Chapter 7: The Sister Who Disappeared
I watched the security footage again.
Patricia Whitmore stood beside my damaged cake, her dark coat hanging loosely around her shoulders. She glanced toward the entrance twice before reaching into her handbag.
Then she leaned over my display.
The camera didn't capture exactly what she did, but it showed her remaining there for nearly four minutes.
When she finally walked away, she carried the same handbag.
My cake had been standing perfectly straight when she arrived.
It was leaning when she left.
"Can you identify her?"" Daniel asked.
I nodded.
"That's my aunt. Patricia. My mother's older sister.""
"Does she have any connection to the competition?""
"Not that I know of.""
Daniel paused the footage.
"Then we'll need to speak with her.""
I looked at the tiny piece of pink fabric I'd found beneath the table.
"There's something else.""
I showed him the gold button.
He examined it.
"Could belong to someone else.""
"Maybe.""
But I knew what I'd seen.
My aunt had been wearing a dark coat.
The button could have come from somewhere else.
Still, the damage wasn't random.
Someone had deliberately inserted a metal rod into the cake's support structure.
And whoever had done it knew enough about cake construction to understand exactly where the structure would fail.
Daniel arranged for the damaged cake to be moved into a secure inspection area.
The competition committee agreed to document the incident.
My entry would remain eligible, provided I could repair the structure before the final presentation.
I had less than eighteen hours.
I called Evelyn.
She answered immediately.
"Are you safe?""
"Yes. But someone damaged my cake.""
I heard her gasp.
"What?""
I explained what had happened and told her about the security footage.
When I mentioned Patricia, Evelyn went silent.
"Mrs. Brooks?""
She took a breath.
"Where did you say you saw her?""
"At the convention center.""
"Aaliyah, there's something I've never told you.""
I closed my eyes.
"About Patricia?""
"Yes.""
"Please tell me.""
Evelyn lowered her voice.
"Patricia was the first person your grandmother trained to become the bakery's lead designer. She was exceptionally talented.""
I leaned against the wall.
"Then why did she leave?""
"Because Gloria accused her of stealing one of Eleanor's original recipes.""
I frowned.
"Did she?""
"No. Your grandmother knew she hadn't.""
"Then why didn't she stop the accusation?""
"She tried. But by then, Patricia had already discovered something about the bakery's finances.""
My stomach tightened.
"What?""
"She found payments Gloria had been making from the family trust without authorization. Patricia confronted her.""
I looked toward the exhibition hall.
"And?""
"Gloria accused Patricia of being jealous. She told everyone Patricia was trying to take the bakery away from the family.""
"That sounds familiar.""
Evelyn sighed.
"It was the beginning of the split. Patricia left Savannah a few months later. Your grandmother was devastated.""
I thought about the photograph Margaret had shown me.
My grandmother.
My mother.
The old accountant.
And now Patricia.
"Why did Grandma change the trust afterward?""
"Because she no longer trusted Gloria to protect the bakery.""
I stared at my phone.
"Did she ever tell you why she chose me?""
Evelyn's voice softened.
"She told me you reminded her of Patricia. Not because you looked alike. Because you both cared more about creating something beautiful than receiving praise for it.""
I swallowed.
"Do you think Patricia damaged my cake?""
"I don't know, sweetheart. But I don't believe she came back after all these years just to ruin a competition.""
I looked at the security footage still displayed on my phone.
"Then why?""
Evelyn answered quietly.
"Perhaps she wants you to know something.""
At 9:00 p.m., I returned to my apartment.
My peacock cake was secured at the convention center, but I had been given permission to bring replacement decorations and structural components the following morning.
I spread my sketches across the dining table.
The damaged upper tier could be rebuilt.
The metal rod had compromised the internal support, but the sponge and sugar decorations were mostly intact.
I could save it.
I had to.
At 9:37 p.m., someone knocked on my door.
I looked through the peephole.
A woman stood outside.
She had short silver hair, a black leather handbag, and a long gray coat.
I opened the door cautiously.
"Patricia?""
She nodded.
"Hello, Aaliyah.""
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
I'd seen her only a handful of times when I was little.
She'd always brought me tiny boxes of homemade chocolates and told me I had my grandmother's hands.
Then she'd disappeared.
I stepped aside.
"Please come in.""
Patricia entered and looked around the apartment.
"You've grown up.""
I gave a nervous laugh.
"That's what happens when people disappear for twenty years.""
She looked at me.
"I deserved that.""
We sat across from each other.
I didn't offer coffee.
I didn't know whether I wanted her there.
Finally, I asked the question that had been burning inside me.
"Did you damage my cake?""
Patricia looked directly into my eyes.
"No.""
I waited.
She opened her handbag and placed something on the table.
A small metal object.
It was a narrow support pin.
"I found this outside your workstation after I saw someone leaving the exhibition hall.""
I stared at it.
"Who?""
Patricia shook her head.
"I didn't see the person's face. I came to warn you, but by the time I reached the display, your cake had already been damaged.""
I frowned.
"Then why were you standing beside it for four minutes?""
"Because I was trying to remove the second pin.""
I stared at her.
"Second pin?""
She nodded.
"There were two. Someone had inserted one from the side and another through the central support. I removed the one I could reach without collapsing the cake.""
My heart began pounding.
"Why didn't you tell security?""
"I tried. A staff member told me only the registered contestant could report a problem.""
"Why didn't you come to me?""
She looked down.
"Because I didn't know if you'd believe me.""
I examined the metal pin.
"How did you know someone had tampered with it?""
Patricia reached into her handbag again.
This time, she removed a folded piece of paper.
It was a photograph.
The image showed my cake during the preliminary setup.
A hand was visible near the lower support.
The photograph had been taken from behind the workstation.
I recognized the bracelet on the wrist.
Tessa's bracelet.
My stomach dropped.
"Where did you get this?""
Patricia looked exhausted.
"Someone sent it to me.""
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
I studied the photograph.
The bracelet was unmistakable.
My sister had received it from Gloria for her twenty-fifth birthday.
A gold chain with a tiny diamond star.
"Why are you showing me this?""
Patricia leaned forward.
"Because your mother has done this before.""
I felt cold.
"What do you mean?""
"Years ago, when I was preparing for my first major competition, Gloria damaged one of my cakes. She claimed it was an accident. I never had proof.""
She looked toward the window.
"Then she accused me of stealing a recipe. Your grandmother believed her at first.""
I sat very still.
"Did you confront Gloria?""
"Yes. She denied everything. Then she told the family I was unstable.""
"Why didn't Grandma defend you?""
Patricia's eyes filled.
"She did eventually. But by then, the damage was done. I had lost my competition entry, my reputation, and my place in the bakery.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Why come back now?""
Patricia placed both hands on the table.
"Because I received a letter from Eleanor six months before she died.""
She reached into her coat and removed an envelope.
My grandmother's handwriting was on the front.
For Patricia, if the time comes.
I opened it carefully.
The letter was dated May 18, several months before her death.
My dearest Patricia,
I have spent too many years allowing fear and pride to separate us.
I know what happened to your competition cake. I know what Gloria told people about you was not true.
I should have protected you sooner.
I have made changes to the trust. Aaliyah will receive the creative rights, and Margaret will remain the independent trustee.
If Gloria ever tries to claim ownership of the bakery's original designs, please help Aaliyah understand what she is entitled to.
I cannot undo what happened to you. But I hope I can prevent the same thing from happening to her.
I lowered the letter.
My hands were shaking.
"Grandma knew.""
Patricia nodded.
"She knew.""
"Why didn't you contact me earlier?""
"Because I was ashamed. I thought your mother would never forgive me. And I didn't want to drag you into something that had already destroyed so much of my life.""
I looked at the photograph.
"Do you think Tessa damaged the cake?""
Patricia hesitated.
"I think she was there. I don't know whether she understood what she was doing.""
I thought about Tessa's confession.
The forged signature.
The bank authorization forms.
Her fear of losing our mother's approval.
I couldn't stop wondering how far she had gone.
Patricia stood.
"There's one more thing.""
"What?""
She looked at the letter.
"Your grandmother left me a separate document. It concerns the bakery's original recipes and the rights to the Whitmore name.""
I stood too.
"Where is it?""
"In a safety deposit box.""
"Can we get it?""
"Tomorrow.""
She paused at the door.
"One warning, Aaliyah. Gloria knows I came back.""
My stomach tightened.
"How?""
Patricia looked at me.
"Because she called me an hour ago.""
"And what did she say?""
Patricia's expression hardened.
"She told me that if I showed you the original agreement, she'd make sure I lost everything.""
Then she opened the door.
"And Aaliyah?""
"Yes?""
"Your mother has never been afraid of losing the bakery.""
She looked down the hallway.
"She's afraid of losing control of the people inside it.""
At 11:52 p.m., my phone rang.
Gloria.
I stared at the screen.
Then I answered.
"Hello?""
"What did Patricia tell you?""
No greeting.
No question about how I was doing.
Straight to the threat.
I looked at the letter on my table.
"Enough.""
Gloria laughed bitterly.
"She always was good at manipulating people.""
"She showed me Grandma's letter.""
Silence.
Then Gloria's voice became colder.
"That letter is private.""
"It was written to Patricia.""
"You have no idea what happened between us.""
"Then tell me.""
Gloria inhaled sharply.
"Your aunt abandoned this family. She betrayed me. She wanted everything.""
"Grandma said you lied about her.""
"Your grandmother was old and easily influenced.""
I closed my eyes.
"Stop saying that.""
"What?""
"Stop blaming Grandma every time she disagrees with you.""
There was a long silence.
Then Gloria said:
"Listen carefully. The championship committee will make its decision tomorrow. If you continue this, you will destroy Tessa's future.""
I looked toward the unfinished replacement decorations on my table.
"Mom, you destroyed my cake.""
"Don't be childish.""
"You gave away my work.""
"I gave Tessa an opportunity.""
"You forged Grandma's signature.""
Gloria's breathing changed.
"Who told you that?""
I said nothing.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"You have no idea what you're playing with.""
Then she hung up.
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
It was from Tessa.
*Tessa:* Mom says you're trying to put us in prison.
I typed a response.
Then deleted it.
Another message came through.
*Tessa:* Please don't make me choose between you and her.
I stared at the screen.
And for the first time, I understood something.
Tessa wasn't asking me to stop because she believed she was innocent.
She was asking me to protect her from the consequences.
I put my phone down.
Then I returned to my sketches.
May you like
I had a cake to rebuild.
And this time, I wasn't going to let anyone destroy it.
