Cupcakes and Killing: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Shoppe Mysteries - Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

the wedding reception, and we were so busy at one stage that Chris had to help out.
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “I know you had your own stuff to do today.”
    He grinned. “It’s fine. Anything I can do to help.”
    To think I had ever doubted the man!
    I listened carefully to the gossip in the store, trying to find out if anyone had any information on how Zara was doing, but no one seemed to know a thing. The place began to die down at around lunchtime with everyone heading off to Jerry’s café for sandwiches and chips, and I sighed with relief and sat down. Just as I did so, my phone buzzed and I picked it up straight away, hoping for news on Zara.
    “Anne Meyer? It’s Captain Treloar from the police,” a crisp male voice said on the other end. “Are you able to come down and talk to us? If you’re with the two men and two women you were with at the reception, I’d like them to come in as well.”
    “Is everything all right?” I asked, my heart slowly sinking into my stomach.
    “I’m afraid not,” he replied. “Ms. Keilson passed away in the hospital yesterday. We need to speak to whomever was present when the incident at the wedding reception occurred. Can you come?”
    “Of course.”
    I gathered up my purse and car keys, tears prickling at my eyes. This was the worst possible news. Poor Zara. I told Tori, Kaye and Chris what had happened, and there was a moment of silence before they sighed and nodded.
    “I suppose we should close up and get down to the station right away,” Kaye said, her eyes shining with tears. “God…I can’t believe this happened. I’ll call Daniel and tell him they want to talk to him too.”
    The sky was grey, which seemed to match the general atmosphere surrounding us as we entered the station twenty-five minutes later. My stomach was roiling, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong, aside from the fact Zara had died. Five different officers came and escorted the five of us into separate offices, and fear gnawed at my gut as I sat down across from Officer Bobby.
    “Can you tell me what’s happening?” I asked.
    He nodded. “I know your partner already gave us a brief account of what happened yesterday, but we need an official statement from all of you given the circumstances of Ms. Keilson’s death.”
    “What were the circumstances?” I asked. “No one’s telling us anything.”
    “We’ve been trying to keep things as quiet as possible for now,” he replied. “Because this isn’t just an accidental or natural death.”
    “Zara…she wasn’t….what are you saying?” I asked, my mind whirling.
    “She was murdered, Ms. Meyer,” he said.
    My hand flew to my mouth. Murdered? There had to be some mistake. Zara hadn’t been well-liked by a lot of people in town, but surely no one had disliked her enough to murder her. Then again, after what had happened to Mr. Frobisher last year, anything was possible.
    “She was poisoned with cyanide,” he continued, watching my face carefully for my reaction.
    “Oh my God…this is just awful,” I replied. ‘Who would do such a thing?”
    “That’s what we need to figure out. Don’t worry, you aren’t under suspicion. We’ve had the cupcakes tested along with the other food and drinks, and they were all fine. We also tested the shards of glass from her champagne flute, and traces of cyanide were found on that. So clearly someone went out of their way to poison her drink and hers alone.”
    He cleared his throat and then continued. “Anyway, what we need from you is a statement of what you remember happening, and any other information you may have would also be very helpful.”
    I nodded and haltingly described what had happened at the reception, and it was difficult to stop myself from crying as I replayed it all. I still couldn’t believe Zara was dead. She’d been right there happily chatting with us just twenty-four hours ago, and now she was just gone? It seemed too surreal to be