Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mel’s hand and yanked her out of the chiller. “Now come on.”
    “Fine,” Mel said. She took off her apron and grabbed her purse from her office.
    Together, she and Angie left the kitchen through the bakery. Tate and Marty were manning the counter. Three of the bakery’s regulars, Wendy Resnik, Darenna Rainsdon, and Diana Welsch, were standing in front of the counter, debating flavors.
    “What’s the flavor of the day?” Darenna asked. She tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder as she leaned close to the display case, pressing her lips together in concentration as if willing a cupcake to call out to her.
    “The Salted Caramel,” Marty said. “It’s to die for.”
    “I’ll take a dozen,” Wendy said.
    Darenna and Diana gave her matching raised-eyebrow looks of concern. This was particularly intimidating coming from Diana, with her rectangular-framed glasses and close-cropped hair.
    “What? I’m bringing them back to the library,” Wendy said. The other two continued to stare at her and Wendy shook her auburn bob in exasperation and added, “To share with everyone.”
    “Uh-huh,” Diana said.
    Mel laughed. All three ladies worked at the Phoenix Public Library and she always looked forward to their book input.
    “Hello, ladies,” she said. “So, fire away, what’s on your current recommended reading list?”
    Angie glanced at her watch. “We are officially late. Stop stalling.”
    “I am not stalling,” Mel protested as Angie pushed her toward the door. “Besides, it isn’t like the beauty pageant needs our cupcakes
today
.”
    “Beauty pageant? You’re doing a beauty pageant? In that case, read the Sweet Potato Queens,” Darenna said, raising her voice as the door began to shut. “They’ll get you in the right frame of—”
    On the sidewalk, Mel frowned at Angie. “That was rude.”
    “So is being late for a business meeting,” she said. “Now move it.”
    Mel drove her Mini Cooper to the upscale resort where the pageant was taking place. She parked in the small visitor’s lot and she and Angie crossed the circular drive in front of the main doors to enter the lobby.
    The resort was an older one, converted from the shell of a ranch house. It was all whitewashed stucco and thick wooden beams. A fire was roaring in the huge stone fireplace and the furniture was the sort of thick pine log and leather stuff you’d expect to find on a ranch in the middle of the high country.
    A smartly dressed Native American woman with long black hair and pretty features greeted them.
    “Welcome to the Lazy J resort,” she said. “My name is Lydia. What can I do for you?”
    “We’re here to meet with Cici Hastings,” Mel said. “About the pageant.”
    Lydia nodded. “I believe she is in our main ballroom. If you’ll follow me?”
    She came around the counter and Mel and Angie fell into step beside her. She walked in long, loping strides that were easy for Mel to match but left Angie doing double time, as she was much shorter than the other two.
    They crossed through an opulent lounge that featured a cozy bar, which opened up to an expansive poolside patio, and through a set of large French doors into a cavernous ballroom. Several of the hotel staff were scurrying around the room setting up tables and chairs while a camera and sound crew rigged their equipment. At the far end of the ballroom was the stage, where several men in work attire were erecting a spectacularly glittered backdrop that featured a tiara the size of a Cadillac floating in the air.
    In front of the stage, a slight woman stood with her back to them. Mel noted that her platinum hair was done up in a fancy cascade of curls. She was dressed in an aqua chemise with a black jacket that had matching aqua piping along its hem. Her shoes were black platforms that made Mel’s feet hurt just to look at them.
    “Mrs. Hastings,” Lydia said. “I have some young women here to see you.”
    The woman turned to face them and Mel heard