The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  Once Jake was gone and they were alone, Melody ordered some more coffee and waited for Lola to speak. She could sense that Lola had wanted to get her alone and now she just had to wait for her to relax enough to say whatever was on her mind.

  Smudge jumped off Melody’s knee and went to sit in front of Lola. She turned her big amber eyes on to Lola and Melody knew how hard they were to resist. Tilting her head to one side she raised her paw and tapped Lola’s leg.

  Lola laughed. It was a good sound to hear, one of relaxation and letting go.

  “It looks like Smudge is not going to let me avoid this,” Lola said.

  “Whatever it is, you can talk to me,” Melody said.

  Lola took a deep breath, looked down at Smudge, and then looked up at Melody. “I’m so afraid that people will think I’m crazy. I just got signed off as having a clean bill of health. I can work again, but if this gets out they will lock me up in the loony bin and throw away the key.”

  “Then this stays between me and you,” Melody said.

  “I had a very bad head injury. Temporal lobe damage. Since then… Well, since then…”

  Smudge gave a little bark and tapped once more on Lola’s leg.

  “Since then I’ve been able to hear animals speaking!” Lola cringed as if waiting for Melody to laugh.

  “Do the voices make sense?” Melody asked.

  “Yes, I know it sounds crazy, I know it’s probably just in my mind but yes, they do make sense. Smudge has been telling me to talk to you. Telling me I need a cuddle and that everything will be all right. Isabella just tells me to chill and to let things go. There was one cat that was a little strange, but the rest, when I hear them… well, it’s almost as if they are really talking to me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “The first thing to do is not to worry about this. We will keep it between me and you and we will see where this goes. Maybe the voices will go away, maybe they won’t, but they’re doing no harm so why let it worry you?”

  “I never thought about it that way,” Lola said. “The first time it happened I was so scared I thought I was going crazy. I’ve done my best to try and shut them out but I can’t and so I just tried to keep away from animals. That’s sad because I love animals and I know Jake wants me to get a support dog. It would do me a lot of good but what if people find out?”

  “No one needs to find out. Hey, I could swear Smudge is telling me things at times. The way she leads me to clues and the way she guides me through life. I can understand how intelligent she is and I know, if she could communicate with you, she would be saying exactly what you said.”

  Smudge spun in a circle and gave a little yip.

  “See, I told you so,” Melody said.

  “Can I come and talk to you at times?” Lola asked.

  “You can come and talk to me whenever you want, and this stays between me and you.”

  Smudge barked again.

  “And Smudge I guess,” Lola said.

  Melody laughed. “I think you should consider getting a support dog. What sort of dog would you like?”

  Lola looked at Smudge. “I always liked big dogs, but having met Smudge I would love one just like her. She’s so full of character and so courageous, who could ask for more?”

  Smudge spun in a circle and then jumped onto Lola’s knee. It made Melody feel really good to see Lola finally able to cuddle the little dog. Somehow, she knew that Lola’s life would be getting better. That coming to terms with the voices would help her heal and maybe eventually let the voices go away.

  “You and Alvin are just the cutest couple,” Lola said.

  Smudge gave a bark.

  Lola laughed. “You are just the cutest family, and Smudge tells me a little one is on the way.”

  Melody smiled. “Yes, one minute I can’t wait, the next I’m terrified.”

  “You will be a fantastic mom,” Lola said.

  Smudge span in a circle and gave a yip of approval.

  The Pushing in the Pond

  Bakers and Bulldog Mysteries

  by

  Rosie Sams

  Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-One

  Melody Hennessy stretched as the door closed and the latest customer walked away. Her blue-gray French bulldog, Smudge, was hiding under the counter. As Melody looked down the Frenchie covered her eyes with her paws. Melody couldn’t help but giggle. It had been a busy morning for they were in the process of taking orders for the graduation party season. It seemed that everybody wanted to use their bakery and Decadently Delicious was busier than it had ever been.

  Kerry Porter-Smedley rushed through from the back room. Her blonde hair was all awry and sneaking out of the bright pink hairnet that she always wore. “Was that another order? she asked.

  “It certainly was, how many have we got now?” Melody asked.

  “That makes seven. We can manage that many, we can even manage a few more but let’s just hope we don’t get too many or we will have to be turning customers away.” Kerry had obviously had one too many coffees already today, the speed of her speech was faster than a racing train.

  Melody held up her hand in surrender. “As long as you let me know if you take any orders without me, I’ll keep my eye on it,” Melody said. She noticed Leslie, a small exotic woman with a pixie face and dark black hair, was giggling at her from across the room. Leslie was repacking the display case with muffins and cookies before the three partners took a well-earned coffee break.

  “Time for a coffee,” Kerry said. “I fancy a raspberry and white chocolate muffin, is anyone joining me? Oh, is Lola coming in today?”

  “Yes, she should be here any minute now,” Melody blurted out before Kerry could say anymore. “I’ll grab the muffins, you get the coffee.”

  As Melody pulled the muffins out of the cabinets, the doorbell tinkled and Lola came into the shop. Tall and a little too slim and with long black hair, Lola was a pretty woman in her mid-30s. Still a little nervous, her eyes searched the room as she came in. It was an old habit, as a veteran who had been through a lot, she was always looking for danger.

  “Hey, Lola you’re just in time for a break. Do you fancy a muffin?”

  Lola nodded as she walked into the shop. “That sounds great, I’ll have what you’re having.”

  “Go on through,” Melody said. “Smudge and the girls are in the break room.”

  Lola lifted the flap and ducked behind the counter disappearing into the back of the bakery while Melody pulled out another muffin.

  Soon they were all drinking coffee and eating muffins. Smudge sat on Lola’s knee, occasionally giving her kisses or begging for crumbs.

  “How are you doing?” Melody asked Lola.

  “I’m good. I’m settled in with Jake and we’re even thinking about looking for a dog for me.”

  Smudge gave a little yip and Lola cuddled her close. “Don’t worry, Smudge, I’ll always love you first.”

  Smudge grumbled her appreciation as only a Frenchie could. It was a combination of a groan, a grumble, and a whine and made everyone in the room laugh.

  “That is really good news,” Melody said. “Smudge and I would love to come and help you look.”

  “And me too,” Kerry said.

  “And me three,” Leslie added with a giggle.

  Leslie and Kerry were Melody’s partners in the bakery and some time ago Smudge had rescued some Beagle puppies that were stolen. Leslie and Kerry had ended up rescuing two of them each. It had been a while since they had had a puppy play date and Melody thought that maybe it would be a good idea to get everyone together again before Lola left.

  Lola hadn’t yet decided where she was going once she left Port Warren, but Melody knew that she would be leaving sometime soon and she realized how much she was going to miss her.

  “We still haven’t picked patterns for the nursery,” Kerry said. “It’s been a month since I knew about this pregnancy and I feel as if I’m letting you down. I happen to have brought in some books for you
to skip through, just hang on while I go fetch them.”

  Melody and Leslie laughed as Kerry walked over to the counter at the side of the room and pulled down a huge bag. Struggling to hold it she came across to the table and pulled out two massive books.

  “Where did you get these?” Melody asked.

  “Secrets of the trade,” Kerry said. “But I have it on good authority that the majority of patterns you might be interested in will be in here. There is everything from stripes to floral to stars to themes. We have animal themes, space themes, themes from movies, princess themes.” She winked. “You tell me what sort of thing you’re thinking of and we will find it in here then all we need to do is arrange a day or two to decorate the nursery.”

  “Whoa! Wait a minute,” Melody said. “I can’t choose patterns until we have a gender. Which won’t be for another 4 to 5 weeks.”

  Kerry stopped drinking her coffee, her eyes open wide, looking just like the cartoon on her world’s biggest coffee drinker mug. “I can’t wait that long! I need to be doing something, to be organizing, to be sorting things out, to be helping, to be doing anything to make sure that this is all going to work out perfectly…”

  Everyone at the table except Kerry was laughing.

  “You are so mean to me, just because I get excited and talk a little fast.” Kerry joined in with the laughter. “Okay, I’ll calm down and I’ll do things at your pace… I promise.”

  Melody patted her on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t have you any other way Ker, you are a true friend.”

  Kerry blushed and picking up her coffee mug, she took a big slurp. “Oh, shucks!”

  The bell on the store door tinkled and took them all by surprise. Kerry jumped, Leslie laughed, and so did Lola.

  “I’ll get that,” Melody said, “you all enjoy your break.”

  Melody went through to the shop to see Franklin Reid standing at the counter. He was a tall, distinguished looking man with grey hair and a pasty face. His demeanor was one of authority and Melody recognized him as one of the wealthiest residents of their small town, though she wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him in here before.

  “How can I help you, Mr. Reid?”

  “Oh, erm, Melody isn’t it?” he asked as he stared at the cabinets in front of him.

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  “Well, I was recommended your establishment by several of my daughter’s friends’ parents. Kirsten is about to graduate as valedictorian of the St. John’s school.”

  Melody recognized the school name and knew that it was the most exclusive school for over a 100 miles in any direction. She nearly let out a whistle but managed to keep her face straight. “Let me congratulate you on your daughter’s amazing accomplishment.”

  “That is very good of you. I plan to thank the school with a sizable donation and have to tell you that Kirsten has been accepted into an Ivy League college come the fall. I imagine my daughter will have the best education possible in her quest to become an architect and I want this party of hers to be something special too. Are you able to arrange that for me?”

  Melody nodded. “Of course, we will arrange something worthy of your daughter’s achievements, something to celebrate her success and the promise of her future. Do you have any details on numbers in mind?”

  “Oh, yes of course.” He handed over an extensive list that made Melody’s eyes boggle. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to take on many more jobs if they were to complete this one.

  “Is there a problem?” Franklin asked.

  “No, not at all. You have been very detailed and very precise in what you need and I will ensure that your order is fulfilled exactly as you require. Your daughter, as does every child, deserves to celebrate this event. Once more I offer my congratulations.”

  Franklin smiled and nodded and then turned and left the shop. As he did Kerry, Leslie, and Lola walked through from the back with Smudge in tow.

  “Was that Franklin Reid?” Leslie asked.

  “Yes it was, he just gave us a massive order for his daughter Kirsten’s graduation party.”

  “Ohh,” Kerry said. “I’ve heard some very worrying things about her graduation.”

  This was the last thing Melody wanted to hear. Why did trouble always have to find her?

  Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-Two

  “We don’t need to know this,” Leslie said.

  Melody could see that Kerry wasn’t going to be stopped, she had some information and she would feel bound to let them know. Biting back a sigh, she nodded for Kerry to continue.

  “I just heard these rumors about Kirsten,” Kerry said. “There are a lot of people saying that she didn’t come by her grades honestly and I just wonder whether we should be part of celebrating that?”

  For once Kerry had been very brief but it didn’t solve Melody’s problem. Part of her agreed, if the girl really didn’t get her grades honestly should they be helping her celebrate a dishonest effort? However, what could they do? This was gossip and nothing more. She couldn’t let idle talk, which could easily be jealousy, get in the way of the task at hand. They were a business and they had to behave professionally. Franklin had hired them to do a job and anything beyond that was none of their business.

  “I understand what you’re saying, Kerry,” Melody said. “However, I don’t think this is something we can get involved in. We have to maintain a professional outlook and that doesn’t allow us to listen to gossip.”

  Leslie was nodding her agreement and even though at first, it looked like Kerry might disagree, she too nodded. “I know you’re right,” Kerry said. “I just think we need to be careful and maybe not advertise the fact that we have taken this order.”

  “I can understand that,” Melody said, “but we're hardly likely to be telling people anyway. Let’s just do the best work we can and let everything else take care of itself.”

  As Leslie and Kerry retired to the kitchen to work on the orders, Lola asked Melody if she cared to take a walk. Melody nodded and shouted in the back to let the girls know. She knew that Lola needed to speak to her and it was something they couldn’t talk about in front of her partners.

  Fixing a lead to Smudge, Melody grabbed her purse and they set off for a walk. Lola was quiet at first as they walked along the street. Soon, they turned up a leafy path that led to a park. It was a place they enjoyed walking, sitting, and talking. At this time of day, it would be relatively quiet and Lola could say what she needed without anyone hearing.

  When they got to the park, Melody let Smudge off her lead. The little blue-gray Frenchie turned to look up at Lola and sat in front of her.

  “What’s she saying?” Melody asked. Since Lola had told her about her ability to hear animals talk Melody had been obsessed with knowing exactly what Smudge said. Though she believed her relationship with the dog was brilliant, parts of her didn’t believe that Lola could really hear the dog talking. Part of her believed it was just residual aftereffects from Lola’s head injury, but still, she wanted to know what her little pup was thinking.

  “She says I’m looking much better,” Lola said.

  Smudge did a little yip and spun in a circle before sitting before Lola once more.

  “You are looking much better,” Melody said. “You are much more relaxed and I think you put a little weight on.”

  Lola laughed. “I must be the strangest woman because that’s good to hear.”

  Smudge barked again and jumped up at Lola’s knees.

  “What’s the little demanding diva saying now?” Melody asked with a chuckle.

  “She wants me to tell you that she loves you and Alvin and she can’t wait for the little one to get here.”

  Melody felt her heart swell with warmth as her hand instinctively went to her stomach. It would be a while before they had a new member of their family but she was so pleased that Smudge was looking forward to it too. “Tell her, I love her too, and that she will always be my favorite little Frenchie.”

  Smud
ge gave another bark, spun in a circle in front of Melody, and then raced off across the park.

  Lola laughed. “She says she understands you just as you understand her, and blew you a kiss before she went off to investigate.”

  As they began to walk, they talked of Lola’s plans for the future. She still felt as if she had to heal a little bit more before she could set out on her own but each day she was feeling better and stronger. “I think it helped me to know that you and Jake believed in me… or at the very least don’t judge me,” Lola said.

  “I know I didn’t know you that well, but I get a gut feeling about these things, and I knew you hadn’t killed Elliott Hodge.”

  “Well, thank you again, thank you for being my friend.”

  Melody nodded and smiled. “That’s easy, you are a good friend of mine too and Smudge is a great reader of character.”

  Soon Smudge had raced around the park and said hello to everyone she needed to, then she came back and Melody put her on the lead as they prepared to make the return trip to the bakery.

  “Do you think there’s anything to this gossip?” Lola asked.

  “I hope not,” Melody said, “but really, it’s nothing to do with us so we just have to do the best job we can.”

  Lola nodded and Melody hoped that it really was nothing to do with them and that there would be no stain on the bakery if Kirsten’s deception was found out. As she had that thought, she was mad at herself; here she was believing in gossip when she told others not to.

  Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-Three

  After a long day at work, Melody and Smudge got home to find her handsome husband and Port Warren’s sheriff, Alvin Hennessy, making the dinner. He was stirring one of his famous Cajun chilis and the smell filled the house and made Melody’s stomach rumble.

  “How was your day?” Alvin asked as he stooped to kiss Melody’s cheek.