Very Buried Cheesecake (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 4)

by Lyndsey Cole

  Annie made her way across the hall to see how Martha was managing in the gallery. Now that Camilla was missing, Martha had no one to relieve her if it got busy. Fortunately, Annie found Martha happily doing some hand sewing to finish up the bindings on some small wall hangings.

  “You look quite content sitting here by yourself,” Annie observed as she sat down next to Martha.

  “This is where I can recharge my batteries. If you didn’t let me keep working here, I don’t know what I’d do. There’s no way I could stay at Harry and Bob’s house twenty-four-seven.” She set her sewing in her lap. “Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t changed my mind again, but here,” she swept her hands around the gallery, “I’m surrounded by beauty, peace and quiet. The customers that come in usually appreciate the space as much as I do and I enjoy sharing the artists’ stories with them.”

  Annie leaned back, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I like the sound of that description. It is a contrast to the energy level in most of the businesses in town.”

  “And you know the best part?”

  Annie waited.

  “There are no birds in here.”

  Annie leaned forward, laughing. “How’s everything in bird land?”

  “Harry and I talked it out last night. My house isn’t too far from their house so we’ll move there, but Bob said Harry can keep a room for himself at the farm. And the love birds stay there too. And Charlie, the parrot. Bob is thrilled with the arrangement.” Martha sighed. “I have to give Harry a lot of credit for figuring out how to make it work for all of us. He desperately wants to make me happy. How can I turn my back on that kind of devotion?”

  “I’m happy it’s all figured out.” Annie picked up Martha’s wall hanging and held it up to examine. “This is beautiful. It’s Heron Lake with the White Mountains in the background. Who’s the person?”

  “That’s you, Annie. Standing by the water. I thought this could hang in the gallery. Not for sale.”

  “That absolutely is the best idea I’ve heard all day. Thank you so much.” Annie hugged her dear friend. “I have a photography job I need to go see about. If I’m not back, just close early.”

  Annie was relieved to be out of the café and the gallery. As much as she enjoyed both places, sometimes it became a bit too claustrophobic for her. Checking the address for Matt and Flo’s house, she felt even better. It was one of the older homes on the lake and she had always hoped to get inside for a tour. She did feel a little tug as she passed her apartment, but with Jason’s car in the driveway, she was confident he would have Roxy with him.

  She drove by several people walking along the scenic road that snaked around the lake with lots of places for views. The farther she went, the more the lake homes grew and the land between those homes increased, providing more privacy and, of course, increasing home values.

  The driveway to Sunset Point was bordered by two granite pillars. She drove between them and followed the meandering dirt road to a parking area next to a three car garage. Beyond the garage, she could see the lake shimmering between the tall stately white pines and the sprawling home tucked unobtrusively among the trees. She had never seen this home from this angle and was surprised to notice how much bigger it was than when viewed from the lake.

  She pulled her camera bag from the back seat and followed the pine needle covered path to the front porch.

  Matt was sitting on an old rocking chair reading the Boston Globe, but looked up and set the paper down when he heard Annie’s steps. “Just trying to stay connected to the world,” he chuckled. “It would be too easy to lose track of what’s happening outside of Catfish Cove if I didn’t pick up a Globe every day.” He motioned to a chair for Annie.

  Annie nodded, sat down and tucked her bag next to her feet. “Being disconnected for a week or so is what a lot of visitors are looking for.”

  Flo opened the screen door, carrying a tray with fruit, dainty butter cookies and a pitcher of ice tea. She set it on a small, low table that was pushed against the wall of the house. “Help yourself,” she said as she poured herself a glass of iced tea and took one cookie. “This is a beautiful spot. I’ll be sad to leave tomorrow.”

  The sound of footsteps and someone breathing heavily interrupted the peaceful setting. Matt stood up and hurried off the porch. Flo grabbed a handful of cookies, hiding them in a cloth napkin on her lap.

  “What are you doing here?” Annie heard Matt’s angry voice carry back to where she sat.

  “I don’t know what to do. Camilla is missing.”

  “Of course she’s missing.”

  Annie glanced at Flo who was sitting perfectly still with her hand, holding a cookie, stopped midway between her lap and her mouth. She stood up, cookies falling over the porch floor. “Honey, why don’t you bring Katherine up her and offer her some ice tea.”

  Annie’s brain raced. Did they all know about Camilla’s disappearing act? At least her fake one? She didn’t have much time to make sense of this before Matt escorted Katherine onto the porch, dragging a fourth chair next to Annie’s.

  Katherine sat down. “So, not much point in beating around the bush.” She turned to face Annie. “Where is the missing jewelry?”

  “What are you talking about?” Annie’s fingers tightened around the glass she was holding. She forced her mind to ignore the image of the hidden box of earrings stuffed under her couch pillow as she sipped her drink. Lying had never been her forte but if her life could be at stake, she had to make it believable.

  Katherine shrugged and stood up. “I was hoping that Camilla confided in you while she was working at the gallery. Now, with John dead, I intend to open up the theft case. He insisted we drop the charges but I want what’s rightly mine.”

  “Yours?”

  “Two identical diamond necklace and earring sets were made in the Sparkle Me line. The first was the prototype but it couldn’t be sold since each piece was marketed as one of a kind.” Katherine pointed to Flo. “She has the second set. I deserve the original.”

  “And you are convinced Camilla stole the jewelry?” Annie asked, looking first at Katherine, then Matt, and finally Flo who was twirling her left earring.

  “Of course she stole the jewelry.” Katherine stamped her foot like an angry child. “Are you implying that John might have given those valuable jewels to Camilla?”

  Matt gently pushed Katherine back into her chair. “Katherine, it’s too soon to be worrying about all this. First, we have to find out what happened to John. I know the police must have talked to you already, but can you remember anything unusual at your party Wednesday night?”

  She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “I was in the house the whole time making sure everyone was having a good time. I saw you walk down to the water with John. What was that all about?”

  Matt’s face flushed. “He pulled me away from a lively poker game on the porch to talk about some business. I don’t know why it couldn’t wait.”

  “And what about you Flo?” Katherine said pointing to the older woman. “I barely saw you all night. Where were you hiding out?”

  Matt stood up. “Careful Katherine. Watch what you say unless you have something to back it up with.”

  Katherine’s lips curled up at the edges. “Don’t worry about that, Matt Austin. You’re the one who needs to be careful. I know how much you coveted getting Gold N Silver all for yourself. John told me he was planning to buy you out. That’s what the two of you were talking about down by the water during the party, wasn’t it?”

  Matt’s mouth hung open as Katherine stomped off the porch.

  Chapter 19

  Matt took his glasses off and cleaned them with a handkerchief from his pocket. Returning them to his face, he said, more to himself than to Annie or Flo, “Well then, Katherine always was overly dramatic. I never could understand why John was attracted to her.” He focused on Annie. “Shall we start on the photographs?”

  She picked up her camera bag. “Wh
at were you discussing with John the night he was murdered? Katherine’s comments could be quite suspicious if she mentions the detail about John wanting to buy you out to the police.”

  “Believe me, Katherine has her own kettle of fish she doesn’t want opened if she takes that route. Her marriage to John was, to put it gently, not a bed of roses. I suspected he had a girlfriend on the side, but that was his business, as long as what he did in his private time didn’t affect me or Gold N Silver.”

  He picked up a leather case from the table next to his chair. “Shall we? I’d like to start down at the edge of the lake.”

  Annie picked up her camera bag and followed Matt. Part of her wanted to make a mad dash to her car but if she took some photos, she could compare these diamonds to the necklace found in her shop and the earrings hidden in her couch pillows. She wanted to be sure this jewelry was identical to the stolen jewelry. Then she would have to wait for Camilla to show up for the earrings to find out why she had the stolen diamonds.

  Matt followed a narrow path through the pine trees, to a dock. He set the leather case on a chair and took the necklace out. It sparkled when he held it up for the sun to reflect off the diamonds. Talking to himself he almost purred, “This is exquisite.”

  Annie snapped a couple of photos of Matt with the necklace and close ups of the necklace shimmering in the sun, without him even aware what she was doing.

  “There’s a shallow pool of water over here. I’m going to drape the necklace over some rocks that are mostly submerged. What do you think?”

  Annie moved around, taking shots from different angles: straight down, from the side and crouched low for some close ups. She noticed a tree stump that was freshly cut. “Let’s try it here.”

  Matt looked skeptical but moved the necklace and fiddled with its placement on the stump. Annie made a small adjustment to get the necklace out of a shadow and took some shots. “Where are the earrings? Put them next to the necklace for a shot of both together.”

  “I’ll be right back. Flo is still wearing them.”

  “If you have a colorful silk scarf, bring that too, or any other props you can think of,” Annie called to his back as he hurried to the house.

  Annie used the few minutes alone to take photos of Heron Lake from this new angle. As her camera panned the lake framing the scenery, she spotted Katherine at the water’s edge of the next house—the house John and Katherine had recently moved into. Walking slowly with her head down, Katherine appeared to be searching for something. Annie zoomed in as much as her camera would allow. Katherine looked up, straight into the camera lens.

  Annie quickly lowered her camera, hoping Katherine hadn’t seen her. A tap on her shoulder made her jump and she let out a small gasp as she swiveled her head around. “Oh, you startled me.”

  Matt chuckled. “Spying on the neighbor?” He handed Annie a cut crystal plate with a piece of cheesecake and a couple chocolates on it. “Will this work?”

  Annie took the plate and couldn’t help but see the two diamond earrings sitting side by side on a flat piece of chocolate.

  Matt pointed to the diamonds. “Don’t eat that one. And here’s a silk scarf.”

  She placed the scarf on the stump, covering just a corner of it. The colors were perfect: orange, blues and greens. She added the plate on top and snaked the necklace over the cheesecake and around the chocolates, with the earrings off center. When she was done, Annie looked at Matt with questioning eyes.

  He nodded, so she moved around again, photographing from every possible angle. When she finished to her satisfaction, she turned her camera so Matt could scroll through her photos. “Do you see anything you like?”

  “I like what I see but the test will be how they look when they are enlarged. Send me a file so I can have my advertising group play around with them.” He put the jewelry back in the case and gathered up the scarf and plate. “Care for a chocolate? I promise, these are about as good as they get.”

  Annie chose one that had been farthest from the earrings and popped it in her mouth. As it melted, she packed her camera in the bag and headed up the path.

  Matt hurried up behind Annie. “Wait.”

  She stopped and turned around.

  “I was arguing with John the night he was murdered but it wasn’t what Katherine thought. It was about Camilla. I discovered she’s not who she says she is. John was furious that I went behind his back to hire a private investigator.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  He shrugged. “To clear the air. I don’t want you to leave with Katherine’s venomous accusations in your head. You seem to believe Camilla’s sob story, but if you didn’t look into her past you should know that she’s not what she seems.”

  “You’ve caught my attention.”

  “Her real name is Kellie Richards. She met John at a jewelry competition after she changed her name and was hired as Gold N Silver’s designer shortly after. I accused John of having an affair with Camilla and he didn’t deny it, just got angry.”

  “So you think Camilla, or Kellie, is an imposter, thief and murderer?”

  Matt shrugged. “She was at the party, and after John chewed my ear off, he got into his canoe with her.”

  “You know what I think? You’re blackmailing Camilla and trying to get her to give you the stolen jewelry, but if she was having an affair with John, like you think, did it ever occur to you that he gave her the jewelry? And that’s why he dropped the charges?”

  “That’s crazy. He wouldn’t give her something so valuable. She could never wear it or Katherine would know the truth about John and Camilla.”

  Annie continued to her car but stopped and turned back toward Matt. “I’ll tell you one thing that isn’t crazy. Once the police identify the murder weapon, they’ll be arresting someone. Do you own any guns, Mr. Austin?”

  Annie watched the color drain from his face before she got to her car and backed out. None of these people were what they seemed. Murder, lies, deception, blackmailing and theft. It all seemed to be spiraling toward a big showdown.

  Ten minutes later, Annie walked into Jason’s house. He hadn’t wasted any time turning his already charming living room into an elegant wedding space. He had two tall glass vases filled with white oriental lilies flanking his stone fireplace. He had pushed his oak furniture to the edge of the room with an oriental runner forming a path from the porch door to the fireplace.

  Annie took it all in, wondering where Jason had disappeared to. She walked to the porch which had also been transformed. The swing had laurel wound around the top and sides. The scent of the freshly cut pine that was draped on the railing leading onto the porch filled the air. Annie decided she better not sit on any of the chairs and spoil the arrangements.

  She followed the path to the lake and was happy to see Jason and Roxy heading on the Lake Trail back toward Cobblestone Cottage. She skimmed some flat rocks across the surface of the water, trying to see if she could get more than six jumps. Jason stood behind her, holding her right hand, guiding it with the next rock.

  “Eight skims!” Annie squealed. That’s a record for me.

  “Did you walk through the house?”

  “Yes. It’s beautiful. I hope Martha and Harry show up.”

  Jason put his arm around Annie’s shoulder. “If they don’t, there’s nothing stopping us from enjoying it. We still have to set the tables but there’s time. Everyone is coming at four?”

  “Yes.” Annie checked the time. “We’ve still got about two hours. I need a snack and to sit down for a half hour or so.”

  Jason told Annie to sit on the porch while he got them something to eat.

  She mulled over her visit with Matt and Flo Austin. She had trouble making sense of Katherine’s visit since she didn’t seem to like Matt and Flo and the feelings were mutual. Could Katherine be worried about Camilla’s whereabouts and thought they might offer some insight? Was there any truth to Matt’s theory about Camilla and John having an
affair?

  “Your wheels are turning. You didn’t even hear me when I asked what you’d like to drink,” Jason teased. “I’m guessing something interesting happened during your visit.” He set a tray on the porch table with fruit, cheese and crackers. “So?”

  “So, what?”

  Jason laughed. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Oh, water please.”

  When Jason returned with two tall glasses of ice water with lemon, Annie filled him in about Katherine’s visit to Matt’s house. “She was after information. They’re all hiding something.”

  Jason handed Annie a small plate with cut up apple slices, a few cubes of cheddar cheese and a handful of wheat crackers. “Eat something while you’re thinking. Who gains the most from John Holland’s death?” Jason asked as Annie finally helped herself to some food.

  “The most? That’s tough. They all benefit, but in different ways. On the surface, Camilla seems to be hiding the most since she altered her whole identity for some reason.”

  Jason poked Annie excitedly. “About that. I called the school on her résumé and asked about Kellie Richards and got an earful. Kellie was expelled the semester before graduation for stealing another student’s jewelry design. She was talented in her own right but not as good as the other student.”

  Annie shrugged and stuffed an apple slice in her mouth. A light bulb went off in Annie’s head. “She changed her name to get the job at Gold N Silver, hoping they wouldn’t scrutinize her background. Kind of risky. Well, I fell for it but you wouldn’t think a big company would hire her without checking references and background.”

  Jason stretched his legs out and folded his hands behind his head. “Do you still think Camilla, or Kellie, is innocent? It’s still hard to figure out why she would come to Catfish Cove where she would be around the people who could expose her.”

  “That’s quite the twist. And maybe Matt Austin gave me the answer to that mystery. He said John and Camilla were having an affair. Matt also told me that Camilla got in the canoe with John.”