Dead Velvet Cupcakes

by Polly Holmes

  “I assume you didn’t drive. Would you like me to take you home?” Katie asked. A sly expression worked its way across her face. “And if we happen to have a chat, as promised, along the way, then it will be like killing two birds with one stone.”

  Katie’s pleading smile gripped Margarete’s heart. She did make a promise to Katie, and she did need to get home. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Thank goodness Charlotte had thought to come in early and make extra cupcakes before she flitted off to Coffs.” Clair said, amazed at the continuous stream of customers. Both she and Suzi had been run off their feet since opening. She’d have blisters on her blisters. Thank heavens Dannielle had been okay on her own at CC’s Cupcake Haven until Charlotte returned. Clair had been chuffed with herself when she scored award-winning pastry chef, Dannielle Curzon, for CC’s Cupcake Haven over in Watson’s Creek.

  Clair was emptying the last of the strawberry and lemon cheesecake cupcakes into the display case when she paused, her gaze catching sight of an awkward man hovering by the front display counter at the other end of the shop. He’d been in the same position for almost thirty minutes and hadn’t made an attempt to buy a single item.

  “Can I help you?” Clair asked the tall, dark-haired man. A nervy shiver scuttled up her spine and she paused with caution. Although she knew most people in Ashton Point, it was hard to know a newcomer, with all the tourists passing through town.

  His head whipped around at the sound of her voice. Clair was momentarily taken aback by the sadness that consumed his deep, ocean-blue eyes. Almost as if he’d experienced a pain worse than anything she could ever imagine.

  A haunted smile crept into his expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to seem rude. I’m not really myself today. I didn’t want to interrupt you, but I was wondering if you might be able to tell me where I can find Charlotte McCorrson.”

  Every muscle in her body seized at the mention of her sister’s name. What did he want with Charlotte? “Can I ask what it is pertaining to?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I should have introduced myself. My name is Nathan Bates. Dario Bates was my father.”

  Dario Bates… Pierre?

  The air emptied from her lungs in one swoop, her hand flying to her chest. “Dario Bates?”

  “Clair,” Suzi called from the opposite end of the shop. “Is everything all right?”

  He ran a hand through his short golden-brown locks. “Forgive me, I know this must come as a shock. I’ve been looking for my father—I mean, my biological father, for the past ten years and it seems I may have found him. Somewhat late, as I understand.”

  “Clair?” Suzi’s concerned voice called once more.

  “Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m fine.” She turned to Suzi. “Can you watch the shop for a few minutes while I serve this gentleman?”

  Suzi nodded. “Sure, no problem.”

  Clair gestured for him to follow her to the side of the counter so they could chat more privately. “I’m Clair McCorrson, Charlotte is my sister. You say you have been looking for your biological father?”

  He nodded. “Yes, it’s taken me a hell of a long time, considering he was using a false name. That sent me on a bit of a wild goose chase. With no help from the police, I started my own investigation and I finally traced him here, to Ashton Point.”

  “I can’t believe Pierre, I mean Dario, had a son we knew nothing about,” Clair said, still annoyed he’d lied to them.

  “That’s perfectly understandable. My mother and he had a somewhat short affair when he worked in The Ravens Tavern in Melbourne. She was a waitress and he was the chef.”

  The blood drained from Clair’s face. The Ravens Tavern. Pierre’s referee. So, it was real after all.

  “Mum was head over heels in love with him, but apparently, the owner forbid workplace affairs. When he found out about Mum and Dario, he fired her.”

  “Oh, how awful.”

  He bent his head but not before she saw the raw anguish in her eyes, “Mum worked in a few places around Melbourne, but never found a place she felt truly happy. So, she ended up moving to Sydney. A few months passed and their relationship didn’t survive the long distance. When she found out she was pregnant she decided against telling him. After all, they weren’t together anymore.”

  Clair couldn’t fathom the gut-wrenching horror the man in front of her must have felt when he found out, not only who his father was, but that he had been murdered. Judging by the look of despair in his expression, he knew his father was dead, but did he know he’d been murdered?

  “Mum was very open with me and used to tell me all about him, like how pedantic he was when it came to his cooking.” He chuckled to himself. “Apparently, before every big event he cooked for, he’d take a moment to pray for guidance and help. Strange, huh?”

  Clair did a great job of hiding her shock behind her half-smile. “No, not so strange at all. That’s exactly what he did here.”

  She remembered Charlotte making note of it, way back when he’d first started. Clair remembered her saying, “Hey, if praying makes him cook better, who are we to judge?”

  Clair bit her bottom lip, unsure of her next words. “Um, I’m not really sure how to tell you this, but your father—”

  Nathan’s sorrowful words cut hers short. “Is dead. I know. The police have already told me that he was found under suspicious circumstances.”

  Sorrowful tears welled in Clair’s eyes and threatened to spill. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  His solemn voice continued, as if Clair’s words hadn’t penetrated the emotional shield he’d erected. “I knew there were two café-style places in town. I was under the impression he worked at the Tea 4 Two Café and when I was there earlier, I overheard a few people talking. Talking about him, about what happened to him. It didn’t take me long to work out they were talking about Dario. I figured the one group who would know all the details would be the police so that’s where I went. I’m still getting over the shock. I want to learn as much about him as I can. They told me he worked here. I was hoping you might be able to give me some insight as to the kind of man he was.”

  “Well… Pierre, I mean Dario was one of the best pastry chefs I’ve ever seen. He and Charlotte seem to work so well together. As far as I know, he always gave his best. If I’m honest, I spend most of my time now over at CC’s Cupcake Haven. I really didn’t know him that well.” Clair words seemed hollow, but what else could she say?

  He continued. “I understand he worked with Charlotte for a while. Maybe she can fill me in some more. I’d like to know if I’m anything like him. Also, I was hoping to gather any personal belongings he might have left here. Anything that can open up his world and help me understand the man he was. It would definitely go a long way to helping me come to terms with losing a father I never knew in such a horrible way.”

  “Of course,” Clair smiled and breathed a sigh, knowing she could ease his pain ever so slightly. “I know he had a locker out back. Wait here and I’ll be back in a moment.”

  There wasn’t a great deal tucked away in his locker, but what was there, she was happy to pass onto his son. “Here we go. Not much, I’m afraid,” Clair said as she placed his belongings on the counter.

  “One cardigan, a cap, an empty lunchbox and this.” She held up what looked like a jewellery box that could house a bracelet. “Maybe it was a present for Olivia.”

  Nathan’s brow creased. “Who is Olivia?”

  “Apparently, she and your father were an item. She says they were in love. She was pretty shattered by his death. They kept it a secret, which is hard in a town like Ashton Point.”

  How they did that beats me, Clair thought.

  Clair’s eyes widened in surprise. Nathan opened the jewellery box and pulled out an odd-looking key on a pretty pink ribbon.

  “That is not what I expected. It looks like a locker key.” Clair’s breath caught in her throat and she jumped at the high-pitched soun
d of her name shooting across the shop.

  “Clair? There you are. Is your phone off the hook?” Mary-Jane asked as she butted in on their conversation. “I’ve been trying to call you. I wanted to order some cupcakes. I’m heading over to the mayor’s house to see Sheryl. Brad mentioned when he was in the chemist the other day that she was going downhill. I know how much she loves Charlotte’s creations, so I thought I’d take a few over on my visit.”

  Clair turned, ready to put a stop to Mary-Jane’s interruption, as politely as she could. She didn’t stand a chance against Mary-Jane’s motor mouth.

  Mary-Jane stuck her hand out toward Nathan and grinned a cheesy grin. “Hi, I’m Mary-Jane Gregory. I work over at the chemist. Are you new in town? Can’t say I’ve seen you around before. We get so many new faces every day, it’s hard to keep up with them all.”

  “Hello, I’m Nathan Bates,” he said shaking her hand.

  “What an unusual looking key,” Mary-Jane said, her eyes widening as she inquisitively scanned Nathan’s hand.

  “Thanks. It belonged to my father. I was just picking up his belongings.”

  Clair chimed in. “He’s Dario Bates son.”

  “Who is Dario Bates?” Mary-Jane asked, her blank expression grated on Clair’s nerves.

  “I guess you’ll know soon enough,” Nathan said, ignoring the small shake of Clair’s head. “Dario is, or should I say, was Pierre Bellamy.”

  Mary-Jane’s jaw hit the ground and an audible gasp caught the attention of nearby shoppers. “Are you serious? He was an imposter? Pierre wasn’t his real name. Will the lies never end? So much deception. How is our town ever going to recover from this nightmare?”

  Nathan closed the jewellery case and gathered the remaining possessions from the counter. “I think I’ll be on my way now. Thank you, Clair, for all your help and kindness.”

  Clair smiled. “No problem. Charlotte should be back later in the day, if you want to come back in and have a chat to her.”

  He nodded and turned to leave. “I might just do that.”

  Clair’s lips thinned and a sudden urge to smack Mary-Jane washed over her. She gripped the edge of the counter as she watched his retreating figure exit. It was all she could do to curb the urge. “Was that really necessary, Mary-Jane? The poor guy just found out his father has been murdered.”

  “Well, I’m sorry for wanting our community to get back to the way it was before all this murder business started,” Mary-Jane spat. “And who can blame me? You used to be able to go out without worrying about what might happen.”

  Clair’s patience was wearing thin. “You still can. Did you say you were here to pick up some cupcakes?”

  Mary-Jane’s eyes lit up like the Southern Cross on a cloudy night. She diverted her eyes to the glass display cabinet. “Oh, yes. Can I please have three of the Guinness dark chocolate cupcakes and two of the pumpkin spiced latte cupcakes? To go. Thanks, doll.”

  Doll? What the? Clair couldn’t believe how Mary-Jane had flipped. One minute she was scolding Nathan and the next she was as sweet as pie. Talk about a Jekyll and Hyde personality.

  “Here you go,” Clair said as she handed a box of cupcakes over. The savoury scent of the pumpkin latte wafted past her nose, reminding her grumbling stomach that it was lunchtime. “If you take these down to Suzi, she will ring them up for you.”

  “Thanks, Clair. Bye,” she said, pompously swishing her shoulder-length, black locks as she strutted off.

  Clair raised her eyes to the roof. Give me strength, she mouthed and sucked in a deep breath through her nose. She released it slowly, along with her agitation. Retreating to the kitchen area, Clair took a swig of her coffee. Gagging, she swallowed and coughed.

  “Yuck. Cold coffee. Really, Clair?” She chastised herself. “You should know better than to drink a coffee made over an hour ago.”

  The happy tinkle of the shop phone interrupted her self-scolding. “Hello. CC’s Simply Cupcakes. This is Clair.”

  “Clair, thank goodness. This is Savannah,” a breathless voice continued to chat as if unable to stop. “I cannot believe how busy we are this morning. We’ve sold out of all our cupcakes and I was hoping you might be able to run me over a mix of another thirty or so. I’d come myself but Margarete is off again today, with her ankle. Antony is here, but I don’t want to leave him alone, and besides he can only drive an automatic. I do not trust him with my car. I’m desperate.”

  Clair giggled, imagining the frazzled look on Savannah’s face. “Calm down. Consider it done, just have a hazelnut coffee ready for me when I get there.”

  Savannah gasped in relief. “Absolutely, you’re a lifesaver.”

  Clair brushed past the last few hungry customers lined up at the Tea 4 Two Café counter, her gaze scanning the full seating area. Cheery voices chirped and chattered giving the kookaburras outside healthy competition. “Wow, who’d thought you’d be so busy on a Tuesday?”

  Antony grabbed the box from her arms. A single continuous bead of sweat trickled down his temple. “Tell me about it. I’m sure Margarete had no idea and we didn’t want to bother her with her sprained ankle and all.”

  “Good idea.” The jingle at the door indicated more hungry customers. Clair’s eyes widened in disbelief. Margarete hobbled toward them like a bobbing buoy bouncing around in the ocean. Clair shoved her hands against her hips and glared at her sheepish expression. “What on earth are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t stay at home any longer. I was going stir crazy,” Margarete said in a huff. An expression of frustration clearly plastered on her face. “If I had to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs for one more minute, I was going to self-combust. If I’m going to do nothing, the least I could do is sit here and do it.”

  A giggle filled Clair’s chest. Her face suddenly fell. “Wait, how did you get here? Where’s your gorgeous, dedicated driver? You know, McDreamy?”

  Antony’s eyebrows raised. “McDreamy?”

  “Shouldn’t you be helping Savannah and seeing to the customers?” Margarete said ignoring Antony’s suspicious grin.

  Antony nodded and made a quick exit.

  “McDreamy?” Clair hinted for information once again.

  A warm blush flushed Margarete’s face in seconds. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’re referring to Logan, he’s off taking his stepmother to visit a friend. He’ll be back later this afternoon. And he’s not my dedicated driver, he’s just a friend.”

  “Riiiiiiiight,” Clair said with a sly grin dragging out the word. “If you say so. Either way, you should not be driving on that foot. I would have come and got you. All you had to do was call.”

  “Pfft. I am not totally useless.” Margarete staggered to the stool behind the counter and parked herself, her gaze checking out the tables full of satisfied customers. “My foot is actually a lot better today. I’m just using this stick for another day or so and then I’m sure I’ll be back to normal. Looks like I came in just at the right time.”

  Antony returned and busied himself with emptying the cupcakes into the display cabinet. “Yes, we’re busy, but it’s nothing Sav and I can’t handle. You should be resting.”

  Margarete playfully jabbed Antony in the ribs with her cane. “If you tell me to rest one more time, young man, I’m sure I can find something for you to clean.”

  All three burst out laughing, interrupted only by Charlotte’s voice. “Did I miss the joke?”

  “What are you doing here?” Clair asked, catching her breath. “I thought you were in Coffs for the day?”

  Charlotte plonked her bag down on the counter and sighed. “I was. The meeting didn’t take as long as I thought. I dropped Liam home and saw your car out front. Thought I’d pop in and say hi on my way back to CC’s Simply Cupcakes. Were you and Suzi okay while I was away?”

  Clair thoughts drifted back to her unexpected morning customer and sorrow filled her heart once again. Poor Nathan. I can’t imagine what it would
be like to find out the father you never knew you had had been murdered.

  The tone of Charlotte’s voice took a one-eighty and hit the concern button. “Clair, what happened? What’s wrong?”

  Clair paused a moment and the exhibition of concern radiating from Charlotte and Margarete’s faces interrupted her thought pattern. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry. No nothing’s wrong. I just had an unexpected visitor this morning, that’s all.”

  Charlotte tutted and folded her arms. “Well, come on, don’t leave us hanging. Who was it?”

  “Well…” Before she could explain the sinfully sexy voice of Billy Ray Cyrus pumping out Old Town Road blared from her pocket. She held up her finger. “Excuse me. Hello?”

  “Clair, this is Kayne Pendleton.”

  Clair’s back straightened. “Kayne, what can I do for you?”

  “Sorry to bother you. I’m ringing on a somewhat personal nature. I was wondering if you could hook me up with a birthday cake for Alex. I know she loves Charlotte’s cupcakes. She raves about them endlessly. Says that ever since she was introduced to them at The Springs Café, she’s gone up two dress sizes. I can’t see it myself. She looks perfect to me.”

  Clair smiled. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

  “I tried calling Charlotte, but the phone just rang out.”

  Clair covered the mouthpiece of the phone and raised her gaze to Charlotte and whispered, “Check your phone. Kayne says he tried to call you to order a cake for Alex’s birthday.”

  Charlotte nodded. “I’ve passed the message on. I’m sure she’ll be in touch soon. By the way, I just wanted to say thank you for sending Nathan over this morning.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Nathan. Nathan Bates. Pierre’s, I mean Dario’s, son, thank you for sending him over to the shop this morning. He mentioned he’d visited the police station and you’d told him what happened to his father. Must have been hard. I’m sorry to say he left on a sour note, thanks to Mary-Jane. She stopped by to pick up some cupcakes to take over to Sheryl. Her health has deteriorated lately. She pretty much had it in for his father the moment he mentioned that he was Dario Bates son. It really gets my goat when locals give our town a bad name.”