Sugar Skulls and Suspects by Paula Lester

Author:Paula Lester [Lester, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery
Publisher: Paula Lester
Published: 2020-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

When they got back to Sugar Skulls Bakery, Max and Hope found that the crowd outside the front door had grown so much there was no way they’d be able to get through. Some people picketed, carrying signs warning people away from buying Max’s baked goods. Some chanted: Stay away or it may be your last day!

“Last day? Seriously?” Max was shocked. People actually thought her baked goods may kill them?

But Hope pointed at a second set of people. They were holding back the crowd, providing a small space for people who wanted to go into the shop to get through. And Max realized there was a fairly steady stream of people doing just that—going in and coming out with armloads of goodies.

Suddenly, a woman climbed onto the hood of a car parked on the street right in front of Sugar Skulls. She raised a sign over her head, shaking it. “Don’t risk it! This bakery is selling poisoned goods. Someone died right here on the sidewalk after they ate at this shop!”

Other picketers erupted with supportive noises, cheers, and louder chanting.

Then another voice broke through the ruckus. It was a man. “That was a coincidence! Max’s baking is safe and tasty!”

Max strained to see who was defending her, finding a middle-aged man in a baseball cap. She recognized him—he came into the bakery once a week or so and always told Max he’d come in more often but needed to watch his weight because he was a heart patient. She felt a surge of gratefulness for him standing up for her.

“It might be tasty, but it’s the last taste you’ll ever have!” The woman on the car waved her sign some more. “She should close down! We don’t need her handing out poison to our town’s kids.”

Max’s spine straightened. Poison? To kids? The woman made her bakery sound like a drug dealer’s haunt. She stepped forward, intending to jump in the fray and defend herself, but Hope grabbed her arm and shook her head. “You’ll only rile up this mob,” she said. “Best to stay out of it until we know what’s going on.”

Just then, Sofia appeared in the doorway of the bakery. “We’re out of baked goods for today. We’ll be closing early.” She disappeared back inside, and the sign in the door flipped to Closed as the lights went out.

They’d sold out in spite of the protestors? That was good news.

“Any publicity is good publicity?” Hope suggested.

Max shrugged. “Maybe. I guess I’ll head home and talk to Nana. Care to join me?”

Hope nodded, and they scooted around to the back of the building to Max’s car. They got to the farmhouse before Sofia and Nana made it back from the bakery, and Max got out some cheese and crackers and a pitcher of iced tea. She led Hope to the back deck, and they sat munching away in companionable silence. Max thought about what they’d learned about the bakery, and her stomach fluttered a bit thinking about confronting Nana about it.

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