Free Bad Guys Don't Win (Janet Maple Series Book 4) by Marie Astor Page B

set the bag on top of the kitchen
counter and wondered what to do with the rest of her evening. Consuming wedding
cake samples with no one but Baxter for company was not at all how she’d
pictured it. Dennis should be there. They should be feeding each other cake,
licking the icing off each other’s lips, and having a wonderful time of it.
Instead, Dennis was spending the evening with Mila Brabec. The image of Mila on
a bar stool, with her long, model-like legs crisscrossed seductively, flashed
before Janet’s eyes. So maybe Dennis was right and the Kovars had indeed
escaped, which theoretically made it possible for Mila to have legitimate
reasons to see Dennis, but it still didn’t give him the right to lie to Janet
and leave her alone to stuff her face with cake.
    Janet was so consumed by her
self-pitying thoughts that when she heard her doorbell ring, she nearly jumped.
She rushed to the front door and opened it.
    “Mrs. Chapman!” Janet plastered a bright
smile on her face, struggling to conceal her disappointment. She really wasn’t
in the mood for one of Mrs. Chapman’s chats tonight, but then her neighbor’s
visit was her own fault. She should’ve stopped by Mrs. Chapman’s and thanked
her for walking Baxter, which was their custom.
    “Janet, dear. I just wanted to say hello
and make sure everything was all right.” Mrs. Chapman smiled sweetly.
    “Everything is great. Thank you so much
for walking Baxter. Did he behave?”
    As if on cue, the sound of Baxter’s
hurrying paws was heard in the foyer, as he raced to inspect the unexpected
visitor. At the sight of Mrs. Chapman, he barked with approval, pawing at her
legs.
    “Baxter! How many times do I have to
tell you? That’s no way to behave.” Janet bent down and picked him up.
    “Oh, it’s all right.” Mrs. Chapman
scratched his neck. “He’s such a good boy,” she gushed. “I tell you, I love
Dennis to tears and I’m very happy for you two, but it’s a shame you’re
moving—I’m going to miss Baxter so.”
    “You can always come by and visit,”
Janet said, setting Baxter on the floor. The way things are going it’s
unlikely we’ll find a place any time soon though , she wanted to add, but
held her tongue.
    “Good. And don’t you think I won’t take
you up on your offer. An old lady like me doesn’t get out too often.”
    “I hardly think that’s true, Mrs.
Chapman,” Janet joked. An active member of the local community center, Mrs.
Chapman was constantly organizing a dance or a concert or some other social
event. Janet and Dennis were always invited, but rarely attended due to the
fact that most of these events had a demographic of sixty five and older.
Baxter, on the other hand, was frequently the guest of honor.
    “So, how did the wedding cake tasting
go?” Mrs. Chapman asked.
    “It went fine, just fine.” Janet
regretted sharing her plans with Mrs. Chapman. With a fiancé like Dennis, one
had to be careful or risk humiliating explanations. “I got a whole bag full of
samples—would you like to come in and try some? I’ll make tea,” Janet added, changing
her mind about Mrs. Chapman’s company—at least she wouldn’t be stuffing her
face with cake alone.
    “Thank you, dear. I don’t mind if I do.”
Mrs. Chapman stepped inside.
    “Make yourself comfortable.” Janet
pointed at the couch in the living room. “I’ll just turn the kettle on.”
    “Thank you. I’ll just turn the TV on.
Let me know if you need me to help in the kitchen.”
    “Oh, no, thank you. I got it.”
    Janet made her way to the kitchen,
rejoicing in her cleverness. Mrs. Chapman had a sweet tooth, and she sure loved
her tea—so far her ploy to keep her off the topic of Dennis seemed to work.
    While waiting for the water to boil,
Janet took out a tray and began to unpack the cake samples that Francois
Bissette had prepared. Her eyes widened with admiration as she eyed the bag’s
contents. She had expected mere slices, but instead she had