The Bakers and Bulldogs Mysteries Collection: 20 Book Box Set

by Rosie Sams

  Melody agreed with him, even though it had felt good to help someone out and she couldn’t help but worry about Tracy. They finished the meal with a nice chocolate mousse.

  Alvin cleared away the pots. “I just have to make a couple of phone calls and then we can walk Smudge and curl up with a movie for the night.”

  “You go ahead, I’ll walk Smudge,” Melody said.

  Alvin’s mouth opened as he was about to protest. Melody held up her finger. “Pregnant, not ill, walking is good for me.”

  Alvin gave her a big grin and nodded. “Okay, don’t go too far.” Before she left he pulled her into a big hug, rubbing his hands over her belly and kissing her on the neck.

  “I feel sorry for Tracy,” Melody said as he hugged her.

  “I know and I know you’re feeling a little lost but we will soon have our hands full with a new mystery. Just be patient for a few more weeks, that’s all I ask.”

  Melody snuggled back against him as he held her close. She could do that.

  Melody set off in the opposite direction of the Dowling house but her circular walk brought her back past it. As she got closer she could hear arguing and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Part of her wished there was something she could do but she knew better than to get involved in a marital dispute.

  Still, she could pass her newfound information onto Tracy. Maybe the realtor would be better off looking for a new client, rather than wasting time on this one.

  Melody pulled out her phone and found Tracy’s number. While she waited for her to answer she could hear the fight continuing. Though she couldn’t make out the words the tone was angry and resentful. It was such a shame.

  Tracy didn’t answer so Melody left a message saying that it was nice to touch base today and she would give her a ring tomorrow.

  Popping the phone back into her pocket she walked back. Smudge ran straight to the sofa where Alvin was curled up waiting for them.

  “What do you fancy watching?” he asked.

  “Why don’t we just dim the lights and listen to some music?”

  “That sounds perfect to me.” Alvin jumped up, put on some soft music, dimmed the lights, and then pulled her into his arms.

  Once she was settled on the sofa, Smudge curled up on top of both of them and Melody relaxed back against Alvin’s shoulder.

  “I’m so lucky to have you,” she said.

  “It’s mutual, I am the luckiest man alive… with my two… soon to be three favorite girls.”

  Melody laughed, they didn’t know the sex of their baby, having decided they wanted it to be a surprise but Alvin was sure it was a girl. Melody didn’t care either way but she had a feeling it was a boy.

  Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Six

  The buzzing of Alvin’s phone dragged Melody from a deep slumber. With a soft groan, she rolled over to see him scribbling on the notepad next to the bed. He was talking softly and before he noticed her, hung up and grabbed the note.

  “Problem?” she asked.

  “It’s just Wilbur, you get back to sleep. I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”

  Melody nodded her sleepy head and pulled the duvet tightly up around her. Reaching out her arm she gave Smudge a stroke as she watched Alvin grab his clothes and leave the room.

  This was not an unusual occurrence and she expected to fall straight back to sleep, but as she heard the house door close and waited for the car to start her mind had to ask the fatal question — what was going on?

  Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore it and get back to sleep. Only her mind wouldn’t let her. She hadn’t heard Alvin’s cruiser start or Wilbur’s vehicle pull up and so Alvin must have walked. That meant the crime had to be local. Could it be one of their neighbors?

  It was no use, there was no way she would get back to sleep so she thought she may as well get up. Of course, that was not so easy when you were eight months pregnant. Lumbering out of bed, she pulled on some loose trousers, a t-shirt, and a jumper. There was a chill in the air and she didn’t want to get cold.

  Smudge lay on the bed her paws over her ears. Melody couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t you want to come?”

  Smudge dropped her paws rolled over and then jumped off the bed. Spinning around in front of Melody she gave an excited little yip. It looked like she was up for an adventure after all.

  Now, where could Alvin have gone? Melody thought about walking up and down the street until she found him and then she remembered. When it was nighttime, Alvin always jotted the address down to make sure he got it right. Melody picked up the pencil next to the notepad, and quickly rubbed across the indentations. Her mouth dropped open. It was an address that she had heard a lot of today, it was the Dowling house.

  Just for a moment, she thought better of going, but she knew she would never get back to sleep, and it was so close, so what harm could she do? Surely, Alvin wouldn’t be too upset!

  Grabbing her coat, boots, and her leash for Smudge she bundled up against the cold, clipped on the leash, grabbed her keys, and left the house. The air was crisp and it was one of those still, clear nights when the stars twinkled above in all their glory. There was a crunch of frost on the pavement as she made her way the short distance to her neighbors’ property.

  Smudge was happily trotting along in front of her, seeming to enjoy the midnight stroll.

  Up ahead, Melody could see flashing lights, cruisers, and the crime scene investigators already parked up outside of the Dowlings’ house. This did not look good.

  Walking a little faster, Melody could see Wilbur bringing someone out of the property in handcuffs. As she got a little closer she realized it was Tracy. Wilbur stopped before he put her in a cruiser and started to read her her rights. Melody now stood behind him and could see that Tracy was dazed. There was a streak of blood across her cheek and more on her hands, but her face was pale and her eyes had that far-off look of deep shock.

  Wilbur turned to put Tracy in the back of the cruiser and spotted, Melody. He shook his head a little. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I couldn’t sleep, I thought I may as well take Smudge for a walk.” Melody shrugged, it wasn’t exactly a lie.

  “Alvin will skin me alive if I don’t send you home,” Wilbur said as he helped Tracy into the car.

  “What happened? Where are you taking Tracy?” Melody asked.

  “I’m arresting her for the murder of Scott Dowling,” Wilbur said and tried to close the cruiser door but Melody put her hand on it.

  “I can’t believe she’d do that. Let me just have a quick word with her?”

  For a moment she thought that Wilbur would say no, but she had built up quite a reputation with the force, and in the end, he nodded. “You got five minutes.”

  Melody climbed into the back of the cruiser next to Tracy. Smudge hopped over and sat next to her, placing a paw on her knee. “How are you? “Melody asked.

  “I don’t know what happened,” Tracy said and tears formed in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away but her hands were handcuffed behind her back.

  Gently taking a tissue, Melody wiped the tears away. “Start from the beginning, what were you doing here?”

  “It was so awful… what have I done?”

  Melody gulped, could Tracy have snapped?

  Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Seven

  Melody couldn’t believe that Tracy was guilty. Somehow, after they shared talk the day before she just knew that it wasn’t her, now all she had to do was prove it.

  “Take your time and start from the beginning,” Melody said.

  Tracy took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. It seemed to relax her and she leaned back as far as she could with her hands cuffed behind her. Smudge leaned against her offering comfort and support. The bulldog’s behavior confirmed Melody’s suspicion that Tracy must be innocent.

  “It was around 9 o’clock pm when Scott called me to say they might be open to talk. I had already spoken to Raymond, Raymond Wheat,
the prospective buyer, earlier and he was prepared to make a slightly higher offer. What with this, and Scott’s phone call, I was feeling quite optimistic so I agreed to go around to talk to them.

  “When I got here I gave them the revised offer and they certainly seemed open to the negotiation. We were in the kitchen, and Scott grabbed a bottle of champagne. I remember him popping the cork and the feeling of great relief that my job was safe and then nothing. That is the last thing I remember until I woke up to find Scott dead.”

  Shaking her head, she swallowed as if struggling to bite back tears. This was not the behavior of a killer.

  “I came to… I was lying on the floor and staring straight into his eyes… and… and… well, there was a blade… a knife in my hand. Could I have done this? Could I have blacked out and stabbed him? And why would I do that when they were coming around to my viewpoint? Why would I do it anyway? I’m a vegan for goodness sake, I couldn’t kill anything let alone anyone!”

  “Shush,” Melody whispered. “I believe you and I don’t believe for one minute that you could have done this. I certainly don’t believe you blacked out and stabbed him without knowing about it. There is something else going on here but until I find out what it is you mustn’t say anything, not to anyone. Promise me you won’t say another word to anyone?”

  Tracy shook her head slowly. “I promise.”

  “You need to ask for a lawyer and you need to wait for me to find out the truth before you say any more about this. You can tell your lawyer and let them decide what you say… okay?”

  Tracy nodded.

  “This all seems very fishy to me,” Melody said and Smudge nuzzled into Tracy’s arm before looking at Melody and giving a little woof.

  “I’ve never seen a body before,” Tracy said, her voice wobbling as more tears fell from her eyes.

  “I will help you, I promise.” Melody squeezed her shoulder before she got out of the car. Smudge gave Tracy a quick kiss on the cheek before jumping out of the car and following Melody.

  “Hey, Wilbur, does she have to be handcuffed?”

  For a moment, Melody thought that he would say yes but then he nodded. “She can’t get out the back of the cruiser, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Wilbur popped his head into the car to start and remove the cuffs. “And you have to go home,” he said, but when he turned around Melody had already gone.

  Of course, there was no way that Melody was going home; avoiding Wilbur and the other detectives, she made her way into the house.

  Once inside, she made her way to the kitchen. Before she entered she listened at the door. It was open and she could hear Alvin taking Bonnie's statement. The sudden widow was singing a very different tale.

  “That Tracy woman turned up right out of the blue and almost forced her way into the house. She was so angry and trying to force us to lower the price. I went to get my phone, I was going to threaten to call the police, and as I stepped into the kitchen I was hit from behind and knocked out.” Bonnie stopped and sobbed a little but Melody couldn’t help but think that they were crocodile tears. They just didn’t seem genuine to her. It was certainly not how she would react if she had just found out that Alvin was dead.

  “Please, go on,” Alvin said and his eyes widened as Melody stepped into the kitchen.

  For a moment, she thought that he would say something; instead, he raised his eyebrows and then turned his attention back to Bonnie.

  “When I woke up, my husband was dead and Tracy had a knife in her hand.” Bonnie clutched onto her heart and sobbed once more.

  “What do you think happened?” Melody asked.

  Bonnie’s head whipped around and she glared at Melody before turning back to Alvin.

  “What do you think happened?” Alvin asked.

  “I believe Scott was looking for some room to negotiate, I didn’t want to. I felt the price was fair and that the realtor woman was just trying to batter us down. She was getting very irate, when I left the room I think she must have snapped.”

  Melody wanted to say something but she had noticed that Smudge was standing on her hind legs and sniffing up at Bonnie. The widow now had her head in her hands as if she was trying to steady it. It was all very dramatic, all very forced in Melody’s eyes.

  The Frenchie tried to lick her face but Bonnie pushed her away and demanded a moment alone.

  Melody called Smudge to her as Alvin agreed to Bonnie’s request and stepped up from the table. Putting an arm on Melody’s shoulder he guided her from the room.

  “What are you doing here?” Alvin asked.

  “I couldn’t sleep, I just came out for a walk and spotted all the commotion.” Melody shrugged letting him know that it had just been a coincidence.

  Alvin’s laugh told her that he didn’t believe her one little bit but Melody decided to ignore that.

  “Bonnie’s telling a very different story than Tracy,” Melody said.

  “I haven’t spoken to Tracy yet but my gut is telling me as much. However, I want you to get off home and leave it to me. I don’t want you digging any deeper. I don’t want you investigating. I promise I will keep looking into this until we have the truth. Please, my love, head home and don’t concern yourself with this ugly business.”

  Melody wanted to argue but the concern in his voice melted her heart and she found herself agreeing.

  As she passed the cruiser she spent another moment with Tracy, promising her that she would get to the bottom of this. Then, feeling strangely down, she walked Smudge home.

  When she got there she sent a text to Lola asking her to meet for breakfast in the morning. That done, she snuggled up in bed with Smudge and was surprised to fall almost instantly asleep.

  Chapter Two Hundred Seventy-Eight

  Alvin left early the next morning while Melody and Smudge were still tucked up in bed. Before he left he brought Melody a cup of tea and Smudge a butter cookie.

  “I wish I could stay here with you,” he said as he kissed Melody on the cheek. “But don’t you worry, I promise I will get to the bottom of this case.”

  Melody swapped her cheek for her lips and gave him a quick kiss. “Just watch Bonnie, I get the feeling she is not as upset as she looks.”

  “I will, but you have to promise me that you will stay out of this. I want you to stay safe for our baby's sake.” He gave her stomach a quick rub through the duvet.

  Melody nodded. “I promise, now go. I’m going to have another hour and then get up because I’m meeting Lola. Who knows, I might even be able to persuade her to go look at some dogs.”

  “That will keep you out of trouble,” Alvin said as he left the room.

  As much as she tried, Melody couldn’t get back to sleep. So, soon she was up and she took Smudge for a quick walk before Lola arrived. It was a lovely cool morning, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. The air was crisp and sharp. It felt good to stroll down the street and just do nothing. Who knows, maybe she could get used to this easy life.

  Before long they were back at the house and Melody began to get bored. So she decided to make some croissants ready for when Lola arrived. The repetitive and familiar task of baking was exactly what she needed and soon they were in the oven. The smell of them cooking filled the house and she was just taking them out as Lola came in.

  “Morning, Lola, how are you?” Melody asked as she watched Lola scoop Smudge into her arms and gave her a big hug.

  “I’m good, thank you, and it’s nice to see you again so soon. Your text was a little cryptic, is there something I can do for you?”

  “I guess I’m busted,” Melody said. “Alvin got a call about a murder last night and I ended up taking Smudge for a walk and… err… finding them.”

  Lola laughed. “I don’t believe that one and neither does Smudge.”

  “Okay, maybe I was curious. The thing is, Alvin doesn’t want me to get involved with an investigation… as much as I want to I think maybe he’s right. So, I wondered if you wanted to help me out. I
wondered if you’d be willing to partner up and do a little digging to find out whodunnit?”

  Lola shook her head a little as she mulled it over and then she nodded. “I remember how awful I felt when I was falsely accused of murder. I also remember how I felt I deserved it and that without your help I would’ve taken the blame. I would hate to see someone else go through that so I’d love to help. Where do we start?”

  “We start by eating these croissants.”

  Melody handed over two croissants covered in butter and strawberry jelly. For the next half an hour they ate and drank tea and discussed the best way to go about this. They had a plan. They were going to visit Tracy’s place of work to see what they could find out.

  The realtor's office was a couple of miles away so they took Lola’s Jeep and were soon parking up outside. Clipping on Smudge’s lead they got out and walked over to the office. It was a very nice-looking place with lots of lovely properties listed, some of them much more expensive than the Dowling house. Sharing a look, the two ladies walked in with Smudge trotting behind them.

  A young man, maybe in his mid-20s came over with a big and infectious smile. His blond hair had a curl that made it a little unruly and his baby blue eyes made you want to instantly like him.

  “Hello, ladies, my name is Josh Cranston, how can I help you today?”

  “Hey, Josh,” Lola said. “I’m Lola and this is Melody and Smudge.”

  “Lola, Melody.” He dropped to his knees and gave Smudge a quick rub. “Hello, little one, aren’t you a cutie.”

  Melody liked him already but she let Lola lead the conversation. After all, she was only here to observe as she’d promised Alvin she wouldn’t get involved.

  “I don’t know whether you’ve heard about Tracy,” Lola said. “We’re friends of hers and we were hoping to find out a little bit of information. We want to help her as we don’t believe she committed the crime.”