Sprinkle with Murder

by Jenn McKinlay

  They heard her laughing as she walked away.

  “This is all your fault!” Olivia rounded on Mel.

  “My fault?” Mel yelled back. “You have a psychotic murdering niece, and that’s my fault?”

  “If you hadn’t opened up your stupid little cupcake shop, neither of us would be in this mess right now.”

  “There’s some logic for you,” Mel snapped. “How about we save the argument and try to figure out a way out of this?”

  “What are we going to do, egg her?” Olivia asked sarcastically as she examined the supplies on the shelves.

  “Puckett,” Mel said, “I like the way you’re thinking.”

  Twenty-one

  “How good is your aim? ” Olivia asked.

  “We’ve got five dozen eggs here,” Mel said. “How good does it have to be?”

  “Aim for the eyes,” Olivia said. “If you blind her, I can get the gun.”

  “Do you really think it’s loaded?” Mel asked.

  The hum of the cooler was the only sound while Olivia sucked in her cheeks to consider Mel’s question.

  “She once took her father’s pride and joy, a ’65 Mustang convertible, for a joy ride when he specifically told her no. When he found out and took away her keys, she just glared at him. Two days later the car was stolen. When they found it in the desert, it had been keyed, red paint had been dumped on the leather interior, and it had been set on fire. Her father always suspected that Phoebe did it as revenge. My sister, her mother, refused to believe it. Either way, Phoebe never admitted it. There were other things like that, but my sister always covered for her. It cost her the marriage. Phoebe’s father finally got fed up and left.”

  “She’s a sociopath,” Mel said.

  Olivia sighed. “We thought she was just a brat. I never expected anything like this, but am I surprised? Ultimately, no.”

  Mel looked at the crate of eggs in front of her. Her aim had better be damn straight, because she had a feeling that gun was indeed loaded.

  It seemed like hours passed before Phoebe came back. Mel felt the cold seep into her bones, and her teeth began to chatter. She remembered just weeks ago when her mother had “accidentally” shut Tate and her in the walk-in at the cupcake shop. She’d give anything to be there now with him, instead of here with Olivia.

  Finally, they heard the sound of the steel table being dragged away, and Phoebe yelled through the door.

  “Put your hands on your heads, and walk out nice and slow.”

  “This is it,” Olivia whispered. “Are you ready?”

  “Just duck on three,” Mel said.

  She quickly palmed two eggs and held them just out of view behind her head as the door swung wide. Phoebe stood in the light, pointing the gun right at them.

  “One, two, three,” Mel hissed and Olivia dropped down as Mel fired both eggs right at Phoebe’s face.

  There was a satisfying crack followed by a shriek. Olivia darted out of the cooler and grabbed Phoebe’s gun hand as Mel bent down and began lobbing eggs at Phoebe for all she was worth.

  Olivia tried banging Phoebe’s hand against the table, but Phoebe didn’t let go. She was dripping egg yolks, and bits of shell were in her hair and on her clothes as Mel pelted her with eggs. Phoebe hauled back with her left fist as if she would punch her aunt, but the egg-slick floor caused her to slip, and she went down hard, with Olivia landing on top of her.

  “Help!” Olivia yelled as she tried to keep ahold on Phoebe, but the younger woman was wiggling out of her grasp.

  Mel didn’t hesitate. She jumped into the fray, sliding on the linoleum floor and falling with a bone-jarring crack on her rump. She scrambled to her knees and reached out to grab the gun just as Olivia was losing her grip on Phoebe’s wrist. Mel tossed the gun across the room and grabbed Phoebe’s arms.

  “Trap her legs!” Mel yelled. Olivia heaved herself off the slippery floor like a walrus lumbering out of the sea and dropped on top of her niece.

  Just then the kitchen door slammed open, and Uncle Stan and Joe DeLaura jumped into the room. Uncle Stan leveled a gun in their direction and yelled, “Freeze! Nobody move!”

  “Uh.” Phoebe raised her head and then plopped it back into the egg yuck on the floor. Mel and Olivia exchanged a slippery high five before they rolled off Phoebe in exhausted relief.

  “How, exactly, did Uncle Stan find me? ” Mel asked.

  Angie looked sheepish. “I had my brother Tony track your cell phone.”

  “I take it you’re speaking to him and Sal again?”

  “For now,” Angie agreed. “When you didn’t call back within fifteen minutes, I panicked.”

  “Good call,” Mel said. “I ran out of eggs right as Uncle Stan and Joe barged in.”

  “ ‘So it was a real ‘wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey’ moment, ’ ” Tate said.

  “Kill Bill 2.” Angie identified the quote. “Nice.”

  “Thanks. I’ve been waiting to use that one,” he said.

  “Happy I could help,” Mel said as she draped the towel she’d been using on her hair around her neck.

  After she had given her statement and answered all of the detectives’ questions, she had been sent home to deal with the raw egg that had dried in her hair. On the upside, her hair was silky smooth and shiny, and on the downside, it had taken three shampoos to get it all out.

  Her mother had left, after three cycles of hugging her and crying, to go call Mel’s brother with the good news. Uncle Stan had gone to the station to oversee Phoebe being taken into custody, even though it was no longer his case. With Olivia’s statement and Mel’s, Joe felt it was very unlikely that Phoebe would be seeing daylight anytime soon, which suited Mel just fine.

  Since business had been slow all evening, Tate and Angie had decided to take a dinner break and were sitting at the steel table in the kitchen with several Chinese takeout boxes surrounding them. They had ordered in Mel’s favorite, and she was just getting ready to dig in when there was a knock on the back door.

  “Rule of closeness,” Angie said.

  “But I had a near-death experience today,” Mel protested. “I think I should get a pass even if I am closest to the door.”

  Tate and Angie exchanged a look. “Nah.”

  “Fine,” Mel huffed. She strode to the door and threw it wide.

  Standing there was Joe. He smiled at her, and she desperately wished she had taken the time to get dressed instead of wearing her flannel bathrobe with the cows all over it.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi,” she repeated stupidly.

  “Can I talk to you?”

  “Sure, what is it?” Then she had a panicked thought. “They’re not going to let her out are they? She killed Christie. She admitted it. Olivia will back me up.”

  “No,” he said. “It’s nothing like that.”

  “Oh.” Mel sagged with relief.

  He caught her by the ends of the towel still draped around her neck. He pulled her close and kissed her.

  For twenty-plus years, Melanie Cooper had wondered what it would be like to be kissed by Joe DeLaura, and now she knew . . . it was . . . amazing.

  He pulled back to look at her, and Mel felt her face get hot.

  “Wow.”

  “And how,” he said.

  “What made you do that?” she asked.

  “I’ve wanted to for a while now,” he said. “And since you’re no longer a suspect, I figured now was my chance.”

  “Ah,” she said.

  “Truthfully,” he continued, “I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since the day I came over to review that contract for you. I’d have asked you out even if you were on your way to jail.”

  Mel grinned. “So, you’re asking me out?”

  “How does dinner and a movie sound?”

  “What about what’s-her-name, your associate?” Mel asked.

  “Just business,” he said. “Believe me, everyone else seems pretty boring when you’re around, Cupcake.”

  Cupcake? She knew that as a female entrepreneur, she shouldn’t let him get away with calling her such a frivolous nickname. But darn it, it
made her feel breathless the way he said it in his low voice accompanied by his slow grin. And she liked it.

  “Speaking of business,” he said, “did you know that there’s a big pink van parked in front of your building?”

  “A pink what?” Mel asked, stepping back from him.

  “Van,” he said. “It’s right out front.”

  Mel spun on her heel and stomped back into the kitchen, where Angie and Tate were still sitting.

  “How’s business been tonight?” she asked.

  Angie was fishing in a carton with a pair of chopsticks, and Tate had a mouthful. They exchanged a look that said they didn’t want to tell her.

  “Dead,” Angie admitted reluctantly.

  “Do you think it could be because Olivia’s back?” Mel asked.

  “What?” They both jumped from their seats and followed Mel into the main room, which was forlornly empty of customers.

  Mel opened the front door, and sure enough, there was Olivia’s big pink van parked in front of their shop. With an enormous tray full of cookies, Olivia was walking back and forth in front of Fairy Tale Cupcakes, offering free cookies to anyone who happened by.

  “Are you kidding me?” Mel yelled. “I saved your miserable life, and you’re still trying to run me out of business!”

  “You saved my life?” Olivia asked. “Ha! I saved your life! The way I see it, you owe me one, and I’ll take all of your customers as payback.”

  “That’s it!” Mel was about to launch herself at Olivia when an arm looped around her waist, pulling her back. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Joe her best glare, but his grip didn’t slacken a bit.

  Angie had been hot on her heels, but Tate had snatched her in the same around-the-middle grab before her feet left the curb.

  “You’d better move this van, ma’am,” Joe said. “I don’t know how much longer we can hold ’em.”

  Angie let loose a feral snarl, and Olivia’s eyes went wide. She hustled her cookies and herself into the van and quickly pulled away.

  As the pink van banged into the curb in Olivia’s haste to vacate the premises, Mel felt a laugh bubble up from somewhere down deep. Joe looked at her like he was worried that she was cracking up, but then the ridiculousness of the situation seemed to strike him as well, and he began to laugh, too.

  Tate and Angie soon joined in, and it turned into a chorus of giggles and guffaws. That’s when Mel knew that everything was going to be okay. Yes, she saw Angie look at Tate with a love in her eyes that he was unaware of. And yes, Tate’s eyes were shadowed by the betrayal and death of his fiancée. But the three of them were still here and still together, and now Joe was with them, too. For Mel, right now was the only moment that mattered.

  Recipes

  Blonde Bombshell

  An almond-flavored cupcake topped with vanilla

  buttercream and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

  ž cup unsalted butter, softened

  1˝ cups sugar

  2 eggs, at room temperature

  1˝ teaspoons almond extract

  ˝ teaspoon vanilla extract

  2˝ teaspoons baking powder

  ź teaspoon salt

  2˝ cups flour

  1 ź cups milk

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar at medium speed, add eggs and milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in extracts. Add dry ingredients, beat until smooth. Fill cupcake liners ? full. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Makes 24.

  Frost with vanilla buttercream and sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

  Toasted almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in one layer on an ungreased, shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.

  Buttercream Frosting

  ˝ cup solid vegetable shortening

  ˝ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

  1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

  4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

  2 tablespoons milk

  In large bowl, cream shortening and butter. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides of bowl often. Add milk, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. Makes 3 cups of icing.

  Tinkerbells

  Lemon cupcakes with raspberry buttercream

  frosting rolled in pink sugar.

  1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  2 cups granulated sugar, divided

  4 extra large eggs, at room temperature

  ? cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)

  3 cups flour

  ˝ teaspoon baking powder

  ˝ teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  ź cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

  ž cup buttermilk, at room temperature

  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Use an ice cream scoop to fill paper-lined cupcake pan. Bake 20 minutes. Makes 24.

  Raspberry Buttercream

  Use previous buttercream recipe, but instead of milk and vanilla, use a half cup of fresh raspberries. Be sure to wash and dry raspberries thoroughly before mixing them in. Roll the cupcakes in pink decorating sugar before the buttercream has set.

  Mojito

  A dense, golden cupcake flavored with lime zest

  and dried mint leaves, and topped with a

  rum-flavored icing.

  ˝ cup sugar

  1˝ cups flour

  ź teaspoon salt

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ź cup melted butter

  1 beaten egg

  1 cup milk

  1 lime, juice and zest

  2 teaspoons dried spearmint leaves

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Melt the butter and add the beaten egg to it. Add that to the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk until smooth. Zest half of a lime, and add it to the bowl. Squeeze in the juice of half the lime as well. Add the dried spearmint leaves to the batter, mixing well. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until it springs back to the touch. Makes 12.

  Rum-Flavored Buttercream Frosting

  Use previous buttercream recipe but substitute rum extract for vanilla. Garnish with candied spearmint leaf, fresh mint leaf, or lime wedge.

  Death by Chocolate

  Dark chocolate ganache on a chocolate with

  chocolate chips cupcake.

  1?cups all purpose flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ź teaspoon baking soda

  ž cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  ? teaspoon salt

  3 tablespoons butter, softened

  1˝ cups white sugar

  2 eggs, at room temperature

  ž teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 cup milk

  1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Add the chocolate chips. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Makes 12.

  Dark Chocolate Ganache

  2 cups dark chocolate chips

  2 cups heavy cream

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  Place chocolate chips in a large bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Once the cream boils, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chips. Let stand for a minute or two, then stir with a
whisk until smooth. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Stir in the vanilla until well blended. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache and allow it to cool to room temperature. Dip tops of cool cupcakes into the mixture and allow it to dry.

  Turn the page for a preview of the nex t book

  in the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries

  by Jenn McKinlay . . .

  Buttercream Bump Off

  Coming soon from Berkley Prime Crime!

  “You need to get to the corner of Fifth and Scottsdale. Now.”

  “Angie?” Melanie Cooper barely recognized her business partner’s voice through her sleep induced haze. “What’s going on?”

  “Fifth and Scottsdale,” Angie repeated. The phone went dead.

  Mel glanced at the cell phone in her hand then at her alarm clock which read six fifty-seven. A phone call this early in the morning had better mean Angie’s car was on fire or worse.

  She heaved her comforter off and rolled out of the bed. Mel didn’t like mornings on the best of days, but in January, even in Scottsdale, Arizona, it was surely a crime to be dragged out of bed before the sun, especially without a cup of coffee to chase away the morning chill. Still, Angie was her best friend going on twenty plus years. She wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.

  That thought got Mel moving. She grabbed a thick hooded sweatshirt and tugged it on over her flannel pajamas. She could feel the static raise her short blonde hair up and she imagined she looked like a troll doll on a bad hair day, without the cute belly button showing. She jammed her feet into her slip-on sneakers and grabbed her keys.