Page 60 of Playing for Keeps
Her mom rubbed a hand on her back. “Every box.”
Hundreds of cookies were ruined, and the competition started in just a few hours.
Justin set the box of icing on the counter and reached for Caroline. His arm gripped her shoulder, pulling her to his chest. “Does the church have any video surveillance?”
Caroline’s mom shook her head. “Not that I know of. I don’t know who would have come by. Who would do this?” she asked again.
Wasn’t that the question of the month? Whoever was trying to ruin her business was doing a fantastic job of it. “I don’t know, but I have to get to work on more cookies.”
“What can I do to help?” Justin asked.
Caroline stepped out of his embrace, already headed for the door and calling Skye. “Get me back to the bakery as quickly as possible.”
If things like this kept happening, her small business was going to crumble like one of the charred cookies.
24
JUSTIN
Justin looked over his shoulder at the dark alley around them. The backs of downtown shops were dark, a light layer of snow crunched under their steps, and the cold wind cut through his uniform and vest.
“Are you sure you need to go to work at four in the morning?” he asked, still keeping an eagle-eye out for trouble as Caroline and Skye stepped out of his truck.
Skye bundled her coat tighter around her collar. “The pastries don’t make themselves.”
Caroline reached for Justin’s hand and squeezed. “We do this every morning, and we’re always careful.”
The warmth of her glove permeated his palm but did nothing for the anxiety creeping up histhroat. They couldn’t be too careful in a place like this where anyone could be hiding in the shadows.
Whoever had it out for the bakery hadn’t hurt anyone yet, but Justin wasn’t going to sit around and find out if they were dangerous. He’d secretly started keeping a log of the offenses, and the list was too long. Driving Caroline and Skye to work in the mornings was the only thing that was going to allow him to sleep at night.
Caroline unlocked the back door and started flipping on the lights as they made their way through the stock room to the shop.
Skye stopped in her tracks and studied the dark windows facing the downtown square. “What’s that?”
Justin rested a hand just above the weapon on his belt. “What?”
Skye pointed. “On the window.”
Caroline unlocked the front door and the three of them stepped outside. The front window of The Cakery was lit up by streetlights in the darkness before dawn. Black words in dripping spray paint were written over the bakery’s name and logo.
The Fakery.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Justin whispered.
Locating the person behind the attacks on Caroline and The Cakery was at the top of Justin’s to-do list. He’d handed over the security footage from the bakeryand nearby stores to Jordan and his security company. Between Field, Inc. and the Redemption Ridge investigative team, plenty of resources were being utilized.
If they didn’t have everything they needed before, they would now. Justin had installed a new camera near the front entrance the night before after the cookie disaster at the church. Judging from the location of the graffiti, his new camera should have a clear shot of the vandal.
Justin opened the door and urged Caroline toward it. “Sweetheart, I need you to go inside. I’ll get the department over there, and we’ll figure this out.”
“But… can’t I clean it off?” Her breaths jumped after every word.
“Not until my team investigates.”
“But people will see this!”
Caroline’s business had taken so many hits this month, and she didn’t need another one. He’d have to get the investigation going before the people of Redemption Ridge started heading downtown.
