Chapter 3 A Bitter First Taste
By the following morning, Mia Rossi had convinced herself of three things.
First, Harrison Finch was dead.
Second, someone had poisoned him.
Third, none of it was her problem.
The third one was the hardest to believe.
Mia stood behind the counter of The Honeycomb Bakery, staring at the untouched display of pastries.
The bakery was open again, but the cheerful feeling from the day before had disappeared.
There were customers.
There were orders.
There was coffee brewing.
There were cinnamon rolls cooling beneath the glass.
But something had changed.
Every time the front door opened, Mia looked up.
Every time someone approached the dessert counter, she wondered whether they had been there when Harrison died.
And every time she caught sight of the empty space where his body had been lying, her stomach tightened.
She reached for a clean mug.
"You're doing it again."
Mia looked over.
Chloe stood beside the espresso machine.
"Doing what?"
"Staring."
"I'm thinking."
"You've been staring at that mug for thirty seconds."
Mia looked down.
She was holding the mug upside down.
"Oh."
Chloe smiled.
"See?"
Mia placed it properly on the counter.
"I just need to get through today."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Chloe nodded.
"Good."
Mia picked up a cloth and began wiping an already spotless counter.
"I'm not investigating."
"Good."
"The sheriff told me to stay out of it."
"Also good."
"I don't need trouble."
"Absolutely."
Mia paused.
"You sound suspiciously pleased."
"I'm pleased because you're finally listening to me."
Mia sighed.
Then the front door opened.
The bell chimed.
Both women looked up.
Greg stood in the doorway.
Mia recognized him immediately.
Harrison Finch's assistant.
He looked worse than he had at the festival.
His normally neat clothes were wrinkled, his hair was untidy, and dark circles sat beneath his eyes.
He glanced around the bakery.
His gaze landed on Mia.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Greg walked toward the counter.
"Coffee."
Mia blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"Black coffee."
His voice was flat.
Mia reached for a cup.
Behind her, Chloe went still.
Mia poured the coffee.
She set it on the counter.
Greg reached for it.
Then Gingersnap hissed.
Loudly.
The sound seemed to come from nowhere.
Mia turned.
Gingersnap stood near the window.
His back was arched.
His fur was raised.
His tail had puffed into a bottle brush.
He stared directly at Greg.
Greg froze.
"What is wrong with that cat?"
Mia had never seen Gingersnap react like this to anyone.
Not even the delivery man he had once chased into the alley.
"Gingersnap."
The cat didn't move.
He hissed again.
Greg took one step backward.
"Keep it away from me."
Mia frowned.
"He doesn't usually do this."
"Well, he is doing it now."
Greg grabbed his coffee.
He dropped a few bills on the counter.
"Keep your cat under control."
Then he turned and left.
The bell jingled behind him.
Mia stared at the door.
Chloe stared at Gingersnap.
Gingersnap slowly lowered his back.
His fur settled.
Then he walked away as though nothing had happened.
Mia looked at Chloe.
"Did you see that?"
"I saw."
"He hates him."
"Apparently."
"He's never done that."
Chloe folded her arms.
"Maybe Gingersnap knows something we don't."
Mia laughed nervously.
"He's a cat."
"He's a smart cat."
"He's still a cat."
Gingersnap jumped onto the window seat.
Mia watched him.
He looked back at her.
For a moment, she wondered.
Then she shook her head.
"No."
"No what?" Chloe asked.
"Nothing."
But Mia couldn't stop thinking about it.
An hour later, Sheriff Briggs walked into the bakery.
Mia groaned internally.
Briggs removed his hat.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
"How's business?"
"Slow."
"That's unfortunate."
Mia gave him a polite smile.
"Was there something you needed?"
"Greg came in here?"
Mia's stomach tightened.
"Yes."
"When?"
"About an hour ago."
"What did he want?"
"Coffee."
"Did he say anything?"
"Not really."
Briggs watched her.
"Did he seem nervous?"
"Yes."
"Angry?"
"Yes."
"Did he mention Harrison?"
"No."
Briggs nodded.
Then he looked toward Gingersnap.
The cat was sitting in the window.
"That's your cat?"
"Gingersnap."
"He doesn't like Greg."
Mia frowned.
"How do you know?"
"Greg told me."
Mia stared.
"When?"
"Just now."
She felt a small knot form in her stomach.
"Why would Greg tell you?"
"He said your cat behaved aggressively toward him."
Mia wiped her hands on her apron.
"He was aggressive."
Briggs raised an eyebrow.
"Any reason why?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"I don't control his opinions."
Briggs almost smiled.
Almost.
"Fair enough."
He looked around the bakery.
"I'm going to ask you something."
Mia already knew she wasn't going to like it.
"About Greg?"
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"Were you watching Harrison at the festival?"
Mia hesitated.
"I was working."
"That's not what I asked."
Mia sighed.
"I saw things."
"What things?"
She looked toward the empty festival street outside.
"I saw Harrison arguing with Greg."
Briggs's expression changed.
"When?"
"Before he died."
"Where?"
"Behind the main stage."
"What were they arguing about?"
"I couldn't hear everything."
"But you saw them?"
"Yes."
Briggs wrote something down.
"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"
Mia frowned.
"I did tell you people were arguing."
"You didn't mention Greg specifically."
"I was scared."
Briggs looked at her.
Mia expected another dismissive remark.
Instead, he simply said, "I understand."
That surprised her.
"Did you see Greg afterward?"
"Not immediately."
"Where was he?"
"I don't know."
"Think."
Mia closed her eyes.
She remembered the festival.
The crowd.
The music.
Harrison's voice.
Greg pulling his arm away.
She opened her eyes.
"I remember seeing him near the tasting booth."
"At what time?"
"I don't know."
"Before or after Harrison died?"
"Before."
Briggs nodded.
"Interesting."
Mia hesitated.
"What?"
"I'm not sure yet."
He closed his notebook.
"Thanks."
He turned toward the door.
Mia watched him leave.
Then she looked at Chloe.
"That wasn't nothing."
"No."
Mia swallowed.
She thought about Greg.
His nervousness.
His anger.
His lie.
And Gingersnap's reaction.
Something didn't fit.
She told herself to forget about it.
Instead, she picked up a tray of pastries and carried it toward the display.
That afternoon, Mia found Greg again.
Not because she had planned to.
At least, that's what she told herself.
She was walking toward the festival grounds to pick up a box of supplies when she spotted him behind the community center.
He was standing beside a stack of folding tables.
Alone.
Mia stopped.
Greg noticed her.
His expression immediately hardened.
"What do you want?"
Mia's heart began beating faster.
"Nothing."
"Then keep walking."
She almost did.
Almost.
But then she remembered Harrison.
The argument.
The lie.
And the way Greg had reacted when she'd mentioned seeing him.
Mia stepped closer.
"I saw you with Harrison."
Greg's jaw tightened.
"You saw nothing."
"I saw you arguing."
"We weren't arguing."
"You grabbed his arm."
"He grabbed me."
"Why?"
Greg looked away.
"That's none of your business."
"Maybe not."
Mia crossed her arms.
"But Harrison was murdered."
Greg looked at her sharply.
"You think I killed him?"
"I didn't say that."
"You don't have to."
He stepped closer.
"You have no idea what you're talking about."
Mia held her ground.
"Then tell me."
Greg laughed bitterly.
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
He looked toward the street.
"Harrison was going to fire me."
Mia blinked.
"Fire you?"
"He'd threatened to do it before."
"Why?"
"Because he was impossible."
Greg's voice cracked with anger.
"He humiliated people. He ruined businesses. He enjoyed making people nervous."
Mia thought of the way Harrison had looked at her cake.
She understood.
"Why were you arguing?"
Greg looked at her.
"Because I begged him to reconsider."
"And?"
"He laughed."
Mia said nothing.
"He told me I was replaceable."
Greg's fists tightened.
"I told him he'd regret treating people like that."
Mia felt a chill.
"Is that a threat?"
Greg's eyes flashed.
"No."
He looked exhausted.
"It was a warning."
Then he walked away.
Mia remained where she was.
Her pulse was racing.
She had wanted an answer.
Now she wasn't sure whether she'd gotten one.
That evening, Mia locked The Honeycomb Bakery earlier than usual.
Chloe had already gone home.
The festival decorations had been taken down.
The town had become quiet again.
Mia switched off the front lights.
Gingersnap watched from the counter.
"You know," Mia said, "this is exactly what I didn't want."
Gingersnap blinked.
"I wanted to bake."
Meow.
"I wanted to sell cakes."
Another meow.
"I wanted people to like my bakery."
Gingersnap stretched.
Mia sighed.
"Instead, someone gets murdered, the sheriff thinks everyone is suspicious, and now I'm talking to suspects."
Gingersnap jumped down from the counter.
He walked toward her.
Mia crouched and scratched behind his ears.
"Why did you hate Greg?"
Gingersnap purred.
"Seriously."
He rubbed his head against her hand.
Mia smiled.
"You won't tell me."
Gingersnap walked toward the kitchen.
Mia followed.
"You know, I saw him arguing with Harrison."
The cat stopped.
Mia noticed.
"He lied about where he was."
Gingersnap looked back at her.
Mia's smile disappeared.
"And you hated him."
The bakery suddenly felt very quiet.
Mia looked toward the darkened front window.
She remembered Harrison's body.
The overturned spice jar.
The strange napkin fragment tucked inside her recipe book.
And Greg's angry face.
Maybe Sheriff Briggs was right.
Maybe she should stay out of it.
But something inside her wouldn't let the questions go.
She looked down at Gingersnap.
"You know what?"
The cat flicked his tail.
"I'm not just an observer anymore."
Gingersnap stared at her.
Mia took a breath.
"I'm investigating."
The words sounded strange coming from her.
She almost laughed.
Then she looked toward the counter where her recipe book sat.
The book containing the torn piece of napkin.
The napkin containing a date and time she still didn't understand.
Her curiosity had begun as a tiny spark.
Now it was becoming something harder to ignore.
Mia picked up the recipe book.
Gingersnap followed her.
"Come on."
She opened it.
"Let's see what Harrison Finch was doing in my bakery before he died."
Outside, the last light disappeared over Crystal Cove.
Inside, Mia Rossi took her first real step toward uncovering the truth.
And somewhere in town, someone who had hoped Harrison's death would bury their secrets was about to discover a problem.
Mia was no longer willing to look away.