Soufflé Murder: A Seagrass Sweets Cozy Mystery

by Sandi Scott

  Ashley leashed Dizzy, turned off the kitchen lights, and locked the door, thinking how much she'd enjoyed the evening. This was just the break from all the thinking that I needed. It's great to be with Ryan, she thought. In addition to our new romance, he's absolutely my best friend. We have so much fun together. I don't ever want to lose that. I can't imagine not having him in my life.

  Ryan opened the passenger door to her car and got Dizzy settled into her doggy seat belt. He took Ashley's hand and walked around the front of the car with her then wrapped his arms around her. They exchanged a sweet kiss before Ryan spoke, whispering into the top of her head.

  “I had such a great time tonight, Ashley,” Ryan said. “You know, we can do this every night after we move in together.”

  For Ashley, the happy mood shattered. She pulled out of his arms and stepped back. “Ryan, you said you'd give me some time and some space. Please don't push me. There's too much going on right now. Please back off and let me handle this decision in my own time.”

  “Sure,” he said, disappointment clear in his voice. “I get it, and I'm sorry. I did promise to step back and give you some time. I really didn't mean it to be pushy. The thought just came to me that it would be so great to be able to share times like this all the time, and it popped out. I should have thought more before I said anything.”

  Ashley sighed. “No, hon, it's okay. You maybe should have considered the timing a little more, but I totally over-reacted, too. I promise I am thinking about it, and I will make a decision soon. But this thing with Robin has me really distracted, both personally and professionally. I want to help her find the closure that comes from having the murder solved, plus Patty and I are catering both the post-funeral reception and the wedding reception. We think they'll both be later this week. I just can't get all that off my mind for long. That's the whole reason I was here tonight. I needed the distraction from everything. Please be patient with me and please, please don't be mad!”

  Wrapping her in his arms again, Ryan replied, “I've told you before, Ash—I'm not mad, and I'm not going to walk away unless you tell me that's what you want. We'll work this out. And I'll help with the catering or the detecting in any way that I can.” He held up his hand as she started to speak. “Don't even try to pretend you aren't going to be investigating, Ashley Adams. I know you way better than that! I don't like that you sometimes put yourself at risk, but I know you can't resist a puzzle. And I know that it's even more important to you when a good friend is involved. Just don't let Luna find out!” His eyes twinkled as he leaned in for yet another kiss.

  A few minutes later, Ashley climbed into her car and headed back home, a slightly giddy smile on her face. She might not be sure about moving in with Ryan in the immediate future, but there was no doubt that she was falling in love with him more and more every day.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The sun streamed brightly through Ashley's filmy bedroom curtains the next morning as she took advantage of the rare opportunity to sleep in. She stretched and thought about what she needed to get done for the day. After taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she donned a pair of jeans and a comfortable, loose top—there were no catering events today, so she could be comfortable in the Fresh Start kitchen space.

  After filling Dizzy's food and water dishes, Ashley poured herself a cup of hot Texas Pecan coffee, grateful that she'd splurged on a top-of-the-line coffeemaker for her home, one that included automatic brewing among its many features. She took her coffee and a croissant out onto the back deck to enjoy her simple breakfast while watching Dizzy's antics in the backyard.

  “Dizzy,” Ashley laughed. “Leave the birds alone. They don't want to play with you so stop chasing them.” The dog looked over her shoulder, and then she grabbed a squeaky toy and tossed it up into the air before grabbing it again and racing across the yard, stopping just short of slamming into the neighbors' fence at the side of the yard. She tossed the toy up again and started the process all over.

  Ashley's thoughts drifted over last night's tension with Ryan and then to the murder case, but the thoughts weren't very focused as she enjoyed the pleasant morning sun and sounds of nature.

  Suddenly, she sat up straight. “The argument! Howard Andrews was arguing with someone at the rehearsal dinner, right before all the toasts started. I wonder what that was about and whether the other man might be a suspect. And who was that other guy?” Dizzy stopped in front of the deck and cocked her head at Ashley as if asking her companion what was wrong.

  “It's okay, sweetie,” Ashley laughed. “I'm just thinking out loud. You go ahead and play with your squirrel friends for now. We'll leave for the kitchen in a bit.” The dog barked at her before tearing off to the trees at the back of the yard.

  I don't know where to start, Ashley thought. How can I find out who that other man was? There has to be someone else who saw them who can also identify him. She gathered her plate and mug to go back into the house. Hmm ... Robin and Cash would probably know him if I had a picture to show them. She remembered that Ryan mentioned getting a call to troubleshoot some kind of software glitch or something with the rehearsal video. I wonder if the videographer might have gotten him in a shot?

  “Hey, hon,” Ashley said when Ryan answered her phone call. “Didn't you tell me last night that there was some problem with the video from the rehearsal the other night, and that you have to pick something up today?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan said. “They're having a problem with the editing software, and I told them I'd take a look at the raw footage and the edited version to see if I can figure it out. Why?”

  “Well,” Ashley replied, “I know you're busy, and I have to go past there to get to the kitchens. I thought it might help you if I picked it up for you.”

  Ryan laughed. “Okay, exactly what is it that you think you're going to find in the pictures? Because as helpful as you are and as generous with your time, I know you've got some ulterior motive this time.”

  Ashley snorted. “Hmm...maybe you do know me too well! I really did think it would help you out, but yeah, there is something I'd like to check.” She explained about the argument she and Patty saw and her idea for finding out who the other man was.

  “That's actually a pretty good idea,” Ryan agreed. “I'll give Seagrass Video a call to tell them that it's okay to release the files to you. They should have a zip drive ready for you to pick up.”

  Excited about the new potential lead, Ashley said goodbye, quickly washing up her breakfast dishes and setting the kitchen to rights. Tucking a few extra homemade doggie treats into her tote bag, she called Dizzy into the house, then grabbed the leash, her purse, and her work tote, and hurried out to her car.

  “C'mon, Dizzy girl,” Ashley said as she opened the passenger door so Dizzy could climb into the back. “We need to make a stop at the video production company before we meet Patty at Seagrass Sweets, and I don't want to be too late getting to work. Hopefully, I can persuade someone at the video place to show the pictures of the rehearsal dinner to us.” She took a minute to text her business partner, alerting her that she might be a few minutes late arriving at the shop without taking the time to explain what was going on. She figured they could talk about that at the kitchen later, and maybe they could brainstorm the next steps to take in their unofficial investigation.

  On the way, Ashley thought about how she might convince the photographer to show the footage to her. She finally decided to just wait to see how the person reacted to her initial request and to take her cues from that. She also tried to come up with another suspect or two to add to the list.

  “Hello,” a young man greeted her. “Welcome to Seagrass Video. My name is Andy. What can I do for you today?”

  This may be easier than I thought. He must have just gotten out of college. Maybe he won't know too much about who he should and shouldn't show videos to.

  “Hi,” Ashley said. “I'm looking for a copy of some video that was shot the other day—the r
ehearsal dinner for Robin Andrews and Cash Hurley?”

  “Are you Robin?” the young man asked. “Or maybe Cash?”

  “No,” Ashley laughed, hoping to give the impression that it didn't matter. “I'm supposed to pick it up for Ryan Brady, the IT consultant—I guess there's some kind of software problem or something? He's swamped at work today, so I told him I'd stop by and get it for him.”

  The young man looked at her, his expression showing that he wasn't buying her story. “I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to release video to anyone except the customers who paid for it unless I have permission in writing, and I don't know anything about a copy for any consultant.”

  “Is there someone you could ask?” Ashley questioned. “I know Ryan called this morning to let y'all know that I would be picking it up in his place. There's supposed to be a DVD or a thumb drive or something waiting.”

  Andy hesitated then nodded. “I'm the only one here but hold on while I look in the back. My boss was here earlier so maybe he left a note or something that I missed. If I don't see it, I'll give him a call.” Shortly, he returned to the counter with a zip drive in his hand.

  “Found it,” Andy said. “There was a note to give it to Ashley Adams. I assume that's you?”

  “Yes, I'm Ashley. Do you need to check my ID or something?” she said.

  “Naw,” Andy drawled. “I'll take your word for it. To know the IT dude's name and all that would be an awful lot of work if you were just trying to scam us out of a single video. They aren't worth that much although I'd never tell my boss that!” He snickered.

  “Hey, I'm also one of Robin's friends, and I catered the party,” Ashley said. “I'm hoping there are some shots I can use on my website—you know, for publicity? Is there any chance we could look at the video here?”

  Again, Andy looked ready to turn down her request so she hurried on. “Okay, look, that is true, but the main reason I want to look at it is that the bride's uncle was killed at the dinner. He was arguing with someone earlier in the evening, and I'm really hoping there's a picture of the men on the video. I can look at it on my computer later, but it would really save a lot of time if we could take a quick look to see if we can find them. Robin and Cash really want to find out who killed Mr. Andrews, and I promised to try to help.”

  Andy thought a moment, looking closely at her face. “You're a caterer, you said?” he asked. When she nodded, he continued. “Well, maybe we can make a deal. I haven't had a good, home-cooked meal in months, and I'm not going to get one anytime soon if I have to depend on my own cooking. How about we make a trade?”

  Ashley smiled. “I could bring you some beef stew and a pan of lasagna. They would both be a good meal if you added a salad and maybe some cornbread or garlic bread from the grocery store. What kind of sweets do you like? You'd need some dessert, I'm sure!” She winked at him.

  “You know it! I like just about anything chocolate,” Andy enthused. “Even I can manage to make a tossed salad, too! If you bring me something like those, you can see as much of any footage as many times as you want!”

  Ashley laughed and promised to bring the dishes over that afternoon, along with reheating instructions. “You can even put part of them in the freezer for later if you want. Will you be here all day?”

  Andy nodded. “I'm here until 5 o'clock. And if you hold tight for a sec, I can show the video to you. I don't have anything else more pressing to do anyway.” He hopped up from his chair and dashed to the back room. A few minutes later, he came back with a laptop.

  “Here you go,” Andy said, turning it so she could see the screen. “This is a copy of the original, uncut footage from that night. That way maybe you can still find your guy even if he was edited out of the final copy. If you do see him, I can get you some hard copy stills from the file.”

  Ashley thanked him and promised to deliver the food before the end of the day. “In fact, if this helps solve the problem, I'll owe you even more—maybe even a few cooking lessons,” she told him. Then she hurried back to the video, eager to see what it might reveal.

  “There!” Ashley cried out. “That's them right there! Can we print that shot?” Andy clicked a couple of menu items and then reached behind him to pick up the copies from the printer.

  “Here's a few extra copies,” Andy said. “That way, you can give one to someone else if you need to.”

  Ashley thanked him, promised again to deliver his food before the end of the day, and then headed back to Seagrass Sweets.

  While she waited for Patty to arrive, Ashley brewed a pot of tea then gave Dizzy some fresh water and a few doggie treats. Just as Ashley started to pull Andy's meals and some caramel turtle brownies from the freezer, she heard Patty come in through the back door.

  “Well, cheri, I see you made it, after all,” Patty teased. “When I got your text, I thought you might sleep the whole day away! I've been to the winery outside of town already. Wait until you taste the new white I found!”

  “Aw, come on,” Ashley mock-scowled at her partner. “It's only 9:30, and I have already paid a visit to a local business.

  “What? Where did you go?” Patty asked. “Was it about a catering gig? I just came from the grocery, but I can go back if I need to pick up anything else.”

  “No, I didn't mean to get your hopes up or to make you panic,” Ashley laughed. “No, I stopped by the video production company that was filming at the rehearsal dinner to pick up a file for Ryan. The guy at the shop showed me the video and made me some copies of a couple of scenes. I'm going to ask Robin if she would give Ryan permission to share the video with me so we can look a little deeper.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?” Patty asked. Ashley quickly explained while she pulled one of the photos from her tote bag.

  “Take a look at this picture and see if you recognize the man I'm talking about,” Ashley invited. “Or maybe you'll see something suspicious in the background or think of something to find us a couple of suspects. Patty, we just have to help Robin and Cash with this. We can't let either of them take the blame for something so awful. I know neither of them had anything to do with murdering Howard Andrews!”

  “Okay, it's okay,” Patty soothed. “I'll do anything I can to help. Let's check out the shot. Then you can tell me why you are so sure that Robin's fiancé didn't do away with the man who treated him so horribly.”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Ashley exclaimed. “I dropped some food by for Robin and Cash yesterday, and I had a chance to talk to him alone. He told me that he's started smoking again, from the stress of the wedding and Howard's nastiness. When he left us heading for the garden, it was to sneak a cigarette. Apparently, the sheriff has cleared him, based on that alibi. And I do believe him, both about not hurting Howard and about his struggle to stop smoking before Robin finds out.”

  “That poor man!” Patty said. “I can definitely empathize with that struggle. It was tough when I stopped, and there were a lot of times when I wasn't sure I could do it. I couldn't sleep, I jumped at the smallest sound, and I was so irritable I sounded like I was going to turn murderous myself!”

  “I remember,” Ashley sniggered. “Seriously, though, I told Cash about that—just a little—to encourage him that he can do it. And I told him to give you a call so that you could give him some advice on how to get through it.”

  “Of course, I will,” Patty nodded. “If nothing else, I can tell him that the physical withdrawal from nicotine only lasts a couple of weeks, at the most. After that, it's a matter of avoiding your personal triggers or distracting yourself from them. I'd be more than happy to offer him any help I can.”

  Ashley smoothed the photo onto the prep table and poured her partner a cup of tea while Patty studied the men arguing in the photo. While she waited, Ashley mixed up a batch of the two-ingredient soufflé she perfected the night before, making individual servings to have something for Patty to taste. She could also take a couple of the extras back to Andy and save some for Ryan, too.
>
  “Do you know him?” Ashley asked Patty after a few minutes. “I don't recognize him at all.”

  “Hmm ... no, I don't recognize him for sure,” Patty replied. “But he does look familiar, somehow. Somewhere in the back of my mind, there's something nudging me that makes me think he has something to do with Mr. Andrews’ business. Let me think about it a bit.”

  “Let's do some online snooping,” Ashley said, winking at Patty. “It's time for a little social media surfing, don't you think? Wanna bet Andrews Construction has a Facebook page and a Twitter feed?”

  “You're the expert there. I've just never gotten interested in those although I do love surfing the net,” Patty said. “Work your magic, and let's see what we can discover.”

  Connecting the dots didn’t take long, especially when Ashley found a Facebook album that included pictures from several company events, with tags for all the people in the shots.

  “That's him,” Patty said, pointing at a picture of Howard Andrews and their mystery man at what looked like a holiday party. “Who does it say he is?”

  Ashley looked at the tagline and replied, “That's Royce Starling. I remember Robin mentioning him. He is ... well, he was Howard Andrews’ business partner. Robin said that they've been arguing almost nonstop lately, but she didn't know what it was all about. I wonder how serious and how heated those arguments got?”

  “I can't answer that but look at the comments on this post about a historic renovation job the company did,” Patty pointed out. “This Chantelle person has really got a hate on for Andrews Construction. She's got a lot of nasty things to say. She accuses them of using inferior products and of charging for work they didn't do. There are some things here that they could have sued her over!”