Chapter Ten

“What are you doing?” Leo sounded more curious than angry.

“I came back for my… uh… uh… shoes,” I stammered, my heart pounding.

“At Robin’s station?” This time, a note of suspicion seeped in.

“Well, uh…” I stopped rambling, knowing I’d been caught. Of course, he didn’t believe me since he apparently knew exactly where Robin had chosen to sit and store her things. Why should he, since I was snooping where I didn’t belong after hours? When Leo didn’t make a move towards me, I hurried to pick up my things and approached him cautiously. “I was looking for clues,” I admitted.

“Clues?”

“You know, clues.”

“Clues,” he said again.

I was sure my exasperation showed when I said, “Something that might indicate who wanted to hurt Robin.”

Leo frowned. “Did you find anything?”

“Well, no. But I didn’t have a chance to check her locker and I was going to...”

Leo watched me, his face impassive, and I wished I knew what he was thinking. Then he said, “We should probably check it.”

“We?” Surprise stunned me momentarily.

“You and me.” He pointed to me, then back to him.

“Yes, I know what ‘we’ means. I’m just surprised you said we.”

“Do you have Robin’s key?” he asked, stepping past me towards the lockers.

“No, it wasn’t in her station so it was probably in her pocket when she was killed. Or maybe Detective Logan took it.” I hurried after him and pointed to the flimsy lock. “I noticed when we were directed to use them that the locks aren’t exactly secure. They’re more like a serving suggestion than a real security lock.”

“A serving suggestion,” chuckled Leo while I watched him examine the lock.

“I think if I slide a credit card underneath the lock, I can flip it open,” I said as I crouched down to get a better view. Robin had taken one of the middle lockers and it was the only one that remained locked. When Leo didn’t stop me, or tell me I was crazy, I pulled a card from my wallet and wiggled it into the gap between the door and side. I pushed it up and the lock mechanism jumped but didn’t move out of the casing.

“What’s inside? A confession?” asked Leo.

I tried again and then, on my third go, I gave it more force and the lock popped out of its casing and the door swung open.

“Ha-ha. I don’t think the killer is that stupid. There’s a plastic box,” I said, lifting it out and trying to conceal my disappointment when I saw what was inside. “Cookie cutters.”

“Not what you hoped for?”

“Not at all,” I said, all too aware how close Leo was crouching next to me. I handed the box to him so I could take a closer look inside the locker but even as I ran my hand across the floor and up the sides, I knew there was nothing there. “Detective Logan probably took anything he thought might be useful and left these behind.”

“Here,” he said, passing me the box so I could return it. “It was a good idea to look.”

I pushed the door closed but it didn’t stay there. “Damn, I was so focused on unlocking it, I didn’t think about locking it again.”

“Let me try.” Leo pulled a multi-tool from his pocket and flicked out the blade. Before I could even think about screaming, he slipped it into the key slot and twisted it. With a light click, the lock slid back into place. He returned the tool to his pocket and stood up, smiling. “These things often come in handy,” he added. “You should get one for your clue collection.”

“I’m not collecting clues!” I said as Leo raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I’m doing a little bit of investigating and now I’m leaving.”

“Why aren’t you leaving the investigation to the police? They seem to have a handle on things.” Leo stood as I did but made no attempt to move away.

“Because…” I sighed, wondering if he would think I was nuts and then mark me down on tomorrow’s show just to get rid of me. But after catching me rummaging through a dead woman’s things, how much worse could it get for me now? Although… he hadn’t told me not to. Instead, he’d helped! “Because I have a different theory and I figure if I can prove Robin wasn’t the true target, then I can prove whom the real target is,” I told him, figuring I should confide in someone.

Leo glanced at the locker with its abandoned cookie cutters. “By searching through Robin’s things?”

“Yeah.” I looked at my watch and pulled a face. “I told the security guard I’d be quick. I should go.”

“I’ll walk out with you. I need to head back to my hotel anyway. It’s been a long day.”

“How come you’re still here? It looks like almost everyone else has left.”

“Miles wanted to film some extra pieces with the judges so we stayed behind. Rebecca and Jack left already and I was talking with… a friend in my trailer.”

“Everything okay?” I asked, noting the frown lines reappearing.

Leo shrugged. “All fine. Just a work thing.”

“I thought you said it was a friend.”

“A friend I was talking to about a work thing,” Leo replied frostily.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap,” he said as we stepped out of the contestants’ zone and turned for the path that led to the exit. “So, what’s next?”

“I’m going home and ordering takeout and watching bad TV. I don’t think I can stand being in the kitchen any longer. Then I’m going to take a very long bath. I smell like chocolate, which isn’t a bad thing but... I’m rambling again. Sorry.”

“No, I meant next in your search for clues,” he said, easily keeping pace with me.

“Oh! Well, I guess I’m going to look into Robin’s past and her present. I wonder…” I paused, contemplating something I’d just realized as we neared the corner of the judges’ dressing trucks.

“What?”

“Well, maybe it’s Robin’s present that’s more important.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If someone came at you with a weapon, what would you do?”

“Run away,” Leo said so quickly I couldn’t help laughing. “I’m a lover not a fighter,” he explained. “I’m not going to stick around and fight an armed person intent on doing me harm. I’m going to vamoose.” He floated his hand towards the distance, indicating the swiftness of his exit with a wiggle of his fingers. “Why? What would you do?”

“Scream,” I said with certainty. “And that’s what I realized I didn’t hear. Robin didn’t scream, so maybe she knew her attacker?”

“They could have surprised her. She was hit from behind.”

“Oh. I didn’t consider that, but yeah, I guess I did see the wound.” I thought again and continued, “So, if she didn’t scream, she might have known her attacker, but if she didn’t scream because she didn’t even see them, well… that must mean the attacker knew her. Or thought they did. Otherwise, it would be a weirdly random attack.”

“I could understand that if it were out in the open but this is a closed set. The public aren’t allowed in here.”

“But they do sneak in,” I pointed out. “I’ve seen a few people lingering around outside.”

“Probably Rebecca’s groupies. Sneak-ins have happened in the past but security gets tighter every year…” Leo paused, then said, “I don’t think a stranger sneaking in should be ruled out entirely, but to target a random contestant? It’s not like all the heats have aired on TV yet. If they had, maybe I’d say a deranged fan could have been the culprit, but it can’t be that.”

“My guess is Robin did know her murderer. I can’t help thinking it had to be over something very personal to cause that level of anger. Love, jealousy, maybe revenge?” I fired off a few ideas, hoping I sounded like I was smart now that I was considering motives.

“All of the above?”

“Robin seemed happy to me but I really only spoke to her a handful of times. Apparently, she was ready to turn over a new leaf. What did she seem like to you?” I wondered as we neared the exit. “I’m sure you knew her better.”

“I don’t know what I can tell you that you probably haven’t already heard. She was nice, friendly, and talented. She was super impressed with Rebecca and really wanted to get her attention but a lot of contestants are like that. I think Robin mentioned she was either getting divorced or had just finalized one. She made a point of telling me she was single.”

“She did?”

“Uh… yeah.” Leo looked embarrassed. “I had to get the crew to remind the contestants of the rules.”

“The rules?” I frowned, trying to recall what was in the contract that he might be referring to. Then it dawned on me. “Oh! You mean the one that says contestants and crew are discouraged from dating until after filming is completed.”

“Perhaps it was cowardly, but I wanted Robin to take the hint from someone else,” said Leo. “It’s not pleasant getting hit on in your workplace and then having to look like a jerk for saying no.”

“I hadn’t really considered that.”

“She was a nice lady though, and I’ll admit, I might have misread that situation.”

“But rules are rules,” I said, glancing away, a tiny, sinking feeling in my stomach. Of course, contestants got crushes on Leo. It probably happened all the time. I was just another one, and I certainly didn’t want to embarrass him. Or get a stiff reprimand from Noah!

“Only until filming completes,” he said so softly I almost didn’t catch him. Then, before I could really consider that remark, he said louder, “So what have you found out about Robin so far?”

“Not much. Noah said Robin was starting a new chapter of her life. Robin and her ex-husband seemed to be on good terms because he’s coming to collect her body.”

“How do you know that?”

“Sam told me. That is, Detective Logan.”

“You know each other? You’re friends?”

“It’s a small town. We’re friendly although we don’t socialize together. He’s actually dating a friend of mine.” I stopped as we reached the gates and the security guard stepped towards me.

“You certainly took your time!” he started to admonish me, taking a very pointed look at his watch. “I could have… oh! Mr. Finley, didn’t see you there.”

“I was escorting Candice out,” said Leo. “I waylaid her back there so you’ll have to blame me for her not being as quick as she said she’d be.”

“No problem, sir. Did you find what you were looking for, miss?”

“I did, thanks,” I said, patting my dress bag even though my shoes had been in there all along. “See you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing,” he said, nodding to us both.

“I’m walking,” said Leo. “I told the driver not to come back from me. I have a map on my phone to follow once I start getting lost. I think I told you I visited Calendar often for the holidays but I don’t quite have the GPS of a local.”

“Would you like me to point you in the right direction?” I asked. “Where are you going?”

“Yes, please. I’m staying at The Blackberry Inn.”

“I know it! My new friend, Vanessa, owns it and her sister, Tammy, is the manager.”

“The twins? I met them. Vanessa seems to be pretty busy in her studio but Tammy has been very helpful.”

“Why aren’t you staying at The Maple Tree with everyone else?” I wondered.

“I found Blackberry Inn online so I asked to stay there. It gives me a little more privacy and I think it’s better for the contestants to relax if they don’t feel like the judges are watching them on their down time,” explained Leo.

“Rebecca must feel that way too,” I said. “Privacy, I mean. Not being watched.”

“Probably. The show books her a house for filming and she gets a chauffeur-driven car too. She is the star, after all.”

“How the other half live!” I laughed, wondering how it would feel to walk in Rebecca’s shoes for even a single day. “I’m walking in your direction too.”

“Want to walk together?”

“It would be weird not to,” I decided. We fell into step, the park on one side of us with its long row of parked All Star Bakers-emblazoned vehicles, and houses on the right. “There’s something else,” I started to say, not quite sure why I felt so comfortable confiding in Leo. Was it because he hadn’t told me I was crazy? Or because he made my insides flutter?

“About the murder?”

“Yeah. We’ve theorized that Robin and her killer knew each other. She didn’t scream and there was no hesitation in hitting her from the back, so her killer had to be sure they were attacking Robin… but I’m not entirely convinced she was the target,” I said. I immediately wondered if he would think I was as crazy as Sam Logan apparently did. “Robin and Rebecca looked very similar from behind and Robin was wearing Rebecca’s jacket, which would clinch the identification if the killer thought she were a different woman. To prove Robin was the intended target, I need to investigate her, but if I don’t find any reason why someone would want to kill her, that means Rebecca might have been the intended victim all along. There doesn’t seem any time to spare if Rebecca is presently in danger.”

“Did you tell Detective Logan all this?”

“I did, but he said there isn’t sufficient proof Rebecca was the target and not Robin.” I stopped, standing on the edge of the sidewalk, just across from a garden edged in fragrant blooms. Leo stopped walking too and turned to face me. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this,” I said. “I’m not crazy, I swear!”

“I don’t think you are! Have you told anyone else?”

“Only Detective Logan and he wasn’t exactly supportive.” I shrugged off my disappointment. Perhaps Sam was right. If only I could supply him with real proof!

“Then maybe you need someone to tell and I’m here. You seem really invested in this.”

“I am! It’s not just because of the show. Well, not completely. At first, I just wanted to be sure no one blamed my cake batter for Robin’s death; and then, the more I thought about it, the more it puzzled me. Things don’t add up,” I told him.

“Like?”

“The motive, for one. No one here really knew Robin, so far as I can tell, so why would anyone want to kill her? She was a nobody really. Plus, she was on the filming stage when she wasn’t supposed to be and wearing Rebecca’s jacket.”

“So you think the police have got it all wrong?”

“It’s a possibility. And I’m worried that if I’m right, Rebecca could be hurt. The killer got away without anyone noticing a thing!”

“That does pose a dilemma.” Leo scratched his head. “I’m not sure how I can help?”

“Well, you knew Robin.”

“Only a little and only for that week when we filmed the heat she won. I didn’t speak to her again until the day we started filming here.”

“Did she seem worried or upset about anything?” I asked.

“No, if anything, she seemed more upbeat. I know she was thrilled about winning a place in the finals so I figured that’s why she seemed visibly happy. She mentioned she was looking to shake her life up a bit.”

“Noah said something similar. I think it was regarding her divorce and moving on with her life.”

“An event like that would make a lot of people want to make changes.”

“Have you ever been married?”

“No. You?”

I shook my head. “No. One day, I hope.”

“Same here,” said Leo with a broad smile. “I’ve been thinking about settling down somewhere like this. It’s a nice town to raise a family in. Plus, I would get to see my parents more often.”

It was so easy talking to Leo that I’d let us get off topic but I found I wanted to know more. “I’m sure they would love that too. How would that work with filming?” I asked.

“I haven’t figured it out completely yet, but I’m not contracted to All Star Bakers beyond this season, and if my contract is renewed, I can fly out to the studios and come home. I have other interests I want to pursue eventually.”

“Like your cookbooks?”

“Yes, and a few other things. I might want to open a restaurant someday.”

“Wouldn’t it make sense to do that in a bigger city?”

“It would if I wanted to work all hours and never have a life. I like the idea of having my own life. I can do that here. I’ve already been looking at houses and businesses available. If I had my own restaurant, I would want somewhere small and manageable. That’s what I was doing when I ran into you.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed it. You looked a little angry.”

“Yeah, but not for that reason. There’re a lot of options. From a tiny vacant lot on Main Street to a farm shop with a lot of potential.”

“Main Street?” I gulped. Had Leo visited my future bakery site?

“It was too small, plus, I heard that there’s potential interest from a local baker already,” he said, giving me the kind of look that made me wonder if he knew exactly who that local baker was. Me! But he’d discounted it, which was great. Although, clearly, that meant the realtor was showing other potential renters. Once again, the pressure of winning the All Star Bakers’ check weighed on me.

“So, Robin was happy,” I said, changing the subject as we resumed walking. “She didn’t seem frightened of anyone?”

“Not that I discerned, but I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask. I didn’t spend as much time with the contestants as you all did with each other.”

“True, but we only just met and you did know all the contestants. Hmm… I can’t see any one of us having an issue with her. None of us met until the day before we started filming.”

“That you know of.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that I assumed that too, but I realized while we’ve been talking it was exactly that: an assumption. We don’t know who’s in touch with whom.”

“Even if that were true, everyone seemed to get along and Robin didn’t seem to have an issue with anyone although I guess we barely knew each other. I can’t see how anyone would feel homicidal about her in just a few hours.”

“So we’re back to her past. Did someone on the cast or crew know her and bear a grudge?”

“It’s possible. We’re all from different counties…” Then a lightbulb in my mind flickered. “I wonder if Declan might know something more? They’re from the same area and they did compete against each other. They must have chatted. Out of all of us, he must have known her best.”

“We should ask him.”

“We?”

“You don’t think I’m going to duck out of this now you’ve whetted my appetite with this big mystery?”

“Sorry. I’ve just gone on and on about it…”

“No, don’t apologize,” cut in Leo, grinning. “I’m fascinated. I want to help.”

“What was Robin like with the judges?”

“Nothing crazy. She was really pleased with the praise she received in the challenges. She didn’t do much wrong so she was always a favorite to win. She was nice too, getting along with everyone and we were all pleased for her when she won. Even Rebecca gave her some extra time and Robin was thrilled. Declan was very gracious when he lost.”

“She sounded like a nice person.”

“I thought so. I spoke to her a few times off set, not about anything really personal, just the weather, and how are you, and things like that, apart from the single and dating thing. Like I said, I could have misread that. Perhaps she was just excited about meeting someone new. When we were on set, we talked about what she was making and she was more than your average home baker. She could have turned professional with her cakes. I can’t tell you much more than that.” Leo flashed a smile at me and our hands brushed, giving me a jolt of excitement. For a moment, I thought he might take my hand, then he moved his away to adjust his cuffs, leaving me wondering if I were misreading the situation as badly as Robin could have been.

“What about Rebecca? Did she speak to Robin much?”

“Probably even less than me. She usually likes to avoid the contestants beyond welcoming them and saying a few pleasantries. She doesn’t want anything to influence her judging. But like I said, she did spare Robin extra time when she won.”

“That’s fair. It would be hard to judge someone, well, if they were a jerk.”

“I don’t know if you watched Robin’s episode but the guest judge was Clarissa Wu,” continued Leo and I nodded. Clarissa Wu was a rising star and very personable on camera. “She’s currently shooting a series in the Far East. Robin seemed to get on well with her along with the rest of the crew. I suppose she would have spent most of her time with Noah. I think he worked on that heat.”

“The hair and makeup ladies too?” I inquired. “They weren’t the same for my heat but maybe they were for Robin’s?”

“No, they’re both new for these episodes. The team we had for the previous heats were a couple who got into an accident after the last heat. The husband broke his arm. They decided to take the rest of the season off so the crew had to fly in these two for this taping,” explained Leo. “I don’t know much about them.”

“I’ve already spoken to Noah and what he said was similar to you but I didn’t know about the accident.” We approached the crosswalk and as I stepped into the road, a car accelerated around the corner. Leo wrapped an arm around me and pulled me out of the way. The breeze from the speeding car ruffled my hair around my face and my heart pounded from the near miss.

“That jerk didn’t even slow down!” said Leo, his voice rising as he crushed me against him. “Are you okay, Candice?”

I brushed the hair off my face, looking up at him, more than aware of how tightly we were pressed together and how dangerously close I’d come to being hit by the speeding car. My heart beat loudly as Leo gazed down at me and for a moment, it felt like he was going to kiss me.

“Candice?”

“I’m fine,” I said, pulling in a deep breath, feeling anything but fine, the moment lost as fast as it had come when we disentangled. “I’m absolutely fine.”