Chapter 4 A Sweet and Suspicious Second
The next morning, Mia Rossi arrived at The Honeycomb Bakery determined to do something very ordinary.
She was going to bake.
No investigating.
No questioning suspects.
No trying to decipher strange notes.
No following suspicious people around Crystal Cove.
Just flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and enough coffee to convince herself that yesterday hadn't happened.
She tied her apron around her waist and looked toward Gingersnap.
The ginger tabby sat on the windowsill, watching her with sleepy eyes.
"Today," Mia announced, "we're going back to normal."
Gingersnap blinked.
"Normal."
The cat yawned.
Mia pointed a finger at him.
"Don't look at me like that."
He closed his eyes.
"Yesterday was enough excitement for one lifetime."
She turned toward the kitchen.
"Today, we bake."
For the first hour, everything went according to plan.
Mia mixed batter.
Chloe arrived with fresh strawberries.
The ovens hummed.
The coffee machine hissed.
A few regular customers stopped in.
For a little while, the bakery felt like itself again.
Then Mia noticed the newspaper.
It was lying on the counter near the register.
The headline was impossible to miss.
LOCAL FOOD CRITIC FOUND DEAD AT CRYSTAL COVE FESTIVAL
Mia's stomach tightened.
She turned the paper face down.
"Nope."
Chloe looked at her.
"Good decision."
"I don't want to know."
"That's probably wise."
Mia returned to her mixing bowl.
She tried to concentrate.
But the words kept returning to her.
Harrison Finch.
Dead.
In her bakery.
And someone had done it deliberately.
Mia glanced toward Gingersnap.
The cat was staring out the window.
"What are you looking at?"
Gingersnap didn't move.
Mia followed his gaze.
A black SUV had just pulled up outside.
A man stepped out.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and impeccably dressed.
His dark hair was swept back neatly, and he wore a relaxed smile that seemed completely out of place after the events of the past two days.
Mia recognized him immediately.
Julian Vance.
Owner of Vance Vineyards.
One of Crystal Cove's most successful local businesses.
And, according to Chloe, one of the most charming men in town.
Julian opened the bakery door.
The bell chimed.
"Good morning."
His voice was warm.
Mia wiped her hands on her apron.
"Good morning."
He looked at her.
"Mia Rossi?"
"Yes."
"I'm Julian Vance."
"I know."
He smiled.
"Then I'm already making a good impression."
Mia couldn't help smiling.
"I've heard of you."
"Hopefully good things."
"Mostly."
"Mostly?"
She laughed.
"Sorry."
"No, I like honesty."
Julian held out a bottle.
"I brought you something."
Mia looked at it.
Wine.
A beautiful bottle with an elegant cream-colored label.
"What's this?"
"One of my vineyard's reserve wines."
Mia hesitated.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I know."
He placed it gently on the counter.
"I wanted to."
Mia looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because of what happened."
His expression softened.
"I heard what happened here."
Mia's smile faded.
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
"I can't imagine what you're going through."
Mia looked down.
"It still doesn't feel real."
Julian nodded.
"It rarely does."
For a moment, they stood in silence.
Then he glanced toward the display cases.
"I've heard your bakery is excellent."
Mia smiled faintly.
"Usually."
"Usually?"
"Apparently Harrison Finch disagreed."
Julian's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Mia noticed.
"You knew Harrison?"
"Everyone in this town knew Harrison."
"Did you?"
Julian leaned against the counter.
"I knew him."
"Well?"
He sighed.
"Harrison was difficult."
Mia almost laughed.
"That's one way to put it."
Julian smiled.
"He could be charming when he wanted something."
"And when he didn't?"
"Less charming."
Mia studied him.
"You didn't like him."
Julian didn't answer immediately.
"Let's just say we disagreed."
"About what?"
"A business matter."
Mia remembered something she had heard.
The vineyard.
The festival.
A disagreement over local suppliers.
"Was it about the vineyard?"
Julian looked at her.
"You've been asking questions."
Mia's cheeks warmed.
"No. I just heard things."
He smiled.
"Then you've heard correctly."
"What happened?"
Julian sighed.
"Harrison wanted control over a particular arrangement involving my vineyard and several local businesses. I refused."
"Why?"
"Because it wasn't good for the town."
Mia waited.
"And Harrison didn't like being told no."
"Did he threaten you?"
Julian's smile disappeared.
"Not directly."
Mia's stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?"
"He liked to remind people that he had influence."
Julian glanced toward the front window.
"He could make someone's business very uncomfortable."
Mia thought about Harrison's planned review of her bakery.
She understood exactly what he meant.
"So you had a reason to dislike him."
Julian looked back at her.
"Many people did."
His tone was calm.
Almost too calm.
Then he smiled again.
"But disliking someone isn't the same as killing them."
Mia said nothing.
Julian pushed away from the counter.
"I should let you get back to work."
"Thank you for the wine."
"You're welcome."
He reached the door.
Then turned.
"Mia?"
"Yes?"
"If you need anything, let me know."
"Anything?"
"Anything reasonable."
She smiled.
"I'll remember that."
Julian nodded.
Then he left.
Mia watched him cross the street.
Only when he reached the SUV did she realize Gingersnap had appeared beside her.
The cat was staring at the door.
"Don't tell me."
Gingersnap's ears perked.
Mia looked down.
"You like him?"
The cat ran toward the door.
"Wait."
Mia barely had time to react.
Gingersnap reached the entrance just as Julian opened the door again.
The cat immediately slipped between Julian's legs.
Julian laughed.
"Well, hello."
Gingersnap rubbed against his ankle.
Then the other.
Then he began purring.
Loudly.
Mia stared.
"What?"
Julian crouched and scratched Gingersnap beneath the chin.
"He's friendly."
"Usually."
Gingersnap leaned into his hand.
Mia couldn't believe it.
"That's strange."
"Is it?"
"He hated Harrison's assistant."
"Greg?"
Mia nodded.
Julian continued petting the cat.
"Perhaps he has good instincts."
Mia smiled.
"That's what I keep telling myself."
Gingersnap rolled onto his side.
Julian laughed.
"I think you've made a friend."
Mia watched them.
Something about the scene eased her nerves.
Maybe this was what she needed.
Someone normal.
Someone kind.
Someone who wasn't treating her bakery like a crime scene.
When Julian finally left, Gingersnap sat by the door and watched him go.
Mia smiled.
"Well."
She picked up the wine bottle.
"Apparently you're a better judge of character than I am."
Gingersnap meowed.
"Yes, yes."
She carried the bottle behind the counter.
For the first time since Harrison's murder, Mia felt a little less alone.
That afternoon, Sheriff Briggs returned.
Mia's good mood disappeared immediately.
"Please tell me you're not here to ask more questions."
Briggs gave her a tired look.
"I won't lie."
Mia sighed.
"Fine."
He placed a plastic evidence bag on the counter.
Inside was a folded sheet of paper.
Mia frowned.
"What's that?"
"We found it among Harrison's belongings."
"A note?"
"A threatening letter."
Mia leaned closer.
"What does it say?"
Briggs opened his notebook.
"Leave the vineyard alone, or you'll regret it."
Mia's eyes widened.
"The vineyard?"
Briggs nodded.
"That's what it says."
"Who wrote it?"
"We don't know."
Mia stared at the handwriting.
There was something familiar about it.
The letters were elegant.
Slightly slanted.
The capital letters were distinctive.
She had seen handwriting like this before.
She frowned.
"Do you know who Harrison was fighting with over the vineyard?"
Briggs looked at her.
"Why?"
"Julian Vance."
Briggs's expression remained neutral.
"Interesting."
"He was here this morning."
"Why?"
"To offer his condolences."
"Did he give you anything?"
Mia glanced at the wine bottle.
"Just wine."
Briggs looked at it.
"Did he say anything about Harrison?"
"That they had a business disagreement."
Briggs nodded slowly.
"That isn't news."
"What do you mean?"
"We've been looking into Julian."
Mia's curiosity sharpened.
"And?"
"He has an alibi."
Her shoulders relaxed.
"What kind?"
"Several employees place him at Vance Vineyards during the time Harrison was killed."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"Could they be lying?"
"They could."
"But you believe them?"
"I believe the evidence."
Mia looked again at the threatening letter.
"Does the handwriting match Julian's?"
"We're checking."
She stared at it.
The handwriting seemed familiar.
Very familiar.
Briggs noticed her expression.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Mia."
She looked at him.
"I think I've seen handwriting like that."
"Where?"
She glanced toward the counter.
Earlier that morning, Julian had left a small handwritten note beside the wine bottle.
A simple message.
Thank you again for the wonderful catering last week. — Julian
Mia had saved it because the bakery had catered a private event at the vineyard.
She picked it up.
Then placed it beside the evidence bag.
Her heart began beating faster.
The handwriting looked almost identical.
The same slant.
The same narrow letters.
The same distinctive capital J.
Mia looked at Sheriff Briggs.
"That's Julian's handwriting."
Briggs studied both pieces of paper.
"You sure?"
"Pretty sure."
"Don't touch the evidence."
"I didn't."
Briggs carefully took Julian's note.
He compared it to the threatening letter.
His expression became thoughtful.
"Interesting."
Mia swallowed.
"So he threatened Harrison."
"Possibly."
"And he had a motive."
"Possibly."
"But he has an alibi."
"Yes."
Mia looked at the wine bottle.
She suddenly felt foolish.
Only an hour ago, she had thought Julian was kind.
Safe.
Trustworthy.
Gingersnap had adored him.
That had seemed like confirmation.
Now she wasn't sure.
"Maybe the alibi is fake."
Briggs looked at her.
"Maybe."
"You don't sound convinced."
"Because I don't have evidence that it is."
Mia nodded.
Briggs placed the note into an evidence bag.
"I'll handle this."
He turned toward the door.
Mia watched him leave.
The bakery was quiet again.
She looked at Julian's note.
Then at the evidence bag.
Then toward the door through which Julian had disappeared.
A shiver moved down her spine.
There was something deeply unsettling about how quickly her opinion of him had changed.
But another thought bothered her even more.
Greg had lied about where he was.
Julian had a motive.
Harrison had enemies.
And now there was a threatening letter.
Mia looked around the bakery.
Yesterday, she had thought she was dealing with one suspicious man.
Today, she was beginning to understand that Harrison Finch's life had been much more complicated.
He hadn't simply been a difficult food critic.
He had been surrounded by people who had reasons to hate him.
People who had secrets.
People who had something to lose.
Mia reached down and stroked Gingersnap's head.
The cat purred.
"You liked Julian."
Gingersnap looked up at her.
"I trusted you."
He blinked.
Mia gave a nervous laugh.
"Maybe that's the problem."
Gingersnap jumped onto the counter.
Mia stared at the wine bottle.
Then at the evidence bag.
Then at the bakery around her.
Yesterday, she had been certain Greg was hiding something.
Today, Julian had become suspicious too.
And somewhere between the two, Mia had begun to understand the most dangerous truth of all.
Harrison Finch had not made enemies by accident.
He had collected them.
One by one.
And one of them had wanted him dead.
Mia picked up the bottle of wine.
For some reason, it no longer looked like a gift.
It looked like a question.
She set it back down.
"Sweet," she whispered.
Then she looked toward the door.
"And suspicious."
Gingersnap gave a quiet meow.
Mia didn't notice that the cat had turned his attention toward the window.
Outside, Julian Vance's SUV was disappearing down the street.
Mia watched until it was gone.
For the first time, she wondered whether Gingersnap's judgment could be wrong.
And whether hers had been dangerously easy to trust.