Pumpkin Spice Lies: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 16 by Kathleen Suzette (you can read anyone .txt) 📕

again. “Oh no, I’m not getting involved in this thing. If Betty found out I went to them and told them, then I know she would come after me. That woman is crazy. I was never so happy to leave a job as I was when I left that one.”

I nodded. “Well, I guess I can see your point.” I wasn’t sure she was telling the truth. If she was so afraid of Betty, why did she jump at the chance to work for her again?

There was no way I was going to keep this from Ethan. He needed to know about it. I didn’t know whether it would lead anywhere, but it might.

Chapter Fourteen

The following morning, I headed down to the Sweet Goblin Bakery for some donuts. I was working an early shift, and I knew everyone at the candy store would appreciate the donuts. I felt like I needed a donut in the morning these days, although it might not have been the best habit to get into.

I pushed open the bakery door and inhaled. “Something smells good today,” I said to Angela.

She brightened when she saw me. “Good morning, Mia. I just pulled a batch of pumpkin spice muffins out of the oven.”

“That must be what smells so good in here. I love the smell of pumpkin spice. I’m going to have to get some of those muffins.” I went up to the front counter and looked into the display case. There were a dozen pumpkin muffins with streusel topping sprinkled over them in the front.

“They’re what smells so good in here. I put cream cheese filling in the middle of them. Makes them extra special.”

“Oh my gosh, for sure I am going to have to get some of those. I came for a dozen donuts, but I think I’m going to get half a dozen of your pumpkin spice muffins, and the rest donuts. I hate to take so many of them, but I have an idea they are going to be very popular with everyone at the candy store.”

“That’s okay, I have two more dozen already made in the kitchen.” She picked up a bakery box and unfolded it. “So Mia, how is the investigation going? I’m sure Ethan keeps you informed.”

“Honestly, Angela, I know Ethan is doing all he can to find Hailey’s killer, but I’ve barely had time to speak to him the last few days. We’ve been crazy busy at the candy store and he’s working long hours on the investigation.”

She nodded and opened the back of the display case. “I know, it’s been crazy busy around here too. And I’m sure Ethan will catch her killer. I just can’t stand the wait.”

Before I could answer her, the bakery door opened and Ethan stepped through it. I smiled at him. “Were your ears burning? Angela and I were just talking about you.”

He looked from me to Angela and back. “Oh? I hope you’re saying good things about me.”

“Of course we are,” Angela said with a nod. “We were just discussing the investigation and how we both had confidence in you that you were going to find the killer.”

“Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence,” he said with a nod. He came over to me and gave me a quick kiss and turned back to her. “I’m doing everything I can to get her killer arrested as quickly as possible.”

She stopped what she was doing, a pumpkin muffin in one hand, and looked at him. “You know what, Ethan? I’ve been thinking. What about her boss? I know Hailey had a lot of problems with that Betty Mays. They couldn’t stand each other. I told her I’d give her a job down here at the bakery if she wanted to quit her job, but she didn’t want to work in food. She said she didn’t want to go home smelling like donuts.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “That kid. She was something else.”

“Betty Mays,” Ethan said thoughtfully and stepped up to the front counter. “Did she say anything specific about her that makes you think she might have had something to do with her death?”

“Well, between the three of us, Hailey caught her cheating on her husband. Ran into her with her boyfriend at a restaurant, and ever since then, Betty Mays was on her case. Hailey said Betty wanted to fire her, but she was afraid to because of what she knew. Hailey of course, would never have told anybody about the affair. She wasn’t that sort of person. I mean, she wouldn’t tell anybody except for her mother and me. But apparently, Betty was worried about her talking.”

“Really? Did Hailey ever say that Betty threatened her in any way?” he asked.

“Yeah, one day she came in late to work and Betty said that some people were lucky they still had a job. And that some people were so nosy they didn’t deserve to keep their jobs.”

I crossed my arms in front of me. I hadn’t had a chance to speak to Ethan about Shayna telling me the exact same thing. But Angela was wrong about Hailey. Shayna knew about the affair, so Hailey obviously didn’t mind telling other people. It made me wonder how many people she told. Maybe it had gotten back to Betty that she was talking about the affair, and she got scared and killed her.

“It’s definitely worth checking into,” Ethan said, leaning against the counter.

Angela nodded. “I think you should.” She turned to me. “What else did you want besides the muffins?”

“Go ahead and fill the box with whatever donuts you’ve got to make up a dozen. Everyone loves donuts, so it really doesn’t matter which ones. Myself, I’m looking forward to that pumpkin spice muffin.”

Angela nodded and got to work adding donuts to the box with