A Pinch of Sea Salt and a Dash of Murder (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter 4

Although neither slept well, or really at all, that night, Melissa and Logan were both up before the sun. Coffee mugs filled to the brim, they headed out to the bakery before any of the locals were up and about their day. She had tried to convince Logan to stay home that day and not to worry about her, but the young man was on a mission. “No one, and I mean NO ONE, is going to railroad my Aunt Mel!” he had declared. Aunt Mel was grateful he believed so strongly in her, but she didn’t want him getting messed up in this craziness. However, if left to his own devices, Logan was more apt to get himself into trouble while “investigating” her case. Not seeing another way out, she decided that keeping him close was probably the best course of action.

Logan had noticed a news van parked on the other side of the house earlier that morning, so they crept out a side door and kept to the shadows until they were well out of sight. They hurried along the seven blocks from the house to the bakery. The more she thought about it, the more Melissa realized she couldn’t trust the police to handle the investigation properly. It was a shame she had such little faith in them, especially since the one with the kind brown eyes was somewhat attractive and seemed trustworthy. Well, kind eyes or not, she couldn’t count on the cops to save the day. This wasn’t “Castle”, this was real life. And in real life, the police don’t always get their man or woman.

The back of the building was still blocked off with police tape that read “Do Not Cross”. However, the front was devoid of the tape so Melissa let herself into her own shop through the front door. The place was dark and smelled of something that was not in line with a bakery. She suspected that stench was Linda’s blood but didn’t want to say anything to Logan about it. Wouldn’t do any good to creep the kid out. She was creeped out enough for them both. The boy moved to turn on the lights but Melissa stopped him. The last thing she wanted was for others to notice the lights and come over to confront her invading a crime scene, even if it was her own store. Instead she used the flashlight app on her phone to see her way around. Truth be told, she knew the place so well she could operate an entire day in the store while blindfolded.

Motioning to Logan to stay behind her and not touch anything, Melissa first inspected the front windows and door to see if anything was amiss. Then she moved around the few tables in the place with the wooden chairs still piled on top from when the bakery had closed two nights earlier. Nothing seemed out of place. The customer counter and display cases showed signs of a white powdery substance she suspected the cops had used to dust for prints. The glass enclosed shelves that normally held breads and pastries were empty and cleaned – not even a crumb. She never served anything that was not made fresh that day. Anything not purchased at the end of the day was delivered to the local soup kitchen. With Logan here for the summer, that was one of his duties.

The cash register had also been dusted for prints. Melissa grabbed a pen in a cup next to the register to punch in the code to open it without leaving any fingerprints. It was empty. All cash was removed nightly and placed in the safe in her back office or taken to the bank night depository. Thinking back, she remembered that Britney had offered to take the deposit bag the evening in question and had offered to close up the shop for Melissa so she could get home early to cook a decent meal for Logan. Despite loving to bake, and having graduated with honors from a culinary program, she was not big on cooking everyday meals. A thorough sweep of the front of the shop revealed nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fingerprint dusting powder that the cops had not cleaned up during their initial investigation.

Beginning to think this was a big mistake to come down to the bakery to check things out on her own, Melissa eyed the back of the store. Knowing that was where the crime occurred so that would be where any evidence had been left, she dreaded walking back there. Even more so, she dreaded what she would find even though the cops had most likely taken anything of significance. Taking a deep breath, she used her hip to push open the door leading to the back of the store.

It was pitch black in this area of the shop. The door to the front obscured all light from the outside and should shield any light from the back of the store from anyone walking past outside. Considering her options, walk around a crime scene using the tiny flashlight app on her phone or risking turning on the lights, Melissa chose the latter. The overhead lights flickered briefly and then hummed on fully.

Too late, she realized Logan probably should’ve stayed out front. The scene before them was disturbing. Pots and pans and baking utensils had been strewn all over the counters and floors. But the disturbing part was the blood splattered on the corner of the countertop she used for cooling breads fresh from the oven and the blood that had dried into the concrete floor. She doubted bleach was going to get that stain out, ever. The police had left the taped outline of Linda’s body as it had been discovered. The blood stain appeared to begin at the head and then flowed in an outward pattern. There were specks of dried blood on the walls as well with a smudge of it caked on the door knob leading to the alleyway behind the store.

Trying not to allow herself to focus on the gory scene that used to be her favorite place in the world. The place where she hummed Bon Jovi songs while making her masterpieces on a daily basis. It was truly the one place where she always felt at home since Kevin died. Melissa doubted she would ever feel that way again. At least, not here.

Logan reached over to pick something up off the floor, but Melissa stopped him. If it had any value as evidence, she was sure the police would’ve bagged it and taken it away, but just in case she didn’t want to contaminate the crime scene. Instead she used her phone to snap a few pictures. Looking around, there didn’t seem a lot that could be useful, but being an amateur investigator Melissa was afraid to overlook anything so she took pictures of everything.

After what she considered a thorough inspection of the back work area, Melissa moved to access her office. Using her shirt to cover her hand as she tried the knob, she was surprised to find her office was unlocked. She never left the shop without locking the office. After working for catering companies in Greensboro while Kevin pursued flying, she had learned that the number one way to protect your valuables, especially clients’ information and special recipes, was to keep everything locked in a safe that was locked behind a fake wall that was hidden behind a bookcase or picture that was in a locked office. Not just a simple push button or click lock found on most home or office doors. No, it had to be a cipher lock and the code must be changed every week if not more often. Melissa had even considered a digital lock that would only open after finger print scan but talked herself out of it. No, this office had been locked when she left the other night. Now it wasn’t. The question was…did the cops unlock the door somehow or did Linda or her killer unlock it?

Again, that question kept popping back up…Why was Linda in HER bakery? Melissa didn’t have time to dwell on that as moments later they heard the sound of the front door to the bakery opening.  

Melissa motioned for Logan to get behind her. A lot of good that would do since he was almost as tall as she was. By next summer he would tower over his aunt. The light switch was too far away for her to reach to turn off so she grabbed his hand and moved them behind the office door as quietly as she could without alerting whoever may be around. Footsteps could be heard as whoever was inside the shop with them made their way around the front counter and through the swinging half-door to the area behind the counter. Melissa couldn’t recall if she’d closed the cash register. If it was an intruder wishing to rob them, perhaps once they saw the empty register, hopefully they would simply leave.

Light footsteps continued towards the door leading to the back work area. When she heard the door swing open, Melissa pushed on the office door hoping to keep it shut in case the intruder tried to get into the office. Trying to enter the combination from inside the office would make too much noise and alert whoever was wandering the bakery to their presence. Feeling her heart pounding in her chest and hoping no one else could hear it, they waited. The footsteps came closer and closer. Someone was just outside the office door. “Dear Lord,” Melissa prayed, “make whoever it is go away, please.”

The door knob rattled as someone tried turning it but Melissa held it still from her side of the door hoping to give the illusion the door was locked. Then someone began to push on the door. Melissa and Logan held the door in place as best they could. Luckily, the person on the other side wasn’t too determined to get into the office. A few moments later, the sound of footsteps on the hard concrete echoed as the person retreated back to the front of the shop. When they heard the front door latch shut, Melissa and Logan began to breathe again and let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

Now that she could breathe again, she was left wishing she had been able to peek out of the office to see who had entered her shop during the waning hours of darkness just before dawn, Melissa silently cursed herself for not at least trying. Maybe it was the killer. She would never know because she had hid in the office. However, she realized she could never have risked Logan’s safety by doing so. Reluctantly, she admitted the field trip to the store to investigate had been a bust.

Waiting a while longer, in case the intruder still lurked outside the store, Melissa quickly surveyed her office. Normally the office was neat with everything in its place. That was not the situation now. Her office was a wreck! The small desk had definitely been rifled through. All the drawers were open and papers were flung everywhere. Whether that was the work of the killer, Linda, or the cops, Melissa was afraid she would never know.

The bookcase on the back wall was still standing but all the knick-knacks usually displayed there lay broken on the floor. Even her framed picture of Kevin when he graduated from college with his master’s degree in Aviation Science had been knocked over and the glass fractured. Stepping up on her tip toes, Melissa peered at the corner of the bookcase where she had installed a false backing that hid the safe. After close inspection she realized it had indeed been tampered with. The wood was splitting around one side where someone had tried to forcibly remove it. “How could anyone know to look there?” she wondered. Prying the slab away with a letter opener she found on the ground, Melissa was happy to discover that the safe appeared to be intact. The number dial was off though. She always left it on 22; the age she was when she married Kevin. The dial instead showed 18.

Melissa dialed the correct combination to the lock. It popped open. She was shocked to find that the stash of cash she kept on hand was gone. Additionally, her secret recipe box was open with several cards littered about the safe. Looking around the office, she realized there were several recipe cards laying on the ground as well.

Had someone meant to rob her of money and recipes? She could understand someone wanting to swipe her petty cash fund, but the recipe cards? That didn’t make sense. Perhaps Linda saw lights on in the shop and came in and disrupted the burglary so the person or persons killed her? Had Linda meant to steal from her? That just seemed odd. What could she have that the “wedding cake wonder” would want? Even so, how would Linda end up dead here? In the Kill Devil Delicacies?

Melissa gathered up the recipe cards as well as the box. Realizing she was removing items from a crime scene, she hesitated before shoving the items into her jacket pocket. As Logan touched his wrist to indicate they were running out of time, she canvassed the office one last time for clues. A few minutes later they were back out the front door and on their way back to her house. The sun would be rising over the Atlantic Ocean in less than a half hour so they quickened their pace. Both were unaware that they were being watched closely. Neither were aware that the traffic camera at the corner of the street had captured their entrance and exit.