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THE NEXT MORNING WHILE at work, Dana felt her heart crash in her chest as she picked up a copy of the Berry Cove Gazette:
Jinxed cupcake café.
Their cupcakes are always turning up at the scene of a murder.
Dana gasped. Heat swept through her body. She then swallowed hard.
“How dare they?”
“Just ignore them,” Inga said in her thick Russian accent. “You know I don’t read the newspapers.”
“Inga, you don’t read, period,” Katie teased.
“Very funny,” Inga shot back, not smiling. Inga rarely, if ever smiled, but she can be very polite and friendly in her own way. She was always offering friendly advice. She’d been at the café since Grandma Rae owned it and was always loyal. Just a bit distant at times—but one thing remained constant was that she always spoke her mind.
“Seriously though,” Inga continued. “Reading that kind of junk written about you just works you up. You can’t change anything. It’s already published. So why raise your blood pressure?”
Inga did have a valid point. It wasn’t as if Dana Googled herself or anything. Her Grandma Rae would always say that what others think about you was none of your business. Of course, if there was anything libelous written online then a lawyer should get involved, but aside from that, silly opinions shouldn’t be the focus of one’s life.
“But I need to know about business-related reviews...” Dana said, after placing down the newspaper on the counter in the kitchen area. She would also often search online on Yelp to check that the café was getting decent reviews and if not, she’d try to address any customer concerns.
Dana couldn’t help but zoom in on something that caught her eyes. Dana picked up the newspaper again to read more closely.
She also followed the text written below the main article:
Well, at least Dana Sweet has some juice for her gossip blog.
“I don’t write gossip. I write murder mystery riddles.” Dana tossed the paper on the counter.
“Hey, cuz,” Katie said, trying to lighten the mood, “I need that paper. I have to use it for garbage.”
Dana winced.
She didn’t feel any better. She wished her cupcakes didn’t show up on a crime scene every time. Still, it brought in tourists and interests from far and wide, but the wrong kind of attention.
“Dana, guess who’s coming to breakfast?” Katie then said.
“What?”
She glanced out in the dining area where it was busy. Customers ate and chatted amongst themselves, the sound of cutlery scraping plates as they dug into their cupcakes with a spoon and their morning croissants. Dana had taken Inga up on her suggestions to start offering more than just cupcakes at the café for the breakfast and lunch crowd.
Over by the far corner by the fire place was...Thomas Cicaro.
Dana’s pulse leaped to her throat.
“What on earth is he doing here at the Cozy Cupcakes Café?” Suspicion washed over Dana.
“And he’s been asking for our breakfast special of the day,” Katie added. “The Valentine’s icing heavy cupcake with the jam filled center and a cup of French Vanilla coffee.”
Dana smoothed her pink apron and walked over to the table.
“Hello, sir.” She tried to make her voice sound as polite as possible, knowing full well that he had mob connections and was probably behind the murder of Carlos, Gigi’s fiancé.
Dana noticed Thomas’s expensive watch. There was a man beside him who was dressed equally well in a dark suit and looked mean and rough—the man’s face was emotionless. Was it his hit man or his bodyguard? Thomas, on the other hand, was cheery and animated.
“I’ll have your special of the day. I love that Valentine’s cupcake. I had it the other day. Glad you still have it up on the board.”
“Thank you, sir. We plan to keep it up all month for the month of February. It’s a hit with the customers.”
“I’ll bet it is,” he said, his eyes narrowed on Dana.
Dana felt uncomfortable for some reason. He seemed to be undressing her with his eyes, if she was not mistaken. Okay, the guy was a creepo. He was engaged recently and Dana heard that he now had another girlfriend since Gigi left him.
She jotted down his order and told him it won’t be too long.
“Good, you take your time, Missy.”
Missy?
“Anything for your friend?” she said turning to his bodyguard.
“He doesn’t eat,” Thomas spoke for the man.
Really? He doesn’t eat? What is he a machine or a droid or something?
“Okay, fine,” she said, nervously.
Soon after, Dana returned with the breakfast.
His bodyguard or friend made a phone call just then. “Yes, we have the deed done.” The man’s voice was rugged and low.
Thomas seemed to have a smug grin on his face.
What on earth was going on?
Thomas then took out his wallet and Dana noticed his wallet had some confetti on it. Heart-shaped tiny pieces of confetti.
She gasped.
Was it from Gigi’s concert? But Detective Troy said that Thomas was nowhere near the area.
Dana tried to scribble down some more stuff on her order pad, pretending not to listen.
She over heard the man talking about it’s done and that a guy was dead, under his breath.
Dana’s body tensed. Her heart pounded hard and fast.
Then she fumbled and dropped the notepad. She picked it up immediately and excused herself and went back to the counter.
Later, Dana watched discreetly from behind the counter as she made changes to the display board with the desserts, to see when the men would leave.
“Why are you watching them?” Katie asked, quietly as she moved over to Dana. Katie had a tray of cupcakes in her hand.
“Something funny is going on with those two, Katie. I’m going to see where they go after they leave here.”
“Oh, no, Dana. Call Detective Troy. You remember what he said last night about getting involved?”
“Yes, I do,” Dana said, surprised, “but how did you know what Detective Troy told me last night? Were you listening in on our conversation?” Dana arched her brow.
“Hey, you know we live in an old Victorian-built house, right? The walls are paper thin. I can hear you breathing down there, never mind, talking.”
“Okay, fine.” Dana grinned. It was true, the house was beautiful and historic but it wasn’t built like the ones today with insulation and everything.
After Thomas Cicaro and his friend got up and left, Dana watched them carefully.
“I’m going to follow them,” Dana said in a low voice to Katie’s chagrin.
“Are you crazy?” Katie whispered.
Dana grabbed her bag and coat and got ready to leave the café.
Moments later, Dana made her way out of the café and walked over to the park to see where the two men went. She saw no sign of them. She then took her time and walked over to a quiet area but still saw no sign of them.
Then...
Dana was grabbed from behind and blindfolded.
Everything went dark. Her mouth was covered by large hands so she couldn’t even shout out or scream.
Her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest. Her body went cold with fear.
The next thing she knew, she was placed into a car. Her skin pressed against a soft leather seat of a vehicle. She caught the spicy scent of a man’s cologne. Like the one Thomas Cicaro was wearing earlier, if she was not mistaken.
Oh, no.
She was going to die.