Killer Sweet Tooth

Chapter

Seventeen




BY FOUR fifteen P.M. I was wearing a black dress with a deep V, black patent pumps, and China’s $15,000 heirloom necklace while I paced the kitchen waiting for Ben and Mark. I’d even swept my hair up off my face to keep it from somehow obscuring the necklace.

After speaking with Ben, he and Mark had decided Ben would drive them to my house. Myra wouldn’t be suspicious of Ben’s vehicle in my driveway. Then before Myra and I left, Ben and Mark would leave. They’d switch to Mark’s van, where they could remotely listen through the wire I’d be wearing.

Luckily for me, Ben and Mark arrived before my pacing ruined the floor.

“Wow,” Ben said when he came inside. “Just . . . wow.”

“Isn’t this necklace incredible?” I asked.

“You’re wearing a necklace?” Ben teased. “You look gorgeous.”

“Yes, you do,” Mark said.

“Thanks. Having this necklace on makes me so nervous.” My hand went instinctively to the pendant. “Well . . . that and the fact that we’re trying to catch a thief, smuggler, killer . . . whatever.”

“Everything will be fine,” Ben said. “Mark and I will be right outside in the van. The second we hear anything suspicious, we’ll be in there.”

I nodded. “I know. I just . . .”

“Let’s get you wired up before your friend gets here,” Mark said. He placed the wire around my neck. “Place this little transmitter there in your bra, and then we’ll tape the wire to your body so it doesn’t become visible.”

I did as he instructed, turning my back to the men in order to tape the wire in place. “Are you sure this will work? Will I have to point my chest in the direction of whoever’s talking?”

Mark chuckled. “No. By all means, don’t do that. You’ll give us away. Act naturally. We’ll be able to hear everyone within twenty yards of you.”

“All right.” I took a deep breath.

“You’re going to do great,” Ben said. “And if nothing else, we’ll get a funny story out of it.”

“I don’t want a funny story. I want to catch the bad guy and prove my innocence—again.”

“You will.” He kissed my cheek. “We will.”

“When you get to the convention hall,” Mark said, “don’t look around for the van. Just go about your business like we’re not even there.”

“Okay,” I said.

The men left, and I put the cake in the car.

Within ten minutes of doing so, I heard Myra humming “Viva Las Vegas” as she traipsed up the walkway. I flung on an emerald wool cape, grabbed my car keys and purse, and hurried out the door.

“Hi,” I said. “Are you ready to go?” When she didn’t answer, I turned.

Myra was staring at me in slack-jawed confusion.

“What?” I asked. “What is it?” I was afraid the wire might be sticking out or something.

“You tell me.”

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know once we’re in the car,” I said. “We really do need to go.” I got into the car and strapped on my seat belt.

Myra followed suit. “I didn’t know you planned to get so dressed up.”

I glanced at her outfit—a beige suit with a dark brown sweater—before looking into the rearview and backing down the driveway. “You’re dressed up,” I pointed out. “And you look terrific, by the way.”

“Maybe so, but you look like you could start a riot,” she said. “Are you like Miss Scarlett going to the Wilkes’ barbecue to woo every eligible man there?”

I merely smiled at the Gone with the Wind reference and restrained myself from calling Myra either Mammy or Aunt Pittypat.

“Nope,” I said as I merged with the traffic. “Actually, Ben is picking me up from the convention hall, and we’re going out to dinner tonight.”

“In that case, the way you’re dressed is kinda cruel, don’t you think?” she asked. “Scottie might think you went to all this trouble for him.”

“Myra, this getup is tame compared to your Ann-Margret costume.”

“Yeah . . . but I was trying to attract attention,” she said.

“I’m trying to attract attention too,” I said. “Remember we’re doing more than simply delivering a cake and setting up the display, you know.” She didn’t know just how much more we were doing, but I think Mark was right that it was best to keep her in the dark about the surveillance equipment. Myra had already proven her tendency to be a little over the top when it came to spying.

It wasn’t until we arrived at the convention hall and got out of the car that Myra noticed the necklace. A shaft of light caught the large center diamond and nearly blinded her.

“Have you got on a new necklace?” she asked.

“Sort of. When we get inside and I set the cake down, I’ll show it to you,” I said, handing Myra a box containing the items I needed for the display. I carried the cake and resisted the impulse to glance around the parking lot. We walked into the convention hall and were immediately greeted by Scottie and John.

“Whoa,” Scottie said. “If you were trying to take my breath away, you succeeded.” He took the heavy cake from me and carried it to a nearby table. “You look incredible.”

“So do you,” John said to Myra. “My knees buckled the instant you walked through the door.”

Myra laughed and playfully swatted his arm. “Oh, you silver-tongued devil.”

John kissed her cheek.

Scottie stepped in closer to me. “I don’t have a date for tonight.”

I smiled. “I do.”

Myra announced, “Daphne’s got on a stunning new necklace. Let me see that up close.” She all but elbowed Scottie out of the way as she zeroed in on my throat like a hungry vampire.

“That is stunning,” Scottie said. “Was it a gift?”

“Actually, it’s a loaner,” I said. I looked at Myra. “Remember Pat, China’s cousin who was hired to clean Dr. Bainsworth’s office?”

“The hobbit?” She looked incredulous. “This necklace belongs to the freakin’ hobbit?”

I laughed. “In a roundabout way, I guess. Or at least it did. She found it somewhere and gave it to China to thank her for helping her get the cleaning job.”

“You say she found that necklace?” John asked.

“That’s what she said, and—get this—she thought it was fake,” I said. “But China had it appraised, and it’s definitely not fake.”

“Then how come she’s letting you borrow it?” Myra asked.

“You know China,” I said. “She’s not really the type to wear such showy jewelry, and she’s generous to a fault. When I admired it at her house earlier today, she insisted I wear it tonight.”

Myra’s brow furrowed. “Maybe she’d let me buy it from her. Did she say what it’s worth?”

I lowered my voice. “Keep this under your hats because I don’t want to get mugged in the parking lot later, but this piece is worth fifteen thousand dollars.”

Myra gaped, and John whistled.

“Where’d you say this chick was cleaning?” John asked. “The White House?”

I laughed. “Nope. It was a dentist’s office. Can you imagine?”

“No, ma’am, I cannot,” John said. “I believe I’m in the wrong profession.”

“China didn’t say exactly where Pat found the jewelry,” I said. “I’m not accusing her of stealing anything from anyone.”

“Of course not,” John said.

“Well, did she find any more pieces?” Myra asked. “Maybe Pat would be willing to sell something else . . . something that hasn’t been appraised yet.”

“China didn’t say,” I said. “Call her tomorrow and ask her. But for now, I’ve got to get this cake set up.” I looked at Scottie. “What’re you guys doing here this early anyway?”

“I wanted to be here in case you needed me,” he said.

That sentence was so loaded I didn’t dare comment on it. Instead I just smiled and said, “Then let’s get to work.” I saw that the convention hall staff was starting to set up buffet warmers on long tables at the front of the room. “Will we be putting the cake on one of those buffet tables? If so, I need to try to get the convention staff to work with me to make enough room.”

“It’s okay,” Scottie said, placing his hand at the small of my back and steering me toward the front of the room. “I instructed them to give you a separate table.”

“Thank you.”

He grinned. “I do what I can. See, it’s the smaller table there to the right.”

“That’ll work great,” I said.

“I’ll grab the cake and—”

“No, wait,” I said, interrupting him. “Get the box from Myra first, please. It has the tablecloth in it.”

“Will do,” he said.

I stepped over to the table Scottie had indicated and placed my wrap and purse on a chair. Scottie brought me the box, and I took the gold lamé fabric I was using as a tablecloth and arranged it—with some of the fabric to be pooled around the cake—on the table.

“I like it,” Scottie said. “Elvis would have too.”

“I know,” I said with a smile. I started to go get the cake, but Scottie was way ahead of me. Literally. He sprinted in front of me so he could grab the cake. “Just don’t run back with it. If you drop it, I’ll kill you!”

“Gee whiz,” he said as he returned with the cake. “You really are a femme fatale tonight, aren’t you?”

“You know I wouldn’t actually kill you,” I said. “I’d cry and scream and stomp and pout. And I’d still charge you for the cake, but I wouldn’t murder you.” I thought I should make that clear not only to Scottie but to Mark and Ben as well.

He sat the box down, and I opened it.

When he saw the cake, Scottie laughed. “Man! That is amazing! John, get over here and look at this!”

I lifted the cake and placed it onto the gold lamé fabric.

Scottie laughed again. “Have you ever seen anything like it? Can you believe it’s actually a cake?”

I turned and smiled at him. “I’m so glad you’re happy with it.”

He picked me up, took a big step backward, and then spun me around. “I love it. Thank you.”

I laughed too, albeit nervously, and I desperately hoped I hadn’t become unwired. “I’m not done, you know. Wait until you see the finishing touches.”

“No,” he said, sitting me down gingerly. “Don’t do another thing to it. That Caddy is perfect exactly the way it is.”

“I’m not doing anything else to the car,” I said. “But the table isn’t finished.” I took out the little surprises I’d been working on to go with the cake. I unboxed a Hawaiian lei made of white and pink fondant plumerias and placed it on the table next to the cake. I also had some of the cake balls Ben, Leslie, Lucas, and I had made, and on these, I’d piped Es, Is, and Os. I put them on a light blue platter at the left side of the table so they would spell out rows of EIEIO. I had milk chocolate guitars, white chocolate guitar picks, and three-dimensional hound dogs molded out of modeling chocolate.

Scottie said, “All that’s missing is—”

“The blue suede shoes?” I said, interrupting with a grin as I took out the last box. I opened the box to reveal a dozen cupcakes adorned with tiny blue suede loafers.

Scottie laughed and kissed my cheek. “Have I told you that you’re amazing?”

“Just now,” I said.

“Pretty cool,” John said, nodding his head. “I’d kiss your cheek too, but my date might get jealous.”

“Heck, I’d kiss her whole face myself if she’d let me wear that necklace,” Myra said.

“I need to go get into costume,” Scottie said. “Will you stay awhile? I want to make an announcement, introduce you to everybody—you know, for making the cake and all.”

I nodded. “I’ll be here.”

He grinned. “Thanks.”

“What about you?” Myra asked John. “Don’t you need to get into costume too?”

“Yeah, but I’ll wait until Scottie gets back,” he said. “It’d be rude for both of us to leave you ladies unattended.”

“I’ll be back as quickly as I can,” Scottie said. “I brought my costume over from the hotel, so all I have to do is go into the dressing area and change.”

With a wink, Scottie jogged to the stage door.

I took my camera from my purse and took several photos of the cake and the other items I’d made for the display. They’d be a terrific addition to my website gallery.

John strode over to a table and pulled out two chairs. “Care to take a load off, ladies?”

“Sounds good to me,” Myra said, sitting in one of the chairs John offered.

I still wasn’t sure the table looked to suit me, and I went back over to fuss with it some more. John came over to get me.

“It looks wonderful,” he said. “Come on over and chat with me and Myra for a few minutes.”

“All right.” I went over and sat at the table beside Myra, but I still kept stealing glances at the cake table. It was important to me that everything be just right.

John blew out a breath. “I’m telling you it’s great. Ain’t it great, Myra?”

“It’s fantastic, Daphne,” Myra said. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“What are you going to do when somebody cuts into that pink Cadillac?” John asked. “I hope Scottie is there to catch you if you faint.”

“Oh, what’s the fun of having a cake no one can eat?” I asked.

He looked thoughtful. “Could you ladies come with me a second?”

“Come with you where?” Myra asked. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s something out there in the parking lot I think you ought to see,” he said.

I frowned. “It’s awfully cold out there, John. What is it?”

“Come with me and see.” His tone made me nervous.

“Just tell us what it is, and that way we’ll know whether or not we want to see whatever it is,” I said.

“Can’t you go get it and bring it to us?” Myra asked.

“No.” He looked around to make sure none of the convention hall employees were paying attention, and then he bent down and took a small pistol from an ankle holster concealed by his jeans. “Very calmly and very quietly get up and come with me outside, or I will shoot you. By the time anyone knows what’s happened, I’ll be gone.”

Myra’s jaw dropped. “Is this a joke?” she squeaked.

“No joke, sweetheart. Move.”


A LOT OF crazy, jumbled-up thoughts tumbled through my mind while I was straddling the center console of a stolen rusty brown pickup truck and a madman poked a gun in my ribs. I wondered why Mark and Ben hadn’t tackled John the minute we stepped out of the convention hall. After all, John had made it clear he’d shoot one of us and escape before anyone knew what was happening. Maybe they wanted us to get more solid evidence . . . but they weren’t the ones being threatened right now. Where the heck were Halligan and Kendall? I thought about opening the passenger door and pushing John out into the road before he could get a shot off, but I quickly dismissed that as a bad idea.

I whipped my head around to look at John. “Just what do you want from us?”

“Don’t make him mad, Daphne. Don’t make him mad,” Myra hissed. “He’s already killed once. He’ll do it again . . . and . . . again.” She dissolved into another round of sobs.

“Is she right?” I asked John. “Did you kill Dr. Bainsworth?”

“Can’t tell you,” he said. “If I told you, I’d have to shoot you.” He snickered.

“Is this about the jewelry?” I asked. “If this necklace is what you want, have Myra pull over and let us get out of this truck. I’ll toss you the necklace, and we’ll never say a word to anyone.”

“You’re cute,” John said. “I don’t just want that necklace. I want the whole stash.”

“There isn’t a stash!” I cried. “I lied! Pat didn’t find the necklace at the dental office. It was China’s all along. Her mother gave it to her. She let me wear it to draw out the killer.”

“Sure, sweetness, and I just fell off a turnip truck yesterday afternoon.” John nudged Myra with the gun. “Take the next right.”

“But I’m telling you the truth,” I said. “There is no stash of jewelry.”

“Well, we’re going to my hotel to talk all this over. I suggest you be thinking of a way for me to get my jewelry so you’ll have a plan when we get there,” he said.

“Had you ever seen this piece of jewelry before tonight?” I asked.

“Nope,” he said, eying the necklace lasciviously. “It is a thing of beauty though.”

“Okay,” I said. “You hadn’t seen this necklace before. That means it wasn’t in whatever you gave the dentist, right?”

“I don’t know what the dentist had,” John said. “All I know is that he smuggled the jewelry out of Mexico for my cousin and was supposed to deliver it to me. He didn’t. He decided to keep the money for doing the smuggling and keep the jewelry too. It don’t work that way.” He tugged at a tendril of my hair that had come loose from my updo.

I yanked my head away.

“You might as well play nice,” John said, “because you are going to play.”

Myra took the turn.

“Right up here,” John instructed her. “Turn in at the hotel and go around to the back.”

“Call your cousin,” I said. “He’ll tell you this necklace was not in the jewelry he stole.”

“Just hold your horses, Daphne,” he said. “We’ll sort all this out once we get in the room.”

“I wish I had a horse,” I said. “A horse that would bite your hand off.”

“Daphne!” Myra exclaimed. “Stop antagonizing the man!”

John merely laughed.

At John’s instruction, Myra drove around to the back of the hotel.

“Room two thirty-three,” John said.

“I see it,” Myra said.

“Good. Pull up there to that empty space near the stairs.”

Myra did as she was told, and John opened his door. “Don’t either of you try anything or Daphne here will get a bullet in the ribs,” he warned us. “Got it?”

Myra nodded.

“He’s going to shoot me anyway,” I said. “Try something, Myra. Try anything.”

“You really do think you’re cute, don’t you?” John asked. “How’s this? If either of you try anything, I’ll shoot the old broad.”

“The old broad?” Myra shrieked. “The old broad? You must not have thought I was too old last night when you were slobbering all over me at that dance club in Kingsport!”

“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” John shrugged. “Both of you get out of the truck and walk slowly up those steps. If you do anything—I mean anything—to draw attention to yourselves, I will shoot one or both of you.” He jabbed me in the ribs with the barrel of the gun. “And you might act like you don’t care what I do to you, but I know you don’t want to be responsible for someone else’s death. Do you?”

I shook my head.

“Good girl. Let’s go.” He made me go first with Myra in the middle so he could shoot Myra if need be. He felt I had all the valuable information about the jewelry, but I knew absolutely nothing. Still, maybe I could bluff and at least buy Myra and me enough time for Mark and Ben to come through.

I looked around and saw no one. You’d think at six thirty P.M. on a Friday night, there would be somebody hanging around a hotel parking lot—people going to their cars to leave for dinner . . . other Elvises en route to the convention . . . weary travelers checking in . . . Ben and Mark in the surveillance van. I did notice a silver BMW. It looked like the one Angela Bainsworth drove. If she—or anyone—was in the parking lot and would only look up here and see us . . .

When we got to the top of the stairs, John gave the metal door to his room two quick jabs with his foot. Again, I desperately scanned the parking lot.

Where are you, Ben?!

The door opened, and there stood Angela. John hustled us inside and shut the door. “Pull those two chairs away from the table.”

Myra and I looked at each other as Angela complied with his order.

“Were you followed?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“Are you sure?” she said, pressing him.

“I know what I’m doing, all right?” He gave her a look that silenced her and then looked at Myra and me. “Both of you grab a chair and sit down.”

We started for the same chair, and then I took the other one.

“Neither one of you is the brightest bulb in the light socket, are you?” John asked.

“Especially not me,” Myra said. “I dated you.”

He smirked at her. “That might’ve been the smartest thing you ever did. You know you like me. We don’t have to let Daphne come between us.”

“You called me an old broad and threatened to shoot me,” Myra said.

“That was just to get her goat,” John said.

“Well, it got mine too,” she said.

“What about me?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, what about you?” I asked.

“Shut up,” John said. “All of you. Now, let’s get back to business.” With his free hand, he took out the cell phone he’d removed from my purse and found China’s number under Contacts. “I’m dialing China York’s number, and I’m putting the phone on speaker so I can listen to every word you say.”

“What do you want me to say?” I asked.

“I want you to find out where the rest of the jewelry is.” He waved the gun toward Myra. “No tricks.”

I was half afraid and half hopeful that China wouldn’t answer her phone. If she didn’t answer, it would give me more time to come up with a plan for escape. If she did answer, maybe I could clue her in to our situation.

She answered.

“Hi, China,” I said. “I’m calling about the necklace.”

“Did something happen?” she asked.

“No, no, no,” I said. “Everything is fine. Myra is here . . . and—”

John slapped my arm and leveled the gun at my head.

“And lots of other people are here, too,” I said, continuing.

“Really? Is that good?” China asked.

“Uh . . . yeah. In fact, I need to know where Pat got the necklace and where she might have stashed the rest of the jewelry.” I silently prayed China wouldn’t blow the Pat story.

“Oh. Well, I can’t really say. I can call Pat, though, and ask her,” she said. “You want me to do that and call you back?”

John was vigorously nodding his head.

“Please,” I said. “Call me back on my cell phone as soon as you can find out something, okay?”

“All right.” She paused. “This won’t get Pat in any trouble, will it?”

John shook his head.

“Oh, no,” I said. “I wouldn’t let that happen. In fact, nobody would even guess she took that jewelry from Dr. Bainsworth’s office.”

John made a slashing motion across his throat.

“I have to go now,” I said.

“Well, I’ll call Pat and call you right back.”

John nodded.

“Thanks, China.”

John ended the call. “Now we wait.”

I looked over at Myra. She looked weary, worried, and tired. I imagined I did too. John, on the other hand, looked more animated and alive than I’d ever thought he could be. Angela looked annoyed.

“Angela, how did you get involved with this?” I asked. “I thought you weren’t into jewelry.”

“I’m not into jewelry,” she said. “I’m into investments that ultimately pay off.”

I shook my head. “And you truly feel that this investment will pay off?”

“Shut up,” John demanded. “Leave her alone.”

“Are you just stringing her along like you did Juanita?” I asked John.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

For the next few minutes, the only sound in the room was our breathing and the sound of the digital clock flipping over. John broke the silence by asking Angela to see if he had a beer in the fridge.

She got up and looked into the room’s mini-fridge. “No. It’s empty.”

He shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to do something else to keep my mind occupied then. Let’s play strip poker without the cards.” He looked at an imaginary hand. “What do you know? I win.” He waved the pistol in my direction. “Daphne, I’ll have that necklace now.”

When I hesitated, he said, “You can do it, or I can have Angela hold the gun while I take it off you. Your choice.” He gave me a leering grin. “Let’s see how badly you want my hands on you.”

I quickly unfastened the necklace and handed it to him.

He laughed. “She doesn’t like me as much as you two do.” He rubbed the barrel of the gun against his chin. “While it’s always good to start with the crown jewel, I have to wonder if you’re hiding anything else, Daphne.”

“No. That’s the only thing China had,” I said. “She should’ve called back by now, don’t you think? Maybe we should call her again.”

John shook his head. “Be patient.”

Fortunately, I didn’t have to be. There was a sudden crash against the door. The police had used a battering ram to get inside the room. With about half a dozen guns all pointed at his head, John dropped his own weapon and meekly allowed the officers to handcuff him. At first, they didn’t know what to do about Angela.

“Is she with the two of you?” one officer asked me.

“Definitely not!” Myra shouted. “She’s with him! Bunni was right about her all along!” Her tirade ended in heaving sobs.

I started to hug Myra but Ben, Mark, Officer Kendall, and Officer Halligan rushed into the room. Ben swept me out of the chair and into his strong arms.

“Thank God,” he said. “Thank God. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

I clung to him, releasing my pent-up anxiety in a flood of tears. “What took you so long?”

“Your microphone cut out. But it’s all right,” he told me. “It’s over. I’m here now.”

“Take us home,” Myra said. “Just please take us home.”

I glanced over to see that she was speaking to Mark, who was holding her hands and talking to her softly.

“Myra’s right,” I said. “We need to go home.”

Ben nodded. “I’ll see if the police officers will agree to talk with the two of you tomorrow morning rather than tonight.” He stepped over to the officer in charge.

China stepped into the motel room and grinned at me. “Didn’t I tell you I’d make a good detective? I called the police and had them trace your call to this hotel.”

“You’re the best detective I’ve ever seen,” I said.