couldn’t complain.
Neither Sydney nor Grace ever felt tired until they sat down after they closed for lunch to fill orders to ship. They both enjoyed the afternoon just as much as the morning. They might not have ever met their customers, but they knew just as much about them and personalized each of their orders as much as possible.
One customer had a standing weekly order. She bought a dozen chocolate chip cookies every Friday, arriving on Mondays, and a couple times a month would add the seasonal special. Over the years that she’d been ordering, Sydney had learned that she was a child therapist and always kept enough cookies in her office to bribe hesitant patients. She would cut the cookies into pieces, and they would all be gone by the end of the week when the next order was placed. Once Sydney learned the customer’s reason for buying so many cookies, she would often place a couple gluten-free treats in, just in case.
Just before Sydney was ready to turn the sign back to closed at one thirty, the bell tinkled and in walked Detective Austin Massey. He was Mia’s neighbor, but Sydney hadn’t gotten to know him as well as some of her other customers.
“Detective Massey, what can I get you?” Grace asked from behind the counter. Sydney was busy cleaning tables.
“What can you recommend, Grace?” he asked, flashing a smile.
“We have fresh cider donuts and just a few pumpkin pies left.”
“I’ll have to stay away from the donuts, don’t want to go living up to the police stereotype. How about a pie?”
“Sure. Whipped cream? We have regular and maple.”
“Just the pie, thanks. And a coffee.”
Grace busied herself with the order and Sydney came back to the counter. “Hi Detective,” she greeted.
“Hi Sydney. I wonder if you might have a few minutes to sit down with me when I get my pie and coffee?” he asked.
“Sure,” she answered, confused about the invitation. She hoped nothing had happened to Mia. “I’ll bring them over to you. Cream or sugar? Grace is getting the pie.”
“Sugar. Thanks.”
Sydney armed herself with the pie and coffee and took a seat opposite Detective Massey at a window booth.
“I have a few questions for you, if that’s OK,” Detective Massey started, putting Sydney on high alert.
“Sure. What’s this about?” Maple came over and lay under the table at Sydney’s feet, making her instantly more relaxed. She leaned down to pet the dog, thankful she was as even tempered as she was so she could spend the day with her in the bakery. She’d have to take her out soon for a walk. They hadn’t had a break since they’d arrived.
“You’re familiar with Aaron Gibbs?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t spoken to him since she’d left him six years ago. He was one of the biggest reasons she was in Twin Peaks today. They’d been living together for over three years when she left. He reached out to Mia once in a while, but never to her.
“His body was found this morning.”
“Oh,” she said, surprise flooding her face. As poorly as their relationship had ended, she never would have wished him dead.
“Here in Twin Peaks.”
“What?” That added another layer to the puzzle that was forming in her mind. Why had he even been in town? Had he been coming for her?
“When was the last time you talked to him?”
“Not since I left him six years ago.”
“And he never tried to contact you?”
“No. A couple times he called Mia, but he never tried to contact me.”
“Are you sure? Nothing in the last few months that would have made him reach out to you, or you to him?”
“No. Why? What’s this about? You don’t think I killed him, do you?”
“I can’t answer that. But two of your pumpkin pies were found in his room. They were poisoned.”
CHAPTER 2
“Sydney, you look like you just saw a ghost,” Grace said after Detective
Neither Sydney nor Grace ever felt tired until they sat down after they closed for lunch to fill orders to ship. They both enjoyed the afternoon just as much as the morning. They might not have ever met their customers, but they knew just as much about them and personalized each of their orders as much as possible.
One customer had a standing weekly order. She bought a dozen chocolate chip cookies every Friday, arriving on Mondays, and a couple times a month would add the seasonal special. Over the years that she’d been ordering, Sydney had learned that she was a child therapist and always kept enough cookies in her office to bribe hesitant patients. She would cut the cookies into pieces, and they would all be gone by the end of the week when the next order was placed. Once Sydney learned the customer’s reason for buying so many cookies, she would often place a couple gluten-free treats in, just in case.
Just before Sydney was ready to turn the sign back to closed at one thirty, the bell tinkled and in walked Detective Austin Massey. He was Mia’s neighbor, but Sydney hadn’t gotten to know him as well as some of her other customers.
“Detective Massey, what can I get you?” Grace asked from behind the counter. Sydney was busy cleaning tables.
“What can you recommend, Grace?” he asked, flashing a smile.
“We have fresh cider donuts and just a few pumpkin pies left.”
“I’ll have to stay away from the donuts, don’t want to go living up to the police stereotype. How about a pie?”
“Sure. Whipped cream? We have regular and maple.”
“Just the pie, thanks. And a coffee.”
Grace busied herself with the order and Sydney came back to the counter. “Hi Detective,” she greeted.
“Hi Sydney. I wonder if you might have a few minutes to sit down with me when I get my pie and coffee?” he asked.
“Sure,” she answered, confused about the invitation. She hoped nothing had happened to Mia. “I’ll bring them over to you. Cream or sugar? Grace is getting the pie.”
“Sugar. Thanks.”
Sydney armed herself with the pie and coffee and took a seat opposite Detective Massey at a window booth.
“I have a few questions for you, if that’s OK,” Detective Massey started, putting Sydney on high alert.
“Sure. What’s this about?” Maple came over and lay under the table at Sydney’s feet, making her instantly more relaxed. She leaned down to pet the dog, thankful she was as even tempered as she was so she could spend the day with her in the bakery. She’d have to take her out soon for a walk. They hadn’t had a break since they’d arrived.
“You’re familiar with Aaron Gibbs?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t spoken to him since she’d left him six years ago. He was one of the biggest reasons she was in Twin Peaks today. They’d been living together for over three years when she left. He reached out to Mia once in a while, but never to her.
“His body was found this morning.”
“Oh,” she said, surprise flooding her face. As poorly as their relationship had ended, she never would have wished him dead.
“Here in Twin Peaks.”
“What?” That added another layer to the puzzle that was forming in her mind. Why had he even been in town? Had he been coming for her?
“When was the last time you talked to him?”
“Not since I left him six years ago.”
“And he never tried to contact you?”
“No. A couple times he called Mia, but he never tried to contact me.”
“Are you sure? Nothing in the last few months that would have made him reach out to you, or you to him?”
“No. Why? What’s this about? You don’t think I killed him, do you?”
“I can’t answer that. But two of your pumpkin pies were found in his room. They were poisoned.”
CHAPTER 2
“Sydney, you look like you just saw a ghost,” Grace said after Detective
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