Page 63 of Cupcake
Brady had his hand on my hip, holding it tenderly to remind me he was there. I don’t know why it mattered to me so much since I knew he was leaving, but it did. It mattered that he cared enough to keep soothing me when I struggled to make sense of this attack. I held onto that warm spot on my hip for all it was worth. “When you left the apartment?”
“Yes,” I agreed, remembering not to nod. “I decided to start baking early, and it was just after midnight.” I gasped and grabbed for Brady. My coordination was absent, and I missed his shirt by a mile. “The baking! There are so many special orders!”
“Shh,” he said calmly. “Everything is taken care of at the bakery. I’ll explain after you tell Jack what happened.”
My heart was pounding out of my chest, and the monitors showed it, a warning beep filling the room until Brady started breathing with me to slow my heart rate again.
“Slow your breathing down, or they’ll kick us out,” he warned, watching the monitor until my heart rate went back to normal. “Good,” he said, smiling encouragingly, “you’ve got this.”
“You were going down to the bakery to start work,” Jack said, and I nodded, scooting up higher in the bed, grateful when it didn’t send shooting pain through me. “I was halfway down the steps when Darla stepped away from the building. She was slurring her words, and I immediately smelled the alcohol on her breath. She walked up the stairs and trapped me in, so I couldn’t go up or down.”
“And you fought?”
My head started to shake until I remembered not to do that. “No, she was angry that they took her crown away from her before she got on the float for the parade. Said she was tired of me playing the victim, and she was angry that I recorded her without her permission.”
“When you recorded the incident at the cupcake bake-off?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. I explained that I didn’t know the phone was still recording, but since it caught the exchange, I wanted the committee to know the kind of person they had representing the community. I stood up for myself for once against the woman and look at what happened.”
Brady’s hand came up to smooth the hair back off my forehead, his smile soft and loving. “I’m proud of you for having the courage to take that to the committee. You did the right thing, and you didn’t deserve this.”
Jack agreed with Brady. “He’s right. You’ve put up with enough from her over the years, and you’ve always been gracious about it. The fact is, you could have done more with that footage than spoken privately to the committee about it. They could have done more than speak to her privately. They could have told everyone the truth instead of saying Darla decided she didn’t have time to perform the duties of the crown and gave it to the runner-up.”
My brow went down in concentration. “Is that what happened?”
“According to Mrs. Mulberry, when I spoke to her earlier, yes. It was done quietly, in private, and without public knowledge of the reasons why.”
“Well, you know Darla. Once she feels slighted, it’s all over.”
“It’s going to be all over,” he agreed, pointing at my shoulder. “What happened after Darla spouted off?”
“I remember telling her not to step foot on my property again, and she got mad that I was always rubbing in how successful I was. Then she said she could make me unsuccessful. Next thing I know, I’m staring up at the stars from the bottom of the steps, and she’s spitting on me.”
“Spitting on you? Good God,” Brady said, his face filled with fury. “You better find her first, Stevens.”
“Don’t threaten someone in front of a cop, Brady,” I scolded.
Jack pointed at me. “What she said, but trust me, I will find her. What happened after you were pushed?”
I rubbed my forehead with frustration. “I don’t remember. I think I passed out. She was reaching for something, and I remember thinking it was probably a gun, and I was going to die there. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open or even move to get away from her.”
I was shaking, and Brady was holding both of my hips now, trying to calm me. “It’s okay. You’re here, and you’re safe. They’re going to find her, and she will be held accountable for this.”
Jack put his notebook away and nodded, a grim look on his face. “I can’t believe I’m going to have to arrest Darla, but I am. You didn’t stab yourself. I will let you know when we have her. There are officers searching the area around the bakery for the knife right now. I have another one sitting on her house. If she’s home, they will take her into custody, and we’ll book her.”
I moaned and rocked my head back and forth. “No, please don’t,” I begged. “That will just cause more problems with her. I don’t want that. I can’t deal with it anymore. I’m too tired.”
Brady had me in his arms now, as awkward as it was, and he tried to calm me with his lips to my temple. “Cupcake, they’re going to charge her with a crime. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
“What?” I asked, wanting to sit up, but he held me down, refusing to let me go. “You can’t do that. She didn’t mean to hurt me. She was drunk!”
Jack shook his head. “I’m afraid the fact that she stabbed you says otherwise. I suspect the only reason you aren’t dead is that Brady pulled up and spooked her. If he hadn’t come in early tonight, this could have turned out a whole lot differently. The first thing that has to happen when you are up on your feet again is better lighting around the bakery. Motion sensor lights would have scared her away and given her no chance to take you by surprise. Do you understand me?”
I nodded mutely, refusing to look at Brady because he’d been telling me that for years.
“Good. I’ll let you rest. Brady will be kept abreast of the situation with Darla, but we will need you to give a recorded statement at the station once you’re able. In the meantime, rest up. The town needs their cupcakes.”
I chuckled and nodded, tears in my eyes at his kindness. “Thank you, Jack. I appreciate your dedication here tonight.”
