Cornered by Cupcakes (6 page)

June was practically buzzing as we left the cafe. It wasn't just the latte though, she seemed to be hyped up with some far-fetched ideas she'd gotten into her head about my love life.

"He was totally into you."

"Who?" I asked.

"Oh don't pretend you don't know."

"Um, I really don't."

"The cute barista/manager. Duh. When we left he even asked when you were coming in again. He wants to see you!"

"Oh. Him?" I shook my head. "No way. That's not going to happen June."

"Why not? It's not like you've exactly gotten much action lately."

"Well I've been flat out trying to run a business. Not much time for a love life. Besides, he's competition, isn't he? I don't want to end up in some kind of "You've Got Mail" situation."

"You've got some time now, so don't use that as an excuse." She grimaced as she realised what she'd said. "I mean, not that you don't have a business now. I just meant…"

"It's fine. I don't have a business right now." I glanced up the street towards the Cow & Moon. "There's not exactly a queue waiting for us to get back and reopen. But," I added. "It's not like I'm not busy. I'm trying to figure out who killed Monica, remember? So I can't go getting too close to Ryan, you know. He might come in use for my investigation."

June nodded. "Actually, I was thinking the same thing. I didn't want to say anything, you know, if you had a thing for him, but seeing as you don't..."

I stopped. The midday sun was burning down on my face and I was desperate to find some shade, or to get back to my empty shop but I needed to know what June meant by that. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay, so, I was talking to him while you were getting the goss from the book club."

"And?"

She pulled a face. "I thought I might try to squeeze him for some info about Monica, so I asked him how well he knew her. He said that she mainly just came into the Coffee Corner on Tuesdays for the book club meetings. Except, for this week."

"What happened this week?"

"He said she came in for a coffee yesterday." June leaned in closer to me. "Right before she came into our store for a gelato."

I took in what June was saying. As much as I hated to admit it, she was turning into a good detective's assistant. So Monica had been in Ryan's store right before she dropped dead in mine? As I was running over the implications in my head, June put the words to my thoughts.

"She could very easily have been poisoned before she came into the Cow & Moon."

"By...Ryan?" I pulled a face. "No. No, I don't think so. He didn't seem like a murderer, June." I turned, and kept walking, hurrying now to the safety of the shade. If I stayed outside for any longer, I was going to end up with a nasty sunburn.

June hurried after me. "Well, they never seem like murderers, June!"

"What other evidence is there to go on?"

"How about motive?"

"Motive?"

"Think about it - we've just opened up a rival establishment half a block down the road. He might have known that Monica was coming in to try our dessert right after her visit to his place. So, he slipped the poison into her coffee, so that it would look like we'd poisoned her!"

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

I was still walking, but my pace had slowed. What if June was right? If there was anyone who stood to profit from a customer dying at my shop it was probably him.

I snapped round to look at June. "I just really don't think Ryan could have had anything to do with it."

She placed her hands on her hips. "I thought you had no romantic interest in him."

"I don't. This has nothing to do with that. I just don't think he did it."

"Do you have another suspect then?"

"I do actually. That Beverly lady. Another woman in their book club told me they had a falling out last week, and that it heated up yesterday. I think she might have poisoned Monica out of spite. To be honest, she seemed the type to do that."

June's eyes widened. "Wow." We both began to pace back to the store. "So what are you going to do? How are you going to figure out if Beverly did it?"

I sighed. "I'm going to have to join their damn book club."

"What book are you reading this week then?"

"The prequel to
The Velvet Dungeon
. Unfortunately. I'm already dreading it."

"But won't you have to wait an entire week to see them again?"

I shook my head. "They only 'officially' meet once a week, but, June, these ladies treat that club like a full time job. It's more than just a book club, I think. It's a society. They're - we're - meeting tomorrow. Back at the Coffee Corner. So I'll be able to get some more dirt on Beverly then."

***

That night I tossed and turned thinking about the events of the past two days. Images of my dwindling bank account were the main images. I silently counted out how many days I had until I was bankrupt. I had about a fortnight before I'd have to go begging to my parents for some cash. Which I really, really, didn't want to do.

Then there were the police. My stomach tightened as I thought about what would happen if it turned out I really was to blame for Monica's death. What if the autopsy returned, and I fed her dodgy ingredients. I went over and over the ingredients I used. They'd definitely been fresh. Everything had been stored and refrigerated as it was supposed to have been. Nothing was past it’s used by date.

Besides, no one else had gotten sick. That had to count for something.

Just as I was finally relaxing and about to doze off to sleep another image forced its way into my head. Ryan.

That bloody Ryan. So smug with his perfect coffees, and perfectly well-run popular shop. Well, he wasn't that smug. He was actually somewhat charming. I began to smile when I suddenly remembered what June had said.

Could Ryan really have been the one that poisoned Monica? It was almost as bad as the prospect that I'd been the one to blame.

In the end, it took a long time for sleep to find me after that.

***

Beverly pushed through the door of the Coffee Corner like she was the Queen of France and took a seat beside me. She removed her glasses and practically did a double take as she took me in. "You again?"

"Yes, me again." I tried to smile sweetly. "After I accidentally 'dropped in' on you yesterday I couldn't help but find myself become fascinated with this book you're all reading. I mean, the Velvet Dungeon books are right up my alley. I simply cannot get enough of them." I ended with another smile.

"Oh really?" She replied, setting her sunglasses on the table. I noted her carefully manicured nails were still fresh from the day before.

"Yes, really?"

"Who's your favourite character?"

"The...main one. Amelia?" I hoped that was right.

Beverly rolled her eyes. "Well of course everyone loves Amelia. She's the young, innocent college graduate who gets her world turned upside down."

At least I guessed the name right, even if I hadn't exactly impressed Beverly with my extensive knowledge. Maybe I really have to actually read the books.

"So where's everyone else?" I asked. So far it was just Beverly, one incredibly quiet women, and me. The other woman hadn't even lifted her head to look at the two of us.

Beverly checked her gold wristwatch. "They all seem to be running late. As usual," she added.

"Hmm." I nodded sympathetically. "It seems like they don't care about this club as much as you do."

She quickly turned to look at me. "They don't, actually. It’s the same old story of course! I'm left to run things while they are off galavanting about. I'm the only one with any real commitment."

"You did leave early yesterday to get your nails done," I pointed out.

She shot me a stern look and I shut up. I could see why she intimidated the other women in the club.

"So..." I continued. I had to take this moment to try to drill her about the day Monica had died. This would be my best chance, before the rest of the club finally turned up. "Were you and Monica close?"

"Why do you want to know that?" She snapped.

"I'm just sorry about your loss, that's all. I was wondering if you and she were particularly close. I know you were with her when it happened."

"Ha. Not out of choice."

"No?"

"I had to meet with her that morning, to discuss a serious matter with her. It wasn't entirely a social occasion."

"What did you have to discuss with her?"

"I don't see that's any of your business."

Ryan approaching us interrupted our conversation. "Amber," he said brightly. "Two times in two days." He grinned. "Seems like you can't keep away from the place. Things must be pretty quiet down at the bank if you can spend this much time sitting around drinking coffee."

I could tell he was only teasing, even flirting, but I didn't like to be reminded of how much idle time I had. Especially knowing how busy his establishment was. "It's actually quite busy down at the bank, but I'm very high ranking. So I can come and go as I please." I was hoping that would shut him up.

"Well that's good. Can I get you anything? Ice cream, perhaps? We're still in the middle of that heat wave."

"I don't want any ice cream." I really hadn't meant to snap, but both Ryan and Beverly raised their eyebrows at my tone.

"Okay, alright, chill out." He put his hands up. "It wasn't my ice cream that killed that women, remember."

I turned around so that my back was to him and crossed my arms.

"I'll take that as a no then."

I waited until he had walked back to his counter before I turned back to Beverly. "He's so pushy."

"Is he?" Beverly looked over her shoulder at him. "I mean, he's a little...vigilant, I guess. Always fussing over customers. Especially Monica."

"Especially Monica." I sat up and lowered my voice. "What do you mean especially Monica?"

"Oh I don't know." She waved her hand as though she meant for me to drop it, but I wasn't about to.

"No, what did you mean by that?"

"It's just that on the day she died, he was paying extra close attention to her order." She shot me a look. "I mean, he did serve her the drink she ordered, right before she died."

"So you think that maybe it wasn't the ice cream that did it after all?"

"Well it was definitely one of the two." Her tone was forceful. "Either Ryan poisoned her drink, or the owner of the ice cream shop poisoned her ice cream."

I sat back and took a good look at Beverly. "Or..." I started to say. "Someone else…someone, who, say, held a grudge against her, poisoned her, and now they are trying to find someone else to blame."

Her eyes grew wide and I could have sworn I saw the colour entirely fade from her face. "Just what the hell are you getting at?" Her eyes darted around as she examined my face. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I'm a bank manager."

"Why are you asking all these questions about Monica."

"Why are you so defensive every time I ask a question about Monica? Makes me think you have something to hide?"

She reached over to her grab her sunglasses. I noticed her hands shake as she struggled to set them straight on her nose. "I don't have to listen to this." She stood up to leave.

"Just walking out on the meeting, again, are you?" I stood up as well, so that the two of us were face to face. "Maybe you really shouldn't be president."

She took a step backwards. "What does that mean?"

"It means. I know that Monica was threatening to take over as club president. That's why you offed her, isn't it? You couldn't stand anyone else being in charge of your precious little club. So you poisoned her. And now you're trying to blame the murder on an innocent ice cream shop owner!" I couldn't help but yell the last part, but I got caught up in the emotion.

Beverly looked around and her lip began to tremble. She buried her head in her hands as she began to sob. "I never meant - I never meant for it to kill her! I just wanted…I just wanted to teach her a lesson!" The sobs came thick and fast as her shoulders began to heave up and down.

My god. Beverly really had done it. Thank god. Now not was I off the hook, Ryan was as well. With a little bit of luck the Cow & Moon would be back to trading that afternoon, and maybe Ryan and I could even grab a movie that night or something. Now that neither of us were murderers.

Not sure what to do, I waited a moment until Beverly brought her face back up. "But it was just a little laxative. I thought it would just make a bit sick, so that she'd miss the Tuesday book club, and everyone would realise she was unreliable! I didn't think it would kill her!' She brought her hands back up to her face and the sobs started up again.

Hold up. "A laxative?"

Beverly nodded as she continued to cry.

"But that...well that can't kill anybody!"