Chapter 17 The Reception Gathering
At seven o'clock sharp, the bell above The Frosted Petal's door rang.
Penny looked up.
Nelson Crowther entered first.
He stopped just inside the doorway, his eyes sweeping across the bakery.
Nothing about him looked relaxed.
His shoulders were tense.
His jaw was clenched.
His hands remained buried in his coat pockets.
"What's this about?" he asked.
Penny gestured toward the tables.
"You'll find out."
Nelson frowned.
"I don't like surprises."
"Neither do I."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then another knock sounded.
Francine Wainwright entered.
She looked nervous but composed.
She offered Penny a small nod.
"Hello."
"Thank you for coming."
Francine glanced toward Nelson.
Neither appeared pleased to see the other.
A few minutes later, Tess arrived.
She looked exhausted.
Her eyes immediately found Penny.
"I came."
Penny nodded.
"I know."
Tess hesitated.
"I'm sorry about everything."
"We'll talk later."
Tess lowered her eyes.
Then the bell rang again.
Penny's stomach tightened.
Daisy walked in.
She wore a pale blue dress and carried a small handbag.
Her hair was perfectly arranged.
Her expression was calm.
Almost serene.
"Good evening."
Penny forced herself to smile.
"Daisy."
Daisy looked around.
"Everyone's here."
"Yes."
Daisy's gaze moved from Nelson to Francine, then to Tess.
"What is this?"
Penny closed the door.
"A reception."
Daisy laughed softly.
"After everything that's happened?"
"Especially after everything that's happened."
Daisy's smile faded slightly.
Penny gestured toward the tables.
"Please sit."
They did.
Nelson sat with his arms crossed.
Francine kept her hands folded in her lap.
Tess stared at the floor.
Daisy sat perfectly straight.
Penny remained standing.
Mochi wandered between the chairs.
He sniffed Nelson.
Then Francine.
Then Tess.
He moved toward Daisy.
Daisy smiled.
"Hello, sweetheart."
Mochi stopped.
He looked at her.
Then walked away.
Penny noticed.
So did Daisy.
For some reason, Daisy's smile tightened.
Penny's heart began beating faster.
The room was silent.
She reached for the folder on the counter.
"Thank you all for coming."
Nobody answered.
"You may be wondering why I've brought you here."
Nelson scoffed.
"That's putting it mildly."
Penny opened the folder.
"George Tillingham's death wasn't an accident."
Francine's face tightened.
Tess looked up.
Nelson's expression became serious.
Daisy didn't move.
Penny continued.
"Someone poisoned the wedding cake."
Silence.
She held up a photograph.
"I found the substance hidden among my bakery supplies."
Nelson leaned forward.
"You found poison in your bakery?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Before the break-in."
Francine frowned.
"What kind of poison?"
"An odorless pest-control poison."
Tess covered her mouth.
Daisy's eyes flicked toward her.
Penny noticed.
"The poison was traceable."
Daisy's face remained composed.
But Penny saw her fingers tighten around the strap of her handbag.
Penny placed another photograph on the table.
"This is the packet."
Then another.
"This is the piece of packaging I found caught in a piping tip."
Then another.
"This is the earring."
Daisy's face went pale.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Nelson looked at the earring.
"That's hers."
Daisy turned sharply.
"What?"
Nelson nodded toward it.
"That's Daisy's."
Penny looked at Daisy.
"Isn't it?"
Daisy swallowed.
"I told you I lost it."
"Near the cake."
"I was helping Melanie."
"You were leaning over the cake."
Daisy's eyes narrowed.
"Lots of people were near the cake."
"Not like you."
Daisy said nothing.
Penny continued.
"I also found evidence that George had been secretly paying your family's debts."
Daisy's expression changed.
Francine looked at her.
Nelson stared.
Tess looked shocked.
Penny laid the financial records on the table.
"These payments happened for years."
Daisy shook her head.
"You don't understand."
"I understand enough."
"No."
Daisy's voice trembled.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Penny looked at her.
"George was going to stop paying."
Daisy's eyes filled with tears.
"And he was going to reveal everything."
Daisy looked around the table.
Nobody spoke.
Penny stepped closer.
"That's why he had to die."
Daisy stood.
"No."
Penny didn't move.
"Yes."
"You have no proof."
"I have enough."
Daisy laughed bitterly.
"You think a few old papers prove I killed someone?"
"No."
Penny's voice became quiet.
"The poison proves someone poisoned the cake."
She pointed to the earring.
"This connects you to the cake."
Then the financial records.
"This gives you a motive."
Then she pointed toward the kitchen.
"And last night, you tried to burn my bakery down."
Daisy's face crumpled.
Nelson stood.
"You did what?"
Daisy looked at him.
"Stay out of this."
Penny stepped forward.
"You started the fire."
"I panicked."
The words slipped out.
Everyone went silent.
Daisy realized what she'd said.
Penny's heart slammed against her ribs.
"You panicked?"
Daisy's mouth opened.
No words came.
Penny took another step.
"Because you knew I had the evidence."
Daisy looked toward the door.
Penny knew.
She had her.
Not completely.
But close.
Penny pointed directly at her.
"You poisoned George to protect your secret."
The words echoed through the bakery.
Daisy stared at Penny.
For several seconds, she looked almost peaceful.
Then her expression twisted.
"You don't know what he was going to do to my family."
"You could have told the truth."
"He would have destroyed us."
"He didn't deserve to die."
Daisy's voice broke.
"I had no choice."
Penny's heart stopped.
Daisy realized the mistake immediately.
Her hand flew to her mouth.
Penny stared.
Nelson stared.
Francine stared.
Tess looked horrified.
And then—
Mochi jumped.
He landed on the main display table.
The room went silent.
The tuxedo cat sat directly in front of Daisy.
His tail curled around his paws.
His amber eyes locked onto hers.
He didn't blink.
He didn't move.
He didn't look away.
Daisy stared at him.
For the first time since Penny had met her, genuine fear appeared on her face.
Mochi remained perfectly still.
Penny looked from the cat to Daisy.
And suddenly, she understood.
The cat wasn't confused anymore.
Neither was Penny.
The room had become very quiet.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Mochi simply stared.
As if he had finally found the person he'd been looking for all along.