Dead Men Don't Eat Cookies (24 page)

“I must be hungry,” Olivia said. “Those cookies smell delicious.”

Maddie deposited the sheet on a cooling rack. “They smell delicious, my friend, because they
are
delicious. Try one.” Maddie handed Olivia a cooled sleeping kitten cookie.

Olivia took a bite and sighed with pleasure. “Cookies do make everything better.”

“How true.” Maddie began to gather bowls and pans for washing. “I’ve baked more than enough animal-shaped cookies for the event at Chatterley Paws on Saturday evening. She glanced up at the kitchen clock. “In an hour, it’ll only be Thursday, so I’ll have plenty of time to get these little guys decorated.” She pointed to a rack of cooled, sleeping kitten-shaped cookies. “I’m thinking of piping multicolored stripes on those little guys. You know, like pale green and teal, or maybe hot pink and purple.”

Olivia arched an eyebrow at her friend. “Cats don’t appreciate insults to their dignity.”

Maddie shrugged one shoulder. “The little critters are
napping. They’ll never know.” She began to fill a cake pan with cooled kittens. “Hey, what should we do next? I’m bursting with pent-up energy.”

Olivia rolled her stiff shoulders. “I’ve been sitting at a computer for too long. At least I’ve caught up on actual store tasks, like ordering supplies and responding to customer emails.” Olivia picked up the copy of the note. “I should tell Del my theory about what this note really says, but . . .”

“But you don’t want him to leap to the outrageous, yet true conclusion that we plan to investigate on our own?” Without waiting for an answer, Maddie added, “Because I completely agree. We wouldn’t want Del to worry. Worry is one of the major causes of premature aging.” Maddie snuggled the last sleeping kitten into the cake pan and slid the cover shut. “I’ll store these cooled cookies in the freezer,” she said. “I can put the others away afterward.”

“Afterward? You mean tomorrow morning?” Olivia lifted the laptop lid and clicked the email icon. She had two new emails, one from Del and the other from her mom.

“It’s almost tomorrow now,” Maddie said.

“Uh-huh.” Olivia clicked on Del’s email.

“Livie, you really aren’t tracking well. You should probably leave the multitasking to me.”

“Del says the forensic team is finishing a DNA test on the skull right now,” Olivia said. “Del is so excited, he’s decided to stick around for a while. He says the lab folks can’t stand the suspense. Neither can he. He borrowed someone’s laptop so he could let me know. That’s sweet.”

“That’s probably because poor, patient Del tried to text you and discovered your phone is, as usual, dead.” Maddie wedged the cake pan of cookies into an already well packed freezer. “So Chatterley Heights is without police protection tonight—by which I mean police interference, of course.”

“What? Oh, Del says that Twiterton will handle any 911 calls.” Olivia blinked her eyes, which felt dry from staring at the computer screen. “He has decided to stay at the lab until
he hears the DNA results. Then he’ll head straight home. I wish he wouldn’t drive when he hasn’t had any sleep.” Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. “I’m sorry, Maddie, what were you saying?”

Maddie hiked herself onto the counter next to the laptop. Olivia barely had time to yank her hands off the keyboard before Maddie closed the lid. “Livie, we need to go to that boarding house. Now. There’s a good chance Alicia is in there with this Jack person, who might or might not be a thoroughly nice guy.”

“Maddie, I gave the key back to Mom, and it isn’t all that easy to break into that building. Those new locks are solid. You should know that—after all, Lucas installed them. Also, the windows are boarded up on the ground floor. Besides, the police have been in and out of the place so much lately. All things considered, it doesn’t seem like a very tempting place to hide out.”

Maddie’s eyebrows shot up. “Not a tempting place? Are you kidding? Part of the famous Chatterley cookie cutter collection was recently discovered in that boarding house. The kitchen is the only room Calliope and her workers have finished renovating. They were just getting started on all those rooms upstairs. Who knows what secrets lurk behind those old walls?”

“I do not intend to go out in the cold and spend the night tearing down boarding house walls. We’re more likely to find mice than Chatterley cookie cutters. Mom has the key, and she is frantic to find Alicia. I’m sure she checks regularly for any signs that Jack and Alicia might be using the building as a hideout. Mom will be thorough beyond what is normally considered human. It’s more likely Jack has taken Alicia somewhere far away from Chatterley Heights. Personally, I suspect Alicia went with Jack willingly and is safe with him.”

“Poop head.”

“Besides, I have more emails to write,” Olivia said. “I
want to get the Binnie situation under control before she humiliates poor Lenora with those photos.”

Maddie fit another covered pan of cookies into the packed freezer. “Good luck controlling Binnie. She’s likely to smack Lenora even harder, if only to get back at you.”

“That’s why I’m turning the project over to my mom. She can handle Binnie much better than I can. I figure Mom can get away with gushing about Ned’s work, if that’s what it takes to soften up Binnie.” Olivia downloaded Ned’s prizewinning photo and attached a copy to the email to her mother. “The photo is really quite good, but Binnie would never believe that coming from me.”

“Ellie is amazing, that’s for sure,” Maddie said. “Not that you don’t have your own gifts, Livie. You write a really stunning business plan, and no one can equal your paperwork skills.”

“Um, thank you?” Olivia copied Ned’s email address and added it to the text of her email. “I wish I had your gift with decorated cookies.”

“You do okay.” Maddie began selecting gel icing colors to use on her shelter animal cookies. “I mean, you haven’t ruined a batch of royal icing in years.”

Olivia hit send, and her email whooshed off to her mother. “Okay, Maddie, what’s with the passive-aggressive act? Are you mad at me just because I’d rather not wander around outside after dark on a cold, windy night?”

Maddie took a deep breath and released a noisy sigh. “Well, since you ask . . . Lately you’ve been so, I don’t know . . . so
adult
. Here we have a lovely mystery to investigate—two mysteries, in fact, one even colder than the other, both of them utterly fascinating. I’m way ahead on the baking for the week. You’ve placed the orders for supplies. Your mother will use her wiles to save Lenora from the wrath of Binnie. Yet the most totally intriguing puzzles are the ones you don’t seem truly interested in solving. Livie, my friend,
you have lost touch with your inner Nancy Drew and become all grown-up Business Woman.”

“Well, I did solve the riddle of the cryptic note. That was Nancy Drewish.” Olivia thought of several more retorts, but they all sounded equally defensive.

Maddie stared wide-eyed at her best friend since age ten. After several seconds, a faint chortling sound came from her throat. Then she began to laugh. Olivia joined her.

When they’d caught their breath, Olivia asked, “You really want to go out and look for Alicia, don’t you? Because it’s frigid and windy out there, not to mention dark. She and Jack might be anywhere, including another town. Or is finding Alicia an excuse to search for more cookie cutters in the Chatterley Boarding House?”

“The two are not mutually exclusive,” Maddie said. “I’ll admit, the thought of finding more of the Chatterley collection makes my heart go pitter-patter. Don’t tell me
you
wouldn’t love to go antique cutter hunting, because I wouldn’t believe you for an instant.”

Olivia yawned. She wasn’t really tired, simply tired of sitting. A walk might help. Maybe the wind had calmed down a bit. And she could take Spunky along. He’d been cooped up for quite a while and undoubtedly needed a visit to that doggie bathroom called the great outdoors. “Mom did mention a board covering one of the ground floor windows was loose,” she said. “In a sense, we wouldn’t really be breaking in . . . exactly.”

“Yippee!” Maddie pumped her arm in the air.

“However, I draw the line at breaking windows or tearing down walls. Even if Mom didn’t notice, Calliope would, and she’d tell Mom.”

“Understood,” Maddie said. “We’ve seen only the kitchen and room eight. We could check the other rooms for signs of tampering or repair. There’s probably a cellar, too . . . and maybe an attic.”

“Then we’d better get moving.” Olivia turned off the
laptop. “I do not intend to be out all night. We have to work tomorrow.”

In under ten minutes, Olivia returned to the kitchen, dressed warmly and toting an eager Yorkie. She found Maddie, wrapped in a long sweater, loading the last soiled coffee cup into the dishwasher. “Are you sure you’ll be warm enough in that sweater?” Olivia asked.

“I’ll freeze to death.” Maddie pulled a set of car keys from her sweater pocket. “My little VW is parked in the alley. We should drive to the boarding house, at least most of the way. We can park out of sight and walk around the perimeter first. I’m pretty sure I could survive that much exposure to the elements. Spunky will find plenty of tempting smells to guide him to his doggie bathroom.”

“Okay, I’ll be right behind you. Spunky’s leash didn’t snap on right, so I need to fix it. Hold still, Spunks.” Olivia held the squirming Yorkie under one arm as she tried to attach the leash firmly to his collar. Finally, it snapped into place. “There, that should do it.” She started toward the back door . . . and froze. Maddie stood framed in the open doorway facing Olivia, the pitch-black alley behind her. The look on Maddie’s face told Olivia that something was very, very wrong.

“Maddie?” Olivia realized she was whispering.

Maddie slewed her expressive eyes down and to the side. Olivia followed Maddie’s silent instructions but could see only darkness in the alley behind her. Maddie jerked as if she’d been poked in the back. Spunky growled and strained at his leash so hard it pulled him up on his hind legs. Olivia understood at once. Although she saw nothing, someone must be right behind Maddie, holding a weapon against her back. Olivia scooped up Spunky, while her eyes swept the kitchen, searching for a knife, anything . . . but Maddie had cleaned too thoroughly.

Olivia considered releasing Spunky. No, that was too risky. He had no clue how tiny he was. He could be hurt or worse. It was too late, anyway. Maddie jerked again and took
a step into the light of the kitchen. The partial outline of a figure appeared behind her. The intruder’s shoulders were broader than Maddie’s, but he or she must be shorter, since Olivia couldn’t see the top of a head. Maddie’s wild hair hid the face.

In a matter of seconds, Olivia’s questions were answered. Maddie’s captor pushed her inside and slammed the alley door behind them. Clutching Spunky under one arm, Olivia rushed forward to stabilize her friend, who teetered as if she might lose her balance. “Who are you? What do you want?” Olivia had to shout to be heard over Spunky’s ferocious yapping.

The intruder stepped into view. He wore a knit face mask, as if he’d been out for a mid-winter walk in an arctic climate. He appeared to be a short, thin man, although dark clothing covered him from head to toe. “Shut that mutt up, or I’ll kill him.”

“Maddie, are you all right?” Olivia’s question came out hushed and squeaky.

Maddie gave her a faint nod. Her translucent eyes seemed to darken against her ashen skin.

Spunky squirmed to escape his mistress’s right arm, wrapped firmly around his small body. Olivia gripped his collar with her left hand. The frustrated Yorkie snarled at the intruder with a fierceness Olivia had never heard before. The intruder stepped backward. Sensing fear from his quarry, Spunky wriggled mightily, paws flailing. Olivia struggled to hold on to him as he strained forward. She didn’t want to squeeze too hard and hurt the little guy. Maddie rushed forward to help, but Spunky was wriggling too much.

In the midst of chaos, Olivia had a sudden, clear thought. Without loosening her hold on Spunky, she studied the intruder. He hadn’t moved. In fact, he appeared frozen in place, his empty hands hanging at his sides. Despite the threatening mask, he seemed . . . The word “uncertain” popped into her
mind. At once, it hit her. Either he was afraid of a five pound dog . . . or he wasn’t armed.

Olivia lowered Spunky to the floor. Keeping a firm grip on his leash, she released her enraged protector. With the aggressive stance of a much larger dog, Spunky lunged forward, nearly yanking the leash from Olivia’s hand. The intruder stepped backward. Again, he did not reach for a weapon . . . but he didn’t run out into the alley, either.

“Who are you?” Olivia had to raise her voice to be heard over Spunky’s yapping. “What do you want?”

Maddie took a step toward the man. “Hey, I felt you poke me in the back. I thought you had a knife,” she said. “Where is it?” When the man neither responded nor produced a weapon, Maddie strode toward him. “That’s what I thought. You’re nothing but a faker.” She reached toward his head as if to yank off the knit mask. The intruder spun around and grabbed for the alley door, but Maddie was too quick for him. She snatched at the top of the face mask and whipped it off his head. With her free arm, Maddie seized his shoulder and spun him around to face her. “You’re Kurt Kurtzel, aren’t you?”

Kurt shrugged one shoulder. “Tell me where Alicia is hiding.”

“We don’t know,” Olivia said. “We believe she is safe.”

“She’s with that old guy, isn’t she? Where did he take her?”

“You’re wasting your time, Kurt,” Maddie said. “We have no idea where Alicia went. Besides, she’s an adult. She can go wherever she pleases.”

Maddie might not feel threatened by Kurt, but Olivia wasn’t so sure. Now that she’d seen his face, she had mixed reactions. She knew he was in his midtwenties, but his sullenness made him seem younger. With his fine-boned face and dark blue eyes, she could see why young girls might find him attractive. Kurt had thin, hunched shoulders that practically screamed “computer nerd,” but his hands, with
their long fingers, might be described as elegant. Those fingers looked strong, too. Kurt’s hands tightened into fists.