“Looks amazing!” Fairy Godmother told her, patting her on the back. “Well done, Ally.”
“Fairies couldn’t even have done a better job,” Audrey praised.
“Wicked,” Evie commended.
“I wish I had your culinary skills,” Mal said. “I tried to bake cookies once. Total failure.”
In fact, the only person Ally didn’t see on the way to the food table was her best friend, Jane. Ally glanced around the room before finally spotting Jane in the center of a small circle of girls who all appeared to be admiring something on Jane’s wrist.
“It’s just beautiful!” one girl cooed.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” another one said.
Jane was beaming. Ally had never seen a smile so big on her face. She wondered what they were all fussing over. Ally took a few steps closer and stood on her tiptoes to see over the heads in the crowd. She caught a flash of a gorgeous gold watch encrusted with tiny diamonds on Jane’s wrist.
“I can’t believe your mom let you borrow it,” one of the admirers said.
“I know!” Jane squealed. “I’ve been asking my mom to borrow it for years, but she always said I wasn’t old enough. It is, after all, a family heirloom. So it’s very valuable.”
For a moment, Ally thought about the broken pocket watch still sitting in the pocket of her dress. It was also a valuable family heirloom. And her mum had always said she was too young to have it, too. Then she had broken it, not five minutes after finding it. The guilt and shame warmed Ally’s face. She had been so excited to find the watch and show Jane, but now she actually just wanted to forget about it.
Ally turned away, focusing on her task. She continued toward the food table to deliver the clotted cream, which was still cradled in her hands.
“These chocolate scones are delicious!” Cruella De Vil’s son, Carlos, mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs.
“The best I’ve ever tasted!” Chad Charming agreed, holding up a half-eaten scone as Ally passed by.
Ally couldn’t help beaming at all the praise. Who cared about broken pocket watches and failed mysteries? Maybe she should just forget about being a detective and work in the tea shop for the rest of her life. She was clearly good at it. Besides, she was starting to come to the sad realization that there really was no crime in Auradon.
“Way to go with that food table,” someone said, and Ally turned around to see Jay standing there.
Ally smiled at him. “Thanks.”
Jay looked pensive for a second. He scratched his chin like he was trying to decide whether or not to say something.
“What is it?” Ally asked.
Jay shrugged. “No biggie. But, um…I thought you said something about baking a carrot cake. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I love the cream cheese frosting, you know?” Then he quickly added. “But the cookies are delicious, too!”
Ally frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about? I did make the cake.”
“You did?”
Ally snorted with laughter. “Of course, silly. How could you miss it? It’s right over—” But when she turned around to point out the giant three-tiered white-frosted cake sitting tall in the center of the food spread, she suddenly couldn’t speak. Her body went still as her eyes darted anxiously back and forth over the length over the table.
The cake! The one Ally had spent hours baking, frosting, and decorating, not to mention carrying all the way to the royal hall.
It was gone.
Yes, it’s true, I had made more desserts and baked goods than anyone could possibly eat. But the cake—my pastry de résistance—was the crown jewel of the display. And it wasn’t there!
Ally ran to the table, her eyes roving over the various snacks and treats. Everything else was there—the cookies, the sandwiches, the scones—but now there was a giant empty space in the center of the table.
Ally’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She hastily set down her bowl of clotted cream, yanked her phone out of her pocket, and pulled up the photo she had taken right before the guests started to arrive. There was definitely a cake in the picture. She wasn’t imagining things.
Where could it have gone? Ally thought, glancing around. She looked behind the table. She looked on either side of the table. But it wasn’t until she lifted up the white linen tablecloth and looked beneath the table that she understood what had happened.
Ally let out a shriek of surprise.
There, on the floor under the food table, was a silver platter. The same silver platter Ally had used to carry and display the cake. Except now, all that was on it was a scattering of brown crumbs and smudges of white frosting.
Someone ate my cake? Ally thought with horror as she pulled the platter out from under the table and gaped at it.
Someone had definitely eaten the cake. But not just eaten it. Gobbled it. Devoured it.
But how could that have happened? Ally wondered in frustration. I was here the whole time—
She stopped the thought in its tracks as she glanced down at the bowl of clotted cream on the table in front of her.
No. I wasn’t here the whole time. I ran back to the tea shop to get the cream. Someone must have eaten the cake while I was gone.
But who?
She suddenly had a flash of a memory. People calling out to her as she was walking over with the cake:
Nice cake, Ally!
Looks delicious, Ally!
Can’t wait to get my hands on that!
Can’t wait to get my hands on that? That was certainly a peculiar thing to say, wasn’t it? Those sounded like the words of a cake thief.
The problem was Ally had no idea who had said those words, because the giant towering cake had been blocking her view. It was definitely a girl’s voice, but it was only vaguely familiar.
Ally scanned the room, trying to focus on each individual female face. But she soon came to the conclusion that it could have been any one of those girls who’d said the words to her.
If the person who said it was even a suspect.
Suspect. Ally repeated the word in her mind, immediately mixing up the letters to try to find an anagram. But this time, she didn’t need one. The word itself was exciting enough.
Suspect.
A real suspect in a real case!
It appeared Ally had finally found her mystery.
I knew what had happened: there had been a cake-napping. And I was on the case.
“Everybody freeze!” Ally cried out where she stood. “Nobody move.”
The voices in the room faded until the only sound was the music blasting from Lonnie’s DJ equipment.
Time to take control of the situation, Ally thought.
“Lonnie!” she called. “Cut the music.”
Lonnie, looking worried, reached for her controls, muting the sound.
Ally turned to Jay, who was still standing nearby. “Block the front entrance. Make sure no one gets out of here unquestioned.”
Jay appeared confused by the directive but then seemed to understand and darted over to the entrance. He stood in front of it, arms crossed, legs rigid, looking mighty pleased with his tough exterior.
Let the mystery of the gobbled cake begin!
Ally climbed the steps of the stage and cast her gaze out over the entire room. “We have a problem,” she called out, addressing the students who were all staring at her with blank expressions. No one seemed to know what was happening.
And that, Ally thought smugly, is why I’m the detective here and not them. I notice things. I am observant.
Ally surveyed the royal hall, drawing out her big announcement for as long as she could. She wanted to build suspense. She wanted everyone in the room to appreciate the severity of the situation.
“What’s going on?” Mal called out, taking the role of unofficial spokesperson for the crowd, which had started to grow restless.
Ally cleared her throat. It was time to make her mark on Auradon history. In the loudest,
most authoritative voice she could muster, she announced, “We have a thief in our midst! Someone has eaten the entire Spirit Weekend Reception cake!”
She expected the room to erupt in gasps and boos and calls for justice. But everyone was silent. In fact, they all looked a little befuddled. Ally tried not to let her frustration show. “This is a very serious matter,” she went on, hoping a little clarification might help. “There is a criminal among us! And this person must be caught and tried in the presence of His Royal Majesty King Ben!”
More confused looks from the crowd. And then a few people actually started laughing. No, not just a few people. Everyone. Everyone was laughing at her! Even people like Audrey and Freddie, who Ally thought were her friends.
Did they think this was a joke?
Ally fought the urge to stomp her foot at their ignorance. Why weren’t they taking this seriously? Why couldn’t they see the gravity of the situation?
“It was probably Chad Charming!” someone called from the group, and the room erupted into more laughter.
Ally could feel tears pricking her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. She would not cry. Not here. Not now. She had a mystery to solve.
There’s no room for emotion on a case! Ally reminded herself.
Mal and Evie approached the stage with cautious steps, as though they were explorers in the jungle and Ally was an injured wild animal that might strike.
“Ally,” Mal said, her voice unusually gentle. “Don’t you think you might be blowing this a smidge out of proportion? It’s just a cake.”
“A beautiful cake, no doubt,” Evie added brightly.
“No,” Ally said, and now she did stomp her foot. She couldn’t help herself. “It’s not just a cake! It’s a crime! Someone gobbled up the entire thing!”
“Maybe they were just really hungry,” Mal suggested, and Ally saw something flash on her face. It looked a lot like pity.
Ally’s stomach clenched. She had to make Mal understand. She couldn’t bear the thought of Mal feeling sorry of her. Mal couldn’t pity her.
Ever since Ally had first met Mal, she’d been slightly in awe of her—and slightly terrified of her, too. Mal with her purple hair, her spiky clothes and calm confidence. She didn’t let anything stand in her way. She faced her fears head-on. Ally, on the other hand, often let her fears get the better of her. She’d always wanted to be more like Mal. After all, detectives were supposed to be fearless. And it was that thought right there that caused Ally to stand up straighter, push her shoulders back, and regain her composure.
“It doesn’t matter if they were hungry or not,” Ally replied indignantly. “What matters is that a crime was committed and no one is fessing up. We need to take action right now. We need to line everyone up and search their hands and clothes for traces of carrot cake crumbs and white frosting. Whoever did this obviously can’t get away with it.”
Ally wished Mal and Evie would leap into action right that second, but they just turned and shared curious looks with each other. And that was when Ally noticed everyone in the room had gone back to what they were doing: talking, eating, and laughing.
No one was even paying attention to her anymore.
The music came back on the speakers, startling Ally. She turned to Lonnie with questioning eyes, but Lonnie just shrugged and said, “Sorry, Ally. Gotta keep the party going.”
“Ally, why don’t you come down from there so we can talk?” Mal suggested.
Begrudgingly, Ally obeyed and climbed down from the stage.
“What’s this all about?” Mal asked, that pitying look suddenly back on her face. “This whole creating mysteries to solve.”
Ally huffed. “I don’t create mysteries to solve. I see crimes when they happen.”
“But this is Auradon Prep,” Evie argued, sounding genuinely confused. “There are no crimes here.”
Ally snorted at this preposterous statement. “Of course there’s crime at Auradon Prep.”
“No, there’s not,” Mal said knowingly. “I’m a VK, so I can say that with authority.”
“What about what happened with CJ?” Ally countered.
Mal bristled, probably remembering all the pranks CJ had pulled when she snuck into Auradon to be with her best friend, Freddie, who also happened to be Dr. Facilier’s daughter. CJ hid out in Freddie’s dorm room for a week, terrorizing the school with her pirate shenanigans. “Okay, I admit, CJ was kind of a criminal,” Mal said. “But she’s gone now. Off pillaging and plundering who knows where. Auradon Prep is safe from crime.”
Ally opened her mouth to argue, but Mal cut her off. “Ally, do you think maybe you might be turning little things into big deals, just to have a case to solve?”
Ally was offended. Of course she wasn’t doing that. She saw what she saw. The facts were the facts. She wasn’t changing the facts just to create a mystery.
Was she?
Just then, Ally saw Jane making her way toward them, and Ally’s hopes instantly lifted. Jane would understand. Jane would take her side and defend her. Jane was her best friend! Maybe Jane would even offer to help her find the cake thief.
“Jane,” Ally said confidently. “You don’t think I turn things into a bigger deal than they are, right? You don’t think I create mysteries in my mind, do you?”
Jane refused to meet Ally’s eyes as she fidgeted nervously with the ruffled hem of her blue-and-white polka-dotted dress. “W-w-well,” she stammered in her soft voice, “I mean, it was kind of strange when you just assumed that teacher was kidnapped. Or when you assumed Lonnie had stolen Jordan’s jacket. Or—”
“Those were misunderstandings,” Ally interrupted, flustered. Her heart was starting to squeeze in her chest. It was one thing for Mal and Evie to doubt her, but Jane was her best friend. She was supposed to believe her no matter what! “This cake was here a few minutes ago. And now it’s gone!” Ally pulled out her phone and showed Jane, Mal, and Evie the picture she had taken. “Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“Well, it was obviously very good if someone ate it that quickly,” Jane said encouragingly. “I mean, if you baked it, how could it not be good?”
Ally could tell Jane was trying to comfort her using flattery. But Ally didn’t need to be comforted—or flattered. She needed cooperation. She needed a best friend who took her side.
“Ally,” Evie said, stepping forward to smooth Ally’s long blond hair. “Why don’t you enjoy the celebration? This is Spirit Weekend. It’s supposed to be fun.”
Ally snorted. Fun? Why was everyone just brushing this off like it was nothing?
Jane put her arm around Ally’s shoulders in what Ally assumed was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation,” Jane said.
Logical, Ally thought wearily. Why does everyone around here only seem to care about what’s logical?
“Ally,” Jane said sweetly, “don’t worry about the cake. It’ll be—”
Ally was certain Jane was about to tell her it would be okay, but she didn’t wait around to hear that last part. She was already headed toward the back door of the royal hall. She had to get out of there. She was just going to go straight back to the tea shop and cuddle up in her favorite armchair with Dino, the only one on this campus who seemed to be on her side.
But just inches from the back door, Ally came to a screeching halt as her gaze was drawn to something on the floor. Something very, very suspicious.
Ally sniffled and brushed away her tears so she could see clearly.
In front of her was a small pile of what looked like light brown dirt.
No, not dirt…
Ally bent down and pressed her fingertip into the mysterious substance. First she smelled it. Then she tentatively licked the tip of her finger. The familiar sweet and spicy flavor danced on her tongue.
Just as she suspected.
Carrot cake crumbs.
The cake thief left a trail!
Ally felt hopeful as she burst through
the back door and out into the fresh afternoon air. She was determined to follow the cake crumbs until they led her to the perpetrator. She could just picture it now: diligently following the trail until she burst into a dorm room or supply closet or hidden lair, catching the thief red-handed with cream cheese frosting smeared across his or her face.
Oh, how the students would eat their words then! Everyone would have to acknowledge that Ally knew what she was doing. She could hear Mal now: Ally, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. You were right all along. You’re the best detective in all of—
Ally froze. She stared down at her feet. Or more specifically, at the grass beneath her feet. It was bare. There were no cake crumbs. There was no trail. Just that small pile near the door, and then nothing.
“Oh, crumbs,” she swore, before correcting herself. “I mean, no crumbs.”
She giggled at her joke and immediately thought about telling it to Jane, who would certainly appreciate the humor. But then Ally remembered that she was upset at Jane for not believing her, and her laughter quickly fell away. She kicked the crumb-less grass in front of her.
This was a dead end.
Ally waited until everyone had gone to dinner before returning to the royal hall to clean up. She stood alone in the center of the large room, staring at the food table. All the trays of sandwiches, scones, and cookies had been picked over, leaving behind mostly crumbles, sprinkles, and a few stray pieces of lettuce. She frowned at the empty silver platter where her beautiful carrot cake once stood.
No one even got a chance to taste it.
Ally tried to calm her nerves by coming up with anagrams for carrot cake.
Cracker oat
A crate cork
Arc eat rock
She scoffed at that last one. “Well, that’s just silly,” she said to herself. “Arcs don’t eat rocks.”
Finally, she gave up and started to clear the table.
Thirty minutes later, after everything was clean, Ally left the royal hall and trudged back to her dorm room. On the way, she passed by the carnival grounds, where Audrey was ordering poor Jay around, telling him where to put the paints and how long to cut each piece of paper. They were obviously preparing for the banner-painting party, which started in less than an hour. The Spirit Weekend festivities would soon be in full swing.