Death by Strawberry Cupcake

by Rose Pressey

  “So you know what this person is capable of. I think you should wait for me to track this person down.”

  “I have all faith in you for this, but having me helping isn’t going to hurt,” I said.

  “It can’t hurt you and it could jeopardize the case,” he said.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “So when are you going to tell me what you discovered?” he asked.

  I took another bite of my scone. “What makes you think I’ve discovered anything?”

  “I can tell by the way you’re acting that you’ve been up to something.”

  “I may have been up to something that doesn’t mean I’ve discovered anything.”

  “Well, now you’re avoiding the question. So you can understand why that would make me suspicious?”

  “How’s your scone?” I asked.

  “Delicious,” he said. “Now don’t change the subject.”

  I still hadn’t decided if I was going to share the ring discovery with him or not. Because I have no idea if it was a clue or if just belonged to the owner of the house. They could have lost it there at some point. If I gave it to the detective now, I might never find out because he would put it away as evidence. I had to keep it at least for a while longer until I figured out if it was a clue.

  I really would like to tell him about the phone call the neighborhood made though. I just had to figure out how I was going to do that without telling him that I’d been hiding in the murder victim’s backyard. There really was no way to make that sound right.

  “I’m waiting,” he said.

  Okay, now he really was giving me the pressure. I shifted in my seat. His stare was making me uncomfortable. I felt as if I was in the interrogation room. Maybe I would prefer having other people in the café with us. Now I was all alone with the spotlight on me and the detective grilling me for answers. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t good. I guessed had a tendency to add a bit of drama to any situation. But I knew by the stare that he wasn’t going to drop this, and I had to tell him something.

  “There was one thing,” I said as I picked up the napkin.

  Chapter 19

  He leaned back in the chair, placing his hands behind his head. “Just as I suspected. So tell me all about it.”

  “Well, I went back over to the murder victims’ house.”

  He didn’t say a word. It was almost as if he knew I’d been there.

  “And?” he asked.

  “I overheard the neighbor talking on the phone.”

  ‘How did you overhear her on the phone from the victims’ house? Did you go to her house?”

  “No, she came to the neighbor’s house. She didn’t see me.”

  “Because you were hiding?”

  “I may have been out of sight, yes. I didn’t want her to see me. She would be suspicious.”

  “After you told her that you were looking at the house across the street to buy? You wanted to keep up that lie?”

  “Hey, we do what we have to do to solve a crime, am I right?”

  “Please continue,” he said.

  “I overheard the neighbor talking about being in trouble if anybody found out what had happened.”

  ‘Did she specifically say anything about the murder victim?”

  “Well, no,” I said. “But you have to admit that is somewhat suspicious.”

  “It could be, but then again, it could be something completely innocent.”

  “Yes, but she was lurking around the victims’ house.”

  “Maybe she saw you messing around and came to check it out.”

  “It’s possible, I suppose.

  “I’ll look into it.”

  “Don’t tell her I told you anything,” I said.

  “Why do you plan on seeing her again?” he asked.

  “If need be,” I said.

  “Are you going to make me tell you to stay away?” He attempted a stern look, but it just came out as a sexy face. That was distracting.

  “Formerly warn me? No, I suppose that won’t be necessary,” I said.

  He really had me on this one. But I would tell him whatever he wanted to hear and then do whatever I wanted. I didn’t want to do it, but it was necessary.

  “Well, now that we discussed this we can talk about other things,” he said.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Other things?”

  What other things were there to talk about with him other than the crime?

  “I thought maybe we could just talk. Enjoy each other’s company.”

  Now I got butterflies in my stomach. I wasn’t expecting him to say that. What would we talk about? The weather? I really didn’t know much about him, not that I wasn’t interested in learning more though. I just got a bit flustered when around him. I didn’t know the right things to ask. I felt as if I was always on edge, wondering if I would be arrested. But it seemed as if that wasn’t going to happen. At least not right now. I needed to just relax and see where the conversation went. Maybe he would start talking. Because it surely wasn’t coming out of my mouth at the moment.

  “How’s everything at the farmhouse?” he asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

  “Things are good,” I said.

  This was definitely a subject I could talk about comfortably.

  “I screened the porch on the back. All by myself.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive,” he said.

  “It was nothing actually. I just took down the panels and cut new strips of wood, screen, and nailed it on. Then I put them back apart. It was as simple as that.”

  “You make it sound easy, but I have a feeling it wasn’t that simple. You are a Jane of all trades, right?”

  I laughed. “Yes, I suppose you could say that. I’m not necessarily good at everything, but at least I try. Some things turn out to be complete failures.”

  “You can bake anything and it’s fantastic,” he said.

  “No, that’s pretty much the one thing I have down pat,” I said with a smile. “Have you been out to the area lately to see your parents?”

  “Actually, I was just out there yesterday. I thought about stopping by to see you, but I didn’t want to stop in unannounced. Or uninvited for that matter.”

  Wow, what if he had stopped by? I probably would’ve panicked thinking I was being arrested. I really was paranoid. But in my defense, I had been handcuffed by him recently. So it was kind of understandable that I would be a bit on edge. It just seemed as if maybe he really did want to be on friendly terms with me. Was there more than friends brewing? Or was he just looking for a friend? I had no idea how I felt about either one of those.

  “Oh, it would be fine if you stopped by. You don’t have to call or anything. Come by anytime myself. Unless you want to arrest me.”

  I couldn’t believe I said that part.

  “Well, don’t do anything bad and I won’t have to arrest you,” he said with a lopsided grin.

  “Duly noted,” I said.

  “Did anyone to mow the grass for you yet? I’d be willing to do it if you need me to.”

  “That’s really nice of you,” I said. “I found someone who did it once. But he never came back again. I’ll have to find someone else. I think I have someone though. Thanks for offering.”

  I didn’t want him to think he had to help me with that.

  “I’m glad about that. How’s your neighbor?” he asked.

  Lucille would be happy to know that he had remembered her.

  “She’s just fine. I took her some muffins yesterday. I almost got hit by a truck in the process.”

  “You what?” he asked.

  “It was crazy. The truck came out of nowhere. It was almost as if he sped up when he saw me.”

  “That’s odd,” he said. “You have to be careful crossing that road.”

  “Usually it’s no problem because there’s barely any traffic. I just happened to catch it at the wrong time, I guess,” I said. “I suppose I should let you get bac
k to work.”

  “About your co-host. How are things going with him?” The detective asked.

  I was shocked by his question. I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question either.

  “Things are fine,” I said.

  “Do you like him?”

  What did he mean by that? Did I like him like him, or just enjoy hosting the show with him? I think I would stick with the latter.

  “I have to admit, at first, I didn’t want a cohost. But I suppose I’ve come to terms with that now. He does liven things up.”

  “He seems like quite a character,” Alex said.

  “You could say that.”

  “What about after the show? I see you guys hang out sometimes.”

  That was a tricky question. “I suppose there have been occasions where it was necessary.

  He raised an eyebrow. “So you don’t want to hang out with him?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just that it’s the way things worked out."

  I guess I wasn’t being completely honest with him by not telling him that Finn had asked me to dinner, but it was strictly for work. At least that was what I thought at the time. I just didn’t know what my relationship with Finn was so I couldn’t answer for sure. I suppose I would have to just leave it at that.

  Alex checked the time on his phone. “I should get back now.”

  The detective and I stood from the table at the same time. I picked up my empty cup and a wrapper and placed them in the trash. Alex held the door open for me and I breezed outside with a spring in my step now. Hey, I wasn’t being arrested. That was a good day as far as I was concerned. Kind of sad when I thought about it. Just not being arrested was considered a good day for me now. What had become of my life?

  Just as we were heading across the parking lot toward my car the squeal of the tires caught my attention. I looked to my left just as Detective Bailey grabbed me and tossed me onto the sidewalk. He landed on top of me. The wind had been knocked out of me and I was in a bit of a daze. Everything seemed to be covered in a fog. I hoped I wasn’t passing out.

  It took me a few moments to realize what had just happened. I saw the flash of a truck as it came toward us, but it was all kind of a blurry. I knew that Detective Bailey had grabbed me and tossed me onto the sidewalk like a ragdoll. But I was thankful for it.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  I nodded but was unable to say anything yet. I was pretty sure he was laying on my lungs, making me unable to get air. Thank goodness he finally got off. But I was worried that the truck was still around. The truck. I knew for sure it had been the same one that had almost hit me while crossing the road in front of my house. There was no way that that was a coincidence. The thought of it sent to chill down my spine. I wondered if the detective realized that right now. Did he remember?

  “Do you need an ambulance?” he asked.

  “No, I think I’m fine,” I said breathlessly.

  “You might have a bruise or two tomorrow.”

  I stood up on the sidewalk and looked around. “Did you see that truck?”

  “Yes, I did, but unfortunately I didn’t get a look at the driver or the license plate number.”

  He pulled out his phone and dialed. “I need to more officers over here.”

  What was the point now because the truck was already gone?

  After a few seconds, he got off the phone. “I put out an APB on that truck. We want to see if we can locate it in the area.”

  “It was the same one that I almost hit today.”

  “I assumed it was,” he said. “And you’ve never seen it before today?”

  “No never,” I said, shaking my head. “But I know they did it on purpose.”

  “I agree it was on purpose.”

  “It just came out of nowhere,” I said.

  “The driver couldn’t have gotten far away from the area by now. If they’re still around anywhere we’ll find them though. I want answers.

  “You and me both,” I said.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked as he touched my arm.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I touched my arms and legs. “Nothing is broken.”

  “Are you sure about that? I hit you kind of hard.”

  “I have strong bones,” I said. “I get the right amount of calcium.”

  “Good to know,” he said.

  “It pays to take your vitamins,” I added.

  “You’re right about that,” he said with a laugh. “Come on let’s get you in your car before that truck comes back again.”

  “Do you think the person will come back?” I asked with wide eyes.

  “It’s possible. He came back a second time. We just have to figure out if it’s the same person leaving in the notes.”

  “I think it’s pretty clear that it is,” I said.

  But I was no detective so what did I know.

  My phone rang and when I checked the screen, I saw that Finn was calling. I would have to send it to voicemail right now.

  “Do you need to take that call?” Alex asked.

  “It can wait,” I said.

  “I don’t feel comfortable with you driving all the way to your house alone. How about I follow you?”

  “I couldn’t ask you to do that. Besides, I can’t have an escort all the time. He studied my face as if he knew I was right. He couldn’t be there all the time to make sure that the bad guys stayed away.

  “No, you can’t have someone with you all the time but just for tonight. Maybe we’ll find that guy soon and we won’t have to worry about it tomorrow.”

  “Well, that would be a dream come true,” I said.

  But I wasn’t holding out much hope. Plus, if that truck was on the road right in front of my house, then that had to mean the person knew I lived at that house specifically. He would definitely come back for me.

  Soon other officers arrived so that Detective Bailey could instruct them on what had happened. I insisted that I didn’t need to be checked out by emergency technicians. Just a little fall onto the ground with a handsome, strong guy on top of me was no big deal.

  Even though I had been reluctant at first, I finally agreed to let Alex follow me home. I supposed I was a bit worried that something else might happen. Plus, he wanted to check the area and see if there was any sign of that truck that had tried to kill me twice now.

  The more I thought about it now the more I realized that truck probably didn’t live in the area. I thought it had specifically come down that road because of me. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I would just have to be more careful from now on, as if I wasn’t already watching every move I made. Now I would have to do that even more. I was in the car traveling down the road with the detective following behind me. I was getting my own police escort. My parents would be so proud. They were worried enough as it was.

  I kept checking in the rearview mirror to make sure that the truck wasn’t back there. Only the detective was following me. I had to thank him for doing this. Finn had called again as I was driving. Then he sent a text wondering if I was okay. He was kind of sweet.

  I didn’t know what to do about Finn and Alex. Alex and I had a nice conversation, even though it was a bit strange talking about murder. What about Finn? I still didn’t like having a co-host. I supposed I’d warmed up to it a little now. And the only reason the detective was in my life was because of murder. It wasn’t exactly the best circumstances I had brought the men into my life.

  I would have to text Finn back a soon as possible because. He was probably starting to worry. Good thing he didn’t have my mom’s phone number, or they would team up.

  We were getting close to the house now. Would the detective want to come inside?

  Chapter 20

  I glanced over at Lucille’s house. I had expected to see her sitting out on the front porch waving, but she wasn’t there. Maybe she was inside getting ready for dinner. I’d have to check on her later.

  I eased down the d
riveway with the detective following close behind me. If Lucille saw him, she really would start to worry. Although she should be used to strange occurrences with me by now. I seemed to attract trouble. No doubt she thought I was trouble.

  I pulled to a stop and shut the car off. Nervousness settled in as I got out of the car. I wondered if I should ask him inside. There was no reason for him to come in unless he just wanted to look around for an intruder. I supposed I could ask him if he wanted lemonade on the porch. This was turning into more like a date than anything else. I watched as the detective got out of his car. He smiled which he didn’t do often so I took that as a good sign.

  “I guess you’re going back to the studio in the morning?” he asked.

  “Yes, why do you ask?” I said.

  “Are you sure about that?” he asked.

  “Like I said, you can’t follow me all the time.”

  “I can drive you. Just until things settle down.”

  “It’s way too much for me to ask you to do that.”

  “I don’t mind really. I’d feel better if you let me do that.”

  “I suppose,” I said around a sigh.

  “I guess I’ll just drive around a little bit and see if I notice that track.” He gestured.

  This was the time when I should ask him if he wanted lemonade, but I didn’t. I wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe I just felt bad that he was coming all the way back out here in the morning to follow me. I really wished I could talk him out of that.

  “I can walk you to the door,” he said.

  I would argue with him, but he seemed adamant, so I kept quiet.

  The detective walked me to the kitchen door. I unlocked it and then remembered that I had a fresh batch of cupcakes from the night before.

  “Wait, just one moment,” I said, holding up my index finger.

  I rushed over and grabbed a couple of the cupcakes. I would’ve given him all the cupcakes, but I had to save some for Lucille. Good thing I’d picked up more of the pastry boxes the other day. I liked to keep some on hand just for these occasions. I never knew when I might have a guest. Cupcakes always made a nice gift. I liked to give a gift to anyone who came by the farmhouse. I placed chocolate cupcakes in the box, closed it up, and hurried back over to the door.