The Fatal Funnel Cake by Livia J. Washburn Page B

Kitchen
, and we still see you sometimes on Channel 44.”
    â€œYou were always one of our favorites,” Phyllis added.
    Gloria practically preened at being told they recognized her. “I’d really love to ask you a few questions about that special funnel cake of yours, if you wouldn’t mind.”
    â€œWell, I suppose that would be all right,” Phyllis said. “But like I told you, I’m sort of in a hurry—”
    â€œThis won’t take but a minute.” Gloria lifted the handheld microphone, and before Phyllis fully grasped what was happening, the woman had moved beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “We’re here live with Phyllis Newsom, the winner of the annual funnel cake competition here at the State Fair of Texas.”
    Live?
This was going out on the air? Phyllis tried not to gulp nervously at the thought.
    Without missing a beat, Gloria turned from the camera and said to her like they were old friends, “Phyllis, tell me about this wonderful funnel cake of yours.”
    â€œWell, I, ah . . .” Phyllis took a deep breath and steadied herself. This was something of an ambush, she thought, but she could handle it. She began describing the maple pecan funnel cakes she had made the day before at the competition.
    â€œOh, they sound absolutely delicious!” Gloria said. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance you’d make some for me someday?”
    â€œWell, I don’t—”
    â€œTell me, how did it feel to win the contest? The way I understand it, in previous years the competition was an informal one among the concessionaires here at the state fair, but this year it became an official event and was opened to the public.”
    â€œThat’s the way I understand the situation, too.”
    â€œBut the concessionaires, the professionals, if you will, still competed in the contest, so you were taking on the very best funnel cake makers in the world! You must have been thrilled to defeat them!”
    â€œI wouldn’t call it so much a defeat. I’m sure their funnel cakes were all wonderful.”
    â€œBut not as good as yours,” Gloria said, “because you won the blue ribbon! Can we see it?”
    The ribbon was in Phyllis’s purse, but she wasn’t sure she should take it out and display it on camera. It had just occurred to her that maybe it wasn’t a good idea for her to be talking to Gloria Kimball like this. After all, she had agreed to be on
The Joye of Cooking
and talk about her funnel cakes there, as well as helping Joye Jameson make a batch of them, so that was sort of like promising an exclusive to a reporter, wasn’t it? Did TV personalities ever try to scoop one another?
    Those questions were going through her mind as she glanced over at the entrance to the Creative Arts Building. Bailey Broderick stood there with a stunned, angry expression on her face, and as soon as Phyllis saw the young woman, she knew that she had indeed made a mistake.

Chapter 12
    â€œI ’m sorry. I really have to go now,” Phyllis said.
    â€œIf you could spare us just a few more minutes—” Gloria began.
    Phyllis shook her head and muttered again, “I’m sorry.”
    Gloria moved her arm and stepped away from Phyllis, hardly missing a beat as she faced the camera and went on, “We’ve been talking to Phyllis Newsom, blue ribbon winner of the funnel cake competition of the State Fair of Texas, and my, didn’t those funnel cakes sound delicious! And remember, you heard about them first right here on
The 44 News
.”
    Phyllis heard Gloria’s voice clearly behind her as she walked toward the building, and she winced slightly at what had just gone out over the air. Beside her, Sam said quietly, “You probably shouldn’t have done that, huh?”
    â€œProbably not,” Phyllis agreed.
    But it was too late to do anything about it now.