Buttercream Bump Off [02] by Jenn McKinlay

Author:Jenn McKinlay
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2013-06-25T21:28:59.437000+00:00

“I know. Now, let‟s talk cupcakes,” he said.

He left just before Mel‟s class was to begin with a dozen cupcakes, one in every flavor.

Fifteen

Per usual, the Bickersons arrived first. Irene huffed into the kitchen, obviously put out with Dan—again.

“Agentle man would open a door for a lady,” she berated him. “Not let it slam in her face.”

“It slipped,” Dan said.

“Well, it wouldn‟t have if you‟d let me go first, like a person with manners and not some barnyard animal.”

“If the sow fits,” he returned.

Irene puffed out her cheeks. Her chubby face was becoming an alarming shade of red, and Mel and Angie glanced at each other, wondering how to head off the impending ruckus when the kitchen door swung open and in walked the rest of the class.

The Felixes, the Dunns, and the Koslowskis arrived, followed by Jay and Poppy Gatwick. As they greeted one another, the atmosphere in the room began to mellow, and the red receded from Irene‟s cheeks.

Angie worked one side of the table while Mel worked the other. The white chocolate batter was scooped into the industrial-size cupcake tins and placed in the oven.

The class took a short break while the cupcakes baked. Most of the couples went out the front door to stretch their legs and window-shop in Old Town. Poppy ducked into the shop‟s small restroom while Jay waited.

Angie‟s cell phone rang with a song from the Sewers and, with a big grin, she slipped out the back to take the call, which was undoubtedly Roach. Mel wondered what level their relationship had gotten to, since Angie had changed her ringtone for him. That seemed awfully serious, and she couldn‟t help but acknowledge she had never done that for Joe.

Mel took the free time to clean up the dirty bowls, cooking implements, and batter splatters before they started on the icing for the second half of the class.

“How‟s your mother, Melanie?” Jay asked as he helped put the bowls in the sink.

“She‟s all right,” Mel said. “My brother is in town, and that‟s keeping her occupied.”

“Good,” he said. “Poppy has been so distraught. She seems to think there is a strangler on the loose and is afraid to be alone. I tried to tell her it wasn‟t a random act of violence, but she‟s still afraid.”

A vision of Baxter Malloy‟s body crossed through Mel‟s mind, and she had to agree with Poppy. The thought that someone was capable of strangling another human being to death was horrifying.

“I don‟t blame her,” Mel said with a shudder.

“I want you to know,” Jay said, “that I‟ve been listening for any snippet of information that might be of help.”

“Have you heard anything?” Mel asked. She put her bowls in the sink and turned to face him.

She knew it would relieve her mother‟s mind if there was a solid suspect out there.

“The list of people who lost money in Baxter‟s scheme is daunting,” Jay said. “And yet …”

“Yet?” Mel encouraged him.

“I keep coming back to the Hargraves,” Jay said.

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