. We had been on a few dates and as far as I could tell, things had been going really well. Apparently, I was wrong. It has been brought to my attention that Drusilla Swan has been flirting with Joe and he has stopped returning all of my calls."

  "That is very interesting." The sheriff took a moment to ponder. "Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Perhaps, Drusilla may have wanted a new man in her life. Maybe she was tired of Alexander and wanted to find a way to get rid of him. Framing Melody for the murder would be the perfect solution to her problem and would be the easiest way to solve all of her problems. Alexander would be gone and she could invite a new man into her life plus Melody would be eliminated as a business rival. Hmmm. That definitely gives me something to look into."

  Melody thanked Dorinda for thinking of her and gave her a hug through the cell.

  "Yes, thank you so much, Dorinda. I'll let you know if we have any more questions. Let me walk you out." Alvin escorted her out, leaving Melody and Smudge alone to think about this new information.

  The more Melody rolled it over in her mind, the more things began to make sense. Drusilla had the perfect motive for wanting her husband dead and the perfect reason for wanting to pin it all on Melody. Everything seemed to be coming together, and the more that she thought, the more her memories from the previous day came back to her.

  "Smudge!" Melody said, startling the pup out of a quick slumber. "I think I remember what happened to me in the bakery yesterday." She paced around the cell, deep in thought. "I heard footsteps. I thought that it was you and Leslie returning from your walk. I started to tell Leslie about the recipe I was trying out, and when I turned around, I was hit in the face with something. The next thing I remember is being woken up with your kisses." She felt her forehead where the bump was still prominent.

  "Alvin!" Melody was eager to share the news with him and called out to him as he approached. She recounted the memories of what had happened the prior day. "I know what I said at the business fair may have been a bit out of line, but I'm wondering, based on what we know now, if Drusilla didn't set me up. I think she purposely tried to get me upset so that I would fall right into her plans and have the motive to want to hurt one of them."

  "You may be onto something." Alvin thought her words over, and Smudge jumped up on her hind legs and yelped in agreement. "I think it may be a good idea for me to question Drusilla again and see if I can find out anything else. Keep the faith, Mel, we may just be on to something here."

  "I hope so. Why don't you take Smudge with you? She's helped out a lot in the past. You never know, she may prove useful this time too."

  "What do you say, Smudge? Are you up for a little adventure?"

  Alvin looked at the dog
questioningly and laughed when she excitedly wagged her tail.

  "I'll keep you posted, Mel," and he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss through the bars.

  Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

  "Well, girl. I wonder what Drusilla will have to say when she sees the cruiser pull up outside her shop?" Alvin asked the bulldog as they made their way through the streets of Port Warren towards Swan’s Sweets.

  Stopping out front of the store, Alvin got out and went around to open up the door for Smudge, who eagerly jumped out. She was obviously ready to begin the interrogation. Walking inside, Alvin and the pup immediately spotted Drusilla, standing behind the counter with her hands on her hips.

  “I’m assuming that you must have come to your senses, Sheriff, and finally want to switch over to a healthier version of your favorite treats?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Here, let me make you up a little goodie box to take back to the station with you.” She began to fold up a takeaway box when the sheriff stopped her.

  “That won’t be necessary, Drusilla. I think this whole town knows that the only desserts I eat are from Decadently Delicious. I’m here today to ask you a few more questions about the murder of your husband.”

  “That's fine.” She shrugged. “I’ll answer any questions that you have, but I think it’s time that you open your eyes to the fact that your girlfriend is the one who murdered Alexander. It’s her that is going to have to pay the price for committing such a crime.” Drusilla wiped at her eyes as if to remove a tear. Alvin had never seen a worse actor before!

  “Well, we’ll see about that. First off, what was your relationship with Joe Reuben?” He pulled a tiny notepad out of his pocket, ready to take notes.

  “Joe, the gym teacher? Our relationship was strictly professional. He was interested in bettering the health of his students and I was devising a plan, through the use of the products at Swan’s Sweets, to assist him in doing so. It was nothing more than that.”