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AN HOUR LATER, DANA was still shaken as the forensics team took Brenda’s body on a stretcher to go to the Berry Cove Coroner’s Office. She had noticed when she first saw the body there was cream on Brenda’s lips. It looked as if she’d had some of the coconut cream cupcake from last night. She was at the café yesterday evening and had bought a jumbo gourmet cupcake before heading home. She must have died last night. Next to the body was a familiar white cardboard box from the Cozy Cupcakes Café with the pretty pink logo on it and the words “Taste the sweetness of life.” The box was crushed and laying on the ground. It looked as if Brenda tripped and fell or was pushed and landed on the cupcake box on the ground.
Dana’s heart squeezed in her chest. Oh, no.
“Are you all right, Ms Sweet?” Troy asked concerned as he approached her with his notepad and pen.
“Yes, I...I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” Dana hugged herself.
Detective Troy had already interviewed Garth, Henrietta and Katie about what happened. It was now Dana’s turn.
“So you mind telling me what you were doing here, in the victim’s basement?”
The victim?
It seemed so strange to refer to her new neighbor by the words victim. But reality came flooding in. Brenda really was a victim, wasn’t she? She’d been murdered.
“Well, like Katie said, we didn’t see her this morning at the Café so we decided to...”
“Break into her home?” Troy arched his brow. She could tell he was disappointed that she’d decided to take matters into her own hands and visit Brenda’s home, even though he’d told her that his team would be looking into her whereabouts after twenty-four hours.
“Troy, we didn’t break in. We already had the key. Mrs. B gave it to us a while back so that we could check on her once in a while.”
“But you do realize that Mrs. B hasn’t been with us for a while, right?” Troy continued.
“I know that.”
“Dana, I’m just really concerned for your safety. If there is foul play...which it looks as if there is, I don’t want you getting involved. There could be a dangerous killer on the loose.”
“I know, I know. It’s just that I had a hunch something could have happened to Brenda. It seemed so strange that she was going to meet me and a lawyer this morning and she didn’t show up to any of her appointments.”
“And, now we know why.” Troy rubbed his forehead. He looked as if he had a massive headache coming on.
“Um, Troy. I noticed there was cream on Brenda’s lips and the crumpled box from the Cozy Cupcakes Café. I almost forgot she came into the Café yesterday and bought a cupcake. And to be honest, I think she had the same clothes on that she had on last night. It looks as if she’d been murdered yesterday.”
“It seems that way, based on her body temperature. She was cold.”
“Well, if she was in fact eating one of the Café’s cupcakes, do you think it would be possible to keep it down. I mean, I wouldn’t want word to get out that she’d been eating one of our cupcakes. Not if it isn’t relevant to the case.” Dana flushed. She felt the heat of humiliation rising inside her. She felt terrible to have to ask Troy that.
“It looks as if she was either pushed or fell down the flight of stairs. We’ll know for sure after the Coroner’s results. But I understand how you feel with all that bad press lately with your cupcakes turning up on the scene of a crime. I’ll see what I can do and let the boys know.”
Dana gave Troy an appreciative smile. “Thanks so much, Troy.”
After Troy finished speaking with Dana he told her he’d speak to her again later.
“Are you going to be okay, cuz?” Katie asked softly.
“Yeah, I sure hope so,” Dana said, breathing in deeply. She’d learned relaxation techniques in her Yoga classes at the Berry Cove Fitness Center.
“We have another catering gig this afternoon at Bea’s for two o’clock,” Katie reminded Dana. “Should I tell Lizzy to fill in for us?”
“Oh, no. We can make it.”
“You sure? You seem shaken up.”
“I just can’t believe Brenda’s gone.”
“Yeah, I know and she took all that noise with her.”
“Katie!”
“No disrespect, cuz. I feel sorry for the poor girl, but she wasn’t the most considerate neighbor on the block,” Katie said quietly. She’d had her run in with Brenda before when she’d told Brenda to please keep the noise down to which Brenda had given her the finger.
Dana and Katie headed back next door to their own Victorian.
“What’s running through your mind, cuz?”
“Something is very odd about the whole situation.”
“Well, of course it is. Our neighbor was found dead in her basement. That is odd.”
“Well, who could have wanted her dead?”
“Probably a whole lot of people—especially the other neighbors on the block,” Katie said when they got to the front of their home.
Just then, Garth came out of the home looking guilty. He glanced at Dana and Katie then sighed deeply, shaking his head. He still had his gardening gloves on.
“You know that’s odd that he hasn’t taken off his gloves,” Dana observed.
“So what?”
“I bet there are some cuts underneath it on his hands.”
“Girl, have you never done any gardening. Well, duh. Of course there would be. That’s why most gardeners wear gloves.”
“No. No. Why was he so insistent on me not going down to the basement?”
Katie paused for a moment. “Yeah, he really wanted to go down there to retrieve your handbag, didn’t he?”
“Not only that, but...” Dana pondered for a moment. “I thought it was so strange that when I told him I was looking for Brenda, he asked me if I’d found her.”
“He did, didn’t he?” Katie’s eyes widened.
“Yes, he did, and he mentioned Brenda liked to keep the door closed, not she likes to keep the door closed... I think I need to speak to Troy about that.”
Just as Troy was heading into his cruiser, Dana hurried over to him. “Troy!”
He paused for a moment. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“Well, actually, no. Not quite. I have a few questions.”
Troy frowned slightly. There were onlookers and neighbors from the other houses who’d come to gawk at what was going on. Berry Lane was usually a quiet street in a nice neighborhood. It wasn’t everyday the Coroner’s van and a team of police officers were seen on the road. And it wasn’t everyday a body was carried out on a stretcher. She knew many of the neighbors would be speculating and gossiping about what happened.
Mrs. Brunes, a neighbor from the other side of Brenda’s house walked up to them, her hair was rolled up and underneath a silk purple head scarf. She was a nice elderly woman who’d been retired for ten years now and often stayed home to do her gardening.
“What happened over at Barinotta’s house?” she asked Detective Troy. “Hello Dana,” she also said before turning her attention back to Troy for answers.
“Hi Mrs. Brunes,” Dana said.
“Good morning, Mrs. Brunes,” Troy said, his voice sounding tired. He’d been acquainted with her from before when she’d called because of a cat in her tree or a suspicious person on the street. Mrs. Brunes had always been a paranoid neighbor who’d kept to herself. “We’re still investigating. An officer will be with you to ask you some questions soon.”
“About?”
“Your new neighbor Brenda. She was found in her basement.”
Mrs. Brunes tightened her lips. “I see. She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is ma’am.”
“I knew she should have fixed those steps,” Mrs. Brunes commented.
“Can you please tell me where you were between eight and midnight last night?”
Mrs. Brunes looked offended. “I was in bed, of course! I hardly go out, detective.”
“I understand ma’am. It’s just a routine question we’re asking everyone.”
“So you think she died around that time?”
“Possibly. So you didn’t hear anything? Any screams? Loud noises?”
“Nope!”
“Are you sure, Mrs. Brunes?” Dana asked perplexed. Mrs. Brunes was always keeping her ears to the ground, listening out for every little thing happening on the street. She’d been the neighborhood watch for years. That was very strange that she never heard a commotion or scuffle or a scream.
Dana caught the look of disproval from Troy from the corner of her eye. She knew she shouldn’t be interfering with his questioning, yet she couldn’t help but feel that Mrs. Brunes was not being truthful. Mrs. Brunes was known to keep awake at all hours listening for stuff happening on the road. Her late husband had worked as an investigator during his time. He must have shared some of his secrets with her. She would often make remarks at the salon about who was out late at night with whom. Or which neighbor walked in at all sorts of ungodly hours.
Mrs. Brunes pouted her lips. She folded her arms across her chest. She was still wearing her pink dressing gown, even though it was the middle of the day. “Well, the only loud noises I hear is when that girl plays her music so loud. I thought it was a bit quiet last night. Thank heavens for that!”
“I see,” Troy said, his brows furrowed. He scribbled down some notes on his notepad. “Like I said before, an officer will be with you to ask you some more questions so please don’t go anywhere.”
“Oh, I don’t intend to.”