Death by Chocolate Cake: A Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery by Stacey Alabaster Read Free Book Online Page A

you. Give me a call back when you have a chance, dear," she said, before leaving her number.
    Dawn Ashfield just called me? Well. Now I wished I had broken my stance on picking up calls from private numbers. I was just about to punch her number back in when I heard a squealing noise coming from the direction of the kitchen.
    Or maybe the mop closet.
    "What is that smell?" I muttered. Then I saw it. Gray smoke rising from the top of the door of the kitchen.
    Pippa burst through the swinging doors coughing and spluttering. "Rach! Quick! Call the fire department!"
    I sighed and began pressing the numbers. I didn't even have to ask how it had happened.
    I wan't even surprised.

    * * *
    " T o be fair to Marcello ," Pippa said. "He didn't know that you weren't supposed to mix those two kinds of cleaning fluids...next to an open flame."
    I surveyed the damage to the kitchen while we both hunched in together on the bottom part of a bench. Luckily a lot of it was superficial. And luckily we had more than one oven because one of them was doused in fire extinguishing foam.
    I was more concerned with the loss of profits from the entire morning we'd had to close the shop.
    "I'm sorry. I never should have asked if he could work here. But even I never thought he'd do this," she said, throwing her hands up at the blackened room.
    "I thought he would do it," I said flatly. I wasn't even mad. I had been expecting something like this to happen. My only surprise was that it wasn't even worse.
    "So I suppose he is fired then?"
    I turned slowly towards Pippa. "Yes, Pippa. I think it's safe to say that the trial period was not a success."
    Pippa sighed and stood up. "I'll help you clean up then. We can't stay shut all day."
    "Umm," I muttered, distracted by my phone ringing again. I'd totally forgotten all about the phone call from Dawn. I still didn't know what this important news was she had to tell me. I glanced at Pippa, who started to scrub down a stovetop.
    "Hey, you know what? You should go home and make sure Marcello is okay."
    Pippa turned around in surprise. "Really?"
    "Yeah, it's fine. I think we should just close for the day."
    "Only if you're sure."
    I was sure. Sure that I wanted to call Dawn Ashfield back and find out what the heck was going on. I was sure that if Dawn was calling me herself that the news must be important.
    That meant I must be important.
    Maybe filming is going ahead in secret. You know, they'd have to be a bit sensitive about it following Pierre's death...and I've been cast...and they just need to know when I'm available and how discreet I can be.
    Man, I was starting to sound like Justin. Or Adam. It's just that the reality TV bug had bitten me hard. I needed to know what was happening with the show.
    Pippa took her apron off. "So are you coming home with me?"
    "Er, no. Are you all right to walk?" I asked her. "It's a bit cooler today so you should be fine. I've got some banking I need to take care of."
    "Banking? Come on, Rachael, that's your go-to lie."
    "It's not a lie this time. Promise."
    As soon as Pippa was out the door, I punched Dawn's number into my phone.
    "Hello, dear," she said, like she was a little surprised I'd actually called back. "I hope you're coping okay after everything that's happened."
    "I'm sorry for your loss," I said. "I know that you and Pierre were very close."
    "It's a tough time," she said. "Listen, Rachael, I've got something very important to tell you."
    "Is it about the show?" I asked, a little too eagerly.
    "It is," she replied. "Are you available to meet up sometime?"
    "Yes, of course I am!" Way too eager again. "I am free right now actually."
    She chuckled a little. "Right now might be a little too soon for me, dear. How about tomorrow?"
    "Oh," I said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Yes, tomorrow is fine." I supposed there wasn't much point to closing down the bakery for the day now.
    "Meet me down at the studio at 11:00 AM. I'll see you tomorrow."

    * * *
    " W hat should I