King Cake and Grave Mistakes

by Amber Crewes

  “I think you are the one who is going to be sorry,” she told her attacker as she grabbed her phone from the ground and dialed 911. “The police will be here soon, and I practiced this headlock for hours. You aren’t getting away from me, and you are going to pay for what you’ve done.”

  Within two minutes, the police had arrived at the scene. Lawrence immediately removed Meghan from the attacker and placed handcuffs on the mugger. Chief Nunan was also there, and she pulled Meghan aside.

  “Are you alright?” Chief Nunan asked Meghan. “We got your 911 call, and when no one was talking to the operator, we sent a squad car out. I just happened to be riding along with Lawrence tonight, and boy, am I glad I was here.”

  Meghan smiled, her heart still beating furiously in her chest as the adrenaline flowed through her veins. “He tried to take me down,” she told Chief Nunan. “But I took a martial arts class with Karen Denton, and I learned some new moves. As soon as I realized it was about to get dangerous, I sprung into action.”

  “I’m so grateful that you are alright,” Chief Nunan said. “And I am thrilled that the mugger has been apprehended. Meghan, you should be so proud of yourself for your bravery under such duress.”

  Meghan shrugged. “I did what I had to do,” she told Chief Nunan, retying her undone ponytail as Lawrence came over. “I knew that I had to stay safe, and I knew that I had to help keep that mugger from hurting anyone else in town.”

  “Meghan,” Lawrence exclaimed as he studied her face. “I told Jack that I would make sure you were safe while he is away, but here you are again! He is going to kill me. Are you okay?”

  Meghan nodded. “I was going to the bus stop to give my employee her scarf,” she told him. “He came out of nowhere. It was so scary. He tore my purse from my arm, and he threatened me.”

  Chief Nunan held out her hand. “Hold on, Meghan. I know you are upset, but let’s get some paper over here. I want to make sure we record every single detail of your statement. This mugger could possibly be a killer, and I am going to make every effort to bring him to justice.”

  Meghan agreed. “Of course,” she said as Lawrence retrieved a pen from the squad car. “Let me start at the beginning…”

  It was nearly three in the morning by the time Meghan arrived home. She was exhausted from the ordeal with the mugger, but while she could hardly keep her eyes open, she was not ready to fall asleep. Still feeling shaken, she pulled out her phone and dialed Jackie’s number.

  “Meghan?” Jackie answered groggily. “What’s up? What time is it?”

  “It’s late, Jackie,” she told her friend. “It’s really late.”

  “You sound upset,” she said. “What’s going on?”

  “The mugger found me again,” Meghan informed Jackie.

  “WHAT? Are you alright? What happened? Oh, Meghan! Where are you?”

  “I’m home,” she said. “I’m safe in bed. Lawrence arrested the mugger, and that low-life is sitting in a jail cell right now.”

  “Officer Griffin was there?” Jackie cooed. “Handsome Lawrence came to your rescue?”

  “Yes, he did,” she replied. “As did Chief Nunan. They were both helpful. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. It’s a small town, and I wanted to tell you myself before someone else got the word around to you.”

  “Officer Griffin,” Jackie said dreamily. “It would be so nice to be saved by him. You lucky duck.”

  Meghan was frustrated by Jackie’s response. She had expected her friend to be concerned about her, but it seemed like Jackie was more preoccupied with thoughts of Lawrence rather than being a caring friend.

  “I have some other news for you,” she said curtly. “I talked with Mariah Cooper.”

  “Her?” Jackie laughed. “What did she have to say? Did she throw a fit like her friend, Rosie?”

  “Actually, it was the opposite,” she told her. “I explained to Mariah about what happened with Rosie at the salon. Mariah felt really bad about the whole thing. She wrote a blank check for you. She wants you to be properly compensated for your time and efforts, Jackie.”

  Meghan could hear the excitement in Jackie’s voice. “You’re joking,” she declared. “The Mariah Cooper wrote a blank check for me? I get to decide how much I get paid in the final check?”

  “Yeah, that is what she said,” Meghan shared. “I can drop it off to you tomorrow.”

  “Please do,” she replied. “A blank check from Mariah Cooper? What kind of dream world am I living in?”

  14

  “You had him in a headlock?” Pamela asked in disbelief as Meghan recounted the incident of the mugger from the night before. “Meghan, I didn’t know you were that strong.”

  “I didn’t either,” Meghan admitted. “Honestly, it was the class with Mrs. Sheridan that saved me; Mrs. Sheridan talked about staying calm and in control when in a fight, and I made sure I was keeping my breath even and my body steady.”

  “There’s no way Mrs. Sheridan saved you,” argued Jamie, the local handyman who had stopped by to fix a leaky faucet in Meghan’s bathroom. “Sally Sheridan is an old bat with a cane. I don’t believe for one second that she could teach you how to fight someone.”

  Meghan shook her head. “You should have seen me last night,” she said as Pamela, Trudy, and Jamie listened with wide eyes. “I was like a true martial arts warrior. I went left and right, I avoided his blows, and I even managed to get him to fall on the ground. Mrs. Sheridan may not have taught me the fanciest kicks, or the hardest punches, but she taught me how to stay composed and how to use my momentum. Thanks to her, that mugger is in jail, and I am sitting here talking with you all today.”

  Jamie laughed. “I’m glad you are alright, Meghan, but I still don’t believe that Sally Sheridan taught you anything related to martial arts.”

  “Is that so, Jamie?”

  Everyone gasped as Mrs. Sheridan hobbled into the bakery, her face dark. “Say that to my face, Jamie. I dare you.”

  Jamie rose to his feet and offered Mrs. Sheridan his chair. “Sally, please, take my seat. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  Mrs. Sheridan glared at Jamie, but then turned to Meghan. “I came in today to return some of the peanut brittle I bought two weeks ago,” she said. “The peanuts are too hard, and the brittle is too chewy.”

  Meghan shrugged. “You know my rule, Mrs. Sheridan. I can’t do returns past the one week mark.”

  Mrs. Sheridan rolled her eyes. “Exceptions can always be made, especially for your sensei.”

  Jamie chuckled. “Her sensei? Sally, you crack me up.”

  Mrs. Sheridan moved quickly, dropping her cane and scuttling to the left of Jamie. She reached her hands over his head and took hold of his ears. “Owww,” Jamie complained. “Get off of me, Sally.”

  Mrs. Sheridan continued to fight, using her legs to hoist her cane up. She wrapped it around Jamie’s legs, and he fell to the ground. “That’s Mrs. Sheridan to you, Jamie,” she said with satisfaction as she surveyed her handiwork. “Old Mrs. Sheridan knows a thing or two about martial arts, and I suggest that you never again suggest otherwise. Ladies, it was a pleasure seeing you. Have a nice day.”

  Everyone watched in awe as Mrs. Sheridan picked up her cane from beside where Jamie lay and hobbled out of the bakery. “She knows her stuff,” Meghan confirmed. “She doesn’t mess around.”

  Meghan’s phone rang, and she saw that Lawrence Griffin was calling her. “I have to take this,” she told the group. “Lawrence is calling.”

  “Lawrence?” Pamela asked dreamily as Meghan walked away.

  “Meghan, it’s me,” Lawrence said. “Can you stop by and answer some questions? It shouldn’t take too long.”

  “No problem,” she replied as she felt her phone buzz. “I have a call on the other line, but I plan on dropping by in a few minutes.”

  “Great,” said Lawrence. “See you soon.”

  “Meghan,” Jackie said as Meghan pushed the button to switch over her call
. “Hey, can I stop by? I want to grab that check from you.”

  “I’m actually on my way out,” she told Jackie. “I have some errands to run, but you are welcome to come with me. I have to stop by the police station to talk with Lawrence.”

  “Count me in,” Jackie said immediately.

  Meghan thought for a moment, remembering how frustrated she had been with Jackie’s reaction to the mugging incident from the previous night. Meghan did not feel like watching Jackie fawn over Lawrence, and she quickly changed her mind. “Actually, I forgot, I am not supposed to take visitors,” she said, cringing as the white lie came out of her mouth. “I’ll just drop the check by after.”

  At the station, Meghan was escorted into Chief Nunan’s office. “Meghan,” she said warmly as Meghan entered. “Good to see you. I hope you have recovered from last night?”

  “I’m still feeling a bit shaky,” Meghan admitted as she sat in the wooden chair across Chief Nunan’s desk. “But I’m feeling better. I slept well and had a big breakfast, so I feel like a new woman today.”

  “That’s good,” Chief Nunan said, her blue eyes filled with relief. “It can be quite a scare to be mugged, but you really fought him off. We had to have him sent to the clinic at the jail because you fought him so hard. I am impressed. You are a lot stronger than you look, Meghan.”

  Meghan smiled. “I did what I had to do,” she shrugged. “If I didn’t take care of myself, no one else was going to.”

  Chief Nunan bobbed her head. “I just wanted to thank you personally for apprehending the suspect,” she told Meghan. “We are very sure that we have caught the mugger.”

  “Very sure?” Meghan asked. “Not one hundred percent sure?”

  Chief Nunan sighed. “The mugger is refusing to confess,” she admitted. “He insists that he did not mug you, and he insists that he is innocent.”

  “What? But he tried to rip the bag from my arm. He tried to attack me. How can he insist that he wasn’t trying to mug me?”

  The Chief shook her head. “He’s been difficult to deal with, that’s for sure. He has been asking for a lawyer, and legally, we cannot charge him quite yet.”

  Meghan rose from her seat, her face hot with anger. “Let me identify him,” she demanded. “I will identify him in front of you, and in front of everyone. The man who Lawrence arrested last night tried to mug me, and I will not let him walk free.”

  The Chief agreed. “We can have you look at him,” she said. “It might be alarming, though. I just want to make sure you are sure that you want to see him.”

  “I do,” she confirmed. “I want him brought to justice, and if this helps the process move faster, then I will do it.”

  Chief Nunan picked up the telephone on her desk and spoke to the operator. “A guard is coming to pick us up,” she told Meghan after hanging up. “We’ll be behind a glass barrier. He won’t be able to see you, but you will be able to clearly see him.”

  Meghan was led to a small room in the basement of the police station. The lights were low, and there was a long, thin window stretching across one of the walls. “When I say the word, he will be brought into that room,” the Chief said, pointing through the window at a small concrete room.

  “Are you ready?”

  Meghan nodded, and the Chief spoke into her walkie-talkie. Almost immediately, a man was brought into the small concrete room.

  “That’s him,’ Meghan whispered immediately. “I would know him anywhere. I can tell from his eyes and his stature that it is him.”

  “Are you absolutely certain?”

  “Yes,” Meghan insisted. “I have no doubt.”

  Chief Nunan spoke into the walkie-talkie again, and the man was led away. “Other victims of the muggings will be brought in to see him,” the Chief told Meghan as they walked back to her office. “We don’t have enough evidence to charge him with murder yet, but we are trying to connect the dots. From what you’ve told me, he sounds merciless, and I have a feeling that he is responsible for Cathy Thomas’ death.”

  Meghan sighed. “How long until you can prove it?”

  Chief Nunan shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But we’re working on it, Meghan. I promise you, we are working on it.”

  15

  That evening, Meghan and Jackie bundled up in their winter coats and took the dogs for a walk along the beach. Although it was sunny, the wind was sharp, and Meghan cringed as Fiesta and Siesta shivered along the shore.

  “I think we need to call it a day,” she told Jackie. “Dash is going fine, but the little dogs look so cold.”

  Jackie nodded. “I feel like an icicle myself,” she admitted. “And besides, you’ve been going on and on about Jack for the last hour. All of this love talk is going to make me crazy.”

  “I’m sorry,” Meghan said, blushing. “I just miss him so much. He is the best, Jackie. When I told him about the mugger being apprehended, he was so worried about me. He sent flowers and chocolates to my apartment! I know he feels so bad that he isn’t here to look out for me.”

  “I wish I had someone to look out for me,” Jackie said wistfully as she stared off into the horizon. “What you and Jack have is so special. I just want someone to look after me.”

  Meghan grinned mischievously. “I know that you have a big crush on Lawrence,” she told Jackie. “It’s so obvious. Let me fix you up with him. When Jack gets back, we could do that double date! He could be the one for you, Jackie.”

  Jackie smoothed her hair. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “I’ve been out of the dating game for so long. I don’t know if I could handle a relationship. I don’t know what to say, or what to do. You’ve heard me talk about him, Meghan. I can hardly keep it together when he is around. I don’t know what I would say to him on a proper date.”

  Meghan shrugged. “That’s what makes it fun,” she insisted. “The mystery, the romance, and the unknown is so exciting. I think you should give him a chance, Jackie. I think you two would really hit it off.”

  “Hey,” she murmured, pointing to two figures in the distance. “Look over there.”

  Meghan’s eyes widened. She squinted, trying to make out who was rapidly approaching them. “Can you see who it is?”

  “It’s Mariah and Rosie,” Jackie whispered.

  Mariah and Rosie jogged toward them, their ponytails bouncing in sync with their step. “Girls,” Mariah greeted them. “How are we doing today?”

  Jackie smiled. “So good. Thank you so much for your kindness. That check was greatly appreciated….”

  Rosie looked down at her designer running shoes, and Mariah gave her a sharp jab in the side. Rose muttered something, but her words were unintelligible.

  “Say it louder,” Mariah prodded.

  “I’m sorry I was rude at your salon,” Rosie said quietly. “I was in quite a mood that day, and I shouldn’t have been so terrible. I am very sorry.”

  Mariah nodded at Rosie. “That was the right thing to do,” she told her friend. “Now, we can talk about other matters. Jackie? I’ve been thinking, and I was wondering if you would be open to doing another pampering session? My entourage wants to do something to honor Cathy, and we think a day spent receiving massages, doing manis and pedis, and being taken care of would be the best way to honor her.”

  Meghan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She looked over at Jackie, who was thinking about Mariah’s request.

  “Thoughts?” Mariah asked. “You did such a nice job last time, and your team was a good fit. They were very professional and clean, and I want to hire you again.”

  Rosie sighed. “What?” Mariah asked her. “You’ve been moody all day.”

  Rosie crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It’s a waste of time,” she breathed to Mariah. “We have a busy schedule for the next few weeks, and I don’t think we can afford to lounge around for a day when your new exhibit is due at the Met next Monday.”

  Mariah narrowed her eyes at Rosie. “It’s what Cathy would have
wanted,” she sharply insisted. “Cathy loved being pampered, and she would want us all to remember her like that.”

  Rosie scoffed. “If you say so.”

  Mariah glared. “I do say so. Invite our closest friends and make the arrangements.”

  Turning to Jackie and Meghan, Mariah winked. “Sometimes, you have to be firm,” she shrugged. “Anyway, I hope to see you both there. Meghan? You could drop by with your sweet friend, Pamela. She is a cutie, and I’m sure she would love a pampering session.”