1 Death by Chocolate by Carol Lee Page A

of it is the recipe card and the chocolate cake at the scene.  But, by raising questions about the dozens of people who could have had your recipe card with them, that could be a wash on both sides.” He said more to himself than me.
     
    “The chocolate cake is the most difficult evidence to explain.  How many people could have had some of your cake?  Best guess will be a start.”
     
    “I sold four cakes this week. I did sell two the week before, but I highly doubt that Barbara would have eaten a stale piece of cake.”
     
    “Do you know who bought the cakes?” 
     
    “Yes, I do. Mark Corner, Ron Simpson, Rachel Anderson and Willie, the handyman, but I don’t actually know his last name.”
     
    “What about the other cakes that you said you sold last week?”
     
    “Detective David Bentley bought one for something here at the Police Station.” I shifted on the hard seat and decided to confide my theory about Ron’s motive for insurance and for how Willie fought with Barbara the night before she’d been found dead.
     
    “Okay, so that gives me some ammunition, possibly. I need to get things ready for your arraignment.  Sit tight. Be strong and say nothing.”
     
    I sat for who knows how long before both David and Lynch came into the small room.
     
    “Well, Ms. Bailey, do you want anything to eat or drink?”  Lynch asked nearly as soon as the door opened.
     
    I looked at David and he winked ever so slightly at me. 
     
    “I guess just some water, please.”
     
    He nodded and left David standing in the doorway.
     
    “Fancy meeting you here, Green Eyes.  You okay?” he said softly.
     
    I smiled weakly.  Seeing him made me feel better.  I took a deep breath.
     
    “So, I see that you got in touch with Brian.  I think that’s a good choice.  It’s all going to work out in the end, you’ll see.” He said the last part quickly as Lynch came back with a bottle of water and pushed by David.
     
    “Here’s your water, ma’am,” he said as he leaned over the table. “Since you have a lawyer, we can’t really speak to you, unless you decide that you have nothing to hide and a lawyer isn’t needed and then we can just talk about what happened and get everything wrapped up.”
     
    David shifted and started to speak.
     
    “No, detective,” I said first. “I think I’ll just wait to have my lawyer with me when we just talk.”
     
    “Of course,” he stood. “Well, here’s the drill.  You’ll be here tonight in one of our cells.”
     
    I cringed.
     
    “Tomorrow,” he continued seemingly satisfied at my response, “you will be arraigned in Caraway and be in custody in the county jail while you await trial.”
     
    He really seemed to be enjoying the fact that I had been arrested, but why would he care that much about having me convicted?  His whole demeanor made me mad and I fought with myself to keep my temper.
     
    David noticed and spoke up, “Hey, why don’t you get her a sandwich anyway.  I’ll bring her downstairs.”
     
    Lynch looked at David and then at me and made a “humph” sound as he left the room.  He knew there was something between us.
     
    “Thanks, but are you sure you want to be associated with me right now?”
     
    David shrugged and gestured to the door. “Too late now to worry about it. Look Green Eyes, I meant what I said.  It will all work out and I’ll be waiting for you when it does.”
     
    He took my elbow as we left the room and I could feel gooseflesh rise on my arm as we walked down the stairs and past the uniformed officer stationed at a desk near the two cells.
     
    “Number one,” David said to the officer and then we heard a click.
     
    The cell we stopped in front of was a square box with a tiny window way too high and small to look out or to get to and it had a bench built into the wall, a small sink and toilet and that was it.  The door had a window in the upper part. It wasn’t quite the barred and dank cell I’d been