Chai Cupcake Killer: Book 4 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series Read online

  The officer glanced at the three women staring at them from a bistro table, each holding a coffee.

  “I need to speak with you regarding a possible homicide. Is there somewhere that we could speak privately?” The officer made his request sound like an order.

  Grayson read the officer’s nametag, and used his name, trying to get the man to relax.

  “Look, Officer Simmons, I’ll be happy to help in any way that I can. These are very dear friends of mine—I have no problem talking about this in front of them. I can get you some coffee while we talk if you’d like,” he offered.

  The officer’s eyes narrowed briefly. “No coffee. Have a seat,” he indicated a table next to the one where Missy, Echo, and Sarah were sitting.

  The women exchanged puzzled looks. The LaChance Police Department had traditionally employed laid-back, friendly folks who treated citizens like people rather than suspects, so the officer’s behavior seemed unusual to the group of friends.

  “Roger?” Missy said tentatively, causing the officer to glance over sharply.

  Seeing that she had his attention, Missy spoke again.

  “I’m Missy Beckett… I think you used to work with my husband, Chas,” she explained with a smile.

  Roger Simmons appraised her coolly, and he nodded.

  “What brings you to town, Mrs. Beckett?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, not sounding the least bit friendly.

  His manner drove Echo over the edge.

  “Seriously?” the feisty redhead demanded, before Missy could open her mouth to speak. “Don’t tell me that you’re actually going to speak to the wife of the best detective that this town ever had as if she’s a criminal,” she fumed, a hot flush rising from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears.

  Trying to defuse the situation, Grayson interrupted, addressing the policeman.

  “Maybe it would be better if we went to my office,” he said, standing.

  With a huff that quite clearly implied “I told you so,” Roger rose to his feet as well.

  Three pairs of eyes shot daggers into Officer Simmons’s back as he followed Grayson down the hall and into the office.

  “How dare he?” Echo exclaimed, as soon as the door swung shut behind the two men.

  “He might have been hoping for Chas’s position after we left, but was passed over for promotion. I honestly thought that he would’ve been a detective by now,” Missy explained.

  “Well, his lack of career progress doesn’t justify his attitude toward you,” the redhead was still incensed.

  “Why on earth would he think that you might have something to do with what’s going on?” Sarah asked quietly.

  “I have no idea,” Missy shook her head, perplexed. “Maybe because I had a chat with Destiny in the park last night?” she guessed.

  “That just doesn’t make sense,” the young woman replied.

  “Missy seems to have a knack for getting herself wrapped up in mysterious circumstances, one way or another,” Echo observed dryly.

  “Well, I guess we know what that means,” Missy said, a look of grim determination on her face.

  “What?” Echo and Sarah asked in unison.

  “We’re going to need more coffee and cupcakes. We’re going to solve this murder.”

  ***

  Grayson and Roger Simmons came out of the office nearly an hour later, Grayson looking paler than usual. The officer nodded curtly at the women on his way out, and Grayson sank down into his chair beside Sarah.

  “What happened in there? We’re dying to know,” Echo demanded, the moment that Simmons’s car pulled away from the curb.

  “They think that the women who were murdered were poisoned,” he replied dully.

  “They were women?” Missy exclaimed. “Destiny didn’t mention that. What makes them think that they were poisoned? Do we know who they were?”

  Grayson shook his head.

  “Apparently they were new in town and kept to themselves. He said some things about the condition of the bodies… I don’t know, I kind of stopped listening when he got to the technical stuff, it was really grossing me out,” he confessed.

  “Well, call me crazy, but I can’t see what all of this has to do with you,” Echo pointed out.

  “There were two half-eaten cupcakes sitting on the counter at the crime scene, and the police lab discovered that the frosting had been sprinkled with poison. They think that’s what killed the ladies.”

  “Oh, that’s awful. But why do they think that the cupcakes came from here?” Missy asked.

  “I bake every cupcake in a custom G&G wrapper. He showed me a picture of the cupcakes, and it looked like they were the chai latte specials, complete with G&G wrappers,” he said miserably.

  “Well, if the cupcakes were sprinkled with something, anyone could’ve done that,” Echo commented.

  “That’s what I said, but I got the distinct impression that he didn’t believe me. He said that he’ll be coming back later today to speak with you,” he said to Sarah. “And he also wants to talk with Marvin.”

  “Who’s Marvin?” Missy was confused.

  “He helps us out part-time. He’s really a great guy. He’s getting his degree by taking night classes, so he works two jobs during the day,” Sarah explained.

  “Not to be a negative Nellie, but how well do you really know Marvin?” Echo asked quietly.

  “He’s a friend,” Grayson replied. “I trust him with the entire store when I need to run an errand, and he’s never been anything but honest and dependable.”

  Missy nodded. “Besides, Echo, it’s never the obvious suspect. Kel says that all the time, and it almost always ends up being true.”

  “Speaking of obvious suspects, do you think the little girl’s dad is to blame?” Echo asked.

  “Well, I’ve never met the man, but it’s certainly possible.”

  Startled, the three looked up when the bells over the door jangled. Grayson had forgotten to lock it after Officer Simmons left.

  “Hi,” Destiny said, smiling shyly at the group. “Missy said I could have a cupcake.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I certainly did,” Missy beamed at the precocious young girl. “Come sit down here with us and I’ll go get you one.”

  “Thank you,” Destiny replied, taking a seat at the table between Sarah and Echo.

  Introductions were made all around, and Missy came back to the table with a plate that had four different types of cupcakes on it. The girl’s eyes grew round at the sight of it.

  “I couldn’t eat all of those,” she said, in a hushed, almost reverent voice.

  “Of course not, honey,” Missy chuckled. “I just didn’t know which flavor would be your favorite, so I brought out four different kinds. Choose the one you want the most, and I’ll wrap up the others so that you can take them home to your family.”

  “That’s very kind of you, but I don’t have any money,” Destiny replied sadly, still eyeing the cupcakes.

  “Well, there’s no need to worry about that,” Sarah saved the day. “We give free samples out to folks who are new in town. You just need to promise to let us know which flavor is your favorite after you try them.”

  “But my family is just passing through.”

  “That’s okay,” Echo smiled. “Just tell everyone that you meet about the best cupcake shop in the whole wide world, and maybe they’ll want to come try it out.”

  “Deal!” Destiny grinned, pulling the plate of cakes closer to get a better look. “They all look so wonderful. They look just like the kind that were in the dead ladies’ house,” she sobered and reached for a chocolate toffee cupcake.

  “You saw the cupcakes? I don’t remember you telling me about that,” Missy said.

  “I didn’t tell you that. I didn’t tell the police either,” the tween replied matter-of-factly, taking a huge bite out of her caramel-filled cupcake.

  “But, honey, why not?” Missy asked softly.

  Destiny sighed and put
down the cupcake, waiting until she had thoroughly chewed, then swallowed, before speaking.

  “Some people, adults usually, find it hard to understand that I like to spend time alone, and that I can usually figure out difficult things. I kind of freak them out,” she shrugged.

  “Because you’re so smart?” Echo asked, fascinated.

  “That, and because I see things that no one else seems to notice. I like details, they make me think, but other people just think that they’re no big deal, and sometimes they are,” she shrugged. “I didn’t tell anyone about the cupcakes because I figured they’d just think that I was being disrespectful to the dead people, standing around in their kitchen, looking at cupcakes.”

  “What did you notice about the cupcakes?” Missy asked, not quite sure that she wanted to know.

  “There were two of them. Both of them had a couple of bites taken out of them, and they came from here.”

  “How do you know that they came from here?”

  “The little wrapper thingies have the store’s initials. I noticed that when I walked up here this morning, and now…” she held up her cupcake as Exhibit A. “It’s the same.”

  Echo nodded, impressed. “What else did you notice?” she asked.

  “Quite a few things, actually, but I don’t want to talk about them right now,” Destiny said, taking another bite.

  “Because it’s too unsettling?”

  The girl shook her head, and put her hand in front of her mouth when she spoke, because it was full of cupcake. “No, because I have a theory, but I have to do some investigating first.”

  “You have a theory?” Missy asked. All three women were trying hard not to smile.

  “Yes, ma’am. And I’d prefer to keep it to myself until I can gather more information,” she replied gravely.

  “Is your dad a policeman or something?” Echo asked.

  “No, ma’am, he’s an author, and my mom is a sociologist. Why?”

  “I was just wondering how you seem to be so comfortable in a very adult situation.”

  “I read a ton of books on my Kindle, and, when we stop for the night, my mom sometimes lets me watch true crime documentaries. You know what I found out when I discovered those ladies?”

  “What?” Missy asked, as all three women leaned forward in their seats.

  “Decomposition really is a nasty smell, just like they say on the documentaries. It’s worse than roadkill, and I’ve seen a lot of roadkill.”

  The trio stared at her as she calmly finished her cupcake. No one had any idea how to respond to this young lady whose tender years belied her self-possession and maturity.

  “By the way, do you have a computer that I can use? I don’t get a chance to get on the Internet very often, and there are some things that I’d like to check out,” Destiny explained, looking hopeful.

  “Sure, there’s a computer in Grayson’s office that you can use,” Sarah nodded. “When you’re ready, I can take you back there.”

  “I’m ready,” she replied, standing with a smile. “Thank you ma’am,” she said politely to Missy. “You were right, that cupcake was every bit as good as you said it’d be… and then some.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. I’m glad you liked it,” Missy murmured as Sarah took Destiny by the hand and led her to the office.

  She and Echo exchanged a bemused look.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Echo grumbled, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her light jacket.

  She didn’t like going out after dark in strange places, particularly strange places where a double homicide had occurred.

  “We’re not going to be doing anything wrong. We’ll just slip in, take a look around, and slip back out. We’re not even going to touch anything,” Missy promised, determined.

  “You couldn’t pay me enough to touch something in there,” Echo shuddered. “But what if we get caught?”

  “We’re not going to get caught, I know a path through the woods that’ll lead us to the back of the property. I used to go walking back there sometimes. Besides, if we do get caught, we’ll say we were just out for a walk.”

  “Uh-huh,” was the skeptical reply. “Like we just ‘happened’ to walk into a crime scene. Wait… did you say ‘through the woods’? I really don’t like the sound of that,” Echo stopped walking, looking at Missy warily.

  “Oh come on, you big fraidy cat,” Missy sighed, linking arms with her über-cautious friend. “It’s more like trees… not forest-woods, just some innocent tree-woods.”

  “These are not just trees,” Echo grumbled, nearly an hour later, as they stumbled through the woods with only the moonlight to guide them.

  She had wanted to light their path with her cell phone flashlight, but Missy had pointed out that if there was indeed someone dangerous lurking in the woods, the light would lead the maniac right to them. Despite being upset at the reality of their present situation, she couldn’t argue with her friend’s logic.

  “I can’t believe I let you drag me out here after dark,” she hissed, trailing behind her friend, one hand firmly holding onto the fabric of Missy’s sweatshirt.

  Missy stopped short. “Shhh… did you hear that?” she whispered.

  Echo’s eyes were as big as saucers, but she stayed quiet, straining her ears to see if she heard anything. Both women listened motionless for several minutes, hearing nothing.

  “It must’ve been a squirrel or something,” Missy said finally, moving forward once more.

  “Yeah, sure, a squirrel with a hatchet and a bad attitude,” Echo muttered, her heart still beating fast.

  “Are we really going to discuss bad attitudes?” Missy raised her eyebrows at her friend.

  “Are we there yet?” was the not totally tongue-in-cheek response.

  “Almost. We’ll see it when we get to the top of the next rise.”

  “Rise? First there are woods, and now there’s a rise? You really are trying to get us in trouble. What if the police are watching the place?” Echo whined, tiredly.

  “That’s not how it works. They don’t babysit crime scenes, they just put the tape up and hope that it keeps people away,” Missy informed her friend, whose teeth chattered from nerves rather than cold.

  “There seem to be so many ways that this could go so, so wrong. I certainly don’t want to be the one who has to call Chas to come bail us out of jail in his former jurisdiction,” Echo muttered.

  “Oh, don’t be such a pessimist,” Missy grinned. “Think of it as an adventure.” At this point Echo didn’t know who her friend was trying to convince. “Besides, we have to do whatever we can to clear Grayson and Sarah. They can’t start out their married life with this kind of cloud hanging over their heads.”

  She knew that the best way to convince Echo was to throw in the reminder of young love.

  “Fine,” the redhead sighed. “But are we even close to getting there yet?”

  “Closer than we’ve ever been,” Missy teased. “I thought you loved the great outdoors.”

  “I do. When I can actually see it, and when there aren’t boogeymen lurking in the shadows,” she groused, then let out a soft scream and started rubbing her head and shoulders.

  “What happened?” Missy ran to her friend alarmed.

  “Spiderweb!” Echo wailed, brushing at her body frantically.

  “Oh honey, brush it off and c’mon. They won’t hurt you. You know, as far out in the country as this house is, it could’ve just been a random drifter who came by,” Missy mused.

  “And brought cupcakes?” Echo rolled her eyes.

  “Okay, fine, you have a point,” Missy acknowledged. “But do you seriously think that whoever committed a double homicide would be waiting around near the crime scene for the police to catch them?”

  “Well, isn’t that exactly what we’re going to be doing?”

  Missy stopped short, putting a hand out behind her to slow Echo’s progress as well.

>   “That’s it,” she whispered, a bit out of breath after having scaled the final hill.

  “Thank goodness,” Echo replied, leaning against a tree and catching her breath. “Now what?”

  “Now we go inside. Let’s take it slowly and quietly.”

  “I bet some of the worst outcomes in all of history have started with those words,” Echo sighed, pushing away from the tree and following her friend.

  The two friends moved from tree to tree, approaching the backyard slowly, stopping to listen every time they moved. When they got close enough to the back deck they saw a set of glass doors that looked like a good way in, but there was a problem.

  “Now what?” Echo mouthed, looking at the yellow and black crime scene tape that crisscrossed the doors.

  Missy put her mouth to Echo’s ear and brought up her hands to muffle the sound further.

  “They look like sliders, if they’re sliders, we can just lift the tape, slide the door open, and it’ll look like no one was ever here.”

  Echo was skeptical, but felt exposed, standing at the edge of the tree line, staring at the house, so she nodded and followed her friend to the set of doors, which turned out not to be sliders. Her eyes widened and she stared at Missy, trying not to panic. The petite blonde was already heading for an alternative option. Echo noticed a set of wooden doors that looked like they led to a root cellar.

  Echo winced as Missy lifted one of the doors, and a creak that seemed loud enough to be heard all the way into LaChance shattered the stillness of the night. Their hearts pounded with adrenaline as they descended into the depths of a damp and smelly space that Echo knew probably contained any number of horrors. Since there were no windows in the dank space, Missy finally switched on the flashlight function on her cell phone, and they found themselves in a very normal-looking basement. There were rolled-up garden hoses, flower pots half-filled with the remains of plants long dead, and dusty jars of various canned vegetables.

  Both ladies relaxed a bit as the light of the phone illuminated nothing more sinister than a couple of scuttling spiders between them and the stairs leading up to the farmhouse.

  “Okay,” Missy whispered when they got to the foot of the wooden stairway that looked like it would probably throw splinters at them. “I’m going to turn off the light so that our eyes can adjust to the dark.”