Triple Dipped Murder

by Gretchen Allen

  Triple Dipped Murder

  Gretchen Allen

  Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Contents

  Copyright

  Author’s Note

  Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Copyright

  Copyright 2018 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Author’s Note

  On the next page, you’ll find out how to access all of my books easily, as well as locate books by best-selling author, Summer Prescott. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on – reader feedback is very important to me. Please see the following page for my publisher’s contact information. If you’d like to be on her list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc…just shoot her an email and let her know. Thanks for reading!

  Also…

  …if you’re looking for more great reads, from me and Summer, check out the Summer Prescott Publishing Book Catalog for some truly spooky stories.

  SPBP Book Catalog

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  If you’re an author and are interested in publishing with Summer Prescott Books – please send Summer an email and she’ll send you submission guidelines.

  1

  Yvette Lockhart set a freshly made peanut butter cup sundae down on the pickup counter and released a breath she felt like she’d been holding for the last hour. Saturdays were by far the busiest day of the week at Sundae Afternoon and she was responsible for dishing up each and every ice cream order that came through the door.

  “Whew, what a day!” Vanessa Monroe, Yvette’s most loved employee, exclaimed after she’d returned from delivering a sundae to one of the last few remaining guests in the shop. “I never thought we’d get through that with just the two of us.”

  “It was definitely hectic,” Yvette agreed, “I think I’m gonna go rest my scooping arm for a bit. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

  Yvette had been the manager of Sundae Afternoon, a busy ice cream shop in Heritage, Massachusetts, for the past two years. Emma, a woman just a few years older than Yvette, and the owner of the company, opened the shop after the death of her grandfather, Hollis Kline. Emma had always shared her dreams with Hollis and in his will, he left her enough money to start her ice cream shop. Over the years, she’d expanded Sundae Afternoon, and left Yvette in charge of the Heritage location. Yvette was grateful that Emma trusted her with her livelihood and knew that she would do just about anything for the woman that she’d admired for so long.

  “Kelly and Laura just got here if you want to come say hi. I’ve already gotten started on their orders.” Vanessa popped her head in the office door.

  Yvette glanced up from her desk. “Oh good! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be right out.”

  Tying back her wavy brown hair and tidying up some of the paperwork she’d been digging through, Yvette headed back out to the front of the shop to chat with some of her favorite customers.

  “Hi, you two, how have you been?” she asked, seeing Kelly Bradford and Laura Hudson sitting at their favorite corner table.

  “So good to see you, sweetie.” Laura beamed. “I feel like it’s been weeks since I’ve been here! With Steve’s daughter in town, we’ve just been so busy. It’s good to have her here but I can’t tell you how happy I am to be getting back to my normal routine. I’ve missed you and the gang here at my favorite ice cream shop.”

  “That’s right. I forgot Marie was home. You’ll have to tell her to stop by. I’d love to catch up.” Yvette smiled. “And what about you? How are things?” she turned to look at Kelly.

  “Couldn’t be better if I tried.”

  The bell on the door rang again. Expecting to see Kelly’s husband, Barry, coming in, Yvette was surprised when Laura’s business partner, Colleen Vale, stormed in with an ominous look on her face. She was headed right for them and it didn’t look pretty.

  “Laura Hudson, how dare you?! We’ve worked together for nearly twenty years and I find out in an email that you are leaving me high and dry? Just when the holiday season is kicking into gear, and things are going to be full swing. How could you do this to me?” Colleen accused.

  Thankful that there were no other customers in the shop, Yvette ducked out to give the women some privacy.

  Laura and Colleen had been best friends for most of their lives and shared a dream to open a store that specialized in women’s accessories. They’d come together to create Dandelion, a beautiful boutique that quickly became a tourist destination during the holiday season for people all over New England.

  Doing her best not to be awkward, Vanessa served Kelly’s two scoops of maple walnut with marshmallow sauce, along with Laura’s Tahitian vanilla cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles and let them know she’d give them some time.

  “Poor Kelly, she’s a brave one to be sticking around for that,” Vanessa whispered to Yvette from behind the pastel yellow and pink counter.

  “Kelly’s been listening to them for years. Half the time, I think she was the only person that was able to put things into perspective for them.”

  “I don’t know how Laura and Colleen managed to work together for so long. It seems like every other week they’re fighting about one thing or another.”

  “Not trying to gossip or anything,” Yvette shrugged, “but I know that when Steve won all that money in the lottery, people seemed to think that Laura was planning to just live off of it and back away from the boutique. They’d both worked so hard to make that place what it is, and I think it hurt Colleen to know that Laura would even consider giving up because of a little money.”

  “There is no way Laura will give up on Dandelion, Colleen wouldn’t let her. Didn’t you see how upset she was?” Vanessa said, a little too loudly.

  The bell on the door sounded again. This time it was Barry finally making his way into the group’s weekly visit to Sundae Afternoon. Yvette looked up just in time to see Colleen brush past him, blazing toward the exit, nearly knocking him over.

  Yvette began working on Barry’s regular order, making sure to top it off with extra whipped cream and three chocolate-covered cherries. “Wish me luck, I’m gonna go chat and see what’s going on with Colleen,” Yvette told Vanessa.

  “Nosy little thing, aren’t ya?” Vanessa teased and shook her head, watching Yvette saunter back to their table, dessert in hand.

  “Mind if I join you?” Yvette asked, placing Barry’s brownie sundae in front of him.

  “We’d love that.” Kelly slid a chair over from a nearby table, gesturing for Yvett
e to have a seat.

  “Seems like it’s been rather eventful around here,” Barry commented.

  “Oh, Colleen’s just got herself in another tizzy about me leaving, which I’m probably not even going to do. Don’t pay any attention to her.” Laura dismissed his concern with a wave.

  “You two do really well over at the boutique. What would make her think you were leaving?” Yvette asked.

  Laura sighed. “I told her that I was going to be taking a few days to myself here and there, so Steve and I could enjoy our new lifestyle. My husband winning the lottery has changed nearly everything about our lives. I love both Colleen and Dandelion, and I have no intentions of leaving for good unless someone forces me out. I just need a little time to enjoy life and not work all the time.”

  “I can understand that,” Barry agreed, “just don’t let all that money get in the way of things.”

  Kelly nodded. “Colleen will calm down and you two will talk and get everything figured out. You always do.”

  “Thank you everyone,” Laura said before raising her vanilla cone to her lips.

  “That’s what friends are for.” Yvette looked around the table and smiled.

  2

  Mom, Dad, I’m here. Where are you guys?” Yvette called out from the dining room of her childhood home.

  “We’re down here!” Abigail Lockhart yelled from the basement.

  “What are you two doing?” Yvette peered down the stairs to where her parents were.

  “Your father’s just working on something. He’ll be done soon.” Yvette’s mother said, coming up to greet her daughter.

  “What are we having for dinner? I forgot to ask the last time we talked.”

  “Chicken Fajita Casserole. Your dad already made it, it’s in the oven now. He added red and yellow peppers this time instead of just green and used a new chipotle and onion cheese, too. It looks delicious. What did you bring for dessert?” Abigail asked.

  “I decided to try something a little different tonight. I’m gonna need Dad to get the grill started for me, though.”

  Abigail looked curiously at her daughter. “Grilled ice cream?”

  “Not exactly,” Yvette laughed. “My plan is to slice a fresh pineapple up into thick rings and then grill them. Each ring will have a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and then I’ll drizzle a rum sauce over it. I have everything with me, I just need the grill,” Yvette enthused.

  “Did I hear someone say grilled ice cream? That sounds terrible. And won’t it make a mess?” Charlie Lockhart bellowed, climbing the stairs that led to the dining room. After shutting the basement door tightly, Yvette’s dad turned and gave his daughter a big hug.

  “What have you been doing down there, Dad?”

  “Just working on something. If you want to take a look, I’ll be glad to go down there with you.

  Yvette shot her dad a death glare as he made his way to the kitchen. “No thanks, maybe I’ll see it when you’re done.” For nearly all of Yvette’s thirty-three years, she’d always had a slight fear of that basement. Something about it always creeped her out no matter how much time her father spent down there or how often they’d reassured her that there wasn’t a boogeyman waiting for her.

  “Dinner’s ready, girls,” Charlie called. “I’ll serve everyone if you two bring the drinks out to the porch.”

  Yvette tucked a few bottles of water under her arm and held the screen door open for her mother who was coming through with a pitcher of peach sangria for them to share. They headed out to the large screened-in, wrap-around porch to enjoy the soft breeze of late summer.

  Every week for as long as Yvette could remember, her family had gotten together for Sunday dinner. Over the years, friends and extended family had occasionally joined them, but no matter what, Charlie, Abigail, and Yvette were always there. They’d eat on the porch in warmer weather, and in those frigid New England winters they’d set up inside, in front of the fireplace, to enjoy each other’s company.

  “So, how are things going at the shop?” Yvette’s mom asked before taking a bite of casserole.

  “Really well, actually. It’s been so busy lately. I mean, I know it’s that time of year, but something seems different. There have been customers waiting at the door for me to open and Joey even told me that he’s had people call and ask him to stay open a little later, so they could come in.”

  “Joey. He’s still working there with you? He hasn’t given you any trouble, has he?” Abigail gave her daughter a look.

  “No, Mom, I tell you that all the time. Joey’s an asset to the team. He’s a fast learner, a great worker, always on time and loves washing dishes…so, I can’t really complain there,” Yvette laughed. “You know how I hate washing dishes.”

  Charlie looked sternly at his daughter. “We just worry about you is all, honey. Joey has been in some trouble in the past and we only want to make sure you don’t get caught up in any of that.”

  “Everything’s fine, guys. I’ve got it under control. But what I don’t have under control is how busy we are. The five of us just aren’t enough anymore, so I’m thinking of hiring someone else to help out.”

  “That’s great news, sweetie. I’m so glad to hear your shop is doing so well.” Charlie grinned between bites of his dinner.

  “It really is. I just never expected we’d need so many employees. Anyway, if either of you hear of anyone looking for a job, please let me know.” Yvette took a sip of her sangria.

  “I’ll keep an eye out for you,” Abigail told her daughter.

  “Cool, thanks. I was planning on hiring someone seasonally to start, but we really might need another full-time person, so hopefully that makes the process easier. I’m sure most people would prefer a full-time job.”

  The shop, located in the downtown area of Heritage, was the only Sundae Afternoon location that stayed open all year long. Both the Townsend, Connecticut and Wildwood, Vermont shops closed after the first snowfall every year. While the summers were busy for everyone, the holiday season, from Halloween to Christmas in Heritage, surpassed those summer months by a landslide. It turned out that some New Englanders loved their ice cream year-round.

  “Charlie, dinner is amazing.” Yvette’s mom looked at her husband gratefully.

  “Yeah, it’s really good,” Yvette agreed.

  “Maybe you should go get the grill started now,” Abigail suggested, noticing her husband had already finished his plate. “It’ll give us a little time to finish our food before we have dessert.”

  “Good idea, we’ll meet you in the yard when we’re done.” Yvette smiled at her dad, grateful she had the opportunity to spend time with her parents.

  “You got it, ladies.” Charlie rose from his seat and trotted down the porch stairs to get the grill going.

  “I have no idea how that man eats so fast. I swear he inhales his meals.” Abigail shook her head and shared a glance with her daughter before they both cracked up laughing.

  3

  Yvette unlocked the front door and flipped the sign to OPEN. It was still a few minutes before eleven, but she figured that if anyone came in early, it wouldn’t be too big of a deal. She was the only one on the schedule for the first couple hours of the day and since Mondays were typically slow, her plan was to spend some time working on inventory and the upcoming delivery order.

  Yvette was excited for the unicorn cones they’d be making this coming week. Knowing that the kids would be heading back to school soon, she wanted to create a fun end of summer treat for them. Homemade waffle cones would be triple dipped in colored white chocolate and made to look like the colorful horn of a unicorn. She’d made sure to order extra cotton candy and bubble gum ice cream thinking they’d go perfectly in the cones.

  Just as Yvette was putting the finishing touches on her paperwork, the little pink and silver bell on the door jingled, signaling that her first customer of the day had arrived.

  “Welcome to Sundae Afternoon, where the ice cream is sweet, and t
he company is sweeter,” Yvette announced happily.

  “Eeeeee!!! I’m so glad you’re here, I was hoping to see you before I left!” Marie Hudson squealed, holding the door open for her parents.

  “Hi, guys! I’m glad you could stop by, I was just telling Laura the other day how great it would be to see you. It’s been a while, huh?” Yvette got up from her stool at the counter to greet them.

  “I’d never come home and not see you! We’ve been friends for how long now? Nearly twenty-five years, I’d venture to guess.” Marie reached out for a hug.

  Yvette had fond memories of her friend. The two girls had met when they were young and participated in several of the same school activities. Over the years they became very close and spent their summers together at a local campground as campers, and eventually counselors. After graduating high school, they’d stayed in touch, getting together monthly for coffee. It wasn’t until after college when Marie made the move out of Heritage that their meetings became less frequent. She’d missed Marie sorely and was thrilled to see her.

  “Wow, yeah. I can’t believe it’s been that long! Now, what can I get everyone? Your regular table is open but have a seat wherever you’d like.” Yvette gestured to the empty dining area.

  “I could go for a banana split, skip the vanilla ice cream, and do extra strawberry,” Marie answered.

  Steve scanned the menu. “I’ll have two scoops of butter pecan with caramel sauce and whipped cream.”