Murder in the Mix by Marissa De Luna

Author:Marissa De Luna [De Luna, Marissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Chapter Twenty-Six

‘So, you were there,’ Olivia said conspiratorially as they stood in line at Jacinta’s, the new bakery.

‘Urgh, the queue,’ said Shilpa, ignoring her friend. ‘Her cakes must be good.’

‘She may be Indian,’ Olivia said, ‘but she isn’t doing anything like you – you know, the east-meets-west fusion thing.’

‘What’s that then?’ Shilpa asked, admiring a rasmalai cake in the chilled cabinet. ‘I’ll have a slice of that,’ she said, pointing to the white-and-yellow cake, ‘to take away.’ She smiled at her server, who was wearing a name badge. ‘Jacinta,’ she said. ‘I’m looking forward to trying this.’

‘I hope you like it,’ the owner said with a smile. ‘I love your shoes, by the way.’

Shilpa was wearing black velvet pumps with embroidered cupcakes on the toes. Shilpa thanked her for the compliment, ordered a slice of halwa cake for Olivia and paid up. They took their cake to Leoni’s. Leoni’s wasn’t a place where you could take your own, but Leoni was a friend, and Shilpa needed to sample the competition in a neutral environment.

‘What’s that?’ Leoni asked as she brought over two pots of peppermint tea.

‘Jacinta’s,’ said Olivia, taking a forkful of the carrot pudding cake. ‘What is this?’ she asked.

‘It’s grated carrot, simmered in milk and sweetened with sugar and cardamom. Is it that good? Your face!’

Olivia straightened her expression. ‘It’s okay,’ she said, taking another forkful.

‘Let me try,’ Leoni said. ‘Oh,’ she said after a mouthful. ‘That is good. And she’s doing teas and coffees. I don’t want her taking my custom.’

‘You’re packed,’ Shilpa said. ‘I don’t think you’re going to have a problem.’

‘On that note,’ Leoni said, ‘I better get back to it.’

Shilpa turned to Olivia. ‘You don’t think Leoni is going to change her cake supplier, do you?’

Olivia shook her head. ‘She’ll have me to deal with if she does.’

Shilpa glanced at her friend’s nearly empty plate. Jacinta’s was a better focus than worrying about the pregnancy test she hadn’t taken. She decided not to tell Olivia about it in the same way she had decided to keep it from Tanvi. Instead, she brought up Felicity Grave.

‘Danny knows about it,’ Olivia said.

Danny and Shilpa had been in university together, and by coincidence he was Olivia’s brother-in-law. He had recently been promoted to detective sergeant at Glass Bay. Danny never gave anything away, so when Olivia said that Danny had spilled the beans on the Felicity Grave case, Shilpa was keen to know what exactly he had said.

‘It’s definitely suspicious. They released a statement this morning,’ Olivia said.

‘Does Danny know how she died?’

Olivia pursed her lips. ‘Poison,’ she whispered.

‘He said that?’ Shilpa asked incredulously. This wasn’t like Danny at all.

‘Well, not exactly,’ Olivia confessed.

Shilpa’s shoulders dropped. ‘I knew it was too good to be true.’

‘I did overhear him the other day when I went over to help Lo with the baby.’

‘What did you overhear?’ Shilpa asked.

‘You’re doing it again,’ Olivia said.

‘What?’ Shilpa asked.

‘You’re investigating this, aren’t you? In which case, I should keep my mouth shut.’ Olivia motioned pulling a zipper across her lips.

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