Pastry Mystery: Cheesecake Mistake

Chapter Seven

“Toby, you got to believe me! I swear I didn’t kill her!” cried Libby behind the bars when Toby went to the police station as soon as the news about Jimmy Vanderbilt’s daughter arrest reached his ears. It took him no longer than half an hour after the incident at late Jessica Medley’s house happened. Amaranth Creek was just a small town where almost everybody knew each other. If a big incident occurred, it was only a matter of time until the whole residents learned about it.

“Come on, Jack. Is it necessary to lock her in a cell like this? I mean, she’s Jimmy’s daughter,” pleaded Toby to Sheriff Curtis.

“Then she shouldn’t kill people,” said the Sheriff casually without even looking at him.

“Libby Vanderbilt is not a killer,” stated Toby firmly as he slammed the Sheriff’s working table out of frustration.

“Don’t you get snippy with me! I won’t hesitate to put you in the same place as her if you don’t watch your attitude,” threatened Sheriff Curtis back. “Look, son. Don’t you see it in the CCTV video? Libby said she was going to kill Jessica.”

“For Pete’s sake! She was mad, Jack! Don’t you see Jessica threw away her father’s urn? Of course, Libby was mad but it doesn’t mean she was literally going to kill her. Don’t you think so?”

“Don’t ask me, kid. Ask your girlfriend! That Medley girl was surely a target for her. Maya told me they hated each other since high school,” accused Sheriff Curtis. His youngest daughter, Maya, went to the same school as Libby and Jessica and acknowledged their legendary rivalry. Toby scratched the back of his head that wasn’t even itchy. It was pretty useless to argue with the old Sheriff since he barely listened to every word he said.

Toby had promised Jimmy to take care of Libby but she was imprisoned instead for her own recklessness. He knew Libby could be very annoying sometimes but she wasn’t a killer. He knew she couldn’t cook at all but it wasn’t that bad until people would be poisoned to death from her food. However, the autopsy reported that Eleanor, Dan, and Jessica were all poisoned from Libby’s cotton cheesecake.

“Look, Libby. I got to go now. But I promise I promise I’ll get you out of here. Okay?” assured Toby trying to calm Libby down.

“Please don’t leave me alone here. I swear to god I’m not a killer,” begged Libby.

“I’ll get you out of here. Don’t worry,” promised Toby one more time before he left the police station.

It was five o’clock in the afternoon but most of the Danish pastry and other cakes were still arranged neatly at Pastry Mystery’s storefront. This is the first time in twenty-five years that Pastry Mystery didn’t sell more than ten pieces of Danish pastry in a day. Usually, Toby had to bake three more times in a day to fulfill the customers’ demand on the most delicious Danish Pastry in town. The last time Pastry Mystery didn’t sell much of the pastries and cakes was around twenty-five years ago when an old rival of Jimmy in bakery world, Landon McKenzie, poisoned most of his bakery goods and many people got ill because of it. Rumor had it that his wife, Lucy, was accidentally killed after eating a bread that she bought from Jimmy and that was when Landon’s malicious act was disclosed. Could that calamity hit Pastry Mystery one more time after more than two decades? Toby thought. But who? Who is Libby’s rival? There was no new bakery shop in town—not that he knew of.

Amaranth Creek was always a small peaceful town with a really low rate of criminality. Thievery occurred less than ten times in a year and the last murder case the Amaranth Creek Police had to solve was two years ago. It turned out to be an accident as well. Besides, Toby spent most of his time at Pastry Mystery and if there was someone who actually broke their store or kitchen, the alarm would ring and the cops would come.

Another odd thing that neither Libby nor Toby could grasp in this situation was that Jessica had a piece of Libby’s failed cheesecake on her dining table and according to the autopsy report it was the last thing that Jessica ate before she passed away. Jessica hated every single thing about Libby and her cotton cheesecake was surely be the last thing she would want to eat in this world. When did Jessica even come back to Pastry Mystery? Besides, that cotton cheesecake was soiled by Jimmy’s urn already and Jessica knew about it. No matter how much Libby hated Jessica, she still wouldn’t serve a dirty food to her. This whole situation was still too odd to naturally occur unless someone wanted to frame Libby. But who? Just like what Libby thought earlier, how could even the cops find out that Jessica died in her house? If she was found a few days after someone reported her missing, it would make more sense.

“Someone must have tipped the cops,” said someone suddenly startling Toby who was standing behind the cashier desk all the time. It was Russell.

“What do you want?” asked Toby coldly. He had no interest to deal with Russell who seemed to have read his mind just now. “Libby isn’t here if you haven’t heard…”

“I know the cops arrested Libby this morning. She was snooping around Jessica’s house when Sheriff Curtis found her and I’ve sent the best lawyer in town to deal with the case, Tim Avery” announced Russell. Toby didn’t respond to any of it as he began to clean up the store. He was sure that nobody would come to Pastry Mystery again today. “Look, Toby. I don’t know why you hate me so much but I’m just here to help Libby.”

“Then why are you here? If you’re going to help her you better be at the police station right now,” suggested Toby annoyedly.

“I just got back from the police station and I drop by to inform you the progress of the case. Libby is in a bigger trouble, I believe.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know that Eleanor Lutz and Dan Michelson passed away only a few days before Jessica. And the three have one thing in common, they all ate Libby’s cotton cheesecake before they died. And today the cops examined Elanor and Dan’s bodies and they found the same rat poison that was in Jessica’s. The cops now charged Libby with a serial murder,” explained Russell.

“You’re kidding, aren’t you? First Libby put a rat poison in her cotton cheesecake? And now a serial murder? That’s ridiculous! That girl’s very mistake was just being so stubborn and now she got herself in trouble!” shouted Toby.

“But don’t worry, Toby. I’ve got everything under control and Tim Avery will surely get her out of the jail in less than forty-eight hours. But I need your help,” proposed Russell.

“What do you want?”

“The cops wanted to run a test on Libby’s last cotton cheesecake and if they can’t find any poison whatsoever in it, then they might let go of Libby. Can you get the one from the black trash can or should I get it myself?”

“Hold on,” halted Toby, “Did you just say black trash can? How do you know that we always throw away leftover food in the black trash can?”

“It’s just a coincidence! I happen to dispose of all of my leftover food in a black trash can. So I assume you guys do the same,” dodged Russell.

“If I think about it again, you’ve been to our kitchen, right? So you’re the one who knows about the kitchen besides Libby and I. Are you the killer? Did you frame Libby?” accused Toby grabbing his collar.

“Let go of me or you’ll regret any of this,” warned Russell shooing away Toby’s hands. “If I am the killer and if I sell Libby out, I wouldn’t be here. I would’ve run away and gone back to Italy. All I want to do here just to help her. I don’t care whether you like it or not. I’m not here for you, Tobias. Jimmy Vanderbilt helped me when I just moved here and Libby is also the only friend I have left in this town. I just want to pay back their kindness. Now it’s all in your hands whether you are going to help me get her out of the bars or not.”

Toby let go of his hands from Russell’s collar. Even though he was dying to punch him, he had to retreat since he needed Russell’s help to pull Libby out of jail. Toby still didn’t trust Russell entirely. He knew too much about things that were going in Amaranth Creek for someone who just recently moved here. Toby’s prejudice to Russell was yet groundless since he had no proof at all. But he would surely keep an eye on him.

“Okay. I’ll meet you at the police station tomorrow. I’ll bring some leftover of the cotton cheesecake Libby made earlier today,” said Toby agreeing Russell’s proposal.

“Why not now? I have plenty of time to wait for you getting it from the trash can,” suggested Russell.

“But I don’t. I’ll see you tomorrow at ten in the morning,” said Toby firmly opening the door for Russell.

“Very well, then."

The following morning, Toby went to the market to get some ingredients to make a fresh fruit tart. Last week, Blake Johnson ordered a fresh fruit tart with mascarpone cream for her husband’s birthday which was today. Toby planned to get back as soon as possible to make the tart and went to the police station afterward. However, he couldn’t help himself to get away quickly since many people stopped him to ask about how it was doing with his boss’ daughter, Libby, who was now in jail.

“I’m pretty sure it was just a misunderstanding. Libby is innocent,” said Toby repeatedly anytime people questioned about the current case that became a hot potato in Amaranth Creek.

“Jimmy should’ve inherited everything to you, not to Libby,” said Old Bernie while packing two pounds of fresh strawberry for Toby.

“Jimmy surely spoiled that girl way too much. If only he taught her about his business since long ago, this wouldn’t happen. He should’ve never let Libby go to New York,” complained an old woman who eavesdropped Toby’s conversation with Old Bernie. Some other people agreed with her opinion.

“I don’t know. Pastry Mystery surely lost the touch after Jimmy’s gone. I don’t trust his new baker as well,” sneered a man in his fifties looking at Toby.

“Hey, Toby,” said a woman tapping Toby’s shoulder as he spun around. It was Blake Johnson who ordered a fruit tart he was going to make later. “I’m sorry about what happened to Libby and Pastry Mystery. But I’d like to cancel my order. I don’t want the fruit tart anymore.”

“But- but why?” asked Toby.

“Look, I know that Libby put rat poison in her cheesecake and I just don’t…”

“Are you seriously thinking I’m going to put rat poison in your fruit tart?” scoffed Toby thinking how ridiculous people could be.

“No, of course not. But I…”

“Okay. I get it. It’s okay if you don’t want to buy anything from Pastry Mystery again. But one thing you all should know. Libby Vanderbilt is not a killer and she never put any poison in her cakes. It’s all just a misunderstanding,” stated Toby firmly leaving the crowds that had been hunting him with questions.