Read The Extortion Cat-astrophe: A Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mystery (Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mysteries Book 2) for Free Online Page B

chicken, which is then inside a de-boned turkey?”
    “Sounds like a monstrosity,” Beatrice said with a look of disgust.
    “Maybe, but people go crazy for it. Could you make a dessert like that?”
    She leaned against the counter, pensive. “A cake inside a pie? No, a pie inside a cake! A pumpkin pie inside a chocolate cake and an apple pie inside a vanilla cake . Yes! Both of them, stacked on top of each other. And, hmm, covered in buttercream icing. Yes that’s it! Zoe, I think we have a winner!”
    “And you think a turducken is freaky?” Zoe asked, brows drawn together as she fanned an oven mitt over the buns to help them cool. “Bee, that is one seriously crazy idea.”
    “Crazy enough perhaps to win the baking competition. Listen, Abigail’s right. We make amazing desserts but they’re not showstoppers. I need something mind-blowing for this competition. An ordinary pie, cake, or tart is just not going to cut it. I have to give the judges something they’ve never seen before.”
    “Okay well you’d better make a sample, because I’m not sure that won’t dissolve into a gooey pile of sugar.”
    Beatrice tapped her fingertips together. “Oh ye of little faith. Step aside and let Bee show you how it’s done.”

12
    Many sweaty hours later, Beatrice and Matthew sat around the 12-inch monstrosity that lay before them like an oracle descended from the heavens. Lucky and Hamish sat behind the kitchen’s cat gate, ears perked, eyes fixed expectantly on the massive treat.
    “I don’t know what to say Bee, except: you’ve outdone yourself,” Matthew said.
    She folded her arms and beamed at the colossal 15-pound cake in front of her. “I suppose I have. It certainly passes the impress test. Now we just have to see whether it tastes as good as it looks.”
    “It’s two kinds of pie inside two kinds of cake, all slathered in frosting. If it doesn’t taste amazing I owe you drinks for the rest of your life.”
    “I like that deal!” Beatrice paused. “But enough about this stupid cake. Tell me how everything went with Nate today. Did you tell him about our recon mission to Waitsfield?”
    Matthew folded his arms over his white fisherman’s knit sweater and leaned back, sighing. He had spent his day off with Nate, partially as a bodyguard and partially to raise his spirits.
    “Yes and to be honest with you he didn’t seem that happy that we went. We still don’t have anything concrete to tell him. Tony’s brother doesn’t look like our guy.”
    “I know. I should have brought the sheriff in earlier. He knows how to deal with these types of situations.”
    Matthew leaned over and grasped her hand gently. “Bee, you were respecting Nathan’s wishes. It’s his life and it’s his responsibility to go to the cops. And of course you’re cut out for this stuff. You have a real talent for solving mysteries. C’mon, I hate to see you so down.”
    Beatrice lifted her gaze to Matthew’s lively eyes. She loved the way they crinkled at the corners, as if he had spent a lifetime smiling. “Thanks Matt. I needed that. I’ve been really doubting myself lately.” She took a deep breath. “So what do we do now? Do I let the sheriff handle the case? Do I do more digging?”
    Matthew took her other hand and smiled. “Bee, as if you’d ever let the sheriff take over one of your mysteries. You’ll both work on it together. You’ll find a way. Trust me.”
    They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, and then slamming shut and locking. They exchanged uneasy glances. The café was supposed to be closed, though they’d forgotten to lock the door apparently.
    Fortunately, it was Nathan who rushed into the back kitchen, sweaty and his tie askew. The cats flinched as he dashed through their gate. “The guy’s onto me,” he blurted out. “I went to my car after work and all the tires were slashed and ‘I know you went to the cops’ was keyed into the paint. This is really