Scones, Skulls & Scams (8 page)

Nans, Ruth, Ida and Helen looked up from where they stood in front of the bakery case.

“Morning Lexy,” they said in unison.

“Morning ladies. What can I get you?”

“Do we dare try the scones?” Ida twittered and then blanched at Lexy’s withering look. “Sorry dear, of course we’ll have a scone. Make that two scones each—we’ll take the second one home with us.”

Lexy dished out the scones while the women helped themselves to coffee from the self-serve station. They settled into their favorite table with a large pile of napkins. Lexy watched in amusement as each of them unfolded one large napkin, placed a scone in the middle, then folded the edges around the scone to wrap it in a tight package they then shoved into their giant patent leather purses.

Placing the purses on the backs of their chairs, they dug into the scones on the plates in front of them.

“Lexy, did you remember those newspapers from Jack’s?” Nans asked.

“Yes, I have them right here.” Lexy picked the stack of yellowed papers from the corner and brought them over to the table.
 

“Oh, there’s quite a lot of them,” Nans said.

“I think the whole year is here.” Ruth pushed her plate aside and pulled the stack of papers in front of her. She divided the stack into four equal piles, then handed each lady a pile, keeping one for herself.

Each unfolded her paper carefully and set about looking through it in between nibbles of scone and sips of coffee.

“Look at these ads for hats!” Nans angled her paper so everyone could see the black and white drawings of 1940s style women’s hats.
 

“Imagine having to wear a fancy hat every day,” Ida twittered.

“I know!” Helen said. “Back then people did dress much nicer, though.”

“Yep. Every day clothing back then would be considered formal now. Women in dresses, men in suits. It was the norm back then.” Ruth held up her paper showing an old black and white photograph of downtown Brook Ridge Falls with people dressed in 1940s fashions.

“Hold on girls.” Ida grabbed onto Nans’ arm. “I think I’ve hit the mother lode.”

Lexy and the three other ladies turned questioning looks on her. She slid the paper toward them. “This issue is full of articles on the 1948 robbery!”

“Let me see.” Nans reached over toward the paper. “Are there any photographs of the gangsters?”

“Yeah. Pictures of the perps would sure liven up our display,” Ruth said.

“Yes! Here’s one of Midas Mulcahey.” Ida laid the paper flat on the table, tapping her index finger on the faded picture of a man.

Lexy squinted down at the picture. “That’s pretty faded. You can barely make him out.”

“Wait a minute.” The tone of Nans’ voice made Lexy’s stomach tighten. “Is
that
what I think it is?”

Ida dug a large magnifying glass out of her purse and placed it over the picture. Four gray heads bent down to look through the glass.

“It is!” Nans said. “Midas Mulcahey had two gold front teeth—just like the skull they dug up from the sewer.”

Chapter Eleven

Lexy stared wide-eyed at Nans. “You think that skull is the gangster Midas Mulcahey?”
 

“Sure.” Nans nodded. “How many people do you know who have two gold teeth? Says right here those teeth are what gave him the nickname Midas.”

Ida glanced out the window. “I wonder how long he’s been down there.”

“According to what we’ve read in the research, he disappeared right after the bank robbery,” Ruth said. “I just assumed he ran off somewhere to spend the money.”

“Yeah, I bet everyone did.” Lexy followed Ida’s gaze.

“But he was here in town the whole time,” Helen said.
 

“Do you think he hid the money down in the sewers?” Cassie had come out from the back room just in time to overhear the news about Midas.

“I can’t think of a better place to hide it,” Nans said.

“I bet someone killed him for it! Probably one of the other gangsters.” Ida stabbed her finger toward the article in the paper that named the alleged bank robbers.

“Boots Bennett and someone named The Bomb,” Lexy said. “Seems like it would be hard to track them down with just those nick-names to go on.”

“And don’t forget about the woman … Rose somebody,” Ruth added.

“If we could track them down, we might be able to learn what happened.” Nans pressed her lips together. “One of them is probably the killer.”

“And they probably took off with all the loot,” Helen added.

“We don’t know that for sure.” Ida’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “The money could still be down there.”

“Either way, now there’s even more of a reason for us to go down in the old sewer system,” Nans said.

“That’s right.” Ruth shoved the newspapers aside, bent down and picked up the rolled up sewer plans from where she had put them next to her chair. “We can solve the mystery of the robbery, find out what happened to Midas, and maybe even recover the stolen money!”

“Yes, there might still be a reward to recover it.” Nans lowered her voice to a whisper. “So let’s not tell anyone what we’ve discovered.”

“Not a soul,” Ruth said. The others nodded in agreement and crossed their hearts as they folded up the old newspapers, put them in a tidy pile in the corner and covered them with their coats.

“Teddy Mokewitz told me that, in addition to the manhole covers, some of the old mill buildings had access to the sewer channels.” Helen pushed her glasses up on her nose. “So we should be aware of that while reviewing these plans.”

“Oh, darn. Here comes that Victor guy again.” Ida frowned out the window.
 

“Probably coming over to see Helen.” Nans giggled.

Helen scowled at Nans.

“Remember, don’t tell him about the newspapers,” Ruth whispered as the door jingled open.

Victor looked around the bakery, his face lighting up as his eyes came to rest on Nans and the ladies at their usual table. “I see my favorite girls are here.”

The ladies, polite as ever, smiled and nodded.

“Hi Victor,” Cassie said. “Here for your morning muffin?”

Victor smiled. “Yes. Do you have any blueberry today?”

“Of course.” Cassie got behind one of the bakery cases and took out a tray loaded with muffins. “Any muffin in particular?”

“No, you pick,” Victor answered from the coffee station where he was pouring a hazelnut coffee into one of the to-go cups. He paid, took the muffin from Cassie and then came over to the table where, much to the obvious dismay of the ladies, he pulled a seat up next to Helen.

“I see you are you still going over those sewer plans,” he said taking a sip from the paper coffee cup.

“Oh, we’re just fooling around,” Nans said. “We really can’t go down in there. It wouldn’t be prudent; especially at our age. Isn’t that right girls?”

Ida, Helen and Ruth nodded.
 

Victor narrowed his eyes at Nans. “Really? I thought you girls were the adventurous types what with your detective agency and all.”

“We prefer to do our detecting on the computer and on paper.” Nans pointed to the blueprints. “We rarely go out in the field.”

“I see.” Victor turned to Lexy. “Did I see you having another run-in with the
other
baker?”
 

Lexy looked across the street. Just the thought of the
other
baker was enough to make her blood boil. She took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. “Yes I did. I think she is trying to sabotage me.”

“Why do you say that?” Victor’s voice rose as he spoke and Lexy thought she heard a hint of something. Alarm? Concern? She wasn’t sure which.

“Edgar Royce, the food critic, was in here yesterday and somehow he got a contaminated scone. I just know she was behind it.”

Victor nodded. “She’s not to be trusted. She’s doing something suspicious over there. Can’t you get your new husband to investigate or shut her down?”

Lexy wished she could. The truth was, Jack didn’t seem to be interested in what the other bakery was doing or why they were doing it. Besides, he was too honest to play favorites.

“If only. But don’t worry. I’m sure the police will figure out what she’s up to.” Lexy wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

“Well I hope so—we don’t need the likes of her messing things up here.” Victor stood. “My offer is still open. If you ladies decide to venture into the sewer, or go on any other type of adventure, I would love to accompany you.”

“Thanks. We’ll keep you in mind.” Nans plastered a smile on her face as Victor turned to leave.

“Phew, I was afraid he was going to stay all afternoon,” Ida said as soon as he was out the door.

“Me too,” Helen added. “I wish he would stop offering to come with us as if we need a man around. We can certainly handle a little sewer excursion all on our own.”

“Of course we can!” Nans said.

“Right on,” Ida added.

“Men!” This from Ruth who stood to bend over the blueprints.

Lexy admired the old ladies’ spunk, but she had to admit she didn’t share their confidence about going down in the sewer. The odds were slim the money was still down there and it could be dangerous. Jack had said the whole thing could flood or crumble. Any clues to the decades-old robbery were probably long gone, anyway. She hoped they didn’t find another access into the sewer. If they did, she’d have to come up with some way to talk them out of going in.

“You were right yesterday, Mona,” Ruth said to Nans. “There
was
one section of blueprint missing.”

“I knew it!” Nans’ triumph was short-lived. “But that means we won’t be able to look everywhere. It would be just our luck the entrance we need is on the missing blueprint.”

“Well, then you’re going to owe me something extra in my Christmas stocking.” Ruth’s eyes twinkled as she reached under her chair. “Because I went down to the town hall earlier today and got the missing blueprint.”
 

“They had it?” Nans asked.

“Well, not the actual print. Meredith ran this one off from a microfiche picture,” Ruth answered. “It’s rather strange. She thinks the last person to look at the hard copy of blueprints stole that page.”

Lexy’s forehead creased. “Why would anyone do that?”

Ruth shrugged. “Beats me.”

Nans straightened in her chair. “Isn’t it obvious? They didn’t want anyone else to see what was on the blueprint.”

“Why not?” Helen paused, holding the scone halfway to her mouth.

“Because they’re onto the bank robbery loot, same as we are.”
 

Ida gasped. “You mean we have competition?”

“It would seem that way,” Nans replied.

“But who?” Helen asked. “Who else could have possibly figured this out?”

Nans shrugged. “Anyone who saw them pull the skull up and knew about Midas Mulcahey.”

“Well, I wouldn’t think too many people would know about something that happened so long ago,” Helen said.

“Sure, but it only takes one person. Someone on the police investigation or someone in the historical society that knows the history,” Nans suggested.

“Oh, wait.” Ruth grabbed her purse from the back of the chair and set it in her lap. “They have a card you sign to view the blueprints just like when you take out books at the library. I have it here since I signed out the other blueprints. Let me see …”

Lexy held her breath as Ruth pulled several objects out of her purse, placing them on the table and diving back in until she finally retrieved a small card.

Squinting down at it, she adjusted her glasses. “Yes, here it is. The last person to take these out was someone named Brewster … Caraleigh Brewster.”

***

Lexy gasped, her head jerking up to look at the bakery across the street.
 

“What’s the matter, dear? Do you know this person?” Ruth asked.

“I can’t believe it … Caraleigh Brewster is the baker across the street.” Lexy shot her arm out pointing toward the bakery, and four gray heads turned to look out the window.

“You don’t say,” Ida said.

“Why would a baker want to get in the sewer?” Helen asked.

“I have no idea,” Lexy said, her eyes riveted on the other bakery. Inside, Caraleigh swiped at her cafe tables with a white towel. Lexy took little consolation in the fact
The Brew and Bake
was as empty as her own bakery.

“Well, it’s simple,” Nans said matter-of-factly. “She must know about the treasure.”

“How would she know?” Ida asked.

“Who knows? Isn’t she new in town?” Nans looked up at Lexy. “What do you know about her?”

“Nothing, really. She was getting the bakery ready to open right before I left on my honeymoon. When I came back it was in full swing.”

“A suspicious bakery that sells grocery store baked goods.” Nans narrowed her eyes and looked out the window. “She probably doesn’t even know how to bake.”

“Oh, come on, Mona.” Ruth raised her brows at Nans. “Why would someone who doesn’t know how to bake open a bakery?”

“I know why,” Ida cut in. “It’s a cover!”

Ruth’s eyes narrowed, she tapped her index finger on her pursed lips. “You mean somehow she found out about the robbery and thinks the treasure is still here in town, so she came here to ferret it out. Maybe she knew all about Midas Mulcahey and recognized the teeth in the skull, then went to get the blueprints, planning on getting into the sewer just like we did.”

“But she was here before they even found the skull,” Lexy said. “And why would she go to all the trouble of opening a bakery and then try to drive me out of business?”

“Yeah, why break in
here
? Why sabotage your scones?” Helen added.

“It doesn’t make any sense.” Lexy spread her arms and let them slap back to her sides.

“Wait a minute …” Nans bent closely over the table, her index finger tracing the lines on the blueprint. “Let’s see … this is Main Street and here is the intersection of Duvall and Main. Then it branches off to Elm and … Yep, just as I thought!”

Nans straightened up and looked at the group, her green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“What?” Lexy squinted at her grandmother.

Nans pointed at the table. “If this blueprint is correct, the underground access to the sewers is right below your bakery.”