Doughnuts & Deadly Schemes - Culinary Competition Mystery #3

Chapter 16

(Amy)

The antique crystal cake stand had caught Amy's eye at a flea market while she was shopping for jewelry to turn into Carla's rhinestone bouquet. It was too pretty to leave behind. When she brought the stand home, the facets in the precisely cut stars along the rim glimmered in the sunshine while it set on her dining room table. She thought about keeping it, but there was a whole shelf full of cake pedestals in her pantry. The charming vintage piece would be better utilized and more loved someplace else, like at Exquisite Cakes. One of Mariah's meticulously decorated works of art would look stunning on the stand.

Amy cradled the box holding the present in her arms as she walked across the parking lot in front of the soon-to-open bakery. The winter had been hard on the asphalt, which was littered with small potholes and loose gravel. Not the ideal terrain to be trekking over when carrying a fragile object while wearing platform sandals.

She sighed with relief as she stepped onto the sidewalk. The door to Exquisite Cakes opened when she was a few steps away from the entrance. A man wearing a white chef's jacket walked out and held the door for her. Amy thanked him. He nodded politely and continued on toward the parking lot. Inside, she was surprised to find Bridget flipping through a photo album that sat on a table in the corner of the room. Mariah stood nearby using her thumb to spin a sapphire solitaire ring around her index finger while she studied a sheet of paper in her other hand. She looked up and flinched. "Oh my goodness. I was so busy reading the application I didn't realize you had come in."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I stopped by to give you a little bakery-warming present." Amy smiled as she presented the box to the beaming new entrepreneur. There were now neon green highlights in her dark blue, short hair. The effect was as stunning as the towering wedding cake sitting on a console table against the sidewall of the reception area. The round black table on the opposite side of the small room, where Bridget was sitting, had four chartreuse fabric-upholstered chairs. Black vinyl decals of swirls and curlicues decorated the wall behind the cake. The cake-only bakery was taking shape at warp speed.

"Everything looks gorgeous. Will you be opening soon?"

Mariah nodded as she untied the wide purple ribbon bow on top of the box. "I'm already baking here since I need to keep up with my online orders. I'm interviewing bakers and decorators today since I have more orders than I can easily handle by myself. I just want to add a few more things to the reception space before I put the Open sign in the window."

"I'm sure the bakery will be a smashing success."

"Thank you!" Mariah lifted the heavy glass stand out of the box. She gently set it on the table next to the display wedding cake. "It's incredible."

"I hope it isn't too old-fashioned for you. I see you have a modern theme going."

"Actually it's perfect. I want this area to be eclectic, so vintage cake stands will fit in nicely with my decorating plan. In fact, I think I'll make a display cake this evening so I can use it right away."

Bridget stepped forward to examine the antique. She ran her fingertip along the faceted edge. "My aunt had one very similar to this. She served my birthday cake on it every year when I was a child. Yellow cake with penuche frosting."

"I bet you have very fond memories of those birthdays," Amy smiled as she envisioned a tall layer cake covered in swirls of caramel-flavored frosting. The icing would add a great retro touch to a brand new cake recipe. She filed the sugary tidbit away in the part of her brain that always looked for unique recipe ideas for future contests. Or...maybe the embryonic blog idea that was still creeping around her overflowing mind, stirring up trouble by accumulating information that she didn't have the time or energy to process.

"Those birthday parties were some of the most memorable parts of my childhood." Bridget smiled faintly as she touched a gold circle pin on her pale pink jacket's lapel. "Thank you for showing me around, Mariah. It looks as if you have everything under control. I need to get going to another appointment."

"Thank you for stopping by," Mariah said as she reached out to shake Bridget's hand.

Amy glanced at the time on her cell phone. "I hate to run too, but I need to get some groceries. I've been so busy helping my friend plan her wedding that my refrigerator is almost empty."

"Stop back again." Mariah wrapped Amy in a hug. "Thank you for the fabulous gift."

"I knew that you would give it a good home."

Amy followed Bridget out the door then fell in step beside her. It was early afternoon and the temperature had rolled from pleasantly warm into the downright hot distinction. No breeze and high humidity from an overnight rainstorm left the parking lot feeling like a steamy bathroom after a long, hot shower.

"I have a feeling that young woman will have a successful business. She really has a handle on her product and marketing," Bridget said as she stepped over one of the treacherous potholes.

The executive hit the remote starter button on her key chain. Nearby, the black sedan rumbled to life. Hot exhaust from the tailpipe of the luxury car puffed at Amy's skirt when they both paused at the back bumper of the Mercedes. She took a step backward to get away from the knee-steaming assault.

Bridget tilted her head slightly as she squinted at Amy. "Would you like to speak to me about something? I have a few minutes to spare."

How did she do that? What facial expression or body language had cued Bridget in that she wanted to talk about something? Maybe being highly perceptive was one of the reasons Bridget was so successful in the business world. The skill would be helpful to judge both friend and foe in meetings.

Amy nodded. She glanced around the parking lot. Nobody else was around at the moment to possibly eavesdrop, so she dove into the conversation. Bridget had said she only had a few spare minutes. "I would like to speak to you about someone else. Do you know anything about Luke Crowe's family? I've heard they're rich, but they may have alternative methods of earning their fortune."

Bridget chuckled. "That's an interesting way of putting it. I honestly don't know much about the family other than they own a small chain of auto parts stores. In my social circles, they are like plutonium. Nobody wants to get too close. At various times I've heard they're involved in drugs, real estate fraud, and money laundering. Who knows what the truth is? Possibly all of the above. I've seen Luke's parents at a few social events but have never exchanged more than pleasantries with them."

"Do you think Luke's murder could be connected to his family's shady business?" Amy asked.

"Anything is possible." Bridget tapped a pearlescent white polished fingernail on the trunk lid of her car. "I heard that Luke put up all of the startup money for the menswear store. It was Finley's concept and Crowe's money. I'll ask around and see what I can find out."

"Thank you." Amy watched a faded red pickup ramble up the parking lot aisle in front of the car. The vehicle looked as if it came straight from the junkyard, but still, it was rolling along. She might as well keep going too, while she was asking for favors. "I would love to have Luke's killer caught soon so my friend can enjoy her honeymoon with an attentive husband who isn't still trying to solve his latest murder case. And, since I'm on the topic of them, do you have any idea where I could hold their wedding and reception next Saturday night? I know it's super short notice, but having the ceremony and reception in her loft, as the bride has planned, just doesn't seem special or wedding-like to me. I'd like to find someplace more appropriate and romantic, as a surprise to her."

Bridget smiled. "I have something in mind. I'll get back to you soon, at least about that question."