by Emily Greene
Apple Turnovers ‘n Murder
A Prairie Cove Mystery, Book 3
by
Emily Greene
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Copyright, 2017 by Emily Greene.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Books by Emily Greene
Introduction
I was shocked when I arrived at Prairie Cove Middle School, because the line to view the results of the bake-off was around the corner.
“Who knew this would cause such a frenzy?” My sister, Nicole, asked.
“I knew. The town has been buzzing about this ever since it was announced on the news. It is a harmless little competition and Harper, even though it is silly that we even have to have this because you are obviously going to win, it gives people a fun event to look forward to,” my sister Katie interjected.
Courtney Laidig was an old rival from college and she had opened a bakery directly across the street from mine. As a result, my business suffered so Carrie came up with the idea for a bake-off. I was ready but I could tell Carrie was nervous for me. As far as I was concerned it was a no-brainer; I was going to be the winner.
I looked at what was formerly a lodge that had been converted into a school. Outside you would never know that it housed eager-to-learn middle schoolers because it had such a rustic look. Years back the town wanted to tear it down and build a new building, but there was such an outcry from the people in town that they put the money they had raised for a rebuild and completely remodeled the inside, while reinforcing the frame and foundation. It was currently on the short list to be declared a landmark and it was the perfect place to hold the bake-off. The three of us walked up to the door of the school and the people in line clapped as I entered.
“Good luck, Harper!” I heard Edna Charles yell out.
“Wow, it sounds like the crowd is rooting for you!” Nicole said.
“Yeah, I wish they would show me that same support by coming back to my bakery.” I tried not to sound bitter.
“I am sure that this will turn things around for you,” Katie said as she patted my arm. Suddenly I felt her grip tighten. “Oh no, brace yourself.”
Before I could ask what she meant, there it was, that shrill voice that I knew so well.
“Harper! Honey! Hurry up, the results are going to be announced at any minute! Nicole, Katie, how could you two let her be late like this?!” My mother didn’t give any of us a chance to get a word in edgewise. “Well, come on you three, Harper has to get back to hair and makeup!” Makeup? I did my makeup that morning. Maybe she didn’t see it in all of the craziness going on. She rushed off ahead of us and we scurried right behind her. In that situation it was just best to do what our mother said to avoid any kind of scene.
The results were being broadcast on the 11:00 p.m. news and the gymnasium had been transformed into a newsroom and makeshift bakery. There were lights and cameras everywhere and Carrie and the rest of my staff had already set up our table. The apple turnovers looked beautiful and as a treat I added homemade hot chocolate to go with them. The apple turnovers the judges were going to taste were warming in the oven in the school’s cafeteria, so I was going to run down and grab those five minutes before we went on air.
“Harper, everything looks beautiful,” Nomi said.
Nomi was my hair stylist and she had graciously agreed to come to the school to make my hair look presentable on television, after constant begging from my mother.
“Thanks Nomi, and thanks again for being here.”
“No problem, I think Beverly would have physically dragged me here if I had not agreed to do this. Your mother can be very, um, persistent shall we say?”
I rolled my eyes and smiled at her in the mirror.
“I know and I am sorry about that.”
“Oh, no worries. This actually is great advertisement for me too, so we have to make sure your hair looks gorgeous!”
She put in the last curl and was fluffing my hair when Nicole rushed over to me, makeup bag in hand, and plopped it down on the table.
“I don’t want to hear any objection from you. I know that you did your makeup this morning, but you need more. I can barely see it, Harper, and it does nothing to bring out your gorgeous features!”
Before I could say one word she had brushes, eye shadow, blush and lipstick on my face and in literally two minutes she turned me around so I could see myself in the mirror. I had to do a double take because I barely recognized myself. Nicole had done a beautiful job with my makeup. It wasn’t too harsh and it complimented my hair and features.
“Wow, Nicole, you really missed your calling as a makeup artist. You might want to think about looking into doing this full time; I love what you did. Thank you.” I gave her a big hug and then turned to Nomi.
“You did a beautiful job as well. I can’t thank you enough for being here.”
“You’re welcome. You are going to look stunning when you win this bake-off!”
“Harper! Honey? HARPER!!!!” My mother’s voice had reached a fever pitch and I was pretty sure every dog in the neighborhood heard her.
I couldn’t see her but followed her voice and saw her around a corner.
“Mother! Please keep your voice down, the dogs are going to start barking any minute!”
“They are going to be ready for you any minute…” she stopped in mid sentence and openly admired me. “Oh my goodness, honey, you look beautiful.” She had a huge smile on her face as she gently fluffed my hair a bit. I leaned away, out of her reach, worried that she was going to mess up the work that Nomi had just done.
“Mother, please don’t touch, what Nomi did is perfect.”
“Okay, okay, you just look so beautiful,” my mother gushed.
“Fifteen minutes until we are live on air!” I heard someone from production yell.
My mother seemed more excited and nervous than me.
“You better go down and get your apple turnovers from the oven, honey.”
“You’re right , Mother, I’ll be right back!”
I stopped and turned as I realized I had not yet seen Courtney and her station was not set up.
“Have you seen Courtney?”
My mother shrugged. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t and that is just fine with me. Although, I wouldn’t put it past her to not show up so that you have to win by default. I’ll bet she is afraid her pastries will not be as delicious as yours. In fact, I would be surprised if she even knew how to bake. I bet she has had someone doing it for her this whole time. She never struck me as the type to work hard at anything!”
I reached out and held my mother’s arm.
“Mother, calm down. I appreciate that you are so supportive of me but right now all I want to know is if Courtney is here.”
“Did I hear you ask about Courtney?”
That deep, rich voice was music to my ears and I turned and smiled and gav
e Andrew a big hug.
“I was wondering when you would get here.”
He smiled back at me. “I had to finish up some paperwork down at the station, but I am here now to provide my full support! Hello, Mrs. Harper.”
“Oh, Andrew, you know you can call me Beverly.” My mother was practically blushing. It was a far cry from the way she initially reacted to him. We had been dating for around five months and I had to say that Andrew had won over my mother. She finally let go of her dream of me marrying Matthew when she realized how happy I was with Andrew.
“My mother raised me to always be respectful to smart, beautiful women, so I don’t know that I will be able to call you by your first name.”
“Andrew, you’re too sweet. Your mother raised you well.”
I looked over at her and she was definitely blushing.
“Thank you, I appreciate that. Harper, did you say Courtney isn’t here?” He asked, a bit of concern crossing his face.
“I haven’t seen her and her station isn’t even set up.”
“Has anyone said anything to you?”
“No, but I was in hair and makeup so I haven’t really seen anyone. I hope she shows up. I don’t want to think that we did all of this for nothing.”
“I am sure she is on her way. She doesn’t strike me as the type to miss an opportunity to be in the spotlight.”
“That is true.”
“Hmmm, I am going to take a look around to see if she turns up.”
“Well, before you do that, would you mind coming with me downstairs to get my apple turnovers? I have 30 of them warming in the oven and they are kind of heavy.”
“Of course.”
“This is going to be your moment honey,” my mother said, “I can’t wait for the results, and everyone in Prairie Cove will see how wrong they were for abandoning you and your delicious pastries.”
My mother was more upset than I was when Courtney opened her bakery and she felt it was a direct attack on me.
“Thank you, Mother, we’ll be right back.”
As Andrew and I walked down the stairs, we made a little small talk.
“So, are you ready to be on the news?”
“Yes, I was featured last year when I expanded the business and the year before that when I opened the business. KTPC has been very good to me. This will be a piece of cake.”
We rounded the corner and made our way down the hall.
“Good, I am glad you’re not nervous.”
“Nervous? Not at all, this is going to help my business so I am grateful that the news station agreed to broadcast it.”
He stopped right in front of the door to the cafeteria.
“You sound pretty confident, Harper, you’re not worried that Courtney will win?”
I looked at him as I pushed open the door.
“Not in the least, her baking skills are non-…” The words got stuck in my throat as my hands flew to my mouth, and I literally froze in place. There on the ground was Courtney, not moving, and her face was blue. A loud scream escaped my lips.
Andrew rushed over to her and felt for a pulse. My heart was banging against my chest and I felt like I was going to faint. Andrew slowly looked up at me and then hung his head.
“Call 911.”
Chapter One
Two Weeks Earlier
“Harper! Honey! Yoo-hoo!”
My mother was waving her hand frantically, way up in the air, causing a scene as she trotted toward me down the sidewalk. I stopped and turned, trying my best to hide the annoyance that was growing within me. I never understood why she was always so loud. As she approached me, the look of excitement on her face told me that I needed to brace myself for one of her crazy ideas.
“Mother, the street is not that big so you don’t have to be that loud. I would have heard you as you approached me. What is so important that half of Prairie Cove heard you yelling for me?”
“I have the perfect idea for the bake-off this Saturday!”
“Mother I have already decided that I am going to make Apple Turnovers.”
“Oh, honey, that sounds delicious! But I have an idea that will guarantee that you win. You should add homemade hot chocolate to your pastry. It will be delicious! I can give you Grandma’s recipe and then you can add your own little twist. It is preposterous that your business has suffered because Courtney Laidig decided to open that overpriced bakery right across the street from you. I would never have imagined she would move here and try to ruin your business!”
I could see that my mother was visibly upset so I patted her shoulder to try to help her relax.
“Calm down, Mother, I am sure my business will bounce back after the bake-off. The hot chocolate is a great idea and I will definitely make Grandma’s recipe my own, so thank you for the suggestion.”
“You’re welcome, honey,” she smiled.
The first annual Prairie Cove bake-off was scheduled for the upcoming Saturday afternoon, and my mother was a nervous wreck. I should have been the one to be nervous but there were two reasons I was not. One, I was confident that I would win because my pastries were delicious; and two, I was annoyed that we were even having a bake-off because I felt it was completely unnecessary.
Courtney Laidig was my roommate my freshman year of college, and from the first day we met she was in constant competition with me. She was never truly happy for me and if anything good ever happened for me, she would always downplay it as me just getting a lucky break. She copied my outfits, my hairstyle and the way I talked. It was bizarre and I had never experienced the level of jealousy she had toward me in my life. When freshman year was over I thought I would be rid of her, but everywhere I went, there she was. It wasn’t until I started dating my college boyfriend, Eric, junior year that she backed off. I found out that she had asked him out and he told her he was going to tell me if she didn’t leave me alone. All of a sudden one day she was just gone and I never heard from her again. Then she showed up, out of the blue, in Prairie Cove a week after New Year’s Day, as the new owner of The Clever Baker. She decided to open her bakery directly across the street from mine and, unfortunately, my sales began to suffer. My profits were down nearly 50% and my bakery was no longer the busy local hangout it used to be. Even Edna and her girls stopped coming by daily. I was lucky if they stopped in once a week!
At first I thought it was a complete coincidence that someone opened another bakery in town, but when I found out Courtney was the owner I knew she had targeted me. The day of her grand opening I walked over with Carrie and my mother to check things out and to see who the owner was. You could have knocked me over with a feather when Courtney’s big green eyes stared back at mine.
“Oh my goodness! Harper Madison, as I live and breathe. I can’t believe it’s you! It is so good to see you! It has been ages!”
Courtney rushed over to give me a hug as I walked in and it took everything in me not to recoil from her touch.
“Courtney Laidig, what a surprise! What on earth brings you to Prairie Cove?” I did my best to sound cordial when what I really wanted to do was scream at her and tell her to leave me alone.
“That is an excellent question, honey. I am wondering why you decided to sell your less than…” I had to cut off my mother before she said something she would regret or that I would pay for.
“Mother, I am sure Courtney has her reasons.” I gave my mother a scolding look and she literally pouted. If I wasn’t so annoyed at the current situation I would have laughed out loud at the look on her face. It was sweet that she wanted to defend me, but I didn’t need her making things worse for me by bad-mouthing Courtney’s food.
Before I could stop her Carrie jumped in.
“Yes, Courtney, I would love to hear this. Why on earth are you here of all places and why did you decide to open a bakery right across the street from Harper’s in our lovely little town? Having a hard time creating your own life somewhere?”
I gave Carrie a look but not before I saw Co
urtney flash her a nasty smirk. She quickly composed herself and probably didn’t know that I saw the look. A plastic smile spread across her face as she turned to me.
“I have spent the last few years in Chicago and I was ready for a slower pace of life, so I did some research on the best small towns to live in and I stumbled upon beautiful Prairie Cove. I remembered how fondly you spoke of it in college so I thought I would look into settling down here. I have been wanting to open a bakery for years and when I saw there was only one here, I figured this would be the perfect place to open a second bakery. I think it’s always nice for people to have options. What a coincidence that you are still living here, Harper. In college you always talked about moving to the big city and getting a big fancy job. I guess you changed your mind on that but it looks like you made a good alternate choice by staying in your small town. I have read rave reviews about your bakery. Congratulations on your success, Harper!”