Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Four a.m. came too early for Emelia.
She groaned as she left the warmth of Titus’s bed, her body protesting the early hour. She brushed her teeth, quietly dressed, and lightly kissed Titus on the cheek before grabbing Leo and leaving. Last night he made her promise to wake him, but she just couldn’t. The man had done so much for her. She could tell he was exhausted juggling his duties at the gym, taking on security jobs, and now watching over her.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to pack any of her clothes. She’d keep them at Titus’s cabin. In the predawn stillness, it was only her and Leo on their way to the bakery. Tonight, she’d finally sleep in her own bed again and, hopefully, not deal with any more problems. That was a pipe dream, of course, but one could only hope.
Titus promised to stay with her until the stalker was caught. Emelia prayed it would be over soon. Business was still doing well—her, not so much. Emelia hated feeling afraid and angry all the time. Not that she’d admit it to anybody. Why was this happening to her?
Shaking off these troubling thoughts, she parked her car in the deserted lot, attached the leash to Leo’s collar, and retrieved Leo’s crate from the back seat. The chill of early morning sent a shiver down her spine. She tightened her grip on Leo’s leash and walked down the alleyway.
Ford was around somewhere, probably lurking in the bushes. That made her smile. The man was a ghost, but she felt safe knowing he was close by. She’d only met Ford once and thought him intriguing, in a dark way. He was pleasant enough but not a talker. Emelia sensed he’d seen too much.
The streetlights cast long shadows on the brick walkway. It was eerily silent. Emelia chuckled to herself. Duh, it was silent because it was now four thirty in the frigging morning. Only a few people were up this early, and she hoped one of them wasn’t her stalker.
Titus had gym business to take care of so he was busy until later. Emelia felt a pang of guilt. Titus was there for her but neglecting his own business. Although he claimed Vanessa and Neil were more than capable of running it.
The Brotherhood Alliance was taking her security seriously, and it comforted her that they had her back. Titus explained more about the Brotherhood to her and the services they provided for clients. She was relieved that it was a legitimate business providing protection. However, in her wildest dreams, she’d never expected to require such services.
Emelia exhaled wearily. No sense worrying about that now. It was what it was.
Shaking off her thoughts, she approached the bakery, put the crate on the ground, and rummaged through her purse for her keys. This was it—another day to face head-on. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and swiftly stepped inside. She paused for a moment, inhaling the comforting scent of baking bread, then opened the door to her apartment to let Leo run up while she grabbed the crate and closed the outside door.
“Emelia! You’re back.” John was adding flour to their big mixer. Turning off the mixer, he brushed the flour off his hands on his pants before coming over to hug her. “I heard what happened, and I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks, John,” Emelia replied. “There wasn’t much damage, just a mess to clean up.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “What is this world coming to? Any idea who did it?
“Not yet. But we’re working on it,” she said with a sigh. “How is everything going here?”
John shrugged. “Everything here is fine. At least, that’s what the girls tell me. Business is up, and we’re selling out every day.”
“Humph. Well, that’s good news, at least.” Suddenly, they heard barking coming from upstairs. “I guess I better take care of Leo. He’s probably hungry.”
John walked over to the crate and picked it up. “I’ll carry this up for you.”
“Thanks.” Emelia followed John up the stairs to a wiggling, happy Leo. She stooped to pet him. “Guess you’re glad to be home.”
“Okay, I set up the crate. Now I better get back to the bread,” John said. He cocked his head. “See you in a little while?”
“Yes, I’ll be down soon.”
Emelia looked around her small apartment. Everything was back in its place. It looked the same but felt different. She’d have to have friends over to get rid of the negative energy. A night of fun and laughter was needed.
She fed Leo, put him in his crate, and dressed in her chef’s outfit for the day. Her mind was already racing with schedules and recipes. Cooking always relaxed her, and Emelia hoped today would be no different.
She locked the door to her apartment and walked back downstairs. John was shaping loaves of raisin bread and baguettes. She noticed a couple of trays of focaccia ready to go into the ovens.
“What’s on the focaccia today?” she asked.
“One will have cherry tomatoes and arugula pesto. Then feta cheese will be added while it’s still warm. The other will have caramelized onion, black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.”
“Mm, mm, mm, they sound delicious,” Emelia said. “They should be very popular.”
Emelia looked at the clock. Damn, it was six o’clock already. Thankfully, she had dough in the refrigerator and frozen hand pies. It was a good start. She could make cinnamon buns with the dough. Then she’d start on the ham and gruyere tarts, cupcakes and whatever else she decided upon.
The door opened. She was startled until she recognized Josie and Stacy followed by Abby. Today Stacy had on a short V-neck bohemian-inspired brightly flowered dress in orange and blue. It looked adorable on her.
“Oh Emelia, you’re back!” Josie exclaimed. “We heard what happened. How awful.”
“Thanks. The apartment is back together with no visible destruction.”
Stacy frowned. “Do you know who did it?”
Emelia sighed. “No. I hope this stops. It’s tiresome.”
“How did they get into the bakery?” Abby asked.
“Humph. Someone had a key to the bakery and disarmed the code. I don’t know where they got a key from. They didn’t have a key to my apartment, so they jimmied the lock.” Emelia glanced at each of them. “Did one of you lose a key and forget to tell me?”
Everyone shook their heads. “Stacy and I don’t even have keys,” said Abby.
“Who knows, maybe one of the contractors had a key and forgot to return it,” Emelia replied.
“Is someone checking out the contractors?” asked John.
“Yes, we’re checking everyone who works or worked here,” said Emelia.
John and the women exchanged glances. “You mean…” Josie started to ask. “You think one of us did it?”
“Oh God, no.” Emelia shook her head. “Of course not. But the security company is checking everyone’s background, even previous owners. I would never believe one of you did this.”
“You better believe it,” exclaimed John.
Well, that didn’t go well. Emelia was mortified that her staff thought she suspected one of them, but Titus claimed they had to check out everyone as a matter of practice.
The women placed their bags in cubbies and put on the Lilypad Confections aprons. “Well, we’re glad you're here,” said Abby, stepping in to hug Emelia. “The whole situation sucks, and I hope it’s resolved soon.”
“Me too,” Emelia replied.
Dawn was fast approaching. The bakery would be opening soon, and Emelia had a lot to do.
Worrying about the what-ifs wasn’t helping her. Titus and the Brotherhood were doing all they could to find the culprit. She just had to stay strong and have faith that this would be over soon.