A Witchy Bake-off

by Danica Britton

  “Oh, I see,” Adele said when the penny finally dropped. “Cyril is trying to get Olivia to sign something. I don’t know what it is but it’s not right. He is pressuring her. You need to stop him.”

  Still looking at Franklin, I said, “I’ll do my best.”

  I wove my way through the crowd and Franklin followed me towards Olivia.

  I put out a forearm to get her attention.

  She was staring down at a document and Cyril was thrusting a pen at her.

  “It’s for the best,” he said. “Just to get things sorted out. This way I have no claim on your mother’s estate and everything is cut and dried.”

  Well, that sounded quite reasonable.

  I glanced at Adele. Perhaps she’d been overreacting.

  “Don’t just stand there! Tell her not to sign it!”

  But why would Olivia trust me over her father?

  Adele began whizzing around backwards and forwards, clasping her hands together and beseeching me to do something.

  Franklin looked as perplexed as me.

  I supposed I would have to try something.

  “Olivia, nice to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances,” I said.

  “Oh, yes. Today isn’t going to be very easy.”

  Cyril stepped in between me and Olivia. “If you don’t mind, I’m having a very important discussion with my daughter.”

  “Sorry,” I said, having to take a step back.

  “Look, Dad, I told you I’m not in the right frame of mind at the moment. I’ll sign it later, okay.”

  I thought Cyril might explode. His face turned beet red.

  But eventually he nodded and said, “Fine, I’ll stop by your house tonight and you can sign it then.”

  Now that was suspicious. It didn’t seem quite so altruistic after all. He was very keen to get Olivia to sign something. Adele had been right. He was up to something.

  “Sorry to interrupt your chat. I just thought I’d mention if you’re going to sign something, looks like a legal contract,” I said, pointing at the document, “it’s always a good idea to have a lawyer look it over.”

  Olivia nodded. “You’re right, of course. Normally I would, but my lawyer’s away at the moment. He won’t be back for two weeks and Dad is really keen for me to sign this today.”

  “Why don’t we ask Franklin to take a look at it for you? He’s a very good lawyer.”

  Franklin looked surprised, but quickly regathered his wits. “Oh yes, I’d be happy to. No problem at all.”

  Olivia hesitated, and then nodded. “That’s really very kind of you. Thanks.” She handed it to Franklin.

  “I’ll get it back to you later this afternoon,” he promised.

  “Tell Olivia about Mia,” Adele said, practically shouting in my ear. “Let her know you found her and she is all right. Olivia was fond of her.”

  “Oh, I have a friend of yours staying with me for a little while,” I said. “A young girl called Mia. I think she was quite close to your mother.”

  For the first time, Olivia broke out in a genuine smile. “Oh yes, they were very close. Quite an unlikely couple, but they got on well. I’m glad she’s okay. I haven’t seen her for ages.”

  “Well, if you’d like to catch up, she’s staying at my cottage, or if you want me to pass on a message, I can.”

  “Things are a bit hectic right now, but please tell her I asked after her and I hope she’s well.”

  “I will do…” I trailed off as I saw Chief Wickham and Deputy Joe McGrady pull up in the sheriff’s vehicle.

  What were they doing here?

  It seemed like everyone had the same question on their mind as everyone turned towards the vehicle.

  Chief Wickham got out, slammed the door, and regarded us all with a face filled with fury.

  “What is going on here?”

  For a moment, no one spoke, and then Tamsin, the realtor, said in a shaky voice, “An open house.”

  “Wrong!” Chief Wickham snapped. “The house is not yet cleared by probate. And I’m not having half the town traipsing in and out. We still haven’t released the house to the family and our investigation is ongoing. There could be vital evidence on the property.”

  He put his thumbs through his belt loops and stared at all of us sternly.

  His gaze focused on me and he let out a large sigh.

  I guess it didn’t look good. Not with my reputation for interfering.

  I saw Joe behind the chief and offered up a smile, but Joe just shook his head.

  “You can’t do this!” a loud voice from behind me said. I turned to see it was Damien talking.

  “Oh yes I can,” Chief Wickham said.

  “It’s my wife’s property and we’ve decided to sell. We need to liquidate some assets.”

  Olivia looked close to tears and I put my arm around her shoulders. “It will all work out,” I said, and I hoped that was true.

  Things quickly escalated, with Damien issuing threats and Chief Wickham promising to cart him off to a cell if he didn’t cool down pretty quick.

  In all the kerfuffle, I almost missed Leslie Lightfoot sneaking out from the side of the house and rejoining the group. When she caught me looking at her, she pulled a face. She walked up to me and Olivia and said, “Don’t let the chief know, but I just had a quick look around the garden. It’s really lovely. Stacie is looking to buy another property. I don’t know if you know but she inherited quite a bit of money.”

  I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t known, and why would I? Neither sister had been particularly forthcoming about their pasts.

  Now that the open house had been canceled, the group on the sidewalk began to disperse. Grandma Grant and Jess went back home while Franklin and I went with Olivia to the diner. We drank coffee as Franklin took a look over the contract. Cyril sat in the booth opposite and glowered at us all the time as Franklin was reading.

  Finally, Franklin looked up and glanced directly at Olivia. “I have to advise that you do not sign.”

  “Oh,” Olivia looked distraught. “But why not?”

  Franklin rested his elbows on the table and leaned close to Olivia so that Cyril couldn’t overhear. “I think your father told you the contract meant he would no longer have a claim to your mother’s estate.”

  Olivia nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Well, it says nothing of the sort. In fact, it’s completely the opposite.”

  The opposite? Whatever did that mean? I looked down at the first page of the contract but it all seemed to be written in legal gobbledygook to me.

  “As your mother was not divorced, there could be some legal difficulties with property she and your father owned.”

  “Yes, but Mother just had the townhouse and Father’s got an apartment in Boston. They just worked it out amicably between them.”

  “I don’t think your father was entirely honest with your mother,” Franklin said. “It turns out he has 4.5 million dollars’ worth of assets, including property in Boston and New York. If you sign this, as your mother’s heir, you’re waiving your rights to those assets.”

  Olivia looked across at her father. She looked devastated, and I could quite understand why.

  Creeping around and lying to her like this was pretty despicable.

  Cyril was certainly turning into a character I didn’t like very much, but did that mean he could be responsible for murder? Was 4.5 million dollars more than enough money to persuade him Adele was better off dead than making a claim on his fortune?

  Chapter Twenty

  Olivia was devastated, and after Franklin had explained exactly what the document her father wanted her to sign involved, she made a grab for her purse and coat, preparing to leave.

  I did my best to stop her, because I didn’t really think being alone was what she needed right now, especially as I didn’t see her husband, Damien, as the supportive type.

  But she was insistent she needed to spend some time alone with her t
houghts, and even her father’s frantic apologies couldn’t change her mind.

  After Olivia left, Cyril rounded on us furiously. “Well, thank you very much for sticking your nose in where it wasn’t wanted. I hope you’re happy now you’ve ruined my relationship with my only child!”

  I couldn’t believe his cheek. All we’d done was interpret the legal document. He was the one who’d upset Olivia.

  Franklin commented dryly, “Don’t try to turn it on us. If you want to see who upset your daughter, you need to take a long look in the mirror.”

  Cyril shouted some obscene words and then stalked out of the diner.

  I met Franklin’s gaze. “That was pretty intense.”

  “Oh, that was nothing. You want to see what it’s like mediating a divorce.” He grinned. “Shall we?” He nodded to the door and I was about to agree when the door suddenly flung open and Leslie Lightfoot burst into the diner, sobbing hysterically.

  I moved to comfort her. “Leslie, whatever is wrong?” I asked, guiding her towards a seat.

  “Oh, it’s just awful, Harper,” she wailed. “You won’t believe it! Chief Wickham has just arrested my sister for Adele’s murder.”

  A hush broke out over the diner. Everyone was silent.

  Heads turned our way, gawking at Leslie.

  “Stacie? But why would Stacie kill Adele?” I asked.

  Leslie sniffed. “I’m not really sure, but the chief said he had irrefutable evidence. He says he knows she was at the scene because they found one of her gloves in Adele’s house.”

  “But Adele wasn’t murdered at her house,” Franklin put in.

  Leslie sniffed again and nodded. “I know, but the chief thinks Stacie broke in to the house on the night of the murder to try to recover something…”

  “What?” I asked.

  “I’ve no idea, but because Leslie told the chief she had never been in Adele’s house and now he’s found out she must have been because she dropped her glove, now he thinks she’s lying about the whole thing. Of course you know she was arrested before because her husband was murdered, and now this…”

  I frowned, starting to feel a little guilty. Someone had entered Adele’s house without permission on the night of her murder, but that had been me and Mia. There’d been no sign of Stacie, at least not when we’d been there, and I hadn’t seen a glove.

  “I just can’t see why she would want to kill Adele,” I said. “There has to be a simple explanation.”

  Leslie took a deep breath and dried her eyes. “I’m afraid not, Harper. It’s a terrible thing to have to admit, but I think the chief is right.”

  Franklin raised his eyebrows. “You think your sister did kill Adele?”

  Leslie hesitated, and then nodded. “Yes, and if I’m honest, I think she probably murdered her husband too.”

  “I’ll go and get Adele, she needs to hear this,” Loretta said behind me and then rushed off.

  Leslie was trembling so I put my hand over hers. “Why don’t we get you a nice hot cup of tea?”

  Archie was standing behind the counter, looking horrified.

  I went to order Leslie’s tea and explained everything Leslie had confessed to Archie, but he’d overheard, along with the rest of the diner.

  “It’s just awful, Harper. I can’t believe that lovely young lady could be a killer.”

  “I know; it does seem strange. I just can’t understand her motive.”

  Archie smiled in a patronizing way. “Not all killers have a motive. Sometimes they’re quite random, you know.”

  I didn’t quite accept that. Perhaps if you were a serial killer or something, but most normal people would not be driven to murder. And if we were, there had to be an incredibly strong motive. Usually love, jealousy, or money.

  I took Leslie’s tea over to her and then sat down opposite. “Drink this.” I almost added “It will help,” but honestly, it probably wouldn’t. I couldn’t imagine how I would feel if Jess had been arrested for murder. It was bad enough having Grandma Grant just taken in for questioning.

  Leslie drank her tea gratefully and talked about how she needed to be strong for Stacie’s sake and get her the help she needed.

  Franklin and I sat looking at each other in shock, and as Adele floated out from the back room, she immediately demanded to know what was going on. Of course I couldn’t just come out with it.

  “Why would Stacie kill me? What did I ever do to her?” I asked Franklin and Leslie to excuse me for a moment and got up to walk to the back room. Loretta and Adele followed.

  “This doesn’t make any sense, Harper. I was so sure it was Damien. He is a bad man, an irritating fool, and a money-grubber. If he killed me, then he gets his hands on my money. But Stacie killing me had no benefit for her,” Adele said, voicing my thoughts.

  “Well, Leslie did say she was competitive,” Loretta said. “Perhaps she just couldn’t stand the thought of someone else winning the competition.”

  I just didn’t buy that. It didn’t matter how competitive you were, no one was going to kill someone else over a cake. Maybe if they were competing at the Olympics… but surely not over a cake. There was more to this than met the eye, and I was determined to find out what it was.

  “There is a bright side to this,” Loretta said.

  Adele looked up. “What bright side?”

  “Well, now that your killer has been caught, your spirit should be free to move on.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. I looked at Adele expectantly, wondering if I’d see her start to shimmer and fragment before me, but she looked just the same: a pale partially transparent version of her human self.

  “Yes, you could be right, Loretta.”

  Adele frowned. “But I don’t want to move on yet. I don’t know the reason why I was murdered. Surely I need to know that before I’m settled enough to move on to wherever it is I’m going.” Adele looked at Loretta. “Maybe I’ll stay here forever like you. Why haven’t you moved on?”

  Loretta pursed her lips, and after a second or two, replied, “That’s a personal question.”

  “I know, but I thought we were friends. I thought I could ask you personal questions.”

  Loretta nodded stiffly. “Some questions, but not that one.”

  “Right, I better get out of here before Archie comes looking for me and Franklin wonders where I’ve got to.” I turned to Adele. “Remember, I can’t talk to you in there, and neither can Franklin.”

  Adele nodded and drifted out of the back room, into the main area of the diner, and I followed.

  I stopped when I saw Deputy Joe McGrady standing by the counter ordering two coffees to go from Archie.

  He hesitated when he saw me, and then smiled. “Harper, I take it you’ve heard the news.”

  I nodded. “About Stacie, you mean? Yes, it was quite a shock.”

  He turned back to Archie. “Could you put my order on hold for a minute.” As Archie walked back to the kitchen, Joe turned to me. “The chief is in a foul mood,” he said quietly. “He’s in trouble from his big boss for not securing Adele’s house sooner. Kevin was supposed to keep watch on her property, but he caught a cold and went home. Unfortunately, he didn’t let anyone know or organize a replacement.”

  “Oh.”

  I suddenly realized how close I’d gotten to getting caught that night. I should have realized the police would have cordoned off Adele’s house. At least they were supposed to, if Kevin hadn’t messed up.

  “Did you speak to the teenage girl I mentioned? Only, I’ve since discovered she was actually a friend of Adele’s. Adele acted as a kind of mentor to her. So I think that was a bit of a red herring. Sorry about that.”

  “Ah, yes, we did have a name for the girl but we haven’t found her. She’s run away from home apparently.”

  “Oh, yes, I had heard that. In fact, she is actually staying at our house at the moment.”

  “She is?”

  “I think she’s having a tough time at home so ju
st for a few nights.”

  Joe nodded. “I see.”

  “So it all rests on a glove?”

  Joe looked up sharply. “Who told you that?”

  “Leslie.” I pointed behind me. “She’s over there with Franklin.”

  “Oh, please tell me Franklin is not going to be Stacie’s lawyer. I don’t think the chief could cope with more bad news today.”

  I grinned. “No, I think Stacie’s got her own lawyer from the last time she was charged for murder…” I broke off, feeling how surreal that was. She’d been charged for murder twice; I wondered if this one would stick.

  “Well, Stacie’s glove was one of the clues.”

  “I just can’t understand why she would want to kill Adele,” I said, puzzling it over in my mind.

  Joe’s voice took on a warning tone. “No, Harper, you don’t have to understand. You just have to leave it to us. Law enforcement, remember?”

  I rolled my eyes. Oh yes, I remembered. “Look,” Joe said suddenly, looking nervous. “I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to apologize.”

  “Apologize?”

  “Yes, about all the stuff to do with your grandmother. She can be incredibly irritating and annoying, but she didn’t really deserve to be questioned like that. The chief lost his temper.”

  “Well, it was obvious to anyone who knows her that she couldn’t have killed Adele.”

  “Of course, and she’s your grandmother. You had every right to be angry and upset.”

  I shrugged. “Apology accepted.”

  “That was too easy.”

  “Too easy?”

  “Yes, you should at least make me work for it. Make me buy you lunch.”

  I grinned. “Okay then, buy me lunch.”

  “Is it all right if we eat here? I only have an hour or so before Stacie’s lawyer turns up and we need to start questioning.”

  I grinned. “Here suits me just fine.”

  In truth, I was just glad to be spending some time with Joe and that we’d put our differences behind us.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Lunch was lovely. I wasn’t perfect company. Although I was trying to focus on Joe, I couldn’t resist glancing Adele’s way every now and then to see if she was about to move on. But Adele remained intact and solid. Well, as solid as a ghost could be anyway.