Death by Chocolate: a Candy Land cozy mystery

Chapter 2

As I entered Pat-a-Cake Bakery, the scent of butter and frosting hit me like four and twenty blackbirds bursting from a pie. Behind the counter, Simon and Muffin bustled about filling orders for a long line of customers. I bypassed the line and headed straight to the counter.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the Knave of Hearts," I called over the din of clattering plates and perfunctory chit-chat.

Both Simon and Muffin stopped dead and exchanged a glance stuffed with enough meaning to rival the Old Lady's child-filled shoe.

Muffin stuck his head into the kitchen. Jack Sprat and his lovely wife popped in to take their place.

"Mother Goose said she would get to the bottom of things," Simon said with a sad smile. "We're glad to see you on the case, Jill."

Muffin poured a cup of coffee and placed it on the counter in front of me. "On the house."

I thanked them and took a sip. "Cinnamon?" I asked.

"And spice," chimed Simon.

"It's very nice," I replied. "What can you tell me about Knave?"

"Well, he hadn't worked with us long," Muffin started.

"Maybe a month or so," Simon agreed with a nod.

"How was his behavior during that time?" I inquired, taking notes.

Simon shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Old King Cole sent around his PA and asked us to give him a shot."

"He'd had such a hard time since the Big Bad Wolf incident that we felt sorry for him," Muffin added. "And then there was Fairy Tale Land."

Simon's head bobbed emphatically. "Whatever it was, it must have been bad for him to move back home."

I wasn't surprised that Knave had gotten into trouble in Fairy Tale Land. That place was crawling with miscreants. Evil stepmothers, cruel fairies, witches, things that go bump in the night. And who could forget what Big Bad and Knave had put those visually impaired mice through? "So Cole got involved?"

"Kave's dad was always bailing him out. Cole, or rather his PA, told us that Knave had changed his ways," Simon said. "We wanted to believe him."

"And it looked as if he had this time." Muffin nodded to Simon. "He came in on time, ran errands without nicking from the till."

"He appeared to be a model employee." Simon trailed off.

"That is until this morning." Muffin placed a hand on Simon's shoulder.

"What happened this morning?" I asked, studying their faces for hints of deception, and found none.

"We sent him to Candy Land for lollipops and ice cream for this weekend's special orders," Muffin said.

"He seemed fine, but then he called and sounded frightened," Simon said.

"Butt dialed rather," Muffin corrected.

"Frightened?"

"He was telling someone that he would get them their money." Muffin's face fell as he spoke.

"Did you hear anything in the background? Maybe the other person's voice?" I asked, scribbling in my notebook.

Both Simon and Muffin shook their heads.

"What time did the call come through?"

"Around 7:00 a.m. Right after we opened," Muffin confirmed.

"How did Knave run errands for you? Did he take the streetcar?"

"He had his own transportation," Simon said.

"A motorcycle, and a new one at that," added Muffin.

"He kept it immaculate." Simon scratched at a spot on the countertop as he spoke.

"Any idea how he paid for it? Did his dad buy it for him?"

Both Simon and Muffin laughed. "No way. Cole cut him off. He had to prove himself to get written back into the will," Muffin said.

I finished my notes and thanked them for their time. "If you remember anything else, please let me know." I reached into my pocket for my minuscule stack of business cards when someone hit me from behind. Several cards fell from my hand into my coffee. I snatched them quickly, but not soon enough, and most were soaked through. I turned as I blotted my soiled cards on a nearby napkin.

Behind me, Georgie Porgie tapped furiously at his cellphone, unaware that he'd even bumped into me. Maybe it was a sign. It would be easy to drop Jack's name from a new batch of cards. I sighed, handed Muffin the least soiled card from the pile, pocketed the remainder, and headed to Candy Land.