by K E O'Connor
I glanced around the watching crowd. Dennis Lambeth stood nearby, looking surprisingly smug.
He’d made it clear that he hated Pete and considered him a business competitor. A competitor that was putting him out of business. Had Dennis done something about that? He’d gotten rid of the competition by killing Pete?
I nudged Colin. “Do you know anything about Dennis Lambeth? I met him earlier today. He didn’t seem happy with Pete being here.”
“He wouldn’t. They were always bickering. Dennis thought Pete ran a dodgy business. But Pete simply had lower overheads, so he could charge less for his food. Dennis marks up his pies because he claims they’re such good quality.”
“How deep did Dennis’s animosity run? You don’t think he’d do anything to Pete, do you?”
Colin blinked rapidly. “Dennis did this?”
I lifted a hand. “I’m just guessing, but it’s not a bad motive.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Dennis was out of touch with the real world. I heard he had to close a store recently because he couldn’t make a profit. I didn’t realize things had gotten so bad. You think he lost his mind and stabbed Pete with his own pie slicer?”
“That’s for the police to find out,” I said.
“It’s a tragedy,” Colin said. “I was working with Pete on making a new pie. We were using his pie recipe and my nut cheese to make something unique. We made a great team.” He wiped his eyes. “He was my best friend. All that’s gone now.”
I patted his arm again. “Did Pete have any enemies? Anyone who’s threatened him or made him worried for his safety?”
“Other than Dennis?”
“Yes. Although I’m sure the police will talk to Dennis about their feud,” I said. “Is there anyone else you can think of?”
Colin looked around the crowd, and his expression turned quizzical. “Where’s Maisie?”
“Pete’s assistant?”
He nodded. “I haven’t seen her for a while. She’s always so grumpy. Never happy unless she’s complaining about Pete.”
“She didn’t like him?”
“Pete worked Maisie hard, and she hated that.” He leaned closer. “Between you and me, I think she had a crush on Pete. Not that he’d do anything about it. She’s almost young enough to be his daughter.”
I hadn’t noticed any chemistry between them in the brief time I’d met Maisie this morning, but Pete had been a charming, attractive guy. It was possible she had a crush.
Colin shook his head. “She was a typical young person and expected to have everything handed to her. Pete was having none of that. He made her earn every penny. She didn’t appreciate it. I’ve heard her threaten to quit on numerous occasions.”
My brow wrinkled as I pondered the possibility of Maisie being the killer. She’d have easy access to the stall, she’d definitely have access to the murder weapon sticking out of Pete’s back, and he wouldn’t have been suspicious about her being around.
I glanced at the crime scene. Was it really that simple? Had I figured out who the killer was thanks to my conversation with Colin?
If that was the case, should I tell Campbell and move on? After all, I had a cake competition to focus on.
It felt too premature to fix on Maisie as the killer. I’d do some investigating of my own before I passed on what I knew, just to be certain.
So long as Campbell didn’t find out what I was doing, there wouldn’t be a problem.
Chapter 6
I placed the last of the cake tins back in the cupboard and wiped down the kitchen surfaces in readiness for tomorrow’s busy day.
I yawned and blinked my sleepy eyes. Today had been long and stressful. All I had planned for the evening was a long soak in the tub, followed by an evening curled up on the couch with Meatball snoozing by my feet. That sounded like heaven.
The kitchen door slammed open. Alice rushed in and grabbed hold of my hands. “Tell me everything!”
I resisted the urge to smile. “What do you mean?”
“No teasing me now.” She tugged me over to the table and forced me to sit before joining me. “Rupert said you discovered the body at the food fair. How awful. I want to hear every detail.”
I let out a sigh and nodded. Getting quizzed by Alice sometimes felt like one of Campbell’s interrogations. “It was the last thing I expected to find among all those pies.”
“And he was stabbed in the back with a pie slicer.” Alice shook her head. “That can’t have been hygienic.”
“I doubt the killer was worried about getting pie crumbs in the wound. Maybe it was the only suitable weapon at hand. Although ... there was something odd about the scene.”
“What? Go on, tell me.” Alice’s blue eyes sparkled.
“The man who died, Pete Saunders, he specialized in selling pies. He even called himself ‘the pie man’ when we met. When I got to the murder scene, several of his pies were smashed. I thought maybe he’d been holding them and dropped them when he’d been attacked, but those pies hit the ground with force. They were obliterated. There were pieces scattered all over the crime scene.”
“Maybe it was a disgruntled customer who returned the goods.” Alice gasped. “I’ve got it! I know what happened to Pete. Someone tried to return the food they bought, and he refused to give them their money back. They threw the pies at him and things got ugly. The customer grabbed the pie slicer and stabbed Pete.”
My nose wrinkled. “Would he have turned his back on an angry customer? Surely, he wouldn’t have wanted to cause a scene in case it put off other customers.”
“It’s a good theory.”
“It’s an excellent theory, but I don’t think that’s what happened.”
“How can you be certain?”
“I can’t, but if you’re right, we have a big problem. Hundreds of people visited Pete’s food stall. Any one of them could have done it.”
“Oh! That does complicate things. At least it happened right at the end of the day,” Alice said. “It didn’t spoil the food fair for everybody.”
“It’s always nice to meet a considerate killer,” I said. “They made sure everyone got their meat pies and chocolate fudge before ending someone’s life.”
“There was chocolate fudge? Rupert never said anything about fudge.”
I laughed. “One good thing about it happening at the end of the day was that not many people got to see. I expect it’ll make the papers though.”
“Of course. It’s all over social media; I’ve been checking. This needs to be sorted out quickly. We don’t want to put tourists off of visiting the castle. What’s the next step in finding the killer?”
“Campbell’s looking into it,” I said. “Before I was shoved out of the marquee, the police showed up and they got together.”
“You need to investigate as well,” Alice said. “You’re great at puzzling out mysteries.”
“Campbell was very clear. He said no snooping.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s a pussycat. I’ll get you in on his team. You just say the word.”
“No! I’m not saying any word. Campbell will eat me alive if he catches me interfering.”
“You’re not a tiny bit interested in what happened to Pete?” Her grin suggested she knew just how intrigued I was about this murder.
I tilted my head from side to side. “There are a few possible suspects I’ve identified. And from the way Pete was killed, this feels personal.”
“You think whoever killed Pete knew him?”
I tapped my fingers on top of the table. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. He had rivals at the food fair. Other sellers who didn’t appreciate that he was undercutting their prices and taking their business.”
“So, who are the suspects?”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “I met a friend of Pete’s, Colin Cheeseman. He was selling his nut cheese at the fair today. He found the body.”
“You think his friend killed him?”
“No, he seemed shocked by what happened. He was packing up at the time of the murder. Although it wouldn’t do any harm to double-check where he was. But there was another man selling pies. A guy called Dennis Lambeth. He didn’t hide his dislike of Pete and looked almost happy that he was dead.”
“The rival pie seller murdered Pete.” Alice nodded. “That makes sense.”
“I have no idea where he was when Pete was murdered. I need to check that out. And then there’s Maisie Bright, the unhappy assistant.”
“An assistant! It would be easy for her to kill Pete,” Alice said. “He’d have trusted her. He wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving a deadly pie slicer in her hand. He turned his back, and then ...” She mimed stabbing in the air.
“And she’s missing,” I said. “I don’t know if anyone’s found her.”
“She fled! She killed Pete and ran off.”
I rubbed my chin. “It’s possible. Anyway, like I said, I’m not getting involved.”
Alice giggled. “It’s too late for that. You’ve already identified several suspects. You don’t want this murder going unsolved.”
“It won’t. Campbell’s investigating.” A scream had me jumping to my feet. “Where did that come from?”
Alice grabbed my hand and tugged me to the door. “Let’s find out.”
We dashed along the corridor and into Lady Audley’s sitting room. Campbell stood in front of a champagne pink chaise lounge, his hands held out as he backed away from Jessica.
He glanced over his shoulder when we arrived, and his forehead wrinkled. “There’s nothing to see here.”
“He tried to kill me,” Jessica squeaked, her dark curls a tangle around her pale face. “I woke up, and he was hovering over me. I thought I was a goner.”
“That’s not what happened,” Campbell said swiftly. “You fainted again.”
Jessica’s eyes narrowed, and she glared at him. “You could be anyone. I wake up after having the shock of my life and find some huge scary man in a suit leering at me. What am I supposed to think?”
“He looks a lot scarier than he is.” Alice hurried over. “Pay no attention to Campbell. He’s my bodyguard.”
Campbell cleared his throat as he took a step back.
Alice grinned at me and winked before turning her attention to Jessica. “Hello. I’m Princess Alice Audley. I live in the castle. This is my friend, Holly Holmes. She was at the food fair today.”
Jessica glanced at me and recognition entered her gaze. “Oh! Yes, I know you. You were there when they found Pete. You were the one who told me ... you told me ... oh dear, I still can’t believe it. This isn’t some horrible nightmare I’m waking up from, is it?”
“No, I’m sorry to say it isn’t,” I said. “How are you feeling?”
“Sick to my stomach,” she said. “When I saw Pete lying on the ground, I forgot to breathe. Everything went black. That’s all I remember.”
“Let me take over from here,” Campbell said. “I need to speak to Jessica.”
Alice waved him away. “No, she’s clearly in shock. This needs a woman’s touch. Holly, you take over the questioning.”
I looked at Campbell. His eyes narrowed, and his fingers flexed as if daring me to get involved. “It might not be a bad idea if I ask a few questions. Under your guidance, of course. This must be a stressful time for Jessica.”
Campbell gave a curt nod. “Go ahead.”
I turned back to Jessica. “Do you mind answering a few questions about Pete?”
Her sigh came out shaky before she nodded. “Of course. If you think I can help.”
“Were you dating?” I asked.
“We had been, but not for a few months,” Jessica said.
“And Pete ended the relationship?” I asked.
“Oh, no. It was the other way round. I left him.”
“Why did you leave him?”
“Because he wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him on the backside. Pete was always hiding things. I tried to accept it, but he was always so secretive. Then I found a secret phone. That was the last straw.”
“A secret phone?” Campbell stepped forward. “How did you find that?”
Jessica’s cheeks flushed pink, but she lifted her chin. “When you don’t trust someone, it makes you suspicious of their actions. I wondered if he was seeing somebody else. I began checking through his pockets to find receipts or evidence that he was cheating. One evening, I looked through his coat pockets and discovered another phone. That’s the only reason I could come up with. He was hiding it because he didn’t want me to see the messages from his other woman.”
“Maybe it was a work phone,” I said. “Pete’s business was doing well. He wouldn’t want to be bothered by work calls on his personal phone at all hours.”
“That’s not it,” Jessica said. “He took calls about his business on his main phone all the time. Pete was rarely off that wretched thing. If he wasn’t talking to someone, he was sending messages or checking in with suppliers. He never stopped working. Alongside all his secretive behavior and long working hours, I was pushed to the sideline. I had enough. I told him it was over and left.”
“What did Pete think of that?” I asked.
“He made a few comments about trying harder and finding a better work-life balance, but I could tell he didn’t mean it.”
“It meant something to you?” I asked.
Campbell’s foot nudged mine. “Perhaps asking about the murder might be helpful.”
“I’m getting to that.” I was trying to gain Jessica’s trust and get her to open up. Plus, her relationship history with Pete was relevant.
She tipped her head back and her gaze traveled around the room. “Wow! I’ve only just realized where I am. This really is Audley Castle.”
“It is,” Alice said proudly. “It’s my home. You’re in Lady Audley’s Sitting Room. It used to be a room only ladies could enter, but we don’t follow that rule anymore. As you can see, Campbell’s definitely not a lady.”
“It’s stunning,” Jessica said. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I forgot my manners. You told me you’re a princess. Should I have curtsied? Will I get in trouble for not following protocol?”
Alice giggled. “No curtsying required for any lady recovering from a fainting episode. You’re fine as you are.”
“Getting back to Pete,” I said. “Did you want to get serious with him?”
Jessica shrugged. “When he was paying me attention, he was great to be with. He was funny and so charming. He could cheer anyone up.”
“But only on his terms,” I said.
“That’s right. Everything was always on Pete’s terms. I’d had enough. I’m not getting any younger. I want to find someone to fall madly in love with and have a huge family. It was hard walking away from Pete, but I needed to move on.”
“And you moved on by visiting a food fair Pete was attending?” Campbell asked.
Jessica’s expression hardened. “I was going to food fairs long before I met Pete. I’m not stopping something I love to do on the off chance I’ll bump into him.”
“There’s a list of stallholders on the castle’s website,” Campbell said. “It would have been easy to check if Pete was here. Why come specifically to this one?”
“I didn’t specifically come to this one,” Jessica said. “I have a great aunt who lives in Audley St. Mary. She told me about the food fair. It gave me the perfect opportunity to come down, spend a weekend here, and go to the food fair. I didn’t come because I was stalking Pete, if that’s what you think.”
I glanced at Campbell. I’d had the same thought about Jessica being an obsessed former girlfriend. It was a good motive for killing Pete. Jessica had been betrayed and let down. Pete’s business came first, so she left him but couldn’t let go. Had she been the one to kill him?
“Where were you at the time of Pete’s murder?” I asked.
“I’ve been at the food fair most of the day. I always wait until
the end because sellers mark down their produce so they don’t have to take it all home. I was hanging around, hoping to get a good deal on some cakes when I heard people shouting. I raced over when someone said it was Pete who’d been hurt.”
It wasn’t the best alibi I’d ever heard, but it might be possible to check with other stall holders to see where she was.
“Where are you staying?” Campbell asked.
“My great aunt lives in Heatherfield Cottage,” Jessica said. “Do you know it?”
“I do,” I said. “I’ve gone past it dozens of times making deliveries. How long are you staying?”
“I was planning on leaving first thing tomorrow morning,” Jessica said.
“It’s best if you stay for longer,” Campbell said. “I might have further questions.”
He might? I’d been the one asking the useful questions.
Jessica frowned. “I can’t hang around here forever. I need to be back to work in a couple of days.”
“I can’t insist you stay,” Campbell said. “But if I have you arrested, you won’t have much option.”
“Arrested! For what? I had nothing to do with this.” Jessica’s bottom lip trembled.
I shook my head at Campbell’s bluntness. This wasn’t helping keep Jessica calm and cooperative. “Nobody is arresting you. But it would be easier if you stay for a few days. I’m sure your great aunt won’t mind the company.”
“Check my bags,” Jessica said. “They’re full of goodies. I got most of them within the last hour of the food fair. I wasn’t waiting to get a glimpse of Pete like some love-struck teenager. I’m thirty-five years old. My days of crushing on unobtainable men are gone. I really was here for the food.”
I looked over to see half a dozen bulging bags propped by the chaise lounge.
“Even so, stick around,” I said. “You might remember seeing something that will be helpful in this investigation.”
She nodded. “I can extend my stay by two days, but that’s it. Then I need to leave.”
“That might not be long enough,” Campbell said.
“We’ll have to make it do,” I said to him. Jessica’s arm trembled as it touched mine. She was still in shock. If we weren’t careful, she’d faint again.