Cupcakes with a Side of Murder
Page 8
“Well, yeah. It’s unsettling to be followed, but this also might be a unique opportunity for us.”
Hope’s eyebrows knitted. “For what?”
“Just bear with me. I have a plan,” I said.
“Does it involve running away and hiding?” Hope asked.
“No. It involves splitting up.”
“I already don’t like this plan.”
“Trust me.”
“What else does this plan of yours involve?” Hope asked.
I leaned in and whispered in Hope’s ear. After telling her my plan, she gave me a quizzical look.
“Are you sure about this?” Hope asked.
I nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I had a hunch that Isaac was more intent on following me than Hope. I was right. When Hope and I split up, Isaac stayed on my tail.
I headed over to Noah Davidson’s trailer and knocked on the door a few times, but he didn’t answer. As I looked into one of the windows of the trailer, I saw a light on.
I knocked on the door a few more times. “Noah. I know you’re in there and I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me.”
A few seconds later, Noah opened the door.
“You have a lot of nerve,” he barked.
“I just want to find out the truth. That’s all,” I said.
“I already told you. I didn’t kill William. Now get out of here.”
“Noah, I know there’s something going on with you and Isaac Terwilliger—”
He cut me off. “What you saw was a business discussion.”
“Then why didn’t you have that discussion in Isaac’s office instead of a vacant backlot set?”
He snarled at me. “You need to learn not to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“If you really were just talking business, why don’t you tell me what was discussed?”
“Because it’s none of your business.”
“Look. I’m giving you a chance to come clean here. But if you’re going to keep giving me grief, I’ll go talk to Isaac and see what he has to say,” I replied.
Noah smirked. “Go ahead.”
“Why do you have that look on your face?” I asked.
I heard footsteps behind me and whirled around. That was when I saw Isaac approaching me with a gun in his hand. He pointed it at me.
“You just don’t learn, do you?” Isaac said.
“Isaac, put the gun down,” I said.
“No. I’m the one giving the orders here,” Isaac said. “Sabrina, step away from the trailer.”
I followed his orders.
“Noah, come out here and join me,” Isaac said.
Noah reluctantly stepped forward and stood beside Isaac.
“What are you going to do, shoot me right here on the studio lot?” I asked.
Isaac shook his head. “Of course not. This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to get into my car and we’re going to take a drive to this remote canyon I know. Then you’re going to have yourself a little accident. By the time the authorities find your body—if they ever do—there will be no way to trace anything back to me.”
“What are you talking about? Noah is right here. He just heard everything you said,” I replied.
“True. But Noah is going to keep his mouth shut about this. Just like he did about William’s murder. Otherwise, I’ll make sure his entire career will go up in smoke for good.” Isaac stared Noah down. “Are we clear, Noah?”
Noah reluctantly agreed. “Yes.”
My eyes widened as I looked at Isaac. “Wait a minute. That’s what you were arguing about earlier, wasn’t it? Noah knew that you killed Richman. So, in exchange for Noah’s silence, you agreed to keep producing his comeback show. But Noah began to have doubts about the deal he had made. Isn’t that right?”
“It turns out you’re pretty good at this whole sleuthing thing. Too good. You’ve left me with no choice. I have to kill you,” Isaac said.
“This was all about Michelle, wasn’t it? That’s why you killed Richman. Because you’re in love with his wife,” I said.
“William didn’t deserve Michelle. He cheated on her…with Audrey. Some dumb receptionist. Michelle deserved better than that. She deserves me,” Isaac said.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I said.
Isaac laughed. “That’s a good one. Considering how you have a gun pointed at you.”
“What you fail to realize is that I’m not the only one who has a gun pointed at them,” I said.
Isaac’s forehead wrinkled for a moment until he felt the cold steel barrel of a gun press against the back of his head.
Throughout the conversation, Isaac had been too caught up in threatening me to notice Hope sneaking up behind him. Now, Hope had the upper hand.
“Put your gun down,” Hope said.
“Wait. But how did you—?”
“That wasn’t a question, it was an order. If you want to live, put your gun down right now,” Hope demanded.
With a terrified look in his eyes, Isaac put his gun down.
I walked over and picked the gun up.
“Now we’ve got you,” I said. I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone. “And the confession we need to put you behind bars.”
“Wait a minute. You were recording our conversation?” Isaac asked.
I nodded. “Every word.”
“You walked right into our trap,” Hope said.
“You see, we noticed you following us earlier and wanted to see if we could use that to our advantage. So I had Hope go over to the set of Sassy Sleuth to grab one of the prop guns. Then I came over here to Noah’s trailer, hoping to provoke you, and you took the bait.”
“So wait, the gun Hope is holding is just a prop?” Isaac asked.
“It is. But the one I’m holding is real. And now it’s all over for both of you. Face it, you’re both going to jail for a long time,” I said.
I held Isaac and Noah at gunpoint while Hope called Detective Taggart.
When the detective arrived at the studio half an hour later, I played him the recording I made.
Taggart then arrested Isaac for murder while Noah was booked as an accessory after the fact.
Chapter Thirty
With William Richman dead and Isaac Terwilliger in jail, Michelle Richman became the new head of Richman-Terwilliger Productions. Initially, Michelle wanted to scrap Sassy Sleuth. But the president of the TV studio overruled her decision. With all the press that the Richman murder case had received, the studio was more confident than ever that a series based on my amateur sleuthing would become a smash hit.
I ended up staying an extra week in Los Angeles to watch the entire filming of the pilot. When it finally wrapped production, Hope was kind enough to drive me to the airport to catch my flight back to Treasure Cove.
We stood inside the airport and said a reluctant good-bye to each other. Even though we had only known each other a few weeks, I felt an instant connection with her. And not just because she was playing the character based on me in the TV show. We just got along so well together.
“I feel like you need a vacation from this vacation,” Hope joked.
“I wouldn’t turn down a trip to Hawaii, that’s for sure,” I said.
Hope threw out her arms. “Who would?”
“So true.” I smiled. “You know, despite all the changes that Richman made to the script, he did make at least one genius decision—casting you in the lead role. I couldn’t imagine a better actress to play me.”
“How sweet of you to say.”
“I’m just being honest. It’s uncanny how similar our personalities are.”
“I know what you mean. That’s why I’m sad to see you go back to Treasure Cove. I wish you could stay in Los Angeles longer. I feel like we could become really good friends.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay?”
I shook m
y head. “I’m afraid not. Don’t get me wrong—Treasure Cove is a weird little place, but I miss it. My husband is there. Same with my family and friends.”
“I understand. Besides, you haven’t exactly had the best experience in Hollywood,” Hope said.
“This wasn’t one of my top ten vacations ever, that’s for sure.”
“I’ll bet. It turns out that a murder investigation is a real vacation-killer,” Hope said.
“It sure is. But at least justice will be served.”
“True. That said, if you’re ever in Southern California again, let me know. I’ll make sure that you have a good time.”
“Thanks. That would be great.”
“Of course.”
“And hey, if you ever want a break from the Hollywood hustle and bustle, I’d love for you to come visit me in Treasure Cove. My friends and family would absolutely love you. Plus, you’ll get to see the real-life inspiration behind the TV show.”
“I wish I had the time for that. But if this TV series is as successful as I think it will be, I will be working like crazy.”
“As long as you don’t let Hollywood drive you crazy,” I joked.
“I won’t.”
“Anyway, I hope this show becomes a huge success.”
Hope crossed her fingers. “So do I.”
The conversation fell silent for a moment.
“So, I guess this is it then?” I said.
Hope nodded. “Unfortunately, this is good-bye. But hey, we’ll stay in touch.”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Neither would I,” Hope said.
Hope then leaned forward and gave me a big hug.
Epilogue
The TV show Sassy Sleuth went on to become a huge success. It ran for seven seasons, had millions of fans, and made Hope Hadley a household name.
I returned to Treasure Cove, where all manner of wackiness awaited me. While the days of seeing lights turned on in abandoned houses, stumbling upon secret society meetings, and exposing rogue hypnotherapists were thankfully over, crime persisted in my quirky hometown.
Thankfully, with each murder that occurred, David and I were able to bring the guilty party to justice.
But despite having a bad week or two every now and then, there was a substantial amount of good news to report.
My marriage to David remained as strong as ever. Each day, I fell in love with him a little more.
In addition, a few years after tying the knot, we welcomed a baby girl into the world. I named her Jessica, in honor of my dear sister.
Little Jessica has my sister’s eyes, but my determination. I hear it in her voice every time she tells me that she wants to become a detective when she grows up.
Whether Jessica follows in David’s footsteps and joins the police force one day remains to be seen. But one thing is clear—I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
The End.
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Books in the Daley Buzz Series
Book 1 – Chocolate with a Side of Murder
Book 2 – Caramels with a Side of Murder
Book 3 – Apple Pie with a Side of Murder
Book 4 – Lemon Bars with a Side of Murder
Book 5 – Cookies with a Side of Murder
Book 6 – Halloween Candy with a Side of Murder
Book 7 – Christmas Cookies with a Side of Murder
Book 8 – Gelato with a Side of Murder
Book 9 – Chocolate Cake with a Side of Murder
Book 10 – Cupcakes with a Side of Murder
Books in the Hope Hadley Series
1. Fame Is a Killer
2. Fishing for a Murderer
3. Murder of a Yoga Instructor
4. Drowning In Deceit
5. A Not So Merry Christmas Murder
6. Killer Injustice
7. Murder of a Restaurant Critic
8. Murder of a Movie Producer
9. The Killer Holiday Office Party
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