Sweets Forgotten (Samantha Sweet Mysteries Book 10) Read online

  Sweets Forgotten

  The Tenth Samantha Sweet Mystery

  By Connie Shelton

  Chapter 1

  Samantha Sweet pushed her way through winter coats and touched the keypad on their closet safe. The numerals came naturally to her now and the door swung outward with a tiny electronic beep. Moving Beau’s spare service pistol aside, she made room for the large brown envelope she had brought home from town. A year of marriage and they’d finally gotten around to rewriting their wills.

  “I hope I don’t have to look at you again for a good long time,” she muttered to the envelope as she shoved it to the bottom of a stack that included their marriage license and birth certificates, a home inventory list and both passports. Writing a will seemed morbid, even though she knew it was a necessity.

  Her hand grazed the curved surface of a wooden box she’d placed there for safekeeping months ago. She felt a little rush of emotion, as if the box’s history with her was akin to that of a person. It had saved her life, actually, on a couple of occasions. It had imparted the energy she needed to start her dream enterprise, her pastry shop, Sweet’s Sweets. For all she knew, perhaps a nice side benefit might have been the near-instant attraction with Beau—they had met shortly after Sam received the box.

  On the other hand, there were times when the odd artifact scared the heck out of her, most recently during a showdown over it between two rival organizations. Sam still wasn’t sure what or whom to believe about the meaning of the box’s powers, and that was a big reason it now stayed in the safe—out of reach to herself or anyone else. She closed the safe, pressed the buttons to lock it and backed out of the closet.

  A pair of strong arms closed around her and she shrieked.

  “Gotcha!” Beau pulled her to his chest and nuzzled her neck. “Which would you rather have—homemade waffles for breakfast or thirty minutes upstairs?”

  “Umm…. Could I choose both?”

  He backed toward the leather sofa in the living room, reaching for the buttons on her baker’s jacket. “I suppose if we were to skip the part about climbing the stairs …”

  A musical tone chimed and his glance slid toward the end table beside them. The readout on his phone showed the department dispatcher’s extension.

  “Rats!” He reached for the phone. “Dixie, this better be important.”

  Sam could hear the familiar voice apologizing for the early call. “Sheriff, I’m sorry. You didn’t respond to the radio.”

  “Because I’m supposed to have a half-day off today.”

  “I know. It’s just that all of a sudden we’re real shorthanded. Remember how Rico felt like he was coming down with the flu yesterday? Well, five more have it today. Three deputies and a couple others from admin. We need you to reassign duties, and if you could maybe fill in some of the gaps yourself …?”

  Beau sighed. “Okay, then. I’m on my way.”

  Sam started to pull her jacket over her bare shoulder but his mouth was suddenly in the way. He planted a moist kiss on her collarbone.

  “Save that for later. If I can rearrange things at the office maybe we can meet up to continue this line of thought around lunch time.”

  She indulged him with a long kiss and a smile. They both knew the odds of breaking away for a midday tryst were next to nil. Their lives didn’t work that way. He sighed and climbed the stairs, unsnapping his plaid western shirt.

  “Don’t worry,” she called out. “I’ll feed the dogs and put something in the crockpot for dinner before I head out.”

  He returned in under five minutes, strapping on his leather belt crammed with radio, holster, cuffs and other gear, and she could tell that his mind had switched to law enforcement mode just that quickly. She watched his cruiser head down their long driveway before she turned her attention to her own day. The simple chores occupied her hands, and her mind began to focus on business.

  With the crisp September days had come seasonal changes to the offerings at Sweet’s Sweets—apples, cinnamon and cranberries fit her customers’ desires now. Sam had spent several days developing new recipes, especially looking for ways to include the season’s abundant Hatch green chile into her savory breads and muffins. As she checked the lock on the French doors to the back deck, she thought of another twist she might add to the chile-cheese pull-apart loaves she’d been working on yesterday.

  Ranger and Nellie, their black Labrador and border collie, watched complacently as she filled their water bowl on the porch and then climbed into her bakery van with its colorful all-over design of pastries. The road to town was crowded this time of day; Sam had nearly forgotten that even little Taos had a rush hour, since she was normally way ahead of the crowd at four-thirty each morning.

  She had to admit that adding hired help at the shop was nice. Julio could practically get the store open with his eyes closed, stocking the cases with their signature items in a flurry of pre-dawn baking. Jen would be there by now, arranging the displays and brewing coffee and tea. Becky, Sam’s decorator, always arrived shortly after she’d taken her kids to school. Sam thought back to the days when she did every bit of baking from her home kitchen, back when business consisted of specialty cakes and cookies and she also delivered everything herself.

  She took Camino de la Placita as a less-congested back way and passed a block west of the famed Plaza, cruising past the front of her shop. The charming storefront in its Depression-era adobe building, with her own purple awnings and pastry-filled display windows, made life a lot more fun even when it wasn’t especially easier. She stifled a picture of the upcoming crazy holiday season as she steered into the alley behind the row of shops, vowing to simply enjoy the beautiful autumn weather right now. The scent of roasting green chile from a nearby vendor greeted her as she got out of the van. She took a deep breath and went inside.

  “Sam! Oh, thank goodness you’re here.” Becky Harper stood at the stainless steel worktable with a bag of hot-pink frosting in one hand and a customer’s sketch in the other. A two-tiered cake stood on the table, base-coated in white. It was nothing like the drawing.

  “How is this,” Becky said with a nod toward the cake, “supposed to become this?” She waved the drawing toward Sam.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Sam said, hiking the strap of her bag over her shoulder and taking the sketch and order form.

  Sure enough, the cake was described as two round tiers—which it was—but the design clearly showed a hot pink fashion purse, a modified hatbox shape with quilted fondant covering it and black ropey handles.

  “I made the buttercream and loaded the bag before I pulled the layers from the fridge,” Becky said.

  “Maybe the cake was mislabeled. Did you check that?”

  Becky nodded. “The same name—Perdida Sanchez—is on both.”

  “Let’s check with Jen,” Sam said with a sigh. “She took the order. She’ll probably remember the circumstances.”

  Jennifer Baca, her front counter assistant, had recently shown a few little lapses of attention in her work but this was the biggest error so far. She was probably going to have to sit Jen down for a talk. All she really wanted to do was start on the batch of molded chocolate magnifying glasses she’d envisioned for the Chocoholics Unanimous book group’s meeting this evening. They were on a Sherlock Holmes kick this month.

  She hung her bag on a hook at the back of the kitchen, tugged her jacket straight, and headed toward the sales room. Female voices came from the other side of the curtain separating the two rooms.

  Jen stood behind the counter while the only customer stood at the display windows, which faced the stree
t, admiring the elaborate autumn-themed wedding cake Sam had put on display yesterday.

  “Jen, I’ll take over here. Becky needs interpretation of an order she’s working on.” Sam moved into the room. Jen pointed toward the customer’s back, trying to convey some message, then shrugged and headed for the kitchen.

  “Yes ma’am—how may I help you?” Sam asked.

  The woman turned and Sam got her first close look at the customer. She stifled a gasp. The woman’s blouse was torn at the shoulder and a bloody scrape blazed across one cheek. Her dark, layered hair had an obviously good cut but was dirty and stood out in tangles. Her skirt and blouse were disheveled and she fiddled with a ripped nail on her right hand.

  “What happened to you?” Sam blurted it out without thinking.

  “I—I don’t …” The stranger turned aside.

  “I’m sorry. That was rude of me,” Sam said. “Can I get you some coffee? Or would you like to use our bathroom?”

  The woman shook her head, as if she were clearing away bad thoughts. Sam began to notice more details. Her clothing was of decent quality although she didn’t have a purse, and a glance out the window revealed no car in the parking lot, suggesting the visitor had arrived on foot. However, the lady’s complexion and bearing defied the idea that she might be a street person.

  “Let me at least get you a cup of tea and a scone or something,” Sam said. “Take a seat and just relax for a little while.”

  The woman pulled out a chair at one of the small bistro tables, a seat facing the door, Sam noticed. She brewed a cup of tea and set it down for the lady.

  “Blueberry, almond or cranberry?” Sam asked. “Or maybe a muffin or brownie?”

  The woman shook her head again, flinching in pain.

  “Look, it’s obvious something happened to you,” Sam said, taking the chair across from her visitor. “Were you in an accident? Did someone attack you? My husband is the sheriff. He can investigate and find the person.”

  The woman’s vivid blue eyes grew wider at the mention of the sheriff and she set her tea mug down. Sam leaned forward.

  “Okay, we don’t have to report it until you are ready. Can we just start with your name?”

  The shapely dark brows furrowed for a moment.

  “Your name, sweetie. What’s your name?”

  Her mouth opened, then it closed again. Her eyes widened again and a flicker of fear crossed her face. Sam reached out to take her hand but the woman drew back.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” said Sam gently. “Are you sure about the muffin—?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Then a slice of our banana nut bread.”

  “I don’t know my name.” Her eyes darted back and forth, taking stock of her clothing, her hands, her surroundings. “I don’t even know where I am.”

  Chapter 2

  “Jen, can you come back out here?” Sam asked, keeping one eye on the new mystery sitting at her bistro table. “Keep her company. I’m calling Beau.”

  She slipped into the kitchen as Jen walked toward the case full of pastries. Without asking, Jen picked up a plate and fork and served up a slice of cheesecake. Sam let the curtain fall and walked to the back door. On the small stoop outside, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and tapped Beau’s number.

  “Hey you,” he said. “Look, I’m afraid a lunch break doesn’t look possible—”

  “I’m not worried about that, honey, and I’m sorry to bother you but I wasn’t sure what else to do.”

  “Something wrong?” His casual voice had given over to his all-business one.

  “There’s a woman in my shop and I think she’s been hurt. She’s extremely nervous and seems to have amnesia and I have no idea who to call.”

  “You did the right thing. I’m on my way.”

  He must have been on patrol nearby because he walked in the back door less than three minutes later.

  “Jen’s serving her cheesecake and tea in the front,” Sam told him as she pulled chocolate and sugar from the shelf for her next project. “Other than that, I know nothing about her.”

  “Go in there and introduce me so she won’t freak out at the sight of a lawman,” he suggested.

  Sam led the way. Her visitor had taken only a few bites of the cheesecake, despite its being their most popular flavor.

  “This is my husband, Beau,” she said gently. “He’s the sheriff and he can help you figure out what to do next.”

  The woman swallowed hard and pushed her dessert plate away, watching Beau with a wary eye. He sat across the table and took a small notebook from his pocket. A few standard questions and it became apparent the lady couldn’t tell him anything.

  “Think back,” he repeated patiently. “Right before you walked into the bakery, where were you?”

  “I … I seem to have forgotten …” The woman cupped her mug in her palms and took a breath. “I … saw your shop from across the street.”

  She stared toward the front windows. “I guess I crossed by that stop sign and just started walking. The cakes in the window are so pretty.”

  Of all the shops in the small strip, cakes had been more appealing than the books at Mysterious Happenings or the doggie logo at Puppy Chic, the grooming shop on the other side. That fact might tell them something about the woman and her past. Or, it might have simply meant she was hungry at the moment.

  “You have some injuries,” Beau said. “Any idea when or where you got them?”

  Jane Doe, as Sam had begun to think of her, raised one hand to her face and gingerly touched the abrasion on her cheek. She noticed the broken nail on her right hand and stared at it. Her hands had other scrapes, as if she’d fallen and caught herself as she hit the ground.

  “Oh, heavens. I should have washed up before eating.” Jane started to get up.

  “That can wait for a minute,” Beau said. He indicated her torn blouse. “I need to ask this. Do you think you might have been molested? Sexually.”

  Jane’s eyes went wide and she crossed her arms protectively over her chest. “No—I mean, I don’t think so!” She looked at Sam, perhaps hoping for verification.

  “We should get you in for an exam,” Beau said. “I’ll call a social worker who can take you to the hospital for that part of it. If your injuries aren’t serious we can get you into the women’s shelter until we figure out what to do next.”

  “A shelter?” Clearly, Jane felt some distaste for this idea.

  “Can you remember anything about where you live or where you work? The names of any friends or relatives?”

  At each suggestion, Jane seemed more bewildered. She shook her head sadly and Sam felt pangs of pity for the poor woman and her situation.

  “I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Jane insisted. “I’m not hurt that badly.” She held up the scraped palms as evidence.

  Beau sighed. “I can’t force you. But seeing as you have no purse, ID or money, I really do think the shelter is the best idea until we can find out where you belong.”

  “I like the cake shop better. Can I just stay here?”

  Oh boy. Sam could see this stretching out all day, and then what was she supposed to do with Jane when it came closing time? She sent Beau a frantic look.

  “How about this?” he said. “I’ll get out in the neighborhood and ask some questions. Maybe someone on the plaza saw an incident or knows you. If Sam doesn’t mind your staying here for an hour or so, we may have this whole thing solved pretty quickly. If I can’t find out where you belong, I’ll send Melissa Masters over. She’s a lady who works for the county and she can find you a place for the night.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Sam said. “I know Melissa. She’s very nice. And I’m sure Beau will get this figured out soon.” Really soon. Please.

  Poor Beau, she thought, as he brought in a camera and snapped a few pictures of Jane. He had no time to go door to door looking for someone who knew this woman, especially on a day when half his deputies we
re out sick.

  Jen came to the table with a refill for Jane’s tea.

  “Stay here until you hear from me,” Beau said.

  Jane seemed preoccupied with her own hands, picking dirt from her cuticles as Beau left.

  “Would you like to wash up?” Jen asked.

  As long as Jane had no intention of going to the hospital for an exam, she might as well make herself a little more comfortable, Sam thought. She offered to show the way to the restroom at the back.

  In the kitchen, Jane stared at the large worktable. A smile came over her face. “How pretty!”

  Becky had obviously gotten the designer purse cake figured out, and the quilted pink fondant with gold trim was coming together nicely. She sent a smile toward the visitor.

  Sam got Jane equipped with a clean washcloth and soap, and found a box of adhesive bandages in the medicine cabinet. “Help yourself to whatever you need,” she offered. “I’ll be right out here in the kitchen.”

  * * *

  Beau sat in his cruiser behind the bakery. “Dixie, sorry to put you on detective work but being so shorthanded …”

  “No problem, boss. What can I do?”

  He gave Jane’s description: White female, aged late-thirties to early-forties, a hundred twenty pounds, shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes. Wearing a straight black skirt and blue silky blouse.

  “See if there are any missing person reports for the county, then go statewide if you need to. Call me if anything close comes in and email me a photo if you come up with one.”

  “Got it.”

  He started his cruiser and drove the half block to the plaza. Canvassing was the least exciting part of a cop’s job but then sometimes it yielded exactly the right information to put the whole puzzle together. He stared at the crosswalk where Jane indicated she had come over to Sam’s shop. It was a small intersection, but a bustling one, with traffic constantly on the move and a number of pedestrians. Everyone was on his or her way somewhere. No vendor carts or school crossing guards. No real reason for someone to hang around here. He turned and entered the first plaza shop he came to, a gallery.