Death by Chocolate Cake
A Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery
Stacey Alabaster
Fairfield Publishing
Contents
Copyright
Message to Readers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Thank You!
Copyright © 2016 Fairfield Publishing
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for review quotes, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.
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Chapter 1
Belldale, Summer Time
"Are you ready for your close-up, Rach?"
"Huh?" I asked, leaning closer to the camera. "I thought this was just a test run! I haven't even got my makeup on yet! Don't tell me this is actually going to go to air?"
"Relax," Justin, the producer of Baking Warriors, said as he rolled his eyes at me. "I'm just teasing you. We'll shoot the proper intros tomorrow. This is just to test the lighting."
I let out a sigh of relief. Not only was my make-up not 'reality TV star ready', I hadn't even memorized the script. Yes, reality shows have a script. And even though I hadn't been officially cast yet, I still had to shoot the dreaded intro shot where I gave my name, age, and some pithy quote about how the other contestants needed to watch out for me and my supreme baking talents.
Justin ushered me away from the cameras and placed his arm around my shoulders. "Rach," he whispered, "about the age thing."
I stopped. "About what age thing?"
He peered at me through his thick-rimmed glasses with his hand perched on his hips. "Your age thing. We're thinking...instead of saying that you're twenty-six, we go with twenty-two. Hmm?" He looked me up and down. "You could just about pass. For a 'TV' twenty-two anyway. Not in real life."
I just stared at him. "Twenty-six is old now?"
Justin shrugged. "Twenty-two just sounds better, doesn't it?" He waved his hand. "That way we can showcase you as the young contestant, the wunderkind that runs her own bakery at just twenty-two." He glanced down at his tablet like it held more interesting content to him than the conversation. "After all, twenty-six is not all that impressive, is it?"
I thought it was. And if he really wanted some kind of interesting angle to my on-screen personality, well, there were always the recent murders I had solved. For just a second I considered telling him everything, but there was a reason I had left out my history as an amateur sleuth when I'd auditioned. I had to remember that was not what I wanted to be known for if I did end up being cast on the show. "Why not just shave off a few more years then? Why don't we just tell the viewers I'm eighteen, go all the way with it?"
Justin glanced up from his tablet. "Oh, honey, we've got to be realistic here."
I'd only sent in my audition tape to Baking Warriors on my best friend Pippa's insistence last year. When I hadn't heard anything back eight months later, I'd totally forgotten about it. Then I got the call: the show was doing 'round the country auditions for its fourth season and they were coming to Belldale to film an audition episode. Of course, the producers had already whittled down the auditionee list to a final ten but they were still putting on the pretense of an open cattle-call style audition the following day, where any amateur baker in Belldale could come along and ‘audition' to be on the show.
"You'll be here at 5:00 AM tomorrow, right?" Justin called out to me, temporarily removing the earpiece that I thought was a permanent addition to his head.
I nodded. "5:00 AM. I really need to get out of here now though." I stopped, my hand poised on the studio door as Justin listened to something in his earpiece. He held his hand up, a sign that I was to stay put.
"We just need to do one last test."
"Justin!" I double-checked the time on my phone. Yep, I was already late. Pippa was going to kill me if I left her stranded. "I really, really have to go."
He ushered me back over to chair. "We must leave nothing to chance. Trust me, honey, it is my neck on the line here."
I sat back in my chair and groaned inwardly. Was the chance of becoming a reality TV star really worth all this hassle? We hadn't even started shooting yet—heck, I hadn't even gotten cast yet—and it had already taken over my life.
I sat there for a few minutes then jumped to my feet. "All right, is that it?" I grabbed my purse and ran for the door before Justin even had the chance to look at me again, let along drag me back to that chair.
"5:00 AM!" I heard him calling through the swinging doors as I bolted for my car. "5:00 AM, Rachael, and not a moment later!"
"The 10:10 flight from Oregon has been delayed."
Groans came from the arrivals lounge. Personally, I couldn't decide whether I was relieved or annoyed. A small delay I would have been pleased with, as I was already twenty minutes late, but an hour's delay? I kept looking at the time, trying to figure out how much sleep I could get before my call time. "If the flight gets in at 11:10, and it takes twenty minutes for Pippa to find her luggage, and it takes an hour to drive back to Belldale, and Pippa and I take a half-hour catching up, and I need a half-hour to get ready in the morning, and there's a forty-five minute drive to the studio..."
Great, that was about two and a half hours of sleep.
I tapped my foot nervously as I waited for the check-in list to finally light up yellow over the delayed flight's name to show that the plane from Oregon had touched down. I wasn’t even sure why I was so nervous. I was acting more like I was waiting for a long lost lover than a long lost best friend. It was just that Pippa always had a habit of surprising me.
But in her last email, she had promised me that there were no great shocks awaiting me when she stepped off the plane. "Honestly, Rach, no new piercings, no crazy new hair style. I'm not pregnant and I haven't adopted a kid! I've just had a nice, boring vacation chasing paranormal entities."
Well, we would see about that. There were plenty of things that she could have left off that list.
But her not having any big news suited me at that moment because I couldn't wait to tell her about Baking Warriors. I'd managed to keep the news of the audition quiet, even though Pippa had always told me she'd kill me if I ever kept a secret from her.
She was going to practically wet herself when she heard the news. I'd been reluctant to even audition, but Pippa was convinced that I would make the perfect contestant on her second favorite television show, behind Criminal Point.
I wanted to see her face when I finally told her.
I just hoped she wasn't going to shock me before I had a chance to surprise her.
"Miss." An elbow dug into my side. "Flight's here."
I sat up and apologized for falling asleep on the strange guy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he said as I zipped up my jacket, sinking into it as I tried to hide my reddening face. I glanced at the time on the arrivals list. At least I'd manag
ed to sneak in an extra half-hour's sleep.
Everyone pushed and jostled for position as I tried to spot Pippa in the crowd. She'd promised no crazy hairstyles but I'd seen her most recent photos and knew her present hair color was purple. In Pippa's world, though, that is not crazy. That is normal. Crazy for her would be, like...shaving an obscene word into an otherwise baldhead, or something. I hoped she hadn't done that. Especially if she was going to work at my bakery while I was away shooting the show.
There she was. The wild lavender hair made her stand out in the crowd.
But she was not alone as she walked, practically skipped, up the long hall of the arrival’s lounge. I tried to push to get to her, but the crowd was too thick and I ended up with a sharp heel in my foot as a lady with a large bouffant stepped back on me.
I guess I'll wait my turn then.
"Who is that?" I whispered, looking at the handsome stranger walking far too close to Pippa. "Please tell me it's just someone she met on the plane, a new friend." They moved closer to each other and Pippa had a gross love-struck look on her face. "Oh no, don't do that!" I said as the man reached for Pippa's hand and gripped it in his before giving it a kiss.
They remained linked like that until they reached me, standing there with an expression that was frozen into a wide-eyed grin.
Pippa turned her grin towards me and started bouncing up and down. "Rach," she said, sucking in a breath of excitement. "Don't get mad at me, okay, but I have a little surprise for you." She turned back towards the mysterious stranger and started bouncing higher.
"Who is this?" I asked through gritted teeth, though I was still smiling. I tried not to panic.
"This," Pippa said dramatically, like she was about to announce the winner of a reality show competition, "is Marcello!" She dropped his hand and shoved hers in my face, pointing to a gigantic bauble on her ring finger.
"Rach!" she said, jumping up and down. "We got married!"
"W...what?"
She shoved the ring further into my face. Yep. It was a ring.
"When...when did this happen?"
Pippa snuggled into this so-called Marcello, who reached for my hand and kissed it. "It is wonderful to meet you," he said with an accent I couldn't quite place.
I gulped. "You too. Pippa...can I just...have a quick word with you."
"Wait here for a moment, sweetheart," Pippa said to Marcello before smothering his face with kisses. "Just a bit of girl talk."
I ushered her off to the side.
"What is it?"
"Pippa, how long have you know him?" I whispered.
"Oh, Rach, it doesn't matter how long we’ve known each other! It only matters how in love we are!"
"How long?"
Pippa looked sheepish. "Three weeks."
"Pippa!"
She looked up at me and pouted. "Aren't you happy for me?"
I sighed. "Yes," I said, reaching over to give her a hug. "I just can't believe my best friend got married without even telling me!" I leaned back and gave her a playful hit with my purse. "I wasn't even invited!"
Pippa shrugged as she moved back towards Marcello, like he was a magnet and she was a big piece of metal. "Don't worry, we haven't had the reception yet. I'm planning a big party in Belldale next week!" Snuggled under Marcello's arm, she turned back to me and asked, "You don't have anything big going on next week, do you?"
"Umm, actually..."
Chapter 2
Summertime had taken all of Belldale into its warm embrace. People were, in general, jollier at this time of year, the sun and heat making them lazier and less likely to stress out.
And less likely to commit murder. Belldale had been at peace for almost six months. No strange activity, no paranormal sightings, and no unexplained deaths.
It would almost have been boring if we weren't all in such cheerful moods. Summer was a good time of year for the hospitality business and everyone on our little food strip was doing very well, especially my shop, "Rachael's Boutique Bakery."
Which was why I was hesitant to leave it behind to go shoot a TV program for three months.
"I'll be fine! Of course you can leave me in charge!" Pippa squealed after I told her the news back in my apartment. "Rachael, there's no way you are missing this opportunity." She squealed again and clapped her hands.
"Okay, okay," I said, giggling a little. "Calm down though, I haven't made it through the final audition yet."
"Oh, you will though!" Pippa grabbed my hands and started jumping up and down. She was clearly still on a post-nuptial high. And I had to admit her newly rejuvenated enthusiasm for life was rubbing off on me, even though I was still skeptical about the stranger who was waiting in the next room.
"Where is he going to...fit?" I whispered, peering out the door. All I could see was the back of Marcello's head, all dark curls.
Pippa shrugged. "He's just going to have to snuggle up on the sofa with me!"
"Right…"
It wasn't the right time to have a talk about her maybe finding her own place and moving out, though I knew that moment would have to come.
I heard something breaking in the kitchen. "Oh," Pippa said, making a face. "Sorry about that. He’s a little clumsy. But that's all part of his charm." She patted me on the arm. "You'll get used to it. After all, we're going to get very cozy, the three of us living here together!"
I took a deep breath and smiled at her. "Yes, we are."
There was another crashing sound, followed by a loud, "Sorry about that!"
I wondered how much sleep I was actually going to get.
"Honey. You look terrible. Straight into makeup. That should take care of most of it." Justin shoved me towards a makeshift tent that was brimming with men and women in black shirts holding panels of powders and bronzers and looking even less awake then I was.
"Remember, we want her looking twenty-two!"
It was a long morning. And I mean LONG. When it was finally time for me to scurry my way past the line of hopefuls that thought they actually had a chance of making it onto the show, I felt like I was going to keel over. Two hours was the amount of sleep I'd gotten the night before. And right then I was running on caffeine and Justin's barked orders.
"Now," he said, brushing my hair off my shoulder and examining my face in his hands. "Do you remember what you have to tell the judges?"
I nodded groggily. "I'm twenty...two..."
Justin nodded. "What else."
"I own my own bakery. Baking has been my passion since I was a little girl. I baked my first cake when I was only three..."
Justin let out a long sigh.
"What?" I asked, a little offended.
"It's just not very exciting, is it?" He waved his hand in the direction of the crowd that lay outside the studio. "I mean, that might pass for excitement in this place, but it just doesn't make for very compelling TV, does it, darling?" Another sigh. "Are you sure there's nothing else interesting about you, honey?" He looked upwards and clucked his tongue. "Maybe we can make something up. Did you parents die when you were very young?"
"No!" I said. "And I'm not going to pretend they did. It's gotta be bad karma or something."
"Well, we have to think of something quick." He dared a look inside the judge's room. "Something that's going to impress them."
"What about my baking?" I asked, as though that should be the obvious answer. "I thought I was supposed to impress them with my super skills in the kitchen. Isn't that kind of the point of the show?"
Justin laid a hand on my shoulder and shook his head slowly. "Oh, sweetie, you really have no idea how this TV thing works, do you?" He consulted a list on his tablet. "Maybe you're a lost cause. One of these other guys might have an interesting back story...maybe something tragic in their past that we can get them to open up about."
"Wait!" I placed a hand on top of his tablet. "I do have an interesting sort of hobby,” I said reluctantly.
There was a slight glimmer of interest in Justin's
eyes. "Go on."
I took a deep breath and quickly told him everything that had happened in Belldale over the past year: the three deaths, the paranormal mysteries, and my part in solving the cases.
Justin's jaw was wide open by the time I'd finished. "Now, why didn't you lead with that?" He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and guided me to the judging room before lowering his voice. "I had no idea this town was so interesting. Huh. I've only been here a couple of days and I almost died of boredom."
"Yeah, well, it's definitely not boring all the time."
He raised an eyebrow. "I guess I just came at the wrong time of year then."
I shifted uncomfortably. "Things have been peaceful here recently. I don't want to jinx it. Besides..." I trailed off, a little reluctant to continue.
"Besides what?"
I shrugged. "All the deaths and stuff kind of gave the town a bad rap. I don't think certain members of the police department would like me bringing all that stuff up on national TV."
I could see the glimmer in Justin's eyes growing stronger. "Oh, honey," he said. "What 'certain members'? A man, I take it." He shot me a knowing look. "One that you dated, maybe?"
"No," I said quickly, wrapping my arms across my chest. "I just want to respect their wishes."
Justin nodded. "Don't worry, honey, I understand. We won't sensationalize anything." Then, into his walkie-talkie, he announced my audition number and name to the judges. "Up next we've got, Rachael. Belldale's very own number one Murder Expert!"
"Justin!"
There were three of them.
I tried to focus on the "nice" judge, a blonde lady named Dawn who was late middle-aged. She was known for giving the contestants constructive, rather than downright vicious, critiques. And I tried to ignore the glares of Pierre, the judge who was known for giving no holds barred criticism and occasionally reducing contestants to tears with his caustic barbs. Not that it dulled his popularity. Of the three judges, he was by far the most famous and the most beloved on social media.
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