Pies & Peril - Culinary Competition Mystery #1

Chapter 6

(Amy)

It was impossible to escape the toxic cloud. Amy shifted to the left, but the overbearing rose-scented perfume of Mandy Jo's Auntie Louisa didn't dissipate at all. In fact, the sneeze-producing nasal assault got worse. She had moved into an area where the patchouli cloud from another one of Mandy Jo's family members overlapped the floral zone. Amy lifted her arm and quietly sneezed into the crook of her elbow. She would need to take a Benadryl when she got home from the funeral or end up a runny-nosed mess the rest of the day.

The funeral home was packed for the last hour of visitation before the service. Amy glanced around and took a tally. Almost all of the perennial competitors from the Summer Festival baking contests were there. Some could be present out of morbid curiosity, but most likely many were there as a sign of respect. Kellerton had a gossip mill that, when cranked up to full speed, could spread a rumor faster than a group of teenage girls with keyboard-equipped cell phones. Still, no matter how reviled Mandy Jo was, no one liked the fact that her life had been snuffed out before she had even reached her third decade of existence.

Amy hooked her arm through Alex's as they stepped forward in unison. There was a ragged line of people waiting to pay respect to Kevin, Mandy Jo's husband. He stood by the head of the open casket, shaking hands with well-wishers. As he spoke with people he would occasionally glance down at his wife and stroke her dark hair that was spread out over the white satin pillow. Amy shivered when he patted his wife's hands, which were crossed over her stomach. It seemed like he was trying to comfort her or perhaps just let her know he was there. The poor man. Widowed before his first wedding anniversary, and he probably wasn't even 35years old.

Alex glanced over his shoulder at the rows of straight-backed chairs set up for the service. "Looks like we'll have to sit in the back. There are a lot of people here."

"It's nice to see everybody supporting Kevin." Amy adjusted the pendant on her necklace. The big, round faceted garnet was the only color in her grayscale outfit, consisting of a dark gray pencil skirt with a fitted pewter colored short-sleeved, cotton blouse. "He must be devastated, but he looks pretty calm. Honestly, I can't believe how much he's smiling and laughing."

"He could be in shock and running on autopilot. People grieve differently and not always in expected ways."

Amy studied the people seated in the front row. Mandy Jo's parents sat stony-faced, staring at the flower arrangements clustered around the casket. Alex was right about different people having different reactions. The sea of people shifted. She and Alex stepped forward. As Alex shook Kevin's hand and said his condolences, Amy tried to discreetly check out Mandy Jo's body. There didn't appear to be any marks on her face or neck, but Carla had said that funeral homes used heavy-duty concealing makeup, to cover up things like cuts and bruises.

"We just don't know what we're going to do without her. She was my favorite cousin."

The declaration was uttered by a woman who looked like a bleach blonde version of Mandy Jo as she launched herself into Alex's arms. Kevin ignored the assault and greeted the next couple behind them. Amy recoiled as the distraught relative's hand slid over her husband's ass. Every woman in the family seemed to be brash and on the prowl for any man that had the misfortune of wandering into their cross-hairs. The drama queen routine needed to be snuffed out with a metaphorical wet blanket.

Amy patted the woman on the shoulder, "I'm so sorry for your family's loss. It's almost time for the service to start. Please excuse us. My husband and I need to find a seat."

The desperate blonde released Alex from the professional wrestler-style hold. Her bottom lip stuck out in a childish pout as Amy grabbed Alex's hand and tugged him away from the overzealous mourning display. They turned and made their way to the back of the room. Two seats were open next to Bea and Thomas Perkins, the proprietors of The Breakfast Spot diner. As Amy settled into her chair Bea leaned sideways and whispered, "It's nice to see everybody putting aside their quibbles and showing respect. Nobody deserves to be killed, especially at such a young age."