by Amber Crewes
“Thank you. My husband and I would like to thank you all for your generosity tonight! The Fisher Foundation is an integral part of Sandy Bay, and it is your generosity that helps us help others! Please give yourself a round of applause!”
The guests clapped politely, and Kirsty passed the microphone to her husband.
“Hello, all! I’m Vince Fisher, and I would like to thank you for being here!”
Meghan leaned over to Karen as the crowd again clapped for the Fishers. “They are such an attractive couple,” Meghan said, her voice tinged with longing. She watched as Kirsty gazed up at her husband, her eyes brimming with adoration. Vince returned the loving look, and Meghan turned away, feeling embarrassed at the feelings that flooded her as the Fishers exchanged such intimate looks amidst the hundreds of guests.
Karen placed an arm around Meghan’s shoulder. “They are a perfect couple. We’re lucky to have such a couple in Sandy Bay! But don’t you worry, Meghan. You’ll find someone someday who looks at you the way Kirsty and Vince look at each other. It will happen.”
The Fishers thanked each vendor for their participation, and Meghan received a standing ovation for her desserts. She gave a little curtsy as the crowd cheered for her, and she knew that she had made the right decision in helping Kirsty. As she and Lori tore down their booth at the end of the night, Meghan’s heart was filled with joy. Her business had received significant attention at the event, Jack had seen her in her beautiful dress, and she had garnered the approval of the Fishers, one of the wealthiest, most powerful couples in town! As Meghan packed away the remaining desserts, she felt as though the best days in her new home in Sandy Bay were surely ahead of her.
3
“THANK YOU FOR COMING to the rescue tonight,” Kirsty cooed to Meghan as the last of the guests shuffled out of the ballroom. “Your treats were a hit! I didn’t try them myself as I’m on a no-sugar, no-carb, no-nonsense diet, but everyone else was raving about them! I will certainly book you for our next event. Toodles!”
Kirsty walked away, and Meghan smiled, pleased that Truly Sweet’s reputation would finally be free of the blemish from the murder scandal. Accepting Kirsty’s proposal had been a wise business decision, and in celebration, Meghan surreptitiously pulled a brownie out of her small, beaded clutch. Feigning a cough, she moved the gloved-hand holding the brownie to her lips, eager to taste the delectable dessert that had received such wonderful attention at the Fisher Fest. Meghan stuffed the brownie into her mouth, and before she could help herself, she let out a moan of delight.
“Meghan?”
Kirsty had returned! Meghan clasped her hand to her mouth, embarrassed to have been caught in the act of eating her own brownies again.
“Mhhumhmm,” Meghan mumbled, trying to force the brownie down her throat as Kirsty stared up at her. Her heart pounded in her chest; Kirsty was an intimidating woman, and she made Meghan nervous.
“Are you alright?” Kirsty asked, raising one eyebrow.
Meghan nodded, and finally, she managed to swallow the brownie. She used her hand to brush the crumbs off of her face and smiled at Kirsty.
“Did you need something?” Meghan asked, her heart thundering furiously in her chest as Kirsty shook her head.
“I thought I had left my purse here, but I see that my husband has it,” Kirsty said, pointing across the room at Vince. “Oh, Meghan! Thanks once more for the brownies. I wish I could have indulged! You are just so lucky; it must be so nice not to not even worry about your figure. Anyway, Vince and I are leaving! Thanks again! Toodles!”
Kirsty blew a kiss as she walked away, and Meghan turned back to her booth.
“What a night,” Meghan murmured.
********************
The next morning, Meghan let herself sleep in; she hadn’t even arrived home until one in the morning, and as the late morning sunshine brightened her room, she snuggled further beneath the covers, enjoying the lazy start to the day. She had even given Lori a paid day off; Lori had been such an asset during Fisher Fest, and Meghan was pleased to return the favor.
Meghan rolled over beneath her thick, purple comforter and yawned. Her thighs ached from tottering around in high heels all night, and with only a few orders to attend to later in the afternoon, she did not see any reason to leave her comfortable bed until at least noon.
“Meghan! Meghan!”
Meghan propped herself up on her elbow and furrowed her brow. She wasn’t expecting anyone; had she just imagined someone calling her name?
“MEGHAN!!!”
Meghan sat up in bed, pulling the comforter up to her chin. Who was yelling for her? It was a Saturday morning, and Meghan’s head was foggy with exhaustion. She slowly tucked her messy dark hair into a low bun, still listening for her name and hoping that she had perhaps dreamed the sound of the shouting.
“MEGHAN! It’s Lori! Meghan, you have to let me in now!”
“Lori?” Meghan muttered to herself as she crawled out of her bed and hastily tied on her shabby blue bathrobe. “Why on Earth is Lori here today? Did she forget that I gave her the day off?”
Meghan slipped her feet into her favorite pair of brown slippers and walked downstairs. She could hear Lori shouting her name, and she tore open the door to find her assistant in tears.
“Lori?” Meghan asked, her voice filled with concern. “What is going on?”
Lori clumsily pushed past and stepped inside, tears streaming down her face. She lowered herself to the floor and grabbed her knees, folding herself into a small ball. Her skin was mottled, and her hair was unkempt. Meghan had only seen Lori in such a state during the murder scandal several weeks ago, and she felt a lump in her throat as she studied the upset girl in front of her.
“They’re dead, Meghan, and it’s our fault.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Who? Who is dead, Lori?”
Still huddled on the floor, Lori began to shake. “The Bishops! Brian and Amy? They stopped by our booth last night for brownies, and now, they are dead!”
Meghan felt her body grow cold. She tried to maintain composure as she tried to understand what Lori was telling her. After taking a long pause, Meghan shook her head, placing a hand on Lori’s shoulder.
“Lori,” Meghan said kindly. “Lori, the Bishops’ death has nothing to do with us! I baked the brownies myself, and you helped me with everything. It’s horrible that they are dead, but I don’t think it had anything to do with us!”
Lori’s somber eyes met Meghan.
“The police are saying it was poison, and they’re saying it was from food at the event.”
Meghan placed her other hand on Lori’s other shoulder.
“Lori,” Meghan said, this time with an air of sternness. “Lori, there were dozens of vendors and foods present at the event. There is no way that my brownies had anything to do with their deaths. They probably ate pounds of other foods at the event!”
Lori’s eyes widened.
“They didn’t, Meghan,” Lori said quietly. “The police already spoke with their twin sons, Jake and Josh. Jake and Josh went to Fisher Fest with their parents, and they’ve sworn that their parents had dinner out before the event. Jake and Josh told the police that their parents have some sort of serious dietary restriction, and they don’t usually eat out. Josh said that they made an exception last night with your treats, and that he saw both of his parents eating them at the event, and that they think you had something to do with it!”
Meghan’s stomach churned. She felt the lump in her throat grow larger, and tears threatened to cascade down her round cheeks.
“It’s our fault, Meghan! They ate our brownies, and now, they are dead!” Lori sobbed.
Meghan lowered herself to the ground and stared into Lori’s eyes.
“Do you know anything else, Lori?” Meghan asked.
Lori shook her head. “Everyone in town knows. The Bishop boys found them this morning and went to the police, and now everyone is talking about it! I heard that the polic
e will be here soon to interview us. I don’t know how this happened, Meghan. They’ve done some testing already, and they’re saying that the Bishops’ brownies must have been poisoned during the event. Oh, Meghan, this is terrible!”
Lori burst into loud, wet, heaving sobs, and Meghan could not contain her emotions any longer. Her brownies and her character were going to be at the center of another murder scandal, and as Lori sobbed beside her, Meghan joined in, her own body shaking as fear and sadness consumed her.
Suddenly, there was a loud rap on the door.
“Sandy Bay Police! Open up!”
4
THE NEXT FEW DAYS were a whirlwind, and Meghan felt as though she were living in a nightmare; every single order she had, including the massive corporate order for the Weeks Group, had been unceremoniously cancelled despite Meghan and Lori’s innocence having been declared by the Sandy Bay Police. The police had interviewed both Meghan and Lori on the morning after Fisher Fest, and after a few questions, it was obvious that neither Meghan nor Lori had any knowledge of the Bishops’ deaths.
“Both of you should lay low while we sort the rest of this out,” Officer Nunan, a seasoned officer, had cautioned the women. “We are confident that neither of you had anything to do with this, but this is a small town, and with Ms. Truman being new around here, and with everything that happened with the murder a few weeks ago, it might be best if you got out of town for awhile.”
Meghan had stared at Officer Nunan, nodding her head.
“I’ll be sending another officer out in a few days to check in and maybe collect a few samples, but like I said, I feel confident that neither of you have anything to do with the deaths,” Officer Nunan said, her voice authoritative as she scanned Meghan and Lori’s faces. “You both take care now, and if you hear anything, you come straight to me.”
Meghan and Lori had nodded obediently at Officer Nunan, and with a tip of her hat, Officer Nunan left the bakery. Almost immediately, the phone began ringing, and Meghan and Lori spent the next three hours taking notes of each and every order cancellation.
“I cannot believe this is happening,” Meghan had muttered to herself after her last order was cancelled. “Not again.”
The chiming of the little silver bells grabbed Meghan’s attention, and she looked to the front door of the bakery. Sally Sheridan, one of Sandy Bay’s grumpiest older ladies, walked into Truly Sweet, a look of disdain on her wrinkled face.
“Lori,” Meghan whispered. “Lori, it’s a customer. Put on a nice face!”
Lori wiped the tears from her eyes and pasted a smile on her lips. “Good morning, Mrs. Sheridan!” Lori chirped.
Mrs. Sheridan vigorously shook her head. “It’s not a good morning, and I hear this dreadful bakery is to blame once again!”
Meghan bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep calm.
“Mrs. Sheridan,” Meghan replied sweetly. “The police have already been here, and they stated that I had nothing to do with the deaths of the Bishops. It’s just terrible, but I’m not to blame, and neither is my assistant!”
Mrs. Sheridan frowned. She reached into the large alligator-skin purse draped over her arm and retrieved a small box. Mrs. Sheridan shoved the box to Meghan.
“I want to return this for a full refund!” Mrs. Sheridan declared. “It’s one of your brownies from the event last night. These things are poisonous, and I want a refund!”
Meghan cocked her head to the side. “Mrs. Sheridan,” she began slowly. “We didn’t sell the brownies at Fisher Fest. We simply provided desserts. If you did not purchase the brownie, I cannot give you a refund.”
Mrs. Sheridan stared into Meghan’s eyes. “That’s preposterous! Your brownies killed the Bishops, and I want a refund!”
Meghan glanced at Lori and could see that her assistant was on the verge of a meltdown. Meghan sighed, but reached into the cash register and pulled out five dollars. She carefully placed each bill on the counter in front of Mrs. Sheridan, and Mrs. Sheridan snatched up the money and hobbled out of the bakery.
“Last time, your apple pie gave me diarrhea, and now, your brownies are killing people! The nerve!” Mrs. Sheridan ranted to herself as she slammed the door behind her.
Meghan could feel her shoulders relax as Mrs. Sheridan left, but Lori did not look relieved.
“Lori,” Meghan said gently. “Go home. It’s Saturday. Go home, stay home, and don’t come back until at least Wednesday. It’s going to be quiet here, and you need to take care of yourself.”
Lori nodded. She embraced Meghan, and left the bakery.
On Tuesday, Meghan was mopping the bakery’s wooden floors when she heard a knock at the door. It had been a quiet week; not a single walk-in customer had visited Truly Sweet, and Meghan had started locking the front door as a precaution. People in town had been quite cold; at the grocery on Sunday evening, fellow customers navigated their carts away from Meghan as she walked down the aisles, and the check-out man didn’t say a word to her. Meghan could tell that everyone in Sandy Bay thought she was to blame for the Bishops’ deaths, and she was worried someone might retaliate against her.
The knocking continued, and Meghan propped the wet mop against the counter and tiptoed to the front door.
“Hello?” Meghan called out.
“Meghan? It’s Jack. Jack Irvin?”
Meghan’s heart began to flutter. Jack was here to check on her! He had looked so dapper at Fisher Fest, and despite the current situation, Meghan was happy that Jack was here. She threw open the door, and he smiled down at her.
“May I come in?” Jack asked politely. Meghan nodded. Seeing the wet floor, Jack edged around the perimeter of the room, stopping to lean against the counter above a dryer patch of floor.
“How are you doing?” Jack asked.
“I’m fine, I guess,” Meghan answered. Jack gave her a pitying look.
“Maybe it’s time you lay off the brownies for good, Meghan” he answered, gazing up and down her curvy body. Meghan’s cheeks grew red. “They seem to get you in all sorts of trouble.”
The fluttering of Meghan’s heart stopped; she was irritated by Jack’s tone. He was being condescending, and Meghan folded her arms across her chest in response.
“What can I do for you, Officer Irvin?” Meghan asked, adding the formality of Jack’s title in her address to let him know that she was displeased.
Jack stepped back, aware that Meghan was annoyed.
“I’m here to check on you. Officer Nunan wanted someone to come out and make sure you are doing alright,” he responded.
Meghan nodded her head. “I’m just great,” she said. “I’m innocent, but everyone in this town thinks I had something to do with another murder. My orders are all cancelled, including the Weeks Group corporate order, and I have no customers.”
Jack nodded his head. “Well, sorry to rain more on your parade, but I just wanted to let you know that my team might be coming out later to collect some brownies.”
Meghan rolled her eyes. “This is crazy!”
Jack raised one eyebrow. “It’s a murder investigation, Meghan,” he said. “We have to take every measure to understand what happened.”
Meghan narrowed her eyes at Jack. “I saw you eating my brownies at the event, Officer Irvin,” she said. “Who is to say that you don’t have something to do with this?”
Jack shook his head. “I’m just following procedures, Meghan. This isn’t personal.”
Meghan lowered her head and stared at her feet. “This bakery felt like the one thing I ever did right in my life,” Meghan said softly. “And now, it’s all ruined.”
Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Well,” he said. “Like I said, maybe sweets just aren’t for you.”
He turned on his heel to leave, and Meghan followed him.
“Thanks for your visit, Officer Irvin,” Meghan said curtly as Jack stepped outside.
“No problem,” Jack answered as he walked toward his police car. Meghan could see Dash, Jack�
��s adorable golden retriever, wagging his tail on the front seat. For an instant, her heart warmed, but as Jack drove away, her heart grew heavy again.
“What am I going to do?” Meghan murmured, going back inside the bakery and locking the door behind her. She returned to her mop, but before she could begin cleaning once more, she heard another knock at the door.
“Go away, Officer Irvin!” Meghan yelled, frustrated that Jack had returned.
“Meghan? Meghan! It’s me!” Karen Denton shouted. “Come let me in, sweetie!”
Meghan felt relief. Karen was here! She carefully walked to the door and found her dear friend smiling up at her.