Two Scoops of Murder

by Gretchen Allen

  Two Scoops of Murder

  The Sundae Afternoon Series, Book 7

  Gretchen Allen

  Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Copyright 2019 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.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Also by Gretchen Allen

  Author’s Note

  Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Chapter 1

  Yvette Lockhart’s eyes darted back and forth across the dining area at Sundae Afternoon. There was a long line of people waiting to pay, an even longer line of people ordering ice cream, and every single table in the shop was full. All of the customers seemed content, which was a relief because Yvette felt as though she and her staff were barely keeping up.

  “It’s a madhouse in here today. What’s going on?” Vanessa asked as she dashed behind the counter to drop off an order slip.

  “I have no idea. It seems busier than our normal busy, though, doesn’t it?” Yvette agreed.

  “It really does. I thought maybe there was something happening in town that we didn’t know about.”

  “I don’t think so,” Yvette mused, adding the slip to the end of the line. She had about a dozen orders to prepare before she got to the one that Vanessa had just turned in.

  As though she could read minds, Vanessa stared at the long line of slips hanging above her boss. “I think I have all the orders in. I’m gonna do a quick walkthrough and see if anyone needs anything, and then I’ll come back and help you scoop.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Yvette smiled, and took a deep breath, preparing herself to sling out the orders as quickly and as perfectly as possible.

  She appreciated Vanessa’s offer, but she also knew that the rest of her staff was just as busy as she was. Joey was washing dishes, Leslie was making more waffle cones, Vanessa was working in the dining room, Stella was taking money, and Sage, Vanessa’s teenaged daughter, was on her way in to help out as well. Sundae Afternoon hadn’t even been open for two hours yet, and they’d already run out of cones, had to refill the hot fudge twice, and everyone was taking turns answering the phone, as it had been ringing off the hook with pickup orders.

  Yvette glanced at the next two order slips, deciding to work on both at the same time. She pulled out a fresh ice cream scoop and got to work. The first slip read, two scoops of black raspberry in a dish, topped with hot fudge, peanut butter, and marshmallow. The second, a Brownie Sundae, cookie dough ice cream, with caramel and whipped cream. Yvette warmed a chocolate chunk brownie in the microwave, scooped the ice cream, added the toppings, and made sure to add a few extra chocolate-covered cherries to the top of each dish. It was the least she could do, knowing that all of the customers had been waiting longer than they normally would for their order.

  A couple more orders later, Vanessa returned to help. The women blew through the orders quickly then each made the offer to give someone else a little break. Yvette took over on the register so Stella could get off of her feet for a few minutes and directed Vanessa to let Joey know to take a quick break himself. He was fast, and there were plenty of dishes to get them through the next, inevitable rush.

  “There’s someone on the phone for you,” Leslie said, passing the cordless phone to Yvette.

  “Who is it?” Yvette asked, making sure to cover the speaker.

  “I’m not really sure. It’s a woman, and she specifically asked to talk with you, not the manager or anything, she asked for you by name.”

  “Thanks. Can you hang out at the register for a few minutes while I take the call?”

  “Sure thing,” Leslie replied, sliding into Yvette’s spot, seamlessly taking over the next customer in line.

  Yvette stepped into her office before answering the call. “Hello, this is Yvette.”

  “Hey, girl! How are things?” Emma, the owner of Sundae Afternoon, asked.

  “Hi,” Yvette replied, a little surprised that Emma hadn’t announced who she was when Leslie answered. “What’s up? How’s Florida?”

  “I don’t have a lot of time to chat, so we’ll have to catch up later. I was calling to let you know that the Vermont store will be opening for the season next week. I was hoping you could be there.”

  “Next week?”

  “Yeah. I mean, I set it up a couple of weeks back, but since I can’t be there, I figured you could cover for me, right?”

  “Umm.” Yvette hesitated. It’s not like she didn’t want to help her boss, but this was kind of unlike her. Emma never waited until the last second for anything. “I’m not sure I can, actually.”

  “What do you mean? I need someone to be there, and I can’t get away. Things are so busy here!”

  “Things are busy here, too. In fact, I haven’t stopped for a second since we opened this morning and neither has anyone else. It’s not only about being busy, though. Vanessa and Sage are both going on vacation for a week. There is no way I can leave, even for a day.”

  “Fine. I’ll figure something out. Not sure why you’d let two employees leave the same week though.”

  Yvette was stunned by the way Emma was acting. Sage was Vanessa’s daughter, and they were going on a family vacation. How was she supposed to deny them? Vanessa was her best employee and deserved a getaway. Emma was the one that was out of the state and had been home only once since her plan to open a Sundae Afternoon in Florida had unfolded. Yvette knew that Emma was working too, and she didn’t want to be rude to her boss, but she was having a hard time getting a grip on her patience.

  “I’ll do my best to be there. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to go for long, though. Maybe an hour or two since it’s like, a three-hour drive each way. Maybe I can get my parents to fill in for me while I’m gone.”

  “Thanks, girly. That means a lot. I gotta go,” Emma said, hanging up the phone before Yvette had a chance to reply.

  Yvette slowly placed the phone down on her desk and stared blankly at the wall for a moment. It had been a hectic day, and there was a chance that she had taken the phone call with Emma the wrong way. She forced herself to put things in perspective. Yvette was busy with her one restaurant while Emma was busy with four. She tried to ignore the fact that Emma was asking her to be busy with another shop on top of her own, but in any other situation, she’d be thrilled to help. She loved taking responsibility for the shops; after all, she’d worked for Emma Kline’s family since she was a teenager herself.

  The phone rang again, interrupting Yvette from her thoughts. “Sundae Afternoon,” she answered.

  “I’m looking for the manager,” the man on the other end of the line stated.

  “Speaking. This is Yvette Lockhart.”

  “Hello, Yvette. My name is Glenn Rutherford. I’m with the National Ice Cream Alliance. We’re looking into holding the next Annual Convention ri
ght there in Heritage. Would you be willing to meet with a few members of the board when we arrive in town?”

  Yvette’s jaw dropped for more reasons than one. First, they wanted to meet?! That was about the coolest thing she could think of having happen to her. Second, no matter how cool, this was just one more thing she’d be responsible for having to do. Nonetheless, her excitement took over.

  “Wow. Of course. I’d love to meet with you! When will you be arriving?”

  “Actually, in just a few days. Typically, we like to plan in advance, but one of our board members just bought a house in your town, and we all agreed that it would be a lovely time to explore the area. So, what do you think?”

  “That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for the opportunity!” Yvette exclaimed, not even attempting to hide her enthusiasm. She was thrilled. The National Ice Cream Alliance was a big deal in her industry, and the fact that they were considering holding their convention in her town was amazing. It was known as one of the largest and most attended events in the country. Yvette grinned, knowing no matter how busy she was, there was no way she was going to miss out on something this important.

  Chapter 2

  Yvette and her best friend, Amelia, walked along Main Street. The two strolled, taking in the beautiful weather, and the fact that summer was well underway. Tourists and locals alike were meandering in and out of the quaint shops that Heritage had to offer, from boutiques specializing in women’s accessories, to a coffee shop, and a country store that had both been staples in the town for more years than either woman could remember.

  “You had to have known they were thinking of holding the convention here.” Yvette gave her friend a knowing look. Amelia was the Director of Tourism and Activities for the town and knew pretty much every detail about all the happenings way before they ever occurred.

  Amelia grinned. “They contacted me about it, looking for information about a location they could use for the convention, yes. Of course, they’d already done their due diligence, and knew very well that either the park or the farm would be plenty large enough for the event.”

  “The farm?! That’s a great idea! Think of all the exposure that would get not only for the farm, but for Sundae Afternoon! What did you tell them? What did Mark say?” Yvette rambled.

  “Jeez. You’re pretty excited about this, huh?” Amelia asked. “I didn’t really tell them anything yet. I knew they wanted to come and tour the town first, so I figured I’d just let that happen before anyone made any decisions.”

  “You didn’t tell Mark?”

  “Of course I did. He wasn’t thrilled about the idea. Having all those people on his land wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. He realized the same thing you did about the exposure he’d get, but imagine having thousands of people on your property?” Amelia shrugged, looking unsure.

  “Yeah. I guess.” Yvette was a little disappointed. Kline’s Family Farm was the best place for the convention if they did decide to hold it in Heritage. The farm was co-owned by Emma, and her brother, Mark. Since Emma also owned Sundae Afternoon, in Yvette’s mind, there was no doubt that it was a clear choice. “Holy cow!”

  “What?” Amelia jumped.

  “If the convention is here, even if it’s not at the farm, does that mean that Sundae Afternoon will be the featured ice cream shop?” Yvette asked, eyes widening.

  “I have no idea how that works, but I’d assume so. When we went a couple of years back, I remember there being an ice cream shop with ads all over and big setups,” Amelia said, looking both ways before they crossed the street.

  Yvette thought back to the last event she’d gone to. It was held in Chandler, Pennsylvania, and the featured shop was a local ice cream place in the city. Since the convention was so large, there were several sponsors, but the featured shop was given the most focus and promotion. The name of the shop was Cookies and Ice Cream. They specialized in ice cream sandwiches made with their homemade cookies in various flavors. A few months after the convention was over, the owner of the shop was offered several contracts with chain grocery stores to begin carrying her product. Now, you can walk up to nearly any store and purchase a box of their ice cream cookie sandwiches. What if something like that happened for Sundae Afternoon?

  “We have to get them to agree to hold it here. Have to! It could mean a whole new set of opportunities for the shop,” Yvette said very matter-of-factly.

  “I’ll do what I can,” Amelia agreed. “Speaking of the shop… What’s going on with Emma? You started telling me about it on the phone earlier, but I must have missed something. She’s never so short with you.”

  “She’s busy.”

  “Aren’t we all?” Amelia pointed out.

  “I know. I have no idea. I haven’t seen Emma or talked to her very much at all. I thought she’d be coming home soon, but if she’s not planning on being around for when the Vermont shop opens, I’m not sure what would bring her back here. I’m happy that she’s happy. I’m thrilled that she’s able to open another shop. I mean, how stinkin’ cool is that? I’m just a little surprised she’s becoming so much less involved here. It’s unlike her.” Yvette shook her head. “Do you think something is wrong? What if Drew is keeping her there?”

  Drew Ross was never one of Yvette’s favorite people, no matter how many times he’d proven himself. He was a realtor and was very well-known in town. He also gave off a vibe of arrogance and being a bit brash. It may have been unlike Emma to act that way, but it certainly wasn’t uncommon for Drew.

  Amelia rolled her eyes, slowing her pace. “He’s not that bad anymore. I think he’s grown up a lot and Emma likes him, so that’s all that matters. If you’re asking if I think Drew is forcing Emma to stay in Florida for some reason, the answer is a big, fat no. What I do think, though, is that we should get some food. I’m starving.”

  Yvette knew her friend was right. She didn’t like Drew for many reasons, but she couldn’t claim one of those was because of how he treated Emma. She was happy with Drew and Yvette knew it. Deciding to ditch the rest of the conversation, she nodded. “Let’s go to Brews. It doesn’t look too busy.”

  The women made their way down the rest of Main Street and stopped in front of the local coffeehouse. Brewster Carmichael had opened the shop nearly thirty years previous, and the townspeople had been enjoying it ever since. The shop was large and welcoming, with twice the number of tables as Sundae Afternoon. They even had a little patio out front with a couple of tables with umbrellas, and a bench. The girls chose to sit outside, knowing that one of the servers would meet them there.

  “Ladies,” Brewster himself greeted the women. “How are you on this fine day?”

  “Really good, Brews,” Yvette replied, lovingly referring to the man by his nickname. “It’s so beautiful outside. I’m glad we were able to get a spot.”

  “Good to have you. Now, what can I get going for you?” he asked.

  “We’ll have our regular.” Amelia grinned, answering for them both.

  When Amelia and Yvette went to Brews together, they always ordered the same thing. Two hot caramel macchiatos with extra whipped cream, and two chocolate croissants. Yvette was still trying to find a way to turn their coffee and croissants into an ice cream sundae. Once things settled down a bit, maybe she’d focus on making that her next project.

  “You heard that someone bought my dream house up the street from my parents?” Yvette asked, settling into her seat. “I’m a little jealous.”

  “Yeah. Have you met them yet? Normally someone new to the area is the talk of the town,” Amelia joked.

  “I haven’t. I asked my parents, but all they knew was that someone had bought it. They both said they hadn’t seen or heard a peep since the realtor took the For Sale sign down.”

  “I did hear that it was a single woman, but I’m not really sure how true that is,” Amelia said, waving to someone inside the coffeehouse.

  Yvette turned around, trying to see who it was. Faintly recognizin
g the face, she turned back to the table. “Who is that?” she asked.

  “Haley Sanders. You don’t remember her?”

  “She looks familiar but… Wait, Haley, is that Emma’s friend? Like, her best friend growing up? The one that she’s been not so secretly frenemies with for several years?”

  “Sure is. Wonder what she’s doing in town?” Amelia mused.

  “Hopefully she’s not here to see Emma,” Yvette commented snidely.

  “Oh, stop. You’re being silly. Haley grew up here. She’s probably just visiting. Or, maybe she’s the mystery woman that bought the house on your parent’s street.”

  “That’s a good possibility. If I felt like socializing with someone other than you, I’d go in there and find out. But, right now I don’t want drama, or to hear about Emma. I just need some time with my best friend. I want to have our coffee and snacks, and relax a little before life takes over again.”

  Yvette may have been overreacting. Haley was a very nice person. At least, from what she remembered of her. She was a few years older than Yvette, but since Yvette had been working closely with Emma for most of her life, she knew a lot about Haley from Emma’s perspective. They’d had an interesting friendship for sure. So, if Haley was the one that purchased the house, Emma was lucky she wasn’t in town right now. While their friendship had been entertaining to watch, Yvette knew, or rather hoped, that neither of them had time for that in their current stage of life.

  “Good timing.” Amelia pointed. “Brews is on his way out, and it looks like Haley just got hers, too, so we should have plenty of time to enjoy our food in peace.”