Blueberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 2)

by Ann S. Marie

  “Well, what does that have to do with me?”

  “You take Heparin injections once daily for your inability to move around.”

  “Not any more. Doc Cromwell took me off it.”

  “Aunt Mary, tell me the truth. You were never on it. And Doc Cromwell never had you on it, did he?”

  “Are you out of your mind? That’s crazy?”

  “Not really, Auntie. Doc told me everything.” Dana found it hard to lie a little. Doc told her a lot but she needed Aunt Mary to confess the truth.

  “What? That low down double crosser.” Aunt Mary sighed. Sorrow clouded her grey eyes. “What exactly did he say?”

  “Well, that you were the woman that night when Karla came to his secluded office door.”

  “What?”

  “Karla saw Cromwell talking to a woman one night. She’d turned up at his office—his so called office unannounced. And she’d called him a liar and asked Cromwell what is she doing here? But what Karla meant was that you were a liar, not Doc Cromwell. She saw you up out of your wheelchair, smoking a cigarette and pacing around the room strongly. Fit as an ox.”

  “Fit as an ox?”

  “Yes, that was the secret Karla had been talking about, wasn’t it? She caught the secret that you and Cromwell cooked this up so that you can play the ailing widow who needs her son, because you are terrified of being left alone—again. The fake doc covered for you because you knew his real identity. You’d bumped into him at the market around the same time Dr. Samuels was no longer your doctor. You had a lot on your mind. You knew Cromwell was a defected spy from Russia and he was now hiding out in Berry Cove. He needed you to keep his secret and you needed a huge favor from him in return. I managed to piece together the puzzle after finding out his background and your background.”

  “You figured it out, didn’t you?”

  “You sort of gave me some clues. You said you used do some dangerous and adventurous work back in the day after the war and you could do a lot. I asked Uncle Merv recently what exactly was it that you did? Not everyone in the family knows, but he knows. And one of Cromwell’s spy covers used to be that of a doc, so he just carried on pretending when he moved to Berry Cove. Not opening to the public of course. But just so that no one questions him. He pretended to be a retired doc and you of course, asked him to pretend to come back to practice for you as a favor. That way no one would suspect a thing.”

  “I should have known, my grand-niece, the mystery riddles solver of the Internet.”

  “You’re perfectly fit and fine, aren’t you? Always have been, Aunt Mary, according to your previous doctor. But the trouble is not your physical health. It’s your emotional health.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You had developed a severe case of autophobia over the years after your injury from the war. Fear of being alone, don’t you?”

  “I do not,” she protested.

  “Yes, you do, Aunt Mary,” Dana said softly. “I realize something was amiss when I retrieved your pink reading glasses. They weren’t your usual pair. They were tinted. They were night vision glasses.”

  “Night vision glasses.”

  “Yes, Aunt Mary. You used to wear them when you were out driving. You had two pairs. That’s when it struck me. You were there that night when my power mysteriously cut off. It was you. You had to retrieve my computer, because Uncle Merv told you that I was looking into the Heparin situation and came across some other clues. You couldn’t risk me pinning it down to you now could you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

  “I was alone in the dark and couldn’t see a thing and bumped into an object. It was your walking stick you carry with you in case anyone catches you without it. But you only carried it with you to the house when you broke in to get my information from my laptop. Then you snuck back into Uncle Merv’s house. You drove the old car.”

  Aunt Mary said nothing for a moment.

  Dana continued, cautiously, “Just as you’d done when no one suspected you when you injected Heparin into your daughters-in-law’s drinks. Each time.”

  Just then, Aunt Mary broke down and cried. She covered her face with her hands for a moment and Dana reached out to hug her. Aunt Mary then gently pushed her away and got up out of the wheelchair. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about all of this. I….It’s very hard for me, you know. After Chedrick died. I felt alone as a widow. Isolated. Max was always there for me. He cared for me and took care of me.”

  “But Aunt Mary, you have to let him go. He’s a grown man, now. We can’t hold onto our kids forever. It’s not fair to them. They need to fly, just like a bird leaving the nest. So that’s why you killed them?”

  “No. Karla told me that she killed Lucy to get her out of the way. I swear to you.”

  “She did?”

  “Yes. She did. I have faults and I’ll admit to them but murder’s not one of them.”

  “So what happened next?”

  “Well, she actually threatened to kill me! She told me that she’d do the same to me as she did to Lucy and get me out of her way permanently. I was terrified for my life! I watched one evening as she made milk and honey for the both of us. When I left the kitchen, she brought the tray with our cups on it. She put mine in the blue cup and planned to drink with me at the tea party that Max held so it would look natural. I had no idea that she’d poured heparin into my cup. I assumed she might have spit in my drink when I wasn’t looking or something like that, so that’s why when she wasn’t looking, I switched the cups. Never in a million years would I have thought I could have killed her.”

  “You did what?”

  “She killed herself with her own poison.” Aunt Mary’s lips were tightly pressed together, her hands folded together and her chin up.

  “Oh, Aunt Mary.”

  “Is that really what happened, mother?” Uncle Max was at the door.

  “Yes, son.”

  Troy also stood at the door and gave her a stern look and shook his head in dismay. “Very well, Ma’am. I will need to ask you a few questions.”

  “But it was self-defence,” Uncle Max said.

  “Withholding information is very serious, Ma’am,” Troy continued.

  “I know.”

  Dana’s heart squeezed in her chest. She felt her stomach twist into a knot. She still couldn’t believe the situation. Everything seemed so surreal. So unbelievable. So it really was Aunt Mary—sort of. Who would have thought? How was she going to explain this to the family?

  Not to mention that Aunt Mary wasn’t really physical crippled, only emotionally crippled.

  Oy, yoy, yoy!

  Chapter 20

  “How awful for Aunt Mary to have to resort to pretending to be sick, just to get attention. Just so that she’d never be left alone.” Katie shook her head, her eyes were filled with sorrow.

  The two were in the kitchen the following week at the Victorian, whipping up a new batch of cupcakes for dessert. Uncle Merv and Aunt Nia were coming over soon. The grilled chicken and baked potatoes were already in the oven.

  The whole family was still in shock over the revelation of what really happened. They decided to gather together to support each other. Uncle Max was in more shock than anyone else, understandably.

  He’d found out that his gold-digging late wife was about to bump off his own mama. Imagine that?

  It was bad enough when he’d found out that she was only with him for his money, then she possibly knocked of her own cousin (his first wife), and not to mention she’d been smooching with every Joe Blow in the small town of Berry Cove. But this…?

  “I know. Tell me about it. I still can’t believe it all. I mean I’ve heard of extreme cases like this before but this one takes the cake. No pun intended.”

  “And her daughters-in-law must have suspected something about her playing up her illness as a bed-ridden frail woman.”

  “Not really. They just didn’t like her, apparently. They wer
e gold diggers according to some of the reliable sources. They really did want her out of the way. They just got unlucky with having a…”

  “Murder-in-law.”

  “Ugh. That’s awful, Katie.” Dana wrinkled her nose playfully at her cousin’s bad joke.

  “Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

  “Besides, technically, Aunt Mary didn’t put the poison in the milk and honey. She just gave Karla—“

  “—a taste of her own medicine,” Katie finished Dana’s sentence with a grin.

  “Katie!”

  “Again, sorry, cuz. I just couldn’t resist.”

  Epilogue

  The sprawling estate of the Renaldo Mansion was spectacular, Dana thought as she drove her car up to the long stone driveway leading up to the gold iron gates.

  The orange and brown fall leaves swirled around as the crisp wind blew. The sky was a deep grey blue color. There was always something cozy and warm about fall weather for some reason. Dana didn’t mind it a bit. She was dressed in her warm dark grey leggings, black knee-high leather fall riding boots and a long knitted navy blue sweater that hugged her curves. Casual yet professional enough for a café entrepreneur. She felt so much for at ease than her previous job as a copywriter in a New York office where all the power dressing and designer handbags was the rage. Her wardrobe used to cost a fortune, not to mention expensive lunches in the city and commuting and the maintenance fees on her old condo in the suburbs. Luckily, she’d sold that and after paying off her debts, moved to Berry Cove to help nana’s ailing business.

  Yes, Berry Cove was a complete treat. She preferred to listen to the waves of the water lap against the shores and the birds chirping in the air. She preferred to inhale the sweet fragrance of the country life and vanilla scent of freshly baked goods coming out of her late grandma’s café which she now owned and was keeping afloat since nana’s passing. That was so much better than inhaling the congestion of big city traffic and gridlock. The only gridlock in Berry Cove was a group of ducklings crossing the country road while cars patiently waited and drivers smiled at the beauty of nature. Something she never saw in the big, bustling city.

  Her blood pressure was certainly not as pumped up as it was in New York. She savored the slower pace like savoring a taste of fresh whipped cream topping on a cupcake. Nice and comforting and sweet and relaxing.

  Dana powered down her windows and spoke to a gold-plated speaker box. “It’s Dana. Dana Sweet from Cozy Cupcakes Café.”

  “Yes, Miss Dana.” A disembodied voice sounded through the speakers. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  There was a loud clicking sound and the iron gates started to slowly open.

  Dana quickly closed the car window, feeling a chill from outside. The temperature had dropped significantly during November.

  She then drove her car past the open gates up the interlocking red brick paved driveway leading up to the front of the massive mansion. Elegant. Sophisticated. Her eyes took in a view of a very beautiful golf-course right on the estate. How nice to see how the other half lived.

  Her eyes couldn’t help but be captivated by the impressive estate. There must be at least an acre of lush garden, which was nicely manicured, and in pristine condition, especially for the windy fall weather. The marble-framed front doors of the mansion overlooked the hourglass pond and fountain in the front.

  Wow. Just wow! Dana thought to herself.

  Dana had never been to this part of Berry Cove before. It was situated just on the border, a rich area with aristocrats and celebrities who wanted to move away to a quiet scenic estate away from prying eyes of the media.

  The Renaldos were hosting an engagement party for patriarch, Tierry Renaldo, a rich oilman from out west, in Alberta, who was marrying a woman way younger than he was. According to sources her name was Goldie but people called her “Gold-dig”, which stood for gold digger, behind her back.

  The golf-loving tycoon was pushing eighty and his young bride to be was a forty-year-old unemployed model from California. His grown children couldn’t have been all to thrilled about it, Dana guessed, according to rumors out of the gossip headquarters of Berry Cove, otherwise known as Bea’s Salon.

  But still, who’s to judge? As long as he was happy, right?

  And Dana was so looking forward to gathering the funds together to start the renovation on the old café, which was housed in an old Victorian townhouse and badly needed a new roof. This catering project was a huge contract and Mr. Renaldo had also requested that the café provide all the desserts catering for the wedding. A huge event.

  Dana knocked on the golden-brass door knocker and almost immediately the door opened and a tall, lean man answered. She guessed by his neatly pressed black and white uniform that he was the butler.

  “You’re the fourth delivery of the day,” the butler said in a thick British accent. He then stifled a yawn. “It’s so unprecedented to have early morning deliveries. You’ll forgive me but I’ve been up far too early this morning. Right this way.”

  He led her down a long hallway and she couldn’t help but notice the shiny marble gold-colored floor. She couldn’t help but notice the delightful renaissance feel of the place. The furniture and artwork must have cost a huge fortune.

  The walls were all a bone white color and created quite a relaxing ambiance. The long winding staircase in the grand foyer had expensive-looking oak wood banisters.

  Imagine living in a place like this. It looked more like a grand museum or art gallery than a house. She noticed the tall cathedral ceiling with a diamond chandelier hanging from the top.

  “Oh, right,” Dana said, as she just realized that Cozy Cupcakes had already had some cakes delivered. “The café had some pastries delivered earlier today. Sorry if we woke you.” Though she didn’t think they were that early.

  “Oh, no. I’m not talking about normal delivery hours. Master Renaldo received yet another delivery at an unforgiveable time, far too early in the morning.” The man rolled his eyes. “Really now. At 6:00 a.m. this morning when most normal creatures are rightfully asleep. It’s Saturday morning for goodness sake.” The chatty butler just rolled his eyes.

  “Six o’clock in the morning for a Saturday delivery?” Dana replied, incredulously. “You’re right. That’s very early for a delivery, especially on a Saturday.” She wondered what sort of delivery an eighty-year-old businessman would have had so early. Even international deliveries started from eight o’clock in the morning, usually. Unless it was a personal delivery.

  “Well, at least you didn’t wake me up. The delivery man was banging on my door so loud at the servant’s quarters. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Rude. Well, at least you’re a pleasant face.”

  “Thank you.” Dana was left dumbfounded. What else was she to say?

  It was already 12:00 noon. She had to head back to the Café soon to help Katie and the rest of the Cozy Cupcakes team. They already had one sick call this morning. Seemed like a bug was going around with the change of season.

  When the cafe received a call that Mr. Renaldo didn’t think the cupcakes were enough, she immediately had Inga, the café’s wonderful Russian baker, whip up another batch.

  “If you need anything, I’ll be in the study getting Master Renaldo’s chair ready and the fireplace lit.”

  “His chair? Fireplace?”

  “Oh, yes. Master Renaldo always spends time sitting by the fireplace in the study. He needs to have fresh firewood every day with no exceptions. He has his favorite mahogany-colored leather chair with cow-hide trim, as he’d always make it a point to tell everyone, just in front of the fireplace where he reads his paper then just sits and stares into the fire to get answers. I thought you already heard about his ritual.”

  “His ritual?”

  “It’s all over the papers. In fact, he made no secret of it. The press were on it like butter syrup on pancakes. He told them he made his best deals that way and made money with it. It’s a weird ritual really, but
he swears, it’s what made him his fortune. Like the answer is always in the fire. He glares at it for a while and answers appear.”

  “How interesting.”

  “Yes, it is interesting. It’s very interesting that you’re the only one who doesn’t know that about Master Renaldo. Everyone seems to know him. In fact, he feels like everyone is always out to get him. For his money, you know.”

  “Well, that is very interesting. But no. I don’t know too much about Mr. Renaldo.” Only what Bea spoke about casually, when she mentioned that he was getting married soon. That was when Dana had her manicure done and her pedi one day last month. Which reminded her, she’d been so busy helping to run things at the café that she’d almost forgotten to re-book another appointment. Bea was always chastising her customers to keep their grooming appointments. Not that it was about money, but Bea really cared a lot about people’s well-being, according to her motto. She also cared about the latest juicy gossip in the small town. Trust Bea to know everything.

  “Well, here is the kitchen,” the butler said after a long walk on the premise. The estate was certainly huge by all definition. “Just let me know if you need anything. The name is George.”

  “Thank you, George.”

  Dana looked around at the massive stainless steel kitchen with its many marble top counters and dark oak wood cabinetry. The craftsmanship was impeccable. The Cozy Cupcakes café didn’t have any of this fancy stuff. Imagine cooking here? That would be a dream.

  Except actually working for the Renaldos, of course. She’d heard rumors about the cantankerous Mr. Renaldo and his bratty grown kids. But who’s to judge? She was there to provide a good service.

  “Where is everybody?” she said under her breath. She shrugged and took out the cupcakes out of the box. The Cozy Cupcakes message of the day was: Delight in the taste of love.