The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  “Wow, this is a receipt for sleeping pills from the Port Warren Pharmacy in Yolanda’s name. Nice work, Future Mrs. Hennessey.”

  Melody grinned. “Soon, you’ll be able to drop the “future” from that title.”

  “I can’t wait,” he said and gave her a quick kiss. “So, who do you think stole Yolanda’s sleeping pills to drug Lollie, if not Tricia?” he asked.

  “Maybe it was Yolanda. Maybe it was another tactic for her to discourage Lollie from finishing the dress. Lollie did say it was Yolanda that brought her the cup of coffee.”

  “I’ll have Wilbur check the prints.”

  After giving the little office the once over one more time, Alvin and Melody headed to the storeroom, where Smudge had been sniffing around. As Alvin glanced at the dresses hanging on a long clothing rack, she barked wildly at him!

  “What is it, Smudge?” he instinctively looked around for a clue!

  Thankfully, Melody noticed what Smudge was barking about before Alvin did. As his eyes moved down the line of gowns, he nearly spotted hers! “About face, Sheriff,” she said as she grabbed his arm and spun him away from the dresses. She wore a mischievous grin. “You can search that side of the room; I’ll handle the gowns.”

  Alvin’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Ah, I get it. It’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, or something like that, right?”

  Melody nodded and quickly swapped positions with her fiancé.

  As she studied the row of gowns, she found hers. Her eyes sparkled as she observed the caring detail Lollie had put into sewing the roses onto the neckline. They were just right.

  Alvin snuck a peek over his shoulder, but the movement was too fast for him to actually see anything except Smudge giving him the ol’ stink-eye. She was poised to bark if he felt lucky and wanted to test her.

  “Is that the ‘Marshall Dress?’” he asked curiously.

  “Actually, it’s a Marshall-Hennessey Dress.” She teased. “Now focus, we’ve got a crime to solve.” Then, she winked at Smudge and held up two fingers. “There’ll be two butter cookies for you tonight when we get home.”

  Smudge snuffled happily.

  “You know, I remember seeing the McGrath dress up close. The stitching was very sloppy, not like my dress.” Melody said her thought aloud. “Even Yolanda’s dresses fit perfectly. I never asked her, but I assumed they were altered by Lollie.”

  “What are you thinking?” he asked as he turned to face her with his hands over his eyes, so he didn’t accidentally see her dress. She guided him out of the storeroom and into the hall.

  “I’m not sure, but that’s got to be some kind of clue. Why would Lollie, a talented seamstress, screw up the stitching on a gown owned by the best paying client? The work was shoddy, at best, and that’s not like Lollie.”

  “Do you think she was doing it on purpose so Sophia would keep paying for alterations?”

  “Would you? Wouldn’t you get frustrated and go somewhere else? Plus, Sophia may be bossy, but I don’t imagine her to easily be conned.”

  “Do you think Yolanda drugged Lollie every time she planned on working on the dress?” he asked.

  “That’s a possibility. I think we should ask Lollie.”

  Shortly after that, Alvin and Melody were back at the station confronting the seamstress over her sloppy work on the McGrath Dress.

  Was she bamboozling the woman into needing alteration after alteration? Melody asked herself.

  “Your work is meticulous. Why would you do such poor work on Sophia’s dress? Were you three trying to get more money out of her?” Melody asked.

  Lollie sighed and rolled her eyes.

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that to a customer,” she said as she looked unflinchingly into Melody’s eyes. Melody remembered how Lollie had gone above and beyond to make her dress perfect. She believed the woman wouldn’t deliberately mess with the dress.

  “Then, what was the issue?” Alvin asked.

  “The McGrath Dress was something of a trial project.” She seemed to be leveling with them. “Tricia wanted us to expand our services by providing customers with customized dresses. Work beyond simple size alterations. She felt we could make more money by allowing customers to have more of a say in the actual design elements.”

  “So, she wanted you to design and create a label for the boutique?” Melody asked.

  “No, not quite. Tricia wanted to allow bridezillas the opportunity to become bride-Frankenstein’s.”

  Alvin and Melody looked at each other confused.

  Lollie offered them clarity. “Designers are expensive. Tricia wanted to cut that part of the creative process out altogether. Instead, she wanted brides to be able to pick elements from dresses we already had in stock and combine them to their heart’s desire.”

  “What?” Both Alvin and Melody said in unison.

  “Let’s say that Melody likes the sleeves from La Lolce but the skirt from Vee Yang and the bodice from McKing. We would offer a service to give you exactly what you wanted in one complete dress, at a cost, of course.”

  Alvin and Melody nodded together, understanding.

  “Somehow, Tricia convinced Sophia McGrath that this was the only way for her to have a truly one of a kind dress. Sophia even offered a monetary bonus if we finished the dress by a certain date. Tricia wanted the bonus, which is why she was getting even angrier with Yolanda every time she pushed the dress to the back of the line.”

  “So, Yolanda was against this practice?” Alvin asked.

  “No, not at all. Yolanda was all for it. But since it wasn’t proven to be a money-maker, she didn’t want to slight the brides that were coming in and buying off the rack.”

  “Was that why she was sabotaging the progress?”

  “No. To make both sides of the business successful, I had to work faster than usual to keep the rack dresses moving and to make steady progress on the McGrath Dress. Hey, can I get a cup of coffee?” she asked. Alvin motioned at the monitor for Wilbur to bring one, knowing he was observing.

  “I admit that the quality of my work was below average, but Yolanda was continuously rearranging the schedule to try and buy me more time where she could. At some point, she started bringing me coffee to keep me fueled through all-nighters.”

  “Did you ever feel drugged after she gave you the coffee?” Melody asked, just as Wilbur entered the room and set a fresh cup down in front of Lollie.

  “Yes, come to think of it, there were some nights that I felt the coffee wasn’t kicking in and, in fact, had the opposite effect. I would close my eyes for about an hour or so, then get back to work.” She quieted for a moment as if she was trying to remember the experience. “But, you know, it was never as bad as it was last night. Last night, I was really out of it.”

  “Thank you, Lollie. Enjoy your coffee. We’re going to step out for a bit.”

  Lollie, nodded as she gulped.

  Melody thought she looked much better than when they first found her. They stepped out of the room and regrouped with Wilbur.

  “Why would Yolanda want to drug her seamstress?” Alvin asked. “Why would she want to sabotage her own business, her team’s success, and her best paying client’s wedding dress?”

  “Something had to have happened to make Yolanda go from being supportive of the project to sabotaging it,” Melody said.

  “Wilbur, did you pull the prints from the mug yet?”

  “Yes, boss. The only prints on the cup are Yolanda’s and Lollie’s.”

  “Well then, it looks like Yolanda’s been drugging her seamstress!” Alvin threw his hands up, frustrated. “How are we supposed to understand why - if the only person that can answer that question is dead?”

  “Maybe Sophie McGrath knows why. Maybe she came in to check on Lollie’s progress, found out that Yolanda was sabotaging the whole thing, and acted out,” Melody said. “Wilbur, can you get her in here now for questioning?”

  Wilbur nodded.

  �
�Yes, I want her in here now,” Alvin said, adamantly. “With all the drama this woman has been causing, she’s got to be guilty of something.”

  Chapter Two Hundred Twelve

  “Where’s my dress?” Sophia McGrath barged into the station like royalty gracing the town peasants with her presence. She was a petite woman with hair the color of a mink. Her clothing made her appear like she’d popped off the pages of a celebrity fashion magazine. “I said ... where’s my dress!”

  Melody looked the woman over then leaned in toward Alvin. “I bet she has a designer label tattoo on the back of her neck,” she said.

  Her comment made him laugh. He quickly covered his mouth to hide it from McGrath.

  “Who do you think that is?” Alvin asked as he surveyed the tall bed-headed blond man that walked in just behind Sophia. He was dressed like he had just come from the yacht club.

  “Maybe that’s Mr. McGrath.”

  Alvin laughed for real this time, then said, “We better get this over with.” He headed toward Sophia and her escort. She lowered her sunglasses and glared at him.

  “Are you the sheriff of this dump?” she asked.

  “I am. I take it you’re Sophia McGrath.”

  “I am. I’m here to collect my dress. Now, where is it?”

  “I’m afraid we’re not ready to release it quite yet, but how about you join me for a bit of conversation? I have some questions regarding your relationship with Yolanda Wyatt, Tricia Dearborn, and Lollie Webber.”

  Sophia threw her hands up in the air, frustrated by the imposition the sheriff was putting upon her, but then she noticed something - or someone. “Why is she here?” Sophia pointed at Melody.

  “Melody Marshall is a crucial person involved with this case. Now please, allow me to escort you to Interrogation Room Number 1. It’s our best accommodation.”

  Sophia sneered as she turned away from Alvin to address her escort. “Darling, hold my things while I deal with this man’s questions. See if you can find someone else to help us with the dress, perhaps someone with more authority.”

  Alvin held open the interrogation room’s door for her. “If you’d like to speak to someone with more authority, Ms. McGrath, I suggest you visit the mayor’s office, but I assure you, he has no interest in your wedding dress. But, what may really pique his interest, is whether or not you killed Yolanda Wyatt and drugged Lollie Webber. That’s a topic I’m sure he’d love to discuss.”

  “In that case, get my lawyer, Heath,” she said to the man as she handed him her purse. “Because I’m going to sue this whole town, starting with that little boutique and ending with the mayor’s office!” Enraged, she stormed into the interrogation room, ready to dance with the sheriff.

  “Wow, she’s something else,” Melody said to the man that Sophia left behind. He was fidgeting with his cell phone, but he hadn’t yet started to dial. Melody thought he looked nervous.

  “That’s one way to describe her.”

  “Are you, by any chance, her fiancé?”

  “That’s one way to describe me. Heath Williams.” The man forced a smile and extended his hand.

  Melody took it. “Melody Marshall.”

  “Ah, the ‘Marshall Dress.’ You’re a bit of a legend. Does the sheriff really think she killed that boutique owner?”

  Melody’s face flushed when she realized he was aware of who she was, and the dress drama that had been happening behind the scenes.

  “I’m not sure. The sheriff has to interview all the suspects.”

  “Well, Sophia can be a bit hotheaded, but I don’t think she’d go so far as to kill someone over a wedding dress. Would she?”

  Melody kept silent. She remembered how Sophia came into the bakery and threatened her. As far as she was concerned, Sophia was capable of anything when it came to getting what she wanted.

  “Do you know where they are keeping Yolanda’s body?” he asked.

  “Well, she’s in the morgue. Why?”

  “I remember her. She was nothing but kind to us even though Sophia wasn’t very kind back then. I’d like to pay my respects, you know, just in case things did get out of hand between Sophia and Yolanda.”

  Did he just admit that his fiancé may have had a hand in Yolanda’s death? Melody wished she could run in and tell Alvin.

  “I did not kill that sabotaging woman, and I want my dress right now!” Sophia was yelling so loudly; they could hear her through the door.

  Feeling sympathetic to Heath, Melody waved over Wilbur.

  “Heath Williams, this is Deputy Sheriff Wilbur Byrd.” She introduced them. “Wilbur, Heath is Ms. McGrath’s fiancé. He met Yolanda, and because she was so kind to him and his fiancée, he’d like the chance to pay his respects. Would that be possible?”

  “You’ll get your dress when I get some answers, Ms. McGrath!” Now it was Alvin’s turn to yell.

  Melody, Heath, and Wilbur all looked at the door.

  “In all the years I’ve been working for him, I’ve never heard that man yell,” Wilbur said.

  “Yes, well, Sophia knows how to bring out the best in people,” Heath said, sheepishly.

  “Why don’t you take a seat, Mr. Williams. I’ll see what I can do about your request.” Heath nodded and took a seat as Wilbur motioned for Melody to follow him toward Alvin’s office.

  “I don’t think it’s such a good idea for this guy to be roaming around in the morgue…” Wilbur started to explain, but Melody cut him off.

  “No, no. I don’t think it’s a good idea at all, but Heath said two things that didn’t make sense. One, he said that Yolanda was always kind to Sophia and him. Since when?”

  Wilbur nodded in agreement with a smirk.

  “I suspect no one involved in this case would corroborate that statement.”

  “Agreed, and second, he wants to pay his respects because he’s not sure if his fiancée actually hurt Yolanda or not.” Melody threw up her hands as if to imply that was the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard.

  “That doesn’t sound right at all. I’m not going to bring him down to the morgue until I clear it with Alvin,” Wilbur said. “Hey, do you want to get the dogs together for a playdate? I thought we could all meet at the park on Saturday.”

  “That’s a great idea! Smudge deserves some serious playtime with her own kind. I’m sure we humans bore her to tears. Right, Smudge?”

  Melody peeked under the desk where Smudge had been playing with one of her designated station toys. She looked up with the orange fish in her mouth and huffed so that her lips fluffed out around it. It looked just like she had caught the fish. Smudge never turned down a chance to play with the “puppies of Port Warren.”

  “Will Leslie be joining us with her pups, too?” Melody asked slyly. Wilbur grinned at the mention of her name.

  “Of course! Her puppies are my puppies, and my puppies are her puppies if you get my drift.”

  As Melody opened her mouth to tease Wilbur about his relationship with Leslie, she noticed Heath was no longer where she’d left him. She gently hit Wilbur’s arm to get his attention.

  “Well, at least we know where to find him,” Wilbur said with a sigh.

  Melody followed him, and Smudge, sensing something was amiss, dropped her toy and followed Melody.

  Chapter Two Hundred Thirteen

  The elevator doors opened to the basement level, otherwise known as the morgue. Wilbur, Melody, and Smudge stepped out of the elevator and into the dimly lit hallway that led to the viewing area. The viewing area consisted of a metal bench in the hallway that faced a window. The window’s blinds were currently closed, but the door to the room behind them was open.

  There inside the room, Heath Williams gazed down at Yolanda’s dead body. His face was wet with tears.

  Melody and Wilbur exchanged glances, both confused by Heath’s show of emotion toward the dead shopkeeper.

  “Mr. Williams, I’m sorry, but you really can’t be in here,” Wilbur said. He stepped into the ro
om to escort Heath away from the body. Heath left Yolanda’s side without protest.

  “I’m sorry, Deputy. She was just a really nice person, and it’s hard for me to accept that Sophia may have been responsible for her demise.”

  “Let’s step outside, and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” Wilbur continued to guide the man out of the cold room and closed the door behind them. He motioned for Heath to take a seat on the metal bench, which he did. Wilbur headed off to get that coffee.

  Melody narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Heath, do you know something about Yolanda’s death that the police don’t?” she asked as she took a seat next to him.

  Smudge hopped up into her lap.

  Heath was quick to shake his head. “No, nothing concrete, but as I said, Sophia is a hothead. It wouldn’t surprise me if she lashed out if her dress was not ‘perfect.’ There were several occasions where they promised to make alterations by a specific date, and they didn’t come through on time. Sophia detests such things, she expects everyone to be punctual. She almost called our wedding off because I was fifteen minutes late to the engagement party.”

  Smudge nuzzled Heath’s side, pushing his hand forcefully with her nose. Heath glanced down at the dog and lifted his hand to stroke her head presuming that’s what she wanted.

  “This is my dog, Smudge,” Melody explained. “She has kind of a sixth sense when people could use a little comfort.” Melody stroked Smudge’s soft fur, proud of her little girl’s empathy.

  “She’s cute,” Heath said as he scratched her ears. But Smudge continued to bury her nose in his side. She huffed against it, then shoved her nose into his pocket!

  When she emerged, she pulled out a deep purple paisley scarf!

  Chapter Two Hundred Fourteen

  Snatching the scarf from the little dog’s mouth, Heath stuffed it back into his pocket as he jumped up from his seat. “I think I better go get that lawyer for Sophia now.”

  “Actually, I think you should stay put,” Melody said. Just then, the little Frenchie dove off the bench and locked her jaws around Heath’s pant cuff! That’s when the elevator doors opened, releasing Wilbur, Alvin, and Sophia into the dim hallway.