Part 16 (2/2)
Sue was tapping on a gla.s.s with a spoon, so conversation ceased as everyone focused on the panel of judges gathered beside her. Sue then made the introductions, but Lucy wasn't listening because she recognized them all: Roger Wilc.o.x, chairman of the board of selectmen; Hildy Schultz, who owned a bakery; and Fred Farnsworth, executive chef at the Queen Victoria Inn. They were nodding and smiling and saying nice things about all the entries, but Lucy's mind was miles away, thinking of Dora, sitting in the county jail. As a reporter Lucy had been there numerous times, covering various stories. It was one of her least favorite a.s.signments; she hated the moment the door clanged shut behind her, even though she knew she could leave whenever she wanted. Nevertheless, she always sympathized with the inmates, who couldn't.
Of course, Dora was tough. She was probably better able to withstand the indignities of imprisonment than most. And, as Dot had mentioned, she had plenty of support from her family. If anybody could successfully conceal a saw in a cake and smuggle it in to the jail, it would be Flora, she thought, as a little smile flitted across her lips.
Thinking about that tight family of women, who all lived and worked together, she wondered if perhaps Dora was protecting somebody else. Not Fern, she was too old to manage such elaborate murders. She could probably bash somebody on the head or shoot them, but staging the bodies the way the murderer had was a big job and Lucy doubted she had the strength. Flora, however, was a big woman with a lot of determination. And she'd been handling heavy sacks of sugar and other ingredients her entire life. Flora was also judgmental, and used to getting her way, according to Miss Tilley, and had forced Max to marry Dora when she got pregnant. Perhaps Flora didn't approve of the divorce and would rather see Dora as a widow than a divorcee with an ex who kept hanging around. Lucy was wondering if Flora wasn't a likelier suspect for the murders than her daughter when Dot elbowed her in the ribs.
Lucy was recalling her strange encounter with Lily and wondering if she wasn't an even likelier suspect-after all, Flora had bragged about Lily's skill at hunting and dressing deer-when Lydia poked her in the ribs.
”Lucy! They called your name!”
Lucy blinked. ”What?”
”Once again,” Sue was saying into the microphone, ”our first-prize winner is Lucy Stone for her Maple-Blueberry Cheesecake!”
Stunned, Lucy made her way through the crowd toward the judges. When she was in place behind the table, Sue continued, reading from a card.
”The judges all agreed that this cheesecake showed an imaginative and original use of local ingredients. It was refres.h.i.+ng and light and surprisingly low in calories, the perfect end to a coastal dinner.”
”And I might add, absolutely delicious,” said Fred Farnsworth, leaning in to the microphone.
Everybody laughed and applauded, except for Sue, who looked rather annoyed as she handed Lucy an envelope. ”The grand prize is a dinner for two at Chantarelle. Congratulations and bon appet.i.t, Lucy.”
”Thank you,” said Lucy, still not quite comprehending her triumph. ”This is a real surprise.”
”I'll say,” muttered Sue, under her breath, as there was another round of applause. She held up her hand for silence. ”And now, I encourage everyone to sample the delicious entries-the five dollar per plate cost goes to support the Hat and Mitten Fund, which provides winter clothing for local children. Tea and coffee are also available.”
Putting the mike down, Sue thanked the judges while Lucy tucked the envelope into her handbag. Then she asked Sue if she could help with the serving as people started to mob the tables where the desserts were displayed.
”It looks like they could use some help with the pies,” said Sue, scanning the crowd, which was thickest around the table displaying that category of entries. Cupcakes were also popular, as were the cookies, but Lucy noticed that few people had gathered at the table with brownies and chocolate cakes.
”Chocolate's gotten some bad press lately,” said Lucy.
”Absolutely,” declared Sue. ”If that poor woman hadn't been coated with chocolate, I'm sure my Better-Than-s.e.x Brownies would have won. The entries were blind, you know, so they could have picked mine. But right now it's hard to think about chocolate without picturing Tamzin's body and it takes your appet.i.te away.”
”I'm sure that's it,” said Lucy, before heading over to the pie table.
”People are sick of chocolate,” added Sue, in a parting shot.
When Lucy picked up Zoe at the Friends of Animals shelter, she discovered the news about Eddie was finally out.
”Mom! Did you hear? Eddie Culpepper overdosed at the Quik-Stop. He's in the hospital.”
”I know.” Lucy scowled, waiting for Zoe to fasten her seat belt. ”How did you hear about it?”
”I got a text from Sara.”
Hearing the click, Lucy s.h.i.+fted into drive. ”How did she know?”
Zoe gave her a patronizing look. ”From Lily, of course. At the shop. She and Eddie have been dating.”
Lucy braked at the road. ”You know about that?”
”Yeah.” Zoe's tone implied that everybody knew this, everybody except her stupid mother.
”Does Lily use drugs?” Lucy kept her tone offhand, as she turned onto Oak Street.
”No way. She's anti-drug, anti-alcohol.”
Lucy was beginning to think this was a bit of protective camouflage. Now that she thought about it, it seemed that drugs might explain Lily's odd behavior at the hospital. ”How do you know all this stuff?”
Zoe shrugged. ”I dunno. I hear stuff. Sara and her friends talk.” She paused. ”I guess they think I'm deaf or something.” She laughed. ”I'm the little sister. It's like I don't exist.”
Lucy thought she had a point. ”What else have you heard?”
Zoe's tone was serious. ”Plenty, but you'll have to pay.”
In spite of everything that had happened, in spite of Dora's arrest and Eddie's overdose, Lucy found herself chuckling as she turned into the driveway. But her emotions were ragged and she was on the verge of tears when she entered the warm and homey kitchen. Determined to distract herself, she got busy making supper for the girls.
Lucy saved the news of her prize until they were dressing, hoping to present it to Bill as a sweetener before she dragged him off to the Hearts on Fire Ball. She knew he was less than enthusiastic about wearing a tie, much less an entire suit, and he hadn't danced in years. Probably not since their own wedding reception, come to think of it.
”Guess what?” she said, leaning into the mirror and brus.h.i.+ng mascara onto the back of her upper lashes, the way she'd read about in a magazine at the dentist's office. It seemed impossibly difficult and required a great deal of concentration, but whoever wrote the beauty column insisted it was important to first coat the lashes, then to use the tiny brush to lift them.
”What?' growled Bill, straining to b.u.t.ton the collar on his starched s.h.i.+rt.
”I won the dessert contest and the prize is dinner for two at Chantarelle.”
Bill wasn't impressed. ”What's Chantarelle?”
”It's fabulous, everybody raves about it.”
”It's not here in town,” he said, warily. ”Is it in Portland?”
”Actually, it's in Portsmouth.”
The collar was flipped up and Bill was looping a tie around his neck. ”New Hamps.h.i.+re?” he demanded, his tone verging on outrage.
Lucy sensed her plan was not working. ”That's where Portsmouth is, last time I checked,” she said.
”No need to get all sarcastic,” he said, scowling at his reflection in the full-length mirror behind the bedroom door and undoing the knot.
”Let me do that,” said Lucy, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the cap on the mascara and setting it on her dresser.
”That's a heck of a drive for dinner,” he said, surrendering the tie to her.
”The food is supposed to be well worth the trip,” said Lucy, sliding the knot up to his chin. ”There. You look very nice.”
She was only wearing her bra and a half-slip and Bill slipped his hands around her waist. ”You should go like this,” he said, pulling her close.
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