The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  “Peter! What a surprise! Please come in.” Melody gestured for the man to step inside. “Can I get you a coffee?”

  “No, thank you, Melody,” he declined. “I’m just here for a quick visit. I heard what happened to Mrs. Harrington yesterday. It’s been the talk of the town. What a terrible tragedy.” He shook his head, looking at the ground. “Rumor also has it that you have been kind enough to take Taffy in but I’ve also heard that she and your little pup aren’t getting along so well. I know how difficult it can be to introduce two animals, especially those of different species. Cats and dogs don’t always get along too well.” He chuckled.

  “Well, that is true. I was up all night trying to keep the two of them from destroying either the house or each other! Smudge is usually so good-natured but she sure doesn’t like sharing her home with a cat.” Melody was happy that Peter understood what she had been through the previous night.

  “That’s what I’m here for. I was wondering if it would make things easier for you if I took Taffy off of your hands until I was able to find her another good, loving home. It would make your life a lot easier, and it would allow life for your pup to get back to normal as well.”

  Melody hesitated for a moment and thought the offer over. It was awfully kind of Mr. Remington to offer to take care of Taffy, but she had also planned on keeping the cat until she could get her officially adopted again. Into a proper, loving home.

  Seeing her concern, Peter put her mind at ease. “Now, don’t misunderstand me, Melody. I plan on bringing Taffy home with me. I won’t be taking her back to the shelter. She has already spent enough time there and deserves to be in a house with lots of room to roam. It shouldn’t be long until we find the appropriate family to take her in and until that time, she will provide good company for me!”

  “Maybe that would be for the best. I don’t see the two of them getting along together here, and Taffy has been through so much. She deserves some peace.” Melody walked to the room that Taffy was in and opened the door, scooping the purring cat up into her arms. Hearing the cat, Smudge began to bark louder, Melody let her out as well, giving her the chance to say her farewells.

  "Thank you so much, Peter. It was so kind of you to come all the way over here, all just for Taffy. I'm going to miss her. She really is a sweet cat, but this is definitely for the best."

  Agreeing with Melody's statement, Smudge barked. Melody kissed the cat on the top of her head and handed her over to Peter, who took her gingerly, holding her gently in his arms and carried her away to his car.

  "Well, Smudge, it looks like it's just me and you again." The little dog wagged her stumpy tail, happy at the prospect of having her owner all to herself again. "She sure was a good kitty and she definitely deserves a good home but I'll always love you the best." She knelt down on the floor and smothered Smudge with pets and kisses.

  Smudge, who had been feeling terribly neglected the past twelve hours, gleefully took it all in, basking in all of the attention she was now getting. "Come on, girl, let's get out of here and go for a quick walk. It's such a beautiful day outside, it'd be terrible to waste it." She grabbed Smudge's leash and the pair trotted outside together, ready to enjoy the day.

  As they headed down the driveway, Smudge ran up ahead, ready to lead the way. Suddenly her body went alert. Melody knew that pose, she had smelt something. Smudge pulled her over to the side, and then she saw something glinting in the sunlight. Excitedly, Smudge barked and then pounced toward the object, stopping just in front and looking back at Melody and barking again.

  Seeing what was happening, Melody fell to her knees in front of the dog. "Smudge, good girl, clever little dog!" Melody said, and Smudge nuzzled up to her owner happy for the praise.

  Quickly Melody went back to the house and returned with a bag to pick up the item.

  "Well done, Smudge," she said again, producing a butter cookie from her pocket which the little dog took with much joy.

  Smudge chomped away on the cookie while Melody got to her feet and brushed off her pants. She glanced at the treasure that had caused the dog to become so excited and let out a gasp. Her mind turning, she shoved it into her pocket and ran immediately back into the house to call Alvin.

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three

  Alvin thought that it was about time that he gathered Brenda and Vanessa together and sat them down to ask them some questions. He needed to get some further clarification on what had gone on in Olive Harrington's last hours alive. He called both women and set up a meeting in one of the small boardrooms at the hotel that they were both staying in. Hopping behind the wheel of his cruiser, he swung by to pick up Melody and Smudge. They had proven extremely helpful time and time again, this was going to be a difficult case as there seemed to be no real evidence. His two ladies had a remarkable knack of sniffing out the clues or putting the suspects at ease. It couldn’t hurt the investigation to have them come along.

  Melody got in the car looking sleep-deprived but Smudge, on the other hand, jumped in with a look of pure bliss on her face.

  "Your obviously happy this morning, girl!" Alvin surmised by the dog’s happy antics. "I guess finding a new home for that cat was a good idea!"

  Melody nodded her agreement. "At least I'll get some sleep tonight. You should have seen the two of them going at each other all night long. The barking and hissing, I'm surprised it didn't wake the neighbors."

  Imagining the scene, Alvin chuckled to himself, picturing what fun the previous night must have been, as he drove them towards the harbor where the ladies were awaiting their arrival.

  The tiny conference room was hot and stuffy, and by the time they arrived, they could see that Vanessa and Brenda were fraught. Melody knew how time dragged when you were waiting to be interviewed. The ladies would feel as if they had been waiting there for hours.

  Alvin sat at the head of the table, facing the women. He had some notes out in front of him and a pad of paper and a pen ready to jot down any interesting pieces of information that may arise. Melody and Smudge stood at the back, out of the way. Clearing his throat, Alvin looked at Brenda and Vanessa and thanked them for meeting with him. "I know the past twenty-four hours haven't been easy on either of you, but I appreciate you both taking the time to come down here to answer a few questions. As it stands at the moment, you are both suspects in this murder case. You both have a motive for wanting Olive Harrington dead. Brenda, you worked closely with Mrs. Harrington for quite a number of years and had to put up with her less than pleasant demeanor. It's no secret here in Port Warren that Mrs. Harrington wasn't the friendliest of people." Alvin paused for a moment to let his words settle on Brenda and then turned to Vanessa.

  “As for you, Vanessa, it appears that you have had to put up with Olive's ill-treatment since childhood. The two of you had quite a bit of bad blood between you. There is, of course, the lamp, and not to mention your comment the other day about Olive stealing your would-be husband. It seems to me that either one of you could easily have been justified in murdering this woman."

  Brenda was the first to speak up and defend herself. "I'll admit it, working for Mrs. Harrington could be a real nightmare. She could often be cantankerous and hard to get along with. Honestly, there were days when she made my life miserable."

  Vanessa interrupted. "If you were so unhappy, then why didn't you just leave? No one was stopping you, there was nothing to hold you back. You could have up and left at any time. Unlike me. I am her family, I was stuck with her no matter what. I didn't have a choice but to be around her, I was her cousin. I think that the time has finally come where I'm going to get what I deserve for having to put up with her for all this time."

  Alvin had been listening carefully and making notes, writing down everything that was being said. "Vanessa, are you speaking of Mrs. Harrington's fortune? Is that what you think you deserve?" He eyed the woman questioningly, trying to figure out exactly what she was implying.

  "The money!" Brenda spoke out befor
e Vanessa had a chance to reply. "Do you really believe that woman would have left any part of her estate to you? You would have been the last person on this earth that she would have willed her fortune to. That's how much she thought of you. “

  The two women began bickering back and forth, and Alvin raised his hand to silence them. “Ladies, please, be quiet,” he said, his voice loud enough to stop them but calm and controlled. “I think it’s time that you both know that we have gone over Olive Harrington’s last will and testament and it doesn’t take either of you into account. Unfortunately, neither of you will be receiving any of Olive’s money.”

  The reactions from both Brenda and Vanessa were instantaneous. Their faces fell as this news hit them.

  Melody took this opportunity to jump in. Stepping forward, she spoke. “Ladies, both of you seem to have good reason to want her out of your lives. Your true feelings are not hard to fathom. However, one thing is becoming clear in this investigation, and that is that the real murderer did view Olive’s will. The police department found the legal document scattered around her beaten body in the front hallway of her home. The sheriff here has had the opportunity to review the will and the true beneficiary that it names, points us straight in the direction of the killer.”

  Alvin chuckled before he spoke. “Ladies, you have already both been so kind in meeting us here today and answering all of our questions, but I will need you to stick around for a little bit longer. We have one more guest that will be joining us shortly.”

  Both Vanessa and Brenda looked questioningly at one another. Neither was quite sure what was going on or who the mystery guest would be. The shock on their faces said they also had no idea who was the beneficiary of the will.

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four

  Alvin went outside to wait for their surprise guest. The one who would apparently shed some light on who the perpetrator of this awful crime was. It didn’t take long for his car to pull up out front, and Peter Remington, dressed to impress, as usual, stepped out.

  Alvin moved forward and shook the man’s hand.

  “Thank you so much for coming down here today, Peter. As you know, the investigation into Olive Harrington’s death is still ongoing and I have some questions that I’d like to ask you. I believe that it will help me and the sheriff’s department get some more of the answers that we are looking for.”

  Peter seemed more than happy to oblige. “It’s my pleasure, Sheriff. Olive Harrington was a big supporter of the Port Warren animal shelter and someone I would also consider a friend. I am willing to do anything that I can to help find her killer.”

  Alvin led the man inside the hotel and down the corridor to the conference room where Brenda, Vanessa, Melody, and Smudge were all patiently waiting. Peter settled into a seat and greeted the other women cordially.

  Alvin began by explaining what they knew so far.

  “Just to take a quick moment to summarize, for Peter’s sake, we are all gathered here today in an effort to gain further information into the death of Olive Harrington. Olive was murdered early yesterday evening in the front foyer of her own home. She was bludgeoned to death with a stained glass lamp, the very same one that she had with her at the rummage sale earlier that day.” Alvin turned and spoke directly to Peter now, “we came together here, earlier today, with both Brenda and Vanessa. I had some specific questions to ask them, and now I have some specific questions for you, Peter.”

  Peter smiled at the sheriff. “Please, Sheriff, ask away. You know that I am more than happy to help in any way that I can.”

  Melody stepped forward. She had done enough listening for one day and had some questions of her own that she needed answers to. “Peter, yesterday afternoon was the annual Port Warren Animal Shelter rummage sale, is that correct?” She looked at Peter intently as she spoke, imagining in her mind that she was a big-time lawyer, interrogating the prime suspect on the witness stand.

  Peter nodded his head. “Yes, Melody. That’s right. We hold a charity yard sale every year in the town square.”

  Melody continued, “And you attended this sale, did you not, Mr. Remington?”

  “Well, of course, it was for the shelter that I operate. I had to be there.” Peter was smiling as he spoke. He was finding the obvious nature of Melody’s questions entertaining.

  “And is it true, Mr. Remington, that at the sale you had a conversation with Olive Harrington where you expressed to her your hopes of her making a hefty financial donation to the shelter?”

  Peter thought for a moment about how to answer this question. It was trickier than the ones before. “Well.” He hesitated for a moment. “Yes. She had mentioned previously that she would be making a donation, and I did bring it up yesterday when I saw her. I never expected that her life would end so soon and in such a tragic way after our last conversation, but both myself and the shelter are grateful that Olive’s last wishes take into account our charity and the animals in need.”

  It was Alvin’s turn to speak up now. “Peter, I have here a copy of Olive Harrington’s last will and testament.” He pulled a small stack of papers out of his folder and slid them across the table for Peter to see. “These documents were present at the murder scene, and it is my opinion that the murderer must have seen them. Olive did not will her fortune to the shelter as you expected. She willed her entire estate to her adopted cat, Taffy.”

  At this new revelation, both Brenda and Vanessa groaned and covered their faces with their hands. It was just like Olive to do something crazy and unexpected like this. Peter, however, kept his composure.

  “Well, that’s fine. It was up to Olive to do as she wished with her money. If she chose not to donate it to the shelter, then that was her wish. Either way, I will still do everything in my power to find Taffy a good home with a family that will love and care for her as much as Olive did.”

  Melody spoke up again. “I believe, Mr. Remington, that the reason you appeared at my house this morning and were so eager to take the cat with you when you left, was so that you could have Taffy in your custody and therefore Olive’s money would come your way. Is that true, Mr. Remington.” Melody was getting awfully good at the whole interrogation process.

  Peter was squirming in his seat at this point, stray drops of sweat trickling down his forehead.

  “Now, you listen here.” Peter sounded like he was starting to panic. “There is no solid proof linking me to the murder. Just because I was concerned about the wellbeing of Olive’s cat doesn’t make me capable of murdering the old woman. This is all just speculation and I don’t have to put up with it.” He started to rise from his seat but the sheriff gestured for Melody to continue.

  Standing in front of him, she watched as he withered back down into his seat. “After you left my home this morning, Mr. Remington, I, well, Smudge, found this on my driveway.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny shard of glass in an evidence bag.

  “In fact, my dog, Smudge here, found it this morning.”

  Smudge yipped and wagged her tail.

  “Now, this piece of brightly colored glass is the same glass that was found shattered around Olive Harrington’s body. The glass from the broken stained-glass lamp.”

  Everyone in the room could see the sweat pouring from Peter Remington’s forehead now.

  “It is my belief,” Melody continued, “that this piece of glass got stuck to the bottom of your shoe after you murdered Olive Harrington last night, and that it came unlodged this morning on my driveway. I believe that you, Mr. Remington, are the cold-blooded murderer.” She pointed her finger dramatically at him as she made the accusation.

  Peter wilted in front of them all. “I was so close,” he sobbed. “That money was almost mine.”

  At Alvin’s command, a deputy that had been waiting outside the conference room walked in with his handcuffs out. “Go ahead, arrest this man,” Alvin said, and the deputy proceeded to cuff Peter Remington and read him his rights.

  Peter sobbed t
he entire time, mumbling hysterically about money and cats and old ladies. Alvin escorted him to the police station.

  Once the room had begun to clear out, both Vanessa and Brenda approached Melody.

  Brenda spoke first. “That was a great job you did.”

  Vanessa jumped in next. “Ya, you really had Peter working up a sweat. He didn’t stand a chance with you questioning him.”

  “Maybe you should quit the baking gig and take up law instead?” Brenda suggested, but Melody declined.

  “I think I’ve had enough experience with legal issues and mysteries for one lifetime,” she laughed. “I’ll stick to pastries and cakes, thank you very much.”

  “Listen, Melody.” Brenda’s expression had gotten serious now. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and Olive would have wanted Taffy to be with someone she knew, someone who helped take care of her. I think it would be best if she came with me.”

  Vanessa cut in, barely letting Brenda finish her sentence. “Actually, I thought that Taffy should be with me, I mean, I am family after all.”

  The women began arguing again, this time about the merits of each and who could provide a better home for the cat. Melody could see right through their greedy motives and raised a hand to silence them.

  “Ladies, I’m sorry, but Taffy is a wonderful cat, and she deserves better than both of you.”

  Smudge yipped her agreement and turning, they left Vanessa and Brenda behind, both ladies bewildered and downhearted. Neither would be seeing a penny of Olive Harrington’s money.

  Once outside, Melody took a breath of fresh air. It was satisfying to know that the killer had been found, justice would be served, and it was her excellent detective and interrogation skills that had led to his arrest. Peter’s car sat parked in front of her and a sudden movement inside caught her eye. There, peeking up through the backseat window, was little Taffy. Melody scooped her up and gave her a good scratch behind her ears, which started her purring loudly.