Murder as Sticky as Jam Read online

  “She what?”

  Before Mona could repeat herself, Stephanie added. “She stole my gluten-free recipes too! That’s why I quit.”

  “You quit?”

  “Oh, I know. She likes to tell everyone she fired me. But the truth is, she was selling catering gigs, using my recipes and not giving me any credit. I finally consulted an attorney. And while I couldn’t copyright my recipes, he was able to find a loophole that prevented her from using them for anything other than personal use.”

  “Ah!” Mona cried. “That’s why she had to change the recipe!”

  “What?”

  “She was going to cater my opening, but then told me she had to change the recipes to some garbanzo bean or fava...or I don’t know what lie she told me.”

  Stephanie laughed. “Yeah. Lacey is sort of a pathological liar. She’s a piece of work. How did she get hold of your jam recipes?”

  Mona sighed. “I have no idea. I thought they were in the shop when it burned down.”

  After they hung up, Mona stepped out for fresh air and to retrieve the mail.

  And then it happened.

  In the mailbox was the check from the insurance company. Holding it in her hands, she was torn about what to do. Her first thought was to pack a suitcase, go to the bank, cash the check and head for the airport. Mona fantasized about a tropical island with white sand beaches surrounded by aquamarine water that she would call home.

  As she resigned herself to a life of lush palm trees and drinks with umbrellas, she thought about her Aunt Cecilia on her cruise. How could she explain to her the events of the past few weeks? Both Aunt Bee and Cee know Mona wasn’t a quitter. And Aunt Cee had not loaned Mona the money so she could squander it living in a tropical island for years. If that was her intention, she could have just given it to Stewart.

  I can’t let Aunt Cee or myself down. Not while I still have fight left in me.

  Thinking of her Great Aunt’s strength and unwavering belief that Mona could achieve her dreams, she decided that she would be like Cecilia, who’d thrown caution to the wind and escaped on a whirlwind cruise around the world.

  Cecilia doesn’t care what anyone in town thinks of her.

  She follows her heart!

  With that check, she had enough money to sell her jams and jellies to tourists and not have to worry about breaking even for several years. That gave her plenty of time to figure out what to do about Lacey stealing her proprietary recipes.

  Mona wasn’t about to let anyone stop her. Especially not whoever was responsible for burning down her shop and trying to ruin her life.

  She would make one more valiant effort to rebuild her dream.

  He or she is going to have to try harder than that!

  Feeling a new sense of purpose sweep over her, she turned off the TV. Opening the pantry door, she reached for a garbage bag and cleaned up the empty snack bags, ice cream containers and candy wrappers from the living room. Soda and beer bottles were next to go as she felt better with each passing minute.

  With the check safely tucked into her wallet, she powered on the laptop and started searching for contractors. For a build of this magnitude, she knew she needed a specialist. She combed through the local listings in search of a contractor that could rebuild her kitchen and her business. Scanning the listings, she recognized a familiar name.

  Alexander Kaas’s name and contact information was displayed on her screen under the heading kitchens, commercial and residential.

  Mona read the listing, and suddenly a chill zipped up her spine.

  Oh my goodness!

  His wine and cheese shop was only one of his business ventures, he hadn’t always been a store owner, he had at one time worked with his hands as a contractor. Mona read the information and had a moment of clarity. Without the honey and jam supplied by herself and Vicki, Alexander had to return to doing odd contracting jobs to make ends meet, to afford his lavish lifestyle.

  Mona thought about Alexander’s specialty, and the police report that the fire at her shop had started in the kitchen and then she was nearly killed in her own home by a leak from her stove that was tampered with by someone.

  Was it possible it was Alexander?

  Mona remembered the morning of the fire that Alexander had been nearby. He had been outside the blaze, giving her a stupid wave!

  How Mona disliked him! He was arrogant, overbearing and had never shown Vicki any attention until now. She knew that he wasn’t happy about losing her and Vicki’s products to sell at his shop, but she wondered if it was possible that he could have been unhappy enough to commit murder or attempted murder.

  Could Alexander be capable of arson just to save his business?

  The people who had the most to gain from the fire were Alexander and Lacey.

  Lacey had stolen Mona’s recipes ... her recipes that had been at Jammin’ Honey just before the fire ...

  In a rush, Mona turned off the computer and looked at her cell phone sitting by the computer. She thought about calling Leo, but she didn’t have any concrete evidence against Alexander, just an advertisement and a hunch. Mona knew that wasn’t enough to go on, she needed something a little more concrete.

  Looking at the clock on the wall, she thought about the reception gala at As You Slice It that was scheduled for that evening. Even if Alexander never saw a day behind bars, she was going to make sure that he knew that she was aware of his guilt.

  She didn’t care what happened after that, her reputation was destroyed and nothing she could do could make it any worse. She had decided that she was going to reopen her shop no matter what anyone in Magnolia Falls thought about it.

  If I hurry, I’ve just enough time to get dressed!

  Mona rushed through the shower and selected her best dress, a slinky black wraparound number that she ordered on a whim, online. She piled her hair into a messy up do and lined her eyes in black liner with grey eye shadow for a smoky effect. Berry lip stick, dangly silver earrings and a spritz of perfume completed the look.

  Just as she was slipping on a pair of strappy heels, her cell phone buzzed. It was her Aunt Bee calling.

  “Darling! The BOGO sale is a great success. Alana says you almost brought the Frugalicious server down!”

  “I did!”

  “Blackberry ginger jam is a knock out!”

  “Well, it may have been knocked off too.”

  “Whatdya mean?” Aunt Bee asked.

  “Lacey MacInroy got hold of my recipes, and I understand she’s preparing my jam for the As You Slice It gala reception tonight.”

  “Why that little rat!” Aunt Bee said.

  “Are you going to the reception?” Mona asked.

  “No way! Alexander has never honored, not one of the Coupon Clipper’s requests for a sale. Are you going?” Aunt Bee asked.

  “Yup. On my way now. Wish me luck,” and as Mona hung up, she heard Aunt Bee squeak out, “Luck with what?”

  Mona admired her reflection in the mirror and declared herself ready for action. Grabbing her car keys and purse, she nearly stumbled, racing down the front steps. Driving into town, she felt a feeling she had not experienced in a long time, bravery. This new-found liberation from caring about what anyone thought about her was freeing. She felt like her old self once more, that girl she used to be the brave, independent girl that didn’t care about reputations and rumors.

  The street in front of As You Slice It was packed with cars and people dressed for a party.

  Wow! He sure does know how to throw a party, I’ll give him that.

  Mona parked several blocks away and tried to confidently walk in the strappy heels. She soon discovered that a slow gait and not a rushed, hurried pace was best with the pretty but deadly shoes.

  Walking down the street, she passed many citizens of Magnolia Falls. She was thrilled that few of them recognized her dressed as she was. Mona was known to be a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, not a woman who wore high heels and body-conscious slinky dresses
. The element of surprise would be useful, she decided, as she walked into the wine and cheese shop.

  Remembering to hold her head high, she strolled through the crowd at the shop. In the light of the gala, she was recognized far easier than on the dimly lit street. Her element of surprise wasn’t working. Mona no longer cared or needed it, she was in the door, and by the looks of the large crowd, so was nearly everyone else in Magnolia Falls.

  As she walked through the crowd, looking for Alexander, she could hear whispers and conversations suddenly coming to a stop. Mona was the center of attention at the gala, she was a local celebrity, now considered infamous and notorious. She decided that she had nothing to lose by making a scene, if necessary.

  Uniform waiters worked the crowd, offering slices of Gouda paired with honey and Prosecco, tastes of Dubliner cheese with Cabernet Sauvignon and worst of all a beautiful dry Manchego topped with Blackberry Ginger Jam.

  Mona snatched up the Manchego offering and popped it her mouth. While the flavors complemented each other in a heady sort of way, she was relieved to note, that her version of the jam was superior.

  Ha! You may have my recipes, Lacey, but you’ll never prepare them with my kind of heart!

  Despite the crowd, Mona spotted Lacey chatting with a high-profile local politician. She was dressed in a short flashy red dress and squeezing the man’s arm as she chugged some wine.

  So much for the grieving widow! More like black widow.

  Alexander Kaas spotted Mona and stiffened. He was well groomed, impeccably dressed in a pair of pressed khakis, loafers without socks and a coral polo shirt. His long blond hair was slicked back and the gold watch on his wrist caught the light as he moved his arm. At his side was Vicki, dear Vicki who looked like a million bucks.

  She was wearing a form-fitting green suede dress with golden trim that created a glow about her as if she’d dipped herself in honey.

  She was too good for him!

  As Mona drew closer to Alexander, Vicki started to speak but was interrupted by her new boyfriend and business partner.

  “Look who we have here?” Alexander said. “If you’ve come to ask for your old job back, I’m sorry. I’ll have to say no. Your jams have been replaced.”

  A look of confusion cloudy Vicki’s pretty face. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

  Mona wasn’t about to be distracted. She motioned to Vicki that they’d catch up later, then smiled sweetly at Alexander. “You and I need to have a conversation. Do you want to do this here or in private, either way suits me just fine.”

  In the background, Mona heard the melodic strains of jazz music and the silence of a well-dressed crowd that was listening to every word she and Alexander had to say to each other. It seemed that lately, Mona was the center of attention wherever she ventured. Being notorious could be fun if she played her cards right.

  Mona glared at Alexander, and her gaze never wavered not even when Leo stepped out of the crowd and placed his hand on her shoulder. Leaning close he whispered to her, “Mona, you look beautiful but what are you up to?”

  “Stick around, you’ll see,” she said to Leo.

  “I don’t know what business you have with me, if you are mad about Vicki, I suggest you take it up with her another time and not at our reception. Really Mona, this is embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for you that you have sunk this low. I guess what the rumors say about you is true,” Alexander said with a smirk.

  “Well if that is how you prefer to have our conversation, in full view of the entire town, that suits me just fine. I didn’t come here to cause trouble, I came here tonight to tell you something, something that all your guests in their fancy dress clothes may find interesting or not, I really don’t care. I just want to tell you that I know it was you, Alexander Kaas, it was you that set fire to my shop and it was you that tried to kill me. You killed Collin MacInroy in the process, but I don’t suspect that bothers you.”

  Alexander turned bright red, as red as the wine he was selling. He looked as though he was going to explode at any second. He turned to Leo and demanded, “You’re a cop, I want her gone, I want her out of my shop this instant, do you hear me?”

  Mona looked at Leo, waiting for him to grab her by the arm and kick her out into the street. He didn’t, he turned to Alexander and said, “I’m a cop, that is true, but I’m interested to hear what she has to say before I remove her from the premises.”

  Without hesitation, Mona replied, “Alexander, don’t play innocent with me, I know you specialize in kitchen installations and ovens, even oven repair. I believe it was no coincidence that the fire at my shop started in the kitchen caused by the stove and then the attempt on my life was due to tampering with my stove and the disabling of my carbon monoxide alarm. You had the expertise and the opportunity to do both.”

  Alexander chuckled, “Why in the world would I do that? I don’t have a motive, without a motive you don’t have a case, do you?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, you do have a motive. Remember I worked for you, I used to keep your books, I know how much money Vicki and I made for you. I know without us you would be broke and must close your business. You needed us, our jam and honey, the product of our hard work and sweat was the only thing that made a profit for you. I know how you see yourself with your nice clothes and snooty attitude. You didn’t want to have to go back to being a contractor. You wanted us to fail and come crawling back to you,” Mona said.

  Vicki reddened, then said, “I suppose one of us did.”

  “I’ve heard enough, that is it, I’m asking you to leave my shop and don’t come back or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. Do you hear me?”

  “But there’s one more thing,” Mona said. “I have proof that you were there. My recipe book was at Jammin’ Honey before the fire. It should have been destroyed. But you took it and gave to Lacey. Am I right?”

  Alexander paled and looked around the room for Lacey, who was just slipping out the back door. The guests whispered and started slowly stepping away from Alexander and Vicki. Leo turned to Mona and asked, “Is that true, the books, the profit margin, all of it?”

  “It sure is, every word.”

  “This is ridiculous, you come in here and try to ruin my grand opening. I don’t have to stand here and listen to any more of this.”

  “You are right Mr. Kaas, you don’t have to stand here and listen to any more of this, if you will accompany me to the station, I have a few questions I would like to ask you.”

  Mona smiled, and Vicki came to over to link her arm through Mona’s. Together, they walked away. They walked past people that Mona knew from town, people that gossiped about her and spread rumors. As they walked toward the door, a waiter stopped them and offered a tray of sparkling wine flutes. Mona and Vicki both grabbed a glass and toasted to themselves.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mona drank a cup of coffee as she sat on the front steps of her mountain home, the newspaper folded neatly at her side. The front page of the Magnolia Falls Gazette featured a large headline that read, “Local Cheese Shop Owner charged in Jam Shop Fire.” For Mona, it was vindication, the nightmare was over, she was no longer a suspect in the accidental death and the fire that destroyed her business. Butterflies lazily flitted among the honeysuckle in the warm morning breeze as Mona watched, feeling the tension leaving her body.

  It is finally over, I can start over.

  The experience was enlightening for Mona, she learned the hard way who her real friends were, what her family thought of her and who she could count on as she faced allegations and public ridicule. She knew that she would never see many of her fellow citizens of Magnolia Falls the same way again, but she no longer let that worry her; she had other, better thoughts to occupy her mind.

  Losing the Jammin’ Honey shop was a trial that nearly broke Mona, but she persevered, emerging from the ordeal with a brand-new plan. No longer content to rely on the taciturn loyalty of local customers, she made the decision tha
t she would rebuild and re-open a brick and mortar shop for the tourists. This time, she wasn’t content to stop at just owning a shop. Her new business plan included investing in online distribution and selling her jams through select retailers in larger cities.

  She also realized that jam and honey were perfect compliments to bread and crackers. And when baked by the right person, gluten-free didn’t have to taste like cardboard. So, the new and improved Jammin’ Honey would now include a bakery and be called Jammin’ Honey Buns.

  And as for cousin, Stewart, Mona had apologized for suspecting him of terrible things, and in order to make amends, had offered to help him to secure the lease for the shop that had previously been Alexander’s store, As You Slice It. Cousin Stewart was looking forward to the opportunity to make something of himself. And, Aunt Bee had agreed to supervise his books to be sure he didn’t overspend. That had made Mona and Vicky smile, but Stewart groan.

  If the fire hadn’t happened, she would never have considered other avenues for sales, but the fire did happen, and Mona could look back on the tragedy as giving her the motivation she needed to be bold and fearlessly promote her brand. The public ridicule and slander was difficult to bear, but it was the death of Collin MacInroy that was the true tragedy.

  Mona hadn’t been close to him, but she mourned him and prayed that his suffering was over, that he had found peace. As a tribute to Collin, she made the decision to donate a portion of the business’s profits to charities that helped veterans suffering from PTSD. It was a decision that was cheerfully supported by Jammin’ Honey Bun’s newest employee, Stephanie Tyndall.

  Hiring Stephanie Tyndall was one of the best decisions Mona had ever made. Stephanie was passionate about baking and using the highest quality ingredients, no cutting corners like Mona knew Lacey was prone to do.

  Lacey had gotten off with minimal punishment. She’d told the judge that she never knew about Alexander’s plans to burn down Jammin’ Honey and was surprised when he’d offered her Mona’s treasured recipe book.

  The judge was sympathetic but firm. He sentenced the grieving woman to a year of community service. She also had to return the recipe book to Mona and promise never to sell a single pot of jam.