by Holly Plum
“Cake, everyone,” a shrill voice cut through the crowd. “Have some cake while you wait.”
Joy couldn't believe her eyes. Maple had begun serving her cake again.
“Oh, that's a bit unprofessional,” Sara Beth mumbled.
“I'll say. She has no respect for the dead.” Joy sighed, watching as a line of people formed by Maple.
“That's because her manners are as stale as her cinnamon rolls,” Sara Beth said plainly. Joy tried to stop herself from laughing.
Another loud clap of thunder made everyone jump. The police glanced at one another as the rain started pouring down even harder. Their radios buzzed and hissed. All that could be heard through them was static.
Joy took Sara Beth's hand and moved them farther away from the rattling windows. They stopped when they almost ran into two women wearing hotel staff uniforms and holding catering trays.
“I can't believe Janet is gone, Susan. She was one of my best friends, you know?” one of the women sobbed. The woman named Susan handed her a tissue and nodded compassionately. “Janet wasn't even supposed to work today. Can you believe they're saying it's suicide? I don't believe it. Not one little bit."
Joy glanced at Sara Beth who gave her a knowing look. Sara Beth had recently begun to label her boss the truth finder and joked that Joy had superhero powers that helped her sift through lies. The problem was that Joy was against inviting any extra drama into her life. Joy hadn't even dated anyone for fear of bringing unnecessary stress into her already busy life of trying to keep her mother's baking afloat. But no matter how much Joy tried to avoid it, somehow drama found its way to her. Bridget's bridal shower had proved to be no exception.
The staff member named Susan caught Joy and Sara Beth looking at her curiously. She turned to face them.
“Hello, I'm Susan," Susan introduced herself. "Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Sorry,” Joy said sheepishly. “We didn't mean to eavesdrop.”
“I suppose you couldn't help it." Susan raised her eyebrows. "It's not every day the hotel is turned into a crime scene." Susan chuckled uncomfortably. "Just trying to lighten the mood."
Joy relaxed a little and Sara Beth smiled. The woman crying next to Susan nodded and then left the group in a hurry.
“I'm Susan.” Susan shook Joy's hand. "Don't mind my co-worker, Jessica. She's having a hard time working through her emotions right now. We all are."
“Pleased to meet you. I'm Joy, and this is my assistant, Sara Beth. We baked the cake – uh, I mean, we baked one of the cakes.”
“Oh, really? Not that one, I'm guessing?” Susan pointed to Maple who was boxing up the remaining quarter of her cake.
“No, the one that hasn't been served yet. I didn't think it was appropriate to serve cake after a tragedy like this.” Joy glared at Maple.
“I'd have to agree," Susan responded. "I certainly don't have an appetite after hearing about what happened to Janet.”
“Did you know her well?" Sara Beth stepped in with some gentle interrogation.
“Yes, we worked together," Susan admitted. "Janet and I rarely worked on the same floor, but I guess we knew each other pretty well.” She smiled with one side of her mouth.
“I'm so sorry for your loss,” Joy said.
“You must be devastated,” Sara Beth chimed in.
“To be honest, I think I'm in shock.” Susan lowered her voice. "The police are saying that Janet jumped. Janet doesn't seem like the sort of person who would ever do a thing like that." She paused and glanced over Joy's shoulder. “Listen, sorry to run but I have to go back to the kitchen. It was nice to meet you both.”
“Nice to meet you, Susan." Joy stepped aside.
"Likewise," Susan said. She sighed and hurried off just like her co-worker, Jessica, had done.
CHAPTER THREE
“Who was that?” Detective Sugar appeared beside Joy, holding a plate in one hand.
“Her name is Susan. She was just telling me about the woman who died. Hey, where did you get that cake?” Joy glared at him.
The Detective shrugged and quickly shoved a piece of cake in his mouth in an attempt to get rid of any evidence that he had visited Maple's cake display.
“Is that a piece of Maple's cake?” Joy asked. "Oh, Detective." She shook her head in disappointment.
"What?" The detective finished the last of his cake with haste. "Police work is very tiring."
“At least tell me it's a little dry,” Joy whispered, desperate to know if the cake was better than hers.
“I thought you were smart enough to not eat the cake of our enemy,” Sara Beth interrupted. "I guess that means no more cherry tart discounts."
“Maple insisted." The detective licked crumbs off of his fingers before fumbling through his jacket pockets, finally finding his notepad and pen. "Can we get back to business here?"
“My thought exactly," Joy responded. “And you won't get much help from us. We were slicing cake on the other end of the room when we heard the scream. I know I didn't see anything suspicious.”
“Maple says she didn't see you ladies until after the scream,” the detective reported.
“Oh she said that, did she?” Joy almost hissed. She squinted at Maple from across the room. The woman was watching them talk to the detective. Maple waved at Joy.
“That's ridiculous,” Sara Beth insisted. “Our cake is set up right next to hers, for crying out loud. You can see it right there. We were starting to serve people when the incident happened. You can ask anyone in this room…apart from Maple."
“I have," Detective Sugar responded. "You will be happy to know that you two are not on my suspect list. Now, tell me what that woman Susan said to you."
“I've already told you everything,” Joy insisted. "Why don't you look into Maple McWayne? If anyone around here is acting suspiciously, it is her."
“Susan did say that you all think it was suicide,” Sara Beth added. "Is that true? Did that poor employee kill herself?"
“It is too early to tell." The detective scratched his head. "We haven't found a note or any means of motivation. Janet was well-liked from what I can see."
Suddenly the speakers screeched with a deafening noise that caught everyone's attention. Joy looked at the stage where a man was waving his hands. Joy noticed he was wearing a suit with the Diamond Shell Hotel logo on the lapel.
“I'm sorry for interrupting, and for the tragedy that occurred here today,” The man motioned to Bridget who was standing close to the stage. She looked miserable as she held the locket that Willow had given her for her wedding day. “Our deepest apologies from all of us here at the Diamond Shell Hotel. But unfortunately, I have some more bad news. There is a tropical storm moving this way, and we have been advised by the authorities to keep everyone indoors until it has passed. The winds are incredibly dangerous.”
An uncomfortable murmur went through the crowd.
"Oh, great," Joy muttered.
“We have complimentary rooms for everyone," the man on the stage announced. "Please, stay indoors. Staying here for the night is the safest option at the moment."
Joy thought of her cat Cheesecake back home. With all of the thunder and heavy rain, she imagined that he was running wild through the house.
CHAPTER FOUR
With the party being officially over, the bridal shower guests dispersed quickly from the ballroom and retired to their rooms to wait out the storm. Joy, Sara Beth, and Detective Sugar's team made their way to the lobby after everyone else had cleared out of the ballroom. The detective wanted to keep an eye out for any clues he may have missed, and Joy wanted to keep an eye on her cake until Maple left. Joy boxed up her cake and double-knotted the ribbon.
The two receptionists working at the front desk of the hotel looked as though they had been out in the storm. Their hair was frizzy and out of place, their eyes were bloodshot, and they both slumped in their chairs. Joy chose to speak to the one who looked slightly less exhausted.
“I'm afraid that this complementary room situation was not particularly well planned,” the receptionist whispered to Joy, checking to make sure her boss wasn't within earshot. “And I'm afraid that means that we don't have enough rooms for everyone.”
“What are you saying?” Joy sighed.
“Just give us the room you have reserved for Mrs. McWayne.” Sara Beth leaned across the desk. “Maple. M-a-p-l-e McWayne. She won't mind at all. In fact, she was just saying how much she would love to forego sleeping and help out in your kitchens instead.”
“What are you talking about?" Joy frantically murmured, but Sara Beth paid little attention.
The receptionist stared blankly at the two of them before checking her computer. "I can bunk you two together in a room, but it only has one bed?"
“Fine,” Joy stated certainly. "But if you make me share a room with Maple, I'll be sleeping outside in the storm. That would be less painful."
“She's kidding.” Sara Beth wrapped an arm around Joy's shoulder. “We will share. No problem.”
Detective Sugar walked Joy and Sara Beth to their room. He was fond of the two bakers and wanted to make sure they felt safe.
“Will you two be okay on your own?” Detective Sugar asked as Sara Beth opened the door to their hotel room.
“We'll be fine, thanks,” Joy replied.
“I'm only a floor away. Keep your eyes peeled. Something isn't right around here. I can feel it my bones." The detective glanced up and down the hallway.
“Thanks, Detective Sugar,” Sara Beth said. She gasped as she observed the room. She had always wanted to stay at a big fancy hotel, and couldn't believe she was getting to do it for free.
“Thank you, Detective,” Joy repeated.
“No problem. Oh, and off of the record, Maple's cake was too sweet." The detective clasped his hands together. "I can't wait to try yours as well. I'm rooting for you." Detective Sugar winked at Joy and walked off toward the elevators.
Joy smiled, completely elated, and followed Sara Beth into their hotel room.
“It was too sweet!” Joy cried triumphantly as she shut the door behind her. Then she paused and thought for a moment. “We didn't use too much confectioner's sugar in the frosting, did we?"
“No way. It's perfect. We tasted that frosting at least thirty times.” Sara Beth threw open the closet doors and gasped at what she found.
“You're right,” Joy reassured herself. “Our cake is definitely not too sweet. We have an advantage over Maple. We will get the job to make the wedding cake for Bridget, right?”
“Look at this!” Sara Beth ignored Joy and pulled out a silk robe. She quickly threw it on over her clothes and began stroking her arm.
Joy turned her attention to the window. She saw the ocean through the torrential rain, but just barely. She saw the tops of huge waves, the biggest she had seen in years. The wind threw the spray from the top of the breaking waves in every direction. A branch flew by and plunged into the sea. Joy loved ocean fishing from the beach and spent a lot of time down on the white sands because of how calming it was. She imagined how terrifying it would be down there right now.
“Do you think the bake shop will be alright in the storm?” Joy asked over her shoulder.
“Oh yeah, it's survived worse than this,” Sara Beth replied cheerfully. Joy turned and found Sara Beth looking through the mini bar.
“I suppose.” Joy wasn't completely convinced. Another huge branch flew past the window, and Joy thought of Cheesecake again. Would her little bungalow stand up against the storm? Being on the Florida Panhandle, it had survived plenty of hurricanes but not without some damage. The last time a storm like this had rolled through, Joy had to replace half of the roof. What if her roof had been blown off, and the house was flooding, and Cheesecake was stuck somewhere?
Joy's worrying was cut short by yelling in the hallway. Joy and Sara Beth looked at each other and then raced to open the door. Neither of them could imagine what happened this time.
CHAPTER FIVE
Joy and Sara Beth burst into the hotel hallway with fists in the air. Bridget was crying, and Willow and Maya were trying to calm her down. Joy took a deep breath.
“I'm sure it's not true,” Willow said, rubbing her sister's back.
“Don't you lie to me!" Bridget argued through tears. "It did happen. I can't go back in there.”
“Back in where?” Joy asked.
“It's been a stressful day for Bridget.” Maya made an apologetic face and motioned for Joy to go back to her room.
“My room," Bridget answered angrily. "I'm not going back into my room.” Bridget burst into tears.
“Is there a spider” Sara Beth guessed. Joy shook her head, silently scolding her for joking around when Bridget was clearly upset.
Bridget cried harder.
“Bridget thinks that someone was in her room,” Willow explained.
“Housekeeping?” Sara Beth went on. Maya shot her a harsh look, warning her not to push it.
“No, not housekeeping. I came back from getting a drink and…” Bridget sobbed. “…and the blankets had been ripped off of the bed, and the lamp had been turned on. My suitcase was a mess. Housekeeping wouldn't do that! No, someone broke into my room. What if I had been in there?"
Willow made soothing sounds for her sister, rubbing her back gently.
Joy moved past the group and looked inside Bridget's room. The bed was messy, but nothing else seemed out of place. She walked over to the window, glancing around the room as she went. Aside from Bridget's suitcase, the room looked identical to the room Joy was sharing with Sara Beth. Joy pulled back the curtains to make sure there was no one lurking behind the shades. She was met with a crash of lightning and howling wind banging against the glass. Joy quickly re-joined the women in the hall.
“Those doors have a double-lock on the inside, so you should be safe once you're inside,” Sara Beth suggested.
“Should be safe isn't enough," Bridget protested. "I'm getting married in a week. I don't want something awful to happen before then. You saw what happened in the ballroom today."
“Calm down, Bridget,” Maya insisted. “You're just stressed out because the bridal shower didn't go according to plan.”
“Didn't go according to plan? Maya, everything is terrible. I can't even talk to my fiancé because the phones here aren't working. This is the worst day of my life!” Bridget threw her hands up in surrender.
Willow stepped up and took Bridget's hands. “Listen to me; everything is going to be fine if you just take a breath and...”
“Why isn't anyone taking this seriously?" Bridget cut in. "I feel like I'm losing my mind.” Bridget yelled, almost screaming.
A door further down the hall opened, and Maple McWayne poked her head out. When she saw that it was the bride-to-be causing all the commotion, Maple joined the pack of women outside Bridget's room.
“What's going on here?" Maple said. "Oh, you poor thing. You shouldn't be stressing yourself out like this." Maple cooed at Bridget. Bridget wiped her tears and sniffled.
“Thank you for caring,” Bridget responded to Maple.
“What's the matter, dear?” Maple said attentively.
Joy rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe that Maple was swooping in to win favor from Bridget when the bride-to-be was having an emotional breakdown. Bridget told Maple the whole story of the break-in and how terrified she was to sleep in her room.
“Oh, take mine,” Maple immediately suggested.
“Are you sure?” Bridget asked.
“What?” Joy nearly shouted. She couldn't believe it.
“Let's switch rooms, Bridget. It's no problem at all. Lenny and I will pack up our things and switch with you. That way you can feel safe and get a good night's sleep. After everything that has happened to you today, you deserve to rest.”
Bridget threw her arms around Maple and hugged her tightly.
“Oh!” Maple laughed. "It's nothing, dear girl."<
br />
Sara Beth put a hand on Joy's shoulder, keeping her temper grounded. Joy opened her mouth to protest, but Sara Beth dragged her back into their room.
“I don't think so,” Sara Beth said as Joy lunged for the door.
“But –”
“Just leave it be,” Sara Beth interrupted.
“At this rate, Maple is going to get Bridget as a client," Joy argued. "I can't let that happen. I can't let her steal business from right under my nose like that."
“The day isn't over yet.” Sara Beth locked the door from the inside, put the keycard in her robe, and relaxed on the bed. She handed Joy something from the mini bar. "We might be here a while."
CONTINUE READING …
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Preview: Something Baked And Something Blue
A Special Thank You!