Paris, Poison, Pain Au Chocolate

Sadie Silver Mystery #2

KAILIN GOW

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you for picking up Paris, Poison, Pain Au Chocolate (Sadie Silver Mystery #2)

This series is a cozy mystery with clean romance and some pet paranormal elements recommended for age 13 and up.

Summary

Fashionable Celebrity Pastry Chef Sadie Silver loves mixing travel, food, romance, and crime solving wherever she goes or stays...along with the help of her intelligent cat Orchid and sensitive-smelling-nose dog Biscuit. handsome forensic scientist Palmer, and the mysterious gorgeous man who always places an order directly from her for a dozen red velvet cupcakes.

Chapter 1

Sadie

The rolling countryside just outside of Paris rolled by as Sadie sat in the backseat of the cab with Orchid on her lap and Biscuit beside her.

On hearing that the International Chocolate Baking Competition was to be held in the Parisian countryside, Sadie hadn’t known what to expect and she’d wondered about it as she’d flown over the Atlantic.  What kind of castle?  An old drafty thing?  Something more palatial and modern?

But as they approached the old yet majestic castle, she was awed by what she saw.

The cab driver turned off the main road, drove through the gates and took a cobblestone path up to the main entrance of the immense chateau.  “Voila, Mademoiselle,” he said.  “Le Chateau Gregaire.”

Staring up at the storybook building, Sadie was speechless as the driver opened the car door for her and waited for her to get out.  “Merci,” she finally said as she got out.

He went to the trunk to get her luggage.  “Would you like me to escort you inside, Mademoiselle?”

“No,” Sadie said as Biscuit tugged on his leash.  “I’ll take it from here.  Thank you very much.  Merci.  Merci beaucoup.”

“My pleasure.”  He set her luggage down, bowed respectfully and returned to the driver’s seat then drove off.

Standing before the historic building, Sadie took a moment to absorb it all.  “Did you see that?” she said to Orchid and Biscuit.

The elegant, three story building had dozens of arched windows and was topped with a steep pitched blue tiled roof with several turrets and two large lookout towers. Several of the windows were adorned with subdued and tastefully crafted stained glass.

She set Orchid down and unleashed Biscuit.  “We’re going to be spending the next little while here,” she said as she picked up her luggage.  “Don’t wander off too far, now.”

She entered the romantic chateau and was immediately struck by the immensity of the front hall.  The intricately adorned ceiling reached up the three stories adding to the spaciousness of the foyer.

“Miss Sadie Silver.”

Sadie turned to the sound of her name and saw a bubbly and vivacious redhead coming towards her.  Dressed in simple black slacks and a black, white and gold slightly translucent high collared shirt, she looked elegant and professional.

“I’m Molly Ingram,” the redhead said, extending her hand.  “You’re Sadie, right?”

“Yes,” Sadie said with a smile as she shook the woman’s hand.

“Good,” she said.  “You’re the last of the contestants to arrive.  Come this way,” she said as she headed toward a door at the far end of the foyer.  “I want you to meet the others.”  She glanced back over her shoulder at Sadie.  “Oh, I’m the producer of the show, by the way.  So, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

They entered a large, high ceiling sitting room that housed a variety of Louis XV and Louis XVI chairs, comfortable sofas, antique settees and recliners.

“This is Bailey,” Molly said, gesturing with her hand to a good looking young man to the right.  “He’s my assistant… my right arm.  If you need anything… anything at all, you just let him know and he’ll do everything he can to make it happen.”

“Hello,” Sadie said to the young man who nodded.

“Then we have our celebrity chef from England, Mr. Andrew Angus,” Molly said nodding towards a handsome young man with thick brown hair.  “He is said to be as charming as he is talented.  Mr. Angus runs a preeminent luxury chocolate shop in England… and all of this at only 29 years old.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sadie said with a nod.

“Verna Vicious likes to let her dark side shine in her confections as she creates some of the most divine, if not macabre pieces that resemble body parts, creepy crawlies and anything else that might make your skin crawl.”

Sadie smiled at the fair hair woman with the black lipstick.  “Interesting.”

“Then you have Diego Diaz,” Molly went on.  “Mr. Diaz is from Spain and has a knack for bringing a little Latin spice to everything he makes.  His blend of sweet and piquant leave a lasting impression on everyone who tries his desserts.”

The young man appeared to be in his early thirties.  He had luscious dark loose curls that gave him a very romantic allure and dreamy brown eyes.

“And finally, from France, none other than Madame Rhonda Duvak.”

Sadie pressed a tight smile whereas Rhonda did little to hide her disdain for Sadie.

Molly looked at Sadie, then to Rhonda and back to Sadie.  “Do you two know each other?” she said.

“We’ve met,” Rhonda said bluntly, the cool tone leaving no doubt that they were not friends.

Sadie looked kindly at Molly.  “We worked the same wedding recently.”

“Oh.  How nice,” Molly said as she clasped her hands together and turned to face all the contestants.  “Everyone, this is Sadie Silver from New York, the fifth and final contestant to this international competition.”

“Hello,” everyone except Rhonda said.

Molly turned to Sadie.  “Bailey will show you to your room and you can take all the time you need to get settled in.  If you have any questions either about the accommodations or the competition, he knows this castle inside and out.”

“Thank you.”  Sadie followed Bailey back out into the main hall and retrieved the luggage that she’d left by the door.

Biscuit was scampering around while Orchid quietly sniffed around every corner.

“Come on, guys,” Sadie said.

Biscuit immediately came up beside her while Orchid followed but at a distance.

“Are they always so obedient?” Bailey said as he led her down the hall.

“Actually, they are,” Sadie said.

“You trained them well.”

“Believe it or not, I didn’t.  They’re just very good and well-behaved pets.  I take no credit.”

He chuckled.  “Just to let you know,” Bailey said as he pointed down one hall.  “The kitchen is over there, and if you go on beyond that there’s the formal dining area and then an exit leading to the back patio.  There you’ll find a lovely, heated pool nestled within a lovely flower garden.”

“Sounds magnificent,” Sadie said as she looked down the hall, up at the detailed work on the ceiling then down at the beautiful wood floors.  It was all so unbelievably magnificent.

“We put a lot of effort into finding the perfect spot for this competition.  Not only is this chateau enchanting, but it also has all the modern conveniences that we need for the chefs.”

As he walked on, he pointed out other interesting facts about the castle and its history.  He talked about the family who’d originally built it, those who then took over and some of the renovations that were done over the years.

“Through here, you’ll find a common living space.” He gestured to a doorway.

Sadie peered inside the arched doorway to find a cozy space with several cushy sofas set in a semi-circle around a huge fireplace.

“Out that door there are three greenhouses that grow a variety of flowers and vegetables.  There’s also a large pond filled with fish.”

Finally, he stopped at a door and unlocked it, then handed Sadie the key.  “Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

“Like Molly said, if you need anything, just let me know.”  He walked away.

Sadie entered her room and was instantly blown away.

“Wow, guys,” she said as Biscuit and Orchid followed her in.  “Get a load of this.  We’ve just gone back in time a hundred years or two.  Maybe even more.”

The canopy bed was huge and elaborate.  The gold and black bed covers looked so authentic, as if they might have one day long ago warmed a veritable princess.

Two elegant armoires were set up on either side of the large window that offered a magnificent view of the grounds.  At the foot of the bed was a chest filled with thick blankets and three thick, plush rugs covered much of the dark hardwood floors.

The room was large enough to house a sitting area and a working space with desk and chair set up beside the functional fireplace.

She headed into the bathroom to take a peek and once again gasped with delight.   The golden fixtures were decadently rich and, while the plumbing was obviously modern, the style of the sink, toilette and club-footed bathtub were very much in keeping with the old world.

“Win or lose the competition, this is going to be a thrilling experience, guys.”

While Biscuit continued to sniff around and around the large room, Orchid had already settled on the bed amidst the pile of cushions and pillows.

“You … she… talking about!”

Sadie stopped moving as she heard the muffled voice of a man coming from outside her room.

“You never were…. any more than…,” came the muffled response from a woman.

Moving closer to the door that led out into the hallway, Sadie pressed her ear to the door, trying to make out what the argument between the man and the woman was.

Chapter 2

The quarreling couple quiet down and Sadie shrugged it off to a typical lovers’ spat.

She opened her suitcase, pulled out a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

“You guys watch the fort,” she told Biscuit and Orchid.  “I’m going to go wash off all this jet lag and grime.

Despite looking old and antique, the water in the shower was hot and the pressure perfect for soothing tired and aching muscles.  The castle also offered an array of fragrant soaps, oil, shampoos and conditioners which Sadie sampled.

Once out of the shower, she realized that they even offered body lotion and several samples of French designer perfume.

Dunning a comfy pair of jeans and a loose-fitting grey sweatshirt, Sadie slipped into her white tennis shoes and opened the door to explore the marvelous castle that was to be her home for the next few weeks.

“Come on, you two,” Sadie said.  “I know that you guys need to stretch your legs out just as much as I do.  Let’s go see what this old castle has to offer.”

She headed out with Biscuit right behind her.  Looking to Orchid who remained on the bed, Sadie clucked her tongue.  “Come on, Orchid.  You, too.  You slept the whole flight over, now it’s time to move a little.”

The cat’s tail flicked up and whipped down on the bedcover in exasperation.

“I mean it, Orchid.  Come on.”

Opening her eyes, Orchid looked straight at Sadie.

“You know you want to.  Now come on.”

Taking her sweet time, Orchid sat up, then stretched out and yawned.  As if it’d been her idea to begin with, she jumped off the bed and sauntered out into the hall.

Meanwhile, Biscuit jumped up onto Sadie’s leg, insisting he be picked up.

“You two are way too spoiled,” Sadie said with a laugh.  But she nonetheless stooped down to pick up the pooch.

After taking a second to look up and down the hallway, her gut told her to go in the direction she’d heard the squabbling come from.  It had seemed to come from close-by, but as she walked on, she came to a passageway that led to another wing of the castle.

The corridor was filled with doors and was very different from the portion where she was staying.  The walls were filled with old family portraits and historic paintings.

As she slowly sauntered down the hall, she looked at the paintings of French royalty.  A small portrait of Charles Martel, a dark brooding painting of Charlemagne and a grand and colorful Charles IV.

“Look at all of these,” Sadie said to Biscuit.  “So much history in this old country.”  She leaned in close to read the label below another painting.  “Henry III, assassinated… stabbed to death.  How dreadful.  Henry IV killed by a fanatic.  Gee, makes you wonder why anyone would want to be king.”

Biscuit looked at her with love in his dark brown eyes.

“And Louis XIV,” she read on.  “He’s the one responsible for Versailles.  Hmm, look at that.  He was king for 72 years.  How can that be?  Ah, yes.  And Louis XVI who was executed and then his lovely wife Marie Antoinette suffered the same fate not too long after.”

The more she discovered of the castle, the more enamored she was with it.  What a blessing that the production crew of this televised competition had found such a remarkable place to host this event in.

Sadie then remembered the pamphlet she and all the other competitors had received along with the invitation to come to the event.  Parts of the old castle were off limits.  Sections were reserved for the family who now owned the castle.

If she remembered correctly, it was the right wing that was closed off to visitors.  Somehow, she sensed she’d closed over into that forbidden area and turned to go back towards her room, but as she got closer to her room, the quarreling started up again.

“What are you talking about?” a woman said.

“Don’t play stupid with me,” another woman said.

“Stop it, both of you,” the man said.

Sadie couldn’t help but wonder if it was a family squabble instead of a lovers’ spat as she’d assumed.  Could it be that the family members who owned and operated the castle were having a falling out?

They certainly wouldn’t be the first family to disagree on how to run a business.

“I’ve had it with you two,” one of the women shouted.

At this Biscuit jumped out of Sadie’s arms and ran to the door, while Orchid froze in place and growled.

Following him, Sadie approached the closed door, the voices becoming clearer as they became angry and quieter.

“I’ll tell you right now,” one woman said.  “If you do not go through with this, I will do everything within my power to make sure that you never work in this business again.  You understand me?”

“Are you threatening me?” the other woman said.

“Take it as a threat or as a warning, I don’t care.”

“I will make sure that you are never heard from again,” the other woman hissed.  “Got it?”

Shocked, Sadie froze.  That wasn’t just a veiled threat.  It was a very clear threat.  She took a step back to head to her room, but stepped on Biscuit’s tail.  He let out a pain-filled yelp.

“What was that?”

Footsteps pounded to the door as Sadie scooted back and hid in the recess to another door, grabbing Biscuit and Orchid on the way.

For a breathless moment, she stood there.

“Someone was out here,” the man grunted.

“I’ll go look this way,” one of the women said.

“I’ll go this way,” the man said.

Sadie felt behind her and found the doorknob to the door and prayed it wasn’t locked.  It wasn’t.  She quietly turned the knob and pushed back the door.

“Because I’ll tell you,” the man went on as he approached.  “I’ll make sure that whoever was listening at the door is dead before they can tell anyone about our plans.”

Holding her breath and praying Biscuit and Orchid remain silent, Sadie backed into the broom closet and closed the door just as the angry man walked by.

As she heard him round the corner, she hurried out and went back to her own room.  Only then, did she finally allow herself to breathe.

“Oh, my, you guys,” she said, looking at Orchid and Biscuit.  “You guys knew, didn’t you?  You knew you had to stay quiet.  You knew we were in danger.  Oh, heavens.  What would I do without you?”

Chapter 3

“No need to set up a wake up call with you around,” Sadie said to Biscuit who was eager for her to get out of bed and take him for his morning walk.

As she sat up, she noticed a sheet of paper that had been slipped under the door.

“Now, what do we have here?” she said as Orchid jumped up on her in an attempt to grab all her attention.  “Nice try, Orchid, but I have to go see what that is.”

She pulled Orchid into her arms and stroked her head as she got up and walked to the door.

For a second, she listened for any sign of anyone on the other side of the door, and when she found that all was silent, she stooped down to pick up the piece of paper.

“Our day’s schedule,” Sadie told the cat as she perused the page.  She glanced back at Biscuit.  “We better hurry and go for that walk.  They want us down for breakfast bright and early.”

She set Orchid down.  “Do you want to come, too?”

“Meow.”

“Great.  Give me a minute to get dressed and we’ll head out.”

She threw on a pair of jeans and a long red sweater then headed out with the two.  Biscuit scampered around in front of her, while Orchid cautiously followed behind.

“This way,” she called to Biscuit as they arrived in the back portion of the castle grounds.  “We’re going to go see this herb and vegetable garden.”

He dutifully bounded forward, eager to sniff everything.

It was a beautiful morning, and Sadie was thankful to Biscuit for his insistence on his morning walk.  The air was crisp and cool with the promise of a warm afternoon, perfect for a stroll.  As they meandered through the garden, she looked at the various herbs.

“I’m going to have to look into expanding my little garden back home,” she told Biscuit.  “Isn’t this just lovely?”

As she turned to exit the gardens, she came face to face with a striking young man.

“I see I’m not the only one who enjoys early morning strolls,” the young man said.  He looked at her with a warm and welcoming smile.

Sadie smiled back.  He was incredibly good-looking, and she was certain he was an actor, or perhaps a model.  He was well dressed in an expensive looking tailored suit and John Lobb shoes.  His thick red hair was cropped short and his green piercing eyes were mesmerizing.

For a moment, Sadie was certain she’d just come face to face with a veritable prince.

“Yes,” she managed to say.  “Biscuit here likes his morning walk.”

“What a cute puppy,” the young man said.  “And I assume the feline is yours as well.”

“She is,” Sadie said with a nod.

The young man held out a hand to her.  “I’m Etienne Fitzgerald,” he said.

“Nice to meet you.”  Sadie slipped her fingertips into his warm hand.  “I’m Sadie.  You look a bit familiar.  Do I know you?”

“I’m the owner’s nephew,” he said, gesturing to the castle.  “I came out to France to spend a little time here.”

“How nice,” Sadie said as Biscuit sniffed around Etienne’s shoes.  “Where are you from?”

“I’ve been in England for quite a spell tending to business.”  He smiled warmly at her and seemed reluctant to say more about his business dealings.  “And tell me, what brings a lovely young woman such as yourself here?  Are you one of the celebrity contestants?”

She smiled.  “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call myself a celebrity.”

“But you are here for the Chocolate Competition, right?”

“Yes.  I’m not nearly as well-known as Angus, who I know is huge in England.  And, what to say of Vicious who has made quite a name for herself throughout Europe and is breaking through in the United States, especially after winning the competition a few years ago.”

“Well, I would imagine that you are quite a force to be reckoned with if you are here competing against them.”  His cool green eyes looked into hers.  “I’m eager to see what you can do.”

“I’ll certainly do my best,” she said.  She looked around at the grounds and elegant castle.  “This is a marvelous place to hold the competition.  The castle is like that of a fairytale.  So beautiful and majestic.  Do you know how they came to hold the competition here?”

“As the story goes, back in the day of Louis IVX… or was it XVI?  I’m not quite sure, but during a visit from one of the two kings, the chef here concocted something very special for the royal family.  He created a new chocolate pastry that quickly became the royal family’s favorite.  After that, this castle and the family who lived here became known for the chocolate creations that emerged from here.”

“How fascinating.”

“Well, apparently, not enough,” Etienne said.  “You see, while the reputation grew over the next few decades, it then faded away and was all but forgotten.  The hope is that the competition will help bring back some of that former glory.  We want to remind the world that this is a place with a great history.”

“Oh.  Well, in that case, I do hope that we will all do the castle’s reputation justice.  And, I must say, that it is an honor to take part in such a historical event.”

He nodded and smiled.  “I have no doubt that you will bring honor to this great castle,” he said, his intense gaze looking deep inside her.  “I was just about to go back to the family’s private wing for coffee.  Would you care to join me?”

Incredibly intrigued by the young man, Sadie smiled and nodded.  “I would…”

“Sadie Silver,” a loud voice called out, rudely breaking into the tender moment.  “Sadie Silver, is that you?”

Sadie turned to see Bailey coming her way.  “I’ve been looking all over for you.  Breakfast is being served.  Would you please follow me to the dining hall.”

Sadie looked at Etienne.  “Maybe we can have that coffee another time.  I’m dying to hear all about the castle’s history.”

He nodded knowingly and reached for her hand.  “I’ll be waiting with bated breath.”  He kissed the tips of her fingers then released her and took a step back.

Charmed and enchanted, Sadie smiled and turned away to follow Bailey with Biscuit and Orchid not far behind.

“We’re going to go over the day’s schedule,” he was saying as he took quick and hurried steps.  “There are many things to…”

But Sadie had a hard time concentrating on Bailey’s words.  Her mind kept going back to the handsome young man with so much promise.  All she could see as she followed Bailey was Etienne’s piercing gaze.

Bailey guided Sadie to the blue room where she finally shook thoughts of Etienne aside. 

As they reached the threshold, Bailey looked down at Biscuit and Orchid.  “I’m afraid they’ll have to wait outside.”

Sadie nodded.  “You two go off and play, but don’t stray too far.”

Biscuit simply sat by the door, while Orchid sauntered off to a quiet corner of the large foyer.

Smiling at how well-behaved her adorable pets were, Sadie turned to enter the beautiful blue dining room.

The excessively high ceilings were adorned with large wooden beams that were intricately carved, giving the room a degree of opulence that Sadie had never seen before.

The blue walls were trimmed with white crown molding and the floor was of hardwood inlaid with darker strips of exotic wood, all in a beautiful geometric pattern.

Much of the crew and production team were already seated at the eternally long table.  At the head of the table sat Molly with the contestants seated near her.

Sadie spotted an empty seat beside Angus.  He smiled and nodded a silent greeting as she sat down.

“The crew will be setting up in the great room to film vignettes of each of you,” Molly was saying.  “Just a little word about your background, how you came to be where you are, etc.”

Angus turned to Sadie.  “You look well rested,” he said with a flirtatious grin.  “Did you sleep well in this drafty old castle?”

For a moment she considered bringing up the argument she heard down the hall but decided against it.  “I slept very well.  My room wasn’t drafty at all.  Quite warm and cozy, actually,” she said with a smile.  “I slept like a fairytale princess.”

“That’s good,” he said as he cocked a brow toward Molly.  “You’ll need it.  Schedules for these things can be brutal.”

“Really?” Sadie said.  She had to admit that she had thought it would be a fun week of baking and discovering the castle and ground.

“Shoots can last for hours.  It’s not just the time that you bake.  It’s re-shooting, getting the right light, those little vignettes where they ask you how you think your creation will do.  Then another vignette after you win or lose a challenge.  It starts early in the morning and can often go until pretty late at night.  When shooting is finished, then it’s the discussion about what’s to come for the following day.  Grueling, I tell you.”

“Oh,” Sadie said.  “I had no idea.”

“If you’d like,” he went on as he leaned in closer to her.  “I could give you a few tips on how to find a moment here and there to relax… and where to go.  There are a few little private and quiet corners of the castle that are very nice and peaceful.  Nice spots to get away from it all.  I’d be more than happy to show you where they are.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Sadie said, politely listening to him with one ear, while trying to capture what Molly was saying with the other.  “I think I’ll be fine, but I’ll be sure to let you know.”

He winked and brought his attention back to his breakfast.  His plate was loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes and thick slices of toasted bread.  He ate with gusto and seemed to be storing up much needed strength and energy.

Watching him, Sadie wondered if he was preparing for a cooking competition or a marathon.

A server brought her a plate, also generous and, taking her cue from Angus, began eating her breakfast.  While she didn’t have quite the same appetite as he did, she nonetheless ate much of her plate.

Looking around the table at the other contestants, she noticed that they were more preoccupied with gossiping than eating, especially Vicious and Duvak who’d barely touched their plate.

But as Sadie looked around the table for the fifth contestant, she realized that he hadn’t yet arrived.

“Did Diaz already have breakfast and leave?” Sadie asked Angus.

His mouth full, he shook his head.  “I haven’t seen him.”  He smothered his last crust of bread with jam and popped it into his mouth then drowned it with a big gulp of coffee.

“So, what’s keeping Diego Diaz this morning?” Molly was saying, also noticing the contestant’s absence.  “I want to get through the rest of this schedule before breakfast is over.”

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute now,” Vicious said.

Molly ignored the comment and looked up as Bailey came around to her.  “Do me a favor, Bailey,” she said.  “Go up and see what’s holding up Diaz.  Tell him to get down here pronto.”

“Yes,” Bailey said as he turned and walked away.

“In the meantime,” Molly said.  “I would like to go over the schedule with all of you.  I’ll repeat it if need be when Diaz gets here.”

“It seems pretty straightforward,” Vicious said as she looked at her schedule.

“Do I take that to mean that there are no questions or constraints?  I would hate to have to start shooting only to learn that one of you has a certain circumstance that keeps you from being on time.”

“All is clear with me,” Duvak said.

“Same here,” Vicious added.

Angus, his eyes on Sadie, grinned.  “I would just like to take a moment to get to know my very lovely competitor… that is, before I get into my serious competitive mode.  Once I set a goal, I like to get there, no matter what.  But before that…  I’m all fun and games.”

He took a hold of Sadie’s hand and covered it with his other hand.  “Tell me, Sadie Silver,” he said softly, lovingly.  “Why did a young American girl like yourself choose to take part in this faraway competition?”

Though slightly taken aback by the unexpected question, Sadie smiled.  “I know that some of the best baking, pastries, and chocolates come from all over Europe.  It’s a great challenge as well as a great honor to be here competing with the best of the best.”

His grin broadened and his eyes narrowed.  “And what do you want if you win?”

“I guess the prestige of being the best,” she said.  “I mean, I would like nothing more than to prove that my desserts are the best.  Isn’t that what we’re all here for?”

“Not everyone,” Angus said with a mysterious smile.

Cocking her head to the side, Sadie looked at him.  “What do you…”

Bailey suddenly rushed back into the room, his brow dripping with sweat and his face deathly pale.

“Bailey?” Molly said.  “What in the world is the matter with you?  Where’s Diaz?”

He took in a few quick breaths and looked at everyone then back to Molly.  “He’s dead.  Diaz is dead.”

Chapter 4

Molly sat staring straight ahead of her for almost a full minute then stood.  “It appears we’ve had a change of plan.  There will only be four contestants in this year’s competition.”

Frowning, Sadie looked at the energetic and cheerful woman.  There was something so incredibly disconcerting about her reaction.  One might have thought that Bailey had simply announced that Diaz had voluntarily dropped out of the competition.

But a man was dead, and this woman was going on with her production as scheduled.

“I understand that this must be a little bit of a shock,” Molly said.  “But I can’t stress enough the importance of continuing with the shoot as scheduled.  The cost of getting this thing on the air is already astronomical and we can’t afford any delays.”  She clapped her hands together and looked at everyone’s empty plates.  “With that said, I would like to see everyone at their baking stations in ten minutes.”

The contestants and crew looked at one another, some gasping with shock, others shrugging with nonchalance.

“Please don’t be late, people.”  She clapped her hands again.  “Chop.  Chop.  Let’s get going.”

As the room echoed with the sound of chairs being pushed back on the hardwood floor, Sadie rushed over to Bailey.

“You look positively stunned,” Sadie said to him.

He nodded.

“Can you tell me where the body was found?”

He looked at her with a sickened expression.

“Has the police been called to investigate?”

His vacant eyes held hers for a moment, then he blinked and seemed to come back to life.  “In his room,” he muttered.

“You found him in his room?” she confirmed.

He nodded.

“Can I see him?”

Bailey looked at the crew and contestants as they made their way to the kitchen.

“You have to be on set in ten minutes with the others.”

“Where is Diaz’s room?  Is it far from the kitchen?”

Bailey shrugged.  “No.  It’s the first room down the hall from the kitchen.  It’s barely a minute from where we’ll be taping.”

“Then, hurry,” Sadie said with insistence.  “Bring me to him.”

Bailey glanced at the departing group and back at Sadie.

“I just want to take a quick look,” Sadie assured him.  “Then I’ll run to the kitchen and be there in more than enough time… I promise.”

He looked at her for a few seconds then nodded.  “All right.  Follow me.”

He led her to the corridor and right after passing the kitchen specially remodeled to house the competition, he pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

“Here you go,” he said as he pushed opened the door and stepped back to let her in.

Sadie was a little surprised to see that he had a key but said nothing.  She took a step inside and when she noticed that he remained at the door, she turned to him.  “Aren’t you going to come in with me?”

He shook his head.  “I’d really rather not.”

“Please,” she said.  “I may have a few questions.”

He shrugged and shuffled reluctantly inside.  “I don’t see how I could answer any of them.”

Despite his reluctance, he guided her inside and to the bathroom.

“He’s in there?” Sadie said with surprise when he stopped at the door.

Bailey nodded as he looked away, still so sickly pale.

Sadie slowly pushed open the door.  Before even seeing Diaz, she smelled him – that putrid death scent.  Holding her breath, she walked in.

“Oh, my,” she let out when she saw Diaz in the bathtub, completely submerged under the water.

She looked back to the doorway where Bailey stood, still looking away.

“Did you try to move him?  To touch him?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Bailey shook his head.

“You didn’t come in to try to help him?”

“No,” he said.  “It was clear he was dead.”

She looked at Diaz and had to admit that there was no question he was dead.

“His eyes were vacant,” Bailey said.  “His pupils dilated, he’s under water… no bubbles… no breath… no movement.”  He edged a little farther into the bathroom.  “There was no way I was going to touch him.”

“Okay,” Sadie said.  “That’s good.”  She pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a few photos.

“We really should get out of here,” Bailey said nervously.

“Just a few more,” Sadie said, taking a close-up of Diaz’s face.  She quickly made a mental note of the peaceful scene.  There was no clear sign of struggle, and relaxing aromatic candles were set around the tub.

“I don’t want to get caught in here,” Bailey insisted.  “I’m pretty sure Molly is going to want to take a good look at what happened here before anyone else does.”

“I won’t touch anything,” Sadie assured him.  She took a photo of Diaz’s torso, then a few pictures of his hands and fingers.  “Did Molly know Diaz well?  I mean, what made her decide to include him in this competition?”

“Molly knows a lot of people,” Bailey said.  “She knows all the top chocolatiers of Europe.  She’s really into that stuff.”

“I guess it’s a good thing that the producer of a show knows so much about the subject matter.”

“Well, it probably helps that she comes from a family of chocolatiers.”

“What family is that?” Sadie said, still looking around Diaz’s body.

“The Fitzgeralds.  The family that owns this castle.”

A little surprised, she turned to look at Bailey who still refused to look inside the bathroom.

“Molly is related to the Fitzgerald family?”

Bailey nodded.  “The Fitzgeralds have a chocolate factory in England.  I’m sure you’ve seen their world famous chocolates.  They’re in most high end department stores in France, Germany and Spain.”

“Nothing in the United States?” Sadie said with a bit of a chuckle.

“Not yet, but they’re working on it,” Bailey said, pressing a wry grin.  “By this time next year, you’ll be sure to see them in your local department store.”

Sadie put her phone away and looked at Bailey.  “If she’s from such a famous family of chocolatiers, why doesn’t the family take part in the competition?”

Bailey shrugged.  “The winner of this competition is going to get a huge prize.  Their winning chocolate is going to be featured in Bon Chocolatier magazine.  They’ll earn the title of Winning Chocolate of the Year.  These chocolates will then go on to be served at the next Oscars… and of course… a grand prize of 100,000 Euros.”

Sadie let out a long whistle.  “That’s quite an impressive list.”

“It is,” Bailey said.  “But with all that, the very fact that this competition is being held here is sure to bring a lot of attention to the castle, to the family and to their chocolates.  No matter who wins the competition, Molly and the Fitzgeralds are going to come out on top.   While the winner will be in Bon Chocolatier magazine, talk of the competition is going to be in numerous magazines in various countries… namely the home countries of each competitor, but also many, many others.”

“I see,” Sadie said.  “And here I thought I was coming out here simply with the hopes of bringing more attention to my stores in France.  When I got the invitation to participate, I had no idea there were all these prizes.  That’s just icing on the cake.”

“Chocolate icing?” Bailey said with a genuine smile.

Sadie chuckled.

“Well,” Bailey went on.  “If you just look at what happened with Vicious after she won.  She went on to find an extreme level of fame.  Her name was on everyone’s lips, and her chocolates and confections were in everyone’s mouths.  It was truly a big deal for her.”

Sadie looked at him as she walked out of the bathroom and stopped in the hall.  “So, looking at it that way, there’s a lot at stake here.”

“Well, yeah,” Bailey said.  “Winning here can change a lot for the participant.  It can change everything. Once everyone knows your name, there’s no stopping you from going higher and higher.”

“In other words, it’s worth killing for,” Sadie said as she shot a final glance at the bathtub and Diaz.

“Well,” Bailey said with a frown.  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I think a few people might go that far,” Sadie said as she turned to head out.

“Wait a minute,” Bailey said, as he took a hold of her arm to hold her still.  “Are you saying that Diaz was murdered?”

“Do you have any other explanation for what you found in there?” Sadie said pointing back toward the bathroom.

“This is a competition,” he argued.  “Not a… a.  Well.  It’s no place for a murder.”

“I beg to differ, Bailey,” Sadie said.  “And I want to find out who is responsible for this.”

Chapter 5

Sadie followed Bailey back to the kitchen.  The large space had been fitted with five generous counters equipped with everything the contestants needed.

But Sadie noticed that they’d already and quite efficiently removed the fifth and now unnecessary workstation, leaving only four.

While Bailey went off to join Molly, Sadie found her workstation beside Angus and behind Duvak.  She pulled the apron with her name on it over her head and glanced at the other contestants who’d all done the same.

“Okay,” Molly called out.  “You will all note that there are two cameras up front here that will capture you hard at work.  Then we have a camera at the back of the kitchen, and another one that will go around to come in close to each and every one of you.”

Vicious and Duvak nodded.  Sadie glanced at Angus who smiled.

Molly glanced at the camera operators to ensure they were ready.  “All right.  And here we go, in three, two…”

“For your first challenge,” Molly said as she looked out at the contestants.  “We want you to create your signature confection.  What best describes you, the artist.  You will find all the ingredients your heart desires in the pantry to your left or in the refrigerators to your right.  You’ll have… two hours.”

With their hands on the edge of the counters before them, the four contestants were ready to begin.

“Get ready,” Molly said with enthusiasm.  “Give us your best and… Go!”

Sadie immediately headed to the pantry to gather up the ingredients needed to make a generous amount of rich milk chocolate, a fair amount of deep dark chocolate and a small amount of decadent white chocolate.

She returned to her station and got to work, weighing, stirring, melting, pouring, cooling, shaping and building.  When a portion of her work was done, she glanced at her competitors’ workstations.

They were incredible.  So fast, so filled with expertise.

The camera came around and she forced a smile.  Working with a camera in her face was definitely not something she was used to, and she was thankful when he moved on to another contestant.

Concentrating on the task at hand, Sadie built up her exquisite creation and finally melted the white chocolate that would serve to decorate her work of art.

She looked at her creation with pride and felt certain she’d won.

“Okay,” Molly called out.  “Time is up.  I do hope you all had time to finish your creations.”

The contestants nodded.

“Very well.  Then it is time for me to introduce to you, our three esteemed judges.  Etienne Fitzgerald.  He may seem young, but he knows chocolates.  Then our veteran chocolatier, Miriam Reinhold, and, always quick with a wisecrack, Derek Peabody, our ever amusing comedian.”

The judges all looked over the contestants, smiling.

Sadie hid her surprise at finding that Etienne was a judge.  He hadn’t mentioned it when they’d met earlier.

 “Now,” Molly said with a clap of her hands.  “I would ask you all to bring up your creations for the judges to look at and taste.  One at a time… and we’ll begin with… Vicious.”

Grinning broadly, Vicious picked up her platter of chocolates and headed to the judges’ table where she set it down in front of them.

“Please tell us, Vicious,” Molly prompted.  “What have you created for us today?”

“You have here a variety of devilishly delicious body parts that are dripping with chocolate and a very special thick cherry sauce to make the pieces all the more bloody and gory.”

“Ooh,” Derek said as he took a close look at a finger.  “I am a sucker for anything and everything gory, and this is right up my alley.”

“Enjoy,” Vicious said as she smiled at him.

He picked out a nice perfectly rounded chocolate eyeball and took a bite.  Red goo spilled out.  “Cool,” he said.  “I love it.  Not only is it gross enough, but it’s also delicious.”

The other judges tasted various morsels but remained silent.

“Thank you, Vicious,” Molly said.

As Vicious made her way back to her workstation, Molly called Angus forward.  He set his platter of decadent chocolate before them.

“These look like perfection,” Miriam said.

“They do look very professional,” Etienne added as he picked up a square piece topped with a fine layer of deep dark chocolate.

“They look like jewels,” Miriam said as she also picked up a piece and took a bite, savoring it.  “Nice.”

“Thank you, Angus,” Molly said.  “Next, we’ll taste your confections, Duvak.”

Sadie looked at the platter Duvak brought forth and was a little surprised by the simplicity of her chocolates.  While they indeed looked delicious, there was nothing particularly special about them.

“Let’s try this,” Miriam said as she took a bite and nodded her appreciation.  “Yum.  A delicious traditional French treat.”

“And finally,” Molly said as Duvak retreated with her treats.  “Sadie.  Please bring up your creation.”

Sadie walked up to the judges with her platter, prouder than she’d ever been.  She knew that she’d done a good job.

“Interesting,” Etienne said.  “Can you tell us what this is?”

“It looks like a very simple box,” Miriam remarked.  “Although the intricate white chocolate piping on top is quite impressive and the chocolate is perfectly tempered…”

Sadie pulled the top off of the ‘simple’ box, to reveal a small box inside.

“Ooh,” Derek cooed.  “A surprise.”

“How darling,” Miriam exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Derek said.  “Those little Russian dolls, right?”

Miriam pulled the smaller box out and set it on the table, then with a mischievous gleam in her eye she pulled the top off of that one.

“Another one,” Etienne said, truly amused.

“And another,” Miriam said as she got to the fourth little chocolate box with the ornate white chocolate piping.

“It’s so small,” Derek said.  “Surely there’s nothing else inside.”

Miriam opened the box and the three judges gasped with delight.  Even Molly leaned over to look inside the small chocolate box.

“Don’t we all love a surprise?” Miriam said with a big smile.

Derek reached inside the small box to retrieve the delicate chocolate ring Sadie had created.  The deep dark chocolate was brushed with gold, giving it an impressive sheen.  In the center of the ring was a shiny ball of pristine white chocolate surrounded with smaller beads of the same chocolate.

“It’s as beautiful as any pearl I’ve ever seen,” Etienne said.

“How did you get that incredible shine on this pearl?” Miriam said.  “It’s gorgeous, not to mention so romantic.”

“But how does it taste?” Derek was quick to add.

“Try it and find out,” Molly suggested.

Derek took a bite of the ring while Miriam and Etienne chipped off pieces of the chocolate boxes.

“Oh, my,” Miriam said.  “What an interesting and intriguing nutty flavor.”

“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Etienne added.  “But, yes.  The flavor is exquisite.”

“Thank you very much, Sadie,” Molly said.  She turned to look at everyone as Sadie made her way back to her workstation.

“The judges will take a minute to consult with one another and come to their decision.”

Sadie stood patiently waiting as the judges tallied up the various points given to each contestant.  After a few moments, they gave Molly the name of the winner.

Feeling confident, Sadie took in a deep breath, ready to hear her name.  She was nervous and excited and thrilled.

“And the winner of this round is…” Molly said.

Sadie smiled with anticipation.

“Verna Vicious.”

Huh?

“Congratulations, Verna.”

Heartbroken, Sadie frowned.  While Verna had done some nice work, how could it beat her beautiful Russian doll inspired jewelry box?

Victorious and proud, Verna looked at the other contestants with a smile.

“We’ll take a quick break,” Molly said.  “And we’ll meet back here in twenty minutes.”

Disappointed, Sadie promised herself to do even better in the next challenge.  In the meantime, she headed out for a quick walk with Biscuit and Orchid, went back to her room to settle them in and get herself freshened up, then returned to the kitchen.

“And now,” Molly said as everyone took their places.  “Onto your next challenge.  We’re asking you to create three different flavored chocolates, twelve identical pieces per flavor and you have exactly…  Two hours.  Get ready… get cooking and… Go!”

Sadie worked like never before, getting her three flavored chocolates, perfectly tempered, perfectly formed, perfectly perfect in every way.

And yet again, when the judging was over, it was Verna Vicious who’d won the challenge.

“Our winner on this first day of the competition,” Molly said, beaming at Verna.  “The incomparable Verna Vicious.”

*****

That night, after a much needed shower and a quick walk with Biscuit and Orchid, Sadie changed into some comfortable white slacks and a thin orange and red frilly blouse.

She headed down to the ballroom where dinner was to be served.  The big room was already loud with chatter and the long table almost full.  But Sadie spotted Etienne who waved her over.

“I saved this seat especially for you,” he said with a playful grin.

“Thanks,” Sadie said as she smiled and sat beside him.  “But… I’m not sure it’s a good idea.  I mean, you’re a judge.  Isn’t it a conflict of interest?”

“It’s okay,” he said with that same playful grin.  “I’m not easily swayed.”

Sadie snapped her fingers.  “Shucks.  And here I was hoping to draw you to my side.”

“Well,” he said with a flirtatious twinkle in his eye.  “You can always try.”

Sadie laughed, charmed by him.  “So, tell me, Etienne.  How did a young man such as yourself become a judge in a chocolate competition?”

“Well, I do know chocolate,” Etienne said.  “But, there’s also the fact that I’m allowing the production to take place here in my castle.  Special privilege, you could say.”

“Aren’t you related to Molly?”

He nodded as he ate his appetizer.

“She’s awfully young.  How did she come to have a television production company?”  Sadie said as she ate her appetizer.

“Molly?” he said.  “C’est ma soeur.”

Frowning, Sadie looked at him for a translation.  The server came around to clear her little appetizer plate away and another server followed with the main dish.

Etienne waited for his plate to be set before him and for the server to leave, then turned to Sadie.  “Molly is my sister.”

“Oh.”  Sadie looked at her plate loaded with a tender chicken breast surrounded by roasted vegetables and spicy rice.

“When the network got the idea to do this competition and televise it, they found the castle and wanted to do the shoot here.  Part of the deal that Molly negotiated was that she be producer.  She was also in charge of finding suitable contestants.”

Sadie nodded as she ate and let Etienne’s words sink in.  “That must be quite a responsibility,” she finally said.

Etienne nodded.  “But she likes challenges.  She likes to keep busy and she’s always looking for new projects, so this is right up her alley.”

Despite the din of the dining room and all the people that surrounded her, Sadie noticed Molly and Bailey entering the ballroom.

“And here comes your sister now,” Sadie said.  But then she noticed just how pale and sick Molly and Bailey looked.

A sinking feeling filled Sadie and she set her fork down.  “Now what?”

“She doesn’t look good,” Etienne said.  “Then again, this is a bit stressful for her.”

“I think it’s a little bit more than stress.”

Molly walked to the head of the table and stood solemnly looking at everyone.  “Please,” she called out.  “If you would quiet down a moment.”

She seemed frazzled and her gaze darted to Bailey a few times before she swallowed and once again looked at everyone.

“It pains me to have to tell you all that Verna Vicious will no longer be a part of the show… of the competition.”

A chorus of gasps rose in the air.

“Why?” a crew member asked.  “What happened?”

“It’s unclear at the moment what happened,” Molly said.  “All I can say is that Verna was found dead in her room.  We found her lying on the floor… a cigarette still burning near her hand.”

Chapter 6

After the quiet and tense dinner, Molly stood. “I hope that you’ve enjoyed your meal.  Please, don’t concern yourselves with these unfortunate incidents.  I know that it can be a little disconcerting, but everything will be all right.  I ask that you all return to your rooms.  My staff and I will take care of the issue.”

As everyone stood and speculated on what had happened, Sadie quietly slipped out of the dining room and headed to Verna’s room.

She pulled out the master key that Bailey had loaned her when they’d visited Diaz’s room.  Quickly and quietly, she opened Verna’s door and tiptoed inside.

Verna was sprawled out, face down on the floor.  The burning cigarette that Molly had mentioned had been put out.

Sadie made her way to the small crystal ashtray on the side table.  She pulled a small plastic bag out of her pocket, slipped it over her fingertips and picked up the half smoked cigarette.  Sealing the little bag, she looked around Verna’s room and took as many photos as she could.

Before Molly could make her way back to Verna’s room, Sadie slipped out and headed back to her own room.

“Looks like we have another murder to look at,” she told Biscuit as he excitedly came up to her.

Wagging his tail, he looked excitedly at her, urging her to pet him.  She ran her hands affectionately over his head.

Not wanting to miss out on any of Sadie’s attention, Orchid came up to her, rubbing her body along Sadie’s leg and hugging her calf with her tail.

“While I would love to spend the day with you guys, this thing here is getting pretty serious.”  She looked at the cigarette in the bag.  “What do you guys make of this?”

“Meow.”

“Right,” Sadie said as she sat down on the bed.  She pulled out her phone and took a close look at all the photos she’d taken while Orchid jumped up beside her and curled up at her side.

Looking at the photos of Diaz in the bathtub, she once again noted that there was no water around the tub.  One could almost suspect that he’d simply drowned.  Could he have fallen asleep?  It seemed unlikely, and now with Verna’s suspicious death, it was clear that foul play was afoot.

She then noticed in the photos the candles all around the tub and remembered seeing them when she’d seen him.  She’d found it a little curious.  Diaz gave off a very strong macho vibe and Sadie just couldn’t imagine him lounging in the tub with scented candles.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Biscuit playing with something.

“Please, don’t break anything here, Biscuit,” Sadie said, her eyes still on her phone.  “This competition isn’t mine yet and I can’t afford to pay for anything you ruin.”

Still, he continued to paw at something, growling playfully.  Curious, Orchid jumped off the bed and headed down to join him.

Biscuit took a hold of the object he was playing with in his mouth, effectively keeping it away from Orchid all while coming around to try to entice Sadie to pay attention to him.

“Give me a minute, sweetie,” Sadie said as she concentrated on the photos of Verna Vicious.

There were no visible marks on her, just like Diaz.  Whoever the murderer was, they were extremely careful not to leave any sign of foul play.

“So, what killed you, Verna?” Sadie whispered, her eyes on the poor woman’s body.  She’d been smoking at the time of her death.  Had she choked?  Had she had a horrible coughing fit?

Feeling increasingly edgy about the whole thing, Sadie flicked off the photos and made a call.

“Palmer,” she said when he answered the phone.

“Sadie,” he said a little surprised.  “Is that you?”

“Yes.  Where are you?  I need you.”

“You’re always saying that,” he said playfully.  “What do you need me for?”

“I need your expert analysis,” Sadie said.

“Oh, I see,” he said feigning exaggerated disappointment.  “And where are you right now?”

“In France.  About twenty minutes out of Paris.”

“You’re in luck, my dear Sadie,” he said.  “I happen to be right next door in England.”

“Are you really?” she said excitedly.

“Sure am.  I’m here for a forensic science seminar given by Sherlock Holmes.”

“That’s nice, Palmer,” Sadie said, a little distracted.  “I hope you have a nice seminar, but can you come over right after?”

“Not sure.  You know how Sherlock Holmes can be.  He can chat you up for hours.”  He chuckled.

Suddenly realizing what he was really saying, Sadie let out a light laugh.  “What is this about Sherlock Holmes?”

“Just thought I’d lighten the mood a bit,” he said.  “You sound tense.  I guess my little joke didn’t go off very well.”

“I appreciate the attempt all the same, but no.  I’m not in much of a jovial mood right now.  I don’t feel much like talking about fictional detectives.”

“All right.  All right,” he said.  “Give me your exact location and I’ll be there first thing in the morning.  I can take the bullet train and be there in no time.”

“Thank you, Palmer,” she said, her voice a little more nervous and unsure than usual.   “I’m at the Chateau Gregaire.  I’ll send you the specifics.”

“Sadie.  Are you all right?” Palmer said, suddenly serious and concerned.

“I’m just really happy to know that you’re coming.”  She hesitated a moment, then added.  “I’m getting a little creeped out by all the things going on here.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” he said calmly.  “Stay in your room, lock your door and I’ll get there as fast as I can.  You know, it always makes me happy to hear that you wished I was there with you.”

She chuckled.  “You always have a way of cheering me up.  I’m so glad I have a friend like you that I can rely on, Palmer.  See you tomorrow.”

She ended the call and stared at the phone a moment before turning her attention to Biscuit.

“Now, what do you have there?” she said when she noticed the little package that he was dragging around her feet.

She reached down to pick up the package and tore it open.  Inside a sturdy little black box was a beautiful gold case.  It looked like a cosmetic.

“Hmm,” she mused.  “That’s interesting, isn’t it?”

Biscuit looked expectantly at her.

“I seriously doubt that this is for you, Biscuit.”

She opened the gold case to find a high end lipstick in an exquisite shade of deep red.  “I wonder who could have sent this over,” she said with a smile.

Biscuit nudged a small piece of paper to her feet with his nose.

“Did I drop that?” she said as she picked it up and read the note.  “To the prettiest chocolatier on the show.  Wear this lipstick from me to really stand out on the show tomorrow. – E.F.”

Smiling, she looked more closely at the lipstick.  “Isn’t that sweet.  Isn’t Etienne thoughtful?”

Chapter 7

The following morning, Sadie made her way down to the kitchen and was once again surprised to see just how everyone went about their business as if nothing had happened.  No one mentioned Verna and no one seemed disturbed by what had happened to her.

The crew was already set up and ready to go.  The station where Verna had created her chocolates had been taken away.  Duvak and Angus were already at their stations, while Molly was a good distance away at the head of the kitchen taping the introduction to the show.

Angus looked back at Sadie and winked.  She forced a tense smile back at him but wasn’t feeling particularly friendly.  The stress of the situation was getting to her.

But, if she was going to win this competition, she would have to put Verna Vicious out of her mind and concentrate on creating the best chocolate treats.

Molly finally came to them.  “Everyone is at their station and ready?”

The three remaining contestants nodded.

Molly looked at the camera operator who nodded.  “All right.  Let’s get going.”

Her level of enthusiasm had diminished somewhat. Were the murders getting to her as well?

“In three… two…” She turned on the charm and smiled.  “Here we are on day two of the competition and our chocolatiers are ready to go.  Today you are to infuse chocolate into your favorite dessert.  We want something that is delicious and beautiful enough to fill the display of the best shop.”

Sadie already knew what she wanted to make.

“Ready…” Molly shouted with forced excitement.  “You have two hours.  And it starts… now!”

Working hard and concentrating on every step, Sadie created her specialty – pain au chocolat.  Everything went like clockwork.  No glitches, no missteps… just perfection.  She even had time to add a few decorative touches and was pleased with the end result.

When she brought her ‘pain’ to the judges, they also seemed pleased.

“That looks very good,” Derek said.  “Reminds me of home.”

“I love the texture,” Miriam said as she pulled off a piece with her fingers and popped it into her mouth.  “And it’s very chocolatey.”

“Thank you, Sadie,” Molly said, her cue to go back to her station.

After the judges had tasted the three contestants’ desserts, Molly came forward to announce a winner.

“For this first challenge of the day,” she said.  “The first place goes to…. Sadie.”

Sadie sighed with relief.  She’d begun to think the competition was rigged and was pleased to see that she truly had a chance to win the entire competition.

The second competition of the day had them all specializing in French confection.

As Sadie looked at the perfectly beautiful chocolate macaroons that Duvak had made, she knew that it was going to be tight.

“You have five minutes remaining,” Molly announced, adding to the stress of getting everything done on time.

“And now,” Molly said with much drama.  “Your… time… is…up.  Put your spatulas down and step back from your workstation.”

Sadie glanced down at her work and bit her lower lip with apprehension.

“Duvak,” Molly called out.  “Please, bring your macaroons to the judges.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such perfect macaroons,” Derek said with a wry grin.  “Then again, I’ve never seen many macaroons.  I’m more of a chocolate chip cookie kind of guy.”

While Miriam and Etienne chuckled, Duvak seemed completely unamused by Derek’s attempt at humor.

“Very light,” Etienne said as he took a small delicate bite.  “Tres bien.”

This time, the judges gave Duvak the win.  While Sadie was disappointed, just looking at those macaroons, she knew that Duvak deserved the win.

“Only the French can make these delicate concoctions with such expertise,” Duvak said as she passed by Sadie.  “You should go back home, little girl.  You have no chance of winning.

Refusing to get into an argument with her, Sadie simply smiled and said, “Congratulations, Duvak.”

This seemed to disappoint Duvak, but Sadie turned away and cleaned up her station to get ready to leave.

“Bonjour,” Etienne said as he came up to her.

“Etienne,” Sadie said.  “How are you this morning?”

“Disappointed.”

Frowning, she looked at him.  “Why?”

“I thought you would like the gift that I sent to your room.”  Looking like a wounded puppy dog, he took a step closer and spoke softly.  “That shade of red would look spectacular on your lips.  Did you not like it?”

“Oh, the lipstick,” she said.  “I love it.  It is a very nice shade.  I just thought it might be a little too bold for taping a cooking show.  I think that shade is better suited for evening, so I’ll be sure to wear it tonight.”

“Did you try it on to see how it suited you?”

“No,” she said.  “Not yet.”

“All right,” he said, resigned.  “Tonight, right?”

“For sure.”

“I would love to see you dressed up like a princess with ruby red lips.”  His intense gaze deepened as he came closer still.

Sadie chuckled and felt the heat of blush rush to her cheeks.  She resisted the urge to take a step back.  Instead, she boldly met his gaze.  “I’ll do my best.”

A slow smile spread across Etienne’s face and he reached up to finger a strand of hair.  “You really do have the most beautiful raven hair,” he said with a charming grin.

Sadie beamed, but the smile wasn’t directed at Etienne.  Just behind him, she spotted Palmer walking in.

“Over here,” Sadie called out excitedly as she waved him over.

Etienne’s charming grin faded as he looked over his shoulder and saw Palmer.  He brought his confused and somewhat disappointed gaze back to Sadie.

“Excuse me, Etienne,” Sadie said as she left him and headed to Palmer.  As he set his luggage down, she ran into his arms and gave him a big hug.  “Oh… how I’m happy to see you.”

“Well, isn’t that a nice welcome,” he said in return as he hugged her and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

“Come on,” Sadie said.  “We’ll go back to my room.”

He cocked a brow and grinned.  “I thought you’d never ask.”

Laughing, she guided him out of the kitchen and down the long corridor.  “Right in here,” she said as she reached her door and unlocked it.  She pushed it open and was immediately met by an excited Biscuit.  Scooping him up, she walked in with Palmer behind her.  “You can put your things over there.”

As she played a bit with Biscuit then took a moment to cradle Orchid, Palmer unpacked his equipment.

“So, what do you have?” Palmer said as he finished setting everything up on the dresser.

“For starters,” Sadie said, reaching for her small plastic bag.  “I have this cigarette.  The woman who died was smoking this.”

“Okay,” Palmer said, taking the bag and pulling the cigarette out with tweezers.  “We’ll start with that.”

As he set up to do his analysis, Sadie went through her phone to find the photos she’d taken.  But as she looked at the photos of Diaz in the bathtub, she suddenly had an idea.

“Sit tight a minute, Palmer,” she said.  “I’ll be right back.”

She left him and headed back to Diaz’s room, scolding herself for not thinking of it earlier.  Once in his room, she went to the bathroom.  Much of the room had been cleaned up, but the item she wanted was sitting right there… a candle.  She picked up the small plate on which the candle sat and hurried out of the room to bring it back to Palmer.

“Did you get any result from the cigarette,” she said as she stormed back into her room.

“Not yet,” Palmer said.  “You know these things take time.”

She set the candle down beside him.  “Yeah.  Sorry.  Didn’t mean to rush you.  You know how I get with these things.”

“The results never come fast enough for you,” he said with a grin.  He looked at the candle.  “And you want me to look at that, too?

She nodded.  “And while we’re waiting for the results of that, I’d like to show you a few photos.”

Palmer set up to test the candle then came to sit beside her.

“No sign of struggle,” Palmer said, looking at Diaz.

“That’s what I concluded as well.”

“Is it possible he just drowned?”

Sadie looked at him.  “Diaz just drowned, and Verna just choked on smoke?  What are the chances of that?  And at a very prestigious competition with lots of money involved?  I don’t think so.”

Palmer smiled sheepishly.  “I guess you have a point.”

“Don’t I always?” she said with a teasing grin.

Sadie looked at her watch.  “They’re going to be expecting us in the dining room soon.  Do you think you’ll have the results within the hour?”

“I doubt it, especially the candle.”

“Okay,” she said.  “I’ll let Bailey know that I won’t be down for dinner.”  She sent Bailey the text.  “I can maybe go down later to get a few bites to eat.”

“I have an even better idea,” Palmer said.  He opened another bag that he’d brought up and pulled out a flat square box.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sadie said, already drooling with anticipation.

“Pepperoni and cheese pizza,” Palmer said as he nodded.  “It might not be piping hot, but it should be warm enough.”

“Ah,” Sadie said as she threw open the box.  “I don’t care.  It could be stone cold, and I would gladly devour it.”

“Are you feeling a little homesick?”

“Not necessarily homesick, but I am just dying to eat normal, regular food.”  She pulled a slice out of the box and brought the point of the wedge to her mouth.  Oh, the tomato sauce, the cheese, the pepperoni.  It was a veritable carnival in her mouth.

“You like it?” Palmer said with a smile.

“I’m already looking forward to having this for breakfast tomorrow morning,” she said.  “It’s delicious.”

Palmer also took a slice and as they ate, they looked at the photos of the murder scenes once again.

“Do you know if the police have been called about this yet?” Palmer said.

Sadie shrugged as she picked up a second slice of pizza.  “After the deaths were announced and we were told that there would be one less contestant, and then another less contestant… nothing.  We’ve heard absolutely nothing.  It’s as if Diaz and Verna were never here.  No one is questioning.  No one is investigating.  No one really seems to care.”

“Except you, as usual,” Palmer said.  “Have you mentioned it to the others?  Have you asked questions?”

“I tried a few very discreet questions, but I either got vague answers, or no answers at all.”

“In the Diaz murder,” Palmer started.  “Did you notice whether there was a lighter or matches in the room?”

She looked at him then scrolled through the photos of the bathroom.   “Why?”

“Just wondering if he lit the candles himself.  Are these candles in every room?”

“I didn’t have any.”

“Was he the type of man to pack scented candles?”

“He didn’t seem like it.”

“There,” Sadie said as she pointed to a photo.  “A small lighter right there.”

“So, he brought scented candles, lit them, got into a tub and drowned.”

“Maybe I’m completely off course,” Sadie said, realizing she might have misjudged Diaz.  Perhaps he was the type of man to enjoy a nice fragrant candle with his bath.

“Wait,” Palmer said.  “Go back to the picture before that one.”

Sadie scrolled back.

“Okay, that one.”  Palmer leaned in to look at the close up shot of Diaz’s face.

“What are you seeing that I’m not seeing?” Sadie said.

“Look at his nostrils,” he said.  “Despite being underwater, there’s a faint black line just on the inside of that nostril.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Hard to tell, but I doubt it’s just the fumes from your average aromatic candle.”

“I guess we’ll know about that soon enough,” she said, looking over at his makeshift lab.

For the next few hours, they went over every photo and then screened the results of the testing Palmer had done.

“I think we have all we need to know,” Palmer said.

“I agree,” Sadie said.  “And it’s about time.  I’m exhausted.  All this detective work is tiring.”

Palmer chuckled.  “Could be all the pizza you ate, too.”

“It was too delicious to keep for breakfast,” she said laughing.  “It’s the one good thing I’ve had today… and you coming over, of course.”

“Of course.”

“There’s no point alarming everyone with these results and making a fuss now.”

“Let’s sleep on it and consider our options first thing tomorrow morning.”

Palmer put most of his equipment away and looked at the cozy sofa in the corner of the room.  “That thing is looking very good to me now.”

“It’s all yours,” Sadie said.  “I’m going to head in there to take a shower.”

By the time she came back out, Palmer was already snoring on the sofa.

“Goodnight, Palmer.”

She settled into bed with Orchid curled up at her side and Biscuit with his head on her calf.  As she held onto Orchid, she sensed just how tense and taut she was.

“Don’t worry,” Sadie said, petting Orchid under her chin.  “Palmer is here, and everything is going to be all right.”

Despite those words she felt the tension of the day growing on her and she knew that Biscuit and Orchid felt the danger around them, too.

“Goodnight, guys.”

Chapter 8

“And who do we have here?” Bailey said as Sadie entered the dining room with Palmer at her side.

“Him?  Oh,” Sadie said.  “He’s my assistant.”

As she led Palmer to the two seats on the other side of the table, she couldn’t help but notice the surprised look on many of the people’s faces.

Had she spoiled something by showing up?  Had they expected to find her dead?

Well, she thought.  I’m here and I’m ready to compete, whether you guys want me to or not.

“Are you sure it’s okay that I come down here with you all?” Palmer whispered to her as he eyed the other two remaining contestants.

“They had originally planned to have two other people here for meals.  With Diaz and Verna gone, I think they should be able take on a last minute addition.”

While smiling politely at Angus and Duvak, Sadie ate her breakfast and tried to size them up.  Could one of them be responsible for the two deaths?  Could one of them be plotting to kill her as well?  Is she next on the list?

“Thank goodness you came when you did,” Sadie whispered to Palmer.  “I think that whoever killed Diaz and Verna is getting desperate.  Somehow I have the feeling that I was supposed to suffer the same fate.”

Palmer reached out and grasped her hand, squeezing it tight.

“A chill runs up my spine just thinking about it,” Sadie added.

“I’m here now,” Palmer said.  “Just concentrate on the competition and let me take care of your security.  I’ll enlist Biscuit and Orchid to help me.”

She glanced at him and smiled.  “Thank you.”

After breakfast and a fifteen minute break, they all headed to the kitchen for the final competition.  As she entered, Sadie noticed that her workstation had shifted over a bit.  Frowning, a part of her told her it was just her imagination, but another louder part of her told her that something was up.  Had someone anticipated her death prematurely?

Once again, Molly taped her introduction then gave the contestants their challenge.  “For the next challenge, we want you to think outside the box.  You’ll notice that a whole new array of ingredients has been added to the pantry.  We want you to create a savory dish using chocolate.  You have… two hours and your time starts now.”

Sadie worked tirelessly for the next two hours, trying to push all thoughts of the murders aside.

But when the judging was through, it was Angus who won.  While he beamed with pride, Duvak stormed off the set in a huff.

“Your dessert was spectacular,” Palmer said when Sadie joined him for her ten minute break before the next segment.

“It is one of my favorites, but I guess the judges didn’t see it that way.”

“All right, people,” Bailey called out with an attention getting clap of his hands.  “Everyone back in the kitchen.”

Everyone filed in.  The tension was thick.  Molly announced the challenge, and they were given two hours.

Feeling a little more nervous than usual, Sadie stumbled as she worked.  She had to re-measure her ingredients three times.  Then she made a few mistakes as she prepared her chocolates.  It cost her precious minutes and she had to rush through the process much more than she would have liked.  The end result were chocolates that were less than perfect.

In the end, it was Duvak who won.

“Admit it, little American girl,” Duvak said with her thick French accent.  “You are an amateur.  You don’t belong here.”

Refusing to respond, Sadie simply smiled as she cleaned up her station.

With her nose in the air, Duvak walked on, clucking her tongue.

“Tough luck, my lovely,” Angus said as he came to lean against the counter of her workstation.  He gave her a light and playful punch in the arm.  “You know how it goes; win one, lose one.”

“Indeed,” Sadie said.  “Congratulations for your win earlier.  Your chocolates were beautiful.”

“I do my best.”  Angus noticed Etienne coming her way and added, “I do hope to see you later.  Bye now.”

He left just as Etienne came to her, once again coming a little too uncomfortably into her personal space.  She took a step back.

“I missed you at dinner last night,” he said with a deep and low tone that was filled with charm and romance.  “I could barely eat a bite, I was so concerned about you.”

Sadie had to admit that the handsome young man certainly had a way with words.  He was charming no matter what he was saying.

“Are you feeling better?” he went on.

“Huh?” she said, tilting her head to the side.

“Last night… dinner.  You weren’t there,” he said.  “I assumed it was because you weren’t feeling very well.”

“Oh, yes,” Sadie said.  “I’m much better.  I got a good night’s sleep and I’m back to my usual self.”

“So, I see,” he said.  His gaze dipped down to her lips.

Smiling, she reached up and ran her fingertips along her lips.  “Oh,” she said with a grin.  “The lipstick.  I promise I’ll wear it tonight.”

He smiled and seemed genuinely happy.  “See you at dinner.”

“That was quite a spectacle,” Palmer said as he joined her, and they headed down the hall back to her room.

“What do you mean?  Did you see anything unusual?”

He stopped at her door and looked at her, shaking his head as he laughed.  “No,” he said.  “Not everything is about these murders.  I just meant it was quite a show watching you all work your magic… especially you.  I’m sure the audience is going to love you.  You have this adorable habit of sticking the very tip of your tongue out when you’re deep in concentration.  Very cute… endearing.”

“Well,” she said as she slipped in the key and opened the door to her room.  “Let’s hope that love translates to great success for my shops here in France.”

She entered the room and immediately stopped.

“What’s the matter?” Palmer said when he bumped into her.

“Someone’s been in here,” she said as she looked around the room.

“Well, yeah,” Palmer said.  “Probably the maid.”

“No, Palmer,” Sadie went on, finally walking completely into the room.  “Someone has touched my things.  This bag was on the chair this morning, and Orchids carrying case was on that little desk and…”

She stopped and gasped.  “Oh, Palmer,” she exclaimed.  “Your forensic equipment.  It’s gone.”

He came up behind her and looked into the little nook where he’d left his equipment.  “Damn it.  And a lot of that stuff was brand new.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sadie said.  “I should have known something like this would happen.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she spun around.  “Biscuit!  Orchid!”

Biscuit crawled out from under the bed while Orchid climbed down from the tall dresser.

“Are you guys okay?” Sadie said.  “Did anyone come in here and try to hurt you?”

Biscuit wagged his tail and looked eagerly at Sadie.

“Are you just happy to see me, my darling puppy?”

He scampered over to the door and let out a little bark.

“Oh. Right,” Sadie said.  “You guys have been cooped up in here all morning.  Let’s go for a little walk.”

“Now?” Palmer said.

Sadie looked back at him.  “It’s not me who decides,” she said playfully.  “It’s him.”

She opened the door and Biscuit bolted out.

“Biscuit!” Sadie called out.  “Wait a minute.  Where are you going?”

He stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to look back at her, his bright eyes looking directly at her.

“We’re going this way, Biscuit,” she insisted.  “Come on.”

But he remained in place and let out another short bark while he danced from one front paw to the other.

“Hmm,” Palmer said.  “Persistent little fellow, isn’t he?”

Determined to catch him, Sadie went to Biscuit, but as soon as she got within reach of him, he darted down the hall.

Sadie glanced back at Palmer and saw Orchid come running out of the room and chase after Biscuit.

“Okay,” Sadie said.  “I think he’s trying to lead us somewhere.”

“Lead the way,” Palmer said coming up to her.

She followed Biscuit down the corridor.  He stopped every few feet to ensure she was right behind him.

Sadie then realized that he’d led her to that private wing of the castle, the same place where she’d heard the people arguing the first day she arrived.

Biscuit finally stopped in front of a door and clawed at it.

“Should we go inside?” Palmer said.

Sadie shrugged and put her ear to the door.  Then she knocked lightly.

Nothing.

She silently pulled out her master key causing Palmer to cock an eyebrow.  Smiling, she unlocked the door and slowly pushed it open.  They cautiously entered the room and closed the door behind them.

Taking a sweeping glance at the large room, she noticed a large and elegant wood table set up by the window.  Palmer’s equipment was all laid out on it.

“There’s my stuff,” Palmer said.  “Good work, Biscuit.”

Sadie took a few more steps inside.  “It’s definitely a woman’s room,” she said softly.  She noticed the delicate night gown laid out over the foot of the bed, the many bottles of perfume and cosmetics set up on a small table with an ornate mirror.

“This is supposedly the private wing reserved for members of the family that runs the castle,” Sadie said as she looked around the room.

“So, what are they doing with my stuff?”

Again, Sadie shrugged as she walked around.  On a small desk in a nook, she noticed paperwork strewn all over the desktop.

“Look at this,” she said, holding up one of the letters.  “Final notice from a bank.”  She then picked up another.  “Threats of foreclosure.”  She looked at a bank statement.  “Woe, whoever is running this thing is in a whole lot of debt.”

Palmer came up to her and looked at the various statements, bills and invoices.  “They’re bleeding money, and little is coming in.  Look at the numbers for their chocolate shops.  The rents are astronomical, the cost of production is high, and in the end, they don’t sell nearly enough to keep their head above water.”

“Shh,” Sadie suddenly said.  “I think I hear something… voices.”

Yes.  There were definitely voices coming from out in the hall.  Two women and a man.

“Come on,” Sadie said as she grabbed Orchid.  “Get Biscuit and come in the closet.”

Palmer grabbed Biscuit who fidgeted a moment.  He followed Sadie into the closet and shut the door just as the trio entered the room.

Chapter 9

“I can’t believe you messed this up,” the young woman said in an angry and reproachful tone.

“Look,” the young man said.  “It’s not like I didn’t try.  She got lucky, that’s all.  She hasn’t died yet, but I’ll find a way.”

“You’re a procrastinator and you always have been,” the young woman retorted.  “Besides, I know you’re deliberately taking your sweet time with this one.  Everyone can see that you’re trying to charm her.  This isn’t the time to get romantic and mushy.  This is a time for action.  You have to get rid of her or find some way to get her out of the competition.”

“I don’t see why you’re fussing so much,” the man said.  “She’s showing no signs of winning this thing.”

“I don’t care,” the woman said.  “I don’t want to take any chances.  Don’t you get that?  We can’t afford to take any chances.  For crying out loud, our contestant has to win.  Get rid of her!”

There was silence for a long moment.

“It’s one thing to find a way to get people to drop out of the competition,” the man said quietly.  “Maybe we could have found a way of simply sabotaging the contestants work… but to kill people?  Don’t you think you’re being a little too…?”

“A little too what?  Huh.  A little too decisive?  A little too determined?  I’m doing what I have to do to survive.”

“How do you think you’re going to get away with this?  These people are well-known.  They have fans.  People are going to snoop.  They’re going to want to find out what really happened to their favorite chocolatier.  Their families, their friends…  This is one fine mess you’ve gotten us into.”

“Stop whining and looking for excuses,” the young woman said in an uncompromising tone.  “I did my part.  Now it’s time for you to do yours.  I can’t always be expected to do everything around here.”

“Mom,” the young man whined.

“Your sister is right,” the older woman said.  “She’s running around here doing everything and she’s already accomplished a lot.  You have to do your part.  You have to do whatever it takes to get us out of this mess.  Do you want to be out on the streets?”

“We’ll lose everything if you don’t get on this.  Everything!”

“Alright!” the man said.  “But what more do you want me to do.  I gave her the lipstick.  I told her I expected to see her wearing it.”

“Tell her again,” the older woman said.  “Flatter her.  Tell her how sexy you find her in red.”

“Mom!”

“Stop whining,” the older woman said.  “Even I succeeded in doing my part, and I should be living a quiet life of luxury at this point in my life.  No, instead I had to concoct the perfect wax in order to make relaxing aromatic candles to put in the Spaniard’s bathroom.  I’m the one who explicitly told the maid to instruct him to use the candles to help him relax before the competition.”

“He did have a reputation for being high-strung,” the young woman said.

“That’s right,” the older woman said.  “He’d get so nervous and worked up that he’d choke and forget everything he knew.  Well, I took advantage of that and it worked.”

“Yep,” the young woman said.  “Dead as a doorknob.  No more Diaz to get in the way.”

“And that awful goth woman,” the older woman said.

“Verna Vicious,” the young woman said with a giggle.

“I had a special gift of cigarettes sent up to her room.  I knew she’d been trying to quit smoking for a while now.  But with the competition and all the tension, I knew that if she had smokes on hand, she wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“Good work, Mom,” the young woman said.  “You’re really good at this.  Maybe you should go and charm that little cocoa puff.”

“See, Etienne,” the older woman said.  “Molly is doing her part by keeping this production going.  I’m doing my part by making sure this competition ends the way we want it to end… the way we need it to end.  And what are you doing?  You’re sitting at the judges table filling your face with decadent chocolate and then you’re charming the contestants.  I won’t have it, Etienne.  We did our part, now do yours.  Get rid of that snooping Sadie Silver.  Get rid of her now.”

Sadie cringed at the sound of her name.  She could hardly believe it.  Etienne.  He was setting out to kill her.  She thought of that first meeting in the garden, his warm and welcoming gaze.  She thought of all the times that he came to talk to her, always getting close… always so darned charming.

And she’d slowly been falling for it… slowly been falling for him.  She’d allowed him to dupe her with his charm and those beautiful eyes.

She suddenly realized that she’d been nervously fiddling with Orchid’s paw, squeezing it until the cat let out a wail of pain.

The room outside the closet went silent.

All Sadie could hear was the pounding of her heart.  Biting her lower lip, she glanced fearfully at Palmer.  The tension grew as they held their breaths.  Sadie closed her eyes and said a quick prayer.

Then the closet door burst open.

Chapter 10

Sadie opened her eyes to see Molly, Etienne and an older, elegantly dressed woman looking at her and Palmer.

“What on earth…?” the older woman exclaimed.

Before she could finish her sentence, Sadie and Palmer rushed out of the closet, pushing past Molly and Etienne.  Sadie turned to head out of the room, but Etienne caught her by the arm, holding her in a tight grip.

Orchid immediately lashed out, hissing as she viciously clawed Etienne’s hand and bit into a finger.

“Ow!” Etienne let out as he released Sadie.

“Get back here,” Molly shouted as she grabbed Biscuit and tried to hold him.  But when he bit her, she let him fall back to the floor.

He darted to the door while Palmer grabbed Sadie by the wrist and pulled her out of the room.  As they ran down the hall, Sadie considered their options.

“There’s no point going back to my room,” she shouted breathlessly at Palmer.  “Turn down here.  We’ll head down to the main foyer and get out of here.”

But before they could turn the corner, a gunshot rang out.

“They’re insane,” Palmer said.

“Get them!” Molly shouted.  “Somebody!  Get those two!  They’re the killers.  They’re murderers.”

Just as Sadie and Palmer reached the foyer, three crew members and Bailey blocked their paths.  Seconds later Molly and Etienne caught up with them.

“Thank goodness you caught them,” Molly said.  “We’ve suspected Sadie from the start.  And now that her accomplice has arrived, it’s clear they’ve conspired to ruin this competition.”

Their mother caught up with them, breathless and red-faced.  “These two were just in my room,” the older woman said to Bailey.  “They were probably going to kill me next.”

One of the crew members advanced on Palmer who took a step back.

“Grab him,” Molly said taking a step towards Sadie.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” Sadie said as Biscuit barked at Molly.

“This is my home,” Molly said.  “And I’ll do as I please.”

She reached out to grab Sadie’s wrist, but the front door of the castle suddenly burst open.

“Police!” one of the officers said.  “Nobody move.”

“Oh, thank goodness.  Officer Henri,” Molly said as she ran to him, suddenly turning on the damsel in distress act.  “You’re here just in time.  These two have been on a rampage…”

Three other police officers came in behind Officer Henri.

Palmer looked at the police with a cocky grin.  “I agree.  You’re here just in time.”

Chapter 11

The police officers advanced on Molly, Etienne and their mother, while Officer Henri came up to Palmer.

“Hey,” Molly said as the officer cuffed her.  “What are you doing?”

“Let go,” Etienne said.  “You have the wrong person.  Look at me.  I’m practically a veritable prince.  I’m of noble blood.  You can’t do this to me.”

But the officer turned him around and cuffed him as well.

“Stop it!  You can’t do this.”

“I think I can,” the officer said.

“What is this?” the mother said.

The officer at her side simply took a firm hold of her arm but offered her the dignity to walk out of her own accord with no cuffs on.

“You are all under arrest,” Officer Henri said.

“What?” Molly cried out.  “What for?  What is the charge?”

“Where to begin,” Sadie grunted as she looked sidelong at Palmer.

“Murder,” Officer Henri said.

“So, I take it you got my results in time,” Palmer said.

Officer Henri nodded.  “It was more than enough to come and arrest this greedy trio.  It led us to reopen the case of the previous owner of this castle who mysteriously went missing just before they took over.”

“You’ll never be able to prove anything,” Molly said.  “You can speculate and suspect all you want, but you’ll never peg this on us.”

The officer looked at her.  “I guess you weren’t aware of the massive cost involved in running this place when you conspired to kill your uncle in order to inherit this chateau.  You should have looked at his books before killing him.”

“My brother was always an idiot,” the mother muttered.

“It’s never much fun to inherit the debts of family members,” the officer said.

“But why kill the competitors to the contest?” Sadie said.  “How can that help them any?”

Officer Henri turned to Sadie and Palmer.  “We suspect that they may have deliberately lured them to the competition in order to get do away with them.  We’re still looking into that possibility.”

“But why?” Sadie persisted.

“Verna Vicious and Diego Diaz were the Fitzgeralds biggest competitor in the chocolate world.”  The detective looked sadly at the Fitzgeralds.  “In Paris alone, Verna’s chocolates sell twice as much as the Fitzgeralds’.  But the unfortunate thing in all this is that Verna and Diego’s death will change nothing in the success of their respective shops.  In fact, their deaths will most likely draw a wave of sympathy that will have their shops reaching new heights, dwarfing anything and everything the Fitzgeralds do.”

“Which won’t be much now,” Palmer said.

“But who was set to win the competition?” Sadie said.  “They wanted to kill me too.  That left only Angus and Duvak.”

“The plan was for Angus to win and he would then go on to feature Fitzgerald chocolates in all his department stores along with his own brand.”

“Unfortunately,” Palmer said, shooting a playful grin at Sadie.  “Angus wasn’t good enough to win on his own merit.  They knew they had to get rid of the competition one way or another.”

Shocked, Bailey looked at Molly.  “How could you ever think you’d get away with something like this?”

“You’re a little nobody, Bailey.  Little people like you don’t know the ways of people who own the world.  And you just watch how this plays out.  We’re aristocrats.  We’re important people in the community.  We have history here.  These accusations will just slide off our backs.”

Disgusted, Bailey turned away from her and gazed at Sadie.  “I’m so sorry about all this, but I’m happy to see that you’re all right.”

Sadie smiled and felt sorry for the young man who’d simply wanted to help put on a great show.

“But how did they do it?” a crew member called out.  “How did they manage to quietly kill Diego and Verna?”

“Poison,” Palmer said.

“They thought they were being pretty ingenious and clever,” Sadie said.  “They poisoned the candles that were set all around Diaz’s bathtub.  They were said to be relaxing candles, but they were much more than that.  They actually put him to sleep and he then slipped under the water and drowned.”

“And Verna?” Bailey said.

“They trickled a few little drops of a very strong poison into the cigarettes that they then sent to Verna as a gift,” Palmer explained.  “When she lit up and took a puff, that poison went straight to her lungs, choking off all oxygen.”

Sadie glanced at Etienne.  “And how were you going to kill me?” she said.  “I guess that lipstick that you sent me and insisted I wear had something to do with it, didn’t it?  Was the lipstick poisoned, Etienne?”

He looked away and the officer escorted him out.

Sadie looked at Bailey.  “As it turned out, I thought the shade was too dramatic to wear during the taping of the competition, and my friend here arrived that night, so I didn’t go down to dinner where I’d promised Etienne that I would wear it.”

“That’s why some people were so surprised to see her at breakfast the next day,” Palmer added.  “They assumed she’d put on the lipstick and had fallen ill when she called you to let you know she would not be coming down for dinner.”

“Well,” Officer Henri said.  “We’re going to get them out of here and let you all carry on.”

Palmer reached out to shake his hand.  “Thank you so much for taking my call, Officer Henri.”

“It is I who needs to thank you,” Officer Henri said.  “You helped us crack the case of that suspicious disappearance and death of their uncle.”  He looked at Sadie.  “With your help, we were able to put all of this together.”

“I’m glad we could help,” Sadie said.

“And don’t listen to a word they say,” Officer Henri went on.  “We have more than enough proof to put them away for a very long time.”

He nodded at his officers who escorted Molly and her mother out and closed the door.

“So, what’s next for you two?” Henri said.

Palmer came up beside Sadie and put his arm around her.  “Sadie has a few new bakeries that have opened here in France.  I haven’t had the chance to see them yet…”  He looked down at Sadie.  “So, I was hoping for a little tour of France while tasting your decadent chocolates and pastries along the way.”

Sadie grinned.  “It’ll be my pleasure to take you on a gourmet tour.  After all, there’s no point hanging around here anymore.  This competition is busted.”

Mrs. Duvak appeared out of nowhere, still in her bathrobe and hair rollers.  “What’s going on?  What did I miss?”  She looked around, frantic and confused.  “Where are they taking Molly?  What’s going to happen to the show?  What about the competition?  I was winning.  I was winning.  I won two of the challenges.  So, I won, right?  I’m the winner!”

Stunned by the woman’s rant, Sadie looked at her and didn’t know where to begin.  The woman obviously had no idea how lucky she was.

“I should be declared the winner,” Mrs. Duvak went on.  She turned to look pointedly at Sadie.  “I should be declared the winner!”

Sadie sighed.  “Just be glad that you didn’t end up with Vicious and Diaz.”

*****

Sadie Silver’s story will continue in the Sadie Silver Mystery Series

Paris, Ice Pick, and Petit Fours:  A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery

(Sadie Silver Mystery #3)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LC11NB9

Fortune Falls, Felons, and Fudge: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver Mystery #4)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LBY6NHZ

Apple Valley, Ax, and Ambrosia: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver Mystery #5)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LBZ1FRJ

Staying Inn, Scarf, and Sugar Cookies: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver #6)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LBY5FP8

Sin City, Shoes, and Sundaes: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver #7)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LC12213

Haunted Castle, Hanging Doll, and Honey Ham: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver #8)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LC28BQP

Dog Park, Dagger, and Donuts: A Cozy Contemporary International Crime Mystery (Sadie Silver Mystery #9)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LC451NQ

About the Author Kailin Gow

From visiting Romania, ALA YALSA Award-winning and Million-Selling and USA Today Bestselling Author Kailin Gow was asked to write stories about vampires; visiting the Black Forest in Germany and seeing the castles of Europe inspired her to write fantasy; visiting Asia's mystical mountains inspired her to write action adventure and mythological dystopians. From her experience in college as a peer counselor and her volunteer work with women's shelters, she was inspired to write contemporary romance with social issues for women, new adults, young adults, and teens. Having faced adversity, including battling stereotypes and bullying, Kailin Gow has become a well-known speaker and influential figure in media. Her adventurous bold spirit has taken her around the world, where she has ridden on top of elephants through jungles, hand-fed sting rays, studied kung fu from a Shaolin Temple monk, and learned cooking from a celebrity chef. She is a USA Today Bestselling author and has been a #1 Amazon bestselling author over two-hundred times. Her Bitter Frost Series is in development as a TV Series, and her contemporary romance Loving Summer is set to become a feature film. An multi-award-winning filmmaker, director, and actress; Kailin’s films have premiered at Cannes, Los Angeles, Rome, England, Paris, Korea, Japan, and even in India’s Ministry of Culture. 

Compelled to write her first fiction book because of 9/11, Kailin Gow now has over 400 fiction books published under Kailin Gow and various Pen Names in many genres.  As a speaker and host, she has hosted international shows at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, been a celebrity judge at beauty pageants, been a judge for writing contests, and hosted television series.   She was featured as an Indie Author Success Story on the homepage of Amazon.com for a month and is also included in Amazon’s book called Transformations. She is the first Asian American to have been featured on Amazon’s homepage as an Author Success Story, and the first to have sold over a million books.

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@kailingow

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https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kailin-gow

Amazon Author Page

https://www.amazon.com/Kailin-Gow/e/B002BMAEH4

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