Death by Strawberry Cupcake Read online

  Traffic was heavy as usual. But the ride there was otherwise uneventful. I made a right turn and I was on the street for the candy shop. I pulled up along the curb at the spot where Finn had parked. I couldn’t believe that within seconds of setting there I spotted the car.

  My heart beat faster as I shoved it into drive and pulled away from the curb, falling behind that car. Was I actually going to follow this person? Apparently, I liked to live dangerously. Maybe I needed to rethink my attitude on living dangerously before I got myself killed. I kind of liked my life and wanted to live it out as long as possible.

  Chapter 9

  The car was probably completely unrelated to the crime. Now I was stalking an innocent person. But what is? What if this was actually the car on camera. Could I get that lucky? Because that was exactly what it would be… luck. Sure, I suppose the fact that I’d spotted the car out of the video was work on my part but other than that, but finding the car again was pure luck. I didn’t know, maybe it was fate. Unless of course this was the killer and I found myself in a dangerous situation, then I would say this was definitely unlucky.

  I kept a good distance behind the car so they wouldn’t notice me. The car made several times, but I wasn’t sure where it was headed. The farther we got away from the candy shop the more I wondered if the person was suspicious that I was following them. Maybe I should abandon this mission. But up ahead was a traffic light and I worried that if it turned red, I would be directly behind the car. The driver might get a good look at me.

  If this person had actually followed me to the studio then they already knew my car though. So it was probably pointless to try to hide now. If this was the killer and they knew my car then he might be on to me. This could definitely be more dangerous for me. My anxiety increased by the minute. The detective would probably frown upon us. But that being said, I had a license plate number now and I could give that to him.

  I didn’t have to tell him that I had followed the car in order to get the license plate number. That would be my little secret. I was just about to give up on following a car when the car pulled into a parking lot. I pulled along the street, hoping to go unnoticed. Although if this was the killer like I said it probably was too late for that. I watched as the person parked up close to the building and got out.

  He didn’t look my way so that was a good sign that they hadn’t noticed. It was a man, somewhat tall with dark hair. He walked into the building. Now what would I do? I had no idea what he was doing in there. I was apprehensive about calling the detective, but I really wanted to find out more about this car. If I knew what was inside that building that would help too.

  I stared at the building wondering how long the man would be inside. I couldn’t wait much longer without making a move. At least maybe I could find out what was inside the building. When my phone rang, I jumped. Oh, for heaven’s sake that scared me. My best friend Jamie Watkins was calling.

  “What are you doing?” Jamie asked in her usual cheery tone.

  “Spying on someone,” I said.

  There was a pause. “I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised about that coming from you. Who are you spying on now?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How do say this? You’re crazy. Don’t tell me you’re spying on the killer. Are you trying to track down who did this to that woman?”

  “I suppose you could say that, yes.”

  “I’m pretty sure that is a bad idea,” she said.

  She knew me well, and that I had made a bunch of bad decisions before, so why not add another one to my list?

  “Well, this car was suspicious, so I decided to follow him.”

  “You’re following strangers, I hope,” she said.

  “I don’t know who I’m following, so yes, I guess it’s a stranger. I think maybe I should go up to the building and find out what’s going on in there.”

  “No, no, no,” she said. “Bad idea. Do I need to come to Georgia and get you under control?”

  “That’s not likely to happen,” I said with a laugh.

  “Oh, don’t tempt me,” she said.

  She was right. Knowing her she would come here and try to straighten me out.

  “Okay, I won’t go find out what’s going on in the building. Are you just telling me that because that’s what you think you want me to hear?”

  “No, of course not,” I said with my fingers crossed.

  It didn’t count as a lie if I crossed my fingers, right? Yeah, that only worked if I was eight years old, never mind.

  “Listen, can I give you a call back?” I said.

  “Only if you promise me you’re leaving that place,” she said.

  “I promise I’m leaving,” I said. “Plus, I need to call the detective.”

  “Are you really telling me the truth?” she asked with suspicion in her voice.

  “Cross my heart,” I said.

  “All right, well, call me as soon as you can,” she said.

  “Talk to you later.”

  I didn’t tell her when I was leaving. I really was going to call the detective so that part hadn’t been a lie. I watched the building and dialed his number.

  “How are you, Scarlet?” he asked when he answered.

  “Well, all right, I suppose. I do have a bit of information for you.”

  “All right,” he said with skepticism in his voice.

  “I have a license plate number for you. I won’t go into detail right now about how I got it, but I think it could possibly be involved with the murder.”

  “What makes you think that?” he asked.

  I was hoping that I could get by without telling him how I got the license plate number.

  “Well, it’s a long story,” I said.

  I figured he didn’t have time to listen to a long story so he wouldn’t push the issue.

  “Do you think you can shorten the story for me?” he asked.

  I took that as more of a request than a question.”

  “All right, I suppose I’ll have to tell you eventually, but I hope you’re not upset with me.”

  “I’m listening,” he said.

  I got a video from one of the surrounding stores and I happen to see a car that was following me after I left the scene of the crime. Well, today when I came back through the area…” I wouldn’t tell him I’d come to the candy shop specifically on purpose. “I noticed this car again, so I followed it. I’m here at the building where the car pulled in and I got the license plate number. So that pretty much sums it up,” I said, releasing a deep breath.

  “You really shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

  “Yes, well what’s done is done, right?” I said with a chuckle.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t laugh in return.

  “I’ll take the license plate number,” he said. “But you have to stay out of this investigation. It’s for your own good.”

  I gave him the number and said, “Will you let me know what you find out?”

  Maybe I was pushing my luck.

  “I’ll look at the license plate number, Scarlet. But I need for you to leave that building right now.”

  I released another deep breath. “All right, I’ll leave.”

  Just as I said that I saw the man come out again and get in the car. Perfect timing. I would leave the building, but I didn’t tell the detective that I wouldn’t follow this man again.

  “Will you let me know if you find out anything about that license plate?” I said again. “After all, if this is the killer and they left me a note, I should know about it, right?”

  “I will absolutely let you know if there’s anything I think that will put you in danger,” the detective said.

  “I’m leaving now,” I said as I started the car.

  The green car was pulling out of the parking lot now. It would be much easier for me to follow this car if I wasn’t on the phone with the detective.

  “Talk to you soon,” I said.

  I pulled away from
the curb and fell in behind the car. I was even more anxious this time. But nevertheless, I stayed with the car as he made a couple of wrong turns. Soon we had arrived in front of the house. The brick ranch stretched out across the spacious yard. The red front door had a cute sign with the word Welcome on the front. My grandpa would have said having that on the front door was just asking for trouble. Not everyone was welcome, he’d said. I’d have to agree with that when it came to potential killers, even neighbors could be dangerous.

  He pulled into the driveway, but I stayed back a bit. What was the address? I squinted so I could see the numbers on the mailbox. That seemed familiar. And I’d been on the street before. Where had I heard this address? The man got out of the car and closed the garage door. Obviously, he must live here.

  I grabbed my bag and pulled out a piece of paper and pen to write down the address. I’d barely started the first number when I realized I had already written down the address. This was the address I had found for the candy shop owner. Yeah, I knew I was definitely onto something.

  Now I just needed to find out this man’s identity. Had he followed me on purpose? If he lived with Rhonda, then did he not know she had been murdered as he drove past the shop? He’d been driving by when the police were all around. Surely he would have been worried about her. here than driving that car. Though I needed to confirm that it was in fact the same car as on the video. But I thought for sure it was the same one.

  When my phone rang, I jumped a little. This time it was my mother. I tried to steady my breathing before I answered. If I didn’t, she would be suspicious and think I was being chased by the killer.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping since it’s your day off.”

  Oh, I hated to tell her no, but I really needed to look into this more.

  “I have a bunch of errands today, mom. Maybe we could do it on Sunday?” I asked.

  “Sure, I suppose that’s fine if you can’t make time for your mother,” she said.

  She acted like it was a joke, but I wondered if there was a hint of truth to her comment.

  “I’ll call you later tonight when I’m home,” I said.

  ‘Talk to you later, dear.”

  I suppose I really should get going. There was nothing more to see here. The guy wasn’t going to come back out. But when I noticed a neighbor out in her yard, I thought it would be a good idea to talk with her. It couldn’t hurt to ask if her questions. I could tell her that I was looking at buying the house that was for sale right across the street.

  Yes, that was a fabulous idea. I was kind of proud of myself for thinking of it. I wasn’t always the quickest with ideas, but this time I had truly outdone myself. I took the keys from the ignition and got out of the car.

  I pressed the key fob and locked the door as I headed across the street with a spring in my step. Calm down, Scarlet I reminded myself, you have an exactly solve the crime yet. At the rate I was going it was just a matter of time though. It hadn’t even been forty-eight hours yet and I was already getting close.

  The woman had the pruning shears in her hand and was working on her beautiful red rose bushes when I stepped up to the sidewalk. My movement caught her attention and she back glanced back me.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Hi,” she said, looking me up and down.

  “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”

  She frowned a bit, probably thinking I wanted to sell her something.

  I motioned at the house across the street. “I was looking at maybe buying the house and I just wanted to ask your opinion of the neighborhood. Do you like it?”

  I smiled and tried to seem like a friendly neighbor.

  She took off her gloves and walked over to me. “Yes, it’s very quiet.”

  No sooner had the words left her lips when we heard gunshots.

  “What was that?” I asked with panic in my voice.

  “Oh, my gosh it sounded like it was coming from my neighbor’s house,” she said. “I’ve never heard anything like that before. His wife was recently murdered, like yesterday and I’m really worried about him.”

  “And you said it’s good neighborhood?” I kind of forgot and just blurted out that question.

  “Maybe I should go check on him or call the police right away. Why don’t you stay here and I can have a look,” I said.

  “No, I don’t want you to go by yourself. We can just go knock on the door or something and see if he answers. If not, then we could have a welfare check from the police. Like I said, I’m really worried about him.”

  “So this was definitely her husband?”

  “Yes,” the woman said.

  Come on let’s go check it out,” I said.

  She followed me as we rushed over to the front door. I had no idea what to expect. It certainly sounded as if the gunshot had come from that house. What if the man has been so distraught that he killed himself? This was certainly a twist in the puzzle.

  The woman and I had stepped up to the front door now. She knocked and then rang the doorbell. My stomach was twisted into a knot just waiting for any sign of the man to answer. What if he was the killer and he had left me that note and now I was standing at his door? Kind of a personal delivery for a madman. I was kind of terrified. Maybe I should run away and call the police.

  There was no answer. The woman and I exchanged a look. When she knocked again, the door opened just a bit. Yeah, I really was freaking out. My eyes widened as I looked at her again.

  “What should we do now?” she whispered.

  “Maybe we can take a peek in and see if he’s inside. I know I saw him go into the house. And I’m almost positive those gunshots came from inside the house.”

  Did we know for sure that they have been gunshots? Maybe someone had set off fireworks nearby. Although this wasn’t the Fourth of July. Maybe there was a wedding. The woman grabbed the doorknob and pushed open just a bit.

  She peeked into the open door. “Hello, Mr. Blackwell. Are you there? It’s Judy from next door. I’m just checking on you.”

  Unfortunately, there was no answer. This was becoming more concerning by the second.

  “What’s the man’s first name?” I asked.

  She’d probably want to know why I was asking.

  “Just in case he thinks we’re solicitors or something,” I added.

  She nodded. “Right. Was she on a first name basis with her neighbor? I’d learned right away to call Lucille by her first name.

  ‘Hello, Ryan? Are you home?” she called out.

  At least now I had his name.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “I should go in and check,” I said.

  “I don’t know about that. Maybe we should just call the cops.” She took another peek inside the door. “Oh my gosh, I see legs on the floor. He’s on the floor in the kitchen.”

  “We have to go help him right away.”

  She pushed the door open all the way. When she hurried into the house I ran in after her. Even though I knew we had to check on him, I still wasn’t positive this was a great idea.

  Chapter 10

  The neighbor and I made our way through the front part of the house and into the kitchen area. Even though it was sunny outside the house didn’t have a lot of light since the windows were covered with closed blinds. There was a big window at the back by the dining area that allowed in a bit of light. A few more steps and I got a good look at the body now. He was laying on the ground with a large pool of blood underneath him.

  “Can you check and see if he’s alive and I’m going to look out the back,” I said. “Try not to touch anything.”

  A door that led from the kitchen into the backyard was wide open. I knew enough not to touch anything in the house. Obviously, it looked as if the man has been murdered. There was no gun left behind. If this had been self-inflicted then the weapon would still be there. I stood at the open back door and looked out over the backyard. There was no sign of any
one but the gate for the fence was wide open as well. It looked like a typical backyard with thick green lawn and trees that lined the perimeter of the yard. A tall wood fence enclosed the space. With the blue sky and fluffy white clouds, it was a picture-perfect day.

  “He’s not breathing,” the neighbor said from over my shoulder.

  I spun around. “We have to call the police.”

  I pulled the phone for my pocket and dialed 911. I would have called the detective, but I wasn’t sure that he would answer right away. This was an emergency. I couldn’t believe this was happening. And I was on the scene of both crimes. This was not going to be in my favor. What would the show’s producer say when she find out? She would probably fire me. She wouldn’t want that kind of controversy around.

  I wished I had been here sooner to help the man. I couldn’t help the candy shop owner, and now I couldn’t help her husband either. Someone obviously had it out for both of them. And to think that I had thought he was following me. Obviously, it had just been a coincidence. Nevertheless, it had brought me to his house. Just not soon enough.

  Now that I had placed the call, I told the neighbor that I thought we should wait outside.

  “That’s fine by me,” she said, rubbing her arms.

  As we headed back to the front door, we moved around the body. She held onto me as I led the way. We both stared at him as we hurried by as if he would somehow come to life and grab us. It was just a scary scene all around. Plus, we didn’t know if the killer had actually left the house. Sure, I’d seen the door open and the gate open, but he could still be in the house.

  Maybe if he entered through the gate and the door but hadn’t left that way. Or he could’ve had someone else with him and they were still behind in the house. It was definitely better that we got out of there. Or was it? I couldn’t just leave without looking through the rest of the house. Once the police arrived I would lose that chance forever.

  “You know what,” I said. “Why don’t you go ahead and go out. I heard something back there and I need to go check it out.”

  Her eyes widened. “’Are you crazy? You can’t go back there. I can’t let you do that.”