Mulled Cider & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 8

by Susan Gillard

  “Do you think that the poems are for her?” asked Heather.

  “No,” Bernadette said, frowning. “I can’t quite place my finger on it. But something about the descriptions and the diction makes me feel like it’s for someone not directly connected to the store.”

  “Are you sure about that?” asked Heather. “It would make more sense for the writer to leave his poems here if it was for someone who was here every day.”

  “Part of me would love for this romantic gesture to be for me. It’s much more in step with my sensibilities than the online dating I’ve been trying. But I have a strong feeling that it’s for someone outside of the shop,” Bernadette said.

  “That’s just weird,” said Amy. “Is the poet just showing off his work? Hoping maybe it could leave to a fan base and people buying his stuff here? Or does he hope that this will lead to the object of his affection getting the hots for him? I really don’t see how either plan would work.”

  “I don’t either,” said Bernadette. “That’s why I mentioned it. However, I know this isn’t your most pressing case. I understand that it will have to take the backburner to the murder.”

  “Does everyone know about the murder?” Amy asked, throwing up her hands.

  “Murders are still rare on our island,” Bernadette said. “Even with the recent spike in crime. And the locals talk about it when it was someone they knew.”

  Before Bernadette could tell them anymore about the case, Heather had to say, "We're actually not working on that case. Ryan and his partner are going to investigate it on their own."

  “Really?” Bernadette asked. “But it was Megan Baker who was killed. Based on her profession and all the help you’ve given in the past, I was certain they would ask for your advice.”

  “What’s her profession?” Amy asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Heather said quickly and more cheerfully than the felt. “We’re not going to get involved with this one. Ryan doesn’t want the chief to think that he can’t solve cases on his own. He’s the new guy. He has a new boss. I’m going to be supportive.”

  “This is killing you a little bit, isn’t it?” Amy asked.

  "Well, of course, I want to help," Heather said. "We've discovered that we're really good at finding clues, following leads and chasing down killers. When we help, it seems to get the murderer behind bars faster. I don't like feeling that I'm not doing everything I can to see justice served. But."

  “There’s always a but,” Amy said.

  “But while Ryan was waiting to officially assume his position, he also felt like he was sitting on his hands during an investigation. He didn’t stop us from working on those other cases before,” said Heather.

  “No,” said Amy, crossing her arms. “He’s just asking us now.”

  “That’s right,” said Heather. “He asked. And I said I would be supportive. Besides, it’s only for one case. And we can focus on Bernadette’s mystery now.”

  “Fine,” Amy said. “But I’m used to criminal investigation and finding a murderer. How do we go about trying to find a poet?”

  “I think we need to ask Bernadette and Gina to keep an eye on the crime scene,” said Heather. “To see if he returns to leave more poems.”

  “Got it,” said Bernadette. “That won’t be a problem.”

  “It’s not really a crime scene though,” said Amy. “We might be able to call is Rhyme Scene though.”

  Heather laughed and then said, “We’ll look at the poems and see if we can uncover anything else about subject of the poem or the writer based on the descriptions.”

  Bernadette gave them the rest of the poems and looked excited to be a part of the intrigue unfolding inside her shop.

  Heather put the poems in her purse, happy to have a new puzzle to distract her.

  Oldest House

  Saturday arrived, and Heather's friends and family were all set to visit the Oldest House together. Eva and Leila kept joking about how they should become historic landmarks as well because of their age, but Heather reminded them that the house had a few hundred more years on them.

  Her daughter Lilly was always excited for the Saturday trips. She loved spending time with the ones she cared about and liked to see what the island had to offer. Her new school was full of students that already knew all the landmarks of Key West, and she wanted to know what she was missing.

  Amy and Jamie had met up with the group, smelling strongly of soap.

  “You won’t have to worry about me catching fleas anymore,” Amy joked.

  Amy's boyfriend Jamie was in the process of setting up a mobile pet grooming business. He had finally found the right van and was now finding the other necessary items to start his business. He was planning on rolling into business in the near future. Amy liked to help him whenever she could, and because she wasn't working on case where people's lives could be in danger, she found she had plenty of time to help him set up. Unfortunately, the project he was working on was selecting soaps, and after some accidental spilling they had ended up washing themselves.

  Ryan commented on how nice it was that the two of them had a little more time to spend together. Amy gave him a dirty look but then tried to play nice. She agreed that with more time not spent investigating, she and Heather could have an overdue movie night. Eva and Leila and Lilly insisted that they would have to be a part of the movie night as well, and Heather extended the invitation, mentioning that her dog and kitten would have to come too.

  The Oldest House was a beautiful white house that was built in the 1800s. Heather was surprised that this antique house survived in the bustling center of Key West. It wasn’t even too far away from where her donut shop was serving up snacks.

  It was fascinating and charming to see how you might have lived over two hundred years ago. They went on a walking tour of the home and gardens. The enjoyed hearing the story of how a rocking chair there might be haunted, and Heather liked seeing the “beehive oven.”

  All through the afternoon, Ryan looked distracted. He was pretending like he was having a good time, but Heather knew him well enough to know the truth.

  When they decided to find a bench to sit down and rest, Heather talked to him about it.

  “What’s bothering you?” she asked.

  “I didn’t want to spoil the day’s fun, but I am thinking about the case. I’m also adjusting the changes here from Hillside. Nothing is bad. It’s all just a little different. And I’m afraid I’ve made you feel like I don’t want your help. I don’t want you both to feel shunned.”

  “We don’t feel shunned,” said Heather. “Okay. Well, maybe Amy feels a little shunned. But it’s all right. We understand.”

  “How are your cases going?” Lilly asked her parents as she joined their bench. “That’s what you’re talking about, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe I was telling your father that we should install an oven like had here,” Heather joked.

  “No way,” Ryan said. “Our wonderfully located home seems to be held together with chewing gum and a prayer. No more remodels.”

  They all laughed. The rest of the group moved closer to them.

  “My case of finding the poet is going to be a little tricky,” Heather admitted. “I keep rereading the poem. And to be honest, I’d rather be reading your dinosaur stories, Lils.”

  “Maybe I should hide them around too then,” Lilly said laughing.

  “I’m pretty sure I’d know it was you though,” said Heather.

  “Though we’d go on a scavenger hunt to find the next page of the story,” Eva said.

  “That’s true,” Leila agreed. “We love your writing.”

  Lilly smiled and then turned to her dad. “And how is your case? Do you like your new partner?”

  "Yes," Ryan said. "He's a much more of a hard worker than my partner in Hillside, and he is a nice guy. However, he's still young, and he looks to me for answers. I want to make sure that I tell him the right things and set a good example."

&
nbsp; “You’ll be a wonderful mentor as well as a partner,” Heather assured him. “And then Peters will feel a bit more confident and be able to spread his wings.”

  “I hope so,” said Ryan. “I can tell that this is going to be a tough case for us to start out on. And it doesn’t help that she was killed in a kitchen. There’s a lot of evidence to process.”

  “She was killed in a kitchen?” Heather asked.

  Ryan nodded. “She’s a baker and the owner of a local cupcake store. She was killed in her kitchen before the store opened for the day.”

  “Oh, come on,” said Amy. “I know you want to do this on your own. But a baker was killed? You should have bakers look at the crime scene to see if anything is out of place. This case is doubly in our wheelhouse.”

  Inwardly, Heather agreed, but instead, she said, "Ryan needs to solve this on his own. I agree it's important that he impress the new chief."

  “Well,” Ryan said, starting to cave after Amy’s outburst. “Maybe you could just look at the crime scene. As fellow bakers and store owners. Just to make sure we didn’t miss any clues that the average person wouldn’t see.”

  Heather and Amy didn’t need to be told twice. They made him promise to take them to the crime scene right after their family outing.

  A Cupcake Crime Scene

  “I’m confused,” Detective Peters said as they arrived at the crime scene.

  “This is a tricky case,” Ryan said. “But I’m sure we’ll solve it by working together as partners and examining all the evidence.”

  “I meant I was confused by why they are here,” Peters said, indicating to Heather and Amy. “I thought you said they weren’t going to help on this case. Yes, I have it right here in my notes. And then they took the donuts they brought away after you said that. They were Mulled Cider flavored.”

  “We didn’t mean to steal any snacks away from you,” Heather said. “And I thought you and Amy had already eaten a good amount of them.”

  Peters checked his notebook and admitted that they did.

  “Very helpful notes on the case,” Amy muttered.

  Detective Peters heard her and responded. “Well, you never know what could be important on a case, or how something seemingly meaningless could relate to a crime. It’s better to be thorough.”

  “I agree,” said Ryan.

  Amy kept muttering about how it was impossible that her donut consumption could relate to a murder scene. Heather thought to herself that her friend didn’t want to actually know how many of the sweet treats she ate every day.

  Ryan started explaining their presence to his partner, “They’re not here as investigators today. They’re just here to look around and offer some advice.”

  “How is that different from investigating?” asked Peters.

  “Because they’re here as bakers,” said Ryan. “They are just here to see if anything looks strange in the kitchen because they share a similar profession.”

  “You bake cupcakes too?” Peters asked them.

  “No. I stick to donuts,” said Heather. “I have to admit that I’m not a great cook. I’m only good at making donuts—“

  “You’re great at making donuts,” Amy added.

  “Because of my grandmother. Her recipes helped me open up my own shop and then I started experimenting with my own flavors,” Heather continued. “However, cupcake or donut—“

  “This case is going to make me hungry, I can tell,” said Amy.

  “I think we can be helpful when we look around the kitchen. While everyone has their own setup, there are certain things that every cook tends to do.”

  “Like what?” Peters asked, curiously.

  "Well," Heather said, thinking of an example. "A Maple Bacon flavor has become popular. If I started keeping bacon in my fridge, I would keep it on one of the lower levels in the fridge. That way if there happened to be an issue with its packaging, the liquid from the meat wouldn't drip down and contaminate my other ingredients."

  “Interesting,” said Peters. “It was a good idea to bring them in.”

  “Thanks,” said Heather.

  “Though this still seems a lot like when I worked with Detective Smith,” Peters commented. “He would say that he didn’t want any help from them, he would finally relent, and then they’d end up solving the case for us.”

  Heather had to contain her smile at the description of their help with the last detective. He had reluctantly agreed to their help on past cases. However, since they were licensed private detectives and since they were so good at what they did, he eventually ended up welcoming their input.

  “Let’s go inside,” Ryan said by way of a response.

  Together, they all entered the crime scene at Cupcake Cove.

  The front of the shop was very similar to Donut Delights. However, it looked sad and subdued inside without the baked goods filling its display cases. Knowing the reason for this lack of pastries made Heather feel a bit gloomy. However, it also made her determined to help in whatever way she could to find justice for the murdered baker.

  “She was killed in the kitchen in the back,” said Ryan, leading the way.

  “Remember when I said this case was going to make me hungry?” Amy asked. “I changed my mind. This setup is too similar to Donut Delights. I’m too creeped out. I’ve lost my appetite.”

  They entered the kitchen, which was also eerily similar to the donut shop. There were, of course, some differences but the overall feel of the room was the same.

  “Her body was found over here,” said Ryan.

  “Very creepy,” Amy said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat at Donut Delights ever again.”

  “We both know that isn’t going to happen,” Heather said. “Now, let’s try and focus on what happened.”

  “Is there anything that looks out of place around here?” Ryan asked.

  Heather started examining the room, and then asked, “Can we touch anything?”

  Ryan nodded. “Use your gloves, but you can pick things up. It’s already been dusted for prints and checked for traces of DNA evidence.”

  “And did they find anything?” asked Amy.

  "It's hard to tell if any of the fingerprints will be useful," Ryan said. "But we think we found a partial shoeprint. Unfortunately, it looks like a popular unisex sandal. It might not narrow things down."

  “Great,” said Amy.

  “We’ve also taken thorough pictures of the crime scene. I can show you them, and tell you what’s been removed already. Besides the body, the murder weapon and some paperwork was already removed.”

  “It will be helpful to see those photos,” Heather said. “But there’s something I want to look at already.”

  “What’s that?” asked Peters, with his notebook ready.

  “That cabinet above the counter has a lock on it,” Heather commented.

  “That’s funny,” said Amy. “There’s an office where you could keep the profits. What ingredients would you have to lock up? Do they have fancy truffles here?”

  “That cabinet was unlocked and empty when we arrived,” said Ryan. “And the victim looks like she was killed by the center counter and not by this one. Do you think this cabinet is important?”

  “I don’t know,” said Heather. “The flour is also bothering me.”

  “What about the flour?” asked Ryan.

  “It’s left out on the counter without a lid on it,” Heather said, pointing to the container of flour on the counter under the locked cabinet.

  “She must have been using it before she was… well, you know,” said Amy. “And she didn’t get a chance to put the lid on.”

  “I have a question,” Heather said, turning to Ryan. “Was that locked cabinet door open or closed when you came it?”

  “It was wide open,” said Detective Peters.

  “I wonder,” Heather said to herself.

  “Wonder what?” asked Peters.

  “Can we look in that flour?” Heather asked.

/>   The detectives agreed, and they started sifting through the white powder. Heather felt something and held it up, dusting off all the flour.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Amy asked.

  “It’s a ruby,” Heather agreed.

  Kitchen Clues

  “What is a ruby doing here?” Heather asked aloud.

  “Yeah. Why isn’t it in my jewelry box?” Amy joked.

  “Was the victim hiding a ruby in the flour?” Peters asked.

  “Or did it fall into the open flour from the locked cabinet?” asked Ryan.

  “Or some combination of both of them?” Heather posited.

  “This has to be related to her death, doesn’t it?” Amy asked. “I mean, there can’t just be a giant ruby in the flour for no reason, can there?”

  “I’m sure it relates, but we’ll have to figure out how,” said Heather. “Why don’t you take us through what you know for sure so far?”

  Ryan nodded. “The victim was named Megan Baker. She owned and operated Cupcake Cove. By all accounts, it was a successful business.”

  “Definitely,” said Amy. “If she can afford giant rubies like that.”

  “We don’t know that she bought it for herself,” Detective Peters pointed out. “I mean, I don’t think we do.”

  “She lived alone not far from here, but there is a boyfriend in the picture. Her neighbors and an employee, Frieda Johnson, say that she normally opened shop alone. She liked to come in early and start the baking before any of her staff arrived,” said Ryan.

  “And the staff have alibis for the morning of the murder?” Heather asked.

  Detective Peters consulted his notes. "There are three employees here. One isn't working here at the moment because of an injury. He has a broken arm that would make it pretty hard to stab someone to death. Another employee has a class at the local college in the mornings. We confirmed she was there, and she wouldn't have had time to make a killer pit stop."

  “And the third?” asked Heather.

  “That’s Frieda Johnson. Her roommate confirms that she was home until eight a.m. and then Frieda stopped for coffee on her way into work. The barista remembers her,” Peters said.