Page 29 of Bad Seed

“Previous to today is all you need to know,” Sonny said. “You have your keys. You don’t wish to speak with your daughter. Do you intend to post bail after her arraignment?”

“Hell no,” Larry said.

Chief Warren nodded. “We will notify her about her rights to a court-appointed lawyer. Right now, she’s passed out drunk in a holding cell. If you will please follow me, I’ll walk you out,” Sonny said, and dropped the keys in Larry’s hands, then exited his office with Larry scurrying behind him to keep up. When they reached the front entrance, he paused.

“Which direction do I go from here to get to Trapper’s Bar and Grill?”

Sonny pointed. “Take a left as you leave and start walking. It’s on the strip. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Larry said, and glanced up.

Clouds were moving across the sun. He should have worn his overcoat, but he was so rarely outside of the hotel that he forgot it was still winter. He began walking at a rapid pace to keep warm, only to realize he was out of shape and soon out of breath. When he finally reached the parking lot, it didn’t take long for him to spot his car.

As soon as he got in, he breathed a sigh of relief that he was in out of the cold and then headed backto the hotel. And all the while he was driving, he kept wishing he could just drive out of Jubilee and never look back.

Instead, he called his wife.

Karen answered on the second ring. “What?”

“Your daughter is in jail for drunk and disorderly, assault, destruction of private property, injuring two diners in a local bar and grill, and on a separate charge to that incident, a report was filed on her a few days ago for stalking and leaving a threatening note on the person’s front door.”

Karen gasped. “Oh my God, what did you do to cause all that?”

“Me? What didwedo would be the better question. I know she needed consequences for every misdeed she ever committed and never got them. I know you personally bought her out of shoplifting charges and slept with somebody to make the DUI go away.”

“How did you know about—” Karen cried, and then realized she’d just admitted to cheating on him and changed the subject. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I’m probably going to lose my job because of her. To hell with her. To hell with you. I’m sorry I ever met you. I’m sorry she was ever born,” he said, then disconnected and drove back to the hotel.

Karen was in hysterics. She kept calling and calling, but he didn’t pick up, and Justine was still passed out, unaware that she’d just been abandoned to her fate.

***

Wiley sent Brendan a text.

Your nemesis is in jail for wrecking Trapper’s Bar and Grill. Call me.

But Brendan was decorating a special-order cake for a birthday celebration scheduled for this evening and focused on finishing it. The daughter of one of the families staying at the hotel was turning sixteen, and her birthday wish had been a trip to Jubilee to see Josie Fallin in concert. He was going out of his way to make it everything they’d asked for. Creating joy for people from things he baked was why he’d chosen this career.

He had his phone set on vibrate and was so focused on making the icing on top of the cake look like snowdrifts, and blowing gold dust onto the peaks, that he didn’t even notice an incoming text.

It wasn’t until he’d finished and put the cake into the cooler to set that he stopped to check his messages. When he saw the one from Wiley, a sense of relief washed over him. Justine Beaumont had way too many problems to be chasing him anymore.

Karma.

He slipped the phone back in his pocket and returned to his workstation. Anthony, his sous-chef, was already cleaning up the area and cleaning Brendan’s equipment, taking care to put it back in the places hekept it.

“Good job,” Brendan said as he walked past the area.

“Thank you, Chef,” Anthony said.

“I’m going to take a quick break. Has that last batch of dough proofed yet?” Brendan asked.

“Another fifteen minutes to go, Chef.”

“I’ll be back before then and we’ll get the rolls worked up and in the oven. Last batch of the day can’t come too soon, right?”

The young man grinned. “Yes, Chef.”

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