A TREACHEROUS TART

by Fiona Grace

  Ali was just about to throw herself into the fight when Eunbi moved with the speed of a ninja, grabbing Porky Pete’s arm and twisting it up between his shoulder blades, while jamming one knee into the small of his back. Pete was stuck wiggling helplessly on the boardwalk, reminding Ali of a grappled hog. His wriggling and writhing was no match for the deceptively strong Eunbi Choi.

  “It was you!” Eunbi yelled, twisting his arm hard and making him yell out in pain. “You killed Gilbert, didn’t you?”

  “No!” Porky Pete whimpered. “I didn’t! I didn’t!”

  “Admit it! You killed him out of revenge.”

  Then suddenly, Porky Pete broke free. He shoved Eunbi off him and she landed on her backside. Ali ran to her friend to make sure she wasn’t hurt. Scruff, on the other hand, ran to Porky Pete and grasped the sleeve of his shirt in between his jaws to make sure he couldn’t run away.

  Porky Pete tried to shake Scruff off his sleeve but it turned into a tug of war, and he gave up. In the end, he stopped fighting and sat, panting, his knees crooked, his hair askew, the jaws of the growling dog latched onto his sleeve preventing him from going anywhere.

  “I didn’t kill Gilbert,” he said, shaking his head.

  Ali took Eunbi by the elbow and helped her friend right herself. Eunbi’s hair was a straggled mess over her face, and she shoved it away, her eyes blazing with anger. She reminded Ali of a wild animal, like she was ready to pounce again any second and gouge out his eyes with her fingernails.

  “Scruff’s got him,” Ali told her gently, holding her in place with firm hands on her shoulders. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  Eunbi was shaking with rage, and coiled as tightly as a spring. But finally, Ali felt her tight muscles begin to loosen beneath her hands, and knew the red mist that had descended over her when she’d seen Porky Pete was finally starting to fade. She was coming back to her senses, which meant Ali could finally get to the bottom of what was going on.

  “Eunbi,” she asked. “Who is this man? Tell me what’s going on.”

  “That’s Porky Pete,” Eunbi spat, her breath ragged with fury. “He used to be one of us. Part of the Mad Frank family. Until he got banned for cheating.”

  “Nonsense!” Porky Pete yelled back. But his raised voice earned him an angry warning tug at the sleeve from Scruff, and he looked at the dog warily before quieting down. “That was never proven,” he hissed angrily.

  “Why else would you have a hidden inner pocket sewn into your shirt?” Eunbi returned furiously. She gave Ali an incredulous look. “Gilbert was the one who found out. He caught him dropping food down the neck of his shirt into a secret pocket sewn into the lining. It was Gilbert who outed him. He was banned after that. Then I guess he decided to get his revenge!”

  She yelled the final line at Porky Pete and raised herself up to her knees as if about to launch forward. Ali tightened her arms around her friend. “Keep your cool, Eunbi!” she urged her.

  “That’s not what happened!” Porky Pete said, shaking his head. “I didn’t kill Gilbert!”

  “Then what are you doing in Willow Bay?” Eunbi continued, straining against Ali’s hold on her. “You really want me to think it’s a coincidence?” She strained in Ali’s arms. “Well? Why are you here? Why?” Her voice cracked as emotion overcame her.

  “I came to watch the competition,” Porky Pete replied, dropping his head as if in shame. “That’s all.”

  “You’re a liar!” Eunbi screeched, and she started jamming her shoulders back and forth like a woman possessed, trying to break free of Ali’s hold so she could go for round two. Ali was worried that if she lost hold of her friend, she’d go flying at Porky Pete and cause him some serious harm. She certainly seemed utterly convinced he was the culprit.

  Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind. Ali turned to see Detective Callihan racing toward them.

  Finally! she thought. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold Eunbi back. She was strong.

  “Ali?” Detective Callihan said as he reached them, quickly looking from Eunbi in Ali’s arms to Porky Pete with Scruff attached by the jaws to his shirt sleeve. “What’s going on?”

  “This is the killer!” Eunbi screeched before Ali even got a chance. “He has a grudge against Gilbert the Gobbler! And he just admitted to being at the scene of the crime!”

  Detective Callihan looked at Ali, his eyebrows raised in query. “But who is he?”

  “His name is Porky Pete!” Eunbi yelled, writhing around in Ali’s arms.

  Detective Callihan’s eyes widened as if the name meant something to him.

  “We just caught him trying to break into Seth’s hot dog place,” Ali explained.

  “Probably to tamper with evidence!” Eunbi cried dramatically. “Check his belongings. I bet you he’s got oyster sauce on him somewhere! You murderer!”

  She scrambled at him again, fingernails bared, and Ali tightened her arms. She wasn’t going to be able to hold her back much longer.

  Detective Callihan reached for the radio in his pocket and brought it to his lips. He pressed a button. “Elton? I need you on the boardwalk. Stat.”

  There was a crackle of static from the radio, followed by Detective Elton’s signature husky voice. “I’m executing a warrant,” she said, flatly.

  “Then stop it,” Detective Callihan replied. “The search of Seaside Sweets can wait. There’s been a very interesting development on the boardwalk. It’s Peter Timmons.”

  Peter Timmons? Ali thought. If Detective Callihan knew his full name, then he must already be on the cop’s radar. Along with Eunbi’s accusations, Gilbert’s old rival Porky Pete was looking more and more convincingly like the culprit.

  Realizing there was backup on the way, Porky Pete tried once again to shake Scruff off. But the little dog was holding on to his sleeve with all his might. It was a valiant effort, and Ali mentally increased his reward to two of the best Jumbo bones in the world.

  “I wasn’t trying to break in!” Porky Pete protested, as he tried to free himself. “I just wanted to speak to the proprietor. I heard he was screwed over by Mad Frank too. Had his advertising slot stolen.” He took a deep breath. “Which is just what Frank does. It’s all about money with him.”

  He sounded so bitter, and Ali couldn’t help but think he wasn’t helping his case very much.

  “All I’m trying to do is start a rival hot dog competition,” Porky Pete continued. “I thought maybe the hot dog guy would want to team up with me. Strike some kind of deal. I wasn’t trying to break into his place! I swear.”

  “How about you save your explanation for the station?” Detective Callihan replied, reaching into his pocket for his cuffs. “Because trust me, we have a lot of questions for you.”

  The sound of clattering footsteps came from behind, and suddenly a swarm of cops appeared. Detective Callihan advanced on Porky Pete, handcuffs at the ready.

  “Peter Timmons,” he said. “You’re under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Gilbert Brown.”

  *

  Ali stood in the flashing lights of the cop car, arms crossed against the chill of the night. In the backseat of the cop car sat “Porky Pete” Timmons, his head bowed in defeat. Standing at the front of the cruiser, Eunbi was busy giving a statement to Detective Elton, her arms waving all over the place as she reenacted the whole scene down to the minutiae.

  Sebastian stood beside Ali. “We found out about Peter Timmons through our research. We’d been trying to track him down to no avail. I never thought he’d just fall into our lap like that. Thanks to you. You did great tonight.”

  “Eunbi is the one you should be thanking,” Ali replied. “She recognized him in the first place. And Scruff, of course.”

  The dog was lying in her arms like a baby. The poor thing was exhausted and half asleep. She petted his head with gratitude and affection.

  “So you had a suspect other than me on your radar this whole time, huh?” she asked Callihan. “C
ould’ve told me. It would’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”

  “I did,” he replied. “But you know what Elton’s like. She was so focused on you she couldn’t see the wood for the trees. But I think when she hears what Eunbi has to say about Porky Pete, it will finally get her to see the light.”

  Ali nodded with relief. “And Seth? Will you release him?”

  “Of course. Those bottles of sauce at his restaurant didn’t actually contain any oysters. They turned out to be a vegetarian alternative.”

  “Ha,” Ali said, chuckling.

  Just then, Detective Elton turned and clicked her fingers. “Callihan,” she barked. “Let’s roll.”

  Sebastian Callihan turned to Ali and gave her a nod. “Hey, maybe once this is all over we can have a do-over date?”

  “I’d like that,” Ali replied.

  She smiled as she watched him get into the cop car with Detective Elton, feeling vindicated.

  Then she got out her phone to text Piper and let her know they’d be back to work tomorrow. It was over. Tomorrow, she could get back on with her life.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  Ali woke the next morning feeling more rested than she had in a long time. She sat up and stretched, nearly kicking Scruff off the end of the bed where he was curled up at her feet. He’d slept like a baby last night, having polished off two Jumbo bones in record time and promptly falling asleep.

  She checked the clock. She’d slept late, but it felt well deserved considering last night she’d helped solve a gruesome crime.

  She leapt out of bed, refreshed and eager to start the day. She had a feeling it was going to be a good one. Everything was back to normal. The case was solved. Seth was off the hook and the real killer was in jail where he belonged. She just had a few loose ends to tie up—the problem of Emilio’s pizzeria lease, and the tidying up of her bakery, which the cops had turned upside down and inside out last night.

  She exited her bedroom and took a much needed shower, washing off all the accumulation of grime and stress from the last few crazy days, and reemerged a rejuvenated woman. With a spring in her step, she dressed for the day, choosing her neon pink Seaside Sweets T-shirt, pale blue jeans, and her favorite comfortable sneakers. Then she braided her wet hair into her customary side braid and went into the kitchen to fire up the coffee machine. She’d need a lot of caffeine to get through the long day ahead, with all that tidying to do. And if she was lucky, she’d be baking and serving customers, too. Just as long as they felt confident enough in Porky Pete’s arrest to start shopping in her store again.

  As the coffee machine hissed and glugged in the background, Ali poured a breakfast bowl of kibble for Scruff and turned on the TV, going straight to the local news channel. Porky Pete’s arrest last night was headline news, of course, and the footage on the screen showed a live feed of the boardwalk and pier, where Mad Frank’s competition stage was being dismantled, the balloons gone, the speakers removed. With Porky Pete’s arrest, the contest and competitors had been given permission to leave town, and it looked like they wanted to clear out as fast as possible.

  Just then Sebastian Callihan’s face appeared on the TV screen and Ali found herself grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. He was busy recounting the events from the evening before to a reporter but Ali was hardly listening. She was far too focused on his handsome boyish face.

  Cheeks warming, Ali turned away and distracted herself by pouring an espresso and downing it. Then, noticing Scruff had finished his bowl of kibble, she decided to get going. It was time to get her life back to normal.

  She left her apartment, stepping out into the bright, early morning sunshine with Scruff following closely behind. After all the stress of the last few days, she decided to take the slightly longer route to work across the beach. It was very tranquil at this time of the morning, with the ocean glittering like silk and the sand the color of pale gold. The tourists hadn’t woken up yet, either, which meant so the beach was barely populated. Just a scattering of seagulls that Scruff took great delight in chasing.

  As she walked, leaving her footprints in the sand, Ali couldn’t help but think about how completely different the vibe on the beach was today compared to when she’d been here last night with Eunbi, scrolling through the photos on her phone that confirmed her relationship with Scott Brown, providing both with alibis that knocked them off the list of suspects. That was before they’d chased Porky Pete. Before the case had been solved.

  What a difference a day makes… Ali mused.

  Feeling carefree, she veered off the beach and up onto the boardwalk toward her bakery. Since she’d woken up a little later than usual, Marco’s pizzeria had already opened its doors for the day, and the smell of fresh, delicious dough lingered in the air. On the other side of her bakery, however, Emilio’s pizzeria lay in darkness.

  Ali paused, taking a moment to consider Emilio’s predicament. If only she had the available finances, she’d take over his premises in a heartbeat. If she expanded her bakery into the space next door she’d gain a quaint back garden, a kitchen double the size of the one she currently used, and an outside alfresco dining space. It would truly be a dream come true. And not just for her. Emilio and Maria’s dream was to move to Italy and marry, and Ali buying their lease would solve everyone’s problems. But she couldn’t magic money out of thin air, and would have to think of another way to help her friends. For now, however, she would focus on her fixing up her store, getting it back into working order, luring back the wary customers who’d been led to believe she had something to do with Gilbert’s murder, and getting back to doing what she did best: baking.

  She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the worst, then unlocked the bakery door and headed inside.

  Thanks to the cops’ search last night, the place was in total disarray. The display shelves had been emptied, their contests now spread across the tables which had been shoved haphazardly around the place. Half the seat cushions were on the floor. The chalkboard menu behind the till had been smudged.

  From the door, Scruff whined.

  “I know, right,” Ali replied with a huff, putting her hands on her hips. It was going to take ages to tidy the place up!

  She went straight to the kitchen and fetched the mop and bucket, then set about wiping away the cops’ muddy boot prints crisscrossing the peppermint green tiles. She quickly got absorbed in the task, and almost didn’t hear the bell chime over the door.

  “Ooh, I’m afraid we don’t have any baked goods yet,” Ali said, leaning on her mop and looking up at the doorway.

  But it was not a customer coming in for baked goodies. It was Seth.

  Ali gasped with surprise, dropped the mop, and ran to him.

  “Seth!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. “You’re free. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” his voice said in her ear. “But what happened here?”

  “Search warrant,” Ali replied, releasing him and looking up into his brown eyes. He looked tired. Disheveled. “When did you get released?”

  “About two this morning,” Seth said wearily.

  “I’m so glad,” Ali said, rubbing his arm affectionately. But then her relief over seeing him free was quickly replaced with irritation at how he’d behaved in the first place. She stopped rubbing his arm and play-punched the spot instead.

  “Hey!” Seth said with a chuckle. “Talk about mixed signals. What was that for?”

  “For being so awful to Emilio!” Ali replied. “I think you should go and help him. His pizzeria was raided, too, only way worse than the bakery.”

  Seth hung his head in shame. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, scratching his neck awkwardly. “I was a jerk. To him. And you, by extension. I shouldn’t have lost my cool like that. Forgive me?”

  “Of course I forgive you,” Ali said, trying not to get lost in his dark brown, puppy-dog eyes. She picked the mop off the floor. “Now go and help Emilio before I mop you away.”

&nb
sp; She chased Seth’s footsteps all the way to the door, the pair giggling as they went.

  As Seth exited, he crossed paths with Piper on her way in. She was looking particularly bright and happy today, her long blond hair glistening in the sunlight.

  “Good morning,” she trilled, flashing Ali her big, pearly-white grin. “Boy am I glad to be back!” Then she halted and glanced around at the messy bakery. Her grin faded, before turning into a grimace. “Oh, wow. The cops really did a number on this place, huh?”

  “Yup,” Ali said with a sigh. “But it could’ve been worse. We’re lucky Seb cut the search short after Eunbi caught Porky Pete.”

  “Oh yeah!” Piper said, suddenly enthused. “I was reading all about that on Armchair Sleuths. It sounded so cool.”

  Ali’s eyes widened. “How is it already on Armchair Sleuths? It literally happened in the middle of the night!”

  Piper turned her cell phone to face her, where the screen showed the Armchair Sleuths forum. The pages were ablaze following Porky Pete’s arrest. It looked like millions of bits of information had already been dredged up about him, and he’d been in jail for less than twelve hours…

  “Carys lives nearby,” Piper added with a shrug. “She posted a bunch of stuff about it.”

  Ali rolled her eyes. “Carys. Of course.”

  “You should cut her some slack,” Piper said. “She also totally apologized about all the things she’d said about you, and retracted the rumors. Everyone on there accepts you’re innocent now. They’re way more interested in dragging up dirt on Porky Pete. Did you know his specialty is pretzels, and his original stage name was Pretzel Pete but then it turned out there was another competitor in Europe going by that name so he had to change it?”

  Ali tutted and shook her head. The Armchair Sleuths were digging up the most ridiculous facts. But at least they were on the case. Between them, Eunbi, and Callihan’s investigation, Ali was satisfied Porky Pete was the perp.

  “Well, I for one am glad it’s all over,” she said, picking up the mop and bucket. “So let’s get this place back up and running, shall we?”