Tiramisu and Terror (Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Book 20)

by Amber Crewes

  Meghan nodded. “So cool,” she said weakly. “Now, can I go?”

  Jack raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound excited.”

  “Babe, there’s a lot going on,” she informed him. She told her husband all about what she had learned about Beverly Tilley, the eggs, and the different catering companies. “And Bev was responsible for all of the egg-dishes aboard the ship,” she finished. “Meaning she might be the one responsible for everyone getting sick and dying.”

  Jack stared at his wife. “Do you think she killed Oliver, too? Like maybe he was her first victim?”

  “I don’t know,” Meghan admitted. “But Chef Tilley had a strong reaction when I suggested she wasn’t the best chef... I wonder if he’s in on it, too?”

  Jack gulped. “Maybe we shouldn’t eat dinner aboard the ship tonight,” he told her. “We dock in Hawaii tomorrow... why don’t we wait to eat when we’ve left the ship and can eat safely on shore?”

  She nodded. “I think that’s the best idea.”

  There was a loud knock on the door, and Jack looked at Meghan in alarm. “Do you think it’s Chef Tilley?”

  She shook her head. “I hope not. He was so angry.”

  Jack marched over to the locked doors. “Who is it?”

  “Hey!”

  The couple looked at each other. “It’s Celia,” Meghan told her husband as she moved past him to open the door. “Hey, you.”

  “Hi,” Celia greeted them warmly. She was wearing a white athletic jacket, matching leggings, and a high ponytail. “What are you guys up to? Meghan, are you ready for our session?”

  Meghan cocked her head to the side. “Our session?”

  Celia nodded. “The session you signed up for. You are on my calendar today, my friend. I was so excited to see you signed up.”

  Meghan tried remembering when she had signed up for a session, but she couldn’t recall contacting the gym. “Did Hugo make the reservation for me?” she wondered aloud.

  “Maybe,” Celia replied. “Either way, I’m excited to get your mile time down even further. Are you ready to go?”

  Meghan looked at Jack. “What time is the show?”

  “Seven.”

  “I think I have enough time. Okay, Celia, how about I meet you at the gym in like fifteen minutes?”

  Celia shook her head. “I’ll just wait while you change. No worries!”

  Meghan glanced at Jack. “It’ll be quick, I promise.”

  Within moments, Meghan was dressed in a watermelon-pink pair of shorts and a matching long-sleeve shirt. Her hair was piled atop her head in a messy bun, and she followed Celia down the corridor and toward the gym.

  “You look exhausted,” Celia commented as they walked up a flight of stairs. “Long day?”

  Meghan looked around. “Can I tell you something?” she whispered to Celia. “I feel like we’ve become friends, and I need to vent about something.”

  Celia grinned. “That’s what friends are for. What’s up?”

  Meghan sighed. “I think Bev Tilley killed Oliver Winterburn,” she murmured. “I don’t know if it was an accident or on purpose, but I think she poisoned him, and I have every reason to believe that she’s responsible for the big bout of food poisoning on the ship.”

  Celia’s jaw dropped. “What? Are you serious? Bev?”

  Meghan nodded. “At first, I thought it was Reuben, Oliver’s assistant. Oliver treated him so rudely at the show I went to, and I think Reuben has been seeing Mrs. Winterburn for a while now. But the more I learned about Bev, the more I’m starting to think she did it.”

  “Tell me more,” Celia said as they rounded a corner. “These are some wild theories, Meghan. Do you have any more proof?”

  She nodded. “I’m still not sure Reuben didn’t play some part in things; he’s such a creep, and I heard he was often one-upped by Oliver and hated him for it.”

  “One-upped?”

  “I did some research,” Meghan told her new friend. “And I found an old story about Oliver stealing an idea of Reuben’s and sabotaging Reuben’s culinary career.”

  “Where did you find that story?”

  “It was an anonymous post on a chatroom, but it caught my attention,” Meghan told her.

  Celia pursed her lips as they walked into the lobby of the gym. The lights were off, and Celia flicked them on. “Quiet day,” she commented as she locked the door behind her. “I’ll just lock this behind us so no one steals our stuff from the locker room. I don’t know where the receptionist is. That’s odd.”

  They left their gym bags in the locker room and proceeded into the empty gym. “Maybe everyone is at the casino?” Meghan wondered.

  “It’s kind of a weird hour,” Celia admitted. “That time before dinner is always quiet in here. Anyway, let me get this straight: you think Beverly Tilley killed Oliver and those people on the ship, and you think Reuben helped her because he had some sort of vendetta against his now-dead boss?”

  “Yes,” Meghan agreed. “I think that sums it up.”

  Celia raised an eyebrow. “What did Jack say about all of this?”

  “I haven’t told him my entire theory yet,” Meghan sighed. “But I think he’ll think I’m crazy. He’s sick of my theories and wants to just have fun.”

  “So, you haven’t mentioned this to anyone else?”

  “Not really.”

  Celia pressed her lips together in a thin smile. “That’s probably for the best, isn’t it?”

  Meghan looked over at Celia and noticed she was nervously fiddling with the band of her watch. “You okay?”

  Celia laughed. “Of course. I’m just worried about the killers on the ship. I think it’s so strange to have this much excitement on one voyage, don’t you?”

  “Yeah,” Meghan agreed.

  “Besides, don’t you want to get to the bottom of things? Have some peace and quiet on your special trip?”

  Meghan stopped and stared at Celia. “When did you become so interested in the murders on the ship?” She asked in confusion. “You’re usually not into talking about anything other than health and fitness.”

  Celia shrugged. “It’s important news,” she countered. “I’m trying to stay on top of things.”

  Meghan looked into Celia’s eyes. “Don’t you know Reuben pretty well, Celia?” She asked innocently as Celia’s eyes widened.

  “What do you mean?” Celia’s eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly forced a smile back onto her face. “Do I know him?”

  Meghan cocked her head to the side. “Didn’t I see you talking with Beth and Reuben?” She asked. “Are you guys friends?”

  Celia bent down to tie her shoes and then stood up and stretched her muscular arms over her head. “Today, we’re going to do a little bit of a partner-stretch,” she changed the subject. “I’ll start by wrapping my arms around you.”

  Celia came up behind Meghan and placed her arms around Meghan’s shoulders. “Feel good?”

  “Yep.”

  Celia squeezed tighter, moving her hands up to Meghan’s neck. “How about now?”

  Meghan’s throat clenched. “It’s a little uncomfortable,” she breathed.

  Celia tightened her hands around Meghan’s throat. “Now?”

  Meghan coughed. Celia’s hands were getting tighter and tighter, and Meghan was feeling light-headed. She tried to tell the trainer to stop, but she couldn’t make a sound. The room began to spin, and Meghan started to see dark spots.

  “Tighter? Okay,” Celia whispered in her ear, and Meghan couldn’t stand up anymore. She fell to the ground, and Celia lost her grip on Meghan’s neck.

  “That hurt,” she complained, rubbing her raw skin. “That was way too tight. Let’s just do our normal warm-up. I don’t think this partner stretching is for me.”

  Celia sneered. “It is for me,” she smirked. “Come on, Meghan. Let’s warm up.”

  Meghan peered at Celia, thinking about the conversation she had overheard between Reuben, Beth, and the traine
r. “You didn’t answer my question,” she told her as she rubbed the raw spot on her neck. “How do you know Reuben, Celia? Are you guys friends?”

  Celia bit her lip. “Friends? With a murderer? What? Come on, Meghan. I barely know him.”

  Meghan narrowed her eyes. “That isn’t true,” she corrected. “I overheard you chatting with Reuben and Beth. Why would you stop to chit chat if you weren’t friends?”

  Meghan stepped away from her. Celia’s face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled as she smirked at Meghan. “Celia?”

  Celia shook her head. “You’re dimmer than I originally thought you were,” she scoffed as she stared at Meghan. “How did you not realize who I was?”

  Meghan’s heart pounded. “What do you mean? Who are you?”

  She laughed maniacally. “Reuben isn’t just Oliver’s assistant, Meghan. He’s my father. And Chef Tilley? He’s my man. We’ve been together for years. Beverly is practically my stepdaughter.”

  Meghan’s mouth fell open in shock. “But... but... you’re the same age!”

  Celia flipped her ponytail behind her head. “That’s all you have to say? Oh, dear Meghan. Sweet, innocent, young and newly married Meghan. Sometimes, when a real woman loves a man, she doesn’t care how old he is. Yes, Beverly and I are the same age. She’s such a weirdo, though; I try to never be around that little oddball.”

  Meghan clasped a hand to her mouth. “What are you trying to say, Celia? I don’t get it. Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

  The trainer blinked at Meghan with annoyance. “My father was second place to Oliver Winterburn for his entire adult life,” she hissed. “He stole my father’s shot at being a celebrity chef, and he refused to let my mother have the happily ever after she deserved.”

  “Your mother?”

  “Beth Winterburn,” Celia stated flatly. “Oliver knew I wasn’t his. He didn’t know who my real father was. The joke was on him, though; my real father was in the picture the entire time: Reuben.”

  Meghan shook her head. “This can’t be real,” she decided as she backed away from Celia.

  “I thought you were going to confront me during our last workout,” Celia confessed. “But you never put the pieces together. All of this time, I thought you were onto me; why else would someone like me be nice to someone like you? I had to make sure you kept that mouth of yours closed.”

  “This has to be a sick joke,” Meghan insisted. “Celia, come on. Let up. This isn’t funny.”

  Celia moved toward her, staring into her eyes. “I almost did away with you earlier,” she murmured. “If you had wanted to be the chef on this ship, I would’ve had you thrown overboard. Zachary and I have made this ship our kingdom, and if you wanted to come in and destroy that, well, I would have to destroy you.”

  Meghan shrugged. “So... now what? You killed Oliver Winterburn for revenge and framed your almost-stepdaughter, and now, you’re going to kill me?”

  Celia shook her head. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” she told Meghan. “I would hate to get blood on my white workout outfit, but sometimes, this is the way things have to be.”

  Meghan stared in horror as Celia bounded toward her, ducking as Celia tried to wrap her hands around Meghan’s neck again. “Leave me alone!” she yelled, turning around and running for the door.

  Celia beat her to it, and she blocked Meghan from leaving. “Stay where you are,” she ordered. “You aren’t going anywhere, unless it’s in the sea.”

  Meghan dropped to her knees and began to crawl away, but Celia grabbed her by the hair. “I’m taking you to the fishes,” she giggled as Meghan swatted at her hands. “How sad that Jack will become a widower at his young age. Who knows though; maybe if Zackary and I break up, I can have a shot with that hot husband of yours?”

  Meghan was instantly filled with fury; she tore away from Celia’s grip and rose to her feet.

  “Don’t you ever talk to me like that,” she warned. “Jack is my husband, and he and I are going to live a long life together.”

  Meghan held her fists up in front of her face, but before she could strike Celia, the trainer tackled her, taking the breath out of her lungs and pinning her to the floor.

  “You know what,” Celia whispered into Meghan’s ear. “I’ll do this the easy way.”

  She reached into her back pocket and revealed a small vial. “Open your mouth.”

  Meghan clenched her lips together, refusing to budge.

  “It’s going to be like that, huh?” Celia asked as she held Meghan down. “I’m going to pry your lips open and dump this poison down your throat. Say goodbye, Mrs. Irvin.”

  Celia punched Meghan in the stomach, and Meghan let out a cough. Celia thrusted her hands into Meghan’s mouth, opening her jaw.

  “Noo!” Meghan screamed, but instead of letting Celia pour in the poison, she jumped to her feet and threw up her fists in front of her face. “You’re not going to push me around for another second,” she declared as she wrapped her arms around Celia’s waist and dragged her down to the ground.

  “Get off of me,” Celia demanded.

  Meghan clenched her jaw. Celia was strong, but she knew if she could pull off the self-defense moves Jack had taught her at the beginning of the voyage, she could take Celia down.

  “Get off of me,” Celia repeated as Meghan pinned her elbows down and used her own weight to force Celia to the ground.

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Meghan told her, but before she could call for help, Celia had wrenched her wrists free from Meghan’s grasp and wound her hands around Meghan’s neck.

  “You’re done for,” Celia told her, but Meghan took a deep breath and head-butted Celia, cringing as the hollow sound of their two skulls reverberated in the empty gym.

  “Owwww,” Celia cried out as she placed her hands on her forehead. Meghan could see a bulging blue goose egg was emerging from the center of Celia’s head, and she lifted her palm to her own head, relieved when she realized she had avoided a bruise.

  Meghan dove on top of Celia and thrust her knee into Celia’s stomach. “That hurts,” Celia gasped as she struggled for air. “Get off of me!”

  “No,” Meghan told her. “I’m not getting off of you. You tried to kill me, and you aren’t getting away with anything.”

  Celia shoved Meghan away. “I’ll teach you to mess with me,” she glowered, but just as she charged at Meghan, Meghan remembered what Jack had told her back in their suite: to be calm, light on her feet, and go for the ankles.

  “Light on my feet,” she whispered as Celia ran to her, and she narrowly avoided colliding with Celia as she quickly jumped away from the trainer.

  “What did you say to me?” Celia shouted as she tried to catch her breath.

  Meghan stared at her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself amidst the chaos. “The ankles,” she muttered as Celia began to run toward her again.

  Just as Celia drew closer, Meghan reared back her left leg, her stronger leg, and gave Celia a sharp kick on the right ankle. “OWWWW,” Celia moaned as she stumbled, but she did not fall.

  “That must not have been hard enough,” Meghan worried as Celia bent down to rub her ankle.

  “I’ll have to do it again, but harder this time. That’s how I can get her back to the ground and get her under control so I can call for help.”

  Celia glared at Meghan. “That wasn’t nice,” she said in a chilly tone as she stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. “You’ve messed with the wrong trainer, Meghan. I used to train in boxing and krav maga. You’ve chosen the wrong woman to fight.”

  Celia stepped toward her, and as she grew closer, Meghan knew what she had to do. She took a long breath, put her weight into her right leg, and picked up her left leg, kicking Celia’s left ankle with a ferocity she didn't know she had.

  “HEYYYYYYYY!” Celia screamed as she tumbled to the ground, and Meghan dove on top of her, pinning Celia down. “If you broke my ankle, I’m gonna k
ill you!”

  “You were already going to kill me,” Meghan grunted, trying to use her knees to keep Celia in place.

  She reached for her phone, but as she removed a hand from Celia’s body, Celia capitalized on the moment: she used her weight to force herself out of Meghan’s grip and then tackled Meghan, who was still on the ground.

  “Gotcha,” Celia grinned as Meghan fought her. Celia placed her hands around Meghan’s neck and began to squeeze. “You’re done, Meghan. Game over.”