by Amber Crewes
12
A s Meghan hung up the phone with Jack, she glanced across the street at Duly Doux. It was nearly ten in the evening, but the lights were on.
“What is going on over there?” she asked herself as she walked back outside of Truly Sweet. “Jeremy is in jail right now, but is Trudy still over there at this time of night?”
Meghan gripped her phone tightly as she walked across the street. She slowly pushed open the door to Duly Doux and gasped. “Carol?”
Carol May stood in the middle of the bakery, her green outfit still looking fresh even after the long event. “Meghan Truman! Twice in one day. What a pleasure. What are you doing here?”
Meghan smiled at Carol and walked over to shake her hand. “I live across the street, just above my bakery,” she explained. “I saw that the lights were on over here, and I wanted to come check it out. I thought perhaps Trudy was over here?”
Carol shrugged. “Trudy? Hmmmm. She’s away, actually.”
“Oh!” Meghan replied. “That explains why I didn’t see her at the event tonight.”
Carol nodded. “I’m not sure if Kayley mentioned it, but I actually own part of this bakery,” she said softly as she looked around Duly Doux. “It’s such a shame that Stephanie met such a terrible end before she could get this place off of the ground. I came over to take a look around and to try and decide where to go from here. Do I sell this place? Do I keep it? Decisions, decisions!”
Meghan nodded sympathetically. “Her death was quite unexpected,” she said quietly. “She and I had some...words before her death. I try to be a friend to everyone, but I was frustrated with her. I think Stephanie copied down some of my recipes when I wasn’t looking, and from what I’ve been told, she used them in Duly Doux…”
Carol frowned. “Women can be so hard on each other,” she said, reaching to gently pat Meghan’s shoulder. “It’s hard to be a woman in business. I’m sure Stephanie was just jealous of your many successes. I’m terribly sorry she stooped to such a low level.”
Meghan smiled at Carol. “You’ve been so kind to me. I wish I had met you when I first moved here; I could have used all of your advice.”
Carol laughed. “I wish I had been here, but I think you have handled things well. Your business model seems to be working--despite the little Stephanie roadblock--and you seem like a nice girl. I think you’re going to be just fine.”
Meghan’s heart warmed as a loud pinging noise rang from the kitchen of Duly Doux. “Is that the oven?” Meghan asked Carol as she turned on her heel and walked into the kitchen. “I’ll go turn that off for you.”
“No!” Carol yelled, but it was too late; Meghan screamed as she turned into the kitchen and tripped over Trudy’s motionless body.
“Trudy? Trudy!” Meghan wailed. “Carol? What happened here?”
Carol sprinted to Meghan and tackled her, with Meghan consequently hitting her forehead on the edge of the counter.
“What are you doing?” she screamed as Carol pulled Meghan’s dark hair.
“You’ve seen too much,” Carol said matter-of-factly as she swung her legs around to straddle Meghan’s middle. “You can’t leave now, Meghan. I’m sorry. I truly liked you, but….”
Meghan coughed as the weight of Carol’s body crushed her lungs. She looked over at Trudy’s body and saw a large bruise on her neck. Trudy was still, and her eyes were rolled back in her head.
“What did you do to her?” Meghan cried out as Carol tugged at her hair. “Why did you hurt her?”
Carol let go of Meghan’s hair and gazed down into her eyes. “She knew too much, too,” she answered. “Trudy was at the wrong place at the wrong time, just like you, Meghan.”
Meghan kicked and fought as Carol reached into her pocket for a long, pointed dagger. “You killed Stephanie, didn’t you, Carol?” Meghan asked as Carol grabbed for her throat. “You strangled her and left her here for Trudy to find!”
Carol lowered herself closer to Meghan’s face. “So what if I did?” Carol said venomously as she waved the dagger around with one hand. “So what if I did? Stephanie and I have known each other for years, and even after I had given her my time, my financial backing, and my counsel, she was going to sell this place out from under me!”
“What?” Meghan screeched.
“She wanted to sell this place to pay out her divorce, and she didn’t bother telling me,” Carol said calmly. “I found out by accident, and I was horrified. This place was making money, Meghan, and she wanted to just throw it away. I confronted her, of course. I told her that Duly Doux’s opening day sales proved that she had the potential to be the premier bakery in the Pacific Northwest. This place was a hit!”
Meghan’s dark eyes widened. “What did she say?”
Carol grimaced. “She didn’t care. She just wanted to settle her affairs and get out of this business. She lacked a backbone, Meghan, and now, I wish I hadn’t invested in her. She lacked the true marks of an entrepreneur, and I’m embarrassed I got involved. Stephanie couldn’t even make her own treats; she had to steal your recipes. She was pathetic, that woman!”
Meghan’s eyes widened as Carol slowly lowered the dagger to Meghan’s throat, rubbing the edge along the bottom of Meghan’s chin. “Just be still,” Carol advised Meghan. “Be still, and it won’t hurt….much.”
Meghan tried to wriggle out from under Carol, but she could hardly move. “Why?” Meghan asked Carol. “Why?”
“Stephanie and I were colleagues in Indianapolis years ago, and when she reached out to me to move to Sandy Bay, I was happy to help her,” Carol explained, her eyes flashing with rage. “I wanted to help her; I knew her husband was no better than trash, and I hoped Stephanie could have a fresh start. She failed here, though; she was not confident, and she lacked business acumen. I knew she wouldn’t succeed. When Kayley Kane mentioned that Stephanie was planning to sell Duly Doux after only weeks on the job, I knew that something had to be done. She lacked grit, Meghan. Female entrepreneurs need grit to survive in this difficult world!”
“It’s a good thing I have grit!” Meghan shouted as she mustered her strength to push Carol off of her. Carol shrieked as she landed in the puddle of blood next to Trudy’s body. “My suit! My green suit! You’ve stained this skirt, Meghan Truman! This was my power suit. You’ll be sorry…”
Carol lunged for Meghan, but Meghan kicked her left leg high, sending the knife flying across the room. Carol jumped on Meghan, and they rolled around on the laminate floor, blood covering their clothes as they wrestled to gain control.
“I’ve got you now!” Carol yelled triumphantly as she climbed onto Meghan’s chest. “I hate to do this to a successful businesswoman, but like I’ve said, you have seen too much. I wish Stephanie had been tougher, I wish Trudy’s timing had been better, and I wish you hadn’t meddled. But, it isn’t useful to dwell on the past, so….”
Carol brought her hands to Meghan’s neck and began to squeeze. “Meghan, it’s been a pleasure,” she said as Meghan began to choke. “This will be quick, I promise…”
Suddenly, just as Meghan’s vision began to fade, there was a loud crack from the doorway. Carol collapsed onto Meghan, and Meghan filled her aching lungs with air.
“Meghan!”
Meghan heard her name shouted as she fell into the dark, warm tug of unconsciousness.
13
T he fallout from Carol May’s murder of Stephanie was devastating to the reputation of the local bank she represented. An internal investigation was launched by the board of the bank and it was discovered that she facilitated loans to some individuals of questionable character. Much worse was the fact that she accepted kickbacks for issuing these loans. It also came out in the investigation that Carol had used her influence to persuade Majestic Incorporated to cancel their order with Truly Sweet and divert it to Stephanie’s bakery. The bank had to put a publicity plan in place to win back the confidence of the citizens of Sandy Bay as the news of Carol’s escapades spread far and
wide. As Meghan looked back on the events of the past few weeks, she was grateful that she didn’t have any business dealings with Carol or her bank.
“And Trudy wasn’t dead! She was just unconscious, and she knocked out Carol before Carol could strangle me.” Meghan exclaimed as she drove Karen away from the Sandy Bay Jail. “It was awful, Karen; I really liked Carol, and seeing her lay there, unconscious on the floor….it was a lot to take in.”
Karen clucked sympathetically. “We’ve both had difficult weeks. You had to tussle with Carol and solve the mystery for your detective, Jack, and I had to sit in a jail cell.”
Meghan laughed. “It all sounds crazy, but it’s just life in Sandy Bay, isn’t it?”
Karen shook her head. “I thought moving back here would mean some quiet and peace,” she said. “Maybe the quiet and peace is still coming?”
Meghan nodded. “It must be! I’m ready for some rest and relaxation after the last few weeks.”
Karen turned to look at Meghan’s bruised neck. “She really got you, didn’t she?”
Meghan sighed. “She did,” she whispered. “It was so scary, but I fought so hard, Karen.”
Karen frowned. “Between Carol and Jeremy, you have had to be one brave lady recently.”
Meghan blushed. “I just did what I had to do, Karen,” she said. “Everyone can be brave when the time is right.”
Karen reached over and patted Meghan’s head. “I have no doubt, sweetie,” she said. “You are a fabulous, brave woman! I am proud of you for doing everything you did to help me and to solve the mystery.”
Meghan smiled at Karen. “You are such a dear friend to me,” she said. “I would do anything for you, Karen.”
“By the way, do you know what happened to Jeremy, Stephanie’s ex?
“Jack said they received an arrest warrant for him from the police force in Indiana. Apparently, he had a stack of misdemeanors he had to answer. Jack and his team were happy to see the back of him and processed all the paperwork in record time. I believe he should be back in Indiana as we speak.”
Karen gestured outside as they pulled up in front of Truly Sweet. “Look at that, Meghan,” Karen said gleefully. “Jack Irvin is waiting for you.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped as she saw Jack outside. He was dressed in a navy suit and holding a bouquet of pink roses.
“What is going on?” Meghan asked as Karen shook her head.
“Why don’t you go find out?”
Meghan unbuckled her seatbelt and ran out of the car. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she approached Jack. She shivered in the cool evening and took a long breath, taking in the salty air coming into the town from the ocean.
“Jack!” Meghan exclaimed. “Why are you so dressed up? What is going on?”
Jack smiled down at Meghan, and she felt a wave of heat rise in her belly as she stared into his blue eyes.
“Meghan,” he said softly. “Meghan, you were in danger twice this week, and I have been so worried about you!” he began. “Seeing you hurt and stepping in when that Jeremy fellow was in the bakery made my blood boil. It helped me see what was in front of me.”
Meghan bit her lip as she gazed into Jack’s eyes. “What is that, Jack?”
Jack held out the roses to Meghan. “These are for you.”
“Thank you!” Meghan squealed as she buried her nose into the sweet-scented flowers. “You are too nice to me, Jack.”
Jack pursed his lips and took a long breath. “Meghan,” he said softly. “Meghan, you have been right in front of me this entire time. I’ve loved getting to know you, and I’ve loved spending time with you, and I want to ask you a very important question.”
Meghan felt butterflies in her stomach as Jack grinned. “Yes, Jack?”
“Meghan,” Jack breathed. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
Meghan gasped. “Jack,” she said softly as she rushed into Jack’s strong arms. “That would be truly sweet.”
The End
About Finger Foods and Missing Legs
Released: October, 2018
Series: Book 6 – Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Standalone: Yes
Cliff-hanger: No
Meghan Truman is ecstatic when she discovers she’s won an all-expense paid trip to Paris for a Food and Baking convention. She’s never been to Europe and is looking forward to the sights, smells and people.
Her trip takes a very sour turn when one of the chief conference speakers is reported missing and subsequently found dead in her hotel room. Meghan is shocked when she’s informed she has been identified as a person of interest who the police want to speak to.
With her European trip in danger of turning into her worst nightmare, she must quickly identify who had the most to gain from the victim’s demise and absolve herself of any link to the murder before her hopes of landing a lucrative deal with an interested investor fades into nothing in the city of Love.
Finger Foods and Missing Legs
1
MEGHAN TRUMAN’S HANDS SHOOK as she pulled a bulky yellow envelope out of the mailbox. She had been eagerly awaiting this correspondence for weeks, and as she carried the envelope inside of Truly Sweet, her bakery, Meghan’s dark eyes grew wide in excitement.
“Finally,” Meghan whispered as she reverently placed the envelope on the front counter. “The news I have been waiting for.”
“Meghan! Meghan, can you come help me?”
Meghan stifled a sigh as Trudy, her new assistant, called out to her from the kitchen. She peered at the envelope, her heart thudding in her chest as she admired the elegant handwriting on the front proclaiming it to be hers.
“Trudy, can it wait?” Meghan asked as she ran her fingers along the edges of the yellow envelope. “I have some mail I need to read; I’ve been waiting for this letter for months, and it’s finally here.”
Meghan heard a loud crash from the kitchen, and she begrudgingly left the envelope on the counter to tend to Trudy. Her new assistant had been working at Truly Sweet for only a few weeks, and usually, the two women got along well; while Meghan was a twenty-seven year old transplant to the Pacific Northwest, and Trudy had lived in Sandy Bay all of her life, the pair worked well together, and Meghan was thrilled that she had help at the bakery. Truly Sweet was the only bakery in Sandy Bay, and while Meghan loved running her business, it was hard work, and Trudy had proven to be an asset to the business.
“What’s going on, Trudy?” Meghan asked as she burst into the kitchen. “Are you alright?”
Trudy was a mess; she was covered in flour, and there were bowls and cutlery scattered on the tiled floor. “I had a little fall, Meghan. I’m alright. Just a little trip.”
Meghan laughed in spite of herself. “You poor thing,” she said kindly. “Let me help you up; I’ll give you a hand, and we can tidy the kitchen before the morning crowd comes in.”
Trudy smiled. “Sorry, boss. I’ll be more careful next time.”
The two women worked together to clean the kitchen, both exchanging jokes and stories as they swept the flour from the cracks of the floor, scrubbed the dishes, and put things in order.
“There!” Meghan said thirty minutes later as they surveyed their work. “Much better!”
Trudy grinned. “I have news for you, Meghan; it’s never a boring day at Truly Sweet, that’s for sure.”
Meghan gasped. “News! News! I had forgotten. The news I’ve been waiting for arrived today, Trudy. I have to go open that envelope!”
Meghan raced back to the dining area to retrieve her envelope. Trudy followed behind her, and she clucked as Meghan tore open the yellow paper. “I haven’t seen you this excited since that sweet Jack Irvin asked you to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago,” Trudy said as Meghan shook with excitement. “You were adorable, Meghan; I had never seen someone so happy to be off the market.”
Meghan beamed. Jack Irvin, a local detective, was everything she had dreamed of in a boyfr
iend; he was handsome, intelligent, confident, ambitious, and kind, and Meghan had grown quite fond of him in the five months she had lived in Sandy Bay. Jack had helped Meghan through some unexpected troubles with the bakery, and Meghan was thankful for his support.
“You were jumping around the bakery like a little girl after he asked you. He is a catch; I’ve watched Jack Irvin grow up, and that boy is a sweetheart. You’re a lucky girl, Meghan, but Jack is a lucky guy, too! You two are a cute couple.”
Meghan grinned. “I do feel pretty lucky,” she admitted. “When I moved to Sandy Bay from Los Angeles all of those months ago, I didn’t know what would happen; opening the bakery was a challenge, and making new friends in town was certainly daunting, but now, I am so happy. I have a thriving business, wonderful friends, an amazing assistant, and a new boyfriend.”