Chapter 15 The Kitchen Countermove
The Recipe Reunion ended without a confession.
That was the first thing Penny told herself.
The second was that nobody had noticed how badly her hands were shaking.
After the others left, Penny stood behind the counter and watched the door close behind Daisy.
The bell gave one final chime.
Then silence.
Penny exhaled.
Mochi emerged from beneath the table.
He stretched as though he'd spent the evening attending a perfectly ordinary dinner party.
Penny stared at him.
"That was awful."
Mochi blinked.
"You were supposed to give me a signal."
The cat sat down.
"You stared at Daisy."
Mochi's tail flicked.
"That's not exactly helpful."
Penny gathered the empty cups.
She couldn't stop thinking about Daisy's reaction.
The moment Penny had mentioned the poison, Daisy's face had changed.
Only briefly.
But it had changed.
And when Penny said she was going to Detective Patterson in the morning, Daisy had gone completely still.
Penny had seen fear.
Real fear.
She was almost certain now.
But certainty wasn't enough.
She needed evidence.
Tomorrow, she would take everything to the detective.
The financial records.
The poison packet.
The earring.
The photographs.
Everything.
She would finally put the truth in someone else's hands.
Penny looked at the clock.
10:41 p.m.
"Time to close."
She turned off the lights in the front of the bakery.
Then she checked the doors.
Locked.
She checked the windows.
Secure.
Finally, she headed upstairs.
Mochi followed.
Neither of them noticed the faint smell coming from the kitchen.
Not yet.
Penny woke to heat.
At first, she thought she'd dreamed it.
Then she smelled smoke.
Her eyes flew open.
"Mochi?"
The cat was already standing at the bedroom door.
A faint orange glow flickered beneath it.
Penny's heart stopped.
"Fire."
She jumped from the bed.
Smoke curled through the crack beneath the door.
Penny grabbed Mochi.
"Come on!"
She carried him downstairs.
The kitchen was filling with smoke.
Flames leaped from a frying pan on the stove.
Penny stared in horror.
The fire had already spread beyond the pan.
Her stomach dropped.
She had never left anything cooking.
Never.
Someone had done this.
Someone had deliberately started the fire.
Penny backed away.
The flames grew higher.
She grabbed the fire extinguisher mounted near the kitchen entrance.
Her hands were shaking so badly she almost dropped it.
"Okay."
She forced herself to breathe.
"Okay."
She pulled the safety mechanism and aimed the extinguisher toward the flames.
The fire shrank.
For one second, Penny thought she'd stopped it.
Then another burst of flame rose.
She stumbled backward.
Smoke burned her eyes.
She coughed.
The kitchen seemed to spin.
She needed to get out.
But then she saw the pantry.
The records.
The poison.
Everything.
If the fire spread, all the evidence could disappear.
Penny took one step toward it.
Then another.
"Penny!"
She spun around.
Daisy stood in the doorway.
Penny's blood turned cold.
"Daisy?"
Daisy looked terrified.
"What happened?"
Penny stared at her.
"I don't know."
Daisy stepped inside.
"I smelled smoke."
Penny's eyes narrowed.
"How did you get in?"
Daisy didn't answer.
Penny glanced toward the back door.
It was open.
A terrible realization settled over her.
Daisy hadn't come to help.
She had come because she knew.
She knew there was a fire.
She knew Penny was here.
And she knew exactly where the evidence was.
Daisy took another step.
"Penny, get out."
Penny backed away.
"You started this."
Daisy's face changed.
"No."
"You knew about the evidence."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You knew."
Daisy's eyes flicked toward the pantry.
Penny saw it.
There.
The proof.
Daisy knew.
Penny tightened her grip on the extinguisher.
"You came for the records."
Daisy shook her head.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
"No, you don't."
Daisy's voice cracked.
"You have no idea what you've done."
Penny stared at her.
"You killed George."
Daisy's expression shattered.
"No."
"You poisoned the cake."
"I didn't—"
"You left your earring."
Daisy's eyes widened.
Penny continued.
"Your perfume was on it."
"Stop."
"The financial records prove George was paying your family's debts."
"Stop!"
"And he was going to expose you."
Daisy's face twisted.
For a moment, Penny saw the woman who had smiled beside her in the bakery.
Then that woman disappeared.
What remained was desperation.
"You should have left it alone."
Penny stepped backward.
"So it was you."
Daisy said nothing.
The flames roared behind them.
Penny's pulse thundered.
Daisy moved closer.
"Penny, give me the records."
"No."
"Where are they?"
"I'm not telling you."
Daisy took another step.
Penny raised the extinguisher.
"Stay back."
Daisy stopped.
"You don't understand what happens if those records get out."
"I understand that you're afraid."
"I'm trying to protect my family."
"You murdered a man."
"I didn't have a choice!"
Penny stared at her.
"There is always a choice."
Daisy's eyes filled with tears.
"You don't know what George was going to do."
"I know he was going to tell the truth."
Daisy's face hardened.
"He was going to destroy us."
"You destroyed yourself."
Daisy lunged.
Penny stumbled backward.
Daisy grabbed her arm.
Penny cried out.
The fire crackled behind them.
For one horrifying moment, Penny realized what Daisy intended.
She wasn't trying to get past her.
She was trying to push her.
Toward the flames.
"No!"
Penny fought to pull away.
Daisy tightened her grip.
"Make it look like an accident."
Penny's blood ran cold.
Then—
HISSSSS!
A furious sound erupted above them.
Daisy froze.
Penny looked up.
Mochi was perched on a high storage beam near the ceiling.
His fur was standing straight out.
His amber eyes were locked on Daisy.
He hissed again.
Then he jumped.
The cat landed on a shelf.
The shelf shook.
A heavy metal sheet pan toppled from the rack.
CLANG!
It crashed onto the floor.
Daisy screamed and released Penny.
Penny didn't hesitate.
She grabbed the fire extinguisher.
Daisy turned toward her.
Penny aimed.
A powerful white cloud burst from the extinguisher.
It struck Daisy directly in the face.
Daisy staggered backward, coughing and blinded.
Penny ran.
She grabbed Mochi.
Then she moved toward the exit.
Daisy stumbled after her.
"Penny!"
Penny turned.
Daisy was on her knees.
The fight had gone out of her.
For several seconds, neither woman moved.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Penny's eyes widened.
She hadn't even realized she'd triggered the alarm.
The sound grew louder.
Daisy looked toward the door.
Then at Penny.
Her face crumpled.
"It's over."
Penny held Mochi tightly.
"Yes."
Daisy lowered her head.
But Penny wasn't celebrating.
She was shaking too hard.
The fire had nearly killed her.
Daisy had tried to kill her.
And Mochi had saved her.
Again.
Penny looked down at him.
"You."
Mochi stared back.
"You crazy little hero."
His ears twitched.
Penny hugged him.
The bakery alarm continued screaming.
Outside, red lights flashed across the windows.
Firefighters rushed toward the building.
Detective Patterson arrived moments later.
He stopped when he saw Daisy.
Then he looked at Penny.
"What happened?"
Penny couldn't answer immediately.
She looked at the stove.
The fire.
The extinguisher.
The scattered sheet pan.
Then at Daisy.
Finally, she said:
"She tried to kill me."
Patterson's expression hardened.
Daisy closed her eyes.
"I didn't mean..."
Patterson stepped toward her.
"Don't say another word."
He called for another officer.
Penny stood against the wall, holding Mochi.
Her hands were trembling.
Patterson approached.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"You sure?"
Penny nodded.
He glanced toward Daisy.
"Did she start the fire?"
Penny looked at her.
Daisy didn't answer.
Penny swallowed.
"Yes."
Patterson nodded slowly.
"Then we're going to have a lot to talk about."
Penny looked around the kitchen.
The place was damaged.
Smoke stained the ceiling.
Several cabinets were blackened.
Her beautiful bakery looked wounded again.
But it was still standing.
And so was she.
Mochi climbed higher into her arms.
Penny kissed his head.
"You saved me."
The cat purred.
Penny looked toward Daisy.
The truth had finally stopped hiding behind smiles and secrets.
Tomorrow, she wouldn't need a trap.
She wouldn't need a theory.
She wouldn't need to wonder.
Daisy had made her move.
And she'd revealed exactly how far she was willing to go to keep her secret.
Penny tightened her arms around Mochi.
The final confrontation was coming.
And this time, Penny wouldn't be walking into it alone.