Crepes and Crimes by Constance Barker

Author:Constance Barker [Barker, Constance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Constance Barker
Published: 2020-01-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Ugh! All that effort, and it turned out to be a dead end. I was so sure Sam had something to do with Derrick’s murder. Turned out he was acting sketchy when Masie asked him about the fire alarm because he’d been trying to drug Derrick, not kill him.

I felt like my entire morning had been a waste of time. I could literally see the dark cloud of failure looming over my head, waiting to let loose a deluge.

Sneaking back the way I came, I sent a small wave to Vivian, Stella, Red, and Henry, adding an enthusiastic thumbs up for their performance. Vivian grinned and bowed like the perfect thespian. Giggling quietly, I hurried out to the parking lot before anyone else noticed me.

As I flopped down into the driver’s seat and started the engine, I wondered if this might be the end of my career as an investigator. I was pretty bummed that none of my theories had panned out so far.

It was still early in the day. There wasn’t any traffic as I pulled out into the street and headed for the bakery. If I could come up with the final design for the wedding cake, perhaps today wouldn’t be a complete wash.

A colorful sign caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I looked over at the little shop. Buds of May, the only flower shop in town. My mind started churning. Flowers. Cake. Cake with flower designs. Perhaps, I could find some inspiration inside.

Parking along the mostly empty street, I jumped out of the car and headed inside. The air in the shop was filled with a sweet blend of roses, hyacinth and jasmine. Along with some I couldn’t place. I inhaled deeply. It was divine.

“Oh, Coco! What brings you into my little neck of the woods?”

Turning towards the front counter, I saw Rodney Wilcox. He stood behind the register with a wide smile on his face that showed pearly white teeth. This must be his customer service personality. It was nothing like the angry brother I’d seen dragging Maribelle to his car in front of the grocery.

“Hi Rodney. I forgot you owned this place.” I smiled back.

His smile faltered a fraction, but he caught himself before it fell completely. “Are you in the market for some flowers today. Perhaps a little something to brighten up the bakery?”

“I’m actually hoping to be inspired,” I replied, explaining that I was having a difficult time coming up with the design for the wedding cake.

“Maribelle wants ranunculus, chrysanthemum, and hydrangea on the cake. I’ve been trying to figure out how to fit them together in a way that’s elegant but also a little edgy. Something no one’s ever seen before.”

“I happen to have some of those in the back. If you’d like to see them, I can show you,” he offered.

“That would be wonderful! Seeing them would certainly help me get a better visual on what I’m supposed to be working with,” I exclaimed.

He led me into the back room.

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