Cupcakes and corpses, p.1
Cupcakes and Corpses, page 1
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CUPCAKES AND CORPSES
Pupcakes and Peril
Paige Tyler
Copyright © 2025 by Paige Tyler
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author.
Editing by Jennifer Jakes / The Killion Group, Inc.
Copyediting by RVP Editing
Cover Image by Anastasia
With special thanks to my extremely patient and understanding husband, without whose help and support I couldn’t have pursued my dream job of becoming a writer. You’re my sounding board, my idea man, my critique partner, and the absolute best research assistant any girl could ask for!
Thank you.
CHAPTER ONE
Having a party outdoors in the spring in Maine was tricky. It could be cold and rainy or warm and sunny. Luckily for Tassie Drake, the weather for the baby shower she was hosting for her best friend, Lucy Shaw, was a balmy sixty degrees. Well, balmy by New England standards anyway.
Which—in her opinion—meant not having to bundle up in a winter coat and knit cap. Today, she was wearing a lightweight gray sweater dress and knee-high leather boots, so it was all good.
From where she stood on the covered deck sipping her iced tea, Tassie surveyed the dozens of pink and white balloons, pastel-colored streamers, and baby animal decorations that she and her sister, Abby, had set up around Lucy’s backyard. Completely fenced in, it was the perfect size to entertain the two dozen guests, as well as their dogs, who were having as much fun as their pet parents.
And best of all, no one had tried to kill anyone.
Yet.
Not that there were a lot of murders in Bluewater Bay, of course. Unless you counted the one that had happened a few weeks ago when someone had killed the meanest get-off-my-lawn old man in their small town. Not many people had shed a tear, Tassie included. But then, to the shock of everyone, her friend had been arrested for the crime and Tassie had made it her mission to clear Sara’s name. Much to the consternation of the town’s handsome new detective. At least until he’d realized she was rather good at the whole sleuthing thing—something that had kind of surprised her too. Apparently, all those hours watching Murder She Wrote and the plethora of movies on the Hallmark Mystery Channel were time well spent.
Thankfully, along with the help of her adorable Chiweenie, Baxter, she’d discovered the real murderer and had finally been able to get back to planning Lucy’s baby shower. Unfortunately, she wasn’t enjoying most of it at the moment because she was too busy keeping an eye on Gwen Swanson and Irene Bartlett.
Tassie sipped her iced tea again, gaze drifting in their direction where the two women stood sizing each other up as only the two of them could seem to do.
Gwen was the owner of The Cupcakery, which was right next door to Pupcakes, the doggy bakery Tassie co-owned with Abby. Irene was the owner of Dreamy Desserts, located a few stores down and on the other side of the street. Even though Gwen’s bakery specialized in cupcakes while Irene made everything from cookies to pie to the most delicious, moist, decadent chocolate cake on the planet, the two of them were always in competition. It had been like that since they were in high school.
Tassie should know because she’d been friends with both of them since then.
To make matters worse, Gwen and Irene would be going up against each other in a huge baking contest in a few days. As a result, their rivalry was more intense than ever.
From the way Gwen was glaring at Irene—and Irene at Gwen—at the moment, Tassie fully expected her friends to start throwing the cupcakes they’d brought to the party at each other before the guests even had a chance to taste them. And those cupcakes were way too delicious looking to end up being innocent victims in a food fight. Especially not with those super cute teddy bear decorations sitting on top of all that delectable frosting.
Nope.
A food fight was not happening.
Not on her watch.
Baxter regarded her from where he sat on the lawn beside her. Black with some caramel, he had a patch of white right on his chin that made it look like he was smiling whenever he looked up at you. Right now, it made Tassie suspect he might think a food fight could be fun—especially if he and his fellow doggy friends at the party got to snack on the fallout.
“Still not happening,” she told him with a grin.
Resigned—and probably a little disappointed too—Baxter turned his attention back to the party, watching Bruno, Lucy’s Basset Hound, sniff the ground for any crumbs of food he could find, his long ears brushing the grass as he walked.
“Ready to find out what Lucy and Andrew are going to name the baby?”
Tassie turned to see Abby standing there, an excited look on her face, her cute brown Dachshund, Finn, at her side. Older than Tassie’s twenty-five by a couple years, Abby wore her hair in a braid over one shoulder along with a long colorful sweater paired with black leggings and boots.
Drats.
Tassie had almost forgotten about the cockamamie idea that Lucy and her husband, Andrew, had come up with to have the guests pick a name for the baby since they couldn’t agree on any of them. She and Abby had tried to talk them out of it, saying it was fraught with all kinds of danger. Like someone picking a name Lucy and Andrew absolutely hated. Or a name that wasn’t a name at all. Such as Lemonade, or something like that. But Lucy assured her it would be fine.
So, they were doing this.
“Did you take out all the weird names?” Tassie asked, pushing her long, light brown hair over her shoulder.
Was it right to remove them? Maybe not. But someone had to look out for her goddaughter otherwise the poor girl could go through life with a name that was a string of Greek letters with a hyphen somewhere in between.
Abby nodded and held out the bowl of folded index cards. “Streamer, Tangerine, and Corduroy are officially out of the running.”
Someone suggested Lucy and Andrew name their little girl Corduroy?
Seriously?
Shaking her head, Tassie gave her sister grateful a smile as she took the bowl. “You are a lifesaver. Thank you.” She glanced at Baxter. “Okay, let’s go find Lucy and Andrew.”
They were over by the gift table, talking to Estelle Nichols, Bluewater Bay’s resident historian, and purveyor of all things gossipy.
Petite with shoulder-length dark curly hair, Lucy was the definition of glowing, while her tall, cute firefighter husband was the epitome of proud daddy-to-be.
“Tassie!” Estelle said. A little shorter than Lucy, her dark hair was touched with gray, and she wore big, round glasses. “You did a lovely job with the party! The food is delicious and the decorations are perfect!”
Tassie grinned. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without Abby’s and Lucy’s help, though.” She glanced down at her fur baby. “And Baxter, too.”
Estelle laughed along with Lucy and Andrew, then bent to give Baxter a pet. “Of course.”
Lucy eagerly eyed the bowl Tassie held. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It is,” Tassie said. “Are you guys ready to pick your baby’s name?”
“You know it!” Lucy said.
Beside her, Andrew didn’t look nearly as enthusiastic. In fact, he seemed a little anxious.
Tassie was right there with him. Even so, she gathered all the guests around, announcing they’d be picking the baby’s name. Everyone hurried over to see if theirs was the one chosen. Even Gwen and Irene stopped glowering at each other to join in.
Grinning, Tassie held the bowl out to Lucy and Andrew. “Who wants to do the honors?”
Lucy and Andrew exchanged looks. Hers was full of anticipation while his seemed more like it was leaning toward trepidation.
“You pick,” Andrew said to Lucy.
She eagerly stuck her hand in the bowl, swirling it around in the sea of folded index cards.
“This is so exciting!” Estelle exclaimed.
A moment later, Lucy pulled out an index card and raised it above her head triumphantly.
Tassie held her breath, unable to help it. Beside her, even Baxter seemed a little nervous.
Taking a deep breath, Lucy unfolded the card and her face immediately lit up.
“Our little girl’s name is…” Lucy gave her husband a big smile. “Flower!”
Rose Adams, the blonde woman in the bright floral print palazzo pants and white top, who was standing near Estelle, jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “Yay! That’s my pick!”
Sq uealing, Rose ran over to hug Lucy. As Bluewater Bay’s local floral genius and owner of Bloom Boutique Florist, it made sense that she’d choose Flower.
Andrew leaned over to Tassie. “I don’t hate the name,” he said softly from behind his hand. “Actually, I kind of like it.”
She nodded, relief flooding through her. “Me too! It’s pretty!”
Lucy hurried over to wrap her arms around Andrew, gushing about how much she loved the name, then hugged Tassie tightly.
“See?” Lucy said. “I told you that our friends and family would suggest beautiful names!”
Tassie laughed. “You did!”
And Lucy never needed to know that she tossed the names Streamer, Tangerine, and Corduroy. Although, she was definitely going to hold onto those names to one day in the future let her goddaughter, Flower, know what fate she’d save her from.
“I’m going to grab something to drink,” Andrew said as everyone went back to what they were doing before Lucy picked their baby’s name. “Do you want anything, hon? Tassie?”
“I’ll take some iced ginger tea,” Lucy said.
Tassie smiled. “I’m good, thanks.”
“So,” Lucy said slowly. “You and Jack.”
As in Jack Sterling, Bluewater Bay’s handsome new detective. The one who made her smile and feel warm all over every time she thought about him. They’d met at a crime scene because she and Baxter had been lucky—or unlucky, she supposed—enough to find that meanest get-off-my-lawn old man’s body. Lucy had joked that nothing said romance like crime scene tape and chalk outlines. While Tassie wasn’t so sure about that, there’d definitely been some sparks between her and Jack.
“What about Jack and me?” she asked coyly.
“When are the two of you going on a date?”
“Does running into each other at the dog park count?”
The look Lucy gave her said it all.
Tassie laughed. “I know. I know. I don’t think it counts either. As it turns out, I might have something to report on that front in the very near future.” She grinned giddily, unable to contain her excitement. “Jack asked me if I’d like to go out to dinner with him after the cupcake baking contest.”
Lucy was the one who let out a squeal this time. “Yes! I want a full detailed report after your date. And you’d better not leave anything out!”
“I won’t,” Tassie said with another laugh. “Promise.”
She would have said more, but then she caught sight of Gwen and Irene. They’d gone back to the deck and were both standing by their respective trays of cupcakes like they were guarding them. And while Tassie couldn’t hear what they were saying, the expressions on their faces suggested they were going to start arguing any minute.
“I better get over there and play referee before Gwen and Irene start throwing cupcakes at each other,” she said.
Lucy followed her gaze, letting out a groan. “Let me know if you need any help.”
Assuring her that she would, Tassie scooped Baxter up in her arms.
“Okay, let’s go do an intervention,” she told her fur baby, determinedly making her way over to where the dessert table was set up on the deck.
“Clearly everyone prefers my cupcakes to yours,” Gwen said proudly as she gave Irene’s tray a disdainful look. Petite with blonde hair, her blue eyes shot daggers. “I told you that no one can resist chocolate and peanut butter, especially when you pair them together in a moist chocolate cupcake filled with gooey peanut butter and topped with heaps of fluffy frosting.”
Irene let out a delicate snort. “Not everyone. My chocolate cupcakes with a hint of rosemary and topped with blackberry buttercream are way more popular than yours. Anyone can see that.”
Tassie looked from one tray to the other, forcing herself to focus on doing some quick math instead of how perfectly yummy both varieties looked. By her count, there were exactly the same number of cupcakes on both trays. She doubted Gwen and Irene would agree even if she added the sweet treats up in front of them.
“Okay, ladies. Let’s keep it friendly,” Tassie said, giving each of them a smile. “This is Lucy’s special day, remember? I’m sure both your cupcakes are as delicious as they look. And I for one can’t wait to try them!”
Gwen and Irene both appeared contrite at that, even if they did still stare daggers at one another.
“You’re right,” Gwen said, smoothing her hair.
Irene nodded, her strawberry blonde ponytail bouncing. “Sorry. Cupcake Combat is in a few days. I guess we’re both already in competition mode.”
Tassie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What else was new? Gwen and Irene were always in competition mode. From where he chilled in Tassie’s arms, Baxter gave her a look that said he was thinking the same thing.
“Although,” Irene said, gaze sliding slyly to Gwen. “You might not want to make those signature cupcakes of yours for the baking contest since Juniper is deathly allergic to peanut butter.”
Juniper Larabee had a YouTube channel where she shared baking tips and recipes specifically for people who had a peanut allergy like she did. Since she was something of a celebrity in her own right in Bluewater Bay, the TV show Cupcake Combat asked her to be one of the judges for the contest. That meant all of the cupcakes had to be peanut-free.
“I wouldn’t want you killing her,” Irene added sweetly.
Tassie cringed. Another murder was all Bluewater Bay needed. Though that was kind of a low blow from Irene about the peanut butter.
It was at that moment that Tassie decided that she had a new mission in life. As soon as the Cupcake Combat show was over and done with, she was going to get Gwen and Irene in a room together and she wasn’t going to let them out until they remembered that they used to be best friends. This cupcake-fueled animosity was stupid and needed to end!
CHAPTER TWO
Tassie had never been to the taping of a TV show before. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited about being part of the audience. Especially since Cupcake Combat was one of her favorite shows. It was true. If she wasn’t solving mysteries on the Hallmark Channel, she was vicariously baking with the pastry chefs on the Dessert Network.
The people from the show had transformed the town’s seaside park into a festive area with colorful tents, tables filled with dry baking ingredients and stand mixers, fridges, stovetops, and even portable ovens. Along with the three mini-kitchens, they’d also set up a table for the judges as well as loads of seating for the audience. Not surprisingly, there was a large crowd, along with Tassie and Baxter also eagerly waiting to watch the competition as well as taste the contestants’ cupcakes. Not to mention, see the famous star judges in action, including Bluewater Bay’s attention-seeking mayor, who was gripping and grinning and puffing out his chest like no one’s business.
It was fascinating to see how many people diligently worked behind the scenes to make a baking show like this happen. In addition to the crew responsible for the sound and lighting equipment, there seemed to be an army of people making sure that all the ingredients were ready and waiting for the bakers competing in the contest. Tassie was exhausted just watching them.
Sitting on her lap, Baxter was just as captivated by the whole production as she was.
“I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
Tassie turned her head to see Jack slipping into the seat she’d been saving for him, two cardboard to-go cups from Hug in a Mug, Bluewater Bay’s coffee shop, in his hands. Tall with dark hair, dreamy brown eyes, a square jaw with that perfect amount of stubble, and broad shoulders, he looked like he should be in front of the camera instead of sitting in the audience. Well, maybe not on a baking show. No, she pictured him playing the lead in some kind of action movie. Or maybe a police detective in one of the mysteries she liked watching on Hallmark.
Oh, yes! Definitely that!
She smiled at him as he reached out to pet Baxter, who greeted him with a wagging tail. “Nope. They’re still doing all the pre-show stuff.”
“Good. I had some paperwork to finish up and was afraid I’d be late.” Grinning, he held out one of the cups. “Cinnamon chai tea, two packs of sweetener. That’s your drink, right?”
