Free Deadly Pumpkin Slice (A Sinful Sweets Cozy Mystery) by Carol Lee Page A

knew me, but they couldn’t place me as your sister—and moved on to the dessert table.”
     
    “Our pumpkin scones were there, was it obvious?”
     
    “Even before I tasted them. Your logo and business cards were everywhere. I thought that was odd, like someone was trying to remind everyone who you were and that you were somehow involved in this.” She paused to let that soak in.
     
    “Then I started to talk to people—how they knew Aaron, their best memory of him, the last time they saw him. I had to be really vague with my answers. Don’t worry, I didn’t mention you. But I ended up talking to this one woman who seemed to know that I was related to you. Really tall, beautiful, blond. Looked like a model. I didn’t get her name. But she was eating scones like crazy and adding whipped cream to everything. Then, all of a sudden, she left. It was like mid conversation with me, and she up and ran off.”
     
    “Did you follow her?” Sydney asked, knowing that’s what she would have done.
     
    “Funny you ask. I thought to myself, ‘I should follow her,’ but I’d gotten a really strange vibe from her, so I hesitated. When I did go after her, I could hear her on the phone. She was really angry about something. It sounded money related, but I couldn’t quite tell. She was yelling about statements, which at first I meant statements to the police, related to the investigation. But the more I heard, I think it was about bank statements.”
     
    “Did you get her name?”
     
    “I didn’t. But she was talking like she was really close with Aaron. Did he have a girlfriend?”
     
    “I have no idea. But Facebook would know. I took him off of my news feed years ago, but we’re still friends. Unless he un-friended me. Let’s. . .see. . .”
     
    Mia and Grace hovered behind Sydney, both peering over a shoulder, as Sydney brought up her Facebook profile.
     
    “I don’t know why we didn’t check here sooner. We’ll have to improve on our sleuthing skills.”
     
    “Or we can go back to baking,” Grace corrected her quickly.
     
    “What, you don’t like this?” Sydney asked in mock surprise. “Here we go, Aaron Gibbs. Wow, what a strange way to give your condolences, on a Facebook page that he’ll never see.”
     
    There was post after post about how much Aaron would be missed. Mostly from beautiful women.
     
    “His relationship status says single, but that doesn’t mean anything. Do any of these women look like the one you saw tonight at the wake?” Sydney asked Mia, handing her the phone.
     
    Mia scrolled down, looking at each of the thumbnail images. She paused on anyone who was blond, and finally found who she thought might be the person she’d met.
     
    “This one,” she pointed, handing the phone back.
     
    “Madelyn Kountz,” Sydney read. “Grace, that’s not the same Madelyn who ordered pies last week, is it?”
     
    Grace pulled out her own phone where she’d been keeping a running list of suspects and clues.
     
    “It sure is. We have to track her down. We didn’t hear back from her about the survey we sent, and now we know why she wasn’t available to meet with us—she was at Aaron’s wake. Maybe she’s closer to him than we realize.”
     
    “Thanks so much, Mia. I think we have a few more people to check out, and this is definitely one of them. We couldn’t have gotten this information without you.”
     
    “Just, be careful,” Mia warned. “Detective Massey is a really good guy and wouldn’t want you guys putting yourselves in jeopardy doing his job. Let him know what you’ve found out, and I’m sure they’ll catch the killer in no time.”
     
    “Sure,” Sydney said offhandedly. “We’ll talk soon.”
     
    Sydney and Grace got back into her car and headed for Sydney’s house. She had to let Maple out before she could bring Grace home.
     
    “Did you look behind us when we ran from Aaron’s house?” Sydney asked Grace as they drove.
     
    “No, I was