Death of a Cupcake Queen (19 page)

Chapter 36

Hayley drove Sabrina, who was too shaken up to do anything, least of all drive, to the police station personally. They had left a few minutes after Randy and Sergio, who drove off with Mason Cassidy handcuffed in the back of the squad car. It took that long for Hayley to try and calm down Sabrina, who wasn't having an easy time after such a close brush with death. But finally, her sobs and whimpering subsided and she was ready to go to the police station and come clean about everything.

Hayley felt sorry for the former county coroner, who just stared out the passenger side window the entire ride, a blank look on her face.

When Hayley pulled her car into an empty space in the police station lot, she turned to Sabrina, trying to find the right words to say.

“I'm so sorry you had to go through this,” Hayley said in a whisper. “But at least it's finally over.”

Sabrina plucked some tissue out of her bag and dabbed at her cheeks. “I wish it was over, Hayley, but I'm afraid this ordeal is just beginning. We both know I'll probably go to prison for the part I played in Julian Reed's death.”

Hayley was at a loss for words.

The idea of Sabrina Merryweather doing hard time was beyond comprehension.

With a steely resolve, Sabrina took a deep breath and got out of the car.

Hayley jumped out and rushed to catch up to her as she ascended the steps into the lobby of the station.

Hayley squeezed Sabrina's shoulder as a show of moral support.

Officer Donnie was there waiting for them and escorted Sabrina to the interrogation room.

Sergio came out of the booking room with Mason Cassidy, who had already been patched up at the hospital. He kept his head down, his face sullen, as Sergio led him to a jail cell, deposited him inside with little fanfare, and locked him up.

He walked back to Hayley.

“Booked him on two murders and two attempted murders. He's going down for quite some time,” Sergio said.

“What about Sabrina?”

“I don't see the district attorney prosecuting her after hearing all the facts of the case. But I've been wrong before. Keep your fingers crossed.”

Randy scooted out of Sergio's office where he had been waiting for his sister to arrive. “You look like you could use a drink. On me. Let's go to my bar.”

“You're the best brother ever,” Hayley sighed as she kissed him on the cheek.

Her cell phone buzzed and she scooped it out of her pants pocket.

“It's a text from Aaron. He's at my house waiting for me.”

“Did you two have a date planned for tonight?” Randy asked.

“No. He probably just wants to fill me in on his night chauffeuring Gemma and Oliver to their senior prom. Raincheck?”

“Absolutely! Just promise me you'll tell me everything!” Randy said, smiling as Hayley turned and hurried out the door.

When she pulled into the driveway at her two story house on Glen Mary Road, she saw Aaron's car parked in front. She entered through the back into the kitchen but there was no sign of him.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

The kids were obviously not home.

“Aaron?”

No answer.

She went to grab a bottled water out of the fridge when she noticed a note tacked to the refrigerator door with a Wonder Woman magnet.

Dustin loved Wonder Woman.

Come down to the basement
was scrawled on a torn piece of yellow lined notebook paper.

Under normal circumstances, Hayley wouldn't have hesitated.

But she had just nearly been beaten to death by a crazed killer.

Her nerves were frayed.

She cautiously walked to the battered door that led down to the basement underneath the house. As she slowly opened it, the door creaking, the hinges in need of some oil, she heard music playing.

It was a ballad.

Bonnie Raitt's “I Can't Make You Love Me.”

Hayley's favorite song from freshman year.

She played it so many nights on her CD player in her bedroom whenever one of her high school crushes ended in disaster.

The song still resonated.

She warily descended to the bottom of the staircase and gasped at what was around the corner.

Her basement was decorated in crepe paper.

There was a mirrored disco ball hung from the ceiling that slowly circled around a makeshift dance floor.

A card table with a blue paper tissue table cloth was set up with finger foods and a large bowl filled with a cherry flavored 7 Up punch. Next to it was a half empty bottle of vodka that was undoubtedly used to spike it.

Taped to the wall was a large printed sign that said, “Welcome Class of '95.”

Finally, standing in the middle of the dance floor, his face dotted with the reflections from the disco ball, was Aaron, decked out in a retro powder blue tuxedo and spiffy black shoes.

He held his hand out for her to join him.

“What . . . what is all this?” Hayley said, stunned.

“Your senior prom was such a lousy experience for you, I thought it might be nice to recreate it and start all over. Only this time with a better date.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Come on! I bet that deadbeat you let take you didn't turn out to be a handsome successful veterinarian, now did he?”

“Actually, he's a very successful state senator now.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, that's a lie. I think he might be in jail last I heard.”

“I just want you to have a happier night to remember. You deserve it.”

Hayley just stared at him.

“Be honest. Is this coming off sweet or creepy?”

She laughed. “Maybe a little of both.”

“Trust me. I was going for sweet,” Aaron said, his arm still extended, his hand waiting for hers.

Hayley broke into a wide smile and then stepped over to join him.

He took her in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder.

They held each other tight and did a slow waltz to the song.

“You could've picked a song that was a little more upbeat,” Hayley said.

“Gemma told me this was one of your all time favorites.”

“Yes. But whenever I listen to it I want to rip my heart out.”

“Well, it was between this and “Do You Wanna Get Funky,” by C+C Music Factory, and I figured with a slow song I'd get to grope you more.”

“I love a man with a plan.”

Aaron raised Hayley's head up with a finger underneath her chin and leaned in to gently brush his lips across hers once before going in for a hotter, harder, more forceful kiss.

Hayley's face flushed.

Her body shivered.

She felt warm and giddy.

And she hadn't even had one cup of the spiked cherry punch yet.

This guy Aaron knew exactly what he was doing.

And he was certainly right about one thing.

This was going to be a night to remember.

Dear Reader:

We hope you've enjoyed Hayley Powell's latest mystery,
Death of a Cupcake Queen
. And be sure to try out all those sweet and tasty dessert recipes Hayley wrote about in her columns.

Up next, Hayley shifts gears from sweets to mouth watering bacon recipes in her sizzling new adventure
Death of a Bacon Heiress
, coming soon from Kensington.

When we return to the picturesque coastal town of Bar Harbor, Maine, food columnist and amateur sleuth Hayley Powell is thrilled over receiving a call from a New York-based television producer who wants to fly her to New York to do a cooking demonstration on a nationally broadcast talk show.

While in the Big Apple, Hayley runs into Olivia Redmond, a billionaire heiress to Redmond Meats, known around the world for their top selling bacon products. Olivia summers in Bar Harbor with her handsome polo playing Argentinean husband at the seaside estate her family has owned for decades. Olivia is a rather eccentric character and is famous with the locals for walking her pet, a pot-bellied pig named Pork Chop, around town on a leash. She and Hayley become fast friends bonding over Hayley's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken Thighs that she prepared for her TV show segment and Olivia offers her a part time job on the spot blogging her bacon recipes for the Redmond Meats website.

But before Hayley can post her first recipe, Bacon Stripped Pancakes, Olivia turns up dead in the gardens of her summer estate, her grieving pet pig by her side. And she didn't die from eating too much greasy bacon. Someone snapped her neck, killing her instantly! Hayley immediately starts looking into Olivia's wealthy background. Did her ne'er-do-well Latin husband tire of catering to her every whim? Was it her bitter actor wannabe son who she cut off when he didn't go into the family business? Or maybe his scheming gold-digging girlfriend who is a Downton Abbey fan and desperate to become the lady of the manor? Could it have been someone on the company's board of directors who wanted to get rid of her tie-breaking vote? With the list of suspects growing, Hayley Powell is on the case.

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