Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1 - 4) (Lexy Baker Cozy Mysteries Boxed Sets)

by Leighann Dobbs

  Jason continued on, unaware that Lexy was edging her way towards the door. “Kevin was so cocky, so sure of himself. Threatening to turn me in. I mean I’m his brother for crying out loud!”

  “Turn you in with the information in the book?” Lexy asked, still holding it.

  “Yes, of course.” Jason’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Wait a minute—let me see what’s in there.”

  Lexy tried to pull the book out of his reach, but he was too fast, grabbing it roughly out of her hands. He opened the book. Her heart clenched in terror. Lexy could see his face growing redder as he realized he’d been duped.

  ‘You bitch!” He screamed. “You tricked me—just like Kevin!”

  Lexy’s brain was screaming for her to run, but her legs felt like tree trunks rooted to the spot. Jason’s eyes were wild, his face a mask of rage.

  “No one crosses me,” he sputtered. “You saw what happened to Kevin when he tried it. He got his and now you’ll get yours, too!

  Jason lunged for Lexy, wrapping his hands around her throat, squeezing with all his might. Lexy tried to fend him off, but her air supply was dwindling, stars swam before her eyes, everything was starting to turn black. She thought of Nans and Sprinkles. What would they do without her?

  Jason’s face, only inches from hers, was screwed up in anger as he focused his energy on choking the life out of her. With one last burst of strength, she reached into her purse. Her hand closed on a round cylinder. She brought her hand up in between their faces, pressed the button on the cylinder and sprayed.

  Lexy heard Jason scream, then felt him release his hold on her neck. She slumped to the floor gasping for air, but finding only the heavy mist of pepper spray, which her lungs violently coughed out again.

  Hearing a thunderous crash and the sound of splintering wood, she peered through teary eyes toward the direction of the sound just in time to see Jack and several members of the BRPD come barreling through the door with their guns drawn.

  16

  Lexy sputtered and coughed, her eyes watering from the pepper spray. She felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her to her feet.

  “Lexy, are you OK?” Jack said, his face etched with lines of concern.

  “I…think…so.” She managed to get the words out between coughs. On the other side of the room, she saw Jason face down on the floor with two detectives trying to wrestle him into handcuffs. His violent yelling and squirming wasn’t making the job easy for them.

  “What were you thinking?” Jack demanded. “You could have been killed!”

  Lexy felt her cheeks grow hot, she looked down at the floor. She had been foolish to confront Jason herself. She had been thinking of him as her old friend and had forgotten how dangerous he was.

  Jack tilted her chin up with his thumb, forcing her to look at him. He wiped a tear from her cheek. The tender look in his eyes made her heart melt.

  Then his lips were on hers, causing her body to tingle. Her stomach did a little flip flop. She leaned in accepting his kiss. She forgot about everything, losing herself in the delicious sensations that were rippling through her. Then she remembered he had a girlfriend.

  She pulled away like a child pulling their hand back from a hot stove. Jack’s eyes flew open, a startled look on his face.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “You know what’s wrong. You shouldn’t be kissing me like that! What would your girlfriend think?” Lexy felt hot searing anger replacing the warm tingly feelings that had been there just a moment ago.

  ‘Girlfriend? What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t try to deny it! I heard you calling her darling on the phone and saw her in your living room window one night with her long, curly hair!” Lexy was close to tears. Why did she feel so hurt?

  Jack stared at her for a moment, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. Then she saw the wrinkles disappear. He let out a deep, long laugh.

  “You think that was my girlfriend?” His eyes twinkled with amusement. He turned, poking his head out the door. “Hey John, come in here for a minute.”

  Lexy stood there bristling with anger. Just what did he think was so funny? Lexy glanced over, seeing a man saunter through the door. Black leather jacket, torn jeans, hair slicked back in a ponytail. An undercover detective?

  “This is my partner, John Darling.” Jack said with emphasis on the detectives’ last name.

  “He usually wears his hair all loose and curly, but today he has the ponytail.” John turned around to show off his lengthy locks. “I’m guessing he’s the one you saw at my house.”

  Lexy felt her jaw drop open. Even though she felt like a fool, she couldn’t help but see the humor in it. She held her hand out to the detective.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said, stifling a giggle.

  He took her hand, shaking it firmly. “So you’re the one who’s caused all the ruckus downtown?” He said with a wink.

  “I am?”

  “Sure, Jack’s been working overtime all week trying to get you crossed off the suspect list so you can reopen your bakery...”

  He was interrupted by a commotion on their right. The other detectives were hauling Jason past them toward the door. He wasn’t going easily.

  “There’s my cue to leave,” John said. He joined the others, helping them push the soon-to-be former deputy mayor out the door to the waiting police car.

  Jack turned to Lexy, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

  “Lexy, I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy who does that sort of thing...I’m not like Kevin.

  Lexy nodded. “I’m sorry. I guess I jumped to conclusions.”

  “Well, now that that’s cleared up, I think we might have some unfinished business.” Jack leaned down toward her. Lexy eagerly stood on her tiptoes to meet him. This time she didn’t worry about girlfriends, murderers or cheating boyfriends as she surrendered herself fully to his spine-tingling, toe-curling kiss.

  Epilogue

  “I still don’t understand how you figured out it was Jason.” Cassie was boxing up the umpteenth package of cupcake tops they had sold that morning.

  Lexy looked around the bakery—it was packed full of customers. All her worries about the bakery being closed and the negative publicity hurting business had been for nothing. Quite the opposite had happened; the notoriety of her “Killer Cupcakes” had increased business. Everyone wanted a taste of her infamous cupcake tops.

  “After I got knocked out, Sprinkles found a button on the floor. It wasn’t one of mine, so I figured it must be from whoever knocked me out. Then I saw Jason on TV at Nans’ and recognized the button on his jacket. I remembered Jason had worn a strange pine scented aftershave at Kevin’s wake. I had smelled the same smell when I was on the floor after he knocked me out. I put two and two together and knew it was him!” Lexy smiled with pride at her skills of deduction.

  “And you decided to confront him yourself? Seems pretty dangerous; you should have at least called me—or Jack. Speak of the devil.” Cassie nodded her chin over toward the bakery door.

  Lexy looked over at Jack standing in the doorway. Her heart did a little flip. She ran over to greet him and taking his hand, she pulled him to one of the tables. Grabbing a couple of coffees from her self-serve station, she took a seat across the table from him and pushed one of the cups toward him.

  “I had a visit from a strange man yesterday at the station,” Jack said, fixing his honey-brown eyes on her.

  “Oh?” Lexy tilted her head raising an eyebrow.

  “He said he was a friend of Kevin’s and had talked to you at the wake.”

  Lexy remembered the disheveled man who had threatened her. “I think I know who you mean. I told you about him, didn’t I?”

  Jack nodded. “He said he knew all about the whole blackmail scheme, although he claims he was not involved. Anyway, he said Kevin was afraid something might happen to him. Kevin sent you the book because he knew he could trust you. I think he me
ant to talk to you about it but was killed before he could. The man said he was just trying to warn you so you wouldn’t get hurt.”

  “Oh, well that’s a relief.” Lexy settled back in her chair. “So, the case is all wrapped up now?”

  “Pretty much. We still need to find Sheila. She seems to have disappeared along with the blackmail money Kevin had collected.”

  Lexy took a long sip of her coffee, letting the bittersweet liquid swirl around her taste buds. If Kevin had treated Sheila the way he treated her, then the girl deserved to get away with the money.

  Jack reached across the table, putting his hand over Lexy’s hand. “Are we still on for tonight?”

  Lexy’s stomach did summersaults at the way he looked at her. It had only been a couple of days since they had arrested Jason, but Lexy and Jack had already been on one wonderful date. She couldn’t wait for more.

  Lexy nodded enthusiastically. Jack’s eyes gazed into hers, his thumb caressing her palm causing chills to run up her spine. How did he expect her to keep her mind on work all day?

  The tinkle of the bell over the door broke the moment. Lexy looked over to see John Darling’s long-legged frame in the doorway. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cassie give him the once-over. Lexy giggled to herself—John was exactly Cassie’s type.

  John’s eyes scanned the room, lingering for a moment on Cassie, and then settling on Jack and Lexy. “We gotta go,” he said to Jack, then nodded a greeting at Lexy.

  Jack jumped up. “I’ll see you around seven?” he said, looking pointedly at her.

  Lexy nodded giving a little wave. Jack turned, following John out the door. Just as the door shut, she saw John turn around and give Cassie a second look over his shoulder. She glanced over at Cassie who was standing behind the counter, her mouth hanging open.

  “Who was that?” She asked, wide eyed.

  “Oh, he’s Jack’s partner—John Darling,” Lexy said with a smile.

  “Phew.” Cassie fanned herself with her hand. “The BRPD sure have some fine police detectives. Maybe we should get mixed up in more murder cases.”

  Lexy laughed. She had to admit, tracking down Kevin’s killer had been an interesting challenge. She enjoyed putting together the clues and the rush of that final moment when all the pieces fell into place and she figured out who it was. But tracking down murderers was a lot of work and very time-consuming. She’d rather spend all her time here at the bakery, doing what she loved—baking.

  Besides, tracking down one killer was enough for an entire lifetime—wasn’t it?

  The End.

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  Cupcake Tops Recipe

  Recipe: Lexy's Famous Cupcake Tops

  Everyone knows that the best part of the cupcake is the top with all that delicious frosting. That's why it's no secret that cupcake tops are a favorite at Lexy's bakery - The Cup and Cake. Here's how to make them in your own kitchen:

  Ingredients:

  1 1/3 cups flour

  3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  1/4 teas baking soda

  1/8 tsp salt

  1 1/2 cups sugar

  3 tbsp butter, softened

  2 eggs

  1 tsp vanilla

  1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (Lexy likes to use espresso)

  1/2 cup milk

  Preparation:

  Preheat oven to 350 F (175C).

  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda together.

  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each. Add vanilla.

  Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, mix well and then add the coffee and milk. Beat well.

  Spoon the batter into muffin cups taking care to only fill them 3/4 of the way full.

  Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

  Let the cupcakes cool.

  Cut off the cupcake tops, right where they meet the cupcake liners. You can do this with a long knife, or, take some dental floss - pull it tight between your hands and run it under the cupcake tops.

  Once you have the tops off, you can frost them - I've provided Lexy's favorite frosting recipe below.

  Lexy's Favorite Frosting Recipe

  Ingredients:

  2 sticks butter, softened

  3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

  1 teaspoon heavy cream

  1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

  1/8 tsp salt

  Preparation:

  Cream the butter, sugar and salt together.

  Mix the cream and vanilla paste together and add a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste you can substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

  Things You Can Do With The Cupcake Bottoms

  Now you might be wondering what to do with the cupcake bottoms. You don't want to waste them! Lexy uses them to make triffle - just pile them into a triffle bowl along with pudding and whipped cream for a delicious dessert.

  You could also use them as little mini cakes, or cut them up into different shapes with cookie cutters and make them into little desserts or build sculpted cakes out of them. Use your imagination, but whatever you do, don't let them go to waste!

  This is a work of fiction.

  None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.

  Killer Cupcakes

  Copyright © 2013

  Leighann Dobbs

  http://www.leighanndobbs.com

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover art by: http://www.tina-adams.com

  Created with Vellum

  DyingForDanish

  1

  Lexy’s stomach fluttered as she approached the massive oak door. Balancing a huge glass tray loaded with artfully stacked towers of lemon, cheese and strawberry Danish pastries in one hand, she teetered up the steps on the spikes of her Jimmy Choo stilettos.

  She still felt a bit intimidated by the large house even though she had been there twice before. The elegant Victorian, owned by the absurdly wealthy Toliver family for the entire one hundred and fifty years of its existence, had bragging rights of being the biggest house in their little town.

  She shifted the weight of the tray onto her shoulder, careful not to tip it. The Danish were part of the setup for a morning brunch—a fancy affair to celebrate the upcoming wedding of aging family patriarch Xavier Toliver. The catering job could give a big boost to her little bakery business and she wanted everything to go perfectly.

  Lexy took a deep breath. She grabbed the cold brass doorknocker, rapping it against the plate to announce her arrival. Instead of the expected sound of footsteps coming to the door, she heard the squeak of hinges. The door swung open on its own, beckoning her inside.

  “Hello?” she ventured. Maybe they’re all busy getting ready and left it open so I could let myself in.

  Lexy pushed the door wider taking a tentative step into the marble foyer.

  “Hello...it’s me, Lexy Baker from the Cup and Cake.” No answer. Lexy shrugged. Better get to work. She shifted the tray so the palm of her hand would steady it and bear most of the weight. Proceeding forward she made her way through the foyer to the great hall which led to the kitchen. Hollow clacking sounds from her heels on the cold tile bounced off the oak paneled walls.

&nbs
p; The hallway opened up into the expansive kitchen. Even though the house was old, the kitchen was modernized - a showcase of gleaming granite and oak.

  “Is anyone here? I have the pastries.”

  Lexy entered the kitchen. Looking for the best place to set the Danish, her eyes scanned the room, then settled on a pair of long tables covered in white cloths which had been placed by the palladium windows.

  She skirted around the massive kitchen island, heading toward the tables. Something sticking out from behind the breakfast bar caught her eye. Were those feet?

  She took a few steps over to get a closer look. They were feet—well dressed feet wearing the latest Steve Madden pumps laying at an impossible angle on the floor.

  Lexy knew something was very wrong. She wanted to run, but her body seemed to have other ideas and it stepped closer to the feet. Against her will, her head craned around the corner.

  Crash!

  Lexy felt sharp pinches on her ankles and saw Danish pastries bouncing off the floor. She heard a loud, high scream that wouldn’t stop. It took her a few minutes to realize the scream was coming from her.

  The rough texture of crisp linen scratched against Lexy’s cheek. Strong hands rubbed her back. She wasn’t sure how long she had stood there screaming, or whose hands were soothing her. Apparently, the owner of those hands had a soothing voice to match and it was murmuring in her ear. It felt good. She wanted to just forget about everything else and melt into the crisp linen. But she couldn’t.

  Lexy turned away from the shirt. Her stomach lurched. Her breath caught sharply in her throat. She felt dizzy, but forced herself to look. In front of her, the kitchen was a sticky mess of Danish pastry, glass and blood. Yep, blood. The blood came from the body that was attached to those designer clad feet - the body of Chastine Johnson, the fiancée of Xavier Toliver. She lay on her side on the kitchen floor, the blood apparently coming out of the big hole in her chest. A stab wound Lexy guessed, although she’d never actually seen one in real life.