by K. M. Morgan
Chapter Twelve
Luckily, the rest of the work day went by without incident. Then again, what more could happen in one day? Come to think of it, Daisy didn’t want to know the answer to that question. She just wanted to get as far away from Tres Chic as she could. Luckily, she knew the perfect antidote to turn the day around.
The moment quitting time arrived, Daisy jumped in her car and headed over to Sweet Tooth.
“How was it?” Samantha Johnson asked.
“Bad,” Daisy answered.
“How bad?”
“Dumpster fire bad. It’s a wonder Trevor hasn’t lost his marbles working in a place like that every day,” Daisy said.
“Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure he has lost a few marbles since working there,” Samantha insisted.
Granny Annie cut in. “There are much worse things you can lose. For example, does anyone know where I put my glasses? I feel like I’m baking blind here. That could be a dangerous proposition...or delicious. Imagine what ingredients I might put together.”
“Annie, do you want me to tell you where your glasses are?” Samantha asked.
Granny Annie smiled. “I’m not so sure now. I’m getting the urge to do some baking on the edge.”
Daisy brought things back on topic. “I prefer a more stable environment, and Tres Chic is like an emotional guillotine. I was only there one day and I feel like I should have a shrink on speed dial.”
“You sound like you’re in dire need of a cupcake,” Samantha said.
“That’s the other thing. For a French place, they sure have mediocre desserts,” Daisy explained.
Granny Annie got concerned. “Have you been cheating on my pastries?”
“You know I’m president of the Sweet Tooth fan club—now more than ever,” Daisy replied.
“Were the desserts really disappointing?” Granny Annie asked.
Daisy nodded. “Sweet Tooth puts them to shame.”
“You’re not just saying that, are you?” Samantha wondered.
“Of course not,” Daisy said.
Granny Annie was baffled. “What kind of a sad excuse for a French restaurant serves lousy pastries? That’s like going to an Italian place that can’t make pasta.”
“Please don’t say that, especially since I’m going to an Italian joint tonight,” Daisy explained.
“Which one—Giuseppe’s? Rosco’s? Antonio’s?” Samantha asked.
Daisy shook her head. “Aloha Ciao.”
“Oh sweet mercy. Those are two words that do not belong together. Are you going out of your way to have a bad meal? Because in that case, it sounds like you could have just stayed at Tres Chic,” Granny Annie joked.
“It was Gavin’s idea. He said he wanted to spice things up,” Daisy said.
“He should have taken you to the Curry House then. They put spices on everything there,” Granny cracked.
“I’ll let you know how things turn out,” Daisy replied.
“This should be more interesting than me baking without my glasses,” Granny added.
“Don’t remind me,” Daisy said.
Samantha jumped back into the conversation. “This sounds like a day you won’t soon forget.”
“There is some good news though,” Daisy added.
“I have some too,” Samantha revealed.
“You first,” Daisy insisted.
“Out of the blue, Trevor told me I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him,” Samantha explained.
“That’s so sweet, and so true,” Granny Annie said.
Daisy was so glad Trevor took her advice and poured his heart out to Samantha. That was just the boost their relationship needed. Sometimes it was the simple things that mattered most. A heartfelt gesture went a long way.
Daisy could have told Samantha she’d given Trevor a nudge in the right direction. Instead, she decided to keep that to herself.
“That’s great to hear. You deserve that kind of affection,” Daisy said.
Samantha saw Daisy giving her a knowing smile.
“What makes me think it wasn’t so out of the blue after all?” Samantha asked.
“Just revel in the moment,” Daisy insisted.
“Daisy, did you put Trevor up to this?” Samantha wondered.
“Those were all his words. I just encouraged him to express them.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“So am I. Anyway, it’s time for my Hawaiian-Italian fusion experiment,” Daisy said.
Granny Annie held out a plate. “Take a cupcake for the road. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”
Chapter Thirteen
“So, what do you think?” Gavin asked.
Daisy had a number of thoughts. The first was how great it was to be with Gavin. A dividing line was emerging in her life—the times she spent with Gavin, and the times she spent away from him. Even when she wasn’t with him, she was often thinking about him. Love had come into her life, and it was here to stay.
The second thing on her mind was about how different Aloha Ciao was than Tres Chic. Daisy had forgotten how nice it felt to be in a functional restaurant where the staff wasn’t bickering constantly. As a matter of fact, the employees at Aloha Ciao were actually working together as a team instead of being on the verge of implosion.
Daisy had been vocal about her apprehensions about trying Hawaiian-Italian fusion. It turned out she was dead wrong.
“I just want you to know I have no problem eating crow,” Daisy said.
“I hope it tastes better than actual crow,” Gavin replied.
Daisy laughed. “It actually tastes surprisingly good.”
Who knew Daisy would ever say that about pineapple penne Alfredo? Yet it was the truth.
“See, trying new things isn’t so bad,” Gavin said.
“I guess you’re right. There’s no harm in mixing things up every once in a while,” Daisy said.
“I’m glad you agree. I was thinking we could try this Asian burrito place next,” Gavin suggested.
There was something going on with Gavin. His body language was giving it away. Daisy had a keen eye for spotting trouble under the surface. She was determined to get to the bottom of it.
“Is everything alright?” Daisy asked.
Gavin tried to gloss things over. “Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?”
“To start, what made you even think about Asian burritos? Or Hawaiian-Italian fusion for that matter?”
“I told you, I want to keep things fresh between us.”
“But they weren’t stale in the first place.”
“True. The plan is to not let them get to that point.”
“Why are you so worried about our relationship getting stale? What aren’t you telling me?” Daisy wondered.
As Gavin saw the look of determination in his girlfriend’s eyes, he realized it was no use hiding the truth from her anymore. He came clean.
“I ran into my friend Joe Erickson the other day. He seemed really down. It turned out he was having relationship problems. That came as a big surprise to me. The last time I saw him, things were going so well with his girlfriend Hope. Unfortunately, he told me they lost the magic between them. Even worse, they weren’t sure how to get it back. I don’t want that to happen to us. We still have that magic and I don’t want to lose it.”
Daisy smiled. “We won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because—you care. The reason a lot of couples get into a rut is because they get distracted by other aspects of life. You’re willing to do everything you can to make sure that doesn’t happen. That’s how I know we’ll be just fine.”
“I’m glad you’re confident.”
“Around you, of course I’m confident. You make me feel better than I’ve ever felt before,” Daisy said.
“I feel the same way about you,” Gavin revealed.
Daisy gazed into his eyes. “I know you do.”
“So, does that mean you’re not intereste
d in trying out some Asian burritos?”
“I’m sorry, but Hawaiian-Italian fusion is my limit of culinary adventure. As much as you need to try out different things sometimes, there are some things that should stay the same.”
“I guess that means you want me to take you back to our old standby Carly’s Comfort Cuisine on our next date then,” Gavin said.
“What can I say? Some things never get old.”
“That’s one thing.”
“I can think of a few others.”
“Like what?” Gavin asked.
“Like this.”
Daisy leaned across the table and kissed Gavin.
“It’s like I said, some tried and true things never get old,” Daisy insisted.
Gavin smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter Fourteen
Daisy wasn’t looking forward to going to work the next morning. After spending the evening with Gavin, she was in a serene mental state. Going back to Tres Chic could turn her on her head again.
At the same time, she had a job to do. Daisy prayed for a calmer day than yesterday. Against all odds, she had an even worse day ahead of her. As Daisy went to pull into the restaurant parking lot, she saw what looked like the entire Cozy Creek police department on the scene.
She remembered the day when that was a shocking sight to her. It was a more naïve time. Back when thoughts of cupcakes and shopping weighed heavy on her mind. Come to think of it, that was still true. One major thing had changed since then—a fleet of police cars was now as common of a sight on the job as windbag decorating clients. If that wasn’t enough, apparently the Cozy Creek police deputies were now on a first name basis with her.
“Hey Daisy,” Deputy Joe Stark said, stopping her car outside the restaurant parking lot.
Daisy was used to police officers being a little more stone-faced. The deputy instead greeted her like she’d just shown up to a backyard barbecue.
“Hello Deputy Stark,” Daisy replied.
“Please, call me Joe.”
“I’m not really comfortable with that Deputy Stark.”
“Do you want a donut? You can’t beat a good bear claw,” Deputy Stark asked.
“Actually, I was wondering what was going on here?”
“I have a better question for you. Like, what are you doing here?”
“I’m redecorating the place,” Daisy said.
“Not today you won’t be,” Deputy Stark replied.
“Joe, what happened here?”
The Deputy remained elusive. “Detective Crumple is going to want to talk to you.”
***
Deputy Stark led Daisy back to the parking lot, where she saw Adam Dunning’s dead body being taken away. Daisy couldn’t believe it. Someone had murdered Adam. Sure he knew how to make enemies, but killing him was just psychotic. She couldn’t imagine how off their rocker the killer must have been to do something like this. Suddenly, Daisy’s focus shifted from decorating to digging for answers.
A few deputies scoured the scene for evidence while Detective Chris Crumple stood in front of a line of familiar faces. Cameron O’Doul, Benjamin Kotter, Sasha Dunning, Jessica Mitchell, Emily Dunning, Logan Walsh, and Carl Blanton. They all openly hated Adam’s guts. If that wasn’t enough, they stood to gain from him being dead.
One person didn’t belong in the lineup however—Trevor Thompson. Why was Crumple questioning him? He couldn’t have done it. Trevor had a good heart. He wasn’t capable of killing someone. So why was he being interrogated? Daisy was determined to find out. But first she let Crumple get through questioning the others.
Daisy had come to know Chris Crumple as a rotund, bumbling man. He seemed more on top of the ball all of a sudden. Where had that change come from? That question would have to wait. There were suspects to question, and Detective Crumple started with Adam’s wife Sasha Dunning.
“Where were you last night between eleven and midnight?” Crumple asked.
“I was out with some friends,” Sasha Dunning replied.
“Where? And what’s the name of these friends?”
Sasha got defensive. “Look, I had a little girl’s night out at Club Pulse, alright?”
“Mrs. Dunning, I’m going to need to know the name of these friends so I can verify your alibi. I can also have Club Pulse pull their security camera tapes between eleven and midnight to see if you were really still at the club.”
Sasha started to waver. “Ok, so my friends had just dropped me off at home after leaving the club.”
“It’s amazing how quickly your story changed,” Detective Crumple pointed out.
“I know what you’re thinking, and I didn’t jump in my car, drive here, and kill my husband.”
“You’d be surprised how often the murderer ends up being an angry spouse.”
“I just told you I didn’t do it,” Sasha insisted.
“It would be a lot easier to believe that if you had someone to verify your alibi.”
Crumple then wrote some notes down in his pocket-sized notepad, then moved on to Adam’s daughter Emily Dunning.
“How about you Emily? Where were you at the time of the murder?” Crumple asked.
“Yesterday was my day off,” Emily replied.
“That’s not what I asked. Besides, the murder took place after the restaurant had already closed.”
Emily hesitated. “I uh—I…” Her eyes began to wander. She gave the sous chef Logan Walsh a quick glance.
Logan tensed up.
Detective Crumple became impatient. “Ms. Dunning--”
“I was with Logan,” Emily said.
Logan looked at Emily quickly and muttered under his breath. “That was supposed to be a secret.”
Everyone then turned to Logan. He gritted his teeth.
Detective Crumple stared Logan down.
“Is that true?” Crumple asked.
Logan was evasive. “Which part?”
“Both. Are you seeing Ms. Dunning, and were you with her last night?” Crumple said.
Logan started fidgeting with his hands. “Uh, yeah.”
Crumple gave him a look of disbelief. “I don’t know how that’s possible, seeing how you were scheduled to work until eleven at the restaurant.”
Logan’s eyes opened wide. “I…left early.”
That didn’t gel in Trevor Thompson’s mind. “Then who closed? You were the only cook here after I left,” Trevor stated.
Detective Crumple stared Logan down.
“It sounds like someone’s been lying—to a police officer no less.” Crumple then looked at both Logan and Emily. “I’m going to give you two one more chance to tell me the truth. Where were you at the time of the murder?”
“Ok fine, so I closed. After that, I drove home,” Logan said.
“So you and Adam Dunning were the last two people here then last night?” Crumple asked.
“He was alive when I left.”
“That’s your story at least. Do you have anyone to confirm it?”
Logan averted his eyes. “No.”
Detective Crumple then turned back to Emily Dunning. “And you Ms. Dunning, where were you really?”
“I was at home,” Emily replied.
“Alone?” Crumple asked.
“If you’re asking if I have anyone to verify that, I don’t. But I was at home.”
Crumple looked critical of that. “Uh huh.”
The detective then turned to Trevor Thompson.
“How about you Mr. Thompson?” Crumple asked.
Trevor was cool, calm, and collected. “I was at my girlfriend’s apartment. I’ll give you the number. She’ll be happy to confirm that.”
“Well, that’s a refreshing answer.” Crumple next turned to Carl Blanton, the recently fired bartender. “Mr. Blanton, where were you between eleven and midnight?”
“I was at the gym,” Carl replied.
“At that hour?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“There aren’t any gyms in Cozy Creek open at that hour,” Crumple said.
“The gym at my apartment complex is,” Carl replied.
“Were you alone at the gym, or do you have someone to corroborate your story?”
“Just because I have no one to back me up doesn’t mean I wasn’t at the gym,” Carl said.
“True. At the same time, it doesn’t mean you were there either.”
“I told you, I was at the gym.”
Crumple scribbled a note in his pad of paper, then moved on to Adam’s mistress—Jessica Mitchell. “Mrs. Mitchell, how about you? Where were you?”
“I was sleeping,” Jessica replied.
“You were asleep before midnight on a Friday night?” Crumple asked.
“Yes.”
“That should be easy enough to verify. I’ll just give your husband a call.”
“Actually, he left town for the weekend,” Jessica revealed.
“Well, that changes everything.”
“No. I was still asleep,” Jessica insisted.
“You’re sticking with that story?”
“Yes, because it’s the truth.”
Detective Crumple then moved on to Benjamin Kotter, the head chef at Ooh La Lunch. “Mr. Kotter, where were you at the time of the murder?”
“I was driving home,” Benjamin answered.
“Is that so?”
Benjamin nodded. “Yeah. It was a long day. I couldn’t wait to get home.”
“Were you driving home alone?”
“Yes, but I went straight home after leaving work.”
“Your word is only as good as my ability to verify it.”
“I already told you I was driving home,” Benjamin said.
Crumple scribbled in his pad, then moved to the owner of Ooh La Lunch—Cameron O’Doul. “Last but not least, Mr. O’Doul. Where were you?”
“I was working away,” Cameron replied.
“You were still at your restaurant then?”
“I just said that.”
“Even though the restaurant had closed an hour before?”