Death by Strawberry Cupcake Read online

  I looked all around as I walked toward the barn. There is no sign of any people. Only the trees and the rustle of the wind blowing the branches. It was so isolated out here that it made me feel as if I was the only person on the planet. But more than likely the killer was hiding somewhere in watching me period he was probably getting a kick out of it. I, on the other hand, didn’t find it amusing at all.

  Why didn’t he just come out and show himself already? Why make me come after him? What was the purpose of that? I continued my walk across the dry grass. The hot sun beat down on me. As far as I knew this barn hadn’t been used for a long time. The man who owned the place had stopped farming years ago. Now it just sat empty, kind of like the barn on my grandmother’s land. Well, my land now. I wasn't sure if I would ever use that barn.

  The closer I got to the barn, the more nervous I got. I wanted to run right in there to save my mother. But I also didn't know what to expect once I got in there, so I wanted to slowly peek into the place before just a lunged through. At least I felt like that was what the detective would do. Now I wished I had some sort of weapon. Maybe I should look into getting one of those. If was going to get myself into trouble all the time, then at least I’d have a way to defend myself and my family. I moved to the edge of the barn and pressed my body up close to the wood so that I could peek over the side of the barn door.

  My heart beat fast and my breathing was heavy as I eased over in looked around the barn door. There was no sign of them. Now I was really starting to panic. What if this was all for nothing? There was a ladder nearby. I would have to walk up there if I wanted to check. Should I call out to him and let him know that I was here? Or try to sneak up on him and let him have it?

  A shovel was propped up in the corner. Ah-ha. Now I had a weapon. Unless of course he got it away from me and then used it on me. That would be bad. I’d try to keep that from happening. I made my way across and grabbed the shovel. I held it in my hands with it ready to do some damage if he came near me.

  I made it all the way across to the other side of the barn. The barn doors were open also. It looked down over a little valley area. I stood there and peered out across the way, but it was completely desolate out here. Not a single soul in sight. When a rustling noise from behind me, I spun around with the shovel in my hands, ready to hit whoever was sneaking up on me.

  Chapter 29

  Just as I had suspected, it was Rhonda’s husband Ryan. He stood in front of me with a glare on his face that would have sent a shiver down anyone’s spine. My heart beat faster as I prepared myself for the fight. What I really wanted right now was to find my mother.

  “Where is my mother?” I demanded.

  “Your mother is fine. Don’t worry about that. I’ll take you to her when I’m ready,” he said.

  “You’ll take me to her now,” I said, trying to sound as forceful as possible.

  Being nice wasn’t going to work with this guy.

  He moved a step closer. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  “What do you want with me? You called me here. Now you got me here so tell me what you want. Let me have my mother and I’ll be on my way.”

  “I can’t let you be on your way,” he said. “You know what happened. Therefore, I’m sorry, but you have to go.”

  I was afraid he’d say that. Of course, fear surged through me now. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come out here alone. What was I thinking? I just wanted to save my mother and I fell right into his trap. How would I get away from him and get my mother in the process?

  I moved back a couple of steps. Since the barn had doors on each side, my intention was to run out the other side of the barn through the open doors behind me. Although I wasn’t stupid, I knew he would come after me. Maybe I should just lunge at him right now with this shovel. I could start hitting and see how that went. Likely he had a gun though. I just wasn’t seeing it at the moment.

  All right, I had two options that I saw… run and hope he didn’t catch me or hit him with the shovel right now. But like I said, since he probably had a gun, I figured he would shoot me before I had a chance to even get one whack at him with the shovel. What if he shot me with the gun as soon as I turned to run? He said all he wanted to do was get rid of me. That was the whole purpose of me being here. So why wait? He would do it as soon as possible.

  I couldn’t take him out now though, not before finding my mother. I was pretty sure he had her somewhere other than the barn. Unless she was up in that loft. I glanced up. Of course, he was still watching me as I did this. Our eyes met again.

  “Where is my mother? You’re not going to win this battle.”

  He laughed. “It’s cute that you think that.”

  Having him call me cute sent a shiver down my spine. What would he do if I made a run for that ladder that led up to the loft? Yeah, he would just chase me up there. Was my mother up there?

  My arms were starting to shake from holding the shovel up. I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to hold out. Something had to give. Why was he just standing there staring at me like that? If he wasn’t going to make a move, then I would.

  Just as I was starting to make my move something changed. I’d gotten all my courage together and had a tight grasp on that shovel handle. The sound of a car caught our attention. The engine stopped and we knew that someone had parked somewhere right outside the barn. From the sound of it, the car wasn’t far away.

  Ryan glared at me. “Who did you call? The cops? That was a bad move, honey.”

  Who could it be? Now I was questioning whether I should have called the cops because what would he do if the cops arrived? Hold me hostage, I supposed? Well, he was already doing that. How much worse could it be?

  Ryan was beginning to look a bit panicked though. As if he didn’t know what to do next. I was kind of liking that. Now maybe I would have the upper hand. Although, all of a sudden before I had a chance to even think, he lunged forward and grabbed me. I tried to whack him with the shovel, but he managed to get that from my hand and tossed the shovel to the ground before yanking me forward.

  “You’re coming with me,” he said.

  As he pulled me across the barn, he drew the gun from his waistband. See, I knew he had that thing hidden. We were headed for the other side of the barn. When we got to the doors though, he pushed me up against the barn wall and stood beside me. He had the gun aimed right at me as we waited for whoever had pulled up to step into the barn. But he couldn’t shoot me and the other person at the same time, so I knew he was having an internal debate on what move to make next.

  Maybe when the person stepped into the barn, I could make a run for it. Because likely he would point the gun at the person, especially if it was the cops. But it was unlikely that the police had arrived. Finn wouldn’t know where I was, although my father might know how to get to this barn. Now I was worried that it was my dad and he would be hurt. I couldn’t handle much more.

  My breathing was heavy as I waited for the person to step into the barn. The sound of footsteps carried into the open space as the person moved through the grass toward the doors. Ryan wasn’t even looking at me. The tension hung heavy in the air.

  Now watching the door, I saw Finn step into the barn. He hadn’t spotted us yet.

  I yelled out to him. “Finn, run!”

  I wasn’t sure how he had found me, but now that I saw him, I was thankful that he had. Though I didn’t want him to be harmed in any way. The killer moved the gun from me, now aiming at Finn. He couldn’t get us both at the same time though. Finn looked in our direction. and he saw Ryan with the gun. In a split-second, Finn lunged forward. Ryan fired but thank goodness he missed. I ran forward lunging at the killer’s back. Finn and I were both attacking him at the same time.

  Ryan fell forward and was now on top of Finn, but I was on his back like a backpack. My arms were draped around his neck. I just wanted to get the gun away from him. They rolled to the side and now I tumbled off onto the dirt floor. Finn w
as fighting for the gun from Ryan’s hand. I ran to grab the shovel. If he wouldn’t release that gun, then I would hit him over the head and knock him out.

  I grabbed the shovel and ran back over to them. Now I just had to make sure not to hit Finn in the process. I reached the shovel back over my head and then slammed down giving Ryan a good whack. It didn’t knock him out, but he tumbled off Finn and released his hold on the gun. I dropped the shovel and dashed for the gun. Ryan reached for it again as I drew near. I wouldn’t be able to grab it in time before he did. Instead I kicked the gun with my foot, knocking it out of his reach. It had been a risky move, but I had made it. Life was full of risks and sometimes you just had to take them.

  With a shaky hand, I reached down and grabbed the gun, pointing it at the killer. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot.”

  Finn managed to get to his feet. He brushed the dirt from his pants. “Whew, good job, Scarlet.”

  “Now who’s in charge?” I asked with a smirk.

  It was almost as if I could read the killer’s thoughts. Ryan was trying to figure out a way to get out of here. I knew by the narrowed eyes and sneer on his face. But getting away from me wasn’t going to happen.

  “The gun isn’t loaded,” he said with another leer.

  Could I believe him? I wasn’t sure.

  “Why would you have an unloaded gun?” I asked.

  “Just to scare you,” he said.

  “That wasn’t a smart move,” I said. “And I don’t believe you. How about I shoot and then we’ll find out if it’s loaded. Does that sound like a good plan?”

  “You’re one tough cookie,” Finn said.

  “You’d better believe it,” I said. “All right, here’s what's going to happen. You’re going to take me to my mother. And I won’t shoot you.”

  “If you’re just gonna kill me then why should I take you to her? Find her on your own. Go ahead and shoot me now.” Ryan tossed his hands up.

  This guy was scary, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily.

  “Do as she says,” Finn yelled with a force in his voice that I’d never heard until now.

  The killer didn’t budge.

  “There’s some rope over there.” I gestured with a tilt of my head. “Will you tie him up for me?”

  Finn nodded. “No problem.”

  I had no idea what I would do next.

  “Now what will you do tough guy?’ I asked.

  “Don’t taunt the guy just yet,” Finn said as he looped around the man’s wrists.

  Chapter 30

  Finn tied up the man’s wrist and then ankles. Next, he lowered him to the ground. Now that Ryan was sitting there and unable to get away, I had to call Alex. And I had to find my mother. But how would I get this guy to talk? Torture him? He’d already asked me to kill him, so any threats were unlikely to work. Plus, I wasn’t sure I was exactly the “torturing” type. Though with my mama involved I’d do just about anything to find her.

  “Can I talk to you for a moment please, Scarlet.” Finn gestured for me to step over closer to him.

  “Really? A meeting right now?” I asked with a scowl.

  “It’s important,” he said.

  How would we keep an eye on Ryan if we were over there huddled in the corner having a tête-à-tête ? I stepped over to Finn, keeping my eye on the guy the entire time. Although with his legs tried up, I suppose it would be almost impossible for him to run away. I still didn’t trust him though.

  “What’s so important?” I looked over at the guy to make sure he hadn’t moved.

  “What are we gonna do with this guy?” Finn asked in a hushed tone.

  “Well, we have to call the detective. But in the meantime, I want him to tell me where my mother is.” I glanced back to make sure he hadn’t moved.

  He was trying to wiggle his hands free.

  “Hey, cut it out,” I yelled.

  Ryan glared at me, but he actually did as I told him and stopped moving.

  “What is going on in here?” my mother yelled. “I’m so happy to see you, Scarlet.”

  I glanced over at the barn door and saw my mother running toward me. I’d never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life. I handed Finn the gun and I ran toward my mother. When we met in the middle, I embraced her in a hug, squeezing tightly.

  “Well, don’t break me,” she said.

  “Where in the world have you been?” I asked. “I thought he had you tied up. I thought maybe he…” I shook my head. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”

  “He had me tied up, but not good enough. He’s not that bright. I got away.”

  That was my mom. She was one tough cookie.

  “Well, I can see where Scarlet gets her smarts,” Finn said.

  I pulled out my phone and dialed Alex’s number. Thank goodness he answered this time.

  “It’s about time you answered,” I said. “I thought maybe something bad had happened to you.”

  “Scarlett?” Alex asked.

  “Yes, it’s me. I need you… do come here. It’s an emergency. I left you a message.”

  “Well, you didn’t mention that it was urgent.”

  “No, I suppose I didn’t. Anyway, I have the killer tied up and we’re waiting here at the barn for you to come and get him.”

  “Wait. What?” he said in shock.

  “Well, don’t sound so surprised,” I said.

  I gave Alex the description of exactly how to get here.

  “I’ll see you soon,” I said in a breezy tone as if I wasn’t panicked.

  The three of us stood side-by-side staring at the killer as we waited for Alex and other police officers to arrive. Finn had the gun pointed at Ryan. My mother and I had our arms crossed in front of us. I had the shovel beside me just in case.

  Okay, now what? I realized it was going to be a while before the police got here. Were we really going to stand here and stare at this guy for all this time? But what else could we do? We couldn’t walk away and leave him alone. I really didn’t want to talk to him.

  “How did he get you, mom?” I asked.

  Ryan smirked as if he was enjoying this conversation reliving his dirty deeds.

  “It was in the shopping center. He just grabbed me as I was getting in the car and stuffed me in his truck. It all happened so fast. I’ve seen those crime shows where it happens to women and I never thought it would happen to me,” she said.

  “It happens all the time,” Finn said.

  “Thank goodness I got away from him though,” she said.

  I didn’t want to tell her how lucky she really was. This guy had killed before so he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

  “I’m still not sure why he did that,” she said.

  “Because he wanted to lure me here. I guess he figured the only way to do that was to have you. He was probably right. It wasn’t like I would just meet him out of here. I’m not that dumb.”

  Ryan scoffed.

  “Of course, you’re not, dear,” she said.

  “Oh, just go ahead and shoot me now,” Ryan said. “I can’t stand listening to you all chatter.”

  “Is our chat irritating you? Well, we’ll continue to do that. Perhaps I can share some of my cupcake recipes with you.” I smirked.

  Finn chuckled.

  “By the way, Scarlet, I watched the latest episode of your show,” my mother said. “And I really thought it was fantastic. You two are so good together.”

  I didn’t even look over at Finn. Now I was blushing. Please don’t let her start trying to play matchmaker with me standing here right next to Finn.

  “Are you going to tell me why you killed your wife, Ryan?” I asked.

  “You want me to give the details?” he asked.

  “That’s why I asked,” I said.

  He sighed. “I suppose it’s better than listening to you all chatter. It was for the insurance money. As simple as that, nothing complex. Plus, I just didn’t want to be with her anymore.”

 
“Have you ever heard of a thing called divorce?” I asked.

  “I couldn’t let her take the candy shop. Half of it is mine. Plus, I wanted the money. She would have gotten everything. No, it was much easier to just get rid of her,” he said.

  “You’re disgusting,” I said.

  “You will burn in hell,” my mother said with a wave of her index finger.

  Ryan released a wicked laugh. Something told me he didn’t care about that. What was taking Alex so long? I checked the time on my phone. Would he show up? I hoped they had no problems finding the place. Ryan wiggled as if he would actually break free.

  “Nice try,” I said with a smirk.

  My phone rang. When I looked at the screen, I recognized Lucille’s number. Normally I would say this was a bad time for her call, but since I hadn’t seen her, I was kind of freaked out. I was relieved that she was calling.

  “Lucille, where have you been?’ I asked when I answered.

  “Oh, dear, I forgot to tell you I was going on a little trip,” she said.

  “Yes, you forget to tell me. I stopped by to give you cupcakes and you were gone. Ms. Kitty was there, but then later your car was gone and so was Ms. Kitty.”

  “I took her with me. We were only gone a day. I should have told you. I went to see my dear friend in Columbus.”

  “Well, as long as you’re fine,” I said.

  “I am fine. And I called because I wanted to ask you about a recipe.”

  I glanced over at the killer. He snarled at me.

  “I’m kind of in the middle of something right now, Lucille, but I’ll stop by later.”

  “Okay, sure thing, dear. And stay safe,” she said.

  She had no idea.

  I’d just ended the call when sirens sounded in the distance. At that moment my legs wobbled, and I thought I might collapse. The stress had taken over and now that I thought the situation might be over I almost fainted.