It was too late to save Miss Bell. The apple had enough poison on it to kill 20 men.

“I can't believe what just happened,” said Valencia, looking down at Miss Bell's body, and the apple with a single bite out of it, by her side.

“She couldn't bear to live the rest of her life in prison - without Mr Telfjord,” said Talbot, quietly.

“I promise you; I did nothing to encourage her... why would she believe I was going to marry her? She killed someone because of me?” asked Mr Telfjord, shaking his head.

“It's not your fault. She had help, but she needed a different kind of help. Evidently, she wasn't seeing the big picture. She'd built up this alternative reality world where she'd become a lady and live the dream with you - and she was obsessed with pulling out all the stops to make it happen,” said the controller, who had a firm grip of Miss Hubbard's arm.

“They've found him then,” said Talbot, nodding his head in the direction of Alpert Bonne being dragged over to them, scuffing his toes on the cobbles as he tried to hang back.

“We always round ‘em up in the end. Best controllers on Demorsis, these boys,” said the controller with Mrs Hubbard, proudly.

“With a bit of help...” said Valencia, raising her eyebrows at him.

“Just a bit,” he said, looking at his feet.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Excuse me, I have one last thing I have to do,” said Valencia, purposely striding over to a disorientated Alpert Bonne.

“It was you that knocked me out, wasn't it?” she asked, clenching her fists so hard, her knuckles were white.

“She's told you, then?” he said, bowing his head.

“What? About how you're a hireling with no scruples who just works for whoever pays you? Oh yes, she told us all that and how you hounded Carmella and terrified her so much she felt her only way out was to make herself invisible with a cake. I hope you're proud of yourself.”

“I did what I was paid to do,” he snarled.

“You really are a nasty piece of work, aren't you?”

“Only if I'm paid to be,” he smirked.

Talbot wasn't quick enough to stop Valencia punching Alpert with a well-aimed fist at his sharp angled jaw. The controller gripping his arm almost went down with him.

“Feel better now?” Talbot asked, wishing once again she wasn't so impulsive.

“Yes, I'm long overdue a honey coffee. You don't need us, do you?” she asked the shocked controller.

“No... we know where to find you if we do, but we've got the culprits.”

“What about the poisoned apples? Have you found them all?”

“Yes, but to be sure, we're destroying all red apples on sight.”

Valencia and Talbot headed back to the bakery, exhausted, still trying to make sense of what had happened.

“I don't think I'm cut out for murder mysteries,” said Valencia, putting her hat on.

“Are you kidding? You were amazing! You foiled a serial killer, discovered who the mastermind was, conquered your fear of heights, rescued your own fairies and clobbered one of the gang for knocking you out.”

“Well, when you put it that way...”

“Who knows when the next murder will happen? The controllers will probably knock on your door for your help when it does.”

“I might not answer the door...”