Miss Mary's Sweet Shop

The funeral had just ended. Keri was still silently weeping, leaned against a tree in the distance. She had given a eulogy, she had sat through the ceremony, and now, she just couldn't watch the wooden box with the body of her murdered mother lowered into the ground. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to the smell of brownies baking and the sound of the bell that dinged whenever someone entered. She wanted to hear her mother's voice one last time. She wanted to be able to tell her mother that she loved her. She wanted her life back.

But now she had a new life ahead of her. Keri Anderson, daughter of Miss Mary Anderson, the owner of Miss Mary's Sweet Shop, had just inherited the world renowned store, and now she had a lot on her plate. She was angry with whoever had murdered her mother. The mystery still hadn't been solved. She remembered the morning she found the body as if it had been yesterday.

Miss Mary had stayed late in the shop wrapping up the finances, and had insisted that her only daughter go to bed for the night, and not to wait up for her. Keri had obeyed, as exhaustion had settled on her. The next morning, Keri woke up and sensed something was wrong when she didn't smell her mother's usual pancake breakfast cooking. She figured Miss Mary had overslept, and went into the bedroom, where she found the bed untouched. Worried, Keri had run downstairs into the back office, where she found Miss Mary keeled over the desk with papers in front of her, a knife from the kitchen in her back. Blood was smeared on the walls, and pooled on the floor by her chair. Keri had done nothing but scream until she finally callmed herself down to the point where she could call the police in tears.

Yes, the memory was clear as day, and Keri wished it would disappear. But it never would, and Keri kept this in her head as she sank to the ground near the tree, head in her hands.

Karina held back her tears. For once, the eccentric baker of the Sweets Shop looked broken. She walked up next to Keri and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Everything will be okay," she said, trying to cheer the girl up. But why would anyone murder Miss Mary...?

"Hey..." A soft voice from behind her said.

Jake stared at the young woman as she had sank to the ground, in tears. His eyes were still slightly red from the tears he had hidden from everyone. Miss Mary had been like a mother to him, after all...but not the full extent she had been to Keri. While he understood howshe felt, he couldn't think of how to comfort her.

All he could do now, was put on a brave face.

"It won't be okay. She's gone." Keri said, shaking her head. "Nothing will ever be the same. I don't know if I can run the shop like she did. I'll screw everything up and you'll hate me, and you'll leave me. I wish I could be like her. I wish she wasn't murdered. I wish that person who killed her didn't kill her, and that if he is alive, I want to make sure he rots at the bottom of the East River."

Jillian was fidgeting where she stood, hyperventilating. She needed to keep moving, she couldn't just watch as they buried her mother figure in the ground, or while the girl that minds as well be her older sister sobbed. "Not good, not good," she muttered over and over, staying away from the others in the group.

"You'll do just fine. You have your mother's blood," Karina said. "We'll find the guy who killed her and I'll bake him into a cake and give it some hobo, kay?"

"You won't screw up..." Jake spoke up. "And we'd never leave you, no matter what happened."

Inside, Jake felt exactly the same way Keri felt. He wished she was alived, he wished she hadn't been killed, he wanted to make the person who did this pay. But...how could he?

"I wouldn't poison a hobo like that." Keri spat, shaking her head again. "Although they do say revenge is a cake best served at room temperature..." she trailed off, with a slight smile. Mother would have smacked her over the head for saying it. She'd rather take the smack than watch her be lowered into the ground.

Jason had stayed unusally quite the whole time...why would anyone murder her...?

Several possibilities ran through his head.

Sera's expression appeared blank, but there was a melancholy to that blankness as she turned away from the casket being lowered into the ground. She didn't want to have to look at it anymore, otherwise she might get sick.

Keri stood up. "I'm going home. I can't be here anymore." she said, and started walking away.

Karina sighed, before following Keri.

Jake sighed, before turning around, and following her. "Hey, I'll give you a ride." He said, offering her a ride home.

"No, I need to walk. It'll give me a chance to think." Keri shook her head.

Jake nodded. "K..." He said, still concerned about the girl.

Jillian followed after Keri, making sure to stay a good few yards behind her.

Jason sighed as he stood up, wondering what he would do now...

Sera had already started walking. She needed to get to the bus stop soon if she wanted to catch the last one of the day.

Keri started toward Times Square, taking the long route through the city's hub to get to the shop in order to think a little longer. And she needed distractions, which the bustling common area provided a lot of. Maybe she'd drop by a Starbucks and get a coffee. She shivered in the cold, which she felt through her thick black coat.

Jillian continued to follow Keri, a slight frown crossing her usually happy face. She needed to make sure that she didn't do anything rash.

Keri felt the stare of someone following her, and she stiffened. She did not turn around, however. Even in the movies, turning around led to a chase. She picked up her speed a little, terrified that her mother's murderer was after her next.

Jillian scowled, picking up her pace as well. Why was Keri trying to run from her? Was she trying to lose her? If she lost her, and then Keri did something stupid, she'd get blamed...

It was only a few more blocks to Times Square. The sidewalks were beginning to get more crowded. Keri tried to immerse herself in the crowd, hoping to lose the tail on her.

"Keri, wait!" Jillian called ahead of her, finding herself getting lost in the crowd.

Keri heard the familiar voice of Jillian and stopped. She finally turned around, suddenly more relaxed as she waited for her to catch up.