Cupcakes and Celebrities

by Leena Clover

  “None of these girls are as young as they say,” Wayne said maliciously. “Bella was the real youngster among them. She was barely 22.”

  He looked genuinely sad when he said that.

  “Do you know how to contact Rainbow’s sister?”

  Wayne nodded. He promised to give her contact information to the police.

  He shook hands with Jenny and patted her on the shoulder. Jenny sprang back with a jerk. She had remembered something.

  “What’s that smell?” she asked. “Is it some kind of perfume?”

  “I don’t wear perfume,” Wayne said, bewildered. “Just aftershave.”

  “You scumbag! You were still getting it on with her, weren’t you?”

  Wayne was quiet.

  “You were in Rainbow’s room the other day,” Jenny accused. “Don’t try to deny it.”

  “Like I said … we go way back.”

  “You were carrying on with her right under Crystal’s nose?” Heather gasped. “Weren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

  “What’s Crystal gonna do? She’s so desperate to get married, she’ll look the other way no matter what I do.”

  “Why are you marrying Crystal?” Jenny asked. “Do you love her at all?”

  “I loved Bella for a while, and I loved Rainbow. Crystal is just good for the ratings.”

  Kathy Mars stood in the doorway with a vicious look in her eyes. Jenny was sure she had heard the last bit. Kathy’s lips stretched into a horrible smile.

  “Why don’t you come in? I just called for lemonade.”

  Chapter 17

  Jenny, Heather and Molly walked to the Rusty Anchor one evening.

  “Is Chris meeting us there?” Molly asked Heather.

  Memorial Day had come and gone. The café had been flooded with tourists eager to taste the cupcakes and crab salad they had seen on Instagram. Mandy James had done them a favor after all.

  A team of contractors and volunteers was busy making small changes on Main Street. The town was beginning to look spiffy.

  “Don’t these look pretty?” Heather asked, pointing toward some new flower beds that had sprung up by the side of the road. “I don’t know, Molly,” she pouted. “I don’t keep tabs on him.”

  “Trouble in paradise?” Jenny asked.

  They found a lot of familiar faces at the Rusty Anchor. Jimmy Parsons waved at them from the bar. Jenny got up to say hello to him. Jimmy had apparently been at it for some time.

  “How’s your aunt, little lady?” he asked.

  Jenny had guessed Jimmy had a thing for her aunt.

  “Why don’t you come over for dinner sometime, Jimmy?”

  Jimmy nodded happily. “I could use a home cooked meal. You’re a good girl, Jenny.”

  Jenny spotted a familiar figure seated at the other end of the bar.

  “What is Ray Fox still doing here?” she asked the girls when she went back to their table.

  Jason Stone had joined them in her absence.

  “You remember he’s my client, Jenny? I can’t talk about him.”

  “Haven’t the police cleared him yet? Why is he still hanging out in Pelican Cove?”

  “My lips are sealed,” Jason stressed.

  “What if he wants to talk to me?”

  Jenny walked over to where Ray was seated. She pulled up a stool and climbed up on it.

  “Hello Ray. Remember me?”

  Ray Fox looked at her with bloodshot eyes. He nodded and took another sip of his drink.

  “How long have you been in town really?”

  “Am I busted?” he asked.

  “Yes, you are. You were seen here the day before Crystal’s wedding.”

  “Did that old roommate of Bella tell you this?”

  “She may have.”

  “What’s it matter to her? She’s got to stop meddling in my business.”

  “You don’t have to worry about her.”

  “Why not? She always had it in for Bella. Did you know she got Bella thrown off the set? My Bella lost the role of a lifetime because of that girl.”

  “You must have been mad at her.”

  “You bet I was. We both were.”

  “Is that why you killed her?”

  Ray straightened and blinked at Jenny in confusion.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “That girl – Rainbow – she was found dead a few days ago.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m not. How did you not hear about this?”

  “Nobody told me…”

  So Ray Fox had a possible grudge against Rainbow. Jenny decided to talk to Adam about it later.

  “Why did you come here, Ray? Did you know Bella was planning something for Crystal’s wedding?”

  “Look, I don’t care one bit about Crystal Mars, okay?”

  Jenny folded her hands and waited for him to continue.

  “I found out Bella was seeing Wayne Newman again.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “I had my sources…never mind how I found out…people talk.”

  “So you came here to confront Bella and kill her?”

  “Why would I kill her? Bella was the love of my life.”

  Ray’s eyes filled up as he spoke. Jenny wondered if she was witnessing another stellar performance. It was hard to tell.

  “Sure! You loved Bella even though she was cheating on you.”

  “Bella was beautiful and she had a heart to match. She had a string of admirers wherever she went. But she never slipped. Until she ran into Wayne Newman again …”

  “What was special about Wayne? From all accounts, he’s a womanizer.”

  “She never got over him.”

  “You knew about Bella and Wayne before you got married?”

  Ray Fox took a big gulp of his drink.

  “Bella promised me it was all over. We were very happy for a while. Then I had to go on location for a few months.”

  “She ran back to Wayne?”

  “It wasn’t like that. She met him at some awards function. He was engaged to Crystal. Bella hated Crystal. I think she went out with Wayne just to spite Crystal.”

  “Looks like that backfired.”

  Ray smiled mirthlessly.

  “She got caught up in him again.”

  He looked at Jenny, struggling with what to say next.

  “I know about the baby,” Jenny said gently.

  Ray wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

  “She thought it was the end. She rushed over here to confront Wayne. She wanted to beg him to marry her.”

  “What about you?”

  “She thought I would dump her.”

  “So she didn’t trust you, huh?”

  “Bella was so young,” Ray sobbed. “She ran away from home at sixteen. People only took from her. She had been treated like crap by most people in her life.”

  “She assumed you would do the same.”

  “That’s my fault, I guess. She didn’t trust me. I failed to make her believe.”

  “She was just insecure.”

  “She shouldn’t have been. She was my wife. It was my job to look after her no matter what.”

  “How did you know she was coming here?”

  “I was out of town when Bella got on the plane. I came in to Los Angeles the same evening. She had left a print of her ticket on the coffee table.”

  “Was that her way of letting you know where she was?”

  “I think it was a cry for help.”

  “What did you do then, Ray?”

  “I got the next flight out and came here.”

  “Bella wanted to break it off with you so you messed with her parachute. Is that right?”

  “That’s a lie!”

  Jenny wondered if she had pushed him a bit too far.

  “Bella and I met. We talked about everything. She told me about the child. I didn’t mind who the father was. We could raise it as our own.”

  “Really? Y
ou are that noble?”

  “I had an accident years ago,” Ray confessed. “I can’t have kids. We had talked about adoption or sperm donation. This felt like a blessing to me.”

  “What about Wayne?”

  “He could do as he pleased. If he wanted to be a part of the child’s life, we would have come to some agreement.”

  “But didn’t Bella come here to disrupt the wedding?”

  “She just wanted to talk to Wayne. She had high hopes from him.”

  “But you decided to raise the child together. Why did she go up on that plane then?”

  “That’s what I can’t figure out,” Ray blubbered.

  Jenny gave him some time to collect himself.

  “You really don’t know why she went up in that plane?”

  “I had no idea she was going to do that. We were flying back home later that day.”

  Ray Fox didn’t meet Jenny’s eyes while he said it.

  “You’re hiding something, Ray. What is it? Maybe I can help you if you are honest with me.”

  Ray hesitated.

  “She said she had one last thing she needed to take care of.”

  “So she was going to confront Wayne after all.”

  “I don’t know,” Ray said, sounding helpless. “Maybe I should have guessed she would do something silly.”

  “Could she have wanted to cause a stir at the wedding?”

  “Bella wasn’t vindictive,” Ray said firmly. “And it was Wayne’s wedding too. She wouldn’t do that to him.”

  “Something or someone made her go up there,” Jenny said, “with a faulty parachute.”

  “Bella’s a pro at sky diving. She would never go up there without checking her rig.”

  “She must have trusted whoever handed it to her.”

  “She trusted Wayne Newman,” Ray pointed out.

  “Do you believe Wayne had something to do with your wife’s death?”

  “He was right there, wasn’t he? And he had a pretty strong motive.”

  “Surely Bella must have told him you agreed to raise the child?”

  “Have you thought about the scandal? Appearances mean more to these people than anything else.”

  “You realize this is just a theory?”

  “I know that,” Ray Fox sighed. “That’s what the police said when I proposed it.”

  “I’m sure they will check it out though. Did anyone else know about the baby?”

  Ray shrugged.

  “She talked to Rainbow a lot. I don’t know why though. I never trusted her.”

  Jenny thought of what Rainbow had done to destroy Bella’s career and the money she had taken from Kathy Mars. Ray had been right about Rainbow.

  “I never met Bella but it sounds like she was a good person.”

  “She was the best.”

  Jenny couldn’t believe how Ray could still feel that after Bella cheated on him. Had Bella’s murder made a martyr out of her? Jenny examined her own feelings about her cheating ex-husband. She didn’t have a single kind thought about him in her mind. Was Ray Fox for real, she wondered. Or was he putting on a big act.

  “Let’s hope the police solve this case soon.”

  “Weren’t you going to find out what happened?”

  “I can’t promise anything,” Jenny said honestly. “I’m not a trained investigator. I just talk to people and stumble on the truth.”

  “Don’t be so modest. I heard how you solved a stranger’s murder a few months ago.”

  “Is there anything else about Bella that you can tell me? Did you find out anything about her family, for instance?”

  “I told you, they disowned her long ago,” Ray told her. “I’m all she had.”

  “Let me know if you remember anything,” Jenny stressed. “You can find me at the Boardwalk Café.”

  Jenny went back to her table after that. Chris had joined them in her absence, along with an unwelcome guest.

  “What do you want, Mandy?” Jenny snapped.

  Mandy James looked hurt.

  “I’m just having a drink with my new friends.”

  The town had issued an ordinance against the Boardwalk Café that day, ordering them to undertake all the repairs suggested by the beautification committee.

  “Friends don’t throw each other under the bus.”

  “You’re talking about the letter.”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Relax, Jenny,” Jason said, placing an arm around her shoulders and making her sit. “You’re breathing fire. She’s just doing her job.”

  “Exactly!” Mandy exclaimed. “How can you not understand that, Jenny? It’s not personal.”

  “Petunia’s blood pressure is up from the stress. That’s how personal it is to me.”

  Mandy stood up and bid goodbye to everyone.

  “I know where I am not wanted.”

  “What was that?” Molly asked. “You could at least have been polite.”

  “We got the contractor’s estimate today,” Jenny told her friends. “It’s five figures. Five figures!”

  “I thought we were pitching in to help?” Chris asked.

  “That’s just the contractor’s work. We will still need you all to help, and we’ll need to spend more on paint and other supplies.”

  “Stop worrying about that for a moment,” Jason soothed. “Did you make Ray talk?”

  “He’s either a very good actor or he’s innocent.”

  “We are here to relax,” Heather reminded her. “No more talk of the café or anything unpleasant.”

  Chris and Jason called for a fresh round of beer. Eddie Cotton brought over their pints on a tray, along with a bowl of potato chips.

  “There’s one extra,” Jenny laughed as she picked up her mug.

  Eddie pointed toward the door. Adam Hopkins had just walked in.

  “Hello, slacker!” Jason greeted him. “Is the police department going to survive without you tonight?”

  Heather whispered something to Molly and they both started to giggle. Jenny guessed it was something about her. She ignored them and pulled up another chair for Adam.

  Wedged between Jason on one side and Adam on another, Jenny rubbed the small gold heart hanging on a chain around her neck. She liked them both for different reasons. She might have to choose between them one day but she was in no hurry to do so.

  Chapter 18

  The high school students Petunia had hired started working at the café. Jenny spent a couple of days showing them the ropes. She hoped they would be more help than hindrance.

  There was a tinkling laugh and Jenny looked up to see Crystal and her posse enter the café. They wanted to sit out on the deck.

  “Hello Jenny.” Crystal hung back to talk to her. “Found anything new?”

  Jenny shook her head.

  “I’m trying. What are you gals doing out here in town?”

  “We got cabin fever,” she replied, making a face. “And I was craving your cupcakes. Got anything new?”

  “I just finished frosting a new batch of cupcakes with raspberry and Grand Marnier frosting. I’ll bring them out.”

  Jenny put a pitcher of icy lemonade and her cupcakes on a tray. She remembered how Rainbow had talked to her the last time the girls visited the café.

  “Anything new on Rainbow?” she asked Crystal.

  “The police confirmed she died of an overdose.”

  According to Jenny, it had either been intentional or an accident. She couldn’t imagine Rainbow taking her own life. She was too much in love with herself.

  The girls started talking about Rainbow, saving Jenny the need to ask any probing questions.

  “She was so happy about her new role,” one of the girls said. “It was all thanks to Crystal.”

  Crystal blew an air kiss at the girl.

  “We’re going to need someone else to fill that spot now.”

  “First Bella, now Rainbow,” another girl spoke up. “I think the show’s jinxed. Who knows, any one
of us could be next.”

  “You remember what happened on the third season of that show we were on?”

  The girls plunged into a discussion about the different times they had encountered bad luck.

  Jenny went in, tired of listening to their chatter.

  “They are a bunch of idiots,” Crystal said, following her into the kitchen. “All that matters is the ratings.”

  “Have your ratings suffered?”

  “They are at an all time high,” Crystal beamed. “That’s the thing about them, Jenny. They shoot up in good times and bad. They are based on the amount of interest the show generates, you know? The company is playing up Rainbow’s death. Fans are lining up to place flowers and teddy bears outside the studio back home.”

  “I didn’t know Rainbow was that popular,” Jenny remarked. “Wasn’t she like a supporting actress?”

  “Not even that,” Crystal sighed. “But she’s got a big following now. It’s like the authors who become famous posthumously.”

  “That’s good for your show. You must be happy.”

  Crystal rolled her eyes.

  “It might be good for the show in the short term. But it’s not good for me. I am the star of this show, not Rainbow.”

  Jenny decided that ruled Crystal out as a suspect. She would never do anything to endanger her position as queen bee.

  “How was she when you talked to her last?”

  “I don’t remember. She was her usual self, I guess. She was closer to my mother than me.”

  “She was friendly with Wayne too, I hear.”

  “What are you implying, Jenny?”

  “Nothing! I’m saying Rainbow was a friendly soul. She was quite chatty.”

  “Really? What did you talk about?”

  “Nothing in particular.”

  Crystal stifled a yawn and went back to her table. The girls lingered for a couple of hours and ordered lunch.

  One of the starlets stepped into the kitchen with a list of special instructions.

  “One crab salad sandwich without tomato, one crab salad without mayo and one crab salad sandwich without bread, please.”

  “The crab salad without mayo will take time,” Jenny told her. “You want to wait here while I mix a new batch?”

  The girl sat down at the kitchen table.

  “How well did you know Rainbow?” Jenny asked her.

  “Not very well,” the girl admitted. “She didn’t hang around with us much.”