by Holly Plum
“Minnie laughed in my face." Ruth glared in Minnie's direction. "She said I would never be able to prove anything.” She took a deep breath as Minnie stared down at the floor. "Though I promise all of you that I did not kill Miss Doodles."
The other occupants of the room exchanged glances. It appeared that no one knew who to believe at this point.
"I can't deal with this right now." Minnie rolled her eyes and turned to leave. Before Joy knew it, Minnie had stormed out of her own book signing before it had even begun.
“You see,” Ruth declared. “I have some evidence that Minnie stole my work, though not a whole lot. I was very trusting back then. I've only revealed my secret to one other person until now.”
“Ruth, I am sorry,” Joy said, intent on getting as much information as she could from her. “So, who else knew about this?”
“Frances.” Ruth shrugged. "Frances is writing something of her own at the moment, and I have been coaching her. She really is a brilliant writer. My history with Minnie spilled out one night after one too many glasses of wine. Frances was devastated by the news."
“Well, Frances, I'm surprised you wanted Minnie to come here at all,” Joy commented.
It took only a moment for Joy realize that she was speaking to no one. Frances was noticeably absent.
“Where’d she go?” Colby muttered, looking around the bookstore. "Did anyone see her leave?"
The group all shook their heads, even Sara Beth. Joy admitted that she hadn't noticed Frances slip away either. Joy thought fast. A pit of dread formed in her stomach when a sickening thought crossed her mind. This whole case had played out just as it had in Chapel of Doom. The suspect had now disappeared as had the main character, Minnie.
Where would they have gone?
“In Chapel of Doom,” Joy said, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Where did the killer take the main character at the end?” Joy's mind spun out of control as she tried to remember.
“To the place where all of the wedding planning began,” Vivian answered.
The others nodded in agreement.
Joy locked eyes with Sara Beth.
The bakery.
“Let’s go!” Joy shouted.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Joy had wanted to avoid creating a scene by allowing the entire book group to go racing down the street, but there seemed no hope for it. Everyone raced toward the bakery alongside Sara Beth and Joy.
Just as Joy expected, the front door to the bakery was open when they arrived. The little Floridian beach community was generally such a friendly place that folks often didn’t feel a need for multiple locks and bolts. Joy made a mental note to get a better lock installed once this whole ordeal was over.
“Y'all stay out here," Joy whispered. "The last thing we need is a crowd.”
“You’re going to let us miss this?” Vivian squeaked.
“I’m afraid so. Don’t worry. The police should be here soon enough.” Joy straightened her shoulders and prepared herself for what she might find.
This appeared to console Vivian a little.
“I will call the police again just to make sure," Colby added looking as anxious as ever.
With that, Joy made their way inside the bakery. Sara Beth stumbled in closely behind her. They were greeted by a tray full of cupcakes that had been dumped all over the floor.
“So your hunch was right,” Sara Beth remarked. "Someone is here." Her concerned expression turned to annoyance. “She couldn’t have chosen to toss apple fritters or cookies or something less messy on the floor?”
“Look at that,” Joy said, recapturing her assistant’s attention.
The door to the kitchen at the back of the shop was shut. Joy carefully tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. She gulped as she knocked. “Hello? Who’s in there?”
Silence.
Joy glanced over her shoulder at Sara Beth who shrugged.
"Spare key," Sara Beth whispered.
Joy knocked again, rattling the door knob. “Open up.”
“Is that you, Joy?” Minnie’s voice was soft and flustered.
“Yes," Joy answered, feeling the door. "Why have you locked yourself in, Minnie? Who are you hiding from?”
“Frances.”
“What for?” Joy asked.
“She tried to kill me," Minnie's voice came from the other side of the door.
Sara Beth gasped.
“Why would she do that?” Joy shook her head, hoping that it wasn't true.
“How should I know?” All of a sudden, Minnie didn't sound so frightened. "Jealousy, I guess."
Joy thought for a moment, thinking out her strategy carefully.
“Well, I don't see Frances anywhere," Joy commented. "The police are on their way. You don’t have to stay locked in there.”
Joy was once again met with silence.
A few more moments had passed before there was the sound of shuffling behind the door. Minnie had obviously barricaded the entrance to the kitchen. When she showed her face, she was as white as a powdered donut.
“Are you alright?” Sara Beth asked.
Minnie nodded. “You said the police are coming?”
“Yes," Joy assured her. "They should be here any minute.”
Minnie looked over at the window. Everyone in town practically had their noses pressed up against the glass, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
“Great, an audience.” Minnie rolled her eyes, fixing a strand of her hair.
“It's a small town,” Joy responded, trying not to chuckle.
The three women turned back toward the kitchen when footsteps echoed from the side of the bakery. They came from the one bathroom stall that was reserved for customers.
“Frances?” Joy said.
Minnie backed away, looking frightened. “Oh, no. I can't handle any more of this."
“Any more of your lying and cheating, you mean?” Frances' face was more serious and determined than Joy had ever seen it. Gone was the giddy, innocent looking Frances that Joy thought she knew.
“Everyone remain calm,” Sara Beth said, coming between Frances and Minnie. “Easy, Frances. I know you’re upset, but there’s no reason to do anything you’ll regret.”
“I gave you the benefit of the doubt when Ruth told me her story,” Frances said looking at Minnie. “I never thought you would stoop as low as stealing ideas and prose from a critique partner. But then I emailed you my work-in-progress. You never responded. But I saw one of my passages, almost word-for-word, show up in Chapel of Doom."
"I don't know what you mean," Minnie said dryly. The way she avoided eye contact made Joy wonder how guilty she was of plagiarizing.
"Don't lie!" Frances yelled, pointing a kitchen knife at Minnie. "You did it to Ruth, and then you did it to me. I don't understand people like you. You'll pay one way or another."
"Fine." Minnie stared at Frances' knife and gulped. "I used some of your ideas in my book. So sue me. Lots of people do it."
"They were more than ideas." Frances took a step forward.
"Okay, I used some of your words as well," Minnie admitted.
What happened next took place in a flash. Far faster than Joy could have ever imagined possible, Frances sprinted past Sara Beth, heading straight for Minnie. One moment Frances was a few feet away, standing there looking defenseless and the next she was holding a knife to Minnie’s throat.
Minnie cried out in fear.
“Frances!” Joy yelled.
“Holy cupcakes,” Sara Beth murmured, covering her face, her eyes peeking through her fingers.
Joy didn't know what to do. She was a baker, not a negotiator. She had no idea how to handle this situation until the police arrived.
“Don't do this, Frances,” Joy said calmly. "The police will be here any minute."
“Yes,” Sara Beth chimed in, doing her best to back her friend up even when her voice shook terribly. “There is still time to make things right. Don't take this a
step further by killing someone else.”
“She's a fraud,” Frances continued. "She takes things that aren't hers and makes money from it. Minnie has to be stopped. You heard her too. She is sorry about what she did."
Joy glanced at Sara Beth who shut her eyes. “Oh, no.”
The front door opened and Detective Sugar and his deputy stepped inside with everyone else flooding in after him. It seemed that even Joy's inadequate negotiating skills had been enough to get them by until the police came. She was relieved that Minnie and Frances were both still alive.
“Frances, that’s enough,” Detective Sugar said, evenly. “Put the knife down. There have been one too many crimes committed this week.”
The deputy moved in quickly, removing the knife from Frances’ hand as she fell to the floor in tears.
Joy felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest when the weapon was out of reach. She wasn’t altogether sure that Frances would have had the guts to kill Minnie, but she wouldn’t have wished to take any chances on that.
As the deputy escorted Frances away, she looked somewhat forlorn as if she herself couldn’t even believe what she’d almost done. Joy breathed a sigh of relief that local law enforcement had made it in time.
“Well, Joy,” Detective Sugar said. “It seems you were onto something.”
“I was wrong about the killer though,” Joy pointed out.
“Still, you were headed in the right direction. Nice work.”
“Shall I turn in my application then?” she joked.
Detective Sugar raised his brows, nodding. “You could, but it seems that you get more drama here at the bakery then you would as a police officer."
Joy laughed. “That’s not even the half of it.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
In a characteristic act of proper, Southern hospitality, Sara Beth passed out pastries and sweet tea to everyone at the bakery. Ruth and her book club accepted the offer, still shocked by what they had witnessed.
“Can I get you something for your headache, Saffron?” Sara Beth offered.
“No, thanks, Sara Beth. I’m feeling much better.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re alright," Sara Beth responded.
“So I guess it wasn't Ruth who hit you over the head at the bookstore,” Joy stated.
“I had a hunch about Ruth," Saffron replied. "I suppose my hunch was wrong. I made the mistake of telling Frances that I had seen the truth behind the death of Miss Doodles at the beach that night. I also said that I wasn't sure what to do about it because the truth would destroy our book club." Saffron sighed. "Of course, I was referring to Ruth. Frances must have thought I was threatening her."
“Apparently,” Joy remarked. “Detective Sugar said there was no trace of any fingerprints at the crime scene. It fit perfectly with the fact that Ruth always wears gloves. Frances took her love of crime novels to heart.”
“I should have said something to Ruth in private,” Saffron said. “That would have stopped Frances from lashing out. I am very sorry, Joy. I should have kept my mouth shut until I had all of the facts.”
“Lesson learned,” Joy said, telling herself the same thing. "But the real culprit did reveal herself in the end."
"Very true." Saffron nodded in agreement.
Ruth approached the two and took a swig of her coffee. She looked around at the policemen as they talked to Minnie Morin. Detective Sugar and Frances Land were gone, which left one lingering question. Joy wrinkled her nose. She had spent a lot of time and effort planning the food for Minnie's book launch.
"Are you alright, Ruth?" Joy asked.
"I've been better," Ruth answered.
"So, I guess this means no party." Joy took a deep breath, wondering what to do with all of the pecan pie.
"Did someone say party?" Colby joined the conversation.
"Oh, we can't let all of our hard work go to waste," Vivian chimed in.
"Agreed," Saffron responded.
"Okay, we'll take a vote." Ruth looked at her fellow book club members, minus Frances. "Those in favor of carrying on with the party, raise your hand."
***
The vote was unanimous that the book launch should still take place as scheduled. An hour after Frances was escorted out by the police, Joy, Sara Beth, Minnie, and the book club all arrived back at the local bookstore. There was a crowd gathered outside. This time it was even bigger than before.
“Sorry for the wait everyone,” Ruth announced, finally opening the doors. “Please, come in.”
There was much chatter as the townsfolk made their way through the front entry, talking about Minnie and her new book. They seemed particularly interested in the happenings at Patty Cakes Bake Shop too. Minnie graciously greeted each customer, more humbled than her usual self.
Joy was shocked at how much Minnie had seemed to change since she had arrived. Of course, the allegations made against her were still up in the air. Joy had no idea that the publishing world could be so dangerous. But then again, she had no idea that someone as serious as Ruth could write fiction.
If Joy had learned anything from her experiences over the past week, it was not to judge a book by its cover.
The pies went over splendidly. Joy took great pride in serving up generous helpings to all of her friends and neighbors. She was glad to see that her desserts were still crowd-pleasers.
“It’s just as I’d picture Grandma’s pie would taste,” Minnie told Joy when she finally got the chance to sample a piece between signing books and chatting with fans.
“It was my own grandmother’s recipe, passed down to my mother before it was placed in my care,” Joy answered.
“The next time I have a book launch party, you’ll certainly be my go-to caterer.”
"Well, that is nice to know considering you did have one other option here in town." Joy grinned as she thought of Maple McWayne looking disappointed in her empty bakery.
“Next time I write a book, I'll do things differently," Minnie said quietly. "Shortcuts get you nowhere, Joy. I hope you remember that next time you're tempted to take the easy way out. I have no idea what to do next."
“You could start by apologizing,” Joy answered with confidence. “I am sure Ruth would very happily accept.”
"I hate apologies," Minnie muttered. "Do you know what it took to get me where I am today? Hundreds of rejection letters for a start."
"That's no excuse though," Joy added.
"No." Minnie looked down at the floor. "No. It isn't." Minnie glanced at Ruth on the other side of the room. "Here goes nothing. Wish me luck, Joy."
Minnie left Joy's company and approached Ruth on the other side of the bookstore. Joy couldn't tell what they were saying, but she guessed that it was going well. Especially since Minnie and Ruth were now hugging each other.
"You should take some of your own advice," Sara Beth teased Joy. She glanced at the entrance. Maple McWayne had entered the shop.
"Oh, geez." Joy bit her tongue.
"Be nice, remember? Don't stoop to Minnie's level." Sara Beth crossed her arms and forced a smile as she made eye contact with Maple.
Maple spotted Joy and Sara Beth. She wasted no time walking toward them clutching a brand new copy of Minnie's book. Joy knew that Maple had never even read it. Maple just wanted to scope out her competition.
"So, you were serious about the pecan pies," Maple said, overly cheery.
“I was,” Joy responded.
Maple pursed her lips, unwilling to compliment her sweets. "Yes. Pecan pie."
“I know you wanted this job for yourself,” Joy stated. “Minnie told me everything.”
Maple lifted her chin, doing her best to act aloof. “Well, I wouldn't have had time to take on this gig anyway. The Sugar Room is crazy busy."
"Glad to hear it," Joy forced herself to say.
A brief silence stretched out and just when Joy figured Maple would walk away, her eyes went to the pie display.
“I guess I’d better try a pi
ece.”
Joy was surprised but held out her hand in invitation. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe.”
Maple made a dramatic show of selecting a piece and then choosing a fork. She smelled her pie slice and looked at it closely. Joy glanced up to see that Sara Beth was watching the entire scene and clearly found it hysterical.
Maple gave Joy a fake grin before taking a bite. She chewed slowly, reminding Joy of a barnyard animal munching on some dinner. At last, Maple rolled her eyes, releasing a long-suffering sigh.
“Well,” Maple said. “It’s definitely sweet. Also, the crust is rather soggy. Not baked long enough maybe?”
“The crust is fine,” Joy gritted out, wishing more than anything that she could pick up one of the pies and toss it in Maple’s face.
“Ah, well. There’s always next time. Don’t worry, dear. You’ll have the chance to try again.” Maple wrinkled her nose.
Joy was just about to lose her temper when Minnie suddenly joined them. Joy shouted in surprise when, in a flash, the bestselling author snatched up one of the pecan pies and thrust it in Maple’s face.
Though Joy didn’t have the satisfaction of actually carrying out the act herself, the look on Maple’s face was just as rewarding.
Maple gawked at Minnie, unable to form an intelligible response to what had just happened.
“I don’t want to hear another word of criticism about any aspect of this party,” Minnie said. “Joy is, by far the best caterer I’ve ever had.”
When Joy had finally managed to stop laughing, she spoke, deciding to make Sara Beth proud by taking the high road.
“Let me get you a towel."
A Special Preview of UNTIL DEATH DO US TART
A Patty Cakes Bake Shop Cozy Mystery
by Holly Plum
CHAPTER ONE
Five minutes from the sugar sands of the Florida coast was a sweet little town, and it was just a slow walk down humid Main Street to the pink lacquered doors of Patty Cakes Bake Shop. Inside was a blast of air conditioning and an irresistible display of sweets of all kinds. Some were a little lopsided, but others were so perfect it was as though they had been lifted out of a baking magazine and popped right into the case.