Chapter 10 The Sour Sister
Penny had learned that suspicion tasted bitter.
It had started with Nelson.
Then Daisy.
Then Francine.
Now, somehow, it had found its way into the one place Penny had never expected it to reach.
Her own kitchen.
Her own bakery.
Her best friend.
Tess Holloway.
Penny stood behind the counter at The Frosted Petal, watching Tess work.
Normally, the sight would have comforted her.
Tess had worked beside her for almost four years.
She knew which mixer rattled.
Which oven ran hot.
Which customers wanted their coffee extra sweet.
She could tell from the sound of the refrigerator when it needed servicing.
Most importantly, Tess knew Penny.
She knew when Penny was tired.
When she was worried.
When she was pretending everything was fine.
But lately, something had changed.
Tess had become quiet.
Too quiet.
She kept checking her phone.
She startled whenever someone entered the bakery.
And twice that morning, Penny had caught her staring toward the back door.
"Tess?"
The young woman looked up.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Fine."
The answer came too quickly.
Penny frowned.
"You sure?"
Tess smiled.
"Just tired."
Penny nodded.
"Okay."
But she didn't believe her.
Not completely.
Since the break-in, Penny had become painfully aware of every little inconsistency.
A misplaced box.
A strange noise.
A nervous glance.
Everything felt significant.
She hated it.
She wanted her old life back.
Before the wedding.
Before George died.
Before threatening notes and poison packets and strange footprints had invaded her world.
Before she started wondering whether the people she trusted were lying to her.
Penny turned toward the kitchen.
Then she noticed something.
Tess had left her handbag open on a chair.
Penny wasn't trying to look inside.
She truly wasn't.
But something glittered beneath the edge of a folded scarf.
Penny stopped.
A bracelet.
It was beautiful.
Old-fashioned.
Delicate gold links connected by tiny charms.
A miniature key.
A locket.
A heart.
A small horse.
And a tiny flower.
Penny stared.
She knew that bracelet.
She had seen it before.
At the wedding.
Melanie had shown it to her while discussing the wedding gifts.
"It belonged to George's mother," Melanie had said.
She had spoken about it proudly.
It was an heirloom.
One of the few things George's mother had left behind.
Melanie had planned to give it to George as a wedding-day gift.
Penny's stomach tightened.
Why was it in Tess's purse?
She turned toward her friend.
"Tess."
Tess looked up.
Penny pointed.
"What's that?"
Tess followed her gaze.
The color drained from her face.
"What?"
"The bracelet."
Tess hurried over.
She grabbed the purse.
"It's nothing."
Penny stared at her.
"Tess."
She opened the purse and pulled out the bracelet.
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Penny's voice was quiet.
"Where did you get that?"
Tess swallowed.
"Melanie."
"What about Melanie?"
"She gave it to me."
Penny blinked.
"She gave it to you?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Before the wedding."
"Why?"
Tess looked away.
"For safekeeping."
Penny's heart sank.
"No."
Tess looked back.
"What?"
"Melanie doesn't give away jewelry."
"It's not giving it away."
"Then why would she give it to you?"
"Because she trusted me."
Penny stared at the bracelet.
Something was wrong.
She knew Melanie's reputation.
Everyone did.
Melanie collected jewelry the way some people collected books.
She had display cases filled with antique pieces.
She knew the history behind every gemstone.
She could identify designers at a glance.
And she was notoriously possessive of her collection.
She wouldn't casually hand a family heirloom to an assistant in a bakery.
Especially not one belonging to George's mother.
Penny looked at Tess.
"Did she really give this to you?"
Tess's lips parted.
Then closed.
"I told you."
"That's not what I asked."
Tess looked down.
"Penny..."
"Tell me the truth."
"I am."
"No."
Penny's voice cracked.
"You're not."
Silence filled the kitchen.
Tess finally whispered, "I don't know what you want me to say."
"The truth."
"I've told you."
Penny shook her head.
"Melanie was going to give that bracelet to George."
Tess froze.
Penny continued.
"I know because she told me."
"I don't know anything about that."
"Then why do you have it?"
Tess looked frightened now.
"I can't explain."
Penny felt something inside her break.
"Can't?"
"I just can't."
"Why?"
Tess's eyes filled with tears.
"I promised."
"Promised who?"
Tess didn't answer.
Penny took a step backward.
Her voice became almost a whisper.
"Are you involved?"
Tess stared at her.
"No."
"Then tell me why you have George's mother's bracelet."
"I can't."
Penny closed her eyes.
She had hoped Tess would laugh.
She had hoped Tess would explain everything.
She had hoped there would be some ridiculous misunderstanding.
Instead, Tess stood in front of her looking guilty.
Penny opened her eyes.
"Then I don't know what to believe."
Tess reached for her.
"Penny—"
"Don't."
Tess stopped.
Penny turned away.
She couldn't look at her.
For the rest of the afternoon, they barely spoke.
Tess worked quietly.
Penny worked separately.
The friendship that had once filled the bakery with laughter had become an invisible wall.
Customers came and went.
Orders were filled.
Coffee was poured.
But something had changed.
Penny couldn't stop thinking about the bracelet.
Why had Tess lied?
And who had she promised?
At four o'clock, Tess finally approached.
"Penny."
Penny continued wiping the counter.
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
Penny stopped.
"Are you?"
"Yes."
"Then tell me the truth."
Tess lowered her eyes.
"I can't."
Penny nodded slowly.
"Then there's nothing else to say."
Tess looked devastated.
She picked up her purse.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Penny didn't answer.
The bell above the door rang as Tess left.
Penny watched her walk away.
Her best friend.
The woman she had trusted with her bakery.
Her recipes.
Her secrets.
Her life.
And now Penny wasn't sure she could trust her with anything.
Mochi appeared from the kitchen.
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
He stared through the glass.
Penny crouched beside him.
"You don't understand either, do you?"
Mochi looked up at her.
His head tilted to one side.
Penny almost laughed.
"That's exactly how I feel."
She stroked his back.
Mochi didn't purr.
He simply continued staring at the door.
Penny frowned.
His reaction wasn't like his reaction to Nelson.
He hadn't hissed.
He hadn't puffed up.
He hadn't run.
But he hadn't welcomed Tess either.
He was simply...
Confused.
Just like Penny.
She looked at the empty street.
"Everyone is hiding something."
Mochi tilted his head the other way.
Penny sighed.
"Nelson lied about being at the wedding."
She counted on her fingers.
"Daisy hid her history with George."
"Francine hid nothing, apparently."
Then she paused.
"Tess has George's mother's bracelet."
Mochi stared at her.
Penny whispered, "And Melanie..."
She stopped.
Melanie had secrets too.
Penny could feel it.
She just didn't know what they were.
She stood and walked back to the counter.
Her notebook was still there.
She opened it.
The names stared back at her.
Nelson.
Daisy.
Melanie.
Tess.
Penny stared at Tess's name for a long time.
Then she wrote beneath it:
George's mother's bracelet.
Underneath:
Claims Melanie gave it to her.
Then:
Won't explain why.
Penny closed the notebook.
Her eyes burned.
For days, she'd wanted someone she could trust.
Someone who could tell her she wasn't imagining things.
Someone who could stand beside her while she tried to understand what had happened.
Now she felt more alone than ever.
She looked around the bakery.
The familiar counters.
The ovens.
The shelves.
The warm lights.
Her entire world had once felt safe here.
Now every corner seemed to contain another secret.
Mochi jumped onto the counter.
He sat beside Penny.
She rested her hand on his back.
"At least I have you."
Mochi blinked.
Penny smiled weakly.
"Although you're not exactly talking."
The cat's ears suddenly twitched.
Penny looked toward the front window.
Nothing.
Just the street.
Just the fading daylight.
But Penny couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching the bakery.
She looked at Mochi.
He was still staring toward the door.
His head remained slightly tilted.
Not afraid.
Not angry.
Just uncertain.
And somehow, that was worse.
Because if even Mochi couldn't tell whether Tess was friend or foe, Penny had no idea who she could trust anymore.
She closed her notebook.
Outside, the sun disappeared behind the trees.
Inside The Frosted Petal, Penny stood alone with her cat and a growing collection of secrets.
And somewhere in the middle of them was a question she wasn't ready to ask aloud:
What had Tess Holloway promised—and who had she promised it to?