Dead Before The Wedding: A Carly Keene Cozy Mystery (Carly Keene Cozy Mysteries Book 1) (5 page)

The following week was pretty uneventful around Parker’s Mill. Shell and Carly dropped off Saturday’s leftover muffins for the church’s weekly coffee morning, where Mona’s wedding was mentioned, but not discussed in detail. Apparently the ladies at the church had a little more tact than the ladies at the bank, because come Monday morning, Tiffany was back, talking about how the bank employees had all seen Mona storming off down Main Street after her visit to Sweets & Eats.

Tuesday and Wednesday brought a couple of photo shoots at the Senior Center. Carly loved doing these types of photo shoots because they were not only simple and straightforward, they were genuinely rewarding and fun. The Senior Center was the local meeting place for active senior citizens, and occasionally the city sprung for activities and trips for the local elderly residents. This week, Carly was taking fake “vacation” photos with a very unrealistic beach background and lots of silly props from the discount store.

The photos would be free for the members of the Senior Center, but the Center had paid Carly a tidy sum to take, edit and process the photos. She had a place that she ordered her prints from over in Jackson, Mississippi, that always delivered great results. Carly suspected that the only reason she was asked to take the photos, and had been paid so well, was that her grandfather had been a regular at the center up until his death five years before. He’d been very beloved, and Carly had gone with him on more than one occasion as his ‘date’ for center functions.

Carly had doted on her grandfather, and had been devastated when he’d passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was a real character, and a woman chaser, up until his last day on Earth. Carly remembered how he used to constantly try out cheesy pickup lines on the ladies who waited tables at Chow Time. Everyone in town had loved her grandfather, and it was sometimes hard to believe that he was gone.

Thursday had been slow at Sweets & Eats, so Shell had spent most of the day working on that monstrosity of a wedding cake for Mona and Larry. Carly had admired the persistence that Shell had put in, spending hours online and finally tracking down the odd little wedding cake toppers that Mona had requested. Sure enough, she’d found them on eBay.

The cake itself wasn’t so bad. Shell had managed to get three tiers, plus a tiny fourth tier about the size of three cupcakes, put together after all. Shell had confided that the top tier was, indeed, three cupcakes, but some clever frosting hid that fact and kept it all looking good. The bottom three tiers weren’t frosted yet, because the wedding was still over a week away, but Shell did a trial run with the stacking, and it looked pretty impressive.

Carly was licking the frosting off one of the top-tier cupcakes (it was just a trial run, after all) when the doorbell jingled. She glanced up, expecting to see one of the employees from one of the businesses on Main Street, but instead she saw a timid-looking redhead with big green eyes.

“Hey, there,” Carly offered, “what can I get for you?”

The redhead hesitated, then walked up to the counter. Carly couldn’t help but notice how pretty she was, with all that coppery red hair and pale skin. She was wearing the prettiest shade of burgundy lipstick that would have undoubtedly looked too loud on anybody else, but that seemed to suit this young lady just fine.

“Excuse me, miss, but I was wondering if you’ve seen a man around here? I mean, I’m looking for someone, and his truck is parked outside of your store.”

Carly frowned. This was getting to be a little too familiar. She walked over to the window, and peered behind the blinds. Sure enough, Larry Gaston’s pickup truck was parked out front, with Larry nowhere to be seen.
Doesn’t he ever go to work?
Carly suspected he was working all right, working on the gal over at the beauty salon.

“Oh, shoot, hon, no...I didn’t see him park that there. He doesn’t usually come in here anyways, he just parks there because it’s...convenient.” Carly tried to keep her face neutral, but she was pretty disgusted by Larry’s behavior. If he was still running around on Mona, this marriage was doomed before it started.

“Well, miss…”

“Carly, Carly Keene.” Carly reached out to shake the girl’s hand, and noticed that her eyes were red and a little puffy. She definitely had a case of the ugly cry-eye going on, and Carly only hoped that it wasn’t because of Larry.

The redhead took Carly’s hand and shook it timidly, and spoke again. “My name’s Tina Nicholls. I’m looking for Larry Gaston, that man that owns the truck. Does he ever come in here?”

Carly shook her head no, then replied, “Sorry sweetie, he hardly ever comes in here. And, I can’t say I’m too disappointed. He’s not the greatest guy I know.”

Tina blushed, and looked away. “Yeah, don’t I know it. If you see him, will you tell him to call me? He has my number.”

Carly thought for a second. It really was none of her business, but she didn’t think Larry ought to be calling any other redheads, especially when his wedding was so close. Tina probably ought to know about the wedding. It might just change her mind about needing to talk to Larry.

“Tina, hon, he’s getting married soon. Are you sure you can’t wait to talk to him until later on?” Carly tried to give her a look that said ‘
and by later on, I mean never’
, but she wasn’t sure how effective it was.

The redhead spoke again, this time, with a fire in her eyes. “Yeah, I’d heard that. He’s marrying Mona Durham. He was with me before her, but things got...messy. He’s not a great guy, but I need to talk to him.”

Carly decided to press further. Something about Tina just seemed too sweet and innocent to be saddled with a problem like Larry. “He’s really not worth bothering over, sweetie. I don’t think he’s changed his ways, even with getting married and all.”

Tina sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to talk to him. I don’t want to try and get back with him or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s just that, well, I need to talk to him about something really important, and he needs to know about it before his wedding.”

Carly was about to reply when Shell walked out of the kitchen. “What’s this about Larry? What’s he done this time?”

Carly introduced Tina to Shell and explained why Tina had come looking for Larry. “Oh, my lord...that man is too much. I would say that I’m sorry we haven’t seen him, Tina, but my mama always told me not to tell lies. If I were you, I’d run as far and as fast in the opposite direction of that man as was humanly possible.”

Tina apparently decided that it wasn’t worth arguing about, and changed the subject. “Um, while I’m in here, could I get a couple of those little cupcakes there, in your case? My little boy just loves those.”

Shell reached in and picked out two white cupcakes that were covered in colorful sprinkles. Tina reached for her wallet, but Shell stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. You take those on the house for your little one.”

Tina tried to refuse, but Shell simply put them in a pastry box and sealed them with a big smiley face sticker. “It is too slow in here today, and these will just go stale unless somebody eats them. You forget about Larry. Honestly, you seem like you’re way too good for him anyway.”

Tina grabbed a pen from her purse and a napkin from the counter. She wrote something on the napkin and held it out. Handing it to Carly, she asked, “Will you call me if you see him, or will you give him my number, in case he’s lost it?”

Carly sighed. Tina was obviously a hopeless case. She forced a weak smile, and pocketed the paper with Tina’s number on it. She didn’t say anything, but gave a little nod, which was enough for Tina.

Carly and Shell watched the pretty young redhead walk out the door, then Carly spoke. “I kinda feel sorry for her. Do you think she’s desperate or something? I mean, she’s pretty, I’m sure she could have any number of guys hanging around her. Why on earth would she still want Larry Gaston?”

Shell shrugged. “I have no idea. That man must have something special hidden away somewhere,” she sighed. “I just don’t see it.”

“He is definitely a ‘player,’ that’s for sure. I wonder how many girls he has going at one time? And how many have been silly enough to fall for his crap?”

“Well, Carly, you went out with him once. What made you fall for mister McDreamy?” Shell jibed.

“If I remember correctly, Shell Summers, I lost a bet with you and he was the punishment.”

“What did we bet on?” Shell asked.

“You bet me I wouldn’t go out with him if he asked. If I had said no, you were going to make me try those spinach and rhubarb pudding popsicles.” Carly shuddered at the memory, and Shell laughed.

“Well, the joke’s on you, because those things were delicious!” Shell flipped the lock on the front door and headed for the cash register. “Let’s get on out of here and go get something to eat. I’m in the mood for pudding now.” Both girls giggled, and started closing up the bakery. Carly wondered if Tina would try and find Larry. She hoped that she wouldn’t, but part of her hoped that Larry got exactly what was coming to him. That man had been breaking hearts and taking names for far too long. She was certain that it was all just a matter of time before Larry Gaston’s game was well and truly up.

Friday morning, Carly and Shell rode into work together because the air conditioning in Carly’s old truck was playing up and it had turned a shade hotter than the girls were used to. It was already starting to get humid at 10:00a.m. when they opened up the bakery, and Shell had proclaimed that maybe it was time they started selling ice cream right along with their cakes and brownies.

“You’re just looking for an excuse to eat ice cream,” Carly quipped as she refilled the napkin dispenser that sat on the counter.

“Shows what you know, Carly. For your information, I don’t need an excuse to eat ice cream. It’s one of the major food groups, you know.” Carly groaned at her friend’s humor. How the heck could she eat so much junk food and still stay so small?

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Fridays were often hit and miss, at least in the early part of the day. In the afternoons it tended to pick up a little bit, especially when the other businesses on Main Street closed. Many of the business owners and their employees stopped by the bakery before heading home, grabbing cakes and cupcakes to enjoy later. Some ordered ahead of time, but many were just impulsive shoppers, stocking up on snacks for the weekend.

Shell usually kept her display case fully stocked on Fridays, because whatever didn’t sell on Friday evening went like hotcakes on Saturday morning, when the casual shoppers strolled down Main Street looking for a bargain. The small bistro tables and chairs she’d put in stayed pretty busy on Saturdays, but on Fridays, not so much.

Carly killed some time on slow days by bringing in her laptop and editing photos. Shell had suggested that they offer free WiFi to the customers, but Carly wasn’t sure it was worth it. As busy as the bakery could get, most people didn’t stay long enough to need WiFi. Besides, Carly was sure that Shell’s parents would never go for that, and they’d be back just before Christmas.

This particular Friday, Carly had been editing some of the Senior Center photos, making them as perfect as possible. She wanted to capture every twinkling eye and mischievous smile, because she knew too well that these might be some of the last professional photos that the Center’s members ever had taken.

After working on the photos for a few hours, she and Shell had played a rousing game of tic tac toe on a napkin, then “sampled” the brownie bites that were in the display case. Glancing at her phone, Carly was relieved to find that it was 5:30. They’d be closing in half an hour, and she was bored senseless after having a whopping total of three customers come in all evening. She guessed that today’s lack of customers had something to do with the grey, overcast skies outside.

It looked as though the skies would open up at any minute and unleash a fury of rain on everyone. “It sure looks like a storm is coming,” Shell commented.

“I hope it holds off til we get home. I don’t want wet dog all over the place when I go let Bo in.” Carly hoped that if it did rain before she got home, her big, dumb dog would have the sense to get under the awning on the back stoop, but she doubted it. He loved rolling around in the mud and rain more than any dog she’d ever seen. He and Betty Sue would make a pretty funny pair, she reckoned.

Shell had grabbed a broom and was sweeping invisible dirt off the impeccably clean floor, so Carly grabbed a cloth and wiped invisible dust off the counter they’d been sitting at. Closing time couldn’t come fast enough today.

The jingle of the doorbell brought both girls to a halt. Expecting to see Tiffany, from the bank, or one of the other business workers from Main Street, they were surprised to see Larry Gaston stumble through the door. He opened the door a little too hard, and the handled banged against the wall, making the doorbell jingle again.

“Well, hey there pretty ladies! Y’all ain’t closed yet, are you?” Larry’s voice was slurred, and Carly could tell right away that he was drunk.

“We’re about to close...which one are you?” Shell was looking at Larry like some sort of specimen on a petri dish, trying to figure out which of the Gaston twins she was about to have to fuss at.

Carly stepped up. “Larry, can we help you?” Her tone implied that she’d be ready to help him back out the door, but not much more.

“Why, yes, you can Carly. I need,” he stepped towards the counter and stumbled slightly, “a birthday cake.” He had reached the display case, and was kneeling down with his face pressed right up against it. Shell’s mouth curled in annoyance and she made a mental note to bleach the case after Larry left.

“Well, Larry,” Shell ventured, trying to sound polite but managing only to sound strained. She really didn’t want a drunk Larry Gaston drooling all over her bakery. “We don’t have any cakes ready just this minute. It’s closing time, and we’d have to sort that out for you in the morning, when you’re feeling a little better.”

“I feel fine!” he snapped, then began laughing a crazy, wailing laugh that turned into some sort of ugly crying. Carly hated seeing men cry, but Shell was matter-of-fact.

“Well, alright, then. You go on home and come back tomorrow, then we’ll sort your cake out.” She was trying to guide him back to the front door when he saw the two tables and chairs. He made a beeline for them, and sat down in the closest chair.

“Ain’t you gonna ask me who it’s for?” he asked, catching his breath. When neither girl asked, he huffed, and slammed his palm down on the table. “It’s for my
son
,” he said loudly, waiting for a response.

“Well, I didn’t know you had a son,” Shell ventured, her curiosity piqued by this interesting bit of knowledge. For just a half-second, she forgot about trying to get Larry out of the bakery, and focused on trying to get him to tell her more. Unfortunately, Larry was pretty inebriated, and from what the girls could work out from his drunken mumblings he had just spent a few hours drowning his sorrows, and celebrating the discovery that he was a father, down at a bar across town.

His truck had been parked out in front of the bakery all day, and he’d had one of his buddies drop him off so he could pick it up. He’d seen the bakery, and felt compelled to come in and get a cake for the son he had never met. Carly was flabbergasted. Shell was fascinated.

“Who on earth is the mother?” She had gone behind the counter and grabbed a carton of milk, trying to sober Larry up enough to make some sense. He looked a sad sight sipping milk from the small carton, so she stuck a cupcake in front of him, too. Carly couldn’t help but think that the whole scene looked like the saddest birthday party ever.

“It’s a girl I used to date, before Mona. I hadn’t talked to her since we broke up a couple of years ago. Well, since about three or four years ago.” He fiddled with the cardboard milk carton. “I didn’t know she was pregnant. She never even told me. How was I supposed to know I had a kid out there? God, if Mona finds out, my marriage is gonna be over before it even starts.”

“Are you sure it’s your kid?” Carly didn’t really like Larry, but she couldn’t stand the thought of someone lying to him just out of spite. He might be a pig, but he didn’t deserve to be lied to.

“She...she showed me his picture. Looks just like me. He’s just turned three, and we broke up just over three years ago. She didn’t date much before she met me. I don’t reckon she dated anybody else, but I don’t know. What am I going to do?” He pulled out a photo of a cute little boy with red hair and freckles. He did sort of favor Larry, but Carly knew you couldn’t be sure just by looking at a photo.

“I guess you’ll need to take a paternity test. That’s the only way you can be sure, and if she’s lying, you won’t have to ever tell Mona.” Carly was trying to be helpful, but Larry wasn’t reassured.

He had started crying again, and Carly glared at Shell. “We need to get you on home, Larry,” Shell offered, trying to get hold of the situation. She leaned over behind his back and whispered to Carly, “Hey, call Tucker. He can come get this mess...we’ve got to close up and get home before the storm hits.”

Carly nodded, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She pulled up Tucker’s number and hit the call button.

“I don’t need my stupid brother getting involved in my business. I can drive myself home.” Larry started to stand, but stumbled and fell back into the chair. “Just lemme finish my drink, and have something to eat.” He reached over and patted Shell’s bottom. “Hey, sugar, you got some food here? Maybe we can go back to your place and eat something?” Larry’s inebriated eyeballs rolled up and down the whole of Shell’s petite frame, and he grinned at her lecherously.

It took all the self-control Shell had not to knock Larry flat out on his drunken backside. “You will keep your hands to yourself, Larry Gaston, or I will introduce you to my rolling pin and the sidewalk. Now sit your drunk self down and wait for your brother to get here, or I will call Mona myself and tell her all about her new stepson and that redhead you’ve been dating across the street.”

Larry put his hands in his lap like a child who’d just been reprimanded by his mother. Carly heard Tucker’s voice on the phone, and exhaled sharply. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been holding her breath.

“Oh, hey, Tucker. I’m so sorry to bother you, but could you come by Sweets & Eats real quick? We’ve sort of got a problem.” She hesitated. “It’s Larry. He’s here, and he’s...well, he’s drunk. I don’t think he should be driving home. Do you think you could come and get him?”

Carly could practically hear Tucker’s jaw clenching on the other end of the line. “I wouldn’t ask, but I didn’t know who else I could call. There’s something going on with him, and I can’t call Mona.”

Tucker sighed. “Yeah, Carly, I’ll come and get him. I’ll be there in five minutes, tops.” He hesitated for a second, then added, “Thanks for calling me.”

Carly felt bad calling Tucker, but she was not going to let Larry get behind the wheel of his truck when he was drunk. The last thing she wanted was a dead groom or worse, for Larry to hit someone while he was trying to drive home.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Larry had started his self-pitying tirade again, and Carly was going to do her best to try and ignore him. She just had to put up with it for five minutes…

“Well, Larry, I hate to say it, but don’t you think you brought it on yourself? I mean, you spend every day running all over creation with half the gals in town, and you’re only now worrying about Mona finding out? Are you sure you even want to get married?” Shell sat down in the empty chair and crossed her arms in front of her. “You don’t seem to be the settling-type.”

Larry blushed, and stared at his cupcake. “Mona’s alright. I mean, since the wedding stuff has started she’s been kinda bossy, but I think that’s what I need. I need somebody strong like that. Plus, she helps me with my business. She’s got me organized. I can’t throw away this relationship like I did the others. Lord knows, she’d probably kill me if she found out I had a kid with my ex.” He tried to chuckle, but it came out as a gulp. Carly felt a little sorry for him, because she could very well see Mona trying to kill Larry over something like that.

A clap of thunder made them all jump, and then the doorbell was jingling. Carly realized that she’d forgotten to lock it after Larry came in, and she turned to see Tucker standing in the doorway, a scowl on his face and raindrops on his shirt. His look softened when he saw Carly, and she walked over to him quickly to explain the situation.

“He’s been out drinking, and he came in here looking for a cake because he said some girl told him he has a son.” Carly was surprised that Tucker didn’t react when she told him what Larry had shared with them.

“I know. I mean, I know who the mom is, because I saw her a while back.” Tucker looked a little sad. “I asked her if the baby was his, and she told me no. I didn’t think she would lie about that, but I guess she just didn’t want Larry around. I can’t blame her, he was pretty crappy to her when they broke up.”

Carly took a deep breath. “Whoa. You mean he really does have some kid out there, and he’s only just found out? Who’s the mom?” Tucker’s expression got a little guarded, and she regretted being so nosy. Carly agreed that Larry could be a real piece of work, but she didn’t understand how someone could just wait for years before telling their ex that they were a father. She was starting to get the feeling that she’d walked into a bad episode of the
Jerry Springer Show
.

“You probably don’t know her. Her name’s Tina, and she’s really not a bad girl. I mean, she’s always been nice to me, and she never even made a fuss when Larry cheated on her. She just...kinda faded into the background. I guess she can’t stay in the background anymore if she’s got Larry’s kid.” Tucker seemed sympathetic to the woman, so Carly figured she couldn’t be all bad. After all, Tucker seemed to be a decent guy, and Carly figured he wouldn’t have pushed her for the truth since he knew how irresponsible his brother really was.