by Amber Crewes
“That’s an interesting story,” Karen told the group. “Sally Sheridan was once married to Duncan Sheridan. Duncan was a hot commodity in town; he was a great basketball player, and he led the Sandy Bay basketball team to a state championship three years in a row.”
“Mrs. Sheridan was married to the town’s golden boy?” Meghan asked, her dark eyes glittering in amusement. “I can’t even imagine that.”
“You would be able to imagine it if you knew what Sally Sheridan was like as a young gal,” Karen explained. “With thick, waist-length red hair, a tiny figure, and a smile that could light up the west coast, Sally was the most beautiful girl in town. She and Duncan eloped the day after their high school graduation, but after three months of marriage, Duncan died.”
“She was widowed when she was eighteen?” Meghan asked in horror.
“She was. Duncan passed away from a sudden heart attack,” she told them.
“But he was so young!”
“That’s what we all said,” Karen murmured. “Everyone always whispered about foul play, but nothing was proven.”
“Did they think Mrs. Sheridan had something to do with it?” Jackie questioned, her eyes wide.
“Everyone had their own theories. I don’t think she had anything to do with it; she was broken-hearted when he passed, and that’s how she went from a shining star of the town to the miser she is. She never remarried, and I am not surprised. She’s only gotten sadder and angrier with age, and I’m sure it has to do with her husband.”
Meghan shifted in her seat. “This situation with Frank is even sadder, then. Mrs. Sheridan finally found her happy ending, and now, it’s over.”
“You just can’t trust men,” Jackie said matter-of-factly. “I can’t believe Frank simply forgot his wife.”
Karen jabbed her in the side. “Don’t talk like that about Frank. If he says he doesn’t remember her, he doesn’t remember her.”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “I’ve watched too many bad guys walk all over women-myself included. I’m just a little skeptical.”
Meghan glanced down at her watch. “Oh no, Jackie. It’s nearly three. We have to go!”
Jackie gasped. “The client meeting!”
Meghan and Jackie bid farewell to Karen and ran out of the bakery. They had received an email from a potential client wanting to use the event barn, and they were scheduled to meet with her in five minutes.
“I can’t believe we forgot,” Meghan grumbled as they ran down the block. “We can’t make this a habit.”
“I know,” Jackie replied sharply. “It was a mistake, Meghan. Just drop it. We’ll only be two minutes late by the time we get there.”
They arrived at the barn sweaty and out of breath. Thankfully, the client was in good spirits. “Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled as he shook their hands. “Accidents happen!”
“It’s a good thing he’s in a good mood today,” Meghan thought to herself as they began the tour. “He could have been frustrated, and that could have hurt business.”
The client ogled the tall ceilings and fresh paint. “It’s perfect for my family reunion,” he remarked. “My wife is having me coordinate the entire thing this year, and I think this place would really impress her.”
Meghan and Jackie beamed. “It’s the perfect place,” Jackie agreed as they surveyed the empty room. “We have brand new furniture as well. I think your wife would love it.”
They finished the tour, and Meghan pulled out a contract from her purse. “We can sign right now, if you’d like.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “This place will blow her away.”
Before his pen hit the paper, the doors of the barn flew open. “Don’t do it!”
Everyone turned to find the strange lady who had been at the barn during construction. She was waving her arms and running toward them. “Don’t do it. This place is cursed. They tried to hold a wedding here a few days ago, and the event crashed and burned.”
The potential client’s face fell. “Excuse me? Who is this?”
“We don’t know,” Jackie sighed as she tried to shoo the lady away. “Meghan? Get her out of here.”
Meghan stepped toward the woman. “Ma’am? You are on private property. You are going to have to leave, or I’ll call the police.”
The woman scowled. “Calling the police doesn’t change how haunted this place is. Good luck.”
Meghan stared in horror as the woman turned on her heel and stormed away. “We are so sorry about that,” she apologized. “We think she is a bit unwell. She keeps showing up here.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “A cursed barn? A strange woman who keeps showing up? I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is the place for our reunion.”
He turned and walked out of the barn, leaving Meghan and Jackie flabbergasted. Before they could process what had just happened, Meghan’s phone rang. It was Jack.
“Babe?” she answered. “How are you? I thought you were on duty?”
“I am,” Jack replied in his familiar deep voice. “There’s something I have to tell you. It has to do with your event barn.”
“What’s up?”
“You know that woman? Frank’s wife, Jodie? The woman who burst in on the wedding? ”
“Yeah?”
“She’s dead, Meghan.”
7
S eeing people enjoy the delicious treats baked at Truly Sweet was always one of the highlights of Meghan’s day. It was even more pleasing when the people enjoying her treats were family or friends.
“This flavor is to die for,” Karen complimented as she devoured a spoonful of the orange mousse. “I’m so glad I stopped in to try it. I love orange flavoring, but too often, it tastes too fake. This is the real deal!”
Meghan smiled. “Pamela made this batch.”
“Well done, Pamela! You have a gift, young lady. I hope you don’t let that gift go to waste.”
Pamela blushed as Karen took another bite. “It’s the best dessert I’ve made,” she humbly declared. “It’s just a shame that people didn’t get to enjoy it at the wedding. I can’t believe how things ended up…”
Meghan’s shoulders slumped. “I can’t believe what happened to Jodie Abbott,” she murmured. “One day, she’s finding out that her husband’s memory has gone, and she goes to crash his wedding to another woman, and the next day, she’s dead? Poor thing.”
Karen nodded. “Poor Frank,” she sighed. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for him. He’s been through so much, and now, all of this…”
“Poor Frank?” Trudy interjected as she bustled into the dining room of the bakery. “I think he had something to do with it! All of these events are too suspicious, and it’s a bit too convenient that his wife dies when he wants to wed another woman.”
Karen gasped. “Trudy! You know Frank. You grew up here. How can you say that?”
She shook her head. “I dated Frank briefly in high school,” she admitted. “Just for a month. He was a senior when I was a freshman. He was slick then; he always knew just what to say, and when I was angry with him, it was always my fault. People don’t change. I think he knows more than he is letting on…”
Pamela crossed her arms. “Dr. Abbott was my doctor when I was little,” she told them. “He is so nice. He took care of me when I had my tonsils out. He also helped out when my great-grandma was dying. I can’t believe he would do something so evil. There’s no way he had anything to do with that woman dying. I think it was Mrs. Sheridan.”
“Mrs. Sheridan?” Meghan asked. “You think so?”
“She wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Trudy declared. “Old Sally Sheridan doesn’t have it in her. Then again, if someone tried to spoil the best day of my life, I would have something to say about it. I can’t fathom someone ruining my wedding day! I would have probably killed someone too.”
Pamela laughed. “Are you forgetting all of the times Mrs. Sheridan has shown up here, angrily waving that cane of hers? She is a crazy woman when she is angr
y! I can’t believe she hasn’t been arrested already; all of Sandy Bay knows how nasty her temper can be. And Meghan, didn't you say she is a jujitsu master or something?”
“I did take a class with her,” Meghan admitted. “And she does seem to have all of the moves to defend herself.”
“I don’t think she was defending herself,” Pamela insisted. “I think grumpy Mrs. Sheridan offed Frank’s wife. I bet she was livid that her fancy wedding was ruined, and she took matters into her own hands. It wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
“It’s all a tragedy,” Karen said firmly. “No matter what happened to Jodie, it’s all very sad, and we shouldn’t be speaking of this in such an irreverent way. Mrs. Sheridan’s wedding was ruined, Frank’s deteriorating brain has been brought to the attention of the entire town, and that woman is dead. It’s cast quite a dark shadow over a happy time, and I am feeling very somber about it all. I might even skip my yoga class today.”
“Skip your yoga class?” Meghan asked in horror. “You never skip a workout. Are you okay?”
“I’m in good health, if that is what you are asking. I just am upset with this mess of events.”
The women sat in awkward silence. Karen placed her bowl of half-eaten mousse on the table. “I don’t think I can finish it,” she lamented. There was a pensive, awkward silence that permeated the entire room. After a few moments, Meghan was relieved to hear the jingle of the little silver bells attached to the front door.
“Welcome to Truly Sweet,” she greeted, thinking it was just another customer. Her heart started pounding when she realized it was Mrs. Sheridan.
“Hello, ladies,” she greeted them. Meghan saw the dark bags under her eyes, and her stomach churned. It was evident Mrs. Sheridan was upset.
“What can I do for you today?” she asked gently. “Would you like coffee or tea? We also have some fresh orange mousse today. How can we help you?”
“That would be nice,” Mrs. Sheridan told her. “Just get me something to snack on. Really, you don’t have to fuss over me.”
“How are you doing?” Karen asked softly.
“We’ve been thinking about you,” Trudy chimed in. Pamela stood in the corner with her arms folded across her chest.
“Thinking about me? Why is that?” Mrs. Sheridan cackled. “Oh? Because my wedding day was hijacked by a strange woman claiming to be my husband’s wife? Or because she turned up dead? Is that why you have been thinking of me?”
Karen patted Mrs. Sheridan’s hand. “Sally, sit with us,” she urged. “Rest for a moment while Meghan prepares your tea. It’ll be good for you to take a load off of your feet.”
Mrs. Sheridan sank into the chair next to Karen. She pulled out a lavender handkerchief from her handbag and began weeping. “It just isn’t fair!”
“We know,” Karen soothed. “It isn’t fair. It is such a tragedy.”
“That woman just spoiled my day! How could she do that?”
“She was Frank’s legal wife,” Karen said softly as she continued patting Mrs. Sheridan’s hand. “I now remember… Jodie was a traveling nurse; she hadn’t lived in Sandy Bay for years, so that explains why no one really knew her.”
“If she was gallivanting all over the world without Frank, why didn’t she just divorce him?” Mrs. Sheridan sobbed. “A traveling nurse doesn’t need a husband.”
“I don’t know the details of their marriage,” Karen admitted. “But I do know that she is dead now, Sally. She is gone, and no matter the details, it is quite sad.”
“Oh, hogwash. What is sad is how my party was taken from me. My day to celebrate my love for Frank was ruined, and now, he is the laughing stock of the entire town.”
“He is aging,” Karen argued. “His mind has been going for years, dear. Everyone in town knows that. No one is laughing at him.”
“Then they are laughing at me,” Mrs. Sheridan wept. “I made a vow after my husband, Duncan Sheridan, died to never marry again. I thought Frank was different. I thought this was all meant to be. My dear Duncan would have been so happy to know that I was being taken care of in my old age, and now, it’s all gone to pieces.”
“We are so sorry, Mrs. Sheridan,” Meghan consoled her as she appeared from the kitchen with a fresh bowl of the mousse. “This is such a dreadful situation, and I wish I could make it better.”
Trudy reached over to pat Mrs. Sheridan on the back. “We are here for you.”
Just then, the silver bells chimed again, and the women gasped as Frank walked into the bakery. “Frank? What are you doing here?” Mrs. Sheridan screeched. “Leave me alone!”
Frank dove toward Mrs. Sheridan. “Sally, please. I beg of you, I didn’t realize we were still married. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and I thought we had gotten divorced. Please listen to me. My doctor even confirmed that my dementia is advancing; I am not making this up. I simply forgot about Jodie. To be honest, I forgot about everything when I met you!”
Mrs. Sheridan narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what to believe,” she growled. “You’ve broken my heart, Frank. Our wedding day was ruined, and that woman came here to destroy what we have. How could you not have known that your wife was going to crash our wedding?”
“It isn’t my fault,” Frank pleaded. “I have the medical reports from my visit with the neurologist. What I am saying is true, Sally. Please believe me?”
Mrs. Sheridan rose to her feet. She waved her cane in the air. “Get away from me,” she hissed. “Or I will strike you.”
Frank did not move, and she brought the cane down hard on his foot. “Ouch!”
“That’s what you get for being a heartbreaker!”
“Mrs. Sheridan!” Meghan cried. “Don’t hurt him.”
Pamela ran toward Mrs. Sheridan and plucked the cane from her hands. As Mrs. Sheridan turned toward her, the silver bells rang again.
“Jack,” Meghan sighed in relief as her tall, handsome boyfriend marched into the bakery. “I am so happy you are here. Help us, please!”
Jack nodded at Meghan. “I’m here on official business,” he announced. “Dr. Abbott? You are under arrest for the murder of your wife, Jodie Abbott.”
8
T he next morning, Meghan’s head was spinning as she dressed for the day. Jack had arrested Frank, and as he escorted him to his police car, Mrs. Sheridan was nearly arrested for disturbing the peace; she had followed Jack and Frank outside, and she beat on the car with her cane as Jack fastened Frank in.
“If you don’t cut this out, you will be coming along too,” Jack had threatened.
“What a mess,” Meghan thought to herself as she applied a thin layer of rose-colored lipstick. “I hope today is a quieter one in Sandy Bay. We need some peace and quiet around here, it seems.”
Meghan dressed in a pair of green cargo pants and a white elbow-length top, winding her dark hair in a loose braid as she bellowed down the stairs. When she arrived in the kitchen, she was dismayed to already hear the telephone ringing. “It’s only seven in the morning,” she gasped. “Who is calling so early?”
The caller was from the mayor’s office; word had gotten out that Truly Sweet’s orange mousse was delicious, and the mayor’s assistant wanted to place an order for a large batch to be delivered in the afternoon.
“I’ll have someone send that over to you,” Meghan told them. “Thank you for your business and have a great day.”
As soon as she hung up the phone, it began to ring again. “Another call?”
“Hi, it’s Kirsty Fisher. Meghan, dear, the word on the street is that your new orange mousse is worth killing for. Can I place an order for some to be delivered to my condo tonight? I’m hosting a little soirée with the girls, and I think it would be the perfect treat.”
“No problem, Kirsty. I’ll have Pamela bring it over after her shift.”
She hung up the phone, and it rang again. It happened over and over; customers would call asking for the mousse, and Meghan would hurriedly write down their orders bef
ore another customer would ring.
“I remember when I used to pray for customers to walk through the door,” she thought to herself as she jiggled the telephone between her ear and her shoulder. “Now, if things keep going this way, I’m going to have to pray that customers don’t come into the shop. We already have ten orders to fill for today!”
Meghan heard the back door open, and she smiled as Pamela skipped in. “I’m on the phone,” she mouthed as Pamela nodded.
Twenty minutes later, she finally put the phone down. “What’s going on?” Pamela asked in awe. “You’ve been on the phone all morning.”
“People won’t stop ordering our mousse,” Meghan explained. “We’re going to have to go to the market and get more oranges. Trudy will be in at nine, so if we leave now, we’ll be back by then.”
The two women locked up the bakery and set off toward the market. “While we are out, would you mind if I stop by my eye doctor’s office?” Pamela timidly asked. “My new glasses are in today, and I was going to run by during my break. It sounds like we’ll be too busy, though…”
“You can go grab them,” Meghan agreed as they rounded the corner. “Just make it a quick stop.”
They walked into the local optician’s office. “I’m here to pick up a prescription,” Pamela told the receptionist.
“No problem,” he told her. “The doctor has them in her office. Why don’t you go back and see if she is in there.”
Pamela skipped down the hallway, leaving Meghan in the reception area. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. When she opened her eyes, she was pleased to spot a cooking magazine on the table in front of her. She picked it up and began flipping through the pages.
A few minutes later, the front door opened, and a young man walked in. He looked to be close to Meghan’s age.