Case of the Burned Brownies

by Jessica Lansberry

  Beatrice chuckled to herself, wondering what she was going to do exactly to make it up to the girls. She knew that Sophie would love a real trip to Mexico. Stella would love anywhere where there were men with a pulse. Maybe she would book them some time at the lake? And maybe this time they would actually make it.

  “Ah Beatrice,” Stella interrupted, pulling Beatrice from her daydream. “Be a dear will you and slow down just a touch? I want to get back in one piece.”

  “Sure thing.” Beatrice hadn’t noticed the car had been getting away on her. The decline was more than she had realized. She had been lost in her thoughts and was content to let the car roll on its own accord as she steered, but now that she looked, the car was going a little too fast.

  She pressed down lightly on the brake, only for nothing to happen. Confused, she tried again, this time a little harder, but again, nothing happened. If anything, the car gained speed.

  “Seriously, Bea. Slow down,” Stella said, her voice tense.

  “I can’t,” Beatrice said, trying to stay calm, but failing as the car got faster and faster. “The brakes aren’t working!”

  “What do you mean?” Stella screamed from the back, her voice high pitched and raised in a panic. She was clutching onto the front seat for dear life at this point.

  “What do you mean, what do I mean? I don’t know how else to say it! The brakes aren’t working!”

  As she relayed this information back to Stella, the car still continued to pick up speed. The trees that lined the sides of the highway became blurs, the dotted line on the road stretched into one long unbroken line. Beatrice hung on to the steering wheel for dear life. Although, at this point she didn’t really know what good that would do.

  “Arrggghhhh!” Beatrice screamed.

  “Arrgghhh!” Stella screamed.

  “Weeeeee!” Sophie screamed in delight.

  It was then, somehow, that Beatrice noticed the flashing lights of Rogers’ car behind them. He was right on their tail, giving them a ‘what are you doing?” look.

  “Quick. Stella. Call Stephen!”

  Stella nodded, letting go of her very firm grip on the seat to dial his number. “Hello Stephen. I don’t - I don’t know! The brakes! They’ve been — they don’t work!” Stella screamed into the phone before dropping it on the floor. Rather than try and reach for it again she chose to instead latch back onto the seat in front of her, clutching it for dear life.

  Beatrice couldn't blame her. With every second that passed, the car gained speed, now positively flying down the empty road. All Beatrice could do was steer the car, trying to keep it on the road, hoping and praying that another car didn't come along, or an animal, or a bend in the road.

  It looked like this might be the end for Beatrice and the Cookie Club.

  Well, at least it may have been if it weren’t for Rogers. Beatrice watched as Rogers, with a remarkably clear head, hit his accelerator and passing Beatrice’s car. Once he was in front of it, he swung his car back into the right hand lane, so that he was right in front of her car; the rear end of his car only a foot in front of her hood.

  “Brace yourselves!” Beatrice called, knowing exactly what he was about to do.

  Sure enough, the brake lights on Rogers car flashed as his vehicle slowed down. As it did, the front of Beatrice’s car crashed into it. But only for a second as Rogers released the brakes, allowing for his car to pick up pace again. Then again, he hit the brakes, the front of Beatrice’s car ramming into the back of his.

  There was a sickening crunch each time he did it too. Beatrice could feel the front of her car being crushed. She could see the back of his car getting destroyed, but she didn’t care, because it was working.

  Three, four and five more times he used his own car as a break wall, until finally, he was able to let his car stay in the front of Beatrice’s entirely. He applied the brakes and didn’t let up, until Beatrice’s car came to a gentle stop.

  The moment the car had stopped, Stella was out of it. “Oh, thank God!” Stella cried as she leapt from the car, falling to her knees and kissing the road in reverence.

  “Again! Again!” Sophie screamed, clapping her hands with joy. “I wish Susie was here for this.”

  Beatrice didn’t get out of the car once it had stopped. She remained behind the wheel, staring out the front window as if she had just been hit by lightning. It was what Sophie had said that did it. Her mentioning Susie, instantly jogged some sense into her.

  Rogers was very quick to get out of his car, making his way to her driver’s side window. “You know most of these will buff right out,” he quipped, indicating the huge dents and bent frame of the car.

  “I don’t believe it,” Beatrice said, speaking at almost a whisper.

  “Well, he killed once. It’s not surprising that he tried again,” Rogers said, entering police mode. He was surprisingly calm considering what had just happened, but then again, it was never his life on the line.

  “Not him,” Beatrice corrected. “Her. I know who the murderer was. And better yet, I know why.” Everything kind of just fell into place. The cutting of Beatrice’s wires seemed to knock enough sense into her, allowing her to see the forest for the trees.

  And what was more, her instinct was alive and well, agreeing wholeheartedly with her realization. Beatrice now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt who had killed Lacey Parker.

  All she need to do now was prove it. Luckily, that was the easy part.

  24

  The plan was a simple one, as all the best plans are. The only level of complexity that surrounded it was that fact that Beatrice wasn’t going to be able to do it alone. She was going to need everyone’s help, and by that, she really meant everyone.

  The first person that she sought was Stella, who as luck had it was still sitting on the road, rubbing it gently as if it were an ex-lover. Beatrice wouldn’t have been surprised if she never got back in another car for as long as she lived.

  She didn’t need Stella, so much as she needed one of Stella’s contacts.

  “You realize what you’re making me do, right?” Stella complained as she pulled out her phone. “I almost never offer a return service and as cute as he was… he was just so dumb.”

  The reason for Stella’s reservation was that Beatrice needed her to put a call into Officer Handy. And not just put a call into him, but ask him to drive all the way to where they were, parked on the side of the road, and meet them. Luckily, he was only too happy to comply, as it was Stella after all.

  Handy arrived fifteen minutes later, eyes only for Stella, so much so, that he barely even gave the two damaged vehicles any notice. In fact, Beatrice got the pretty distinct impression that he didn’t even realize they were damaged.

  It was only after Stella was able to pull the officer off herself and direct his attention to Beatrice that she was able to start to explain the plan to him. Then she explained it again… and then one more time for good measure.

  “You want me to arrest who for what now?” he asked on more than one occasion, running his hand through his very thick head of hair.

  “I told you. It’s not a real arrest. It’s more like a play. Yeah, think of it like a play,” Beatrice confirmed, for the fifth time, but patience ruled the day and after several explanations, and a diagram drawn in the dirt, Officer Handy was in on the plan.

  The next person they needed to speak to was Buddy.

  “What in the hell happened here?” Buddy asked as the two cars pulled into his garage. “I knew you were a bad driver, but this is something else.”

  Beatrice chose to ignore that little comment as she pulled him to the side, along with Handy and Rogers, to explain to him the plan. Well, it wasn’t so much Beatrice that was doing the explaining, but Rogers. Rogers spoke and Buddy listened. If she was worried that he wouldn’t be into it, all those worries melted away the moment that Rogers began to speak.

  “So, it’s like a big play?” Buddy confirmed, using the same logic that
Handy had used earlier.

  “Yeah,” Rogers said. “Just like a big play. Stick to your lines and everything will go smoothly.”

  Buddy had two roles to play. The first, was to call Derrick and get him down to the garage as soon as possible, so he did. The second, was to play his part in the upcoming ‘stage show’ with enthusiasm and believability. This, he claimed he was born to do.

  The third person they needed was Derrick. Once he arrived, Beatrice had to explain to him what was going on. It took a little longer than the others, as she first had to go into great detail how it was that they came to be here. And then, once he realized the severity of the situation, she had to further explain what his role was.

  Derrick’s role in the plan was perhaps the most pivotal. It would only work if Derrick went all in. With a little convincing from Buddy, he was in. After watching them, Beatrice thought they really were cute together.

  And finally, when they were all ready and everyone knew what part they had to play, Beatrice made the most important call of all.

  “Susie, it’s Beatrice,” she spoke into the phone quickly, puffing as she did as if the phone call was a life or death scenario.

  “Oh, Beatrice, hey.” Susie said. “Miss me already,” she joked, chuckling nervously.

  “No, it’s… look I was just in a car accident.”

  “Oh no!” Susie gasped, sounding particularly shocked. Maybe a little too much. “Are you OK?”

  “I’m fine. It was Buddy who did it. He cut my wires,” Beatrice said, ignoring the way that Buddy, Derrick, Stella, Sophie and Rogers all stood over her, trying to listen in on the phone call.

  “I told you he was no good!” Susie yelled into the phone before calming down. “Are they going to arrest him?” She sounded hopeful, and she would be, it was her plan all along after all.

  “They are,” Beatrice confirmed. “I’m at his garage now and the police are on the way, but I need a favor from you.”

  “Anything,” Susie said. Beatrice could feel the excitement coming from her. She really wanted Buddy out of the picture.

  “I need you to hurry over here right now! If you can act as an immediate witness I know we can put this guy away for life.”

  “You don’t even have to… I’ll be right over!” she said, hanging up the phone.

  Beatrice smiled to herself as she heard the phone click. In less than two minutes the plan would be put into action and then they would finally get to the bottom of who killed Lacey Parker. Well, Beatrice already knew who it was, she was just going to have to prove it.

  “Places everyone!” Beatrice screamed.

  And it was on.

  ◆◆◆

  Beatrice saw Susie hurrying across the road a minute later, a very wide and delighted smile on her face. That smile however, faded faster than Beatrice’s car was going earlier, when she entered the garage and took in the scene.

  “What is this?” she blurted in shock.

  Her shock was justified. She had come over here, expecting to see Buddy in chains. Instead, Buddy was leaning against an old car, free as a bird, while it was Derrick who was being arrested. Derrick looked petrified while Buddy stared daggers at him.

  “It’s like I’ve been telling you, Susie. Derrick was the one responsible for the death of Lacey,” Beatrice said calmly as she made her way to the very stiff and frigid Susie.

  “No,” Susie said, shaking her head. “It’s not.”

  “It was,” Beatrice continued. “Buddy turned him in He told us everything —”

  “He’s lying!” Susie screamed, pointing at Buddy. “Don’t you see?”

  “Please, Susie! Help me,” Derrick pleaded as Officer Handy held him face first against the wall, preparing to handcuff him. “Tell them I’m innocent.”

  “There’s no use fighting it,” Handy said as he reached for his handcuffs. “You’re going away for a long time.”

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Buddy chipped in, maintaining his angry disposition.

  “But he’s… but he’s…” Susie stuttered, unable to say the words.

  “He’s what?” Beatrice pressed, pushing Susie to say it, but she never got the chance.

  The next thing anyone knew, Handy was on the ground as Derrick threw him back. He then, in a seemingly blind rage, leapt for a wrench that was within reach. His back against the wall now, he held it out in front of himself as if planning on fighting his way to freedom.

  “I didn’t kill anyone!” he said in a wild panic, swinging the wrench like a sword.

  “Freeze!” Handy shouted from the ground, his gun drawn and aimed at Derrick’s chest. “I will put a bullet in you if you don’t drop the wrench!”

  “It wasn’t me!”

  “Drop the wrench!” Handy screamed.

  “I didn’t do anything!”

  “This is your last warning!”

  “It was me!” Sophie screamed from the corner of the garage, throwing her hands in the air wildly as she jumped up and down on the spot. “I shot the one-armed man!”

  The entire room froze for a moment, everyone turning to look at Sophie who had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face. Stella, standing right next to her simply shook her head as she put her hand to her forehead and Beatrice looked at her, mouth hanging open.

  But the interruption only lasted a second, as Officer Handy, who was taking his role very seriously, turned back to Derrick, gun still pointed.

  “This is your last warning!” he screamed again, cocking the gun.

  “I didn’t… It wasn’t me!” Derrick responded, the wrench still held out in front of him.

  “That’s it. I warned you —”

  “It was me! I did it!” Susie screamed at the top of her lungs, cutting through the commotion caused by Handy and Derrick. “It was me. I killed Lacey. Just please… please don’t shoot Derrick, please,” she begged, falling to her knees.

  “End scene,” Beatrice chimed in merrily, clapping her hands together. Sophie too of course, cheered merrily from her position at the back of the garage.

  The moment that Susie yelled her confession, the tension in the room instantly faded. Handy lowered his gun and climbed to his feet, Derrick dropped the wrench, dusting off his hands. Buddy, with a big smile, walked across the garage and hugged his lover.

  “What’s... What’s going on?” Susie asked, still on the ground. She was only just now taking in the very reserved reactions from everyone. Beatrice could only imagine what was going on in her head.

  “Oh, we knew it was you,” Beatrice said pleasantly as she stood over Susie. “We just didn’t know how to prove it. So, what better way to prove it than to get a confession?”

  “But… but…”

  “Derrick was always the key. I just didn’t realize how much though, until after I had my brakes cut… by you. I realized that the one thing that remained constant in all of this was how innocent you thought Derrick was. He was so innocent in fact, that the only way for you to know for sure, was for you to have committed the murder.”

  “Question,” Handy said raising his hand in the back like a student in class. “Why though? Why did she kill Ms. Parker?”

  “Excellent question Officer Handy,” Beatrice said as he beamed at the praise. “It was simple really. She has a crush on Derrick. She wanted him for herself. That was why she killed Lacey and tried to pin it on Buddy.”

  “She didn't deserve you,” Susie sobbed at Derrick. “No one did.”

  “Susie,” Derrick said, looking at her with disgust. “Your own sister…”

  With the confession witnessed by Handy, and recorded by Buddy’s surveillance cameras, there really wasn’t much else that Beatrice and the gang could do. Susie went about being arrested rather meekly, knowing that there was no point in fighting it, and before Beatrice knew what was what, it was time to go home.

  Her car was ruined beyond repair. Even with Buddy graciously offering to try and fix it the best he could, she knew that there was no hope. All sh
e could do was sell the scrap metal for cash, collect the insurance and buy a new one. Rogers made her promise to invite him along when she did, as if she were unable to pick a car out alone.

  Rogers was more than willing to give Beatrice and the other two ladies a ride. Better yet, he even insisted on driving the whole way, giving Beatrice that break she had been seeking all week. Of course, this wasn’t to be for nothing, as she had to promise him a date as soon as she were able — she thought at one point that he was even going to pull out a waiver, but her word ended up being good enough.

  So, it was just getting onto midday when Beatrice, Stella, Sophie and Rogers piled into his car and took off, all content to finally leave Mt. Morte for good. As the town faded into the background, followed soon after by the mountains, Beatrice contented herself to the fact that she would never, at least if she could avoid it, visit the small mountain town again.

  25

  Champagne had never tasted so good. It wasn’t that it was a particularly expensive brand either, being the same one that Beatrice usually bought. It wasn’t the assortment of cheeses and dips that she had to garnish the champagne with, as these were the cheeses and dips that she usually bought. It wasn’t even the excellent company that she currently kept, that being Sophie and Stella.

  No, what made the champagne so good today as opposed to all the other days, was the view. As Beatrice sipped on her second glass of the sparkling white, she couldn't help but admire the beauty in the way that the warm orange sun set over the vast lake. The lake reflected the setting sun perfectly too, giving the large body of water an orange shine to match the sky.

  It had been two weeks since the three members of the Cookie Club had left the small town of Mt. Morte. They arrived home the same time they had left, feeling more like they had just returned from a business trip more than anything.

  The following days felt this way too. Beatrice returned to work, under the impression that she hadn't had any time off. Stella returned to her bevy of men, who she missed but at the same time complained about the lack of variety she had experienced while away. And Sophie… well Sophie did whatever she did in her spare time and Beatrice was sure that it too was a drag.