Chapter 9 - Don't Eat That

Camila ran harder than she had in the parking garage.

The ballroom doors opened just as Elena lifted a silver cake knife.

Guests raised phones.

The photographer crouched.

The band played a bright flourish.

"Stop!" Camila shouted.

Two hundred faces turned.

Elena froze with the knife against the bottom tier.

Bianca stood ten feet away between two security guards, one hand hidden behind her back.

"Do not eat that cake," Camila said.

A murmur rolled across the ballroom.

Elena lowered the knife.

Bianca's eyes burned into Camila. "You are destroying this woman's birthday for attention."

Camila walked toward the cake. "What did you put in the filling?"

"Nothing."

The detective behind Bianca held up a small bottle sealed inside an evidence bag.

The label read BITTER ALMOND EXTRACT.

Camila stared.

Then relief came so fast her knees almost weakened.

"That's flavoring," she said.

The detective frowned. "Not poison?"

"No."

Bianca laughed. "There. Can we end this circus?"

Camila didn't move.

Something still felt wrong.

"Why were you pouring almond extract into a vanilla-orange filling?"

Bianca shrugged. "I was fixing it."

"You don't know my recipe."

"I know enough."

"No, you don't."

Camila looked at the bottle again.

The seal around the neck had already been broken.

The label was crooked.

She held out her hand. "Officer, don't open it. Get it tested."

Bianca's smile faded.

Victoria pushed through the guests. "Why?"

"Because anyone can refill a flavor bottle."

The room went silent again.

Rafael stepped to the microphone.

"Everyone, please move away from the cake."

Guests obeyed faster than they had obeyed any announcement all night.

Bianca suddenly twisted away from the guard.

She didn't run toward the exit.

She ran toward the cake.

Camila saw her hand come up.

A lighter.

"No!"

Bianca flicked it.

Blue flame jumped.

She aimed for the linen tablecloth.

Victoria grabbed her wrist.

The lighter flew.

Bianca shoved Victoria so hard she hit the display table.

The cake lurched.

Camila threw herself forward, catching the frame with her shoulder.

Sugar roses shattered across the floor.

Guests screamed.

Security tackled Bianca.

For one awful second, the top tier leaned.

Camila braced, breath held, and pushed the frame level.

The cake survived.

Barely.

Victoria sat on the marble floor, stunned.

Camila reached down and pulled her up.

"You okay?"

Victoria nodded, eyes wide.

Then she looked at Bianca pinned on the floor.

"Why would she burn the cake?"

Camila looked at the six tiers.

And suddenly understood.

"She wasn't trying to ruin dessert."

She turned toward Nolan.

"She was trying to destroy evidence."

Inside the cake stand's hollow base was the one thing Bianca did not know Camila had hidden there that afternoon.

A tiny security camera.

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