Bake, Battle & Roll (A Lexy Baker Bakery Cozy Mystery)

by Leighann Dobbs

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  A Note from The Author

  About The Author

  This is a work of fiction.

  None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.

  Bake, Battle & Roll

  Copyright © 2013

  Leighann Dobbs

  http://www.leighanndobbs.com

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover art by: http://www.coverkicks.com

  ***

  More Books By This Author:

  Lexy Baker

  Cozy Mystery Series

  * * *

  Killer Cupcakes

  Dying For Danish

  Murder, Money and Marzipan

  3 Bodies and a Biscotti

  Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys

  -------

  Blackmoore Sisters

  Cozy Mystery Series

  * * *

  Dead Wrong

  Dead & Buried

  -------

  Contemporary

  Romance

  * * *

  Sweet Escapes

  Reluctant Romance

  -------

  Dobbs “Fancytales”

  Regency Romance Fairytales Series

  * * *

  Something In Red

  Snow White and the Seven Rogues

  Dancing on Glass

  Chapter One

  “According to Chef Dugasse, your pie crust is too thick,” Lexy’s assistant Deena said as she fitted a sheet of dough into a pie pan taking care to flute the edges the way Lexy had shown her.

  Lexy glanced up at her as she worked the marble rolling pin over the dough, pounding it a little harder than necessary.

  “I don’t think Chef Dugasse knows his pie crusts,” Lexy replied pushing down the anger she felt and wondering for the umpteenth time why she had agreed to fill in as pastry chef at the rustic lakeside resort.

  When her grandmother Mona Baker, or Nans as Lexy called her, had phoned with the offer, it had sounded like fun … at first. The current pastry chef had been taken ill, they were desperate for a temporary replacement—and they were willing to pay very well for it.

  Still, Lexy wasn’t sure why she had accepted. She had her own bakery to run where she was the boss and didn’t have to listen to a pompous overpaid head chef berate her baking. But the promise of a free two week vacation in a rustic cabin with her fiancé, Jack, had won her over …

  … And she had regretted it every day since.

  “How’s this?” Deena stood back, indicating the pie plate.

  Lexy tilted her head, inspecting the work. Deena had a part time job in the kitchen for the summer and Lexy had been training the enthusiastic teen on various baking techniques. Deena reminded Lexy of herself at that age—full of energy and eager to learn everything about baking. Training her was one of the few things she’d enjoyed about the temporary job and Deena was turning out to be a quick study.

  “That looks great.” Lexy squatted down so that her eyes were level with the table, then turned the pie plate and pointed to one section. “It’s a teeny bit higher here.”

  Deena looked at the pie plate from table level and nodded. “Oh yeah. I can see that from this angle.”

  Lexy shrugged. “It just takes practice. You did a really good job for your first try.”

  Deena beamed with pride. “Thanks. If you ask me, Chef Dugasse is just being a jerk. Your pie crust is delicious.”

  Lexy agreed. Chef Dugasse was a jerk. He had been a thorn in her side since she took the position. She wasn’t the only one that thought so, either. Most of the staff was at odds with him and it was no wonder with the way he was always yelling and screaming at them.

  But he was world renowned, and his food was excellent, so he could do as he pleased and the resort kept him on.

  Lexy glanced around the kitchen. The resort itself dated to the 1940s, but the kitchen had been recently renovated. Billed as a rustic-campy get away with five star dining, the meals had to be cooked to perfection so the kitchen, which sat inside a gigantic antique log cabin structure, was top notch.

  It would be a pleasure to work in it … if it wasn’t for the domineering presence of Chef Dugasse.

  Dugasse’s voice thundered from the other side of the kitchen as if sensing Lexy’s thoughts. “Theeze eggs are not up to our standards! You vill throw them out and start over!”

  Lexy turned in the direction of the screaming. Dugasse was in a white chef’s outfit complete with a tall hat. His six foot frame carried a three foot wide body, his gigantic bulk towering over a terrified first year cook, Thomas, who cowered in the corner. She watched as the head chef picked up the warming tray full of scrambled eggs and dumped them in the trash, then stormed off toward the back door that led outside.

  Lexy saw Silvia Spicer, Dugasse’s long suffering sous-chef, rush over to soothe the cook’s ruffled feathers. Silvia’s eyes shot daggers at the retreating back of the head chef before she started toward the door after him.

  Lexy turned back to Deena who was still looking in the direction of the cook, wide-eyed with terror and her heart clenched for the poor girl. Lexy didn’t see why Dugasse had to run the kitchen this way, almost everyone was terrified of him and it created an unpleasant work environment.

  “Uh hum …”

  Lexy turned toward the throat clearing noise to find one of the chefs, Brad Meltzer, standing next to her. Brad worshipped Dugasse and the head chef often took advantage of that by sending Brad to do his dirty work, which Brad appeared to delight in.

  Brad was as thin as Dugasse was wide. He had narrow, beady eyes and a pointed face which made Lexy think of a weasel. He didn’t seem to like Lexy very much, which was fine with her since the feeling was mutual. Lexy raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Dugasse says you have to make the cornbread for the Chili Battle.” Brad jerked his head toward the back of the room where Dugasse had just disappeared.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The Chili Battle. They have it every year and it’s a huge deal. The winner gets their own chili label to be sold nationally in grocery stores. Everyone knows Dugasse has a prize winning chili recipe so he’s a shoe in. But he needs a cornbread side and that’s where you come in.”

  Lexy felt her cheeks growing warm, anger causing her pulse to pick up speed. Having your own chili label was worth a lot of money, not to mention the branding opportunities for the chef. But she didn’t see why she should have to put in extra hours to help make him rich and popular—not someone as mean spirited as Dugasse. She was sure he wouldn’t do the same to help her if the tables were turned.

  “That’s not part of m
y job. I’m up to my eyeballs in pies and desserts here. I don’t have time to make cornbread so that Dugasse can win some contest.” She punctuated the chef’s name by slamming her palm on the counter a little bit harder than she probably should have.

  Brad’s eyes grew wide. He took a step backwards and spread his hands at his sides. “Hey, I’m just the messenger.”

  Lexy swiveled her head toward the back of the room. Dugasse wasn’t there—he must still be outside.

  “Sorry, Brad. I know that. But I’m sick and tired of being bossed around by Chef Dugasse.” She spun on her heels and started toward the kitchen door. “And I’m going to put a stop to it once and for all.”

  ###

  Lexy felt the eyes of the entire kitchen staff drilling into her back as she stormed over to the door. A blast of cold air from the giant freezer that stood next to it did nothing to cool her anger as she ripped the screen door open and stepped outside.

  It was still early in the morning, but the heat of the day was starting. Lexy’s hands clenched at her sides as she stood just outside the door ready to lay into the head chef.

  Where was he?

  Her eyes darted around the area, her heart pounding with anger. Straight ahead the woods full of tall pines was empty except for birds and squirrels. Normally, Lexy would delight in watching them scamper and fly about, but this morning she was too mad to notice.

  To her left was a short path that led to the parking lot, to her right the dumpster, surrounded by the stench of rotting food.

  Did he go somewhere with Silvia? She’d thought she had seen the sous-chef head out here after him, but where could they be? Lexy cocked an ear to listen for their voices but didn’t hear anything except the flies buzzing around the dumpster.

  Tentatively, she picked her way around the end of the large metal container. She peered around to see if they were on the other side, her breath catching when she saw a pair of chef’s clogs. But instead of the soles lying flat on the ground, they were sticking up as if the person were lying down.

  Lexy raced to the other side of the dumpster. Her heart lurched up into her throat when she saw what lay on the other side. Chef Dugasse, lay on the ground—a big, shiny mahogany handled chef’s knife sticking straight up out of his chest.

  Lexy threw herself down beside him, her anger at the chef forgotten. “Chef Dugasse?”

  No response.

  Her mind whirled. What should she do? Should she pull the knife out and try to stop the bleeding?

  Lexy realized she should check for a pulse. She placed her fingers on his neck.

  Nothing.

  She bent over him, putting her ear to his mouth to see if she could hear him breathing.

  Nothing.

  She tried his wrist.

  Nothing.

  Lexy sat back on her heels with a sigh, realizing there was nothing she could do.

  Chef Alain Dugasse was dead.

  ###

  A scream pierced the air, interrupting Lexy from digging her cell phone out of her pocket. She whipped her head around to see Silvia Spicer standing just behind her, hands over her mouth, eyes wide.

  “You killed him!” Silvia rushed over to Dugasse’s other side, slapping his face and lifting his arm.

  “What? I did not kill him. I found him like this.” Lexy narrowed her eyes at Silvia who had given up on the face slapping and arm lifting and was now staring at her over the chef’s body.

  “Where were you?” Lexy asked.

  “Me? I was in the kitchen.” Silvia turned her attention back to the chef. “Should we hide the body?”

  Lexy stared at the sous-chef as she pulled out her cell phone. “Hide the body? We can’t do that. We have to call the police.”

  “Right, of course, I don’t know what I’m saying.” Silvia pushed herself up and backed away from the body as if she just realized what it was.

  Lexy made the 911 call while Silvia paced back and forth, a whiff of musky perfume teased Lexy’s nose every time the sous-chef walked by.

  “Did you kill him?” Silvia asked after she had hung up the phone.

  “No. Of course not.” Lexy studied Silvia’s worried face as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands. “Did you?”

  Silvia stopped and looked at Lexy. “Me? I wasn’t even here.”

  “But I saw you come out after him.” Lexy gestured toward the dead chef. “Right after he reamed out Thomas about the eggs.”

  Silvia’s brow wrinkled and she shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I was in the freezer, cooling off. I was really mad so I went in there otherwise I might have killed him.”

  Lexy’s teeth worked her bottom lip. She could have gone into the freezer, it was next to the door. And Lexy hadn’t actually seen her come outside.

  “But you have blood all over your shirt.” Lexy pointed to Silvia’s chef’s coat which was smudged with red. Had it been that way before she knelt next to the body? Lexy couldn’t remember, she had been too distracted.

  “So do you.” Silvia nodded at Lexy’s shirt. Lexy looked down and her heart froze. She did have blood all over her—much more than Silvia.

  “Well, of course I do. I bent over him to see if he was breathing.”

  Silvia stared at her. “Well, if you did kill him, you did all of us a favor.”

  Lexy rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I didn’t do it.”

  Silvia looked off toward the road as the sound of sirens split the air in the distance.

  “Well, I don’t care whether you did or didn’t kill him, but my advice would be to get your ducks in a row.”

  “Why is that?” Lexy wrinkled her forehead at the other woman.

  “Because I don’t think the police are going to be very understanding when I have to tell them that I came out here to find you leaning over a dead body with blood all over your shirt.”

  Chapter Two

  It didn’t take long for word to get around and the kitchen staff crowded outside to see what was going on. Lexy was doing her best to keep them back from the crime scene when the police arrived.

  “What’s going on here? Don’t you people know this is a crime scene? Haven’t any of you ever watched TV?”

  A short, round man flashed a badge and the crowd parted to let him and his entourage through. He stopped short when he saw Lexy and Silvia with their matching blood stains.

  “And who might you be?” He ping-ponged his dark eyes between the two women, his brows slightly dipped in a question.

  Lexy stepped forward and introduced herself, Silvia followed suit. The man’s handshake was firm. He introduced himself as Detective Payne and the man beside him as his associate, Detective Wells.

  They made an odd couple. Wells was over six feet tall, where Payne must have been only five foot six. Wells looked to be in his late twenties, Payne nearing sixty complete with partial balding and a protruding stomach. Wells looked professional in a dark blue tailor-made suit. Payne looked like a dork in a light blue polo shirt, and blue and red plaid Bermuda shorts.

  “So you two found the victim?”

  “Not me. She did.” Lexy’s stomach lurched as Sylvia pointed to her.

  Payne swiveled his eyes toward Lexy. “So that’s how you got the blood on you?”

  “Yes. I saw him lying there and rushed over to see if I could do some sort of first aid. I must have gotten the blood on me then.” Lexy’s stomach churned as she looked down at her shirt.

  “Hmm …” Payne cut his eyes toward Wells, then walked back to the edge of the dumpster and looked at the kitchen door. “So, why were you out here, on this side of the dumpster?”

  “What?” Lexy furrowed her brow at him, then remembered why she had walked around the dumpster. “Oh, I came out looking for the chef.”

  Payne raised his brows. “Do you normally find him behind the dumpster?”

  “No.” Lexy bit her lip. This wasn’t going good. Maybe she should stop talking now, before she got herself into trouble. “I thought he would be jus
t outside the back door. But when I didn’t see him there, I peeked around and that’s when I saw his shoes.”

  Payne scrunched up his face and walked over to the kitchen door. He made a big show of looking around, then came around the side of the dumpster.

  “Oh yes.” He nodded, pointing the pencil he held in his hand at the shoes. “They stick right out.”

  Lexy did a half smile and nodded as Payne came back over to them.

  “And you?” Payne fixed his attention on Sylvia. “How did you get the blood on you?”

  “I came out and saw chef on the ground and ran over to him to try to revive him. I didn’t realize that Lexy had already determined he was dead.”

  Payne looked up at the sky, pursed his lips together and tapped them with the eraser end of the pencil.

  “Yes, but what made you come all the way over to this side of the dumpster?”

  Lexy saw a cloud pass over Sylvia’s blue eyes and her brows wrinkle slightly. “Well … I …” She looked toward the door, then back at the body. “I came outside to have a word with Chef Dugasse and heard the commotion over here, so naturally I came over to see what was going on.”

  Commotion? Lexy didn’t remember making any commotion.

  Someone jostled Lexy’s elbow—apparently a crime tech who was trying to do their job of cataloguing the scene. It was getting crowded around the body and Lexy shuffled closer to the dumpster to give them room.

  Payne looked around, wrinkling his nose as if suddenly becoming aware of the crime scene investigators swarming the scene and the stench of the dumpster.

  Payne pointed to Lexy and Silvia. “Let’s finish this inside,” he said jerking his head in the direction of the kitchen. He turned and started toward the door, almost tripping over an investigator that was scouring the ground for evidence. Wells fell in step behind him.

  Lexy exchanged a raised eyebrow glance with Silvia and followed them inside. The kitchen staff, who had been gathered in a circle, quickly dispersed to their various stations as soon as they entered the kitchen. Lexy realized that with Dugasse gone, Sylvia was now in charge.