Mulled Cider & Murder

by Susan Gillard

  “And so that’s why we’re going to interview some customers that were on the invoices,” said Amy.

  Heather nodded. They approached the door to the first customer's house. It was a lavish beach bungalow that was currently covered with pink streamers.

  “Why are we thinking pink?” asked Amy.

  “Let’s ask her,” said Heather.

  She knocked on the door and was greeted by a middle-aged woman with her hair up in a bandana and a friendly smile on her face.

  “Hello,” Heather said. “Are you Abby Bunting?”

  “Yes. Who are you?”

  Heather introduced herself, and her bestie and the said, "We're private investigators that are looking into what happened at Cupcake Cove the other day."

  “You mean Megan being murdered, don’t you?” asked Abby.

  “Did you know her well?” asked Heather.

  “I’ve ordered cupcakes from her for years,” said Abby. “She would make the birthday snacks for my daughter’s parties. I didn’t know her outside of the bakery, but she was a very sweet woman. I’m so sorry to hear what happened to her.”

  “You ordered cupcakes from her recently?” Heather asked.

  “Yes,” said Abby. “Actually, it was the day before all this terribleness happened.”

  “And what did you order?”

  “I ordered four dozen Pink Velvet Cupcakes,” Abby said. “They’re like red velvet cupcakes, but are my daughter’s favorite color.”

  “Yeah. We get it,” said Amy.

  “That’s why the house is still decorated like it is,” said Abby. “I let the decorations stay up for a few days to say that we were still celebrating her birth, but I suppose now I really do need to clean up. That’s my project for the day while she’s a school and my husband is at work.”

  “We’d still like to talk to you a bit more about the order,” Heather said.

  “Of course,” said Abby. “But do you mind if we go inside and I begin to clean while we talk? All the pink is starting to make me feel a bit insane.”

  They assured her it was no problem and followed her inside. They could see what she was talking about when they saw the living room. Amy admitted that she would have gone crazy the first day. Nearly everything in the room was bright pink. The couch was covered in pink. The walls had polka-dotted pink fabric hanging on it, and sparkly pink decorations were on all the shelves and tables.

  “I know that Lilly loves the color pink,” Amy muttered to her friend. “But if you ever do this to your house, I’m going to burn it down.”

  Heather kept her laughter to herself and faced Abby, who was taking down a pink Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey game.

  “Was everything all right with your cupcake order?” Heather asked.

  “They were perfect,” Abby said. “My daughter and her friends loved them. They made piggies of themselves eating them.”

  “Pink piggies?” asked Amy.

  “Were there any problems with being billed for the order? Or placing it in the first place?” asked Heather.

  “No,” Abby said. “Every step of the way was smooth. And they were wonderful Pink Velvet Cupcakes. I don’t know what I’m going to do next year. I loved Megan’s cupcakes.”

  “Well, you’ve got a whole year to figure it out,” Amy said.

  “I suppose so,” said Abby. “I just can’t believe that Megan is gone. Who would want to hurt her?”

  "That's what we're trying to figure out," said Heather. "You don't have any idea who would want to kill her?"

  "If all her cupcakes and her service was as good as what she gave me, I have no idea," said Abby. "Her cupcakes were sweet, and she was sweeter."

  “What time did the cupcakes arrive?” Heather asked, trying to be thorough.

  “They arrived the morning of the party. It must have been around ten. The party started at noon,” Abby recapped.

  “Who delivered them?” asked Heather.

  “Megan did,” Abby said. “Usually there’s a young man that makes deliveries on a bike, but Megan delivered them in her car. I guess that was the last time I ever saw her."

  “One last question,” said Heather. “Where were you the morning of the murder?”

  “I was home making breakfast for my daughter and husband,” Abby said. “Why? You think I could have had something to do with it?”

  “We just wanted to make sure that you couldn’t have seen something that would end up being a vital clue,” Heather assured her.

  “I wish I did,” said Abby. “I really am going to miss her cupcakes.”

  Heather thanked her for her time. She and her friend walked away from the house.

  "I wonder if that will happen when we die," Amy said. "People will miss our donuts more than they miss us?"

  “I’m hoping we don’t have to worry about what for about sixty more years,” Heather said.

  “Well, I’m game if you are,” said Amy. “Do you think this pink lady had anything to do with the murder?”

  Heather shook her head. “Her name was on one of the invoices, but she seems to have an alibi. She also doesn’t have a motive.”

  “Unless the pink really did cause her to go crazy,” said Amy.

  “There was something strange about her order though,” Heather said, remembering.

  “The pinkness?” Amy joked.

  “Actually, that’s exactly it,” said Heather. “She made Pink Velvet Cupcakes.”

  “So?” asked Amy. “We could make a variation on that theme too.”

  “But I don’t remember seeing a recipe for Pink Velvet Cupcakes in her recipe book, do you?”

  “No,” Amy said, frowning.

  “And yet there were three recipes listed for Red Velvet Cupcakes,” Heather said.

  “But what does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure yet,” admitted Heather. “But it’s an ingredient in this case I’d like to figure out.”

  Another Customer, Another Alibi

  "Mr. Kilroy?" Heather asked as the next customer on her invoice list answered his door.

  “Yes,” he said. “Curt Kilroy. I’m so glad you’re here. You’re a little smaller than I expected, but no matter. I’m grateful you arrived.”

  He ushered them inside. Heather raised her eyebrows at her friend. Amy shrugged.

  “At least he didn’t say we were fat.”

  He showed them to his pile of matching luggage.

  “It looks like you’re planning a little trip,” Heather commented.

  “Yes. Isn’t that why you’re here?” he asked, suddenly confused.

  “We actually came here to ask you some questions,” Heather said. “We’re private investigators who are looking into a crime at a business you ordered from.”

  “What business is that?” Mr. Kilroy asked.

  “Cupcake Cove,” answered Heather.

  "A cupcake store is involved in crime?" he asked. "That's just preposterous."

  “I like how all your luggage matches," Amy said. "It looks nice, but I've never been able to coordinate mine. It’s pretty expensive, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve had it a while,” said Mr. Kilroy. “But I don’t understand why you’re here. You’re not my luggage pick up. You’re private investigators?”

  “Where are you traveling?” Heather asked.

  “I’m going on a business trip,” he said.

  “That’s a lot of luggage,” said Amy. “Do you expect to be gone a long time?”

  “Two weeks,” said Mr. Kilroy. “And I want to be comfortable while I’m there.”

  “Where are you going?” Amy asked.

  “Toronto,” he said. “I have some meetings there.”

  “I’ve always wanted to go to Canada,” Amy said. "Since we've moved someplace so tropical, it would be nice to go someplace cooler. What do you think? We could get some inspiration about a maple syrup flavor."

  Heather decided to keep her focus on the case and asked, “When was this trip booked?”

&n
bsp; “Two months ago,” said Mr. Kilroy, looking annoyed. “My company made the booking.”

  “We’d love to check on that. Do you have a business card?” Amy asked.

  Curt Kilroy handed him a business card from his pocket and then crossed his arms. "Now do you mind thoroughly explaining what is this all about?"

  “You ordered cupcakes from Cupcake Cove the other day?” asked Heather.

  "Yes," he said. "I order from there regularly. My job is stressful, and I like to relax with some sweets.”

  “The invoice we found there said it was a large order,” Heather said. “Forty-eight cupcakes.”

  “Well, I also like to bring some to the office.”

  “What type of cupcakes did you order?” Heather asked.

  “Red Velvet,” he said.

  “Which one?” Amy muttered.

  “What?” Curt Kilroy asked. “I really have no idea why you are here.”

  “We’re here because the owner of the store was found murdered,” said Heather.

  “That’s a terrible tragedy,” said Mr. Kilroy. “But I still don’t see what this has to do with me.”

  “She grabbed a pile of invoices before she died,” Heather said. “We believe she was trying to tell us who her killer was. And your name was in that pile.”

  “You don’t say,” said Mr. Kilroy. “Well, it wasn’t me.”

  He started checking his luggage as Heather asked about his alibi.

  "I was getting ready for work that morning," he said. "Since my divorce, I've been home alone, but I do need to do a lot of prep for my job in the morning. And I like to go in early."

  “I’d like to ask you a little more about your delivery,” Heather said.

  “What about it?”

  “Who made it? Was it Jay Jeffries?” asked Heather.

  “Is that the name of the boy on the bike?” Mr. Kilroy asked. “Well, he was the one who usually made the deliveries. However, this time it was the owner who made it. She brought them to me in her car.”

  “And what time was that?” Heather asked.

  “Must have been around six o’clock,” he said.

  “Her evening deliveries,” Amy commented.

  “Right,” Heather agreed. “Did you request that evening time for the delivery? We heard this was a change.”

  “Well, yes,” Mr. Kilroy said. “I don’t get off work until the evening. I don’t like the idea of my cupcakes sitting on my front porch. Someone might steal them. And then I wouldn’t have my food.”

  “I guess I can understand that,” Amy said.

  “Did you know Megan Baker outside of Cupcake Cove?” asked Heather.

  “No,” said Mr. Kilroy. “I only knew her as the owner of the cupcake place.”

  They heard someone at the front door, and the real pickup men arrived. Mr. Kilroy showed them in to pick up his luggage and tried to usher the investigators out.

  “I think that’s all I can really help with,” Mr. Kilroy said. “And I need to get ready for my trip. Unless you have any more questions.”

  “Just one,” said Heather. “When are you supposed to fly out?”

  “In two days,” he said. “My luggage is going to be in my hotel room when I arrive.”

  “I’d look at changing your flight,” said Amy. “I don’t think the police are going to want you to leave town.”

  They left him on that note.

  "Kilroy trying to leave town is suspicious, isn't it?" Amy asked as they walked away.

  “Yes,” Heather said. “But if his company booked it two months ago, then it is either a coincidence or really long premeditation for the murder.”

  “And he said that he didn’t know her outside of his orders,” Amy said.

  “He ordered one version of the Red Velvet Cupcake recipe,” Heather said. “I think we could compare the invoice to the recipe book and see if it gives us any insight.”

  “Great,” Amy said. “We could use some insight. And some answers.”

  Catch Up with the Detectives

  “How was your questioning?” Ryan asked.

  Heather and Amy joined him and his partner at the police station.

  “We talked to two of them so far,” said Heather. “We still have one more to track down, but I didn’t want to miss catching up with you.”

  “You might as well have missed it,” Ryan said glumly. “It doesn’t look like any of the customers from the invoices we checked are guilty. What about yours?”

  Heather explained how she doubted that the mother from the pink birthday party was involved in the crime, but how Curt Kilroy would be leaving the country.

  “Leaving the country?’ Detective Peters said. “That does sound suspicious.”

  “It’s Canada on a business trip,” Heather amended.

  “Do you think we need to keep an eye on him?” Ryan asked.

  “I think we should,” Heather said. “I’m sure the invoices have something to do with the murder, and that’s why the victim was reaching for them when she died. I don’t know exactly what it means yet, but I don’t think we want any potential suspects flying away.”

  “Though it might give us an excuse to visit Toronto,” Amy said.

  Heather shook her head and then asked, “What did you find out from your invoices?”

  “We visited three customers who ordered cupcakes,” Ryan said. “They all have decent alibis.”

  Detective Peters consulted his notebook. “The first customer was Vanessa Blanc. She ordered two dozen pistachio cupcakes.”

  "That's one of the flavors that had multiple recipes," said Amy.

  “The morning of the murder she was waiting for her doctor to open his doors. She apparently was sick that day and says her doctor will confirm it. If this is true, then we should have found evidence of sneezing at the crime scene,” Peters continued.

  “And so far you haven’t found any useful DNA at the crime scene?” Heather asked.

  “Unfortunately, not,” said Ryan. “And the fingerprints all relate back to Megan Baker and her assistants, which we would have expected to find there.”

  "I didn't like this interview," Peters admitted. "She was a rich lady, and she kept making us compliment her dog's hairstyle."

  "The next interview was more difficult," Ryan said. "This man was trying to show off his technology and had a million remotes. It took forever for him to answer a question. However, we did find out that he ordered Blueberry Cream Cupcakes."

  “That’s another one of the repeating flavors,” Heather said, frowning.

  “He was out of town for the murder,” said Ryan. “He left the night before and headed north to meet some friends in Miami. We confirmed that he checked into the hotel.”

  “And the third customer?” Heather asked.

  “A woman was having a playdate and ordered a dozen cupcakes for the kids,” said Ryan.

  “What was that flavor?” asked Heather.

  “They were chocolate,” he answered.

  “That’s not a repeating recipe,” said Heather.

  “And did this woman have an alibi too?” Amy asked.

  “She was in charge of several children that morning, and it seems like they wake up early,” said Ryan. “While it’s not airtight, it would be more difficult for her to sneak away from them to commit a crime.”

  “And murder isn’t something you’d take the kids on a field trip to,” said Amy.

  Ryan agreed, “So I don’t really think that any of the people we questioned are viable suspects.”

  Heather was lost in thought. "Two of the flavors from the people you questioned were repeating recipes, and one wasn't. One of our interviews had a repeating recipe flavor too, and one didn't. But what does it mean?"

  “They’re the most popular flavors?” Detective Peters asked.

  “More popular than chocolate?” Amy scoffed.

  “There must be something that they have in common,” said Heather. “Were they all delivered by Megan Baker?”


  Peters nodded. “She made all the deliveries in her car because the delivery boy Jay Jeffries is out of work injured.”

  “What time were they all delivered?” she asked.

  "The mom with the playdate had hers delivered around ten thirty," Peters said.

  “That’s around the same time as the pink party,” said Amy.

  “The sneezing lady Vanessa said hers were delivered at six twenty-five,” Peters continued. “She said she remembered the exact time because it was right after her dog’s massage.”

  "The way she pampers it, she better hope that her sneezing isn't because she's allergic to that dog of hers," Amy joked. "Then again, if it's the shampoo, then I could be of help. Jamie and I were drowning in dog shampoo the other day."

  “Drowning in dog shampoo?” Detective Peters asked.

  “He’s going to be a small business owner,” Amy said proudly, which didn’t quite answer the question of the confused detective.

  “And the last delivery?” Heather asked.

  “It was around seven,” said Peters.

  “The cupcakes that don’t repeat flavors were all delivered in the morning,” said Heather. “While the ones that do repeat were delivered in the evening. Abby Bunting’s was before the party, while Curt Kilroy’s were delivered around six.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Ryan. “Is it a coincidence? Or does the time of delivery relate to the crime?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Heather. “But it’s a little peculiar.”

  Chief Chet saw the group from his office and came over to join them.

  “Your wife seems to visit a lot,” Chief Chet said.

  “It’s always nice when she visits to make sure I’m doing all right,” Ryan said, offering a reason for her presence.

  “I do worry about him so,” Heather said, playing along.

  “She’s a good lady,” Chief Chet said. “Just so long as she doesn’t distract you from catching that killer. It’s important we all do our jobs.”

  “Of course, sir,” said Ryan.

  Chief Chet insisted that he call him "Chet" instead of "sir," and then wandered away. They breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I don’t think he knows that they’re helping us,” Peters said. “And I really don’t mind that they are. It’s like working on a great investigative team.”