Chapter 21: The Pass

On Friday afternoon, Minnie finished the three tiers anyway.

"They canceled the order," I said. "Why are you still piping?"

"Because I finish things." She did not look up from the gold leaf. "And because the last thing Slade expects is cake."

I was sweeping flour from the floor when the bell rang.

Delaney came in carrying a garment bag over one arm.

She wore a camel coat and flat shoes, and she did not look at me.

"Hi," she said to Minnie. "I'm picking up the cake."

"The gala office canceled it," Minnie said. "Yesterday."

Delaney's face emptied.

"That's wrong. I paid you half."

"I'll return your half. It's in the till."

"Slade wouldn't cancel the cake. It's his whole surprise."

She stood there with the garment bag hanging from her fingers.

"Unless you're lying," she said. "Unless this is something you two cooked up."

"Come here," Minnie said. "Please."

She pulled her phone out of her apron and held it across the counter.

Delaney didn't move.

I leaned on the broom and said nothing at all, because Minnie had asked me to.

"It's a picture of a document," Minnie said. "The Cook County Clerk, two years ago."

Delaney took the phone.

She read it.

I watched her read it.

Her lips moved over the names, once, and her thumb dragged the page up to the bottom.

She read the signature line.

She read the date.

The color left her face from the top down.

"This is a fake," she said.

"It has a stamp."

"You made it. You printed it at a copy shop."

"Then ask Slade to look at it," Minnie said gently. "Show him, Saturday night, before the toast."

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