Death by Strawberry Cupcake Read online

  “Here you are,” I said, handing him the box.

  “What’s this for?” he asked.

  “Cupcakes for being so helpful,” I said. “I just like giving gifts. They’re the best.”

  “I imagine they are,” he said.

  I knew that I blushed when he said that. I always did when I got compliments over my baking.

  “Well, thank you again,” he said, staring at me for a moment.

  He seemed as if he wanted to say more but he didn’t. Instead he turned and headed back toward his car. I watched until he walked all the way to the car. When he turned around to get in, he looked my way. I waved and then hurried back into the house. Now I was all alone again, and I couldn’t help but think about that truck.

  In order to take my mind off things I figured I would do what helps me relax the most… bake more cupcakes. Maybe it would bake extra for Lucille and take them over to her. Although she was probably sick of cupcakes by now. I usually made some for her every week. Though right now, I needed an excuse to go over and check on her. I suppose just needing to check on her was an excuse enough. No cupcakes needed.

  I added ingredients to my mixer’s bowl. Flour, cocoa, sour cream. As soon as I turned on the mixer a loud grounding noise echoed through the kitchen. For some strange reason, it felt as if someone was watching me. I looked over toward the door expecting to see a face staring back at me through the window. No one was there. I peered outside through the window above the kitchen sink. I didn’t see anyone out there either.

  After turning off the mixer, I looked into the hallway just to be on the safe side and make sure no one was in the house. No one was there. Had Ms. Kitty gotten into the house again? I stepped into the living room.

  “Ms. Kitty?” I called out.

  There was no answer of course. I had expected maybe a loud meow. The house was silent though. That was a good thing.

  I went back to my cupcakes. Placing them in the oven, I had twenty minutes to wait. So I decided to tidy up around the house. I was upstairs putting away clothing when I heard something move downstairs. Of course, this was an old house and it could just be settling or pipes. Nonetheless, after having the truck almost run over me, I was a bit on edge.

  I tiptoed out of the bedroom and down the hall. Peering over the banister, I still saw no sign of Ms. Kitty. I had a feeling it was probably just her though. However, this time I didn’t call out to her. Just in case someone had come into the house I didn’t want them to know my whereabouts. If I kept them guessing that would give me an edge to possibly take them out. How I would accomplish that, I wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps I could get to the kitchen and find a weapon.

  Even though it was daylight, and the sun shone through the window, I was still a bit spooked. I tiptoed down the staircase, hoping that no one was really down there. Of course, when the stair tread squeaked under my feet, I stopped immediately. A slightly panicked feeling trickled through my body. I held my breath for a moment, listening for any sound, but there was nothing. Thank goodness. I continued down the staircase.

  When I reached the bottom, I stopped and peered into the living room. There was no sign of anyone. I was probably just imagining things and being way too paranoid. I continued toward the kitchen. It was time to get cupcakes out anyway. Just before reaching the kitchen, I stopped by the door and pressed my body against the wall. I tried to steady my breathing. On the count of three I would peek into the kitchen.

  One. Two. Three. I peered into the kitchen and thank goodness no one was there. I released a deep breath. I was strolled into the kitchen as if I hadn’t been a bundle of nerves just seconds ago. I grabbed the potholder and hurried over to the oven, pulling out the freshly baked cupcakes.

  After leaving them on the counter, I peered out into the backyard again. A slight breeze as the branches swayed in the wind. Other than that, everything was perfectly still and calm. Just another beautiful day out here on the farm. I loved looking at the trees behind the house. They were calming and relaxing. Which was exactly what I needed right now. I released another deep breath. Yes, it was all just my imagination. I would put the frosting on the cupcakes and decorate them. After that, I’d take them over to Lucille.

  I finished up at the cupcakes, placed them in a container, and then headed out the door toward Lucille’s house. Halfway down the driveway, I stopped in my tracks. What was I thinking? I had to be careful crossing this road. The truck could be waiting to run over me again. Though I couldn’t let that stop me from ever crossing the road ever again.

  I had tried to call Lucille’s number, but she didn’t answer and that made me even more worried. That meant I absolutely had to go over there and check on her. I would just have to be careful and watch for that truck. It was a beautiful late summer evening. I saw no traffic coming as I reached the end of the driveway.

  Once at the end of the driveway, I stopped. I looked to the left and to the right to make perfectly certain that there was no traffic coming. I saw nothing unless someone was hiding somewhere. And by hiding, I meant not in a truck but lurking behind a bush or a tree. With some anxiety, I still felt it was safe to cross so I sprinted across.

  I was even more apprehensive wondering if Lucille was all right. It wasn’t like her not to answer. Fear had me in its grip now. What if the killer had gone to her house? I didn’t even want to think about that. With the apprehension still coursing through my veins, I stepped out onto the road. One step after the other. I ran across looking from side to side for any sign of that truck. When I reached the other side to Lucille’s driveway, I released a big breath. Whew. I’d made it. Now I just had to get back across to my house.

  I’d worry about that later though. Right now, I just wanted to check on Lucille. All was quiet and her car was beside the house. That was where she always parked. As I walked down the driveway toward the side of the house, I glanced over my shoulder a few times to make sure the truck hadn’t shown up again. What would the detective say if he’d seen me crossing the road right after he dropped me off? Was he still looking for the person who had tried to hit me? No, he’d gone a long time ago.

  Besides, I’d already crossed the road now. What was done was done. Plus, I was safely across. I had reached the side door of Lucille’s house now. I reached up and knocked on the door. It was awfully quiet around here which scared me. No noise came from inside the house.

  “Lucille? It’s Scarlet. I brought you cupcakes.”

  Her car was here so that must mean she was home. So why wasn’t she answering the door? I knocked again. Still she didn’t come to the door. I moved around to the front porch and up the steps. Ms. Kitty sat on the rocker by the door.

  “Ms. Kitty, where is your mama?” I asked.

  She wagged her tail. I wished she could really tell me where Lucille was. Pulling back the screen, I knocked on the front door. When I received no answer, my anxiety spiked. Over at the window I leaned close hoping I’d get a peek inside. Glare against the window made it hard to see anything, but there was no sign of Lucille. Should I call the police? No, I suppose it was too soon to freak out just yet. She could have gone to town with someone. Yes, that was what happened, I told myself.

  “I’ll come back later and bring the cupcakes, Ms. Kitty,” I said as if she’d relay the message to Lucille.

  Once back at the road, I had to prepare myself for crossing the road. There was no traffic in sight, so I shouldn’t have this much anxiety. Yet that truck had appeared out of nowhere before so I didn’t trust that it wouldn’t happen again.

  Luckily, I made it across the road safely. I released a deep breath when I was standing on my driveway again. This was ridiculous to be that afraid of crossing a small country road. I had to find the guy in the truck and put an end to this.

  Chapter 21

  Later that night, the revving of an engine woke me from sleep. Darkness surrounded me. I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It read three AM. What the heck was going on? I jumped out of b
ed and paddled over to the window. Headlights shone on the driveway and the front of the house. Someone was parked out there. It was too dark to see for sure, but I was almost positive it was that truck. This sent a shiver down my spine.

  What would I do now? Was this person here to kill me? Of course, he was. He had tried to run over me twice before and now he was in the driveway. What other reason would there be for his visit? I was pretty sure he hadn’t stopped by to help me bake the cupcakes. The truck just sat there. I couldn’t tell if anyone was behind the wheel. Maybe he’d already gotten out.

  I stood from on the spot for a few seconds longer trying to decide what to do next. Ultimately, I decided if I should call the detective. Or should I call 911 first? Either way, I needed to be brave and go downstairs. I had to make sure that the doors were locked. Although I thought for sure I’d locked them. Yet I wasn’t one hundred percent confident.

  It would take the police forever to get out here. I hoped I had caught some kind of footage on my surveillance camera. Apparently, I needed to add a camera faced down the driveway or at the end of the driveway. After a few more seconds, I turned and hurried out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the staircase. Once I reached the staircase, I stopped and peered over the banister to make sure someone wasn’t right down there waiting for me.

  Once I was confident no one was down there I eased my way down a couple of steps. I stopped on the staircase again so that I could get a better look into the kitchen. The darkness of night filled the kitchen so it’s hard to see far, but I didn’t spot anyone in there either. I continued my way down the stairs, trying to avoid the spots that I knew would make the floorboards squeak. The last thing I wanted was to give someone a heads up that I was on my way to finding them.

  The headlights still shone through the front window. This was not only making me scared, but angry too. How dare this person do this to me. Was it the killer and they were doing this only because I’d been the one to discover the body? That had to be it, right? The only other person who might be angry with me was my cousin. Only because he wanted this farmhouse.

  My heart beat faster as I made it to the bottom of the staircase. Pressing my body against the wall, I inched over to the front door. I checked the lock to make sure that it was secure. How long would that truck wait out there? I supposed I needed to call the police right now. Unfortunately, I’d left my phone upstairs. Should I run back up there right now and grab it, or check the rest of the house first? Both seemed equally important. I figured I would check the kitchen door first and then run back to the bedroom and retrieve the phone. I sure hoped that the killer wasn’t looking in the windows and saw me doing all of this. It was probably getting a good laugh at how scared he had made me.

  I ran as fast as I could over to the kitchen. Normally I left a little light on over the stove, but the bulb had burnt out and I hadn’t replaced it yet. Now I regretted my procrastination. With my breathing heavy and my heart beating fast, I stopped at the edge of the entrance and slowly leaned over for a glimpse into the room. Thank goodness no one was there.

  I stumbled my way across the room somehow managing not to bang my leg on the kitchen chair in the dark. Once at the door I checked to make sure that it was locked. Now my fear had been somewhat elevated to discover it was in fact locked. I stretched my hands out in front of me in case I came close to bumping into something. I had to get back upstairs and grab my phone.

  One thing that hit me as I made my way back up the stairs. A chair had been pulled out from the kitchen table. I didn’t remember leaving that chair in that position. I thought for sure I tucked all of them under the table.

  Breathlessly I raced back up the stairs. I had no idea how to explain that chair, but I told myself that I had just forgotten to put it back under. I practically slid into the room as I over to the side table and grabbed my phone.

  Just as I was ready to dial the detective’s number, I remembered that it was three in the morning. Now I didn’t know what to do. Instead I’d have to dial 911. Before touching the send on my phone, the headlights disappeared. Relief didn’t come. The thought instantly crossed my mind that maybe he had just turned off the lights. Now things would be even scarier with complete darkness. At least with the headlights I could see some of what was going on outside. Now there was nothing but dark. Hurrying over to the front window, I hoped that no one could see in. Thinking that someone could watch me freaked me out.

  Now that the truck was gone, I wasn’t sure if I should call 911 or just wait it out. It was late. And if I wasn’t in distress then what was the need? I could just text Detective Bailey in a few hours and tell him what happened. Would he be upset if I didn’t contact him right away with this information? Regardless, I thought it was the right thing at the moment. I probably wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now for wondering if that truck would show up again.

  I stared out the window and wondered if the truck was just parked nearby waiting for me to come outside again. Maybe the truck would try to run over me again if I tried to cross the road to see Lucille. I needed to find out who was responsible for this right away. Because I wasn’t going put up with this terrorizing. This guy had a lot of explaining to do.

  If I was going to solve this crime, then I needed to find out more information about the victims. I wasn’t sure where to start with that though. Since I couldn’t sleep, I sat in front of my computer. I typed out Rhonda’s name. Of course, the first information that came up was about her candy store. There was very little information about her though. She was involved in a couple of charities. If I couldn’t find information about her, I would look to the husband. Maybe this was all about him in the first place. She could have just been targeted because if him. I typed out his name, but I wasn’t having much luck with him either. There was an address attached to his name though. It wasn’t the home address I had gone to before.

  Chapter 22

  The address was about an hour away. If I left now I could get there, check it out, and get back to the studio in time for filming. Yes, it was four o’clock in the morning, but I wasn’t going back to bed anyway. I should do something productive. I’d already baked quite enough cupcakes for the day, so I wouldn’t do that again. At least not for a few hours until I was on set.

  After shutting off my computer, I jumped up from my desk. I hurried into a pair of yoga pants, T-shirt, and flip flops. I grabbed my bag and rushed down the stairs. Yes, it was still dark outside, but I had to do this anyway. I was afraid to go outside, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. What I’d told the detective was true, I wouldn’t let the killer stop me.

  When I reached the kitchen door, I paused to look outside. I wished that my car was parked closer to the door. Nevertheless, I rushed out the door and locked it behind me. I checked the lock, confirming that it was secure. I didn’t want to come back and find someone else in the house. I was all right with Lucille and Ms. Kitty coming inside, but no one else. My mother, of course, had a key. I wouldn’t put it past my cousin to break in and claim squatter’s rights.

  I used my phone as a flashlight as I walked to the car door. I highlighted any area I thought someone might hide behind. After only a few steps, a noise came from my left. Was that coming from the bushes by the house? Or in the nearby trees? It was hard to tell for sure since the sound had traveled. Of course, this made my fear spike even more. I’d been on the lookout for something and now that was becoming a reality. Okay, I had to calm down. Maybe it was nothing. It was probably just my paranoid mind at work. Take a deep breath and relax, Scarlet. That was impossible though when the sound traveled across the night air again.

  Now I had no choice but look for the noise, right? Or was that just asking for trouble? What if it was Ms. Kitty and she was hurt? I’d never forgive myself if that was the case. I put one foot in front of the other and headed toward the front of the house. The flashlight only illuminated a small area in front of me. That almost made things worse. What if the killer was here and
I was basically giving him a beacon on my whereabouts? Hey, psycho, here I am. Maybe I should turn off the light?

  However, if someone was there then I wanted to see them before they attacked me. Plus, if it was Ms. Kitty then I needed to spot her too. I spanned the light across the front of the house and into the bushes. Thank goodness no one jumped out at me. There was no sign of Ms. Kitty either. I suppose I felt a bit of relief. That left the trees though. Someone could be hiding behind the trees. I flashed the light in that direction. It was just close enough that the light highlighted the area. Any further away and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

  Now that the light was focused on the trees, I thought for sure I saw part of someone’s arm as they hid behind the tree. My breath caught in my throat. It was as if someone had knocked the air out of my lungs. Was I really seeing a person? Or was this just a trick of the eye? With my pulse thumping in my ears, I moved closer to the trees. I had to take a closer look. The arm wasn’t visible now. I wasn’t sure if the person had moved or it had truly been my mind playing tricks on me. After all, I was almost anticipating something, so maybe my mind had made it happen.

  I’d almost made it to the trees when another noise sounded from somewhere behind me. This had to be someone out there who was toying with me. This person was the cat and I was the mouse. I wasn’t going to let them trap me though. No way. It was time for me to leave. Without another glance at the tree, I took off toward the car. My legs couldn’t move fast enough. This had been a bad idea. Of course, I was full of bad ideas. Nothing new there.

  I’d almost made it to the car when something jumped out at me. I screamed and almost dropped my bag and phone. Ms. Kitty darted across the driveway. I had to admit it felt as if someone was watching me. It was probably Ms. Kitty though.