New litter, fresh water, and an empty food bowl later, Holly started to look through the Masters’ residence. Although her heart thumped along at a steady pace, her nerves were stretched so thin that when Mittens walked into the room after a few minutes, she jumped and gave a shriek.
“Fine spy you’d make,” Holly whispered, leaning over to give Mittens a tickle behind the ears. When the cat ran away to stretch out on the sofa instead, she continued snooping.
After an hour, Holly concluded that whatever files Mr. Masters might have had on the town must be hidden away in the safe or stored in his locked office upstairs. At least, she presumed that was behind the locked door that no key fitted. It lay opposite his bedroom. From the downstairs, Holly could guesstimate the room’s size, and it would be perfect for a man needing to spend serious time working from home.
Without a key, though, she wasn’t getting in anytime soon. On top of feeling like a sneak, she now felt foolish. Of course, a man with as many business interests as Mr. Masters wasn’t about to leave private client files out on display.
One last ditch effort took her to his bedroom door again. At that, Holly’s skin began to crawl in earnest. This was the most personal part of a man’s private home—being in there was an affront to her morality.
This is Crystal’s freedom at stake, Holly reminded herself. Still, it took another few deep breaths before she could walk through the door.
By the side table, Mr. Masters had laid down a notebook. Holly picked it up, holding the cover at the edges as she quickly flipped through.
On the pages were biro scrawls, some in words, some in drawings. Doodles were Holly’s first through, but as she paged through longer, she saw a different pattern emerge.
If she hadn’t just sat and played a card game the night before, it would have taken her longer. Thank goodness for Dale and his love of cards.
The drawings were poker plays. The hands were encrypted with different signs so that someone catching a glimpse wouldn’t know at first sight what they read. After a few repeat patterns, it was easy to pick up. Squares were spades, arrows were hearts, circles were diamonds, and rectangles were clubs.
Although Holly was reasonably sure that she’d deciphered the key, the pictures didn’t make a lot of sense to her. What use was a journal filled with different card hands? In poker, or in any card game for that matter, it wasn’t as though you could plan what you were dealt.
Still, Holly felt sure there was another layer to the scribbles. To remove the notebook from the residence would be a step too far, but she took a quick photo of each page with her phone.
If her brain was capable of sorting it out into a sensible order, then it should be able to do it from that.
Holly replaced the notebook and crossed the room to stand in front of Mr. Masters wardrobe. As she did so, shame flooded through her body like a tidal wave, washing her boldness away.
What are you doing here?
Holly staggered back from the wardrobe and sat heavily on the bed. She was a married woman and a corporate lawyer about to lose her husband and her job. Instead of sticking it out and fighting for either or both, Holly had run away, tucking her tail between her legs and scurrying home. Much as she might pretend that it was to sort things out or make the tough decisions, deep inside Holly knew she was merely running away.
“And now you’re sneaking around somebody’s house on false pretenses. You’ve taken advantage of Derek’s trust.”
As she spoke the words aloud, Holly felt her sense of self be swept away. She wasn’t snooping around, playing detective, because Crystal’s freedom was at stake. All right, that was part of it but not all.
Mostly, Holly understood, she was here because it was easier than facing her demons. Considering that she’d just helped Derek meet his, the day before, Holly should have known better. That young man was more of an adult than she was!
Suddenly, Holly wanted to be a million miles away. She couldn’t stay in the house a moment longer. It wasn’t right. Tomorrow, she’d find someone else in town who could mind the cat. Holly had abused the trust placed in her, and she didn’t deserve a second chance.
She turned off the light switch and ran downstairs, almost falling with her eagerness to get out of the place that she’d ransacked with barely a second thought. Once the lights were out, the kitten mewed behind her. Mittens sounded so lonely that Holly turned and clicked her fingers until he came over for a pat.
“You’re a good kitty, and your owner will be home just as soon as he can,” Holly whispered as she tickled him under the chin.
Walking back across to the entranceway, a shadow in the glass on the side of the door caught her eye. With nerves and self-disgust on high alert, Holly’s heart exploded into a rapid beat and her eyes danced with stars.
Whoever was outside tried the handle. Holly stood, eyes wide with fright, trying to remember if she’d locked it behind her.
Yes. Holly remembered now. When Mittens first ran up to greet her, she’d been scared the cat would flee straight out the door. She’d pulled it closed and pressed the button on the handle to lock it.
The knob turned again, the door rattling in the frame as the person outside shook it. Holly backed away. If someone was calling by, why didn’t they knock or ring the bell?
Or had they? She hadn’t heard it, but perhaps the distance to upstairs had masked the noise.
Just say something, you idiot. They don’t know that you’ve been rifling through the house!
Holly moved closer to the door, trying to stamp her feet so the person outside would hear. “Who’s there?” she called.
The handle twisted back into place as the hand holding it outside let go. After a moment, Holly heard the crunch of gravel on the path.
She stepped forward, clicking the lock off and turning the handle in one motion. When the door swung wide, all she saw was a flash in the darkness as the unexpected visitor ran away.
Chapter Twelve
“Where have you been?” Crystal asked as Holly walked through the door for the second time that night.
“Derek asked me to feed his cat,” Holly said, holding out the key. “If you wanted to take over the duties, I’m happy to let you.”
Crystal reached out her hand, then snatched it back, a frown creasing her forehead. “I don’t think the police would like that, do you?”
“Good point,” Holly said, shaking her head. “It’s nice that one of us has their head screwed on.”
“It comes along with the rampant suspicion.”
As Crystal turned to head back into the kitchen, Holly realized that the house smelled terrific. The rich scent of roasting lamb rose through the air, dancing a tantalizing samba in her nostrils. The sharp tang of mint sauce added another dimension.
“I thought I’d cook,” Crystal said. “But I didn’t get home until late, so it will still be another hour.”
Another shot of guilt launched into Holly’s bloodstream at the misery in her sister’s voice. Should she bring up their argument, or just let sleeping dogs lie?
“I’m sorry for bringing up all those things over the phone, earlier,” she said. “I should have had the decency to explain everything face to face rather than springing it as a nasty surprise.”
Crystal nodded tiredly. The circles under her eyes were deepening with each passing minute. In the harsh light of the kitchen’s white bulbs, she looked washed out.
“It doesn’t matter how you told me, does it?” Crystal said. “What matters is that the bakery is the only thing I have to hold onto and no matter what—it’s about to be ripped away.”
Holly opened her mouth to apologize again, then snapped it shut. Nothing she could say would make it better. Unless the bakery managed a spontaneous recovery, Crystal was speaking the absolute truth.
“I’ve had so many bad weeks in my life,” Crystal said, “that it’s hard to just pick one out and say it’s the worst. Still, I think this one ranks pretty close.”
&nbs
p; “I wish there was something I could do.”
With a shake of her head, Crystal turned away and sat down at the table. “How did the rest of your day turn out at the bakery today? If it’s going to be shut down, I hope you’re going to send it out in style.”
“Luckily, people seemed to like the pops. I don’t know what to do about my frosting skills. They seem to have vanished.”
“It takes practice,” Crystal agreed. “Lots and lots of practice.”
“Even with that,” Holly said honestly, “I don’t think I could ever get my creations to look as good as yours. Those are true works of art!”
With care, feeling their way around all the sharp edges of things they didn’t want to talk about, the sisters shared their evening. By the time Holly crawled into bed, she had dropped straight into a dreamless sleep, absolutely wrung out.
Having set her alarm one hour earlier, Holly managed to turn out some frosted cupcakes that passed muster. Even so, when it came time to open the bakery, she’d only managed to fill half the shelves.
The pigs would be going without their seconds for yet another day.
“Bravo,” Meggie said, clapping as she arrived just after nine o’clock. “They look spectacular.”
With a laugh, Holly corrected her, “They look passable. That’s the best I can hope for this morning. Tomorrow, I’ll try to get them one step better again.”
As she bid her friend goodbye, Sergeant Matthewson arrived outside Alice’s café. Meggie paused at the doorway for a second as they watched him walk inside. Holly caught a glimpse of Alice’s frightened face before she and Matthewson walked away from the windows and out of sight.
“Poor thing,” Holly said. “I can’t imagine this has been any easier for her than it’s been for Crystal.”
“Nope. I think that the police will be making the rounds of all of us, soon enough. They officially requested Ben’s CCTV of the courtyard late yesterday.”
At Holly’s raised eyebrows, Meggie chortled. “What? You didn’t think we had such modern things out here?”
Holly scrunched up her nose and gave a nod. “Guilty as charged.” She stepped back inside the bakery, glancing up at the corners, causing Meggie to burst into laughter.
“No, lovey. You don’t have it in your shop!”
“More’s the pity. It would have been nice to just be able to hand over the footage and clear Crystal’s name.”
“It sure would. If we were around the corner a little bit, you’d be covered by the supermarket opposite. Here, though?” Meggie shrugged. “The courtyard’s the best we can do.”
That night when Holly arrived home, it was once again to a delicious home-cooked meal. As Crystal served up the steamed salmon and green beans, Holly’s mouth watered so much that she felt in danger of drooling.
“I feel like a man in the fifties,” she said with a smile, “working hard all day to come home to a delicious meal and a loving wife.”
“Keep your hands off my goodies,” Crystal warned. “When it comes to you, I’ve got a permanent headache!”
Holly pushed Crystal out of the kitchen afterward, insisting that she had to wash up. It was only fair.
When she plonked down onto the sofa later, Crystal was staring into space with a concerned frown on her face.
“What is it?”
Crystal sighed. “I’m worried about the bakery. There’s stuff that I don’t know if I should trouble you with or not.”
“Trouble away,” Holly said. “If you think there’s a chance we can do something to save it, I’m all ears.”
But Crystal shook her head. “I’m not sure. I want to have a clearer idea before I run my mouth off. Let me think on it again tomorrow, and then we can have a proper chat.”
Holly opened her mouth to push Crystal, then closed it. If her sister needed time to think, she owed her that much. “While you’re pondering these deep thoughts,” she said, leaning over her for the remote, “let me introduce you to the wonder that is The Bachelorette!”
It turned out that Crystal had already been introduced and found the program quite to her taste. Together they sat, side by side, watching a woman select a potential partner from the variety of tall, dark, and handsome on offer.
“I wish somebody would organize that for me,” Crystal said. “I haven’t even been on a date for the last four years.” She frowned down at her hand, counting on her fingers. “Make that five.”
“Well, maybe we can sort out a double date since I’m about to be back on the market. Are there any eligible bachelors in town?”
To Holly’s surprise, Crystal cocked an amused eyebrow in her direction. “Dale Raggorn seemed pretty taken with you, from what I could see. I’d say he’s bachelor number one.”
Holly smiled. “If I didn’t mind robbing the cradle, I might let myself be tempted.”
Crystal once again surprised her by bursting into laughter. “How young did you think Dale was?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve got at least a decade on him,” Holly said, lolling back against her sofa arm. “Why?”
“He’s a year older than me,” Crystal said. “Which shrinks that decade down to one year, if I’m not mistaken.”
Holly’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”
But Crystal was shaking her head. “Nope. Not at all. Don’t you remember I had a crush on his younger brother when we were at school?”
“Nelson?” Again, Holly laughed, waiting for the punchline. “But surely he’s older. Dale may be baby-faced, but he can’t be older than thirty.”
“He can and is.” Crystal seemed delighted by Holly’s reaction, leaning over to give her a poke in the ribs. “Once you get those divorce papers, you should drop on by. I bet old Dale would be dying to give you a spin.”
It was an hour later as the show was winding down, that Holly sat bolt upright. “Oh no!”
“What?” Crystal asked, her voice on high alert. “What is it?”
“I forgot about Mittens. I haven’t been to feed him yet today.” Holly jumped up from the sofa and pulled on the shoes she’d kicked off a few hours before. “The poor thing will be starving.”
“Let me come with you,” Crystal said. “I don’t like you going out by yourself this late at night.”
Holly stared at her, then had to chuckle.
“What?”
“For a minute there, you sounded exactly like Dad!” Holly paused, thinking. It would be nicer to walk with somebody in the darkness. Still… “You know you can’t come in there? You’ll be in danger the whole time you’re waiting around outside.”
Crystal rolled her eyes. “I’m sure, I’ll cope. It’ll be nice just to get out of the house.”
They walked to the Masters’ house quickly. The night was crisp but not cold, and after the stuffiness of working near the oven all day, it was a relief to let the evening air blow the cobwebs from Holly’s mind.
“Wait,” Crystal said as they rounded the corner of the drive. “What’s that?”
She pointed up at the house, and for a moment Holly couldn’t understand why. Then she saw it. The beam of a flashlight shone through the window and then continued around the upstairs room.
“I think that’s the office,” Holly said, mapping out the interior in her mind. “What would anybody be doing in there at this time of night?”
“Nothing good,” Crystal answered. “Not if they’re using a flashlight rather than just turning on the house lights. Come on.”
She marched up to the front door and held out her hand for the keys.
Holly held onto them, hesitant. “What if it’s a burglar? Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“If it’s a burglar, then we call them once we’ve caught them red-handed. I’m not standing out here waiting for someone to come and give whoever’s in there time to escape.”
Holly passed over the keys but when Crystal went to step inside, held her back. “No. Let me. I’m the one that Derek gave the right of entry to. I’ll go in and
see what’s what. You wait here.”
Crystal began to protest, but Holly wouldn’t budge.
“The police won’t want you in there,” she said at last. “You said the same thing yourself. If I don’t come down in five minutes, call for help. Otherwise, sit tight.”
As she moved inside, Holly tried the light switch near the door, squinting her eyes against the anticipated brightness. Instead, the switch did nothing. She flicked it up and down once again, but the lights were out.
“I don’t like this,” Crystal said. “Let me come with you.”
“Hush,” Holly said, putting her finger to her lips. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
As Holly mounted the staircase, she hugged the right-hand side, stepping at the very edge where the steps were less likely to creak.
At the top, Holly paused, waiting for her eyes to adjust as the moon disappeared behind a cloud. When she felt confident enough to move forward again, she heard a definite footstep from inside the office.
All at once, Holly’s heartbeat sped up so much that time slowed down. As she took the three steps to close the gap to the office, every sense took in a multitude of details. At the door, she paused again, gulping in a breath, her lungs fit to burst. Holly took hold of the handle, slowly turning it until the catch released and she could push it open.
A flashlight beam shone straight into Holly’s eyes, blinding her. As she raised an arm to block out the light, a figure rushed toward her. She stepped back, then changed her mind and pushed forward instead, yelling.
Chapter Thirteen
“For goodness’ sake,” a familiar voice called out. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
The flashlight beam lowered, and after blinking to clear her vision, Holly saw Humphrey Wilkins, their accountant, standing there.
“What on earth are you doing?” she demanded, then heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.
“I’m all right,” Holly called out as Crystal careened up onto the landing. “It’s just Humphrey trying to give us all a coronary.”
“Give you a coronary? Try being male and over fifty and then see how you feel.”
Cupcakes and Conspiracies Page 8