Read Murder in the Cake: Cozy Murder Mystery (Harley Hill Mysteries Book 4) for Free Online Page B

her while Chloe and Cordi continued to observe inside for signs of life. “It’s actually the cake we’re after,” I said to the woman.
    “They do make some nice cakes—too nice, in fact. My waistline is spreading like a slab of margarine in the sunshine!” She laughed.
    “We’re actually trying to find Henry, the owner. Have you seen him around today?”
    “Henry, huh?” She smiled and flicked a hank of blonde hair over her shoulder. “Well, I can’t blame you, he’s quite the charmer, after all.”  
    She gave me an ‘If you know what I mean?’ look.  
    “Is he indeed?” I gave her an encouraging smile. “Do go on.” If this was our man, it would be useful to find out as much as I could about him and build a picture.
    “Oh, yes.” She folded her arms, leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “All the lady shop owners round here go to Henry’s for tea and cakes. Pity he’s got a girlfriend now.”
    “Has he?”  
    “Well, I’m not a hundred percent sure,” the blonde said, “but I’ve seen a woman go in late at night, so you know, I’m putting two and two together.”
    I nodded. “Any idea when he’ll be open? The notice on the door says he should be open now.”
    “He is normally, but I think he’s gone away for a few days.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yeah. Not seen him for, gosh…” She scratched her head. I didn’t think people really did that when they were thinking. Who knew? “About three days now. It’s been quite a pain, actually, all the delivery people knocking on the door, then coming round to me, asking if they can leave boxes of food. I mean, look.” She gestured to her shop full of lovely designer T-shirts and Babygros. “I mean, does it look like I have the facilities to store food?”
    “No, quite,” I said.  
    Just then a potential customer wandered into her shop.
    “Oh, got to go,” she said, following the woman into the shop. “Good luck with Henry!”
    “Well?” Chloe said, removing her face from the window and looking at me expectantly. Cordi raised an eyebrow in a silent question.  
    I filled the other two in on what she’d told me. I didn’t mention that he might have a girlfriend because the woman who the shopkeeper saw could have been anyone.  
    “I’ve made a note of his phone number and his email address,” Cordi said, waving her little black notebook triumphantly.  
    “Put your ear to the door, Chloe,” I said as I got out my cell phone and tried the phone number.  
    “I can hear a phone ringing somewhere inside,” Chloe said.
    Eventually it went to the answering machine: ‘Café H is closed right now, but if you’d care to leave your name and telephone number, Henry will get back to you as soon as possible.’
    I left my name, but I didn’t mention the Silvers and Hill Finding Agency or Chloe. Personal matters were better discussed face to face, which reminded me of my own long-lost parents, who were waiting to meet me in America. I pushed the thought aside, filing it in the ‘too difficult to deal with right now’ box in a shady corner of my brain.
    “Come on, ladies,” I said. “Let’s head for home and discuss our next move.”
    When we got back, I sent an email to the address Cordi had taken down. I explained that I was trying to find Henry Renholm and could he get back to me as soon as was convenient.  
    “Do you think it will do any good?” Cordi asked while she absently stroked Monty, who was sitting on the desk, slowly ‘paffing’ a pencil towards the edge of the table.
    “Hopefully he’ll check his mail wherever he’s gone and get back to me.”
    “That’s a good lead, don’t you think so, Chloe?”  
    “Hmm. Yeah.” Though she was trying to put a brave face on it, I could see she was disappointed. We were so close now. I could understand how frustrated she must be.
    I gave her a friendly shoulder squeeze. Monty finally knocked the pencil on the floor, slow blinked at me, and meeped as if to say, ‘What?