Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) (21 page)

A glance over at the cupcake tower and Mel saw Olivia and Angie exchanging words. Angie’s dark brown eyes looked like they were going to spit sparks. Mel pushed through the crowd to run interference. The last thing they needed was Angie to get into another cupcake-throwing debacle with Olivia.

Mel dashed up to the tower just in time to hear Angie say, “Congratulations to you, too.”

She and Olivia shook hands, briefly. Okay, it was more a brushing of fingertips than a handshake, but Mel was impressed with both of them.

“Well done, Pr . . . er, Mel,” Olivia said.

Mel smiled. “You were about to call me Princess, weren’t you?”

Olivia heaved a big sigh. “Being nice is too stressful. I’m going back to my bakery now. I think I need to eat a Dutch chocolate brownie smothered in caramel sauce with whipped cream and pecans to get my sanity back.”

“I hear you. I’m thinking of mainlining some frosting myself,” Mel said.

Olivia’s lips twitched, but she turned her face away before Mel saw her smile.

“Olivia, forgive me, I know it’s none of my business,” Mel said. “But do you think your deal with Brandon Richards will hold since we tied?”

Olivia looked chagrined. “Yeah, I was talking to that cub reporter from the
Arizona Republic
and you’ll never guess what he told me about Richards.”

Mel waited but Olivia didn’t continue, so she waved her hands and said, “Yes?”

“What? You’re not even going to guess?” Olivia looked disappointed. “Fine. I was pointing out notable people in the crowd to the reporter and when I pointed out the good doctor, the reporter’s eyes lit up. Turns out
Dr. Richards
is under investigation.”

“Oh, really?” Mel asked.

“Yes, come to find out he had to voluntarily suspend his practice, because he was found in the pharmacy of his medical building helping himself to some of the goods.”

“When was this?” Mel asked.

“Several months ago,” Olivia said. “He’s got a trial coming up, he’s under review by the Arizona Medical Board, and he’s got a string of lawsuits from patients who say he took money for follow-up appointments that of course he couldn’t keep since he’s suspended. I’m telling you, I wouldn’t let that man near me if my jowls could be used to store nuts for the winter.”

“I think that’s a wise decision,” Mel said.

“Besides, Marty was not thrilled with the idea, he says he likes me just the way I am,” she said. The smile she gave them at the mention of Marty’s name took twenty years off of her and a little dimple appeared in her cheek.

“Marty’s right,” Angie said. “You’re fine just the way you are.”

Olivia and Mel looked at her in surprise.

“Thanks,” Olivia said uncertainly. She left them with a small wave.

Mel turned to Angie. “That was uncharacteristically civil of you.”

“I thought so,” Angie said. She looked quite pleased with herself.

“Do you think Uncle Stan knows about Richards?” Angie asked.

“I’m sure he does,” Mel said. “But I don’t see how it’s relevant. Richards had nothing to gain by Mariel’s death, especially if he was planning to swap nips and tucks for high scores.”

“I suppose,” Angie said.

“How are you holding up, Oz?” Mel asked as he joined them.

“I want to throw up,” he said. “How can people stand this pressure cooker? I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next couple of hours. I may stroke out before the gown portion even starts.”

Mel smiled. “Just be there for Lupe and you’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “I’m going to keep an eye on her until this thing is over. I’m still worried that someone was trying to hit her with that brick.”

“Good idea,” Mel said. “Emotions are going to be running very high, I imagine.”

Mel watched as Oz joined Lupe and her family. She and Angie were left to hand out the remaining cupcakes to the spectators. She tried not to be annoyed that Olivia had ducked out without helping. Truthfully, it was for the best, but Mel was feeling more than a little tired of this whole pageant situation. The brick through her window last night had finished her.

Mel’s cell phone rang and she checked the window. It was a text from Tate. He and Marty had arrived with the cupcakes for the final event. They had all agreed to close the bakery early so that everyone could watch Lupe in her gown strut her stuff.

“Come on,” Mel said to Angie. “Tate’s here with our last batch of pageant cupcakes.”

“Hallelujah,” Angie said. She fell into step beside Mel as they left the lobby to meet Tate and Marty on the loading dock. The four of them carted cupcakes into the lobby for the final cupcake tower.

Mel had sent Uncle Stan a text that she wanted to talk to him, but she hadn’t heard back yet. She knew he was busy with the case, but she really wanted to talk to him about Brandon Richards and his offers of free surgery to benefit his daughter and, yeah, to feel out whether he was looking at Oz or not.

Mel fussed over each cupcake on the tower. Of all the cupcakes she had made for the pageant, these were far and away her favorites. She hated to admit it, but in pastel hues with tiny tiaras perched in the frosting, they were so cute they made her teeth hurt even as she felt the need to say, “Aw.”

As she arranged the sparkly cupcakes so that the tiny tiaras perched on top of them faced out and caught the overhead lights just right, she wondered how Lupe was doing.

Tonight was it. The finalists would walk the catwalk and answer a few questions from Cici, and then the judges would decide who was crowned Miss Sweet Tiara for the next year.

Mel was surprised to find that her palms were sweating. Gah! She was so nervous.

“Would you look at that?” Angie asked.

Mel glanced up and saw Lupe, walking toward them, with Oz at her side.

Lupe twirled in her ivory dress with the black velvet embroidery. Her long hair swept down her back and her makeup accentuated her beautiful eyes and lips.

“We found a small tear on the hem,” Lupe said. “But your mom managed to fix it. She’s a wonder.”

“That she is,” Mel agreed. “You look amazing.”

“Hooee, ‘amazing’ isn’t word enough!” Marty clapped his hands to his bald head as he goggled at the beautiful young woman before them. “And to think I thought you were a guy for the first six months of our acquaintanceship.”

“Marty, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Lupe said in a low voice. “But I’m really a dude.”

Marty stared at her for a second and then she winked at him.

“I love this girl,” he said to Oz. “If you mess it up, I swear I’ll take you out and whup you.”

“I won’t,” Oz said. His face was red but he looked at Lupe, and Mel could see his heart in his eyes when he said, “Assuming there is an ‘it’ and by that I mean an ‘us’ to mess up?”

Lupe looked at him, mirroring his expression of love and affection, and said, “Why, Oscar Ruiz, are you officially asking me out?”

Oz toed the ground with the rubber bumper of his Converse sneaker then squeezed her hands, blew out a breath, and said, “Yes, I am. So, will you—go out with me?”

Lupe stepped closer to him and lightly kissed his lips before she stepped back. “Yes.”

They stood grinning at each other and then Mel heard a big, snotty snuffle come from the direction of Angie and Tate. She glanced over and saw that Angie had her face buried in Tate’s shirtfront and he was holding her close, his chin resting on her hair.

His eyes were suspiciously watery when he said, “Good for you, Oz. I wish I’d been that smart at your age.”

Angie stepped back and they stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Tate kissed her.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Marty said. “You’re not as smart as him now.”

Tate and Angie broke apart and looked at him. Tate looked like he was about to protest but Marty held up a hand.

“What?” Marty asked. “You know it’s true. Quit trying to prove yourself, grab the girl, and be freaking happy. It’s not brain surgery.”

Tate stared at Marty as if he’d just been hit in the head with a two-by-four. “You’re right.”

He glanced around him as if looking for something and then he reached over and grabbed a tiny tiara off one of the cupcakes. Then he knelt in front of Angie.

Mel felt all of the blood rush to her head and she grabbed Marty’s arm to steady herself. He put his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers back, letting Mel know he was as stunned as she was.

Angie stood frozen, as if afraid to move, while Lupe and Oz watched with huge, matching grins.

“Angie, I love that you punch first and ask questions later, I love that you enjoy pizza dipped in ranch dressing, I love that you think it’s reasonable to have an intervention over a relationship. Angie, I love
you
.”

Angie looked at him with wide eyes. Then he grinned as he glanced up at her and said, “‘When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.’ Angie, will you marry me?”

Angie opened her mouth to answer but no words
came out. Instead, she nodded while the tears coursed down her cheeks. Then she dropped into Tate’s arms, almost knocking him over with the ferocity of her hug.

“
When Harry Met Sally
!” Angie cried. “I can’t believe you quoted my favorite relationship movie ever!”

Their image was blurry and Mel realized she was sobbing. She glanced at Marty and saw that his cheeks were wet as well.

They watched while Tate slid the mini tiara onto Angie’s ring finger.

“Someday this will be . . .” Tate began, but Angie interrupted him with a kiss.

“It’s perfect, absolutely perfect,” she said.

With a strength that surprised her, Marty turned and scooped Mel up, swinging her up in the air before setting her back on her feet.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Marty said.

He hurried over to Tate and slapped him on the back and then hoisted Angie up and twirled her in the air as well.

Mel pulled Tate to his feet and kissed his cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

Then she turned and grabbed Angie. They squealed together and jumped up and down. Angie looked happier than Mel had ever seen her. and she felt her throat get tight again with emotion.

“You’re getting married,” Mel said.

Angie looked at her and beamed but then her face fell. “Oh, Mel, I’m sorry. This must be—”

“No,” Mel interrupted. “This is the greatest event ever in the history of great events. I couldn’t be happier. My two best friends getting married is just the best thing—
ever
!”

Angie hugged her close and Mel felt her throat close up again as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Lupe!” Joyce came hurrying out of the ballroom. “What’s the holdup? Sweetie, you need to be inside. They’re about to start.”

“Oh, but—” Lupe began to explain but Angie cut her off.

“No, this is your night,” she said. “Go and shine! We’ll share the news later.”

Lupe nodded and hurried away with Joyce.

“Shall we go grab seats?” Marty asked.

Tate and Angie were standing by the cupcake tower, looking at each other as if they had just met.

“Come on,” Mel said. She used a napkin to wipe the tears off her cheeks and blow her nose. “Something tells me those two want to be alone.”

She put one hand on Marty’s elbow and one on Oz’s and led them into the ballroom. They saw Lupe’s family and were making their way to the available seats beside them when Mel spotted Uncle Stan on the far side of the room. She knew that he and Manny probably already knew about Brandon Richards and his current difficulties, but it couldn’t hurt to be sure.

“Will you two save me a seat?” she asked. “I need to talk to Uncle Stan.”

“Sure, but hurry up,” Marty said. “You don’t want to miss this.”

Mel cut across the room, moving as fast as she could, but the crowd was thick and she had to pause for little kids running through the aisle and for older folks easing their way into the hard seats. By the time she got to the place she’d seen Uncle Stan, he was gone.

She glanced around the room but didn’t see him anywhere. Up ahead was a door and Mel wondered if Uncle Stan had gone out that way. The lights were still up, so she figured she had a few minutes. She hurried forward and slipped through the door. It led into a hallway that was empty.

She hoped he wasn’t back with the contestants, badgering Lupe before she had to go on. Mel hurried in the direction of the dressing room. Before she could open the door, it slammed open and she had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit.

“Hey!” she cried.

Brandon Richards stood there. He looked upset and when Mel went to move around him, he turned and sneered at her.

“You need an enhancement,” he said.

“And you need to learn some manners!” she snapped.

He was staring at her meager chest and she had to resist the urge to kick him. Ugh! She didn’t care if he was a doctor. It was rude. She crossed her arms over her chest and moved around him to enter the room. It was empty except for the costumes and clutter that littered every available surface.

No Uncle Stan. No Manny. Just Brandon Richards the creep who offered surgery for favors. Except he was really in no position to be offering anyone plastic surgery, now was he? She wondered if Mariel knew and, if so, had she called him out on it?

Mel turned to leave but Richards stopped her by grabbing her arm.

“You’re with that Lupe girl, aren’t you?” he asked. His eyes narrowed as if he were doing calculations in his head.

“I’m not with her, but she is a friend, yes,” Mel said.

“She has to lose,” he said. “Make her lose tonight. Have her trip or offend the crowd with her answers in the interview.”

“Why would I do that?” Mel asked. “Or did you miss the part that she’s my friend?”

“I’ll give you a killer bust line,” he said. He let go of her arm and cupped Mel’s breasts. She was so shocked, she gasped. Then she punched him right in the side of the head.

“Go to hell!” Mel snapped. Her temper got the better of her and everything she’d been thinking flew out of her mouth in verbal vomit that was practically projectile. “You are suspended pending a review by the medical board for raiding your pharmacy. You can’t offer up any surgery, not legitimately. So what happened? Did Mariel figure out you couldn’t uphold your end of the bargain for free surgery and refuse to keep throwing the pageant Destiny’s way? Is that why you strangled her?”

Brandon went perfectly still. He looked stunned. Mel clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. It was true, she hadn’t thought it out, but everything she had just said was true.

“No, that’s not what happened,” he said.

He didn’t look at her when he spoke. Mel could tell he was lying.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I’m broke. The way Brittany spends money, I can’t keep up. If I don’t give Brittany a pageant win, she’ll leave me. Mariel knew what she had to do, but she found out about my legal issues and she balked.”

“You killed her,” Mel said.

“It wasn’t my fault. It was an accident,” he argued. “We were alone in the green room, and I just wanted to talk to her, but she was being such a diva. She was demanding the money I had promised her for her stupid nail polish line. I didn’t have it, but she just kept badgering me. I . . . I snapped.”

“You strangled her with a sash.”

“I just wanted to scare her, but she put up such a fight and then she was dead. I tried to bring her back, I did.” His look was pleading, as if begging Mel to understand. She didn’t. She couldn’t. To take a life over a beauty pageant win? It was too horrible.

“How did she get under my cupcake table?” Mel asked. She tried to keep her tone neutral and not cause Brandon Richards to freak out. Maybe if he thought she was sympathetic she could convince him that confessing all to Stan and Manny was the only way out,

“When I couldn’t resuscitate her, I put Mariel’s arm over my shoulders and carried her out of the dressing room. I figured I’d pretend she was drunk and I was helping her out. But then I realized they’d know I was the last one to see her alive, and if they tested her blood alcohol, the drunk story would prove to be a lie.

“I had used the sash near Lupe’s changing station. I knew her prints were probably on it. So I rolled Mariel’s body onto a luggage trolley I found in the green room. When the lounge was clear, I simply off-loaded her under the cupcake table, knowing the sash would lead back to Lupe.”

The horror of it all washed over Mel in a deluge. He had murdered someone and thought nothing of framing an eighteen-year-old girl for it.

“You’re insane,” she said.

Brandon doubled over amidst the beauty pageant shrapnel as if trying to catch his breath. He was shaking, and Mel knew this was her chance to get out of there and get help.

“You have to help me,” Brandon pleaded, glancing up at her. “I can’t lose Brittany.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mel said. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest. The man in front of her was a monster and she needed to appease him any way she could, even if it meant agreeing with what he said. She needed to calm the crazy man. “In fact, I’ll go get Lupe to ditch the pageant right now.”

She began to back away. When he reached for her, Mel instinctively smacked his hand away.

Richards staggered back and Mel turned and ran toward the door. She was so rattled she was shaking, making the turning of a doorknob much more difficult than it should have been. Before Mel could push open the door, Brandon Richards dropped a satin sash around her neck and yanked her back into the room.

“I don’t believe you,” he hissed in her ear.

Mel struggled against his hold. Her voice was raspy when she wheezed, “Killing me is not going to save you. It will only make things worse.”

“Shut up! With you dead and Lupe the outsider blamed for killing the baker because she only got her a tie in the cupcake competition, well, I win. There’s no way they’ll crown her Miss Sweet Tiara now.”

“No one will believe it,” Mel gasped. She clawed at the sash that was cutting off her airway.

“Sure they will,” he said. “I had planned to shred Lupe’s dress with a scalpel but someone came into the green room and interrupted me. But now, it’s perfect. Clutched in your dead hand, those black roses should be all the evidence they need to charge her with your murder and Destiny wins.”

“No!” Mel clawed at the sash that was tightening about her neck. Is this how Mariel had died? She couldn’t catch her breath. Panic was making her scratch even harder at her own skin. She kicked behind her with her leg and heard him grunt when her foot connected with his shin. The sash loosened just enough for her to draw in some air.

She let go of the sash. Fighting his hold wasn’t helping. She thrust her arms behind her, leading with her elbows, and aimed for his middle. She connected and he let out a whoosh of air. Again the sash loosened enough for her to get a breath.

She and Angie had taken self-defense classes, at Angie’s brothers’ insistence, and the one thing the instructor had said was that the best chance you have of fighting off an attacker in the very beginning was to put up a fight and be very difficult.

Mel took the words to heart and she kicked backwards and punched anything she could hit behind her. The sash fell from around her throat, as Brandon was so busy defending himself that he couldn’t keep hold of it. Mel used his distraction to rip the sash away.

She stumbled away from him as she sucked air into her burning lungs. She looked for a weapon, but unless she was going to curl him to death with an electric wand, she was out of luck.

Brandon lunged for her, but Mel sidestepped. She saw Lupe’s skateboard on the ground and she hopped over it, keeping it between them. He charged for her and Mel jumped back against the vanity. Brandon stomped onto the skateboard, which shot out from under him, sending him to the floor with a hard smack. Mel took the opportunity and ran.

She shoved through the door. Legs and arms pumping, heedless of her throbbing stitches or raw throat, she raced down the hallway toward the lobby. She could hear shouts and cheers coming from the ballroom. She dashed into the lobby to find her friends, but the cupcake tower stood alone, its mini-tiaras sparkling for no one.

Damn it! Tate and Angie must have gone in to see the crowning of Miss Sweet Tiara. Across the room, three men sat at the bar. Mel raced toward it. At the very least, the bartender could call the police.

She was halfway there when she heard Brandon enter the lobby behind her. His nose was bleeding and he was limping but he looked deranged and he was definitely coming for her.

“Help!” Mel cried. Her voice was gruff from near strangulation and it couldn’t compete with the noise from the basketball game on the television over the bar. She tried again, her voice still not much more than a whisper.

Brandon reached a hand out to grab her when one of the men from the bar spun around as if his ears had heard her small cry. It was Joe. Seeing Mel in trouble, he raced forward and caught Brandon in a tackle worthy of an NFL linebacker. As they skidded across the floor and slammed into a table and chairs, the other two men at the bar turned to see what the ruckus was.

Mel was surprised to see that it was Manny and Steve. She pointed at Brandon and said, “It’s him. He killed Mariel and he just tried to kill me.”

The words were faint, but Manny heard her. He jumped out of his seat, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket as he went. Steve stood staring as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Number three, a little help here!” Manny called.

Joe was sitting on Brandon and using the opportunity to punch him, repeatedly. Steve raced forward and helped Manny haul Joe off of Brandon.

Once Manny had Brandon cuffed, he dragged him to his feet. Joe slumped against the front of a chair and Mel glanced at him and winced. He had a cut on his head from where it had connected with a sharp corner of a table, and blood was pouring down his face.

Mel grabbed a rag off of the clean stack from the bar and hurried to Joe’s side. She knelt down and pressed the cloth to his head.