Free Pies & Peril by Janel Gradowski Page A

she flipped the loaf out of the pan she said, "Why don't you take this whole loaf to share with Shepler? I bet he'll be more amiable to share information with you if he's full of sugar."
    " How do you think I'm going to arrange to share it with him?" She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and held it to her ear. "Hiya, Bruce. Want to come to my place for boozy banana bread and some insignificant chit chat about your murder investigation?"
    Amy ripped off a sheet of parchment paper. Plastic wrap, aluminum foil and parchment paper dispensers were lined up at one edge of the island 's countertop, ready for use at a moment's notice. She placed the perfect loaf in the center of the rectangle and then wrapped it like a present right down to securing it with red and white candy cane striped string. Those kinds of elegant touches were way beyond Carla's basic cooking and entertaining skills.
    " You were still planning on going to Mandy Jo's funeral tomorrow, right?"
    " Yes. She used to cut my hair before you and I became friends. Why?"
    " The bread will be even better tomorrow. All of the flavors will bloom after it rests overnight. The funeral is mid-morning, so you and Shepler can share it for breakfast before he accompanies you to the funeral."
    " What are you talking about? I'm going to the funeral with you and Alex."
    Amy plunked the wrapped loaf on the table and slid back onto the bench. "Nope, you've had a change of plans. A few minutes ago Shepler was very enthusiastic about my idea of accompanying you so he can inconspicuously check out the funeral goers for signs of a guilty conscience."
     
    *  *  *
     
    Amy plucked the paper off the deck of the printer and scanned the words for typos.
    Donations For A
    Mandy Jo Pierce
    Memorial Bench
    To Be Installed At
    Town Center Park
    The donation jar was almost complete. A giant blue Mason jar with a big brown and aqua striped ribbon bow tied around the neck. She trimmed the edges of the paper and stuck the square, adorned with milk chocolate brown lettering, to a square of light blue cardstock that was glued to the front of the jar with super sticky double-sided tape. It was turning out cute and, hopefully, appealing. A subtle contrast to the bakery's overwhelming mint green color scheme. She had deliberately left off Mandy Jo's picture, just in case people only knew her and her nasty reputation by sight instead of name.
    The timer began beeping again in the kitchen. The second loaf of bourbon banana bread was done. She hurried out of the craft room to retrieve the loaf before it over baked or worse, burnt. The scent of scorched sugar was not easy to get rid of once it permeated all of the curtains and upholstery. Been there, done that. When somebody baked as much as she did, accidents eventually happened. Luckily the bread looked perfectly browned when she flung open the oven door. The last ripe banana had gone into the batter. She hadn't planned on giving away the entire loaf before sampling it, but making the recipe again was a small price to pay for the benefits the bread could bring. Carla liked to act brave and say she would happily age into a single spinster, but deep down she didn't like to be lonely any more than anybody else. She needed to put her commitment phobias to bed, literally, with the fine detective. It was a nice bonus that the relationship could help Amy figure out who the killer was before they decided to go after her with more than notes.
    Amy set the pan on the cooling rack and went upstairs to change. Baggy khaki shorts and an oversized pink T-shirt were perfectly fine for hanging out in the kitchen. Not so great for roaming around in downtown Kellerton. Business suits or casually elegant designer outfits were the preferred uniforms of many of the people in town. The unique, and often very high-priced, boutiques and shops lining Main Street drew visitors from all over southeast Michigan. Affluent neighborhoods, like the one she and Alex lived in,