Doughnuts & Deadly Schemes - Culinary Competition Mystery #3

Chapter 26

(Amy)

When they walked back into the anteroom that adjoined the atrium, Amy noticed that most of the white wicker furniture had been removed while they were rehearsing. The garden furniture had been replaced with a portable bar and small tables that held trays of cheese and crackers. Bridget waved Carla over to chat with the bartender. Harry beckoned for Shepler.

Once she had the attention of both of the detectives, Amy rushed through a whispered explanation of how she had figured out that the murderer was eating pizza with them half an hour earlier. Manners were the killer's undoing. He kept wiping his face with napkins as he was eating. Grease from the meats and cheese acted like a makeup remover. By the end of the meal the bruises on his jaw, garnered from the tussle with Chuck, were showing through the concealer he had used to hide them.

Shepler frowned. "I've had forensics analyze the videos of the break-ins. He's the right size and stature. I did notice there was something odd about his face today, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. Now that Amy has pointed it out, he was wearing some sort of makeup." He glanced at Carla, who was still chatting with Bridget, then focused his gaze on Harry. "Let's go see if we can find out where he went."

Harry nodded his consent. "If he's gone, don't worry about it." He clapped his hand on Shepler's shoulder. "You're getting married today, my man. There's a whole police department that will be happy to round this guy up so you don't have to."

"Where are they going?" Carla asked from across the room as the men sprinted out the door.

Amy clasped her hands behind her back. "Ummm...I'm not supposed to tell you, but they're working on something special for your honeymoon."

She forced herself to smile. Lying was not her strong point, even if it technically wasn't a lie. Shepler would be a much happier camper if he put the killer behind bars before heading to the North Carolina mountains.

"Okay." Carla stretched the word out as she fixed a questioning stare on Amy. "I'm just going to pretend I believe you."

Bridget cleared her throat. She gestured to a woman dressed in a black skirt and white blouse who was standing in the doorway where the men had exited. "The guests don't need to see the bride before her grand entrance. Time to get you back up to the room to relax for a few minutes. Alicia will take you there."

"Go ahead." Amy glanced around the room hoping to find a blinking neon sign of an excuse to offer so she could stay behind. Her search landed on Bridget. "I need to chat with Bridget about the food. I'll join you in a few minutes."

Carla left after nailing Amy with another suspicious look. Amy turned to Bridget, who raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's really going on, Amy?"

Before she could explain anything, several sets of heavy footsteps thundered into the tile-floored room. It was Shepler and Harry. "His car's still here," Shepler said. "Mrs. Mahoney, we could use some assistance from your staff."

Saved from an awkward explanation by the dashing detectives. After a quick rundown about what was happening, Bridget left with the two men, leaving Amy in the room with the bartender. She looked at him and said, "Well, I guess I'll go check on the bride."

She walked out of the exit that Carla and her guide had taken. There was an elevator to the right. The room where she and Carla had gotten ready overlooked the atrium, so if she took the elevator to the third floor it should be easy to find.

The door on the opposite side of the elevator opened when it reached the third floor. The long hallway that stretched ahead for as far as she could see seemed familiar. But the mansion probably had many hallways. She crept forward. The heels of her white patent peep-toe pumps sank into the plush carpet. As she moved down the hallway she glanced back and forth at the paneled doors. They all looked exactly the same. She stopped and looked back at the elevator. Should she go back down and ask the bartender for help?