by Kate Bell
"Do it. Someone will buy your desserts. I feel like it's about to be your lucky day," Lucy said.
I chuckled. "Well, I'm sold then. I'll come up with something."
"That's the spirit," Alec said.
"Hey, isn't that Tessa's boyfriend Rich McGinty and her ex-best friend Tracie Jefferson?" I asked, watching them deep in conversation at Tracie's booth.
Alec turned to look. "Looks like it. I wonder what they're up to."
"I'm going to find out," I said and jumped to my feet. There must have been something in that smoothie Barnabas gave me because my muscles were feeling unusually fine. I wasn't completely over running 26.2 miles, but I felt a lot better. I grabbed a box of six scones and trotted over to Tracie's booth.
"Hey Tracie," I said. "How's business been?"
Tracie looked up at me, and if I wasn't mistaken, she looked guilty. "Oh, ah, not bad. Actually, I've sold a lot of soap and candles. I'm all out of the strawberry soaps."
"Wow, that's great. Wish I could say the same for my baked goods. I brought you over some scones. No use in them going to waste," I said holding the box out to her.
"Gosh, thanks. They look good," she said, peering in the little plastic window in the top of the bakery box.
I looked at Rich. "And how are the strawberry jam sales?"
He shrugged. "Not bad. I haven't been there much since, well, you know." He glanced at Tracie, and then looked away.
"Yeah, I still can't believe it happened," I said, nodding. "Have you heard anything new from the police? Do they know how she died?"
"No, they don't know anything. They think she might have had a heart attack, but she was awfully young for that."
"That surprises me they would even think about a heart attack," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "She was so young. Your cousin said she didn't think she had any health issues."
"I'm not aware that she had any health issues," he said and glanced at Tracie again. "I mean, maybe she had an undiagnosed illness or something. That happens all the time."
"That's true," I said. "And with it being so sudden in someone that healthy, it's a really good probability."
"We need to get packing up," Tracie said. "I mean, I. I need to get packing up." Her eyes went to Rich, and then she turned away.
Something wasn't kosher here.
"So, Rich, how is Tessa's family doing? I know this has got to be hard on them."
His face went pale. "Yeah. I haven't really talked to them."
"What?" I asked. "What do you mean?"
"Well," he said, looking off into the distance. "I've never met Tessa's family. Her dad's the mayor, after all. He's busy." I watched as he fidgeted, putting his hands in his pockets and then pulling them out.
"Oh, I see. How long did you say you two were dating?" I asked. Tracie was packing up her soaps, and she slammed a box onto the table but didn't look up.
Rich jumped at the sound.
"Nine months," he said to me. "Well, we did date for a couple of months in high school. But you know, her dad was busy. We just never got to meet."
I was stunned. How did you date someone for nine months without meeting their family? Especially when they lived in the same town?
"I see," I said, and looked at Tracie. Her mouth was drawn into a tight line and she avoided looking at me. "Did she meet your family?"
"Yeah, she came to my parents’ house for dinner a few times. Well, we've got to get packing up," he said and turned his back to me to pack up lip balm.
"Okay, well, enjoy those scones. If you need any help packing up, let me know," I said and took a few steps back. I waited for a response. When I got none, I turned and headed back to my booth.
"Well?" Alec asked when I sat on the chair beside him.
I put my finger to my lips and watched the two of them finish packing up.
I looked at Alec and then I nodded at the two of them. "What do you think?"
Alec crossed his arms across his chest and observed a few moments. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she is one unhappy girl right now."
"That's what I think," I agreed. "I was asking about Tessa and she got angry. I realize they were no longer best friends before Tessa died, but for the sake of the former relationship, I would think she would feel bad about her death. She doesn't seem upset by it, though."
"What did he have to say?" Lucy asked.
"He said he and Tessa had been dating nine months but he never met her parents."
"Why wouldn't he have met her parents?" Lucy asked.
I shrugged. "She met his family, but he didn't meet hers. He said her father was too busy being the mayor to meet him."
"That's odd," Alec said. "Unless of course, he did meet her family and her family said he wasn't good enough. Maybe they didn't approve and told her to dump him."
"That's a possibility, but you know he looks like he might come from at least an upper middle-class family. He has moderately expensive looking clothes and that Audi he's driving isn't cheap."
Alec nodded. "True. Maybe Tessa didn't like him as much as he liked her and really didn't introduce him to her parents."
"And maybe Tessa wanted to break up with him and he took it hard. He may have killed her when he felt rejected," I suggested.
"Some people can't handle rejection," Lucy agreed.
We watched as Tracie and Rich put the rest of her soaps and lip balms into the trunk of her car. They stopped at the driver's side door and spoke for a minute. Tracie never smiled. She turned away, got into her car and drove off with Rich watching her go.
He turned and looked in our direction before heading to his own car.
"That's odd," I mused.
Alec nodded. "Let's get packed up. I'm tired and you have baking to do."
"You'll help, won't you?" I asked as he helped me to my feet.
"I might. Or I might just come over and watch you bake. I like that, you know."
"Yes, I do know that," I said, picking up a box of scones.
"You two are so cute with your baking talk," Lucy said.
"There's nothing like a nice romantic evening watching the one you love bake strawberry something or other," Alec said.
"As long as I get some help," I muttered, and carried three boxes of scones to Alec's SUV. I stowed them in the back and Alec came up behind me with four more boxes. It made me sad that I had so many left over. He leaned over and kissed my neck.
"Quit."
"Quit, what?" I asked him.
"Worrying over the unsold baked goods. It's a tiny setback. Everything will work out."
I nodded. "I know. Hey, let's stop by the homeless shelter on the way out and drop off these scones. It might be a nice treat for them."
"As long as they haven't heard you poisoned an innocent young girl with your cupcakes, I'm sure they'll appreciate it," he said with an evil gleam in his eye.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it, buddy, or you'll find a little surprise in your next cupcake."
He laughed and got into the car and I went around to the passenger side. I loved a man with a sense of humor. I hoped the rest of the festival was uneventful, but somehow I doubted that would happen.
Chapter Thirteen
Day six brought strawberry pineapple upside down cake. Actually, they were cupcakes. I thought I had a better chance of selling small versions of pastries so people could walk around the festival and eat them. I had put a thin layer of pineapple on the bottom of each cupcake and a cherry in the center so when the cupcakes were inverted, the cherry and pineapple would be on top. I know. Genius. The strawberries were chopped and mixed into the batter. Each cupcake was a delightful little sweet package of fruity goodness.
"So, who's up for coffee?" I asked my sleepy headed crew.
"Me!" Lucy said, getting to her feet. "Let's go get some."
"You boys will be okay handling the customers? If we get customers?" I asked Alec and Ed.
Alec nodded. "Sure. We can handle it." He glanced over at Ed, whos
e chin was on his chest. He snored softly. The early mornings and the long drive were getting to us and caffeine was just what we needed.
"What can I get you?" I asked, picking up my purse and holding my hand out for the keys.
"Double shot of espresso with a little mocha mixed in for fun," Alec said, handing me the keys.
"Got it," I said and looked at Ed, who hadn't moved. "We'll get Ed a triple shot."
"That should do it," Lucy agreed.
We headed for Alec's SUV. I hoped Suzanna stuck to her word and stopped telling people I had poisoned Tessa. I was worried I would lose most of the money I had put into the festival. I wanted to quit, but Alec talked me into seeing it through, if for nothing more than being able to say I did it. I wasn't sure that was good reasoning, but I was going along with it.
***
We stood in line at the local coffee shop and waited our turn. There was a long line of early birds waiting along with us.
"One thing I love about Maine is that every town is a small town," I said to Lucy as we waited. I watched as the people in front of me visited with one another.
"Ayuh, that's the truth," Lucy said laying the accent on thick and giving me a grin.
"I'm serious," I said. "I love that. Everyone's so friendly. If it hadn't been that way, I wouldn't have stuck around as long as I have." My husband had been Maine born and raised. We settled into his hometown of Sandy Harbor after college and marriage. I didn't think I would like it, being from Goose Bay, Alabama, but I had settled right in. Thaddeus had been the love of my life and losing him had nearly killed me. I thought I could never love again, but Alec had proved me wrong.
The door opened and closed behind me. I turned around to see Tracie get in line and I nudged Lucy. She glanced over her shoulder and then turned back raising her eyebrows at me.
"Hey, Tracie," I said as she waited behind us.
"Oh, hey," she said without a smile.
"How are you doing?" I asked her.
She shrugged. Today her hair was in braids and she looked even younger than she had before. I couldn't imagine her committing murder, but I had a hunch she might have. That was if Rich hadn't done it. I wished the toxicology would come back from the lab. Depending on what it was that killed Tessa, it might give us an idea of who had done it.
"I'm fine," she said, and her eyes went to the menu board at the front of the line.
We stepped forward as the line moved ahead.
"Ready for another day of great sales?" I asked, trying to get her to talk.
"Oh, sure. Festivals like this are great for homemade items. I guess you know that though."
I smiled and nodded. "Oh, sure," I said. I wished I knew it. If that pesky Frenchwoman kept her mouth shut, I might be able to salvage the week.
"Have you heard anything new about Tessa's death?" she asked.
That surprised me. I thought I would have to pry information out of her. "Not a whole lot. I don't think they have results from the autopsy yet. Poor thing. She was way too young to die."
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "You have to go some time. Tessa was the kind of girl that never got what she deserved. But maybe this time, she did."
My eyes went wide. "You don't mean that," I said, lowering my voice.
"Yeah, I do. I told you that little tramp stole my boyfriend. Tessa was your typical cute rich girl. She took what she wanted without regard to anyone else's feelings."
"Really?" I asked, wide-eyed. I hoped I wasn't laying it on too thick, but she seemed willing to talk so I was going to encourage her if I could.
She nodded. "I don't know who killed her, but I'm sure it was because she did something to someone that just wasn't going to take it anymore."
"How do you know she was murdered?" I asked. No one knew for sure whether she was murdered or she died of health complications. Unless Tracie knew Tessa had been killed because she was the killer.
Lucy peered over my shoulder, waiting for the answer and we took four more steps forward as the line moved.
"I guess I don't," Tracie said, moving forward with us. "But knowing her, it wouldn't surprise me if she pushed someone too far."
"That's tough. Having to deal with someone like that," I said. I hoped sympathizing with her would get more out of her.
"You do not understand," she said. "I put up with her throughout high school and college. Seriously, when I heard she was going to the University of Maine, I almost transferred out of state. It wasn't worth dealing with her, but my parents couldn't afford out of state tuition. So I stayed. And I suffered for it."
"It seems a shame that a boy came between the two of you," I said. “You said you were friends once.”
She shrugged. "We were friends when we were little. At the time I would have said best friends. But the truth was, we were only friends as long as I told her how wonderful she was. She could be mean even back then, and I was a sucker for letting her use me all those years."
"Do you and Rich get along now?" Lucy asked. “Being ex’s and all, I could see where it could be awkward.”
"Sure, I guess. He lives next door to my parents so I see him all the time."
I studied her somber face. She fell in love with the boy next door and her best friend stole him from her. In my opinion that made her a prime suspect.
"Well, maybe Rich is still interested in you," Lucy suggested.
I blinked. Did she just say that?
"I don't want him back," Tracie said, her jaw tightening. "He's tainted as far as I'm concerned. He came over to my booth last night and whined about losing Tessa. Do I look like I care?"
"Nope, you sure don't," I conceded.
"Nope. I sure don't," she agreed.
"Well, her death is a stain on the name of the festival," I said. "I suppose city officials are worried about that since it draws so many people and brings in a lot of money."
She shrugged. "I don't care. As long as I make back the booth fee and some spending cash, I'm good with it."
"Do you sell soaps full time?" I asked her.
"Part-time. I work at the Pizza Shoppe over on Broadmoor and make soaps at night to sell online. I occasionally do fairs and festivals to make extra money," she said.
"You got a college education and you work at a pizza place?" I asked. Something didn't add up.
"What's wrong with that? I'm the manager. I make okay money."
"Oh, well that makes sense then," I said. Sort of. Fast food didn't seem to be the sort of job a college-educated woman would look for. How did you explain to your parents that you got a job in fast food after they paid for your education?
The line moved faster, and we got to the counter and placed our order. We said goodbye to Tracie on the way out and got into Alec's SUV.
I turned and looked at Lucy. "What do you think?"
"I think Tracie has as good a reason to murder Tessa as anyone. I have to wonder if she wants Rich back."
"That's what I think. The more I find out about Tracie, the more I wonder if she and Rich were in cahoots together," I said.
She nodded. "I bet that's what happened. Once they got rid of Tessa, they were free to date again."
"But why didn't he just break up with Tessa? Why kill her?" I wondered.
"Tracie makes her out to be a spoiled rich girl. Maybe he tried to break up with her and she refused to go."
"Maybe she got her daddy, the mayor, involved and things got ugly. A spurned rich girl can be trouble," I said.
I sighed. We needed that toxicology report. It might answer at least some of the questions we had about Tessa’s murder.
Chapter Fourteen
"Thad! Sarah!" I screeched when we got out of the car. "I'm so glad you came!" I ran to the booth, trying not to spill the cups of coffee in my hands.
Thad was my son and Sarah was his fiancée. They had both been away at college in Wisconsin. I knew they were due to arrive home for the summer after visiting Sarah's parents, but I was surprised to see them here so early.
"Hey, Mom," Thad said as I pulled him to me in a tight hug. He gasped. "Mom, I need air."
"You're such a comedian," I said, pushing him aside and hugging Sarah. "I'm glad to see you, Sarah."
"Me too, Allie. We were going to wait for you to come home and surprise you tonight, but we decided to take a drive out here instead."
"That's wonderful. Oh, I wish I'd have known. I would have brought you coffee. Do you want me to go back and get you some?"
"No, we had some on the way up, thanks though," Sarah answered. "How's the festival been?"
"Not bad. Lots and lots of strawberries," I said, and handed Alec his coffee.
Lucy gave Thad and Sarah a hug and nudged Ed awake, handing him his coffee. "Hope you guys love strawberries. They're so sweet this year."
"Love them. Have you sold much?" Thad asked, looking at me.
I frowned. "No. It seems a certain Frenchwoman from a certain French restaurant in Sandy Harbor has a booth here at the festival. She told everyone the young woman that died here the other day ate one of my cupcakes right before she keeled over. FYI, there was a woman that died here the other day."
"Dang. That's just mean," Thad said with a wicked grin on his face.
"It's more than mean, it's twisted. Has business picked up any since I've been gone?" I asked Alec, hopefully.
"We've sold three upside down cupcakes," Alec said, "We've had a lot of people stop for samples, though. That's looking up from the past few days, so maybe customers will stop by before the festival is over."
"That sounds promising," I said. "Let's hope they do."
"Hey Mom, how is it that dead bodies keep turning up everywhere you go?" Thad asked. "People drop like flies around you."
"They don't, smarty pants," I said leaning against the booth. "It just seems that way."
"What did she die of?" he asked.
"They haven't gotten the toxicology report back yet. It's possible there was a caustic substance involved. Or it could be she was allergic to something," Alec answered.
"Huh. I thought it was my mom's baking."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Thad," I said. "For that, you aren't getting any strawberry upside down cake."