Chapter 3: Rising Action
The slab of glass and steel rising ominously from the city streets seemed innocent enough at first glance. Sweet Corps had a hell of a marketing team—Jenn couldn't deny that much. But Jenn had a nose for bullshit ten miles long, finely-tuned by years of tracking down cheating spouses, double-crossing clients, and the occasional stolen cupcake.
She had the feeling she'd just stepped into the lion's den, and the sugary scent of buttercream frosting wasn't fooling anyone.
"Jenn, so good to see you!" Claire's chipper voice broke through her reverie as she bustled over to join her partner. "I hope you've been well."
Jenn shot her a sidelong glance. "Could be better, doll.
But I can't complain." Jenn's dry tone cut through the sickly-sweet air. "You didn't tell me you were taking us to a fucking bake sale."
Claire chuckled nervously, her eyes flicking over to Emily—the tall redhead with the disarmingly warm smile who owned The Sugar Rush, where Amelia used to work. Jenn had uncovered a connection between Emily and Sweet Corps. She just hadn't quite figured out what kind of connection that was yet.
"Jenn, it's not like that," Emily's voice was steady, those green eyes unblinking. "I'm just an investor. I mean, I did invent the recipe for those damned addictive cupcakes, after all. I might as well reap some of the benefits."
Jenn's gaze bored into the redhead, sharp as a tack. "And yet, you never mentioned owning another business when I asked before."
Emily hesitated, flicking her gaze to Claire.
"Well, I didn't think it relevant, given the situation."
That just made Jenn's suspicions flare up, burning brighter than ever. "That's funny, because my gut tells me there's a lot more to the story than you're letting on." She leaned forward, crowding Emily's space. "So why don't you start from the beginning and tell me everything you know about Amelia's disappearance?" Jenn crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, adopting a casual posture that belied the tenseness she felt.
Emily sighed and shifted in her seat. "Alright. Well, Amelia and I were business partners at The Sugar Rush. In addition to being married." Emily paused, gathering her thoughts. "About a month ago, she started acting strange. Distant, secretive. She was always on her phone, making cryptic comments about some big opportunity she couldn't pass up.
I asked her about it, but she just shut me out. Said it was nothing I needed to worry about. I should have pressed her, but I didn't want to push her away. I had no idea it would lead to this." Emily's eyes glassed over with unshed tears, and Jenn softened, just a touch.
"I'm sorry," Jenn said softly, "I know how hard this must be for you." Emily nodded, clearing her throat and continuing. "I started to notice small things missing from the bakery.
Nothing major at first, just a few supplies here and there. But the more I dug into it, the bigger the discrepancies got. I couldn't ignore the feeling that something shady was going on behind the scenes, but I couldn't prove it. I tried to talk to Amelia about it, but she just brushed me off, said I was seeing ghosts where there were none." Emily's hands clenched into fists in her lap, the veins on the back of her hands prominent and pulsing with quiet anger.
"I woke up one morning and she was gone.
Vanished without a trace." Emily's voice caught in her throat, and Jenn's steely gaze softened at the sight of the woman's obvious distress. "I knew something was wrong— Amelia would never just leave me like that. Not without saying a word." Emily took a deep breath, composing herself. "All I have left of her is this." She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a small, tattered notebook. Jenn recognized it as Amelia's recipe book, the one she always carried with her to work.
She was never without it, and to see it discarded in the drawer like a forgotten relic was a sobering reminder of the gravity of the situation.
"May I?" Jenn held out her hand, and Emily hesitated before placing the book in her palm. Jenn flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the detailed notes and scribbles that filled every inch of space. She paused on a particular page, her eyebrows furrowing as her eyes narrowed in concentration.
It was a recipe for a new type of cupcake that Amelia had been working on, one that promised to be more addictive than anything they had ever sold at The Sugar Rush.
It was an intriguing detail, but one that Jenn couldn't quite connect to the larger mystery. Yet.
With a sigh, Jenn closed the notebook and handed it back to Emily. "Thank you for sharing this with me. I'll do my best to find out what happened to Amelia."
Claire gave Jenn a questioning look, but held her tongue.