Death in a Major
Page 23
Drawing in a deep breath, I grabbed the bowl of chocolate frosting I’d prepared minutes earlier and began the process of icing the top and sides of the cake. My movements were cautious and a few crumbs came loose from the cake here and there, but I managed to get the entire cake covered without running out of frosting. I turned the cake on its plate, inspecting it from every angle, and was relieved to see that it didn’t look too bad. It was a far cry from a professional job, but not bad for a beginner.
After dipping a cake crumb in the bit of frosting left in the bowl, I tasted it and smiled. It was absolutely delicious. JT would be happy, and knowing that made me happy.
Or happier, to be more precise. The week had already given me plenty of reasons to be cheerful. I’d helped solve two murders, Frances and Bernice were safely behind bars, and Jordan was free. Another plus was that my conversation with Beaufort outside my apartment building had led to further investigation of the doctor and—in the face of increased pressure from the police—one of Beaufort’s friends had admitted to giving him a false alibi.
On top of that, Beaufort’s vehicle was caught on video by a traffic camera only a few blocks away from Major’s residence within minutes of the call I’d placed to Detective Salnikova on the night of the break-in. Beaufort’s credibility had further been damaged when the police discovered that he was in possession of jewelry stolen from the charity benefit and other past events. It seemed the doctor was something of a kleptomaniac.
As it turned out, my latest theory was indeed correct. Archibald Major had become aware of Beaufort’s thefts at the charity benefit and had begun his attempts to get Beaufort to resign from the PGP’s executive committee soon after.
Although Major wasn’t around to see it, his goal had finally been achieved. Since Beaufort had been charged with criminal offenses, he’d resigned from the executive committee, and his medical career was likely in jeopardy as well. As far as I was concerned, Beaufort had brought his current situation upon himself and I was glad the police finally had some evidence to back up my witness statement. More than that, I was relieved that the truth about the theft of Elena’s brooch had come to light and Bronwyn’s name had been cleared. Janine still wasn’t happy with either of us, but Bronwyn’s place in the orchestra was secure, and that was what mattered most.
As for myself, I’d needed painkillers and an ice pack for a couple of days after my run-in with Bernice and her mother, but my injuries had now healed and I was back to playing my violin without any pain or stiffness.
I hadn’t even needed to replace my phone. After convincing JT that I really was fine, I’d found the device right where I’d last seen it—near the bushes by the front of my building. I wasn’t even upset about Elena and the gray boots anymore. While out shopping the other day I’d come across another pair of tall gray boots and had fallen more deeply in love than I had with the other pair. These boots had decorative stitching that the others had lacked, and they provided the perfect final touch to the outfit I was wearing to the party that night. Elena was welcome to the other pair.
Knowing that time was getting on, I carefully set the cake in a box and hooked the strap of my quilted tote bag over my shoulder. I eyed the box and then my violin, wondering how I’d manage to juggle both while walking and riding the bus. In the end, I decided to leave my violin behind and use the spare one I kept at JT’s place while teaching that afternoon.
Locking up my apartment behind me, I set off for JT’s house, excited for the party and the premiere of Absolute Zero. There were a couple of dicey moments on the way there when the cake shifted perilously inside the box, but when I arrived at my destination, the cake was still intact. Relieved, I tucked it safely away in JT’s refrigerator and turned my focus to my students.
The hours seemed to pass slowly that afternoon, but eventually I was done working and the other party guests began to arrive. As JT had requested, the party would be small—just a couple of friends, JT’s parents, and his aunt and cousin.
When I set the cake out on the table along with the munchies and goodies the other guests had brought, JT came up behind me and reached a finger toward the chocolate frosting.
“Hey!” I swatted his hand away. “You have to wait.”
“I’ve been waiting all afternoon,” he said. “Every time I opened the fridge, that thing was tempting me. I say we dig in.”
Finnegan, hovering near the food-laden table with hopeful eyes, gave an enthusiastic bark.
“See? Finn agrees, even though he can’t have any.”
That got another bark out of Finnegan.
“Who wants cake?” JT called out to the other guests, all of whom were gathered down the hall in the living room.
“We haven’t even ordered the pizza yet,” I protested, although not without a hint of a smile.
JT sank the knife through the chocolate frosting. “Cake, then pizza, then more cake. It’s a party, isn’t it?”
My smile grew. I couldn’t argue with that plan.
All the guests converged on the kitchen and soon each person had a plate of cake in hand. Although I wanted everyone to enjoy my chocolate creation, I was most anxious about JT’s reaction.
As everyone set about eating, I kept my eyes on my best friend, watching and waiting. I didn’t have to wait long. After he swallowed his first generous forkful of cake, a grin lit up his face.
“Wow. This is delicious, Dori.”
The others agreed and I happily started in on my own slice.
“You know,” JT said after he’d finished off his cake less than a minute later, “now that I know you can bake, I’ll be bugging you to make me cake all the time.”
“I don’t mind,” I said, a big smile on my face.
And I didn’t. Not at all.
Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK AND series never could have become a reality without the invaluable support and assistance of my agent, Jessica Faust, and my editor at HarperCollins, Rebecca Lucash. Thank you! I’m also forever grateful to Nicole Bates, Sarah Blair, and Jessica Dainty Johns for reading early drafts of the manuscript and providing me with feedback, support, and encouragement.
About the Author
SARAH FOX was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer, she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English springer spaniel. Visit her Web site at www.authorsarahfox.com
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEATH IN A MAJOR. Copyright © 2016 by Sarah Fox.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition JANUARY 2016 ISBN: 9780062413017
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062413048
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