Death of a Cupcake Queen

by Lee Hollis

  Chapter 23

  “You know, I am never one to gossip especially when it comes to one of Sergio’s cases,” Randy said as he sipped his glass of Merlot at Hayley’s kitchen table while his sister examined a head of wilted lettuce before tossing it into the garbage can underneath the kitchen sink.

  Hayley went back to rummaging through the refrigerator, hoping to find enough ingredients for a side salad to serve with the sandwiches she had ordered from the Well Bread sub shop for the kids’ dinner. Not the ideal choice for a healthy home-cooked meal for her growing teenagers, but both had made it clear they weren’t hungry.

  Besides, every bone in Hayley’s body ached from running around all day. She was also still suffering from some nasty purple bruises on her back and thighs from her hard fall onto the pavement after pushing Vanda Spears out of harm’s way from Nykki’s attempt to run her down in Ivy’s rental car.

  Hayley waited for her brother to add the all important “but” to his last statement.

  Randy savored the wine before swallowing it and then set his glass down on the table. “But . . .”

  Music to Hayley’s ears.

  “I know you were close to Ivy and Nykki so I wouldn’t feel right not sharing what I overheard at the police station when I took Sergio some leftover chicken pot pie for his dinner after he called to say he would be working late,” Randy said, scanning the kitchen counter for the open bottle of wine before jumping up and refilling his glass.

  Randy, of all people, knew Hayley was never that close to Ivy and Nykki, but she wasn’t about to contradict him because she was dying of curiosity to hear his dishy news, and she knew her brother had to come up with a strong reason to share what he knew with Hayley so he wouldn’t be overcome with guilt about it later.

  “Sergio was in the interrogation room with Ivy Foster’s husband Nigel questioning him about what happened to Nykki Temple on top of Dorr Mountain, and the door just happened to be open a crack, and well, I was walking right by with my pot pie because Sergio’s office is just down the hall from there, I couldn’t help but overhear them talking . . .”

  Randy stopped momentarily.

  Hayley knew her brother was wrestling with the dilemma of sharing confidential information with a civilian, but she knew in her gut he would sing like a canary because the two of them never kept any secrets from one another.

  That’s why they were so close.

  If past history was any indication, Randy would start spilling the beans in five, four, three, two, one . . .

  “Nigel admitted he had an affair with Nykki. They had met through Ivy a couple of times over the past few years, and there was a strong attraction, but Nigel claimed they never acted upon it. It was only after their arrival here in Bar Harbor for the reunion when they could no longer resist their intense desire for one another!”

  Randy was also a fan of soap operas so he was overly fond of words like “intense desire.”

  And from the amount of black body hair Hayley had found in Nykki’s bed at the summer rental house, she knew what was coming next.

  “So they did it when Ivy was out buying cupcake ingredients. And kept doing it. Nigel’s excuse was that Ivy was treating him so badly and they hadn’t had sex in so long that he couldn’t help but finally respond to the attention from another woman. But he was guilt-ridden over cheating, especially with one of his wife’s closest friends, and Nykki was distraught too. She was haunted by a sense of betrayal.”

  “Well, that didn’t stop them from having sex after Ivy was murdered,” Hayley said pulling a large wooden bowl from the top of the refrigerator before chopping some cucumbers on her cutting board.

  “How do you know that?” Randy asked, swishing his Merlot around in the glass before downing it.

  “Let’s just say I found a large amount of DNA evidence suggesting they had sex in Nykki’s bed after the funeral because Nykki would never go more than two days without changing her sheets,” Hayley said.

  “Well, Nigel swears he didn’t kill Ivy and he is convinced Nykki had nothing to do with it either.”

  “So what happened on Dorr Mountain?”

  “Nigel told Sergio that Nykki invited him on the hike so she could break it off once and for all in person. She told him that given the circumstances it would be best if they no longer saw each other. The whole botched affair was a momentary lapse in judgment and that she was not interested in pursuing anything serious.”

  “And Nigel agreed?”

  “Yes. They both wanted to forget the whole thing and get back to their normal lives. Then, and here is the weird part, she asked him to turn around and head down the mountain while she continued to the top because she was dealing with a problem and needed to think about how she was going to handle it.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  “She didn’t say. And Nigel never asked. He was just relieved the whole sordid fling was behind him and he could move on with his life.”

  “Do you think Sergio believed him?”

  “I’m not sure. He tends to squint a lot when he’s suspicious of a story, but I was out in the hallway and I didn’t have a good view of his face. But if you ask me, I would bet he’s lying.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s almost always the husband. And Ivy was a monster to him, at least according to all the reports from the reunion,” Randy said, upending the bottle of wine over his glass to get every last drop.

  Hayley, on the other hand, was a tad more willing to give Nigel the benefit of the doubt since he had come clean about his affair with Nykki.

  There was a light tapping on the front door so Hayley stopped chopping her cucumber, wiped her hands on a dish cloth, and headed out the kitchen and down the hall to answer the door.

  Oliver, the teenage son of the sub shop owner, stood in the doorway with a white paper bag stuffed with three long deli sandwiches. He was in a tattered Imagine Dragons t-shirt and faded jeans and was wearing a Red Sox cap pulled down so far it shadowed his eyes.

  “Hi, Mrs. Powell,” Oliver said, a thin smile on his face. “I put in a kosher pickle sliced in quarters for you, on the house.”

  “Thanks, Oliver,” Hayley said, taking the bag. “I forgot to add a tip when I paid by credit card over the phone so hold on a second.”

  Hayley turned and called upstairs. “Gemma, could you bring down my purse? It’s on my bed!”

  Hayley had purposely not included a tip when she gave her credit card number to Oliver’s father when she placed the order.

  She also purposely left her purse on her bed upstairs knowing Gemma would be in her room when Oliver arrived.

  It was all part of a calculated well thought out plan.

  Randy wandered in from the kitchen with his glass of Merlot to watch the scene just as Gemma pounded down the stairs and tossed the purse to Hayley, who innocently began to fish through the bottom of it for change after handing Gemma the bag of sandwiches.

  “Oh, hi, Oliver,” Gemma said.

  Oliver raised the cap higher on his forehead revealing a pair of gorgeous green eyes that sparkled at the sight of Gemma.

  “Nice to see you, Gemma,” he said, his voice cracking.

  “Oh, you two know each other?” Hayley asked, trying to act surprised.

  “We’re in the same class,” Gemma said, yanking one of the wrapped subs out of the bag. “Is this the turkey with pepper jack and no mayo?”

  Oliver nodded, now at a loss for words.

  Or remaining silent so as not to risk his voice cracking again.

  “So you must be graduating, too,” Hayley said, handing Oliver a few dollars and some spare quarters.

  “Thank you,” Oliver said. “Yes, ma’am. Finally.”

  “Must be a busy time for you. Finals. Cap and gown fitting. Prom.”

  There was a pregnant pause.

  Gemma was still too busy ripping open her sandwich to make sure it was prepared to her specifications to notice what was happening.

&nb
sp; “Oh, I’m not going to the prom,” Oliver said casually, stuffing the tip in his jeans pocket.

  “Why not? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. I’m sure someone as handsome and charming as you must have girls lining up to go with you,” Hayley said, eyeing Gemma who was still oblivious to the conversation.

  Randy, suddenly aware of Hayley’s master plan, finished his wine and folded his arms to see how this matchmaking scene would play out.

  “Not really,” Oliver said, embarrassed.

  “Gemma, did you hear that? Oliver doesn’t have a date for the prom. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

  Gemma suddenly stopped picking at her sandwich and looked up at her mother. “What?”

  Hayley turned to Oliver. “Gemma doesn’t have a date either.”

  “Mom . . .” Gemma said under her breath, realizing too late what her mother was up to and not having it.

  “Oh. I thought you were going with—” Oliver said before Hayley cut him off.

  “No. You must have received some bad intel,” Hayley said. “She’s totally free that night.”

  Oliver stood up straight and tried to deepen his voice to come off more mature and masculine. “Well, if you’re not doing anything, would you want to come with me?”

  “To the prom?” Gemma asked, incredulous, still not sure how this happened.

  “Uh, yeah. I mean, no pressure. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just thought if you don’t have other plans, you might want to . . . you know . . . come with me?”

  It was an excruciatingly long moment.

  Had Hayley overplayed her hand?

  Would Gemma turn him down flat and then there would be hell to pay for her brazen interference into her daughter’s personal life?

  Randy was holding his breath waiting for Gemma’s answer.

  Oliver was pale and swaying from side to side, ready to pass out from nerves.

  Gemma just stood there in silence.

  It was agonizing for everyone.

  Especially Hayley.

  And then, with a perky smile on her face, Gemma said, “I’d love to. Thanks, Oliver.”

  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Do you have your phone?” Gemma asked.

  Oliver nodded and handed her his cell. She pressed some keys and handed it back to him. “That’s my number. Text me tomorrow and we can work out all the details.”

  “Okay. That sounds great. Thanks, Mrs. Powell,” Oliver said, beaming, before glancing at Gemma and catching himself. “I mean, for the generous tip.”

  He floated out the door.

  Gemma shoved the sandwich back in the bag and handed it to her mother. “I’m going to call Carrie and let her know I’m now going to the prom. As for you, Mother, I will deal with you later.”

  She bounded up the stairs.

  Wasn’t that something a mother was supposed to say to her daughter and not the other way around?

  She wasn’t going to worry about it.

  Yet.

  Hayley turned to Randy and smiled. “Now that’s how matchmaking is done. And Oliver is straight. Not like your guy!”

  “Yes, Sis. I bow to your impressive skills. You are by far the superior Dolly Levi!”

  Chapter 24

  Hayley stood at the edge of the rocky cliff as a strong breeze blew past her face. She surveyed the area, still impressed with the lush green foliage that stretched for miles. The icy blue ocean was within sight off the shores of Mount Desert Island.

  It was still one of the most beautiful places she had ever been.

  And it was her home.

  She looked down at her dusty black hiking boots, which were planted a safe distance from the edge, but close enough for her to scan the area for something Sergio and his team of police officers might have missed.

  This was the exact spot where Nykki Temple plunged to her death.

  “We should have brought a six pack of beer with us,” Mona complained from a few feet away. “Am I the only one feeling parched?”

  “Have a bottle of water,” Liddy said, plucking one from her fanny pack and hurling it at Mona, who managed to catch it in her hammy fist before using it to wipe away the sweat that was running down the side of her face.

  Mona popped the plastic cap off the bottle and began chugging it down. Even though she only wore a light blue tank top and cargo shorts and some work boots with dirt smudged white athletic socks, it was still too hot for her, even with the cool breeze sweeping over the top of Dorr Mountain.

  Liddy zipped up her fanny pack and joined Hayley at the ledge. Her hands were wet from the bottled water, so she dried them on her Sierra Club ready stylish hiking outfit with a khaki jumper and matching shorts that were accented with expensive boots and a snappy tan fedora to keep the sun out of her eyes. She looked like Bindi the Jungle Girl all grown up leading a tree house tour.

  “It’s so hard to imagine Nykki was standing right here just moments before she died,” Liddy said solemnly.

  “The ledge isn’t sloped or anything,” Hayley said. “It juts straight out. She would have had to have been really close to the edge in order to pitch forward and fall. And there’s nothing around for her to trip on so I’m confused about what really happened.”

  “So you think Nigel gave her the old heave ho?” Mona said, swallowing the last of the water and crushing the plastic bottle in her hand.

  “Maybe. But let’s face it. Nigel’s kind of a wimp. I have a hard time buying him dragging a woman as strong as Nykki over to the edge and slinging her over the side,” Hayley said.

  “What if she was taking pictures with a camera and wasn’t watching where she was going and got too close like this . . . ?” Liddy said, marching right up to the edge of the cliff, pretending to snap photos with an imaginary camera.

  “Be careful, Liddy don’t get too close,” Hayley said, her stomach flip flopping at the sight of Liddy hovering near the edge of the long dropoff.

  “Or maybe she was taking pictures and didn’t see Nigel sneak up behind her like this . . .” Mona said, charging up behind Liddy, arms outstretched. She stopped short of her, but the sudden move startled Liddy, who took a quick step closer to the edge. Her left boot stepped out too far and she stumbled, losing her balance.

  Hayley was looking at Mona and didn’t notice right away. “That would make sense if the police had found a camera lying around nearby or in the vicinity of the body, but they didn’t.”

  Hayley suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, saw Liddy waving her arms in the air frantically, but before she could react, Liddy toppled over the side of the cliff, screaming at the top of her lungs.

  Mona jumped and spun around, but Liddy was no longer there.

  Hayley stood motionless for a few seconds, mouth agape, horrified at what she had just witnessed, but then snapped out of it and raced to the side of the cliff.

  “Liddy!” Hayley yelled as she ran and peered over the edge.

  Liddy was dangling from a thick tree branch that protruded from the rock face. It was bending and looked like it could fracture at any moment.

  “Help!” Liddy wailed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

  Mona hustled to the cliff’s edge next to Hayley, dropped to her knees and then flat out onto her stomach, and reached down with an outstretched hand to grab Liddy.

  Hayley, her whole body shaking with fright, called down to her. “Liddy, take Mona’s hand!”

  Liddy squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, afraid if she let go of the branch with one hand she wouldn’t have the strength to support herself.

  “Come on, I can’t reach you! You have to help me!” Mona hollered.

  Liddy took a deep breath, gathered some courage, opened one eye to size up how far she needed to stretch in order to reach Mona, and then let go with one hand just as the branch cracked half way, dropping her out of reach another few inches.

  Liddy screeched, closing her eye again.

  She kicked her legs desperately tryin
g to find some kind of footing beneath her but there was none.

  “Liddy, stop struggling so much! The branch will completely break off!”

  “I’m too young and pretty to die!” Liddy sobbed.

  Mona inched a little more over the edge, trying to reach Liddy. Her whole upper torso was now hanging over the side. Hayley feared Mona would slide right off, taking Liddy with her so she dropped down and grabbed ahold of Mona’s legs, allowing Mona to lower herself a few more inches where she was within reach of Liddy.

  “I got her!” Mona cried. “Pull us up!”

  Pull them up?

  Who did she think she was, the Bionic Woman?

  Hayley glanced back.

  Next to her was a large pine tree.

  Using her boots, she pushed herself against it while still clutching Mona’s hiking boots. She pressed her back into it using it for support as she strained to pull Mona.

  “Come on, Liddy! Hold on! Use the crevice as a foothold! You can do it!”

  Hayley couldn’t see what was happening.

  She could only imagine Mona was now clasping both of Liddy’s hands as Liddy struggled to find a space in the rock face to steady herself.

  The muscles in Hayley’s arms were burning.

  She wasn’t sure just how long she would be able to hang on.

  The sun beat against her red face.

  Straining.

  Pulling.

  Her eyes stinging from the drops of sweat that poured down from her forehead.

  And then finally, she heard Liddy gasping.

  Mona had managed to haul her up onto solid ground.

  They were hugging.

  Liddy and Mona hugging?

  Now that was a first.

  Liddy was safe.

  Hayley was about to join in when something caught her eye.

  Next to the tree that she had used as a back brace was a small bush made of leaves and twigs. Nestled in the middle of it was a piece of clothing.

  The cops must have missed it because it was so far away from the scene of the crime.

  If in fact Nykki’s death wasn’t just a tragic accident.