Doughnuts & Deadly Schemes - Culinary Competition Mystery #3

Chapter 14

(Amy)

Amy rubbed a sore muscle in the side of her neck as she watched the elderly gentleman shuffle across the parking lot. She tapped the accelerator pedal of the Mini and inched forward as he stopped beside a burgundy sedan roughly the size of a small yacht. When he opened the car door, Amy switched on her blinker to claim the soon to be vacant parking spot. She yawned as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. The super-quick nap she had squeezed into the afternoon was nowhere near enough to make her feel better. In fact, the odd position she'd settled in on the couch had left her with an aching neck. It wasn't often that she took naps, but when she did, she preferred them to last longer than fifteen minutes.

Earlier that morning it had taken over half an hour for Sophie and Matt to talk about everything Sophie had been hiding from him. He didn't look any happier when he walked back into the café's kitchen, but who would be cheerful after finding out a killer was tormenting their significant other? After he left the café, Sophie had pulled Amy aside to let her know she'd be staying with Matt until the murderous hacker was caught. The 180-degree change in Sophie's attitude about staying with her boyfriend took Amy by surprise, but she saw it as a sign that the relationship hadn't been harmed by Sophie's well-meaning omissions.

The hulking car finally backed out of the parking space. Amy stepped on the gas pedal and whipped the Mini into the open spot as the other vehicle crept away at the same pace its driver walked. Shepler and Carla were sure to be at Finley & Crowe already. It was the groom's turn to brave getting stuck with straight pins during the tailoring process. Amy had agreed to meet them at the menswear store so they could discuss what type of boutonnieres Shepler wanted for himself and the best man. Then they would take the divide and conquer approach to the wedding tasks with her and Carla heading to the flower shop. Shepler was supposed to hit the liquor store to buy beer and wine for the reception. They would meet up again for dinner to make more plans.

Ten minutes later, after a snail-paced trek from the parking lot, Amy walked through the front door of Finley & Crowe. Carla was stalking back and forth, like an irritated cat, in front of the bank of dressing room doors. In the middle of the store, Matt was tidying a display of neckties sitting atop a vintage dresser. He looked at Amy and almost smiled. One side of his mouth crooked up. He turned away, plucked two of the ties from the overlapping arrangement, and draped them over his arm. Matt waited for Amy to reach his side before walking with her to the back of the store. He offered the neckties to Carla. "I think these will go well with the suit you chose."

Carla took the ties then glared at one of the closed doors. "Thank you. We'll try them," the volume of her voiced increased, "as soon as Bruce decides on a shirt."

"I'll be out in a minute," Shepler's muffled voice called from the other side of the door.

Matt gently touched Amy's forearm. "I want to thank you for helping Sophie through everything that has happened. I understand her motivation not to tell me, but it's made it even more difficult for me to digest at this point. We're going to start cleaning up her duplex tonight, but she'll be living with me until this psycho is caught. My apartment building has a very sophisticated security system, so I'm hoping I'll be able to finally keep her safe."

Amy nodded as Shepler emerged from the dressing room. She too hoped Matt could keep Sophie safe. Given the hacker's knowledge of not only computers but also surveillance systems, she had begun doubting whether the security system in her own home would stand up to a determined cyber attacker.

Carla ran her fingers through her toffee-colored hair as she looked at her future husband. Her brown eyes sparkled with annoyance. Amy couldn't blame her for being stressed. For one thing, he was wearing a white shirt. How long did it take a man to decide on a white shirt? Apparently longer than Carla had the patience for. Then...the suit. Shepler's body shape was an upside-down triangle sitting atop muscular legs. The gray linen jacket fit comfortably across his shoulders. The trade-off was that the rest of the jacket was so baggy he looked like a little kid wearing men's clothes from the chest down.