The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 1) (8 page)

Josh nodded. “He was planning to give it to me for my birthday.”

“That would have been quite a gift.” Angie wondered if Davis really wanted to buy the house for Josh or if he was just telling his brother that to conceal his real reasons. Angie wished she wasn’t so suspicious of Davis Williams, but his personality seemed cold and he was hard to read. His manner as a hard-driving businessman was a turnoff.

“It would have been an extremely extravagant gift,” Josh said, “but Davis is like that. I know it must be hard to believe, but he can be very sentimental. We only have each other now. Our parents are gone. Davis is very generous to me. He’s always thinking of my welfare. That’s why he was talking to Professor Linden the day she died. He was asking if she would be amenable to an offer for the house.”

“It seems that Davis is a very good brother to you.” A twinge of guilt picked at Angie for being so distrustful of Davis.

Josh stepped a bit closer to Angie and her heart did a little flip. “Honestly, I’m glad Davis wasn’t able to make the purchase from you. It was excessive and it would have made me uncomfortable, although I do appreciate his attempt to make me happy. I love Victorians, always have. I hope to own one someday.”

Angie thought back to running into Josh on Robin’s Point near the resort the other day. She felt sheepish about the accusatory tone she had used when telling Josh about Davis’ interactions with her when he came to make the offer on the Victorian. Discovering that there was no malicious intent on Davis’ part made Angie feel like she had falsely accused him. She wanted to make amends.

“Well, maybe later, if you’d like, I’ll give you a tour of the house since you’re interested in Victorians,” Angie told Josh. “I’m still getting to know it myself. We’ve only been here a short time and there’s so much to the place.”

Josh beamed. “I’d love that. Thank you, Angie.”

When Josh said her name, she was surprised at the flash of heat that surged through her body and she hoped her reaction wasn’t obvious to him. Flustered, Angie wanted to move away from Josh, so she stepped to the side and as she did, she saw Attorney Ford come through the front door. Angie’s face took on a worried expression.

“Are you okay?” Josh noticed the abrupt change in Angie’s body language and he followed her gaze. “Is something wrong?”

Angie pulled herself together. “No. I’m fine. I’d better see to the refreshments. I’ll talk to you later.” She took a deep breath as she hurried to the tables to check if the food needed replenishing.

Jenna moved close to Angie. “Did you see who just came in?” she whispered.

“I sure did. I don’t know why, but he unnerves me. He always seems like he has something he wants to say to me, but then holds back. See if you can listen in on his conversations. Ask Tom to do the same. I’m going to the kitchen to refill this platter, and try to calm my nerves.”

Angie returned to the dining room and placed the freshly-filled platter on the table. She glanced around at the guests. Euclid was sitting on top of the dining room cabinet looking none too pleased that his home had been invaded by a group of strangers. The gathering showed no sign of slowing down. People chatted, ate and drank, and groups formed and re-formed as the town residents moved about the large rooms. Angie spotted Betty Hayes, the real estate agent, and crossed the living room to strike up a conversation with her.

“Can I get you anything?” Angie asked.

Betty turned to Angie. “Oh, Angie, no, thanks. Everything’s lovely. Well done.” She held a dessert plate with a slice of almond cake.

“I’m glad you could come. I’m sure the professor would have appreciated it.”

Betty put her hand to her throat. “Oh, that poor woman. Poisoned. Can you imagine?”

Angie said, “It’s quite a shock. I keep expecting her to come into the bake shop every morning….” Her voice trailed off. “When did you see the professor last?” Angie knew very well when Betty last saw the professor but she wanted to hear what Betty might say.

“That very morning, the day she died. I saw her at your shop. We had a short chat. It was so busy that day.” Betty looked off across the room for a few seconds. “I sat at her table for a few minutes. We talked, just about the usual things, the weather, gardening, the tourist season starting up. Next thing I know, I hear she’s dead.” Betty looked straight at Angie. “I just couldn’t believe it.” Betty put a forkful of cake in her mouth.

“Did she seem worried about anything that day?” Angie questioned.

“No.” Betty’s words were slightly garbled from chewing the bite of cake. “She seemed herself. I was always at her to sell this Victorian. Why on earth would she keep such a thing? It was nonsense for just one person to live in this big house. Anyway, I asked if she was ready to put it on the market. Of course, she said ‘no,’ so we just talked about what was going on in town, nothing important.” Betty looked over at the professor’s photograph on the side table and she frowned. “How could this happen in our little town?”

“Did you actively discuss marketing the Victorian for her?”

“My, yes, of course, I did. It’s what I do. I am a real estate professional. This house would offer a huge commission. Anyone would want to represent this property. I would be thrilled to be the listing agent. I encouraged the professor to sell, to make her life easier.” Betty shook her head. “You know her father lived in Sweet Cove when he was growing up? He left the town and moved to Boston before his mother died.”

Angie had no idea why a ripple of tension zinged her stomach when Betty mentioned the professor’s father.

Betty went on, “The professor grew up in Boston. She told me that her father was a city man. He didn’t like a place like Sweet Cove. There wasn’t enough action for him here, not enough stimulation. He couldn’t get away from here fast enough, the professor said.”

“I didn’t know he grew up in town,” Angie said.

“Well, he did.” Betty took a step closer to Angie and smiled sweetly. “Are you thinking of selling the Victorian, by any chance?”

“No.” Angie couldn’t help the corners of her mouth turning up at Betty’s incessant attempts to list a property. “I’m going to stay here.”

Betty’s smile fell away and her voice was flat. “Oh.”

Angie thought that since Betty knew a good deal about what went on in town that she might be a good resource for helping to find out who might have poisoned the professor. “Did you ever hear the professor arguing with anyone? I wonder why someone would kill her. What motive could someone possibly have?”

“Sometimes she’d have disagreements with people. Being a town selectman, that’s to be expected, though. But none of that is reason to kill someone.”

“Did you ever hear of any threats made to her?” Angie wondered if Betty might have heard some gossip since she worked with so many people in town.

“No. My, goodness. Threats?” Betty frowned.

“Well, someone wasn’t happy with her,” Angie said.

Betty spoke in a hushed tone. “What do you think of that new lawyer?”

Angie stiffened. “Why do you ask?”

“He seems very stuffy, if you want my opinion, and not very pleasant either. How will he ever attract business with that personality?” Betty eyed him standing on the other side of the room.

“Have you had dealings with him?” Angie hoped Betty had some information about him.

“Not directly. I will, soon, no doubt, as people will use him for their real estate closings.” She made a face. “I wish there was another lawyer in town. He just seems so…odd.” Betty licked the fork in her hand. “Did you make this cake? It’s delicious. I’ve never had almond cake that tasted so good.”

Angie was about to answer when Betty said, “The professor didn’t like him either.”

Angie’s eyebrows went up. “The lawyer? She didn’t like him? Why, not?” A strange sensation fluttered through Angie’s body.

“She went to him for something or other. She said he didn’t seem too eager to help her.” Betty scraped the last cake crumbs from her plate.

“Help her with what?”

“Oh, look.” Betty turned her attention to the foyer. “There’s Davis Williams. I need to speak with him.”

“Betty.” Angie put her hand on Betty’s arm. “What did the professor go to the lawyer for?”

“Hmmm….” It was clear that Betty was ready to put her claws into Davis Williams. “Oh. Um. I don’t recall.” She handed Angie the dirty plate and fork.

“Think back on it, would you?” Angie asked. “Was it recently that the professor went to see Jack Ford?”

“About a month ago, I’d say.” Betty rubbed her chin. “I think it was something about her father.”

“The professor’s father? Why?”

“I think so. Yes. I can’t remember about what though. Maybe she never told me.” Betty watched Davis Williams enter the dining room. “I’ll talk to you later, Angie. I have some business to discuss with Davis.” She made a beeline for Williams.

Jenna and Tom came over to Angie.

“Well, someone’s lost in thought,” Tom said.

Angie jumped. “I didn’t hear you come up.” She leaned in towards Tom and her sister and told them what Betty had just said about Jack Ford and the professor.

“That’s strange,” Jenna said. “What would the professor have to ask about her father?”

“How would Ford know anything about the professor’s father?” Tom glanced over at Ford. “Her father must have died like fifty years ago.”

Jenna followed Tom’s gaze. “Maybe Betty’s confused about what the professor said. Maybe she heard it wrong.”

“I don’t know.” Angie had a faraway look in her eyes.

“Angie?” Jenna said.

Angie blinked. “Where’s Euclid?”

Tom looked puzzled. “Why do you want the cat?”

Angie turned for the dining room just as Jenna said, “Last I saw, he was on top of the China cabinet.”

Angie left the living room, crossed the foyer, and walked into the dining room. Courtney came up to Angie and said, “Here, let me take that plate from you.”

“What?” Angie asked. “Oh, yeah, thanks.” She handed Betty’s used plate and fork to Courtney.

Angie looked up at Euclid who was sitting on the cabinet glaring at everyone. The cat shifted its attention to Angie. Angie had a strange feeling run through her body when she was talking to Betty about the professor. Something made her want to find Euclid, but now standing there looking up at him, she had no idea what she wanted. Angie shook herself.

Courtney came into the room carrying a stack of clean plates and as she passed Angie, she paused and said, “You okay? You’ve got a weird look on your face.”

Angie forced a smile. “I just wanted to be sure Euclid was behaving.” She reached out. “Here let me help you with those dishes.”

Late afternoon light filtered in through the Victorian’s windows as people began to head home from the reception. Ellie stood in the living room excitedly explaining to several people the plans for the bed and breakfast. Jenna was talking with a woman from Sweet Cove who ran a gift shop down by the point. The woman was interested in carrying some of Jenna’s jewelry line and she was arranging an appointment to view some of the pieces. Courtney and Angie carried trays of dishes and glasses into the kitchen and set them on the table to wait until the latest dishwasher load had finished.

“Woo,” Courtney let out a breath as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “That was a lot of work. I should have stayed at school and let you do everything,” she joked.

“Thanks for your help. You’re a hard worker.” Angie hugged her sister. “It was a very nice remembrance for the professor. I’m glad we did it.”

“You were very kind to plan it.” A man’s voice spoke and the girls spun around surprised to see Josh Williams standing in the kitchen.

“Josh.” Angie crossed the space to him. “Can we get you something?”

Josh was about to speak, when Angie remembered her promise to give him a tour of the Victorian. “Oh. The tour. Come in.” She stretched her arms out indicating the dirty dishes and pots and pans that covered almost all of the counter space. “So, this is the kitchen.” She chuckled. “A huge mess.”

Josh laughed. “It’s great.”

“Not the best time to see this room.” Angie placed her hand on his upper arm to steer him out of the disaster area. His solid biceps were evident beneath her fingers and her breath caught in her throat. She had to swallow hard before she spoke again. “I’ll show you the parts of the house that don’t look like a hurricane just blew through them.”

“The kitchen doesn’t always look like this?” Josh teased.

Courtney called after them. “Don’t let Angie fool you. It does always look like this.”

The dishwasher beeped to indicate the latest washing cycle had completed. Courtney sighed wondering how everyone else managed to be absent when it was time to unload and load the dishwasher.

Angie showed Josh the music room, the sunroom, the library, a den, and then returned to the living room. He commented on the layout of the home, the antiques and other furnishings and told Angie how lucky she was to be able to live in the Victorian.

“I’ll show you the second floor.” Angie led him into the foyer and was about to start up the stairs, when Jenna called to her that her phone was ringing. Courtney hurried over to her sister to hand her the cell phone.

Angie answered and her face went pale. “Yes.” She listened and then said, “Yes, that would be fine. I understand.” She clicked off and stared down at the phone for several seconds.

Jenna noticed the expression of distress on Angie’s face. “Who was that? What’s wrong?”

Angie sighed. “It was a Detective Matthews. I have an appointment with him tomorrow. He wants to discuss Professor Linden’s death with me.”

No one spoke for a moment, and then Jenna stepped close to her sister and put her hand on Angie’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

“I’ll go to the police station with you,” Courtney said.

Angie gave a slight shake of her head. “No. Tomorrow’s Monday. You and Ellie need to head back to Boston early in the morning. I’m just going to talk with him. That’s all.” She smiled trying to reassure her sisters, but she had to blink back some tears that were threatening to fall
.
She tried to joke when she told them, “He isn’t going to throw me in prison tomorrow.”