The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  As Melody, Lulu, and Smudge walked back into the salon, Amy was just taking payment from another customer. Though the day was now winding down, Melody couldn’t believe the difference in the shop that just a few days had made. The place was buzzing. Putting on her biggest smile, Melody waited for Amy to finish and then presented the cake.

  “I really did want to offer my condolences,” Melody said as Amy took the cake. She could see that the offering had lowered Amy’s defenses, and the proprietress gave her a small smile in return.

  “That is so kind of you. I was just about to take a break, why don’t you join me and share a slice?”

  Melody couldn’t have been more pleased. This was precisely what she wanted. “I would love to. I always find it helps to talk about the person we’ve lost. If you want to do that, I’m here for you.”

  Amy gave a brittle smile and nodded for Melody to follow her into the back. “Lulu, you can sweep up and then wash the gowns and the towels,” Amy said as she let Melody through the tinkling bead curtain.

  They sat down to a slice of carrot cake, which had Melody longing for a taste of her own. With Smudge at her side, she decided to start with some innocuous questions. It would be best to get Amy to relax, and to let her guard down even more. If Melody was going to find out who the killer was, then she needed Amy to talk.

  “How long have you known Nancy?” Melody asked.

  Amy let out a sigh, but Melody noted there was no real sadness in her expression.

  “I interviewed her about eight months ago, and she started soon after.”

  “That’s a long time to work with someone so closely, this must be awful for you.”

  Amy shook her head and dabbed at her eyes as if to wipe away tears. “Yes, we will miss her terribly.”

  The phone ringing stopped the conversation, and Amy quickly booked in another customer.

  “You seem incredibly busy today,” Melody said. “I guess that is good, it takes your mind off the loss.”

  Amy simply nodded and took another mouthful of the less than moist carrot cake.

  “It is good to see everyone happy as well,” Melody said. The atmosphere in the shop was certainly different than when Nancy was here, but she was polite enough not to mention that.

  “Yes, as much as I loved Nancy, she could be difficult to work with. I guess the word is out, and maybe that is why we are so busy.”

  “Wow, bad news spreads fast.”

  Amy swallowed. “Yes, I guess it does.”

  “Did you know that Nancy was seeing clients privately?”

  Amy took a bite of carrot cake and chewed methodically. There was a guarded look in her eye. “I guess it was common knowledge, but it wasn’t a problem. There were plenty of customers, like Eloise Floyd, who want what we provide. Many of them are more than happy to come back.”

  “You must’ve been angry that she was stealing your customer's though, and looking to set up on her own?”

  Amy’s eyes flashed contempt, but she hid it quickly, and picking up the plates, she stood. “Nancy was a problem for me, I won’t deny that. In some ways, the sooner she set up on her own, the better. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get on.” Amy turned to walk away, but Melody had the scent of a killer, and she wasn’t going to let go.

  “We are closing soon, and I need to tidy up,” Amy continued.

  “Maybe you decided to take things into your own hands, to hurry things on a little?” Melody knew she was pushing her luck, but it was worth a try.

  “Why would I do that? I could just dismiss her.”

  There was logic in that, why would she need to kill the woman when it would be far easier to just let her go. Of course, Nancy would then be competition, and Melody got the feeling that such excellent competition was a little bit more than Amy could take. She wished that Alvin was here. It would be so easy for him to run the salon’s finances, to find out just how much business Nancy had taken away. Maybe it was time to let him take over?

  “I guess you could have, but that wouldn’t solve the problem. How far were you prepared to go to get your business back?”

  “I think it’s time you left, maybe you should let your husband do the policing as all you are doing is insulting me.” Putting the plates down next to the sink, Amy turned to Melody to show her out.

  “I’m sorry,” Melody said, “it was not my intention to upset you. I guess I just couldn’t believe how busy you were… so quickly. It must’ve been difficult to get two new stylists in overnight.”

  Amy was scowling now, red spots spotted both her cheeks and her lips were pulled tight into a thin line. She pulled the bead curtain back, the beads jangled in protest. It was a clear indication that Melody and Smudge should leave.

  Melody nodded, she had got enough, she would be back with Alvin. However, they had to walk past Amy. It would be the closest the Frenchie had got to her, and Melody wondered if the super sleuth pup could sniff out any clues over the chemical smells of the salon.

  Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Six

  Melody walked past Amy and through the open curtain. As Smudge drew close with Amy, she began to bark. Melody made as if she was walking away, while the little pup was pulling on her lead and trying to go back.

  “Get that mutt out of here,” Amy said. “You didn’t tell me she was dangerous, and I don’t want my customers getting upset anymore.”

  Dangerous! What customers? Melody felt her blood begin to boil as she noted that the shop was almost empty. It looked like the last customer was leaving. However, she smiled and nodded, but as she continued walking away, she loosened her hold on the lead. Smudge lunged and pulled back towards Amy. The lead slipped through Melody’s fingers, and the little bulldog was free.

  Smudge ran up to Amy barking, the hairdresser backed through the curtain, a wild look in her eyes. Smudge followed, and the beads tinkled down and back into place, obscuring Melody’s view.

  Melody was not going to let Smudge out of her sight. In the past, suspects had tried to hurt the little dog, and that was one thing Melody wouldn’t risk. Rushing forward, she dived through the curtain to find that Smudge had backed Amy against the desk in the corner. It was the one that she had spotted earlier, the one that was covered in paper and envelopes.

  “Call your dog off, will you?” Amy said as she cowered back.

  “Is there something you want to tell me?” Melody asked as she approached calmly. “Smudge is pretty good at working out who done it. Is there something you need to confess?”

  Amy was shaking her head.

  Melody noticed Smudge was no longer looking at Amy but at the desk. The Frenchie jumped up and grabbed hold of the edge of one of the papers pulling a whole stack that scattered onto the floor around her.

  “Stop it,” Amy said as she dived on the paperwork trying to cover up some of the red final demands.

  It was too late, Melody had already seen them. It looked like she didn’t need Alvin to tell her that the salon was in trouble. There must’ve been dozens of bills on the floor, and from what she could tell, all of them were demanding immediate payment.

  “How long could you survive with Nancy as your rival?”

  Amy seemed to fold in on herself, grabbing a handful of paper and screwing it into a ball. Her head bowed, it looked as if she would cry, but instead, she slowly stood up.

  “It’s over, Amy, just admit to me what happened,” Melody said.

  Smudge sat on the floor halfway between Melody and Amy. She looked calm and relaxed now she had solved the crime, for Melody was sure that Amy was the killer. She had a motive, and Melody believed she was cold enough to do it, but how could she prove it? A confession was her best bet, and she had more chance of getting it now than when Alvin turned up, and Amy possibly asked for a lawyer. So, taking a breath of air, Melody continued to push.

  “I can understand how let down you must’ve felt,” Melody said, but the proprietress wouldn’t look at her, wouldn’t raise her head. Instead, she seemed to b
e staring at the paperwork, perhaps wondering if she would have got away with this if only she’d filed it away.

  “Talk to me, Amy. Tell me what pressures you were going through and help me understand.”

  Amy still said nothing, but her hands had balled into fists.

  The sound of the curtain tinkling behind them set Melody’s heart racing. She turned to see Lulu coming through with some gowns and towels for washing.

  Amy raised her head and jumped forward. For a moment, Melody thought she was going to attack. Instead, she rounded on the shampoo girl.

  “What are you still doing here?” Amy snapped.

  “I was tidying up, just doing the washing like you asked me.”

  “Is the shop closed now?” Amy barked.

  Lulu almost dropped her washing, her lips quivered at the harsh treatment, but she held her ground. “Yes, the last customer has just left, and the girls are heading out. I told them you were busy, but if you want to talk to them?”

  Amy smiled, but it was the smile of a crocodile, waiting at the water's edges for her prey to wander by. “No, leave the washing and go.”

  Lulu looked at Smudge and then turned to walk out. “Good night, good night, Melody.”

  A prickle of fear traced up Melody’s arms. The realization dawned that she was alone with a killer. That she was the only one who suspected Amy and that Alvin didn’t know where she was.

  “I think you’re right,” Melody said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. “It is time to call Alvin now.” The look in Amy’s eyes turned Melody’s blood to ice. She could see that the woman was fighting with a decision, and she feared that decision was whether she lived or died. Instinct told her the best thing to do was to keep Amy talking and at the same time to get Alvin here as quickly as she could.

  “I understand how you feel,” Melody said as she swiped her phone.

  Amy’s lips quivered, and her hand reached into her smock. “Put down the phone,” she said as she pulled out the pair of blue handled scissors. Brandishing the scissors in front of her, she stepped towards Melody.

  Smudge ran forward, blocking Amy’s path, and despite her small size, she barked ferociously.

  “Put down the phone,” Amy said, but her voice was less confident as Smudge continued to bark.

  Melody nodded. “There’s no need for this to go any further,” she said as she dialed Alvin’s number while dropping the phone onto the desk. “We can talk about this, we can come to some arrangement.”

  “Why did you have to come snooping around,” Amy asked as she lunged forward.

  Melody backed away, but she was against the wall, and there was nowhere to go. As her life flashed before her, she closed her eyes.

  Smudge had stopped barking. Over it, Melody heard Amy curse. Opening her eyes, Melody saw smudge darting at Amy’s ankles. The woman was lunging at both Smudge and Melody, but every way she moved, Smudge was there.

  Over the ruckus, Melody could hear Alvin on the phone. He was shouting to get her attention, and she knew she had to tell him.

  “Alvin, I’m at Short Cuts, Amy’s the killer, get here soon, please.”

  Melody could just hear his reply. “I’m on my way, Mel, hold on.”

  Amy took her eye off Smudge and swiped the phone off the desk. It clattered to the floor and skated away. That was all Smudge needed, she nipped and pushed at Amy’s ankles, and the woman was tumbling through the air.

  Melody stepped back as Amy landed amid the pile of papers, and the scissors flew out of her hand. Smudge ran and picked up the scissors and brought them to Melody.

  “Thank you, Smudge, I couldn’t cope without you.” Melody reached into her pocket and pulled out a bag, she wrapped it around the scissors and turned her attention back to Amy.

  The woman had moved to a sitting position and was about to get up. Smudge flew at her barking, and Amy shrank back against the leg of the desk. Smudge sat down, watching her, guarding her. If Amy was still, Smudge simply watched, however, whenever she tried to move, Smudge barked at her until she stopped again.

  It was just two minutes later when the sound of sirens arrived outside, and gun drawn, Alvin came running in.

  “In here,” Melody called as she peeked through the white curtain.

  Alvin ran toward her. “Are you hurt, where is she?”

  “Smudge has it under control.”

  Another car arrived almost immediately, and Wilbur entered the shop. Alvin pointed to the curtains, and Wilbur took care of Amy while Alvin pulled Melody into a hug.

  As he held her close and patted her head, he whispered into her ear, “I was so afraid I had lost you. I love you so much, you have to stop scaring me like this.”

  Melody nodded, and they kissed. It felt so good to be safe in his arms, and she relaxed into him. Just as they were enjoying the sweet moment, a yip pulled them back to the shop.

  Pulling apart, they both looked down to see Smudge looking up at them.

  They both laughed and dropped to their knees to include the bulldog in their cuddle.

  It wasn’t long before Wilbur had Amy in handcuffs and was leading her out of the shop.

  “Why did you do it?” Melody asked.

  Amy’s face was white, and she looked beaten. “You know why. I couldn’t let that little minx steal all my customers. I couldn’t let her treat people like she did, and I couldn’t put up with any more of her nonsense. I went there just to tell her to leave town. If she had done so, none of this would’ve happened, so it’s all her fault. I gave her a choice what more could I do?”

  Melody and Alvin shared a look. Could she really blame Nancy for not leaving town?

  Alvin nodded at Wilbur. “Get her out of here.”

  “You got it, boss,” Wilbur said as he led Amy out and into his patrol car.

  As Wilbur left the crime scene team arrived. Alvin gave them quick instructions on what to look for and handed over the scissors.

  “Now, my two favorite girls, I’m taking you home and keeping you safe.”

  Melody leaned against him as he led her out to his car. She couldn’t think of anything better.

  Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Seven

  Alvin drove Melody and Smudge home. His mood was bouncing around like a kangaroo in the mating season. One minute he was ecstatic to have them home, and the next, he was annoyed at Melody for putting herself at such risk.

  “You really need to call me before you go talking to suspects, he said, his hands gripping the wheel so tight that his knuckles were white.

  Melody loved that he was so protective, but she hated what she had done and that she had put herself at so much risk. “I’m sorry, Al, I didn’t think I was in danger. I suspected Lulu at first, but Smudge was too nice to her. Then I suspected Amy, but Smudge hadn’t indicated that it was her. I think she was confused at the salon. I think all the chemical scents were making it hard for her to work out who it was she smelled around the body. So, I had a smidgen of suspicion over Amy, but the more I spoke to her, the more I knew it was her. The problem was that by that time it was too late. I promise we’ll never do it again.”

  Smudge was harnessed in the back. As if agreeing, she gave a little yip.

  “See, even Smudge is sorry,” Melody said as she reached out and rubbed Alvin’s shoulder. “We really didn’t mean to get ourselves in trouble, and the last thing we wanted to do was worry you.”

  “I know,” he said and let out a big sigh. “I love how good you are at this. I love your mind and the way it works out the clues, and your intuition that always seems to be right.”

  Smudge yipped once more in the back.

  “I know, Smudge, you help too. I just want you both to be safe. And on that note, I think I should take you to the hospital and have you checked over.”

  “No,” Melody said, shaking her head. “I am fine. Honestly, I am fine.”

  “Well, if you won’t go tonight, then I want you to go to your doctor’s tomorrow and be checked over. You have
been off, recently, and with the shock of what happened tonight… just humor me, Mel, see your doctor.”

  “All right,” Melody said. “But only if you forget about it for tonight. Let’s go home, have a nice meal and a glass of wine, and just be happy.”

  “I can’t think of anything better,” Alvin said, and Smudge yipped once more. “It looks like we have a family consensus.”

  Melody relaxed back in the seat, her hand on his arm, her heart in his hands. She had never felt so lucky in all her life. This man, and this dog, loved her so much that they would give their life for her.

  Melody had gone to see her doctor, and he called her back just three days later. Everything had come together. The blue handle scissors matched the wound, and though they had been cleaned, underneath the plastic handles were traces of Nancy’s blood.

  Amy had been indicted, and Rochelle had been released. The latter had decided she had had enough of Port Warren. She was packing up her bags and going to stay with relatives in California. Melody felt a little sorry for her. In many ways, she was also a victim. Amy had treated her badly, destroying her confidence, and keeping her where she wanted her. Melody hoped that a new beginning would allow her to flourish.

  Leaving the doctor’s office, Melody longed to go see Alvin, or to call him, but she knew he was in court this afternoon. He would not be available. Looking around, she realized she was close to Lulu’s flat and decided to go visit her.

  Lulu opened the door with a big smile on her face. “It is so good to see you, I’ve been thinking about you,” Lulu said bursting with enthusiasm.

  “Well, that’s certainly a lovely welcome, Melody said as she and Smudge were invited in.

  Lulu bent down to stroke the little dog’s head, before scooping her into her arms and walking into the kitchen. “Can I get you a drink of anything? I have some freshly squeezed lemonade.”