Frosted on the Ferris Wheel (12 page)

Millicent clapped with glee. “Hopefully for the Bake-Off Contest at the festival?”

Holly nodded.

“We should’ve held the meeting while baking then, as usual...” Kitty glanced between Millicent and Holly. “I mean...we don’t have to...”

“No wonder, Holly Hart,” Millicent stated. “Now I know how you got so much baking done. You enlisted help. Putting friends to work for you.” Her tone held a note of scorn.

Holly knew she should bite her tongue, but the words slipped out. “I wouldn’t have had to if someone hadn’t destroyed my previous efforts.” Holly thought back to when she’d walked into her kitchen to find her whole inventory of cheesecakes and muffins destroyed. “Besides, your father doesn’t hire employees?”

Millicent glared at her over the table. Any remaining warmth sapped from the room.
 

“Why don’t we review our investigation so far?” Kitty sliced off another sliver of cheesecake. “I’ve uncovered some interesting information at the town offices. Public records,” she added.

“Well, it’s rather obvious after the day I had.” Millicent talked, ignoring Kitty’s reference to new info. “While undercover at Sunny Side Realty, we almost got killed. Who knows what Joel Atherton would’ve done to us if Trent hadn’t arrived.” She fanned her face in a fake swoon.

Holly clenched her teeth even as Kitty and Ann flashed her questioning looks. The last they knew, Trent and Holly had been dating. The last Holly knew they had been too.

“What happened?” Ann asked.

Millicent went into a long and detailed description of their afternoon. How they cleaned Joel’s office. How he called the cops, locked them in the bathroom, but then didn’t turn them in. How if she hadn’t called out, they might’ve been turned into cement popsicles. “Thanks to my quick thinking under pressure we walked away with proof that Joel is guilty.”
 

Holly sucked up her pride. “I agree.” She offered Millicent a smile. “At first, I didn’t. I discovered at the office that Joel isn’t a full partner. If Gary Schilling used his business’s profits to invest, it shouldn’t bother Joel. But I ran into Judy Schilling right before I came here.”

“You really shouldn’t go off on a rogue investigation without talking to the rest of the club,” Millicent scolded.

“I didn’t seek this one out. I went to the crime scene to think and ran into Judy.” Everyone leaned forward, listening. “She admitted that Joel, out of professional jealousy, had been sabotaging her husband’s efforts to purchase real estate.”

“That fits right in with what I learned,” Kitty said. “After all Gary’s efforts fell through, someone else bought the real estate.”

“Who?” Ann asked. The same question they all thought.

“Joel Atherton.”

Millicent slammed her fist on the table. “We’ve got to go to the police with this. We can’t have a killer running loose. Gary must’ve found out what Joel was up to, so Joel silenced him before he could say anything.”

Holly leaned back in her chair. “I don’t know. It’s just not adding up.”
 

It seemed too easy. Too clear-cut. If they’d arrived at the answer—why hadn’t the police? Judy had to have let the police know her thoughts about Joel. They would’ve questioned him. They would’ve checked the records and realized Joel was purchasing the real estate.

“Fine, Miss Smarty Pants Detective.” Millicent huffed. “If not Joel, then who offed Gary Schilling? Seriously. I want to know. What clue have we overlooked? What stone have we left unturned? What path haven’t we followed?”

“What about Chip?” Holly asked. “He was arguing with Judy at the fairgrounds today. I didn’t even know they knew each other.”

“Pfft.” Millicent rapped her knuckles against the table. “A complete red herring.” She gave Holly a pointed look. “You’re stereotyping based on appearance. Again. I thought we covered this. Yes, he looks rough and tough but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty. In case you don’t know what a red herring is, let me explain.”

“I know the definition of a red herring.” Holly crossed her arms. “You’ve already told me.”

“That’s good. Then you should realize that your prejudice against Chip is leading you down the path of distraction.”
 

“We might not see Chip’s connection right now, but he might be someone to consider looking into at some point,” Kitty said. “We can ask Charlene later. She might know something.”

“Doubt it,” Millicent said, again, hinting that she knew something about Charlene the rest of them didn’t.

“Thanks, Kitty.” Holly needed to get over to
Just Cheesecake
and bake the cream cheese chocolate chip cookies for the Bake Off. “What shall our next step be then?”

Millicent cleared her throat, assuming the leadership position. “I’ll be seeing Trent tonight. I’ll see if I can find out why they haven’t arrested Joel.”

“What about tomorrow at the Festival?” Ann asked.

Kitty’s face brightened. “I’ve got the perfect idea! A very believable idea.” She eyed Millicent and Holly. “If you two are up for it. And if Millicent doesn’t get what we need to know out of Trent.”

“Of course,” Holly and Millicent said at the same time.

***

Holly left the meeting feeling unsettled. Intuition told her they were still missing a huge piece of the mystery. So much of the investigation lacked logic. They’d relied on chance meetings and rogue interrogations. Holly had to admit they’d missed Charlene’s cool logic and direction. Her steely sense of what to do next.

Holly also needed a distraction. Just the thought Millicent was on her way over to Trent’s to subtly interrogate him drove Holly nuts. Not knowing what happened to their relationship or when it had gone off the rails disturbed her. Eventually, she’d have to sit down and ask him.

One road led to another. Before Holly realized it, she was on her way to Charlene’s. Hopefully her friend was home. She pulled into the driveway to a darkened house even though her car was in the driveway. Just in case, Charlene had fallen asleep, Holly approached the front door. She knocked several times.

“Charlene? It’s me. Holly.”

When no sound came from the other side of the door, Holly went back to her car and then her shop. She’d lose herself in baking for a couple hours and then go back to Charlene’s. Eventually, her friend had to come home.

Two hours later, Holly sat back and stared at her lovelies. The golden brown cookies lay cooling. Ready for the competition tomorrow. Maybe simple would work best. Who could resist a delicious cookie? And if she lost, Holly was okay with that too. Her product would still be out there, being tested and tasted.

She sighed. Time to go. This time, she refused to leave until Charlene got home. Kind of like a stakeout. First, she zipped home to feed Muffins.

“Sorry I can’t take you with me on this one.” She scratched behind his ears. “You need to rest up anyway. You’ll be with me all day tomorrow. Your job is to attract kids, so their parents will buy a smoothie. When it comes down to it, you’re my secret weapon.” She added food and water to his dishes. “So don’t give me that pouty look.”

She dressed in dark clothing, packed a thermos of hot chocolate and a bag of trail mix, and drove to Charlene’s. This time, she parked further down the road and walked the rest of the way. It was nine p.m. Charlene never stayed out that late.

With the windows still dark and Charlene’s car gone, Holly put her beach chair down in the woods, hidden behind a large oak tree, and settled in for however long was necessary.

The trees creaked in the warm breeze. Crickets went silent around her. Every once in a while, a squirrel rustled the brush nearby. She tried to focus on the investigation: Chip and Judy arguing, Joel and real estate, and that jealousy has the potential to drive a normal person to commit abnormal acts. Like murder. Her last thought before dropping off was that instead of meeting with the club, she should’ve stayed and followed Chip. Maybe that would’ve been more helpful.

Tires crunched on the driveway. Headlights briefly scanned the woods before focusing on Charlene’s house. Holly shot up. Pieces of nuts and dried fruit littered her shirt and the ground.

Someone walked Charlene to the door.
 

Everything fell into place. How could Holly not have seen this?
 

A man stood over Charlene at the door, blocking Holly’s view. He was tall and broad-shouldered. She strained to hear what they were saying, feeling guilty at the same time.
 

They spoke low. Their voices nothing but a mumble. The man leaned down. Was that a good night kiss?

Holly sucked in a breath. Now she felt awful. If Charlene didn’t want to share about the men in her life, she didn’t have to. Holly closed her eyes, offering her friend privacy.

“Goodnight, Pierre,” Charlene called.

He headed back to his car and drove away.

Pierre? Holly’s eyes blinked open. Pierre Monroe? As in Millicent’s father? Everything turned crystal clear. That’s why Millicent was allowed in the club. That’s why the meeting was held at
The Tasty Bite
. That’s why Millicent felt the right to steal Trent. That’s the secret information Millicent hinted at during the meeting.

“Did you get an eyeful?” Charlene said from the porch. “Might as well come out. I spotted you the second we pulled into the driveway.”

Holly froze.

“Yes, I’m talking to you Holly Hart!”

Holly sheepishly stepped out from the trees. She shuffled over to the porch. Shame washed through her. At the steps, she stopped. “I’m sorry. I had no idea. It’s just that I was worried about you.”

“Might as well come up here and talk. I’ll get some coffee brewing.”

Minutes later, they sat at Charlene’s kitchen table.

“So how long has this been going on?” Holly asked.

Charlene narrowed her eyes. “Don’t we have more important things to talk about? Like the murder investigation?” She waved. “I know. I’ve missed two meetings. I didn’t mean to disappear.”

“No.” Holly refused to back down. “You’re my friend. Sometimes friendship and a much-needed heart-to-heart needs to come before murder.”

“Fine.” Charlene sipped her coffee. “What do you want to know?”

“Um, anything you’ll tell me?”

Charlene stifled a smile. “Pierre and I go way back. Been friends for a while. At your Fourth of July thingamajig, we reconnected. It’s been slow, but this past week, right before the murder, he stepped it up a bit.”

Holly smiled, happy for her friend. After all, last month, Holly was the one to see through to her friend’s loneliness. “That’s wonderful.”

“Wonderful? Now I have to deal with flowers and chocolates and an overload of pastries. He sure knows how to treat a girl right.” She traced her finger around the rim of the mug. “I think I’m going to break it off.”

“What?” Holly almost jumped to her feet. “Don’t you dare. Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because doggone it. It’s getting in the way of what I love. Mysteries. It’s means I have to be nice to Millicent, and I’m not sure how much longer I can handle that.”

Holly let a giggle slip out. “I don’t envy that.” She decided to remain happy for her friend. Yes, she missed her, especially on this case. “Has Kitty filled you in on our plans for tomorrow?”

“Not yet. Tell me.” Charlene’s eyes glinted with excitement. “I want to know everything.”

Holly told her all the information they’d covered at the meeting. As hard as it was and as much as she wanted to spill her horrible afternoon with Millicent and all her lies, she kept that part to herself. She didn’t want to mess things up with her and Pierre.
 

“We thought that while Millicent and I distracted Trent tomorrow, you could visit his office and poke around.”

“You bet I can.” Charlene hesitated, then asked, “How do you plan on distracting Trent while he’s on his job?”

Holly shrugged. “You leave that to us.”

Bright and early the next morning, Holly woke determined. For the first time in days she felt focused. After a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal, she attempted once again to create the perfect strawberry cheesecake smoothie. This time she added crushed ice.

Delicious. Perfect for the festival.
 

Working non-stop, like a robot, she made batch after batch. She stored single servings in Ziplocs bags and layered them on ice in a large chest. With a nod of satisfaction, she closed the lid.

“Not bad for a last-minute job. Right Muffins?”

He yipped at her feet.

“I’ll take that as approval.” She crouched. “Are you ready for your job today? Look adorable and draw kids over to pet you. That’s all you have to do.”

Holly showered and pulled on a
Just Cheesecake
T-shirt and a pair of white shorts. The expected temperatures were high eighties, high humidity. She packed an extra cooler with lunch, drinks, and treats for Muffins.
 

“Okay, ready to go?”

Muffins clawed at the door in response.
 

The only part of the day she wasn’t excited about was the preplanned “fight” between her and Millicent. It wouldn’t be much. A few smashed cupcakes, a spilled smoothie, mostly all for looks. Millicent would call Trent. When he arrived it would look like they’d been fighting. Millicent would play up the dramatic, upset female, and Trent would have to spend time calming her down.