Coffee Cake & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 7

by Susan Gillard

  “Anything interesting?” asked Heather.

  “No,” said Madame Minerva. “I told him that he was approaching a positive change in his life and that he should receptive to the idea of finding love because there was a strong possibility of bumping into someone who could make his soul feel alive.”

  "Did you ever have any trouble with Shirley Hunt?" Heather asked as they began gathering their things.

  “No,” said Madame Minerva. “We’ve done a few events together and have always been friendly. I think she might have had an incident with Garnet before, but I doubt it would be something worth killing over.”

  “That’s something we’ll have to look into,” said Heather.

  Garnet’s Guidance

  Garnet opened up her door before Heather had a chance to knock on it.

  “Neat trick,” said Maricela.

  “Please come inside,” said Garnet. “I know you’d like to discuss the tea reading event and subsequent death of Ms. Hunt.”

  “Another phone call,” Maricela muttered.

  “Another skeptic,” Amy responded.

  Garnet was dressed very casually in jeans and a pink sweater. She was a young woman who kept a neutral expression on her face. She led them to a table and started pouring them all coffee.

  “I believe you’re all tired of tea after all this,” Garnet said as she passed out their cups.

  “Coffee!” Amy said. “My hero.”

  Heather was more reticent.

  “Would you like me to sip from them before you drink to prove they are not poisoned?” Garnet asked.

  “No,” Heather said at last. “I don’t think you’d be able to get away with a triple homicide at your business. That would be very hard to cover up.”

  They all enjoyed a sip of coffee.

  “I wish we brought some Coffee Cake Donuts with us,” Amy said. “They would go great with this.”

  “We can have some donuts when we go back to the hotel,” said Heather. “But first, let’s get down to business.”

  “Wait a moment,” said Maricela. “Did everyone get their coffee exactly how they like it? Enough milk and sugar?”

  “Yes,” said Amy.

  “She never asked us how we like it,” said Maricela.

  “A lucky guess,” Garnet said with a little smile.

  “That’s awesome,” said Amy.

  “Coincidence,” said Maricela.

  “You wanted to get down to business?” Garnet asked.

  “Yes,” said Heather. “Though I suppose we’ve been focusing on motives and opportunity. Until you mentioned proving that our coffee wasn’t tampered with, I had forgotten about tracing the poison itself. I suppose it’s because we don’t have police cooperation this time, so we don’t know exactly what the poison was.”

  “I think it would be pretty difficult to track down the poison,” said Garnet.

  “Why?” asked Maricela.

  “Unless it’s something very unusual, there are lots of opportunities to obtain poison in the area,” Garnet said simply.

  “That’s great to know,” Amy said. “They ought to put that in the brochures.”

  "There are a lot of apothecaries in town," said Garnet. "You can't go in and ask for the poison to kill a person. But there are ways around it if you're determined. You could say you're looking for natural ways to kills pests around your house. Even if one shop will only sell you a small amount, you could go to another shop and build up your supply. If you pay cash at every location, there's no record of you buying it."

  “So that trail is a dud,” said Amy.

  “It would be better to focus on motive and opportunity then,” agreed Heather.

  “I can’t help with motive,” said Garnet. “I’ve only worked with her a few times, and I don’t know much about her personal life.”

  “We heard that you might have had an incident with the victim,” said Heather.

  “An incident?” asked Garnet.

  “That’s the word on the street,” said Amy.

  "I suppose we did have a slight problem at the beginning of last month. I didn't know that people were talking about it," said Garnet. "She forgot to pay me for the reading I did before she signed me up for the Halloween event. But she did pay, and I worked for her on Halloween."

  “That’s all there was to it?” asked Heather.

  “I just wanted to make sure I was paid for my first service before I did any more work for her,” Garnet said. “She understood.”

  Heather changed gears. "Now, you arrived before the guests did at the event?"

  “That’s right,” Garnet agreed. “I arrived to set up a little after Madame Minerva. And I had enough time to do a reading for the woman from the pet costume store before it started. She seemed to like her fortune better than the photographer did.”

  “Andy didn’t like his fortune from Madame Minerva?” Heather asked.

  “He seemed in a bad mood for a bit,” said Garnet.

  “Some people don’t like their love life being discussed like that,” Maricela said.

  “Did you have any of the food there?” asked Heather.

  “A few finger sandwiches,” Garnet replied. “I wanted to have some of the donuts, but she said they were bad. Shirly threw them all out.”

  “And the donuts she ate came from a box of hers?” prompted Heather.

  “Yes,” said Garnet. “She took them from there rather than disturbing the table set up. They were arranged to look like a pumpkin.”

  “That’s perfect for the Pumpkin Glazed Donut,” said Amy.

  “Was anyone near that box before she ate it?” Heather asked.

  "Oh dear," Garnet said. "I see what you're implying. Honestly, I think everyone who arrived early had access to them. Gwendolyn and the staff were bringing things out to put on the table and might have passed by it. Andy was walking all around, taking pictures. Even the pet costume lady was wandering around. Madame Minerva and I were mostly at the table, but it wouldn't have seemed odd if we had gotten up and ended up near those donuts."

  "So, everyone could have gotten poison, and everyone could have done it?" Amy summed up.

  “I’m sorry I’m not being much help now,” said Garnet. “But I know that you’ll solve this case.”

  “Thank you,” Heather said.

  Garnet’s phone rang and Heather told her that they had better be going anyway.

  They were walking out the door as they heard the conversation.

  “Hi Cassidy,” Garnet said. “Some private investigators are going to come over and ask me about Shirley? Okay. I’ll keep an eye out. Thank you.”

  Amy’s eyes widened. “This one is a real psychic.”

  The Cemetery

  “This trip has gone from bad to worse,” said Maricela.

  “It wasn’t starting on a high note since our whole visit for the trip was because somebody hated our donuts,” said Heather. “But then add in some poison? I agree with your sentiments.”

  “Yes. This trip has had its little problems,” Amy said.

  “Murder is a little problem?” Maricela asked.

  "But the trip isn't all bad," Amy continued undeterred. "We get to go to historical landmarks when we're taking a break."

  “We’re at a cemetery,” Maricela said. “They’re not high on my list places to go when on vacation.”

  "I know," Amy said. "And I usually avoid them like the plague. Maybe that's not the best comparison... Normally, I'd avoid them at all costs. But this is one of the things you have to do in Salem. You need to pay respect to the victims of the witch trials. And we don't have to go far inside where it's creepy. We'll just look at the markers made for the people accused of witchcraft, put down some flowers, and then look at happier things. Like the candy apple stand."

  “It’s sad,” Heather said. “They wouldn’t allow the people they convicted of witchcraft to be buried because they thought it would make the ground unconsecrated, so they never had a proper burial.”
/>   “And that’s why it’s so nice that we come here and leave carnations,” Amy said.

  It was actually a pretty solemn moment as they read the names of the accused witches and left their flowers at the markers. Heather was glad that they had made it a point to visit the site. It filled her with determination to make sure that justice was served in their current case.

  They left the cemetery and began strolling along the streets of Salem. It was a crisp fall day, and Heather was glad that she had brought a warm jacket. Since she moved to Florida, she had not needed her warmer layers very much but was happy to try them on again.

  “You both look deep in thought,” Amy commented. “What are you thinking about? The case? The witches?”

  “The case,” said Heather.

  “My reading,” Maricela admitted.

  As much as she wanted to solve the case, Heather felt like her friend and colleague needed some attention.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

  “It’s hard to talk about with you,” Maricela said. “You’re my boss.”

  “I’m also your friend,” said Heather. “And I don’t think there’s anything that will change either of those things.”

  “You also know Jung,” said Maricela.

  “Maybe that’s why I could be helpful,” Heather suggested. “I don’t want to pry. And you don’t have to tell us anything. But it sounds like maybe you need to talk to somebody.”

  “And I’m great at listening,” said Amy. “Almost as good as I am at talking.”

  Maricela smiled, but then said, “Things have been a little strained with Jung recently.”

  “Is it because you’re his boss now?” asked Heather.

  “Yes and no,” said Maricela. “I think I’m more serious at work now because of it. But he’s more serious in general.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Amy.

  “He was married before. And he’s had a crush on me for a long time. I think we are good together. But I think it’s all moving too fast. And then we had a fight before I left.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Heather said.

  "And so, I've just been feeling lousy about everything," said Maricela. "I felt like I was a bad manager because of the review, a bad girlfriend because of the fight, and now I feel like a bad investigator because I have absolutely no idea who the killer is."

  “Well, you’re not alone there,” said Amy.

  “And you’re not bad at any of those things,” Heather assured her.

  "Thanks," Maricela said. "Just talking about this has made me feel better. And much as I hate to say it, I think that fortune teller might have been right. I need to talk to Jung, and I need to make a decision."

  “And after you talk to him talk to us and tell us everything that happened,” Amy said.

  "This has been a tough case, and it is taking its toll on all of us. I suggest we go to the hotel and enjoy some Coffee Cake Donuts to boost our morale," said Heather. "And then I think I know what our next move should be. We should talk to Shirley's shop neighbors."

  “But we already spoke to them,” said Amy.

  “We spoke to them as witnesses about who entered the shop the day of the murder,” said Heather. “Not as suspects.”

  Pet Costumes and Photography

  “Did you come back for more photos?” Andy asked with a grin.

  “I do love the way I look in a witch’s hat,” Amy said. “But we’re here as investigators again.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think if I noticed anyone strange on the street the day she died, but I haven’t come up with anything,” he said.

  “We’re trying to know more about her,” said Heather.

  “You know,” said Amy. “To get a better picture of what she was like.”

  “We’ve been working next door to each other for a while,” said Andy. “I don’t know her intimately, but I also don’t know of any enemies she had. It’s a shame what happened.”

  “We heard she had an event on Halloween,” said Heather. “That they did tea leaf readings.”

  “That’s right. She asked me to take pictures of the event,” Andy said.

  “Of course,” Heather said, mentally hitting herself. “Why didn’t I think of it before? You were the photographer there. Did you take pictures before it officially started?”

  “I think so,” Andy said. “I took some test photos so I could adjust for the lighting. And I took a few of the food display.”

  “Can we see them?” Heather asked.

  “Yeah. I guess so,” said Andy.

  He led them behind the stage area for photos and back into his office. There was a backup printer for printing the photos, a desk with a computer on it, and several filing cabinets. Amy admired the labels on the filing cabinets. They said things like “vampires,” “witches,” and “group parties.”

  “Do you keep hard copies of all the photos?” Maricela asked.

  “Not anymore,” Andy said. “We’re going digital now, so the pictures are saved on the computer. If someone wants to order another copy, it’s easy to do so.”

  “You have two filing cabinets that say Werewolves,” Amy pointed out.

  “That’s a popular costume,” Andy said.

  “Why is one of the Werewolf cabinets locked?” Amy asked.

  “What?”

  "There's only one with a lock on it," said Amy. "None of the others do."

  “Oh. Um,” he said. “They used to all be locked, but I kept losing keys and decided it wasn’t necessary.”

  “Do you have the photos of the tea reading?” Heather reminded him.

  “Of course,” he said.

  He brought the folder of pictures up on his computer and printed them all out for her. She and the other investigators searched through them all, looking for someone close to the box of donuts.

  “A dead end,” Heather said.

  There were several pictures from before the event started. Amy pointed out a picture of an angry Shirley, which must have been after she ate the donut. However, there were no pictures that showed anyone near the victim’s donut box.

  “What are you looking for?” Andy asked.

  “Did you notice anyone near Shirley’s donuts that day?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t really remember,” Andy said. “There were several people there when I was though.”

  “The employees, the fortune tellers and the pet store lady?” Amy asked.

  Andy nodded. “Is there anything else I could help with? I’m sorry my pictures aren’t a clue. And that I didn’t know Shirley enough to help give suspects.”

  “Thank you for your time,” Heather said. “Do you mind if I take these copies with me?”

  “Go right ahead.”

  They started to head out when Maricela said.

  “Sorry you didn’t like your reading with Madame Minerva. I had some trouble with mine too, but I think it ended up being good advice.”

  “Who said I didn’t like my reading?” Andy asked.

  “Were we misinformed?” Heather asked.

  Andy shrugged. “Maybe I seemed a bit unhappy because it was a general sort of fortune about my business.”

  “Not about your love life?” asked Amy.

  “Oh. It might have been about my love life,” Andy said. “It was so vague and generic, I’ve almost forgotten about it.”

  “Well, thanks again,” said Heather.

  She looked at the pictures in her hands again. She couldn’t see anything that helped her pinpoint the killer, and yet she felt there was something important in the photos that she was missing.

  Heather had made the mistake of telling Patty that she had both a cat and a dog, and now the woman was leading her all around her store showing off potential costumes for the animals. Amy was amused by it all.

  “With this costume, Cupcake could be a real cupcake,” Amy said. “Or a little donut. That’s a great outfit.”

  “Until D
ave tries to eat her,” Heather countered.

  “I have all types of food costumes,” Patty told them. “I also have animal costumes. How would you like your little doggy to be an alligator? Or your kitten to be a Kodiak bear?”

  “I’d actually like to talk about what happened to Shirley Hunt,” said Heather.

  “Yeah,” Amy said. “Like we told you when we came in.”

  “I just don’t know what help I can be,” Patty said. “I was receiving new inventory the morning she was killed and didn’t pay much attention to what was happening on the street. I always get good deals on costumes right after the Halloween season, and then I need to update my displays to get people to buy everyday pet outfits.”

  “Because a fur coat is such an outdated look,” Amy joked.

  “When you were at the tea reading on Halloween, did you notice anything suspicious?” Heather asked.

  “Not really. I loved getting my fortune read. I’m not sure Andy did, but he cheered up quick enough. And then we had lovely food and tea. I wanted to get a donut after my reading, but Shirley said they were rotten.”

  “Did you notice anyone near her box of donuts that day?” Heather asked.

  “I don’t remember,” Patty said. “There was much excitement that day, and I was more focused on the fortunes.”

  They walked out of the pet shop without any more answers and with several silly outfits.

  “When we see and Dave and Cupcake dressed up as dinosaurs that interview will be worth it,” said Amy.

  “I guess so,” Heather said. She was starting to get eager to return home, but they still had their work cut out for them before they could leave. The detectives had told them that they weren’t allowed to leave town yet.

  They were starting to come up with a plan for what they could do next in their investigation when they received an urgent call from Cassidy.

  “You have to come over to Madame Minerva’s right away!”

  “Why?” Heather asked.

  “Someone just tried to kill her.”

  More Poison