by Holly Plum
“Oh, no.” Joy sighed. Suddenly she understood some of Willow's pain. Joy's own heart ached thinking about all the times she couldn't get the help she needed, and the times she felt like she was a complete mess and nothing would ever go her way. Joy spoke softly to Willow. “Listen, Willow, you can't be so down on yourself. Everyone goes through tough times, and bad luck can hang around a long time. You can learn from your mistakes, and asking for help from your sister is the right thing to do. Even if she says no, the point is you are reaching out and trying to get out of a bad situation.”
“You make it sound so simple. You don't know my sister. She isn't that forgiving." Willow shook her head.
Joy put a hand on Willow's shoulder and decided to confide in her, hoping it would help Willow see that she wasn't alone. “The reason I'm in this hallway is because, for some reason, I'm looking for Maple McWayne. You may or may not know that she is my arch nemesis. Maple is constantly trying to sabotage my bakery with underhanded tactics, and it makes me super paranoid about the smallest things going wrong. One summer, Maple repeatedly sabotaged the air conditioning unit at the bakery. Of course, I couldn't prove it was her, but I know it was. But now, here I am trying to find her.”
Willow sniffed and looked at Joy with expectant eyes, ready for the point of the story.
"What does this have to do with me?" Willow asked.
“No matter how much someone might truly dislike you, they might still help you when you need it. There is always someone out there willing to help. Don't be so hard on yourself. Bridget is family. She will understand more than anyone."
Joy was suddenly distracted by a shadow darting across the far hallway wall.
Willow gasped.
The shadow flashed by again.
“Is that...?” Joy began. She observed the shadow again as it came closer.
“Charles!” Willow exclaimed. “Oh, thank you, Joy. My luck has already changed. Yours will too.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Willow and Joy quickly picked themselves up and sprinted toward the bird that was casting a shadow at the end of the hallway.
"Charles! I can't believe it.” Willow laughed, racing with Joy to her lost pet. Joy heard a flutter of wings and caught a glimpse of a colorful tail feather as the bird quickly flew around a corner.
“Holy cupcakes, he is fast.” Joy panted as they ran faster.
“It's him. It's definitely him.” Willow chuckled joyfully before letting out a huge sigh of relief. Her tears clouded her eyes as she ran, but she felt like she could see better than ever. The bird took a sharp left and then darted down the fire escape stairs. It let out a loud squawk, and Willow confirmed that it certainly was Charles.
“Charles, wait for us,” Willow shouted.
“He's on a mission,” Joy commented as they descended two stairs at a time, trying to keep up. "I bet he's been looking for you too."
“Why won't he slow down?” Willow sighed, her hopes starting to sink. "I can't lose him again."
“Maybe something scared him?” Joy suggested. Although she knew nothing about parrots or their intelligence. All Joy thought about was keeping Willow's spirits up.
They continued to chase Charles downstairs and finally found themselves in the hotel kitchen. The active kitchen was now dark and empty too, and the whole place was eerily lit with emergency lights. Charles fluttered over to the unused kitchens where Joy had explored earlier. He perched on the handle of the door to the huge freezer room and chirped a strange song.
“What's the matter, Charles?" Willow walked slowly toward Charles with her arms outstretched, hoping he'd hop onto her hands. "The last time you sang that song was when we left your favorite park in Bali."
Charles squawked even louder.
Willow gasped and took a step backward. She put her hand on her heart and almost began crying again. “Charles, are you really that hurt?” Willow continued talking to her parrot. "Was it something I said? Tell me, you silly boy."
Charles squawked in response. Willow nodded as if she understood. Joy watched in awe, unsure of anything that the parrot was trying to say. Joy frowned as the bird danced back and forth on his perch on the freezer door.
“This is a two-way relationship,” Willow replied. "If I have done something you don't like, you need to tell me. No more running off. I mean, no more flying off."
The parrot fluffed his wings and tilted his head as he looked at Willow. Strangely, Joy had seen a look like that before when she went home to her cat Cheesecake at night. Joy felt as if Cheesecake understood everything she said to him. And coincidentally, Cheesecake was not a big fan of Maple.
Charles squawked a little softer. Willow let out an exasperated sigh and stamped her foot on the ground in frustration.
“Don't be like that," Willow groaned.
Joy cautiously moved toward Charles. Maybe Charles wasn't cross with Willow at all. Maybe Charles had seen things were crucial to Detective Sugar's investigation?
Joy gently nudged Charles to the side and took hold of the handle to the freezer room door. Charles immediately flew over to Willow, landing softly on her shoulder. Willow smiled happily as Charles nuzzled her neck and let out a chirp. But Joy didn't get to share in the happy moment. She struggled to open the freezer door. It was heavy, almost like it had been frozen shut.
“I didn't think these things were this hard to open,” Joy said, heaving the freezer door with all of her might. It suddenly released and sent her spilling backward. Joy tumbled over.
“Are you okay?" Willow questioned.
Joy grimaced and rubbed her bottom as she started to stand. “Yeah, I'm okay.”
“Not you,” Willow whispered. Joy looked up and saw Willow pointing into the freezer room. There, tied to a chair and gagged with a sock, was Maple McWayne.
Joy raised her eyebrows. She thought about dinner in the banquet hall, and how Maple had been mouthing off about knowing who the killer was. And now here she was tied up in a freezer room. Joy realized that this could only mean one thing. There definitely was a killer stuck at the Diamond Shell Hotel, and Janet Foster's death was not an accident. Someone was trying to keep Maple from blabbing.
Maple was relieved to see Joy and Willow standing in the doorway. She wished she could shout to the rooftops but she couldn't because of her gag. Maple rocked back and forth in the chair, trying to free herself from the rope that wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Maple's eyes went wide when she saw Willow.
Joy turned to Willow and watched as Charles the parrot hopped up and down on Willow's shoulder. Joy had no clue what to think. Joy felt the room spinning as pieces of the evening fell into place. She cleared her throat. Could Willow be the killer?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A surge of adrenaline pumped through Joy's veins, and she quickly raced over to Maple. She grabbed one of the knots holding Maple in place and struggled to untie it. It had been tied pretty tight, and Joy got the feeling that the perpetrator had done this sort of thing before. Joy tried to shake the thought of Willow being responsible from her mind.
Maple let out muffled grunts and groans. Joy glared up at her and gave her, wondering if she should be untying her at all. Maple rolled her eyes and fell quiet. As Joy struggled with the knots, she felt a presence looming behind her. Willow moved toward them.
Joy froze. She had no idea why Willow would want to kill Janet – a random staff member she didn't even know. Joy tried to act casual so Willow wouldn't seem suspicious. Joy fumbled with the knot she was untying and glanced around for anything she could use as a weapon if need be. The freezer had been mostly emptied by the chefs for the banquet, and the best Joy could see was a bag of half-frozen pastry dough. For a moment, her baking mind took over and she imagined filling them with a thick custard and topping them with fresh strawberries.
Joy heard a strange sound. She turned around and saw Willow holding a switchblade. Maple tried to say something through her gag. Joy held up her hands and stepped away from Mapl
e. Joy's heart raced, and she didn't know whether she should grab the half-frozen bag of pastry dough or scream for help.
Willow looked right at Maple. She held her knife confidently in her hand and walked toward Joy's number one competitor. Joy thought about everything she had told Willow about Maple while they were in the hallway. Joy's mind began racing with thoughts of Willow doing the unthinkable to exact revenge for her new friend. Joy wondered if Willow was that insane.
Willow held up her knife. The blade glinted in the emergency lights. Joy gasped and covered her eyes as Willow brought the knife down in one swift movement. Joy couldn't look. She couldn't breathe. She stood motionless with her hands over her face.
Then suddenly the sound of something very familiar broke through the white noise.
“You two have to get out of here!” Maple screeched.
Joy peered through her fingers and saw Maple shaking the ropes loose. Willow put her switchblade back in her pocket and helped Maple free herself from her bonds.
“What's going on here?” Joy stammered, racing over to help cut the rest of the ropes loose.
“Well, thank goodness for you, cupcake,” Maple said to Willow. “And not so much thanks to you, Joy. I thought you would never get these ropes off."
Joy stopped helping. She dropped the rope she was holding with disdain. She liked Maple more when she was gagged with a sock.
“How did you get in here?” Willow asked as she freed Maple's ankles.
“I was right about Janet Foster's killer, and I got a little too close to exposing her. She got to me and put me in here. Oh my, I just kept thinking about how when the power comes back on, I would surely freeze to death in here!”
Maple gratefully hugged Willow and then proceeded to Joy. Joy froze, hoping that Maple wouldn't get any weird ideas. Maple briefly patted Joy on the back, sending chills down her spine.
"That's enough," Joy said. "I get it. You are happy to be free. Now, tell us who the killer is."
“We need to go now,” Maple urged them. "If the killer comes back-"
“Where do you think you're going?” a voice asked.
The three women turned toward it, and Joy's jaw dropped.
Charles flapped his wings rapidly as a woman stepped out of the shadows. Light glinted off of her face and off of the gun in her hand.
“Susan?” Joy questioned.
“You disgust me,” Maple cried. She grabbed the chair she had been tied to and held it in front of her as a weapon. Maple looked like a lion-tamer, but Susan wasn't going to be tamed. Susan pointed her gun at Willow and then at Joy.
“You two will be joining Maple in the freezer," Susan stated. " Go on. Don't worry. You'll have some time to reflect on your pathetic little lives before the power goes back on."
“You killed Janet Foster?” Joy asked as she held her hands up in surrender. "I don't understand. I thought you two were friends?"
“I don't expect you to understand." Susan laughed. She was caught off guard by the question. “That little rat was going to turn me in to Mr. Sullivan! Would a friend do that?”
“Turn you in for what?” Willow asked. Her voice came out as a squeak, but she was mustering all of her courage to follow Joy's tactic of asking questions. It seemed to be keeping Susan distracted from forcing them all into the freezer for good.
“Stealing," Susan said. "Not all of us here come from money.” Susan hissed at Willow.
"So you're a thief?" Willow shook her head disapprovingly.
"You are too, Willow," Susan argued. "In fact, you're the reason the three of you won't live much longer. You stole my locket from the beach. Rest assured that this all your fault."
“Stole it?" Joy repeated. "It was on the beach. How could she have known it was yours?” Joy saw that Willow was shaking and the last thing she wanted was for Willow entertain the idea that she was responsible for all of this. But Susan ignored Joy. She had all of her attention on Willow and pointed the gun directly at her.
“Where did you put the locket?" Susan demanded. "I searched your sister's room, and I couldn't find it anywhere. Tell me where it is. Now!”
“I have no idea where Bridget put it." Willow squeaked, holding her hands up.
Charles squawked.
“Tell me where it is,” Susan cocked the gun.
“She said she doesn't know," Joy chimed in.
Maple backed away, moving deeper into the freezer.
“You're all useless,” Susan responded. She waved the gun at the three of them. “It's the freezer for you lot. By the time anyone finds you, I'll be long gone. I can move through this hotel without anyone even noticing."
Joy and Willow stepped backward, moving to join Maple back in the freezer. Joy's stomach was in knots, and she felt like she might throw up. Her hands shook, and her heart pounded. Was this really it? Was she really going to die in a freezer with Maple McWayne? This was not how Joy wanted to go.
Charles, the parrot, squawked loudly. He flapped his wings so hard that they hurt Willow's shoulder. He took off, making a beeline for Susan. Susan let out a cry and tried to duck, but Charles was too quick. He flapped his wings in her face and scratched her face with his claws.
"Ahhh!" Susan screamed. "Stupid parrot!" She dropped her gun to fight him off.
Maple grabbed Joy and Willow's wrists and pulled them forward. A burst of adrenaline rushed through Joy as she grabbed hold of her only chance to escape.
"Let's go," Joy instructed the others. "Quick!"
Joy, Maple, and Willow ran past Susan just as she fell over. The three of them bolted for the banquet hall. As they reached the door, they heard Charles squawking not far behind them. The sound became louder as he came closer. He was still attacking Susan, and Susan was chasing them.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Get back here or I'll shoot!” Susan yelled. "And I'll shoot this blasted parrot!"
"Shoot! Shoot!" Charles echoed Susan's words, flapping his wings harder and swooping closer to Susan's scalp.
BANG!
Joy and Willow gasped when they heard a gunshot, and Joy's heart nearly stopped when she saw a bullet hole in the wall in front of her.
"Bang! Bang!" Charles squawked, the sound echoing through the hallway. Willow felt great relief that the gunshot hadn't hit her beloved parrot, but she was terrified that it very easily could have hit someone else.
“Somebody help us!” Willow cried, pushing on the door to the banquet hall.
The door didn't budge as if it had been jammed shut. Maple and Joy joined her, ramming their shoulders into the banquet hall door. The three women were determined and fuelled with adrenaline. They synchronized their efforts and threw themselves full force into the door at the same time, over and over again.
BANG!
The bullet flew through the air and landed with a crack in the wall not far from Joy. The woman tried their luck again, and finally the door to the banquet hall swung open.
The banquet hall was still full of guests, mingling and enjoying their drinks. Lightning crashed outside the windows, and the thunder, wild wind, and chatter of the crowd had concealed the sound of gunshots and screaming coming from the kitchen. The hotel guests were oblivious.
Joy raced through the crowd, nudging people to the side and apologizing as she did so. Maple was close behind her, but she was pushing guests out of her way aggressively and drawing great attention from the crowd. At first, Joy wasn't sure where she was going or who she was looking for. She just wanted to get as far away from the kitchen and Susan as possible. But then Joy spotted Bridget.
Joy reached out and placed a hand on Bridget's shoulder. The bride-to-be turned and looked at Joy. Her face immediately reflected the horror she felt upon seeing her baker's panicked, sweaty face and wild hair.
“Joy, are you feeling okay?” Bridget frowned.
“Bridget, do you have the locket that Willow gave you?” Joy panted. Maple stopped right behind her.
"My locket?" Bridget casually repeated
.
“Yes, your locket!" Joy and Maple shouted in synchronicity.
“It's right here.” Bridget reached into her pocket and pulled it out, presenting it to the two panicked women.
“It was in your pocket the whole time?” Joy sighed. She wondered how much of this disastrous night would have been avoided if Susan had found the locket in Bridget's room. Or if Willow hadn't found it at all.
“Of course," Bridget responded looking confused. "I wanted to keep it safe. Willow told me that she found it on the beach. I was so stressed out about the bridal shower that I yelled at her. I didn't mean the things that I said. I wanted to keep the locket with me to show her that I still appreciate the gesture."
Maple snatched the locket from Bridget's hand and tried to open it. The hinges were caked in rust, and the latch was stuck shut. Joy agreed that there must be something precious inside if it was worth killing for. Joy thought that Willow might know how to open it, and looked around to find her. In the corner of her eye, Joy saw a flash of color and turned to see Charles flying through the room and landing on Willow's shoulder.
If Charles was nearby, that meant that Susan wasn't far behind.
All eyes were on Joy and Maple as Susan entered the room, stashing her gun in a potted plant. Willow let out a loud scream when she saw Susan, and the entire crowd turned to look at Willow. With the crowd's attention on her, Willow pointed at Susan. “She's the killer! She killed Janet!”
Susan stood motionless, her hands on her hips and a look of disbelief on her face. She suddenly burst out laughing.
“This woman is crazy," Susan responded. "I have no idea what kind of game she is playing."
“Don't believe her!” Willow implored the crowd. “She killed Janet for that stupid locket that I found on the beach.”
Joy watched as Susan rolled her eyes.
“Are you kidding me? Are you off your medication or something? As if a locket is worth a life. This is so ridiculous. I don't have time for this." Susan turned to leave.