Death by Strawberry Cupcake Read online

“No, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to check on you. I thought maybe you remembered something else. Maybe seeing someone at the store?”

  “Well, now that you mention it, yes,” I said. “I received a strange note at the studio today.”

  “Really?” he asked with interest.

  I proceeded to tell the detective about what happened.

  “I’m going to need that note right away. Where are you?” I’m free now.”

  Would I really have the detective show up at the coffee shop when I was with Finn? Nevertheless, I supposed it had to be done. I gave the detective my location.

  “I’ll be over right away,” he said.

  Finn smiled when we made eye contact. He had no idea what was about to happen.

  Chapter 5

  Finn had just gotten our order and was walking to the table when the detective walked through the door. Finn stopped in his tracks and stared at the detective. Of course, Detective Bailey stared back at Finn as well. They watched each other for what seemed like an awkward long period of time. I supposed it was a surprise for Finn to see the detective here, but it shouldn’t be that shocking really.

  I was surprised that the detective had shown up so quickly. Was he right around the corner when I’d called? I supposed he was since the crime scene at the candy shop place wasn’t far away. It would take a minute to get here. Maybe I should’ve waited until Finn left.

  I waved the detective over. He wore the typical white shirt, black pants, and a tie that he usually wore. Sometimes the tie was blue, sometimes red. The fact that I’d seen him enough to know this was kind of disturbing. Though in a way I liked it. If only seeing him was because of people being murdered. I’d rather not see him under those circumstances.

  Finn approached the table as well and placed our coffee down. He didn’t take a seat though. The detective sat right across from me. That was probably where Finn had probably originally wanted to sit. This was more awkward than I had imagined. Finn ultimately pulled a chair from the other table and sat at a bit of a distance away from the table. I guessed he didn’t want to sit beside the detective.

  “Would you like something to drink?” I asked.

  He waved his hand. “No, I have to go back soon. Do you have the note?”

  He was just getting right down to business. I nodded and then pulled out the paper.

  “Here it is,” I said.

  Detective Bailey stared at the note. I knew by the expression on his face that he was concerned.

  “As I said, the receptionist took the note for the man. She gave me his description, but it was no one I recognized. She said that he had received it from someone on the street who asked him to deliver it.”

  “It sounds as if someone didn’t want to be identified as the person giving you the note.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought,” Finn said, putting himself into the conversation.

  “You’re the cohost, right?” Detective Bailey asked.

  He knew exactly who Finn was. I think he was just trying to get under Finn’s skin.

  “That’s right,” Finn said with a smile. “We work closely together.”

  Detective Bailey ignored the comment.

  “We’ll try to locate the man who delivered the note and get a description of the real author of this little poem. Unfortunately, there are no cameras outside of the studio, but we might find some at surrounding areas,” the detective said.

  “In the meantime, I’m there to protect Scarlet,” Finn said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Are you sure you’re all right, Scarlet?” Detective Bailey asked, studying my face.

  It was so strange to have both of these handsome men staring at me at this exact moment. My whole body tingled. I wouldn’t lie and say that I didn’t think both of them were gorgeous.

  “Do you have any clues on the murder?” I asked.

  “Nothing yet,” he said. “We’re working on getting video from surrounding areas.”

  “I have an idea,” I said.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Well, I thought maybe the chili was outside watching the police arrive and everything. Perhaps he had been around at the time that I entered and knew that she would be discovered so he was watching it all play out. Kind of like reality TV for him. He might have gotten some enjoyment out of it.”

  The detective studied my face for a moment and leaned back in the chair. “You may be onto something.”

  “That would explain why you didn’t find a killer on the scene. But yet the killer knew that I was the one who found the body. He followed me all the way from the candy shop to the studio. Then found someone to leave the note.”

  I was kind of proud of my deduction.

  “It’s a thought, but I wouldn’t think about this too much, Sherlock,” Detective Bailey said.

  Finn laughed. I glared at them both.

  “Just be safe, okay?” the detective said.

  “If I think of anything else, I’ll make sure to let you know,” I said.

  A slight grin appeared on the detective’s face again. It was hard to believe that I was now sitting in the coffee shop with the detective and Finn when just a short time ago I’d been handcuffed and sure that I was headed to prison.

  “I’ll take this note with me,” the detective said. “We’ll check it for fingerprints.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked as he stood from the table.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said.

  “Yes, I’ll take care of her,” Finn said.

  Surprisingly, the detective shook Finn’s hand. At least they were being polite now.

  “I’ll talk to you soon,” Detective Bailey said.

  I watched as the detective walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Finn and me alone. Now that the seat across from me was empty, Finn moved over to the table with me.

  “I think he likes you,” Finn said. “But what’s not to like?”

  “What?” I asked, trying to sound shocked. “Why would you even say something like that?”

  Finn took a sip of his coffee as looked at me. “Oh, come on, Scarlet, I can see it written all over his face. Plus, he didn’t arrest you.”

  “But he placed me in handcuffs,” I said, pointing at my wrists.

  “Only until he realized it was you and then they came off.”

  “Why wouldn’t they come off?” I said, holding my hand up. “It’s not as if I was the murderer, so of course he took me out of the handcuffs.”

  “I know you’re not the killer,” Finn said.

  “Thanks for sounding so confident,” I said. “Anyway, that’s neither here nor there if he likes me.”

  “Why is that?” Finn asked with a slight smile. “Do you like him?”

  I wished I could disappear at this moment. I didn’t know who I liked. I liked the detective, but then, I liked Finn too. Yes, I liked Finn, but enough to date him?

  “I’m not going to discuss anything like. That ridiculous.”

  Finn just smiled as if he was gotten something over on me. I would really like to know what he was thinking but I didn’t want to further this conversation.

  “Well, I suppose I should head home. I have a lot of things to do around the house.”

  “In all seriousness, Scarlet, I worry about you,” he said.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said.

  This was a bit sweeter side of Finn. He was usually kidding around and acting kind of casual. I’d never seen him actually worried like this. Which was making me even more anxious. Did I really have something to worry about? Would the killer follow me home? Maybe I was in serious danger. But I didn’t know who the killer was so why were they worried about me identifying them?

  “Thank you for the coffee, and most of all, thank you for worrying about me,” I said.

  “Of course,” he said, touching my hand. “I enjoy worrying about you.”

  I stared at him, trying to
decide if he was joking. When he laughed, I joined in.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He motioned over his shoulder.

  Finn and I walked out to the car. Of course, I was looking around for any sign of a stranger. It would be hard if I didn’t know who I was looking for. We got inside the car and I tapped my fingers against the seat.

  “You’re nervous,” he said, touching my hand.

  A bit of energy zapped through me as he touched me.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  He chuckled. “It’s all right.”

  His touch lingered on my hand for just a moment before he started the car.

  “Maybe we can drive by that candy shop,” I said. “Before you take me back to my car.”

  “Why do you want to go by there?”

  “I don’t know, I’m just curious and thought I would have another look at the place.”

  “Do you want to see where the person may have been hiding?” Finn asked as he pulled out of the lot.

  “It was just a thought,” I said with a shrug.

  “I didn’t say it was a bad idea,” he said.

  I smiled just a hint. “So then we’re going?”

  “Of course I’ll take you over there, but we’re not going in.”

  “No.” I laughed. “I don’t think they’d let us in there considering it’s a crime scene.”

  “I still can’t believe that you were there,” he said as he headed down the street.

  “It’s all surreal to me too,” I said.

  Finn drove toward the candy shop which was only a few blocks away. The shop was close to the studio, so it would’ve been easy for the killer to follow me all the way there. Did I remember seeing anybody behind me? No. My thoughts had been occupied at the time though. My thoughts were so jumbled about what happened that I didn’t think I was fully aware of my surroundings. Within a short time, we neared the candy shop. I started scanning the area for any possible hideouts.

  Finn pulled up along the curb and shoved the car into the park. “The killer could’ve been sitting right here in the car like this.”

  “I suppose he could have had a great view of the door as I was coming out. But why was he waiting here?”

  “Maybe this was just where he’d parked his car. He heard you come in he took off and came back to his car. Then he waited to see if you came out or what happened.”

  “I like the way you think,” I said.

  Finn smiled. “Thank you. See, I’m not such a bad guy to have around.”

  “I never said you were.”

  “I know we make a great team in more ways than one.” Finn glanced at me, giving me a lingering look.

  Okay, I didn’t think I was imagining things. Was he flirting with me? Calm down, Scarlet. It was Finn. He flirted with all the ladies. I was nothing special.

  Okay, now he really was giving me butterflies. Perhaps I really needed to get out of here. I scanned the area for any other clues.

  “I suppose the other businesses might have some surveillance we could look for that,” I said.

  “What else is in the area?”

  There were only two other businesses around. The candy shop was on a side street and not as high traffic as the main street around the corner. One of the places was a quilt shop and the other was a vitamin store.

  “It might be faster if we break out for this,” I said.

  “So you’re working with me now?” Finn asked.

  “As if I have a choice,” I said.

  “Wow, what a compliment. You’re stuck with me,” he said.

  “You know what I mean,” I said, trying to make him feel better with a smile.

  I’d always liked working alone.

  “I’ll take a vitamin store and you take the craft store,” I said.

  “I don’t know much about quilts,” he said.

  “Do you know a lot about vitamins?” I asked.

  “No, not that either,” he said.

  “Well, then go check out the quilt,” I said. “You’re not going to buy one. You just need to ask them about surveillance.”

  “Do you think they’ll really give me that information? This seems like something they would only give the police.”

  “They won’t know that you’re not the police,” I said.

  Chapter 6

  “Okay, so let me get this straight. You want me to go into the shop and tell them I’m with the police department and get surveillance video. That’s your plan? You can’t impersonate a police officer,” Finn said.

  “I didn’t say impersonate. Just don’t tell them you’re not. Don’t tell them you are either.”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this. What if they ask?”

  “Then you have to tell the truth,” I said.

  “This sounds bad,” he said. “I’m just going to tell the truth. I’ll tell them that I’m looking for the killer and I want to see the video.”

  “As simple as that?” I asked.

  “Yes, as simple as that.”

  “Nothing is simple, but we have to do difficult things sometimes.”

  “You are a brave woman,” he said.

  “Well, I have to be. I’m looking for a killer. That’s pretty scary stuff.”

  “You could just let the police do it,” he said.

  “Where’s the fun in that?” I asked.

  Finn and I got out of the car. I headed one way and he went to the other. Light traffic moved up and down the street. A few people walked in and out of nearby shops. It was just business as usual on this quiet street. As if a murder hadn’t occurred just a short time ago. The scene flashed through my mind again and a chill ran up my spine. Why did people have to be so evil? The killer had taken Rhonda’s life. That person needed to be behind bars.

  I was extra aware of my surroundings as I walked down the sidewalk. My phone alerted me to a text message. When I checked it, I realized it was from Finn. I glanced over my shoulder. He was walking backwards and watching me. He waved.

  Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to be walking down the street alone?

  After all, you did just basically receive a death threat.

  Thanks for reminding me.

  I sent the message and tossed my hand up at him. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from doing things that were necessary. Whoever had sent that note was not going to get the best of me. A few moments later I had reached the vitamin shop. Not only did Your Healthy Body Shop have vitamins, but they offered other health related supplies. Plus, protein shakes and smoothies. I stepped into the store and immediately the employee behind the counter greeted me. The dark-haired woman wiped her hands on her white apron. She wore a red t shirt underneath with the shop’s logo across the front. She eyed me up and down with her big brown eyes. Was she suspicious already?

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  I realized that I needed to sound extremely confident in what I was asking for. If I sounded the slightest bit unsure then I probably wouldn’t get what I come in here for.

  “I’m investigating the crime that happened right next door.” I gestured toward the building.

  The woman’s eyes widened. “Oh, gosh, yes. It was terrible. I spoke with the police earlier. Are you a detective?”

  Finn would be really happy now. I hadn’t expected her to ask that question so soon. Now how would I get around that?

  “No, I’m not,” I said.

  I had to be truthful.

  “Did you see anything around the time of the murder before or after?”

  I didn’t give her a chance to ask who I was. I just hoped that she didn’t press the issue.

  “I didn’t notice a thing,” she said. “Of course, I was inside here working. We hadn’t even opened up yet. There was no reason for me to look outside.”

  “Do you happen to have surveillance cameras outside of your store?”

  “Luckily we do have one. I shared that with the police,” she said.

  “Yes, I figured you
were had,” I said. “Would you mind showing that to me?”

  She raised an eyebrow, but she still didn’t ask who I was. “I can send you a copy of the file if you don’t like.”

  “That would be fantastic,” I said. “Here’s my name, my phone number, and my email.”

  She studied my face for a moment. “You look for familiar. Where have I seen you before?”

  I really didn’t want her to know who I was, but I supposed I had just given her my name. She would figure it out eventually.

  “I do the baking show. The Cupcake Whisperer.”

  She pointed her finger. “Yes, that’s where I’ve seen you from. I’ve seen the show. I like it.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile.

  As soon as she saw the news, she would realize I was the one that had found the body at the candy shop. This was no way to keep that quiet.

  I left the shop with no new information, but I was hopeful that I would get the video. With any luck, Finn had discovered something. Although I would probably be jealous that he had been the one that got the scoop and not me. I really needed to get over that. Honestly, I would be happy with any information he found. After all, this was life or death and not a time to be competitive.

  As I walked on the sidewalk headed back to his car, is still hadn’t seen him come out of the shop. What was taking so long? There was only one thing for me to do. I would go to the quilt shop and check on him, just in case something was wrong. But what could possibly be wrong at the quilt shop? A chill came over me as I thought about the killer having watched me come out of the candy shop. My phone alerted me to a text message. When I checked the screen, I stopped in my tracks.

  I’m watching you.

  I looked all around frantically. Where the killer? In another shop? In a car? Right behind me? I glanced over my shoulder. Nope, not back there. Checking the phone again, I realized the text was from Finn. I looked over his car. He waved. I was going to get him for that. It was totally not funny. I stomped across the street toward him.

  He held his hands up. “Wow. Why are you mad at me?”

  “Why are you trying to scare me?”

  “What did I do?” he asked.

  “This text message,” I said, waving my phone in front of him. “I’m watching you?”