Cinnamon And Secrets (A Cupake Shop Mystery Book 1) Read online

  “But I thought that you were together?” Something just tells me that there’s more to this than what he’s letting me know.

  “Um, we were,” he stutters nervously, like a little kid who’s trying to hide something. “You know, I’m not hungry anymore,” he looks at his desert and gestures for the bill.

  “Kegan, is there something you’re hiding from me? Because it really looks like there is.”

  He scrutinizes my unflinching face for a moment, as if he’s trying to opt for his better decision. And after doing the calculations on his mind, his mouth opens. “I’ll tell you something, if you promise me first not to tell anybody.”

  Now I am the one who’s trying to opt for the better option by keeping tabs on his complexion. What is he trying to tell me? That he’s the killer? How would I be able to promise to keep this a secret if that’s the case?

  “I promise,” I mutter regretfully.

  “My sister lied about being with me when the murder happened. I mean, we were really arguing a moment prior, but she went out for a drink and after a few minutes that old lady started screaming about the murder.”

  I frown, really considering whether he’s telling me the truth. He’s either telling the truth or he isn’t. If he’s lying, it means that he’s trying to pin this on his sister, which suggests that he might be the killer after all. But if what he told me is the truth, then I might really consider booking up a meeting with Reese.

  “That’s why I’ve been chasing after her for the last couple of weeks. I know that she has connections and she’s crazy ambitious. She’s been meeting up with lawyers, arranging dates, coming up with untrustworthy plans.”

  “Kegan,” I mutter, shocked. “Do you really think that you sister—” I’m not able to finish my sentence.

  “She’s really had an eye for his wealth for a very long time. I wouldn’t put it past her if she’s involved in this. I mean, she had greater motive than the rest of us.” After that, he grabs the phone from the edge of the table and starts tapping. “Look,” he swings the screen at me.

  I start scrolling through the pics he’s taken. And God, he’s really made quite a collection. If I were to tag it, than the title would be ‘Reese’s mystery’.

  When I zoom in to a photo, I can see that her face looks really suspicious. She’s pointing at Mr. Gleason’s house while standing at his yard with some designer-dressed man.

  “You know how my cousins and I never stepped foot to his house after the murder? Well, our lawyer set that rule. He said that it was best for the assets in the house to remain untouched until after the declaration of the will.”

  “I’ve seen Kamron and Braiden breaking that rule. Actually I might’ve pushed Braiden to do that.” Meanwhile I’m recalling Braiden’s suspicious break-ins. They really don’t look that suspicious anymore. But they’re silly nevertheless. What fills me with delights, is that he hasn’t lied to me. Such rule really existed.

  “And while I was at it, I thought that maybe I should drop by the house by myself one day. And guess what? A lot of my uncle’s valuable stuff are missing.”

  “How come?” I frown, recalling Heather and the vase she wanted ‘to borrow’.

  “I guess there’s been a lot of breaking and entering, and nobody’s noticed anything. I guess I’m going to stay over at the house today. In case they decide to drop by for their usual stealing sessions.”

  “Would you think anybody you know would be interested in stealing his stuff?”

  “Nah, I don’t think so. See, in spite of their devious personalities,” I guess he’s talking about his cousins. “They’re all well-established. I don’t see a reason why they’d want to do that. Anyway,” a smile joins him. “No one told me this was coming; catching up with an old friend.”

  “Kegan,” I say and pause to have his full attention. “Just for the record, I always suspected you didn’t have anything to do with this situation.” I look at him smiling appreciatively.

  I smile, too. I guess it’s contagious. Although I wouldn’t consider us as friends, I guess the mutual liking has been reciprocated. The thing is that he’s so well-mannered, and that’s just going to show that my idea about him was right, after all.

  I’ve spend the whole day managing the cupcake shop, and my parents helped me even though it was their last day in town. After closing time, we headed straight to the house, where they’d pick up their suitcases and drive to the airport.

  They’ve been spending a lot of time with Coral; seemingly they miss him so much, as does he. The thing is, I’ve kind of got used to them being around. You know, it was good to have a little help with the shop, especially now that I have a mystery to solve.

  But I feel like I’m getting close with each passing moment. And Reese is giving me a strange vibe. I don’t think Kegan is really involved to the murder. So many things seem off, sure, but still I’m only judging by impressions here. And I’ve got the impression that he’s the kind of guy that would never do a thing to hurt anybody. So, as of now, my suspect’s list leads me to Kamron and Reese. It was obvious that Kamron came into town with a hidden agenda. And Rylee moving away just emphasized that. But Reese, on the other hand, I don’t know much about her. And from what Kegan showed me, it is very clear that she’s onto something. But would that motive be enough to make her carry on with murder?

  Anyway, I shake off these thoughts. When my parents approach, I realize that I shouldn’t be as selfish so as to share these moments only with myself.

  “Are you all set?” I ask my mother mildly, while she sits nearby on the couch.

  “Oh, darling, it feels just so strange to move away from the house we’ve spend most of our life to. It’s just the same every time we get to leave.”

  “I’m going to miss you,” I say, and lean in for a hug.

  “I’m going to miss you too,” she mumbles, while I perceive the most endearing energy around me, while hugging her.

  “And please,” my father barges in. “Try to stay out of trouble. I know how you’ve always liked to solve mysteries. But remember. This is real life. Not just some jigsaw puzzle.”

  I’m not planning on doing that now that I’m so close to finding that murderer. But I feel like I don’t have to tell him that.

  When their drive arrives, Coral has joined us on the yard. I think that he’s feeling just as wishful about this situation as I am.

  “And, one more thing,” my mom adds before hopping into the car. “I love what you’ve done with the cupcake shop. I knew you had it in you since the beginning.”

  “Thanks,” I smile as I remember how hard it had been to bring things together. Has this mystery helped the shop get popular? Nah, that’s just Heather’s silly way of thinking.

  But yes, it is weird, since everything turned up so nice for me, all of a sudden. I guess that the party has kind of played a part in that.

  When I remain only in the company of Coral, I feel him rubbing his head against my feet, probably needing consolidation more than I do at the moment. For some reason, goodbyes always get me so wistful. And now I know just why. It is because we get so accustomed to the current setup of our lives, we learn to love and appreciate the people and things that form our currency, and we get so used to having these people around, so when the moment comes they have to attend to their own itineraries, we need a little time to adjust to the little changes. Farewells are not drastic, nor determinative; they’re just a work in progress for us to get accustomed to the new changes.

  When I wrap my mind around the new changes in my life (they’re not really changes to be honest, I’ve been living by myself for a long time now), I swing around, heading for the door. But a boyish voice interrupts me through the dark.

  “Ainsley,” he says, and the voice seems to strike a note. I turn around trying to recognize who he is, and when I do, a little smile forms in my face.

  “Kegan, what are you doing here?” I look at him standing on th
e other part of the fence, into Mr. Gleason’s yard.

  “I’m going to spend the night here. You know, after what happened at the party, it was so hard dropping by the house and I avoided doing that. But things are changing. And I’ve decided to move on with my life.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” I say genuinely, and there’s just something about this situation (and the serenity of the night) that makes this moment so warm-fuzzy.

  “It was shocking for me to hear I was adopted. And I needed some time away from everything, trying to warp my mind around it. But coming here, I realized that instead of being full of resent, I should actually soothe out and come to determine that the only thing I must feel in regards to this situation is gratefulness. I’ve had a very comfortable life, and that’s because my parents decided to do what they did many years ago. And that’s that. It could’ve been different. But it is okay.”

  I look at him, so calm and unruffled. I cannot help feeling happy for him. So I’m grinning so fondly and gratefully for his realization, and it warms my heart as if I’m in his position.

  “And I just wanted to thank you,” Kegan proceeds.

  “Me? Why?” I scowl with a smile.

  “Well, when you came to meet me in the morning, you showed care and interest for me that lately I’ve been missing out on. And it made me realize something.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Even though I came to grips with the fact of being adopted, I still didn’t want anyone to find out. I only told Braiden, but that’s because I trust him. But if Reese found out, I’d be crushed.”

  “Don’t worry.” I say consolingly. “I will keep your secret.”

  “You don’t have to anymore,” he looks so in peace with himself, with the world. And that is the point that I’ve been meaning to reach out to for a very long time lately. “I’m going to crack this secret wide open. If I’m okay with it, then I don’t have to be afraid for the world to do the same.”

  Oh, his warm-fuzzy eyes are melting my heart, and I feel like I’m going to cry.

  “Kegan, I’m so happy for you.”

  “Listen, I probably better head inside now,” he points with his thumb back at the door. “Good night.” He whispers.

  I smile genuinely, and stroll towards my porch, feeling full of delight.

  I find myself indulging in cooking creativity in the kitchen, when I peer around to find the disarray I’ve caused. Oh, God, it always looks like chaos when I intrusively focus on coming up with the best cupcake ideas. But, anyway. I guess delectable chaos is the best kind of chaos. And to know that after all this, I might create the best recipe to date, is something that keeps me going.

  I’ve been thinking about what Kegan told me a lot, since after the brief chit-chat over the yard. I’m so happy that he’s come to the point where he’s settled peace with himself and the world around him. And it makes me think; have I been able to do the same?

  What happened between me and Ryker is still ruffling me up at times. I’m not sure I’ve been able to overcome that, but one thing I know for sure, is that I have to.

  There’s much more to life than a little glitch. Somehow we embrace one glitch and our life revolves to it. Meanwhile we’re blocking a bunch of other incredible things life has for us to relish in. Because life is multidimensional.

  And maybe now is about time that I come to terms with that. I have to open myself to new possibilities, I don’t have to be afraid to be vulnerable with someone again. Because, sure, there are going to be people and things that might want to keep us from moving forward. But besides those glitches (consisting of people and things) there are plenty of prosperous stuff that are waiting for us to enjoy.

  And now I’m letting go of the one thing that’s concerned me the most, and I’m settling my peace right here and now.

  I purge my hands with kitchen paper, when my phone rings, and I answer, not recognizing the number.

  “Ainsley, it’s me, Kegan,” I hear him on the other part of the line, almost whispering.

  “Hey, Kegan, what is going on?”

  “I think I got them,” he whispers with a triumphant cackle.

  “Got whom?”

  “The thief. They’re in the house. Look, I don’t want to put you in trouble or anything, but would you mind warding off the door, when I get them, and maybe get it on camera. I don’t know who I’m dealing with right now.”

  “Yeah, sure,” suddenly my creative indulgence has gone away and I’m all focused on catching this murderer.

  “I think they’re going to the stock room,” he says, voice becoming more and more unperceivable eventually.

  I think he’s ended the call, so I get my phone ready, thinking that I might need to take a shot of the thief in case they run away. I’m so into this, because I still believe that the larcener might have something to do with the murder after all. And if that’s the case, then my investigation would come to an end, which I want so bad, knowing that this mystery is starting to tucker me out.

  I get out of the house, and into my porch. Coral follows behind me, but I don’t think that he would be needed on my chase.

  I try to take a gander around the area, and then I spot a shadow.

  I think it is the thief. The shadow keeps lurching through the porch, and it’s moving toward the driveway. Then I see another shadow that is confusedly trying to pore around and detect the housebreaker. I know it’s Kegan though it’s so dark and I can’t tell for sure.

  I keep running toward them, but for some reason I can’t reach them. It’s either I’m a little clumsy tonight, or they’re so fast, because the more I run toward them, the less I can see them.

  I grab my phone and dial Kegan. I know that it’s not a good time, but I have to. After all, he might be in danger chasing after a delinquent, who might be a murderer after all.

  “Kegan, where are you?” I mumble when he surprisingly answers. But he doesn’t sound like he’s running.

  “I think they’re hiding toward the shadows. I’m lingering underneath a tree stump now,” he whispers and that’s how it makes sense to me. He picked up the phone, because he’s not on the run. He’s snooping for the delinquent.

  “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to you,” I tell him, but it feels like he isn’t listening to me anymore. His breathing starts rumbling and I picture him staring at the thief.

  I bring my phone in front of my face to check whether my suspicion is true. And surprisingly it is. He hung up on me.

  I look around, and I’m still close by my yard. The streetlights are making me fuzzy. I squint forward as though trying to think. Coral unperceivably has managed to approach me, and I look down at him.

  “What do you say, little muffin? You’re up for a little sleuthing tonight?” he responds by rubbing against my legs. I don’t think he gives a hoot about my inquiry.

  I stay there for a few seconds, undecided as to whether or not I should carry on. I know that there are parts of the town that are rather scary in the middle of night, and I probably won’t get to Kegan even if I start rambling. But I have to. Because first, Kegan might be in danger, and second, I want to find who that delinquent is.

  I start running, my breathing wearing out with each passing second. I only keep going a few years away when my phone starts buzzing in my hand.

  I check into it to find a message, from the same number that called me a few moments ago.

  Ainsley, you’re not going to believe who the thief is. And I think she’s the one who killed my uncle.

  What is he talking about? Is he playing a trick on me? Somehow I’m not in the mood to solve this jigsaw. So I dial his number. I keep waiting for him to pick up but he doesn’t.

  I ring again, but there’s no response.

  Jitteriness subsumes me, and I feel like I’m choking. I start breathing heavily in fear that I’m not going to be able to breathe at all. My heart starts pumping nervously in my chest, and I make a pivotal m
ove and look around me, scared that some shadow might be lurching through the darkness and knock me out.

  I start walking, trying to detect anything suspicious. Trying to find Kegan. Going as fast as I can, I forget to stop for breath recovering. And suddenly, the entire world seems to suffocate me in eternal gloominess.

  I’ve never felt as dizzy as I’ve been feeling for the last couple hours. My mind feels like a messy disarray that I can’t bring into order. I’ve been struggling with the decision whether or not I should go down to the precinct and report a missing person.

  I stayed overnight thinking about it, until the first light embraced the atmosphere. I take a shower, have my breakfast, which consists in an orange muffin and black tea.

  And then, first thing in the morning, I head for the precinct.

  My latest update from Kegan just about changed the course of my investigation. He mentioned in his text that the thief was a girl. So there’s no doubt that girl might be Reese. I guess that he has given me a huge hint as to who the killer is.

  The only girl in my suspects’ list is Reese. And I think that this summons my next meeting after the unexpected visit to the precinct.

  I ask the first person I stumble upon about Detective Cassidy, and I’m asked to wait for him, and offered a chair, but I don’t feel like sitting.

  When the detective shows up, he looks surprised and amused at the same time to find that I’m waiting for him.

  “Ainsley, didn’t expect to see you here,” he says rather amusedly.

  “Nice to see you too, detective,” I mock him and roll my eyes and then remember about the reasons that made me drive all the way down here. “I think you have to hear this.” I say.

  “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be serious?”

  “Because it is.”